The countdown is on…
Oh, let the speculation begin. After a year of thriving to be the best, the nominees have been announced and are once again in position to be ridiculed ten times over by prognosticators like myself. That’s right; the grand daddy of them all, the Academy Awards are upon us and I for one cannot wait for this one, as 2008 was quite the year in film. Not only did we see THE DARK KNIGHT almost unseat TITANTIC as the #1 grossing film ever, but we saw a plethora of quality films come out. And it’s fitting my first column comes to you in the waning hours after Super Bowl XLIII, as I have always said the Oscars are truly the Super Bowl for movies. Sure, the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards each get their fame because of the overall casual setting and the fact the stars can sit around tables, but it’s not the same in the end. Receiving that coveted 8.5 pound statuette measuring nearly 14 inches in height changes lives for many stars can even boost a career. In fact, much of Hollywood strives for this award, as they feel it is the only true measure of greatness when it’s all said and done. And what’s so bad about that notion is the fact we might see just the second posthumous winner in the history of this ceremony. That’s not a stat I like bringing up, especially in a case like this, but one that might just come to fruition February 22. By now, the legend of Heath Ledger has almost grown larger than our national debt, but it was just a year ago we lost this great talent. That’s right, a year ago this very month, a time when we start to focus on all the Oscar nominations, a time I hold so dear for the simple fact that movies is king for at one special night. So, as we divulge into what is clearly an exciting time for Hollywood, let’s not forget the fallen stars from last year. Stars like Heath Ledger, Sydney Pollack, Paul Newman and the legendary Charlton Heston to name a few, because no matter how long they were around to entertain us, they touched so many and gave so much.
And speaking of entertaining, we might not find much when it comes to this year’s host. I’m not sure how it happened of why it happened, but apparently Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Ellen Degeneres and anyone else better were all too busy to host this year’s ceremony. Yeah, I said it, and how could I not, considering we have to watch Hugh Jackman host this year. That’s right, for those X-MEN fanatics, ‘Wolverine’ is hosting this year’s ceremony, so you better tune in, or you might get cut out from all the fun. I have to admit, I did not see this one coming and truthfully, how could I? Who in their right mind would bring this mediocre star, at best, to the stage to host the greatest award show all year? Well, I guess producer’s Laurence Mark and Bill Condon, but they must have forgotten just how important this night is. That or simply didn’t care to bring in someone with some sort of clout. I mean, Jackman makes a mean X-MEN character, but hosting the Oscars is something else, despite any past Tony-winning performances. Maybe I will be surprised, but this truly came out of left field if you ask me. And by the producers choosing this route, I can’t help but think this won’t be the last time we see someone like Jackman host this ceremony. I mean, who’s next, Kevin James? Anyway, I guess all that will be sitting in queue, until after February 22nd at 5p/8et when we find out the lucky few who get to walk home with the famed statuettes, as the nominations have been released. So, sit back and enjoy my initial step into my month-long tribute to everything dealing with the Oscars, including my own predictions on some of the most coveted categories.
For those new to my column, each year I pick one aspect of the Oscars that tends to get left out from all the hype that you see on TV and online. And this year, I figured I would let you into some of the unknown history of this ceremony. Did you know that since the great year of 1988, nearly every presenter for Best Picture at each and every Academy Awards has been a previous winner of Best Actor or Actress? I sure didn’t and out of all the presenters since the very first ceremony in 1929, no one has presented more than 3-time winner Jack Nicholson, who has given the gold out a record seven times. But, that’s not all with Jack, as he has also appeared in 10 Best Picture nominees; second most of all-time behind Ward Bond, who holds that record with 11. And staying with the Best Picture category, in the 80 plus years of this ceremony, only three films that have gone on to win Best Picture, also won for Best Actor, Actress, Writing and Directing. Those three films are:
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
Hard to believe that’s it in the history of this ceremony, but that’s fact and what’s also a shocker is the number of films that have received 10 or more nominations without a win. That’s right, 10 or more nominations and no wins. Talk about a slap in the face, much less a stat that’s borderline ludicrous to believe, but it’s true. This has actually happened to the following films, listed in the order of total nominations:
THE TURNING POINT (1977) – 11
THE COLOR PURPLE (1985) – 11
GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002) – 10
Of course, on the other side of that coin lies the Best Picture nominees that are considered the only “clean sweeps,” meaning they won for all nominated categories. And oddly enough, this list isn’t as big as you might think, given the 80-plus year history of this award show, but having said that, it’s still fun to see them listed here by the total number of wins:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) – 11 for 11
GIGI (1958) – 9 for 9
THE LAST EMPEROR (1987) – 9 for 9
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) – 5 for 5
So anyway, now that you have been privy to some of the unknown trivia to these awards, let me educate you on my favorite nominated categories. The predictions for the 81st Annual Academy Awards that will begin this week are as follows:
