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Why Angelina Jolie Got Snubbed by the Oscars This Year

CiaoBella — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:27:06 -0800

Angelina Jolie inside at the 13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards on January 7, 2008 in Santa Monica, California. Photo by: Chris Polk/WireImage.com

TUESDAY JANUARY 22, 2008
Source: US Magazine.com

When Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday morning, Angelina Jolie’s name was noticeably absent, despite scoring both Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nods.

What happened?

“It was a very strong race for best actress, and A Mighty Heart was a box office bomb,” says Thelma Adams, Us Weekly’s film critic, adding that a movie’s earnings play into who gets nominated.

Adams says many voters also could have forgotten about the flick, which opened back in June.

“It’s really about the fall movies that come out at the Toronto Film Festival [in September],” Adams says of who gets recognized.

Still, Adams says Jolie’s gritty role as Mariane Pearl, widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, should’ve gotten nominated.

“I personally do think her performance warranted an Oscar,” Adams says. “It was a great performance, and underneath it all, she’s a great actress.”

Jolie shouldn’t be too bummed out: She took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2000 for her role in Girl, Interrupted.
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I'm very surprised Angelina didn't get nominated for an Oscar, she was excellent in A Mighty Heart. I guess we'll see if she wins at the SAG awards.

MTV News: Anna Kendrick Talks About Her And Jessica's Future After 'Eclipse'

gd101 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:11:34 -0800

It's no new news that Anna Kendrick had mostly slipped under the radar in Hollywood for nearly half her adult life. Before she stole all her scenes in both "Twilight" and "New Moon" and garnered an Oscar nomination for her role in "Up in the Air," Anna was the third youngest Tony nominee ever and made a name for her quirky humor in "Rocket Science."
But it's what's going on after her success that is what is interesting. Jason Reitman wrote the role of Natalie specifically for Anna in "Up in the Air" and, though she still auditioned for the role, it really was hers to start with. She admitted in a new interview with Reuters that she's been too caught up in "Up in the Air" and awards season to focus on work, but she is still deservedly receiving some A-list job opportunities.

Last summer, Anna was offered a role in an untitled Seth Rogen and James McAvoy comedy for Mandate Pictures, which starts shooting later this month. Mandate gave her the part without even an audition.
"I'm not a really good auditioner, so it took a lot of the load off me," she told Reuters.
It also should take a stressful load off her shoulders about whether she is a hot commodity in Hollywood. She was recently chosen chosen by Vanity Fair as one of the hot young actresses to keep an eye out for.
With so much buzz surrounding her now, it's hard not to see Anna feeling a little unloved by the "Twilight" crowd. Not only did they say she was the "Twilight" actor least likely to win an Oscar (choosing Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson over her, despite her Oscar buzz and now nomination), but her character Jessica Stanley doesn't have much shelf life beyond the third film, "Eclipse."
"I honestly feel like Jessica is one of those characters that if she wasn't in the movie, nobody would miss her," she said. "At the same time, I feel a certain affection for the films so if they ask me, I would love to. I don't have my fingers crossed either way."
She added, "I've been really lucky to not be defined completely by that series."
And yet, in spite of all that, I remember being at Comic-Con in 2008 when "Twilight" first debuted the entire cast and, despite the fact she was not on the panel, hearing a buzz around the exhibit hall floor that the girl who played Jessica was near the "Twilight" booth. Though Anna was not well known by mainstream audiences before "Twilight" and "Up in the Air," she was at least beloved by "Twi"-hards for just being a part of the film.
Would you miss Anna Kenrick if she didn't appear in "Breaking Dawn"?
MTV News:

Atonement - Breathtaking and Brilliant

yiddidea — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:19:31 -0800

I saw this film the weekend it came out and am still completely enthralled with it. Considering the Oscar’s are next weekend I figured it was about time I write up my review. I think the most important thing to know about this film before seeing it is you need to understand what you are going to see. Yes, there is a romance in the film that is threaded throughout, but it is really a film about lies, deception, forgiveness and consequences.

