Celebrity Pics Without the Bloodshed!
Celebrity Pics Without the Bloodshed!
Country star Tim McGraw is the latest celeb to go Schwartenegger; he’s reportedly considering running for governor of Tennessee in 2010.
What’s next? Miley Cyrus as Speaker of the House?
Katherine Heigl looking like a first lady at the Marley and Me premiere last night.
Last night, Jennifer Aniston appeared at the premiere of her new film, Marley and Me, in a black Valentino minidress and with boyfriend John Mayer in tow.
Her feet look like The Hulk.
I think we can all agree that the stand-up-comedian-as-Oscar-Host routine is tired.
Apparently the producers got the hint when no one watched the Oscars last year, because they’ve recruited Aussie Hunk and Ball O’ Fun Hugh Jackman to host the 81st Academy Awards.
Hell yeah!
Jackman is a one-man entertainment machine, playing everything from Wolverine in X-Men to flamboyant star Tony Allen in The Boy From Oz on Broadway. And did we mention he’s frickin’ hot?
Expect some serious singing, dancing and old-school Hollywood glamour, which is, after all, what the Oscars are all about.
In these uncertain financial times, follow Catherine Zeta-Jones’ master plan. Swoop into Hollywood like you own the place, bag yourself a rich, crusty husband (in her case, Hollywood Royalty Michael Douglas), sing and dance your way to Oscar glory and then disappear to your Carribean Island for an early retirement.
Genius.
One of the hazards of marrying a younger woman? Violent Temper Tantrums.
Canadian singer Paul Anka recently had to have his head stapled together when his wife, Anna, 20 years his junior, threw ice at him during a fight.
The po-lice later cooked and booked Anna for domestic battery.
Anka shrugged off the incident, saying, ”It was a stupid little event. It was nothing” .
Isn’t that the classic line of battered wives?
The 66th Annual Golden Globe Award Nominations are out! Here’s the list of nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Frost/Nixon (2008)
The Reader (2008)
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
The thing about a Best Picture is that it needs a full deck–acting, story, visual effects, music, and star power–in order to win big, so my money’s on Benjamin Button. The rest of them have literary cred (The Reader and Revolutionary Road), strong performances (Frost/Nixon) and unique scripts (Slumdog Millionaire) but none fuse them all into a winning film experience.
Burn After Reading (2008)
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
In Bruges (2008)
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
The Hollywood Foreign Press masks their indecision by dividing films into two categories: Drama and Musical/Comedy. It’s great because more people win, but only after the awards are given out can you get a real sense of who will be on the Oscar ballot. In this case, I think the huge international success that was Mamma Mia! will earn some recognition here, and if it is nominated for an Oscar, it will be more for the box office returns than film quality.
Leonardo DiCaprio for Revolutionary Road (2008)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)
Sean Penn, no question. Despite his stormy nature, everyone loves him. Brad Pitt’s transformation into Benjamin Button will probably get credit where it deserves: makeup and visual effects. However, there is a potential left-field winner in Frank Langella, who gives a brilliant turn as former Prez Dick Nixon in Frost/Nixon and getting rave reviews.
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008)
Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road (2008)
Toughie. Though I am completely biased and am rooting for Kate Winslet, I think she’s likelier to win for The Reader, a much more controversial and transformative performance. Everyone loves Meryl, but it’s almost obligatory to nominate her now. I think it’s between Hathaway and Jolie, who the critics have both loved this year. If Jolie takes it, it will be because her star power outshone the competition. Either way, it will be nice to see her and Brad there in all their gorgeousness.
Javier Bardem for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Colin Farrell for In Bruges (2008)
James Franco for Pineapple Express (2008)
Brendan Gleeson for In Bruges (2008)
Dustin Hoffman for Last Chance Harvey (2008)
Dustin Hoffman is a perennial favorite and always brilliant, but this is James Franco’s year. His turn as a high-as-a-kite pot dealer in the summer romp Pineapple Express was convincing enough to earn some critical attention for a film that would have otherwise been overlooked.
