Showing posts with label hollywood awards. Show all posts
Hey, Derbyites: Do you wonder how popular your favorite blog is? Check out the latest LATimes.com traffic report. Last month Gold Derby came in fourth place among the more than 50 blogs here at the Times, clocking 898,618 page views. Thanks for clicking! Oh, yeah, and please keep clicking! And clicking. READERS' REPRESENTATIVE
• Last year Showtime was the first TV network to put sample episodes online for Emmy voters to see. This year it's upping digital innovation by making episodes of "Dexter," "Weeds" and "United States of Tara" accessible via iPhone and iPodTouch. VARIETY
• Looks like "Breaking Bad" will even be badder than ever when it returns to AMC Sunday night after pulling off a dramatic upset victory for Bryan Cranston as best drama actor at last year's Emmy Awards. "How rough can life get for Walt White, a quiet chemistry teacher with a pregnant wife and a handicapped son, who becomes a crystal meth dealer after discovering he is dying of lung cancer?" asks Reuters. "Much, much worse when 'Breaking Bad' begins its second season." TV show "Extra" covered the official premiere. REUTERS / EXTRA
• "'Slumdog Millionaire' is enjoying one of the best Oscar bounces on record," reports Variety. "'Slumdog Millionaire' has crossed the $200 million mark at the worldwide box office, joining an elite group of indie titles to do that kind of business." VARIETY
• The Oscars telecast generated only $72 million in ad sales for ABC — that's a big drop from the $81 million sold last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. "The web sold 26 minutes of ad time during the kudocast. It filled six minutes and 20 seconds with network promos, the most since 2006," reports Variety. "The tough economy forced ABC to charge $1.4 million per 30-second spot in an effort to sell the inventory. That's comparably less than the $1.7 million it brought in last year per spot." VARIETY
• The poster and trailer to "Public Enemies" are out. Director Michael Mann's flick is due out this summer starring Christian Bale as a saintly FBI agent who hunts down John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). JOBLO
There's just no stopping A.R. Rahman! We got our hands on the remix of the Oscar winning song 'Jai Ho' featuring someone who is all too familiar with Desi Hits!, The Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger. Desi Hits! CEO Anjula Acharia-Bath was one the first to uncover musical genius A.R. Rahman with Interscope records CEO Jimmy Iovine hard at work on the remix of this song from 'Slumdog Millionaire'. "I really think it’ll be a great dance anthem. It had an amazing beat and great writers; this track is the epitome of what Desi Hits! stands for, the collaboration of sounds from the East and West," said Anjula. So does the song hold up? Well Nicole Scherzinger adds sexy vocals to the drum beats of A.R. Rahman. The song still contains the elements of the original version, which people loved enough to give an Oscar to. And Nicole Scherzinger stated in a past interview with Desi Hits! that she wanted to go Bollywood, and now she has. She actually fits the instrumental in a refreshing and surprising way. This cultural anthem which captivates the audience during the film 'Slumdog Millionaire' is remixed to give you something new which will continue to give this film even more crossover appeal than it already has. As if 8 Oscars wasn't enough. Stylistically, A.R. Rahman's instrumentation actually compliments the Pussycat Dolls style. The mesh of east and west comes together making it more into a love song adding lyrics that tell a story. If you close your eyes you can almost picture Latika and Jamal kissing in the train station. With all the clarity in production I wonder if A.R. Rahman used the Dr. Dre headphones to mix the song. Wouldn't you guys love to know? Well check out our first article on this remix to find out. Desi Hits Exclusive On A.R. Rahmans 'Jai Ho' Remix Other than that we would love to know what you guys think about this song. We here at Desi Hits! are proud to be one of the first media outlets to deliver it. After 2 Oscars A.R. Rahman continues to make his mark in the US. Is Bollywood beginning to take over the U.S.? Drop us a comment and let us know what you think. 'Jai Ho' Remix