The film as a whole was a complete work of art. The score for this film was absolutely brilliant. The use of the typewriter throughout was one of the most striking and perfect choices that the director and composer could have chosen. Next to the score, the editing of this film was done to perfection. A very long timeline had to be covered as well as 3 core character’s perspectives portrayed. In the hands of a less talented director and editor this could have been tedious for the viewer to sit through. Instead I was completely captivated with the flow and artistry used to show the passing of time and trade-off of characters. It helped that there was not a single bad acting performance in the bunch. From the smallest of minor characters to the 3 leads the acting was top notch. James McAvoy was a revelation to anyone who was previously unfamiliar with his talents. Keira Knightley showed a maturity and depth to her acting that she began to show the promise of in last year’s Pride and Prejudice. Newcomer Saoirse Ronan truly deserves her academy award nomination for her role as Briony, the catalyst for all that follows in the rest of the story. Without her strong performance the entirety of the film would have fallen flat. In addition, Romola Garai continues Briony’s story with equal strength and depth of emotion that has garnered very little praise. It was in her performance that the severity of Briony’s actions had to be fully realized and Garai fully enhabited the utter regret and and devastation her character was living in.

The cinematography, art direction and costuming further enhance the brilliance of this film. There is one scene which has garnered much notice and praise, rightfully so. The beach scene at Dunkirk literally takes your breath away. For a detailed look at the filming of this read this article.

Even the lighter moments of the film are shot with a sweeping, yet delicate lens which adds to the epic feel of the story. There is not one moment thrown away. You feel as if the film was looked over with a fine tooth comb to catch any moments that were not completely flushed out. I count this film as one of the best I have seen, ever.

This is a beautiful extended trailer for the film that gives you a very good sense of how the score and editing are used in the film. Simply breathtaking.

Only 17/39 so far! I have a lot of films to watch this week!

yiddidea — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:50:16 -0800

Wow, I am really behind. I am only at 17/39! Yikes, I need to catch up this week. Here are some mini-reviews with my Star ratings for the ones I have seen so far in bold.

1. Atonement - 9stars/10 - I loved this film. It felt like a piece of art with the cinematography, score, art direction, costumes, editing and acting performances. Definitely the best film of the year so far for me. See my detailed review HERE

2. Juno

3. Michael Clayton – 7/10 – Great acting all around and suspenseful. There were a few scenes that were quite brilliant, but as a whole it reminded me of the John Grisham films, which I also enjoy but aren’t groundbreaking.

4. No Country for Old Men

5. There Will Be Blood – 6/10 – Great acting by Day-Lewis and Paul Dano, but this film needed SERIOUS editing. I contemplated leaving the theatre halfway through.

6. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

7. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – 8/10 – Brilliant film by Tim Burton, as usual, and superb performances by the entire cast. It is too bad the Academy doesn’t award Tim Burton’s genius, ever.

8. In the Valley of Elah

9. Eastern Promises – 7/10 – Viggo’s performance in this film was the best of his career. The pacing and suspense were spot on, with just a few story elements that were irksome.

10. Elizabeth: The Golden Age – 5/10 – Felt like a movie I had seen before, just not written as well. Blanchett is superb, as always, but the film felt empty.

11. Away From Her

12. La Vie En Rose

13. The Savages

14. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

15. Charlie Wilson’s War

16. Into the Wild – 8/10 – Beautiful film by Sean Penn, who deserved a directing nomination. The film was thought provoking, eye-opening and heartbreaking all at once. Emile Hirsch transcended his previous work by leaps and bounds here. Hal Holbrook was a revelation. For more, see my review HERE

17. I’m Not There

18. American Gangster

19. Gone Baby Gone – 8/10 – One of the best of the year. Casey Affleck and Amy Ryan give 2 of the best performances I have seen this year. Ben Affleck’s direction and cinematography choices really do a great job of creating Boston as a character in the film.

20. Lars and the Real Girl

21. Ratatouille – 7/10 – Very cute story idea and top notch animation.

22. Persepolis

23. Surf’s Up

24. The Golden Compass – see my review HERE.

25. No End in Sight

26. Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience

27. Sicko see my review HERE.

28. Taxi to the Dark Side

29. War/Dance

30. The Kite Runner

31. 3:10 to Yuma – 9/10 – Can someone please give Christian Bale an oscar? Oh, and how about Ben Foster. He was BRILLIANT in this.