Rebecca Hall for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
Frances McDormand for Burn After Reading (2008)
Meryl Streep for Mamma Mia! (2008)
Emma Thompson for Last Chance Harvey (2008)
It’s between newcomer Sally Hawkins and Meryl, who managed to make you think deeply about ABBA. Hawkins’ performance as a perpetual optimist in Happy-Go-Lucky is being loved-up by critics this year, and rightfully so; she’s completely charming. I won’t be surprised if Hawkins takes it.
Tom Cruise for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Ralph Fiennes for The Duchess (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath.
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)
Kate Winslet can consider this one hers. Although she deserves to win, it will also serve as a consolation prize if she doesn’t win for Revolutionary Road.
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sam Mendes for Revolutionary Road (2008)
Again, I’m leaning toward Button. David Fincher’s attention to detail and creative visual storytelling (see Seven and Fight Club) has yet to get the recognition it deserves. If the film delivers critically and financially, he’s as good as gold.
Doubt (2008): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy
Slumdog Millionaire will probably take this one. Screenplay is a great category because it’s all about the writing and nothing else. In this case, it doesn’t matter that no one has seen the film; if the script is solid, that’s all that counts.
Bolt (2008)(”I Thought I Lost You”)
Cadillac Records (2008)(”Once in a Lifetime”)
Gran Torino (2008)(”Gran Torino”)
WALL·E (2008)(”Down to Earth”)
The Wrestler (2008)(”The Wrestler”)
Bruce Springstein for “The Wrestler”. Hollywood loves him.
Changeling (2008): Clint Eastwood
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Frost/Nixon (2008): Hans Zimmer
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
An awards show is not an awards show if Clint Eastwood goes home empty-handed. He’ll get this one because he wasn’t nominated for anything else.
Bolt (2008)
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
WALL·E (2008)
‘Tis the season of going green, and WALL-E is the poster boy. Pixar rocks.
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)
Gomorra (2008)
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
Foreign films are always tricky because they have a much different audience than American cinema. In this case, however, I’m voting for Waltz with Bashir.
“Dexter” (2006)
“House M.D.” (2004)
“In Treatment” (2008)
“Mad Men” (2007)
“True Blood” (2007)
Mad Men, a nostaligic look at the world of 50’s advertising, was a huge success this year and will probably reap the rewards for it.
“Californication” (2007)
“Entourage” (2004)
“The Office” (2005)
“30 Rock” (2006)
“Weeds” (2005)
Again, a toughie. After Tina Fey rocked it Sarah-Palin-style on SNL, everyone is in love with her. 30 Rock, which she created and stars in, could ride on her coattails.
Bernard and Doris (2007)
“Cranford” (2007)
“John Adams” (2008)
A Raisin in the Sun (2008) (TV)
Recount (2008) (TV)
John Adams. Huge critical success produced by Tom Hanks. It also happened to be awesome.
Ralph Fiennes for Bernard and Doris (2007)
Paul Giamatti for “John Adams” (2008)
Kevin Spacey for Recount (2008) (TV)
Kiefer Sutherland for 24: Redemption (2008) (TV)
Tom Wilkinson for Recount (2008) (TV)
It’s all about Paul Giamatti this year. Even though he was amazing as John Adams, he should win as an apology for not getting the Oscar for Sideways. Robbery.
Judi Dench for “Cranford” (2007)
Catherine Keener for An American Crime (2007)
Laura Linney for “John Adams” (2008)
Shirley MacLaine for Coco Chanel (2008) (TV)
Susan Sarandon for Bernard and Doris (2007)
This is John Adams year. Congrats, Laura Linney!
Alec Baldwin for “30 Rock” (2006)
Steve Carell for “The Office” (2005)
Kevin Connolly for “Entourage” (2004)
David Duchovny for “Californication” (2007)
Tony Shalhoub for “Monk” (2002)
Who doesn’t love Steve Carell? His performance on The Office as a corporate blowhard is so good it makes me uncomfortable. Tony Shalhoub is fabulous in Monk, but he’s won already. David Duchovny killed his chances with the whole sex addiction thing; Californication is all about sex, so it’s probably not too much of a stretch for him. Give it to the 40 year old virgin!