The 81st Academy or should I say the 'Slumdog Millionaire' Awards did not stop paying homage to the film that's arguably dominated most of our headlines this past year. With ten Oscar nominations and winning eight of them 'Slumdog Millionaire' solidifies itself as not only a cross over masterpiece, but one that transcends cultures to bring not only a great script, but music by Bollywood legend A.R. Rahman and the wonderful city of Mumbai, which was constantly praised by those who made the film, to the forefront of the world of entertainment. Simon Beaufoy who accepted the award for Best Adapted screen play felt this film was destiny after uttering words that inspired him by those who wrote the story. "This is yours, take it to India." And musical genius A.R. Rahman made a valuable decision throughout his life which led him to this film. "All my life I had a choice of hate and love, and I chose love and I'm here, God Bless!" Aside from blazing the stage with a performance of the songs 'Jai Ho' and 'O Saya,' A.R. Rahman took home two awards for Best Original Score, and Best Original Song for 'Jai Ho' with Gulzar. The victory speech doesn't stop there, along with those wins, 'Slumdog Millionaire' also dominated the night by taking home 5 other awards including Best Cinematography thanks to Mumbai, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Film Editing and the most coveted awards of them all, Best Director and Best Picture. Director Danny Boyle revealed the strange inspiration behind his success. "I told my kids I would receive this award in the spirit of tigger." Interesting choice of words Mr. Boyle. And Producer Christian Colson who accepted the award for Best Picture also had a confession for success. "We had passion and we had belief and if you have those two things truly anything is possible." Other notable moments at The Academy Awards include actor Sean Penn winning the Best Actor award for his portrayal of gay activist Harvey Milk in the film so smoothly named 'Milk', and actor Mickey Rourke losing to him after reviving his acting career playing washed up wrestler Randy 'The Ram' Robinson in a film with another super slick name called 'The Wrestler'. Other than that it's all about 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2009. As if you haven't got enough of this film already. So what's next for India crossing over. Tell me what you guys think of 'Slumdog Millionaire' dominating the Academy Awards with eight wins.
Beyonce and host Hugh Jackman took the stage for a musical number at Sunday night’s 81st Annual Academy Awards.
Late Hollywood actor Heath Ledger was awarded a posthumous Oscar for best supporting role for his performance in "The Dark Knight". Ledger immortalised the character of the "Clown" in the film based on the DC Comics "Batman" series. Ledger died of a drug overdose in January 2008, a few months before the release of the movie directed by Christopher Nolan. Ledger's father, mother and sister received the Oscar award on his behalf here Sunday. "This award is a testimony to what he has achieved," said the actor's father Kim Ledger
Crackers were burst and sweets distributed in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur Dabai village Monday as "Smile Pinki", a documentary about a girl from the dusty hamlet whose cleft lip made her a social outcast, won an Oscar. As American filmmaker Megan Mylan received the award for best short documentary in Los Angeles, residents of the village in Mirzapur district turned ecstatic. Nirmala Devi, the mother of the film's protagonist Pinki Sonkar, was proud that her daughter's shy smile had managed to woo the jury of the 81st Academy Awards. Hundreds of villagers, carrying cutouts of Pinki and raising slogans in praise of the little girl who was once ostracised because of her cleft lip, lined up outside Nirmala Devi's small hut to congratulate her. "It's an honour for all of us that a poor girl has put this village on the international map," village head Pradeep Vishwakarma told IANS on phone. "We were overjoyed when we saw on news channels that the documentary on Pinki had won an important award," he added. Legislator Anil Kumar Maurya said: "Pinki has made not only Rampur Dabai village, but the entire country proud. She has achieved a feat which most of us had not even imagined." The 39-minute documentary traces Pinki's journey from being ostracised to being treated like a normal girl after a social worker helped her undergo surgery. Mylan says the happy ending inspired her to show Pinki's story. "As a filmmaker who focuses on social issue documentaries, it is rare that I get into a film knowing we're likely to have a happy ending. So, I was excited to tell the story of this beautiful hospital and a team of doctors and social workers treating their patients with such compassion and quality care and making a positive impact," said Mylan.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday night and you can view the winners below marked in red! The Oscar show was hosted by X-Men Origins: Wolverine star Hugh Jackman. Slumdog Millionaire topped the night with 8 wins!