Oh, let the speculation begin. After a year of thriving to be the best, the nominees have been announced and are once again in position to be ridiculed ten times over by prognosticators like myself. That’s right; the grand daddy of them all, the Academy Awards are upon us and I for one cannot wait for this one, as 2008 was quite the year in film. Not only did we see THE DARK KNIGHT almost unseat TITANTIC as the #1 grossing film ever, but we saw a plethora of quality films come out. And it’s fitting my first column comes to you in the waning hours after Super Bowl XLIII, as I have always said the Oscars are truly the Super Bowl for movies. Sure, the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards each get their fame because of the overall casual setting and the fact the stars can sit around tables, but it’s not the same in the end. Receiving that coveted 8.5 pound statuette measuring nearly 14 inches in height changes lives for many stars can even boost a career. In fact, much of Hollywood strives for this award, as they feel it is the only true measure of greatness when it’s all said and done. And what’s so bad about that notion is the fact we might see just the second posthumous winner in the history of this ceremony. That’s not a stat I like bringing up, especially in a case like this, but one that might just come to fruition February 22. By now, the legend of Heath Ledger has almost grown larger than our national debt, but it was just a year ago we lost this great talent. That’s right, a year ago this very month, a time when we start to focus on all the Oscar nominations, a time I hold so dear for the simple fact that movies is king for at one special night. So, as we divulge into what is clearly an exciting time for Hollywood, let’s not forget the fallen stars from last year. Stars like Heath Ledger, Sydney Pollack, Paul Newman and the legendary Charlton Heston to name a few, because no matter how long they were around to entertain us, they touched so many and gave so much.
And speaking of entertaining, we might not find much when it comes to this year’s host. I’m not sure how it happened of why it happened, but apparently Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Ellen Degeneres and anyone else better were all too busy to host this year’s ceremony. Yeah, I said it, and how could I not, considering we have to watch Hugh Jackman host this year. That’s right, for those X-MEN fanatics, ‘Wolverine’ is hosting this year’s ceremony, so you better tune in, or you might get cut out from all the fun. I have to admit, I did not see this one coming and truthfully, how could I? Who in their right mind would bring this mediocre star, at best, to the stage to host the greatest award show all year? Well, I guess producer’s Laurence Mark and Bill Condon, but they must have forgotten just how important this night is. That or simply didn’t care to bring in someone with some sort of clout. I mean, Jackman makes a mean X-MEN character, but hosting the Oscars is something else, despite any past Tony-winning performances. Maybe I will be surprised, but this truly came out of left field if you ask me. And by the producers choosing this route, I can’t help but think this won’t be the last time we see someone like Jackman host this ceremony. I mean, who’s next, Kevin James? Anyway, I guess all that will be sitting in queue, until after February 22nd at 5p/8et when we find out the lucky few who get to walk home with the famed statuettes, as the nominations have been released. So, sit back and enjoy my initial step into my month-long tribute to everything dealing with the Oscars, including my own predictions on some of the most coveted categories.
For those new to my column, each year I pick one aspect of the Oscars that tends to get left out from all the hype that you see on TV and online. And this year, I figured I would let you into some of the unknown history of this ceremony. Did you know that since the great year of 1988, nearly every presenter for Best Picture at each and every Academy Awards has been a previous winner of Best Actor or Actress? I sure didn’t and out of all the presenters since the very first ceremony in 1929, no one has presented more than 3-time winner Jack Nicholson, who has given the gold out a record seven times. But, that’s not all with Jack, as he has also appeared in 10 Best Picture nominees; second most of all-time behind Ward Bond, who holds that record with 11. And staying with the Best Picture category, in the 80 plus years of this ceremony, only three films that have gone on to win Best Picture, also won for Best Actor, Actress, Writing and Directing. Those three films are:
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
Hard to believe that’s it in the history of this ceremony, but that’s fact and what’s also a shocker is the number of films that have received 10 or more nominations without a win. That’s right, 10 or more nominations and no wins. Talk about a slap in the face, much less a stat that’s borderline ludicrous to believe, but it’s true. This has actually happened to the following films, listed in the order of total nominations:
THE TURNING POINT (1977) – 11
THE COLOR PURPLE (1985) – 11
GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002) – 10
Of course, on the other side of that coin lies the Best Picture nominees that are considered the only “clean sweeps,” meaning they won for all nominated categories. And oddly enough, this list isn’t as big as you might think, given the 80-plus year history of this award show, but having said that, it’s still fun to see them listed here by the total number of wins:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) – 11 for 11
GIGI (1958) – 9 for 9
THE LAST EMPEROR (1987) – 9 for 9
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) – 5 for 5
So anyway, now that you have been privy to some of the unknown trivia to these awards, let me educate you on my favorite nominated categories. The predictions for the 81st Annual Academy Awards that will begin this week are as follows:
Week 1:
Best Cinematography
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Art Direction
Week 2:
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Week 3:
Best Director
Best Picture
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