Christina Applegate for “Samantha Who?” (2007)
America Ferrera for “Ugly Betty” (2006)
Debra Messing for “The Starter Wife” (2008)
Mary-Louise Parker for “Weeds” (2005)
Applegate vs. Fey. As mentioned before, Fey could coast on her SNL merits, but Applegate is a success story after beating cancer this year.
Gabriel Byrne for “In Treatment” (2008)
Michael C. Hall for “Dexter” (2006)
Hugh Laurie for “House M.D.” (2004)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers for “The Tudors” (2007)
The Tudors was huge this year, so the award could go to Meyers. However, Michael C. Hall, who was so brilliant in Six Feet Under, has a shot at it. And I’m not just saying that because my husband loves Dexter.
Sally Field for “Brothers & Sisters” (2006)
January Jones for “Mad Men” (2007)
Anna Paquin for “True Blood” (2007)
Kyra Sedgwick for “The Closer” (2005)
January Jones can count on Mad Men’s success to get her up to the podium. She can be the pretty young thing this year.
Neil Patrick Harris for “How I Met Your Mother” (2005)
Denis Leary for Recount (2008) (TV)
Jeremy Piven for “Entourage” (2004)
Blair Underwood for “In Treatment” (2008)
Tom Wilkinson for “John Adams” (2008)
Denis Leary killed his chances with a stupid comment about Autism in his new book, so it’s between Piven and Wilkinson. Ari Emmanuel, brother of soon-to-be Presidential Chief of Staff Ram Emmanuel, is the basis of Piven’s character. Since this is the year of Obama…But Wilkinson rocked it as Benjamin Franklin in John Adams, so we’ll see what the foreign press has to say.
Eileen Atkins for “Cranford” (2007)
Laura Dern for Recount (2008) (TV)
Melissa George for “In Treatment” (2008)
Rachel Griffiths for “Brothers & Sisters” (2006)
Dianne Wiest for “In Treatment” (2008)
Dianne Wiest is awesome, and HBO’s In Treatment was a critical success. Congrats, Diane!
Jim Carrey’s newest flick, Yes Man, premiered last night and will be released nationwide next Friday.
Yes=Liar. Man=Liar.
Yes+Man=Liar Liar.
Walt Disney must be turning over in his cryogenic freezer.
The Disney Company’s latest release, Tinker Bell, is the latest in a string of unoriginal sequels that seriously suck. Considering the creative and financial resources that company has (they freakin’ own Times Square), it’s embarrassing that they’re being wasted this way.
Not to mention dangerous. Raising children on half-assed sequels leads to underachievement and low self-esteem.
Consider the era of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, in which there were solid storylines and original music (don’t tell me you don’t know every word to “Be Our Guest”). Although Disney may be making serious cash from this straight-to-video shlock, if they want to maintain some integrity they need to return to their roots.
And don’t give me that song and dance about it costing too much time and money to complete an animated feature. I want a song and dance about Springtime!
I was mildly encouraged by “Enchanted”, a cutesy throwback to their original glory, which featured an animated sequence with singing forest animals, music by Alan Menken (who also composed the music for TLM, B&TB and AL) and Jodie Benson, who played the voice of Ariel.
Here’s hoping someone gets the hint before they start making sequels to the prequels of sequels.
Evidence has proven that the gunshot that killed hairstylist Scott Ruffalo, brother of actor Mark, was self-inflicted, the result of a game of Russian Roulette. Shaha Mishaal Adham, a suspect in the shooting, has been released from police custody and will not be charged.
For those of you unfamiliar with Russian Roulette, it’s a game in which people hold a gun with one loaded cartridge to their heads and pull the trigger.
Ronald Richards, Adham’s attorney, called Ruffalo’s death “an accidental shooting by someone that plays with guns”; it was also reported that drugs were involved.
It’s a sad thing when someone puts such little stake in his own life.