BEST PICTURE:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
Frost/Nixon (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
Milk (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
The Reader (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer
DIRECTING:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
Frost/Nixon (Universal), Ron Howard
Milk (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
The Reader (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor (Overture Films)
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon (Universal)
Sean Penn - Milk (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie - Changeling (Universal)
Melissa Leo - Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep - Doubt (Miramax)
Kate Winslet - The Reader (The Weinstein Company)
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Josh Brolin - Milk (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt (Miramax)
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Amy Adams - Doubt (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis - Doubt (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
Doubt (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
The Reader (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
In Bruges (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
Milk (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
WALL•E (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
The Baader Meinhof Complex A Constantin Film Production, Germany
The Class (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
Departures (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
Revanche (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
Waltz with Bashir (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Bolt (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
WALL•E (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton
ART DIRECTION:
Changeling (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
The Duchess (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Changeling (Universal), Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
The Reader (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle
COSTUME DESIGN:
Australia (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
The Duchess (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
Milk (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
The Garden A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal
FILM EDITING:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
Milk (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens
MAKEUP:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
ORIGINAL SCORE:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
Milk (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
WALL•E (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman
ORIGINAL SONG:
"Down to Earth" from WALL•E (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
"Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam
SOUND MIXING:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
WALL•E (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
Wanted (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt
SOUND EDITING:
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Richard King
Iron Man (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
WALL•E (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
Wanted (Universal),Wylie Stateman
VISUAL EFFECTS:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
Iron Man (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
The Conscience of Nhem En A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
The Final Inch A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
Smile Pinki A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306 A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde
ANIMATED SHORT FILM:
La Maison en Petits Cubes A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
Lavatory - Lovestory A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
Oktapodi (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
Presto (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
This Way Up A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM:
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
Manon on the Asphalt (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
New Boy (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
The Pig An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
No Idol alumni are nominated for these awards but I have created a post in case anyone would like to discuss the show. Rumor is Carrie will be there. I will bring you her red carpet photos if she shows up.
A document leaked online early Friday that appeared to reveal the winners for Sunday night’s 81st Academy Awards ceremony has been branded a fake by an Oscars spokesperson.
According to the list, Mickey Rourke would win Best Actor, Kate Winslet would at last get a Best Actress gong while the support awards would go to Heath Ledger and Amy Adams at the ceremony in Hollywood this Sunday night.
British film Slumdog Millionaire was alleged to be named Best Picture while Danny Boyle would take home the Best Director prize.
The document was believed to be authentic because it was signed by Academy President Sid Ganis.
However, an Oscar spokesperson has called the paper a “hoax” in a statement to E! News: “The Academy’s president is not advised of the winners in advance.”
“There are only two people there who will know the complete list of winners in advance of the envelopes being opened during the ceremony.”
Child artistes Mohammed Azharuddin’s and Rubina Ali are getting their passports done and visas done for their visit to the Oscars.
The Slumdog kids, as they are known these days, are supposed to go to Los Angeles for the Oscars.
Rubina has said, “Not in my dreams did I ever think that I will go to America. I have to buy clothes and shoes for the award ceremony.”
Azhar has added, “Even I would not have ever thought this but I am really happy. I have to thank Danny uncle as I am going to America.”
They have been assured of their passports but the Visa formalities are yet to be settled and it remains to be seen whether these kids can actually make it to the Oscars or not.
Meanwhile the controversy surrounding the compensation given to the child actors for the film continues. Producer Christian Colson says that the family was given money from a fund set up to build a new home but the parents deny it.
Azhar’s father Mohammed Ismail, a TB patient says, “Just provide us with a house, we don’t want any car or money.”
