SEAN PENN GETTIN' DIVORCE AND HAVIN' AN AFFAIR WITH NATALIE PORTMAN???

In another case post Oscar winning, Sean Penn its gettin' divorce...It happened to Resse Witherspoon, Hillary Swank, Halle Berry...now Sean!...

From EW: "Sean Penn has filed for legal separation from his wife of 13 years, Robin Wright Penn, according to Fox News. The duo appeared together at the Oscars in February, but the actor did not thank his wife in his acceptance speech for the Best Actor Oscar he received for Milk. The couple has two children together, daughter Dylan Frances, 18, and son Hopper Jack, 15. They previously filed for divorce in 2007 but then requested that the request be denied in April of last year".

Back in march, Star Magazine published that the leadin' man in "Milk" was saw giving a very passionate hug to the Academy Award Nominee, Natalie Portman.

"They entered to an elevator that just connects to a spa and private rooms", said a whitness to the magazine. "They came back 45 minutes later and then I saw them hughing each other".

MERYL STREEP AND THE REAL JULIA CHILD

For those who didn't know the famous cooker Julia Child, here is a clip of one of her programs. I found another, much better, but you have to see it directly n Youtube. Click here. Many of you can be surprised with Meryl's performance (see the trailer), but Julia Child was exactly like that. It's a comedic role. So, in order to have some recognition of the Academy, JULIE & JULIA producers should promote Meryl Streep as supporting actress. She has more chances.

"ADORATION" TRAILER

VERY GOOD TRAILER...WINNER IN CANNES.

"JULIE & JULIA" TRAILER

OSCAR BUZZ FOR MERYL STREEP AND AMY ADAMS!! BEST ACTRESS AND BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS....

READERS'''...THIS IS A MUST WATCH TRAILER OK''....
COUNTDOWN OSCAR STAFF.

SEE OUR UPDATED OSCAR PREDIX 2009, HERE.

"WICKED" IS THE FIRST 2010 CONTENDER

Too soon? It's never too soon. WICKED, the Broadway musical, is going to be a movie, according to Variety. Now that the musical is back and NINE opens this year, we have to consider WICKED as a real contender of 2010. At least for the Golden Globe award for best comedy/musical...

WILL ANTHONY HOPKINS BE HITCHCOCK (OR NOT)?

This is something that it was announced in 2007. "Anthony Hopkins is going to play Alfred Hitchcock for “Running with Scissors” director Ryan Murphy's "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" - a drama about the making of Hitchcock's "Psycho," and particularly the obstacles the droll British suspense pioneer met when trying to make the film. But man, Hopkins' Hitchcock impression rules".
After that, no more details. The movie was supposed to open this year and nothing. Does anyone knows what happened? It was because of the RUNNING WITH SCISSORS failure?

BEST BIOPICS: THE STAFF'S LISTS

Inspired by the EW list, your Countdown Oscar staff thought that they could come up with a much better list. So below you can see Daniel's, Guillermo's and my personal lists featuring our fav biopics. Then we got together to do our own version of the Eurovision Song Contest (just with movies) and combined our lists to one final ranking . Take look at the final result and let us know which biopics you prefer and add a comment !

Countdown Oscar's Best Biopics:
1. SCHINDLER’S LIST
2. THE PIANIST
3. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
4. MY LEFT FOOT
5. AMADEUS
6. LA VIE EN ROSE
7. THE AVIATOR
8. DOWNFALL
9. FRIDA
10. MILK
11. PATTON
12. RAGING BULL
13. THE PASSION OF CHRIST
14. THE SEA INSIDE
15. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
16. GANDHI
17. THE HOURS
18. GODS AND MONSTERS
19. NIXON
20. ZODIAC
21. ELIZABETH
22. THE LAST EMPEROR
23. BEFORE NIGHT FALLS
24. ERIN BROKOVICH
25. SILKWOOD

Daniel's favourite biopics:
1. DOWNFALL
2. PATTON
3. SCHINDLER’S LIST
4. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
6. MY LEFT FOOT
7. THE HOURS
8. NIXON
9. THE LAST EMPEROR
10. ERIN BROKOVICH
11. LA VIE EN ROSE
12. THE PIANIST
13. THE AVIATOR
14. FUNNY GIRL
15. THE UNTOUCHABLES
16. ED WOOD
17. GOODFELLAS
18. CHANGELING
19. ZODIAC
20. GANDHI

Guillermo's favourite biopics:
1.-Frida.
2.-The Passion of the Christ,
3.-The Sea Inside
4.-The Pianist
5.-My Left Foot
6.-La Vie en Rose
7.-The Schindler's List
8.-Gods and Monsters
9.-The Pianist
10.-Zodiac,
11.-Amadeus,
12.-Che
13.-Gandhi
14.-Milk.
15.-Cleopatra
16.- Before Night falls
17.- A Beautiful Mind
18.- Braveheart
19.- The diving Bell and the butterfly
20.- Viva Zapata!

