81st annual Academy Awards 2/22

[piratepixy]

Originally Posted by pixie chick

I'm still excited...it's the OSCARS! The Oscars are my Superbowl. Bring on the red carpet!!

Ditto! *must fight back cold and exhaustion to keep eyes open ... inevitably nods off*

[krystledm]

sh pixie. Ever since i was a little kid. It was the Oscars and Miss America!

[ALIASd]

I'm at a viewing party & just got a call friend of mine (who is a publicist), she's on the red carpet with her clients. She just met & took a photo with Anne Hathaway and is just over the moon! Too funny!

[Melonballer]

I'd be over the moon if I met Hathaway too.

I am abstaining from the Oscars this year for the first time in a long time (at least 15 years). I am just not interested anymore, especially since Dark Knight got shafted.

[susstar]

Woot! Heath Ledger wins Best Supporting Actor ! And Slumdog is winning all the awards! wooot!

[ALIASd]

Nominees & Winners
for the 81st Academy Awards

Best motion picture of the year

• “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, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris, Producers
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production, Christian Colson, Producer

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
• Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)<LI class=winner>
• Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
• Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
• Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
• Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

• “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

Achievement in 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

full list at:
Nominees for the 81st Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

[astrologic]

I'm so happy for Wall-E's win, though I wish it would have won more, like sound editing and soundtrack!

Heath Ledger's win brought tears to my eyes.

It was a gorgeous setup this year. And Hugh Jackman can sure perform!

[ALIASd]

Originally Posted by astrologic

It was a gorgeous setup this year. And Hugh Jackman can sure perform!

He had me at "I am Wolverine!" It would be hard to dethrone "I am Spartacus!" but this was close.

Hugh Jackman Rumored to Star as Houdini in 2010

Hugh Jackman

People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” Hugh Jackman may be making a magical return to Broadway. Fox News reports that the megastar, whose new film epic Australia hits theaters November 26, is working on magic routines in preparation for starring in Broadway’s forthcoming Jack O’Brien helmed Houdini, a musical retelling of the famed magician’s life set to debut in 2010.

Jackman, who won a Tony Award for his turn in 2003’s The Boy From Oz and garnered accolades for his performance as a troubled magician in the 2006 film The Prestige, is reportedly being assisted in prepping for Houdini by magic expert Ricky Jay. Names like pop-illusionist David Blaine and the Cirque du Soleil company have also been mentioned as potential creative consultants for the musical’s production team.

The previously announced Houdini will feature music by screen composer Danny Elfman (an Oscar nominee for the scores of Good Will Hunting, Men in Black and Big Fish and composer of themes for TV shows such as The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives), lyrics by David Yazbek (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty) and a book by bestselling author and journalist Kurt Andersen (Heyday). The show will mark the producing debut of architect and designer David Rockwell, who is also slated to design the show’s sets, in partnership with The Color Purple’s Scott Sanders.

The initial annoucement projected that Houdini will arrive on Broadway in 2010.

Broadway.com - Hugh Jackman Rumored to Star as Houdini in 2010 - Broadway Tickets

[Circarama]

I loved Kate Winslet's performance in The Reader, so I was very happy with her win tonight.

However I was a bit disappointed that considering how many great films there were this year, that Slumdog Millionaire won so many awards. There were several nominations in the technical categories (film editing, sound mixing, etc.) that I personally felt could have easily gone to some of the other films nominated.

I'm just sayin'...

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by Circarama

I loved Kate Winslet's performance in The Reader, so I was very happy with her win tonight.

However I was a bit disappointed that considering how many great films there were this year, that Slumdog Millionaire won so many awards. There were several nominations in the technical categories (film editing, sound mixing, etc.) that I personally felt could have easily gone to some of the other films nominated.

I'm just sayin'...

And I'm pretty sure a lot of academy members would agree with you. Unfortunately it's just how the cards were dealt.



Wrapping up my thoughts, the show didn't feel outrageously long, but there were a few changes I wasn't thrilled about.

1. The main thing was that there wasn't a clip shown for the actors and actresses! I'm okay with them all getting brown-nosed on stage for a few minutes but a lot of people have not seen all the nominated films.. it'd be great to see just a taste of why they were nominated to begin with. A reminder, if you will.