We hope there’ll indeed be a brighter tomorrow for these kids post the Oscars.
Salma Hayek said her wedding vows in French. The 42-year-old actress - who married billionaire French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault in a surprise ceremony in Paris on Valentine's Day - wore a white gown and carried a bunch of red roses for the intimate ceremony.
A source said: "The bride was extremely beautiful, even when she was crying tears of joy. They were extremely happy. She said 'Oui' before about a dozen guests." Salma - who has 17-month-old daughter Valentina with Francois-Henri - invited her mother Diana Jimenez to the service, while her brother Sami served as a witness. Salma and Francois-Henri - who began dating in 2006 - called off their engagement last July, but eventually decided to get back together after taking two romantic trips to the French capital. A source explained: "He's the sweetest guy when he's around her. He's good to her, always with her. They take the baby everywhere with him. They're happy together, totally in love." |
Australian actor Hugh Jackman is not content with just hosting the Oscars as he will be singing at the ceremony too. "The Prestige" actor is set to team up with diva Beyonce Knowles and "High School Musical" couple Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens for a musical extravaganza at the awards night that will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood Feb 22, reports thesun.co.uk.
"Mamma Mia" couple Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper are also rumoured to star in the song-and-dance routine. "Australia" director Baz Luhrmann will choreograph the numbers.
The Oscars will be announced here Sunday night (Monday morning in India). The following have been nominated for the best director Oscar: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire": An iconic British director who has worked in film, theatre and television to huge critical success. Prior to "Slumdog Millionaire", Boyle was probably best known for his breakthrough feature film "Trainspotting". A native of Lancashire, Britain, Boyle's other movies include "The Beach", "28 Days Later", "Millions and Sunshine".
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button": Known for his dark and stylish movies, Fincher, 45, first rose to prominence as the director of visually stunning music videos for the likes of Sting, Madonna and Aerosmith. His first film was "Alien" in 1992, which was followed by "Se7en", "Fight Club", "Panic Room" and "Zodiac".
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon": Howard, 53, is one of the most prolific filmmakers in Hollywood. Formerly a successful child actor, Howard is a partner in Imagine Entertainment, among the most respected production companies in the film world. His many films include "Cocoon", "Willow", "Apollo 13", "A Beautiful Mind", "Cinderella Man" and "The Da Vinci Code".
Gus Van Sant, "Milk": A director who's impossible to pigeonhole, Van Sant has made a career of offbeat films that push the edges. He gained widespread critical praise for his three first movies, "Mala Noche", "Drugstore Cowboy" and "My Own Private Idaho". He had a huge hit and an Oscar nomination for "Good Will Hunting" and won the Palm D'Or at Cannes for "Elephant", a searing movie inspired by the Columbine school massacre in the US.
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader": A British director who was highly successful in the theatre before making his feature film debut in 2000 with the acclaimed "Billy Elliot", for which he was nominated for an Oscar. His next effort, "The Hours" in 2002, garnered nine nominations and a best actress win for Nicole Kidman.
Oscar bet: Boyle is the heavy favourite in this race, but Van Sant and Fincher have lots of Oscar fans too.
The Oscars will be announced here Sunday night (Monday morning in India). The following have been nominated for the best foreign picture Oscar: "The Baader Meinhof Complex", Germany: A 2008 film by Uli Edel based on a German bestseller of the same name. The movie tells the story of the West German Red Army Faction, which was the country's most violent and prominent left-wing terrorist group that operated from the late 1960s to 1998. The movie offers a unique insight into the motivations of the notorious group. It stars Martina Gedeck and Moritz Bleibtreu as the group's co-founders, who are brought down after a spate of attacks in 1977 by a brilliant policeman played by Bruno Ganz.
"The Class", France: A docudrama that examines the intricate relationships and attitudes among the students and staff at a multi-ethnic Parisian school that stands as a microcosm of French society. The film uses real students and teachers and shows the challenges faced by a well-meaning white teacher when he tries to bring the lessons of his liberal idealism to a group of alienated and authority-challenging immigrants.