Stephan's favourite biopics:
1. Amadeus
2. Raging Bull
3. Lawrence of Arabia
4. Schindler's List
5.Ghandi
6. The Pianist
7. The Aviator
8. Milk
9. Elizabeth
10. Silkwood
11. Hotel Rwanda
12. Dead Man Walking
13. The Last Temptation of Christ
14. Cleopatra
15. Before Night Falls
16. Boys Don't Cry
17. Out of Africa
18. Capote
19. The Miracle Worker
20. Monster

"RAGING BULL" IS THE BEST BIOPIC EVER

Entertainment Weekly elected the 25 best biopics ever, now that THE SOLOIST finally is in theaters.

1. RAGING BULL
2. AMADEUS
3. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
4. GOODFELLAS
5. SCHINDLER'S LIST
6. ELIZABETH
7. MY LEFT FOOT
8. CAPOTE
9. MALCOLM X
10. AMERICAN SPLENDOR
11. THE ELEPHANT MAN
12. MONSTER
13. MILK
14. PERSEPOLIS
15. ED WOOD
16. LA VIE EN ROSE
17. SILKWOOD
18. HOTEL RWANDA
19. REDS
20. THE LAST EMPEROR
21. COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER
22. RAY
23. ERIN BROKOVICH
24. YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
25. WALK THE LINE

SALMA HAYEK IN HER WEDDING DRESS

Newlyweds Academy Award Nominee Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of PPR.

According to People magazine, Salma's wedding dress was designed by Nicholas Ghesquiere, who created Nicole Kidman's wedding dress, for Balenciaga.

HERE, Salma's wedding guest list.

SUSAN SARANDON IN "THE LOVELY BONES"

From this month EMPIRE magazine. New pics of THE LOVELY BONES, including the first one with Susan Sarandon and Mark Wahlberg.

FIRST LOOK: CROWE AS ROBIN HOOD

Can we expect a GLADIATOR or KINGDOM OF HEAVEN? We always have ROBIN HOOD with Kevin Costner.

"THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM"

It seems to be an online movie that will be released 3rd May.

BEA ARTHUR DIES AT 86

"Golden Girl" Bea Arthur died from cancer Saturday morning at the age of 86. Arthur had the distinction of starring in not one, but two classic sitcoms: "Maude" and "The Golden Girls". In 1977 she won her first Emmy for playing opinionated Maude and in 1988 she won her second Emmy for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series" for her performance as Dorothy Zbornak, a role which brought her world-wide fame. In 1966 Arthur won a Tony Award for "Mame", a musical in which she starred opposite Academy Award-nominee Angela Lansbury. For the film version of "Mame" Arthur was nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Supporting Actress category in 1975.
In 2005 she starred as Larry David's mother in "Curb your Enthusiasm", her last award nomination came for her guest appearance on "Malcolm in the Middle" in 2000. Last year Arthur became a part of the TV Academy's Hall of Fame.
Without a doubt Bea Arthur was a brilliant comedienne and actress and will be sadly missed.

"NINE" WILL HAVE THREE ORIGINAL SONGS

One of the big questions about NINE is: will it have original songs? Pardon, was. Maury Yeston has written three new songs for Rob Marshall's NINE. The tunes are "Take It All" (sung by Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman), "Simple" (Cruz and Kidman) and "Cinema Italiano" (Kate Hudson).

These three new songs will be eligible for the Best Original Song Oscar. Yeston already has the Tony for NINE, the stage musical.

The film version will be released in 25 November (US).

Click here for everything about NINE.

SALMA GETTIN' MARRIED

As you all know, Salma Hayek is my favorite actress in the world...and now she's gettin' married in Venice!!

Take a look at her guest list, Salma's power in Hollywood is with out a doubt!

Salma Hayek's gal pals: U2's Bono and his wife, Academy Award Winner Penélope Cruz, Ashley Judd, Mia Maestro, Antonio Banderas and wife, Melannie, Prince.

Also attending:

-Former President of France, Jacques Chirac and his wife Bernadette.