2. I also didn't like that final montage of Best Picture nominees mixed in with older ones. WTF was that? Don't mix what's nominated with what has won, please.

3. A minute for a sampling of the songs? guh. I understand that maybe performing the ENTIRE song takes up too much time but a minute?? that first song sounded awful.

4. Natalie Portman is still my princess.

[astrologic]

Natalie did great, and Ben Stiller was hilarious. I don't know how she kept a straight face.

[ALIASd]

Posted: Mon., Feb. 23, 2009, 8:00am PT

Oscar ratings on the rise

Telecast improved from last year's record low

By Rick Kissel
Variety

Powered by strong showings in the country's biggest markets, the 81st annual Academy Awards telecast on ABC produced improved ratings Sunday night -- rising by about 6% in Nielsen's metered-market overnights vs. last year's record low.

According to the Nielsen estimates, which measure roughly 50 of the biggest markets in the U.S., the Oscars averaged a 23.3 household rating/35 share from 8:30 to about 11:45 p.m. ET. Last year's telecast averaged a 21.9/33 in the overnights, translating to about 32 million viewers nationally.

New York delivered the largest rating Sunday (34.1/49 share), followed by Chicago (31.2/46) and Los Angeles (28.1/44). On the night, ABC beat the combined household delivery of CBS, NBC and Fox by roughly 30%.

Total-viewer estimates, as well as ratings in key demographic categories, will be issued by Nielsen later this morning, but it's a good bet that this year's kudocast will move comfortably ahead of last year's all-time low, which prompted some tweaking of the show's format. Last year's Oscar ratings were held down in part by lower ratings circulation at ABC and less awards-show buildup due to the writers strike.

Prior to last year, the smallest crowd on record for the Academy Awards came in 2003, when an average aud of 33.04 million tuned in.

Oscar ratings on the rise - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety

[ALIASd]

Originally Posted by astrologic

and Ben Stiller was hilarious. I don't know how she kept a straight face.

Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor in 2006 for 'Walk The Line' and for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2001 for Best Picture winner 'Gladiator'.

That's as close to being an acting nominee Stiller will ever get. I was very surprised to see that the Academy would sink to that cheap laugh especially on a night where they honored & celebrated so many other past winners. Guess former nominees don't count.

His schtick seemed even less funny considering a similar bit had already been done on 'Saturday Night Live' a week ago. Maybe it was funnier than his performance in 'The Heartbreak Kid'.

[krystledm]

The bit was done on the independent spirit awards as well.

And honestly. I was a Pheonix fan. he is very talented. I have no problem with them making fun of him. He made was i think is a bad choice and he didn't do it gracefully. If he'd done it with some class,maybe he would have gotten away scot free, But i say he's getting his comeupins.

Originally Posted by ALIASd

Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor in 2006 for 'Walk The Line' and for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2001 for Best Picture winner 'Gladiator'.

That's as close to being an acting nominee Stiller will ever get. I was very surprised to see that the Academy would sink to that cheap laugh especially on a night where they honored & celebrated so many other past winners. Guess former nominees don't count.

His schtick seemed even less funny considering a similar bit had already been done on 'Saturday Night Live' a week ago. Maybe it was funnier than his performance in 'The Heartbreak Kid'.

[ALIASd]

Oscar ratings are way up, but was Hugh a hit?

The reviews are in. And so are the ratings. USA TODAY's Gary Levin reports that 81st Annual Academy Awards climbed 13% in the ratings from last year's record low. The telecast averaged 36.3 million viewers, ABC says, citing Nielsen estimates, up from last year's 32 million, when No Country for Old Men took home the best-picture prize.

Viewership was up in all age groups, with the biggest increases among men ages 18 to 34. It marked TV's most-watched entertainment telecast since the 2007 Oscars (40.2 million). The target audience of adults ages 18 to 49, at 16 million, was also up 13% over last year, and among that group the awards show was TV's top entertainment broadcast since last year's American Idol finale.

Ratings for the past five years, followed by best-picture winner:

2008 32.0 million (No Country for Old Men)
2007 40.2 million (The Departed)
2006 38.9 million (Crash)
2005 42.1 million (Million Dollar Baby)
2004 43.5 million (Lord of the Rings: Return of the King)

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