32. Once

33. Enchanted – 8/10 – Totally adorable. Amy Adams and James Marsden were HILARIOUS. Comedic acting is harder than most people realize and Amy was completely convincing. Idina Menzel was wasted though, so I wonder if she had a song that was cut out?

34. August Rush – This one definitely was schmaltzy, but if you like that kind of thing it is a must see. I enjoyed it. It helped that I knew the musician who wrote a pivotal song for the film.

35. Norbit

36. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – 7/10 - Confusing and long, but Johnny Depp can save anything. Full review HERE.

37. The Bourne Ultimatum – 9/10 – Probably the best action flick I have seen in years. The fight scenes and car chases were like nothing I have seen before. Matt Damon disappears into the Bourne role so perfectly. Full review HERE.

38. Transformers – 8/10 – When it comes to cheesy popcorn blockbusters this one fulfilled every necessary bullet point. Big action, sarcastic leading man, hot chick and huge alien robots. How can you go wrong? Full review HERE.

39. Across the Universe

Obama responds to ire over 2nd anti-Vegas remark

Roarman — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:41:39 -0800

LAS VEGAS – President Barack Obama is known for having a way with words, but some lawmakers from Nevada wish he would pipe down about trips to Sin City.

After sparking a firestorm of criticism from Nevada's elected officials for suggesting that people saving money for college shouldn't blow it in Las Vegas, Obama told U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a letter that he wasn't saying anything negative about Las Vegas.

It was the second time since taking office that Obama singled out Las Vegas as a potential example of spending excessively.

"I was making the simple point that families use vacation dollars, not college tuition money, to have fun," Obama said, according to the letter released by Reid's office. "There is no place better to have fun than Vegas, one of our country's great destinations."

Obama said he always enjoys his visits to Las Vegas.

A White House spokesman referred to Obama's letter to Reid and said the administration had no further comment.

Perception and reputation are sensitive issues for Sin City as it struggles to find footing amid a two-year meltdown of foreclosures, bankruptcies and unemployment. Tourism is the Silver State's backbone, and several lawmakers said they were shocked that Obama singled out Las Vegas again after commenting last February that bailed-out banks shouldn't go to Las Vegas using taxpayer money.

"When times are tough, you tighten your belts," Obama said, according to a White House transcript of his appearance Tuesday at a high school in North Nashua, N.H.

"You don't go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage," Obama said. "You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices."

The comments quickly sparked a flurry of reaction in the Silver State, which supported Obama in the 2008 election. Nevada had an unemployment rate of 13 percent in December.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said during a hastily called news conference that Obama is no friend to Las Vegas and would not be welcomed here if he visits.

"I'll do everything I can to give him the boot," Goodman said. "This president is a real slow learner."

Goodman and others are worried that Obama's words will discourage visitors from coming to Las Vegas and depress the industry further.

"Enough is enough!" Democratic Congresswoman Shelley Berkley said in a statement. "President Obama needs to stop picking on Las Vegas and he needs to let Americans decide for themselves how and where to spend their hard-earned vacation dollars."

Nevada's tourism has been hit hard during the past two years as consumers everywhere tighten leisure spending and companies spend less on meetings and conventions.

Reid, one of Obama's closest allies, issued a statement headlined "Reid to Obama: 'Lay off Las Vegas'" and was unusually blunt in his reaction.

"The President needs to lay off Las Vegas and stop making it the poster child for where people shouldn't be spending their money," Reid said. "I would much rather tourists and business travelers spend their money in Las Vegas than spend it overseas."

Sen. John Ensign, a Republican, complained that Obama "failed to grasp the weight that his words carry."

"Once again he has threatened the struggling economy of Las Vegas," Ensign said, recalling what he characterized as Obama's "irresponsible" comment in February 2009.

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons and Rep. Dean Heller, both Republicans, and Democratic Rep. Dina Titus also disparaged the president's remarks, while Republican candidates hoping to unseat Reid this year called for an apology.

One year ago, Obama commented during a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Ind., that corporations shouldn't use federal bailout money for trips to Las Vegas, the Super Bowl or corporate jets. Tourism and casino officials said the comment hurt the city as companies canceled meetings in Las Vegas and rescheduled them elsewhere.

Obama later said during a May 2009 trip to Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas that it was nice to get out of Washington and "there's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week."