"Departures", Japan: Directed by Yojiro Takita, the movie stars Masahiro Motoki as a devoted cellist who moves back to his hometown and takes on a new job as an undertaker after being fired from his orchestra. While those around him despise the job, Daigo finds his calling as a gentle gatekeeper to death, and in a profound and sometimes comical journey he uncovers the wonders of life.
"Revanche", Austria: Directed by Gotz Spielmann, this is a gritty crime caper set against the brutal world of the Austrian sex trade. It tells the story of a henchman for an underworld boss who falls in love with a Ukranian sex slave at one of his boss' brothels. The pair decide to escape when she is brutalized by one of the boss' associates. But their ploy gets complicated when the penniless couple tries to rob a bank.
"Waltz With Bashir", Israel: A genre-smashing animated documentary that portrays an Israeli man's attempt to reconstruct the horrors that he witnessed as a soldier during Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon. The movie is based on the experiences of writer-director Ari Folman, who also stars in it, and has garnered a wide range of international awards.
Oscar bet: Most Oscar experts agree that "Waltz with Bashir" will take the prize thanks to its innovative techniques, always-relevant subject matter, brilliant imagery and powerful storytelling
This year's Oscars are being touted as "The Biggest Movie Event of the Year" in ads running on ABC, a trailer directed by the Oscar-nominated John Singleton ("Boyz N the Hood"), and both online and in print. Can the show live up to all this hype? First-time Oscar-cast producers Bill Condon and Larry Mark's last collaboration was "Dreamgirls" — the 2006 socko stage-to-screen adaptation of a 25-year-old Broadway musical — so this dynamic duo has proven they can inject new life into an old show. As details continue to be revealed, we know the following: • There will be a red carpet — despite rumors to the contrary — filled with many of this year's nominees and guests. However, certain star presenters will skip that stroll so they can sneak in the back door and make a surprise appearance later onstage at the Kodak Theatre. But it's no surprise that some of the hottest stars of today will be there — Robert Pattinsonand Vanessa Hudgens("Twilight"), Zac Efron ("High School Musical"), Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana"),Amanda Seyfried ("Mamma Mia!") and Beyonce Knowles. Their appearances wereleaked in the last few days. • Host Hugh Jackman will appear in a musical number staged by his "Australia" director Baz Luhrmann. And no worries on that front — Jackman won the 2004 Tony Award for playing singer-songwriter Peter Allen (himself a 1982 Oscar winner for his work on the theme for "Arthur"). Jackman also picked up an Emmy in 2005 for hosting that 2004 Tony-cast (he also emceed that show in '03 and '05). • The stage has been completely reconfigured by the building's architect, David Rockwell, to evoke a nightclub, with the orchestra as a backdrop, a circular platform extending out into the theater and the audience grouped around this. The set, such as it is, will evolve through the evening, with changes being made on camera. "The look of the theater is very different," Hugh Jackman told the Associated Press. "It's more like the nightclub of your dreams. It's very intimate." • The two dozen awards, along with the honorary Oscar to Jerry Lewis, will be presented in the context of a story that involves both the presenters and the nominees. Not sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing enough. So don't expect the usual scenario: one of the supporting awards bestowed in the first half-hour, followed by a long drought till the usual deluge of top awards in the last half-hour. • Oscar nominee Queen Latifah ("Chicago") will croon "I'll Be Seeing You" during the "In Memoriam" tribute to those moviemakers we lost in the last year. • Funnyman Bruce Vilanch — who has a pair of Emmys for helping write the 1991 and 1992 Oscarcasts — has been upped from mere gagmeister to serious contributor. • And, finally, studios will get to showcase upcoming releases — such as the latest "Harry Potter" — in 10-second spots that will run on a split screen with the end credits.