-Mexican movie directors (Salma's college friend) Academy Award Nominee Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and wife and Academy Award Nominee Alfonso Cuarón and wife.

-Salma's ex boyfriend, Academy Award Nominee Edward Norton.

-Academy Award Winner Javier Bardem.

-Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron and her boyfriend, actor, Stuart Townsend.

-Multiple time Grammy Award Winner, Luis Miguel and wife, mexican actress, Aracely Arambula.

-Lucy Liu.

-Woody Harrelson.

-Gael Garcia Bernal.

-Diego Luna.

-Olivier Martinez and girlfriend, spanish actress, Goya Toledo.

-Zhang Ziyi and her israeli multimillionaire boyfriend, Vivi Nevo.

-Serbian director Emir Kusturica.

-Italian actors Riccado Scamarcio and Valeria Golino ("Frida").

-Enrique Murciano and girlfriend, british model, Lily Cole.

-USA's Vogue Editor Ana Wintour.

-British designer Stella McCartney.

-Photographer Mario Testino.

-Italian designer Frida Giannini.

OSCAR UPDATE: "NINE" KEEPS MOMENTUM

NINE lost a nod for supporting actress but gain one with make up. The movie produced by Harvey Weinstein continues to be the most expected this season. Like AUSTRALIA last year :) Intersting fact: we don't know who to nominated for supporting actress in NINE. This month, our bet is Judi Dench.
SHUTTER ISLAND gained some momentum and AN EDUCATION is getting stronger with Carey Muligan rising. Also rising is JULIE & JULIA, with both Amy Adams and Meryl Streep getting nods. BROKEN EMBRACES lost buzz (well, I saw the movie...). Here it is, our new Oscar update. Let's see what is going to happen next month. Check here last month.

BEST PICTURE
1. NINE (=)
2. THE HUMAN FACTOR (up)
3. SHUTTER ISLAND (up)
4. THE LOVELY BONES (down)
5. PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)

BEST DIRECTOR
1. Rob Marshall, NINE (=)
2. Clint Eastwood, THE HUMAN FACTOR (=)
3. Peter Jackson, THE LOVELY BONES (=)
4. Martin Scorsese, SHUTTER ISLAND (=)
5. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, BIUTIFUL (new)

BEST ACTOR
1. Morgan Freeman, THE HUMAN FACTOR (=)
2. Daniel Day-Lewis, NINE (=)
3. Johnny Depp, PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
4. Peter Sarsgaard, AN EDUCATION (up)
5. Javier Bardem, BIUTIFUL (new)

BEST ACTRESS
1. Michelle Pfeiffer, CHÉRI (=)
2. Carey Muligan, AN EDUCATION (up)
3. Hilary Swank, AMELIA (=)
4. Amy Adams, JULIE & JULIA (new)
5. Catalina Saavedra, THE MAID (new)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Matt Damon, THE HUMAN FACTOR (=)
2. Christian Bale, PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
3. Stanley Tucci, THE LOVELY BONES (up)
4. Kodi Smit-McPhee, THE ROAD (down)
5. Mark Ruffalo, SHUTTER ISLAND (new)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Patricia Clarkson, WHATEVER WORKS (new)
2. Michelle Williams, SHUTTER ISLAND (new)
3. Meryl Streep, JULIE & JULIA (new)
4. Judi Dench, NINE (new)
5. Imelda Staunton, TAKING WOODSTOCK (down)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
1. NINE (=)
2. THE LOVELY BONES (=)
3. THE HUMAN FACTOR (=)
4. SHUTTER ISLAND (=)
5. TAKING WOODSTOCK (new)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1. THE BURNING PLAN (up)
2. UP (=)
3. BIUTIFUL (new)
4. WHATEVER WORKS (new)
5. FUNNY PEOPLE (=)

BEST ART DIRECTION
1. NINE (=)
2. PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
3. SHERLOCK HOLMES (up)
4. THE IMAGINARIUM LIFE OF DR. PARNASSUS (up)
5. AVATAR (new)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. NINE (=)
2. PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
3. BROKEN EMBRACES (=)
4. TREE OF LIFE (up)
5. BIUTIFUL (down)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
1. NINE (=)
2. PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
3. SHERLOCK HOLMES (=)
4. AMELIA (up)
5. AGORA (down)

BEST EDITING
1. NINE (=)
2. PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
3. TREE OF LIFE (up)
4. THE HUMAN FACTOR (down)
5. SHUTTER ISLAND (new)