Goodman said he thought Obama had a "psychological hang-up" of using Las Vegas as an example of excessive spending, and that this time, an apology wouldn't be enough.

"He has to step up right away and say, you know, he wasn't thinking," Goodman said. "Sometimes when he's not using his monitors and reading what he says, he doesn't think. And this is one of those times he didn't think, and he should straighten out the record because he's been here, he knows Las Vegas is a great place."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_las_vegas

John Mayer: I've Never Gotten over Jen Aniston

kty — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:11:22 -0800

By Marisa Fox
Calling himself an "a--hole" for breaking up with on-again-off-again squeeze Jennifer Aniston, John Mayer admits he's having a hard time moving on. "I've never really gotten over it," the singer reveals in the new issue of Rolling Stone. "It was one of the worst times of my life." Mayer, 32, and Aniston, 40, first hooked up in 2008, and have had a hot and cold romance ever since. They officially called it quits in August 2008, but eventually reconciled and attended the Oscars together. They later split again, but have remained friendly. As for his reputation for being the biggest playboy in the pop world, Mayer says his sex life isn't all it’s cracked up to be and complains about the endless stream of rejections he supposedly encounters in clubs. What Mayer says he craves most is to settle down with the right woman. "I'll be happy when I close out this life-partner thing," he says. "Think of how much mental capacity I'm using to meet the right person so I can stop giving a f--- about it." Until that day arrives, Mayer's love-life woes just might make for some good song material.

6 Reasons the Golden Globes Are Going to be Even Better This Year

braddybradshaw — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:06:20 -0800

The Golden Globes have always been known as the party-loving stepchild to the Oscars, but the telecast can be hit or miss. I’m banking on this year’s version being even more entertaining than it’s been in the past (or so I hope) for a few key reasons.
1. Ricky Gervais is hosting
He could just be the most hilarious Golden Globes host yet - well, he’s at least the first one since 1995. If last year was any indication, between his toting beer on stage and making a Holocaust joke at Kate Winslet, the guy clearly doesn’t give a sh*t, which makes for good TV. Plus, he’s beloved by the industry, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few funny on-stage gags where he teams up with his peers. How ‘bout a follow up to his 2008 Emmy-stealing bit with Steve Carell?
2. It’s live nationwide
For the first time ever. That means us west-coasters no longer have to wait three hours for the telecast - or to try to stream the show from a shoddy website
3. (Hopefully) an acceptance speech by Gabourey Sidibe
It would undoubtedly be the highlight of the night for me. She’s like the Hollywood fresh-faced newcomer who is actually genuine. I’m obsessed with her back story, her love for N*SYNC, and her performance in Precious. Did you hear about her acceptance speech at the National Board of Review Awards? She said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. And George Clooney, let’s get a drink.” Anything that comes out of this girl’s mouth will be fascinating to watch.
4. More Animated Film nominations
Which is good, because there are several worthy candidates in my mind, so I’m glad to see that there’s more room for them to get recognized (even though Up is probably a shoo-in.)
5. Kathryn Bigelow is going up against her ex-husband James Cameron for Best Director
This is one of the awards I’ll be watching most closely. My guess is one of them is going to win the honor; the other is going to give really awkward death stares to the camera, which is going to make for awesome television.
6. Martin Scorsese is receiving the Cecil B. Demille Lifetime Achievement Award
Not that last year’s honoree Steven Spielberg wasn’t totally deserving, but I’ve always thought of Marty Scorsese as the underdog director of the industry. Even though he’s churned out Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull, it took him nearly 45 years to get recognition with a Best Director Oscar (for The Departed), and I actually got goosebumps when it finally happened. I’m looking forward to his additional kudos.

Twilight Producer Wyck Godfrey talks about Breaking Dawn

athena4rob — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:42:12 -0800

Producer Wyck Godfrey spoke to Gina McIntyre from L.A. Times. He pretty much says : "We don't have a director, we don't have the whole script, we don't know if it will be 1 or 2 movies." Zero plus zero we still have zero...