oscar ceremony will welcome a new and welcome face for many a young fan. Sure, you’ll get your Brad and Angelina fix this weekend (both are nominated of course) but who cares about the world’s most famous couple this side of Barack and Michelle when Robert Pattinson is involved. Yes, HitFix claims they have confirmed the recent rumors, that “Twilight” star Pattinson will indeed present an award at the Oscars. The report doesn’t indicate what award Pattinson will present nor whether his “Twilight” co-star, Kristen Stewart, will be by his side as he bestow a statuette to a lucky winner. The decision to add Pattinson to the roster of presenters can’t be considered much of a surprise. It’s no secret that the Oscar telecast has been a ratings challenged affair in recent years. And this year’s ceremony, without a blockbuster like “Titanic” (or even “The Dark Knight”) in competition for the major awards, could use all the help it can. Hugh Jackman will host the proceedings and that certainly establishes a different vibe than the usual stand-up host. But with the addition of Pattinson the Oscar producers are clearly hoping to draw in a younger crowd.
As the two prepare for their date with Oscar on Feb. 22 (the film is nominated for ), here's some inside scoop on the young stars of the movie sensation.
1. They have beginners' luck
Patel and Pinto are movie newcomers; Slumdog is the first film for both. "It was actually the first film script I've ever read," says Patel, who had starred in the U.K. TV series Skins. "My track record's really spoiled now."
2. They had different first impressions
"She's absolutely stunning," Patel thought when he first met his costar. But now he can dish about the real Freida (whom he calls a "wicked buddy"): "She's super funny. In [public] she's very gracious. But she's quite the goof, she can poke fun at herself. And if someone dishes something out to her, she can give as good as she gets. She's not shy."
And Patel? "When I met him for the first time I was like, 'Oh, my god, he's a kid!' " Pinto recalls. "But I realized during the shooting of the film that as much as this boy is really funny and goofy, there's this really mature, sensitive side to him as well."
3. They have celebrity crushes
All the hoopla has brought Pinto face-to-face with her childhood crush,. "In the eighth or ninth grade, I had a scrapbook with his face on it," she admits. "I [recently] met him at the Palm Springs Film Festival. It was fantastic. It was a crush back then; now it's just admiration for a fabulous actor."
For his part, Patel is partial to Hollywood beauties like and, and – crushes aside – hopes he gets to meet . "He's one of my idols."
4. They have an Angelina connection
Irrfan Khan, the Indian megastar who plays the police inspector investigating Jamal's game show success, costarred with Jolie in A Mighty Heart. Patel used the connection on a red carpet. "I was like, 'Irrfan, make a beeline for Angelina! Tell her I want to say hi!' And he did," says Patel. "I didn't say much. I was just more looking in awe at Angelina Jolie ... I think she said 'great film' or something like that. It was a blur."
5. They still haven't chosen Oscar dates
Patel will probably take "my mum [Anita, an elder care worker]. She's my good luck charm." Pinto (who, like Patel, is single) is still deciding. "My mother [Sylvia, a school principal] can't really take a break because it's during board examinations." Pinto may not know who will escort her, but she's already prepping for the red-carpet walk. "I'm clumsy, so that's when I have to breathe, control, and just walk as straight as possible."
Paris Hilton has never been described as demure (that we know of, at least.) But the ultra-mini the socialite wore to Sunday night's Grammy Awards took her status as a short-skirt devotee to a new level. Hilton's Versace dress -- or was it really a top? -- was what our beloved Go Fug Yourself girls might call a "scroll-down fug." We actually love the combination of deep plum and royal purple in the Herve Leger-style harness bodice. But (as often is the case with Ms. Hilton) there is way too much happening from the waist down. As if a green, iridescent skirt covered in purple netting and what appear to be crocheted appliques wasn't busy enough, Ms. Hilton saw it fit to add a sequined clutch, metallic heels and diamond doorknocker earrings to her ensemble. The overall effect? Just a little too human-disco-ball for our liking