BEST MAKE UP
1. WOLF MAN (=)
2. WILD THINGS (up)
3. NINE (new)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
1. TREE OF LIFE (=)
2. PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
3. BROKEN EMBRACES (up)
4. THE HUMAN FACTOR (down)
5. THE PRINCESS AND THE FOG (=)

BEST SONG
1. NINE (=)
2. THE PRINCESS AND THE FOG (=)
3. UP (=)

BEST SOUND EDITING
1. TERMINATOR: THE SALVATION (=)
2. NINE (=)
3. PUBLIC ENEMIES (=)
4. TRANSFORMERS 2 (new)
5. AVATAR (=)

BEST SOUND MIXING
1. NINE (=)
2. TERMINATOR: THE SALVATION (=)
3. AVATAR (=)
4. UP (=)
5. PUBLIC ENEMIES (new)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1. AVATAR (=)
2. TERMINATOR: THE SALVATION (=)
3. STAR TREK (=)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
1. UP (=)
2. THE PRINCESS AND THE FOG (=)
3. MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (=)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. MUST READ AFTER MY DEATH (=)
2. SERENGHETTI (=)
3. EL GENERAL (=)
4. AFGHAN STAR (=)
5. WE LIVE IN PUBLIC (=)

Click here for everything about NINE.

"BRÜNO" POSTER!!!

This will be THE film of summer!!!...
So freakin' hillarious!!

"Brüno" Trailer

NEW POLL: BEST LIVING ACTRESS

The Countdown Oscar staff once again got to together to discuss a new poll. Believe us, dear readers, it was not easy or nice . Even the pets had to leave our rooms because they didn't need to see that ;-P. But all the fuss was worth it because we talked about who should be in the running for "The Best Living Actress". Of course the list includes the usual suspects like Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jane Fonda and Elizabeth Taylor, but also Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett and this year's Best Actress winner Kate Winslet. Every staff member had a wild card and got to choose a personal favourite: Diane Keaton, Natalie Portman and Gena Rowlands. See for yourself who else is on the list and don't forget to vote for your favourite!

NICOLE KIDMAN IN BOLLYWOOD WITH "SLUMDOG" STAR

Nicole Kidman is in a commercial with Rubina Ali, one of the stars of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. From here: Young Slumdog Millionaire star Rubina Ali, 9, has been picked to appear with Nicole Kidman in a drink commercial. She was paid more for the three-day shot than for her appearance in the Oscar winning movie.
The young Indian star is being paid more than the Oscar winning Kidman for the drinks commercial. Her father has stated that the fee is larger than the money she made for the multiple award winning “Slumdog Millionaire.” Rubina and her family still live in the slums of Mumbai.

Indian Express reports:
“The Slumdog Millionaire people haven’t kept all their promises despite all the media attention. We have no information about the supposed trust fund and the 21pound-a-month that they were giving for her studies has stopped coming,” the ‘Telegraph’ quoted Rafiq Ali as saying.
"The money she is receiving for doing this ad is more than the total she got for Slumdog,” he added.

Slumdog execs have said that they set up a trust fund for the child stars of the movie.
Filmy Friday reports:
“We are very proud of her and hope she continues to become a big star. Maybe then we will be able to live in a proper house. She was paid more for the ad than the movie.”
The commercial took three days to shoot. Blade Runner director Ridley Scott produced the ad and directed by Shekhar Kapur, the director of ELIZABETH.

CANNES: OFFICIAL SELECTION

Here it is:

Film d’Ouverture : Peter DOCTER - UP (Là-haut) H.C.- 1h35
Pedro ALMODÓVAR - LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (Etreintes brisées) - 2h09
Andrea ARNOLD - FISH TANK - 2h02
Jacques AUDIARD - UN PROPHÈTE - 2h35
Marco BELLOCCHIO - VINCERE - 2h08
Jane CAMPION - BRIGHT STAR - 2h00
Isabel COIXET - MAP OF THE SOUNDS OF TOKYO -1h44
Xavier GIANNOLI - A L’ORIGINE - 2h30
Michael HANEKE - DAS WEISSE BAND (Le Ruban blanc) - 2h24
Ang LEE - TAKING WOODSTOCK -1h50
Ken LOACH - LOOKING FOR ERIC - 1h59
LOU Ye - CHUN FENG CHEN ZUI DE YE WAN (Nuits d'ivresse printanière) - 1h55
Brillante MENDOZA - KINATAY - 1h45
Gaspar NOE - ENTER THE VOID - (Soudain le vide) - 2h30
PARK Chan-Wook - BAK-JWI - (Thirst, ceci est mon sang...) - 2h13
Alain RESNAIS - LES HERBES FOLLES - 1h36
Elia SULEIMAN - THE TIME THAT REMAINS - 1h45
Quentin TARANTINO - INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - 2h40
Johnnie TO - VENGEANCE - 1h48
TSAI Ming-liang - VISAGE - 2h18
Lars VON TRIER - ANTICHRIST - 1h44