It's been one of the biggest questions surrounding Summit Entertainment's uber-successful "Twilight" franchise (apart, of course, from whether stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson really are a couple off-screen) -- just how the producers are going to manage to pull off a big-screen adaptation of "Breaking Dawn." The fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's juggernaut of a young adult fiction series about the epic love affair between high school student Bella Swan and her good-guy vampire beau Edward Cullen has plenty of heft, clocking in at upward of 750 pages, but it also has the distinction of being the most controversial entry in the saga.When it was released in August 2008, fan reaction was intense and divided with some "Twi-hards" expressing confusion and dismay over a plot that involved *SPOILER ALERT* a recently graduated 19-year-old Bella giving birth to a half-human/half-vamp daughter named Renesmee, who grows much faster than the average mortal child and who possesses a unique way of communicating with those around her, clearly inherited from Dad's side of the family.Wyck Godfrey, the producer of all the films in the "Twilight" saga, admits that the creative team still doesn't know how they'll handle the character in the "Breaking Dawn" movie, but said that the plan is absolutely for the production to go forward -- as either one or two installments -- with an eye toward beginning to shoot in Vancouver this fall. All three stars are signed for "Breaking Dawn," he said, meaning that Stewart and Pattinson will be dealing with the joys and woes of interspecies parenting and newly minted heartthrob Taylor Lautner will return as often-shirtless shape-shifter Jacob Black.At the moment, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who's penned all the "Twilight" movies, is working on the "Breaking Dawn" script(s). "It's a work in process," Godfrey said in an interview Friday. "The issue [of whether there will be one or two movies] is not going to be resolved until we get the full treatment and see whether it's organic. If it's not organic, I don't think it will be done, and if it is, it will be. It really has to do with how much level of detail from the books there is, with all of these new vampires that appear in 'Breaking Dawn,' the whole section about Jacob... It's a very long single movie if it does become a single movie."Although there's been a great deal of online chatter about whether Chris Weitz, director of the second and most recent movie, "New Moon," would return to helm "Breaking Dawn," Godfrey downplayed that possibility, saying, "I think everyone would be happy and excited if he came back, but I don't think it's going to happen."He and the other principals are formulating a list of potential directors, "but right now," Godfrey said, "we're just focused on the treatment and getting that right. At that point, we're going to see who's available and who's appropriate. It's such a complicated book because you have the emotions and the intensity of the love story -- so you need somebody who's just a wonderful director of actors -- and yet it's really complicated from an action and visual effects standpoint. They've got to have both tools in their kit."A visual effects background might be particularly helpful when it comes to dealing with the character of Renesmee."I keep having visions of '[The Curious Case of] Benjamin Button' in my head," Godfrey said, referring to David Fincher's Oscar-nominated 2008 fantasy about a man who becomes physically younger as he ages. "It's certainly going to be visual effects in some capacity along with an actor. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a full CG creation, but it also may be a human shot on a soundstage that then is used to shrink down. I don't know. We need a director. When we get a director, that director will need to come with a point of view of how they want to tackle it."The third movie in the series, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," is due in theaters June 30.
So what do YOU think? Should Breaking Dawn be split into 2 movies?

the Movie-Fanatic - James McAvoy Showcase

yiddidea — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:25:51 -0700

So I have been asked to write for the Movie-Fanatic and my inaugural piece is a profile of James McAvoy. I know, surprise, surprise...haha! Click HERE to check it out!

Oscar's BEST DRESSED!

angelbeauty — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:33:10 -0800

Cameron Diaz:

The presenter was girly-glam in a Dior by John Galliano gown and Bvlgari diamond earrings and diamond ring.

Jessica Alba:

The presenter was radiant in an aubergine silk chiffon draped Marchesa gown with a flower cascade and Cartier jewels worth approximately $175,000. "I'm in my third trimester now," the mom-to-be said.

Anne Hathaway:

The presenter looked elegant in a red chiffon Marchesa gown with rosette detailing and Harry Winston earrings and diamond ring. "I call it diaphanous-chic," she said.

JENNIFER GARNER

The presenter showed off her sleek physique in a silk taffeta embroidered gown by Oscar de la Renta and topped off the outfit with Van Cleef & Arpels jewels.

KATHERINE HEIGL

The 27 Dresses star and presenter was a modern-day Grecian goddess in a silk georgette Escada column gown.

HEIDI KLUM

The Victoria's Secret model was red hot in a John Galliano silk taffeta gown. "It's up for bids afterwards for the Heart Truth campaign," she said.