***
Film de Clôture :
Jan KOUNEN - COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY - H.C. - 2h00

UN CERTAIN REGARD
BONG Joon Ho - MOTHER - 2h10
Alain CAVALIER - IRENE -1h23
Lee DANIELS - PRECIOUS - 1h49
Denis DERCOURT - DEMAIN DES L'AUBE - 1h36
Heitor DHALIA - À DERIVA - 1h43
Bahman GHOBADI - KASI AZ GORBEHAYE IRANI KHABAR NADAREH - 1h06
Ciro GUERRA - LOS VIAJES DEL VIENTO (Les Voyages Du Vent) - 1h57
Mia HANSEN-LOVE - LE PÈRE DE MES ENFANTS - 2h00
Hanno HÖFER, Razvan MARCULESCU, Cristian MUNGIU, Constantin POPESCU, Ioana URICARU:
AMINTIRI DIN EPOCA DE AUR - 2h18
Nikolay KHOMERIKI - SKAZKA PRO TEMNOTU - 1h12
HIrokazu KORE-EDA - KUKI NINGYO - 2h05
Yorgos LANTHIMOS - KYNODONTAS (Dogtooth) - 1h34
Pavel LOUNGUINE - TZAR (Le Tsar) - 1h56
Raya MARTIN - INDEPENDENCIA - (Independence) - 1h17
Corneliu PORUMBOIU - POLITIST, ADJECTIV (Policier, Adjectif) - 1h55
Pen-Ek RATANARUANG - NANG MAI - 1h49
João Pedro RODRIGUES - MORRER COMO UM HOMEM (Mourir Comme Un Homme) - 2h13
Haim TABAKMAN - EYES WIDE OPEN - 1er film -1h31
Warwick THORNTON - SAMSON AND DELILAH - 1er film - 1h41
Jean VAN DE VELDE - THE SILENT ARMY - 1h32

HORS COMPETITION:
Alejandro AMENABAR - AGORA - 2h08
Terry GILLIAM - THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS - (L'imaginarium du Docteur Parnassus) - 2h02
Robert GUÉDIGUIAN - L'ARMÉE DU CRIME - 2h05


SEANCES DE MINUIT :
Stéphane AUBIER, Vincent PATAR - A TOWN CALLED PANIC (Panique au village) -1er film - 1h15
Sam RAIMI - DRAG ME TO HELL (Jusqu'en enfer) - 1h39
Marina de VAN - NE TE RETOURNE PAS - 1h50

SEANCES SPECIALES :
Anne AGHION - MY NEIGHBOR, MY KILLER (Mon voisin, mon tueur) - 1h20
Adolfo ALIX, JR., Raya MARTIN - MANILA -1h30
Souleymane CISSE - MIN YE - 2h15
Michel GONDRY- L'EPINE DANS LE COEUR - 1h22
Zhao LIANG - PETITION (La Cour des plaignants) - 2h00
Keren YEDAYA - KALAT HAYAM (Jaffa) - 1h50

JACK CARDIFF DIES AT 94

Jack Cardiff was one of my fav cinematographers. Just look at this image. Cardiff died last night and cinema lost a master. From EW: British filmmaker Jack Cardiff, who won an Academy Award as the cinematographer of the 1947 Michael Powell-Emeric Pressburger classic Black Narcissus, died on Wednesday at age 94 after a short illness. The lensman lent his lush imagery to more than 70 movies from the 1930s through this decade, including 1956's War and Peace and 1961's Fanny (he earned Oscar nods for both), as well as 1985's Rambo: First Blood Part II. He also directed about a dozen movies, such as 1960's Sons and Lovers, for which he earned a directing nomination. Cardiff got a special Honorary Award at the 2001 Oscars.

"DISNEY'S OCEANS" TRAILER

OPENS IN 2010
ALL I CAN SAY..."BREATHTAKING"

IS 2010 THE YEAR FOR A COMEDY TO WIN OSCAR'S BEST PICTURE?

Today opens Tribeca Film Festival in New York, with the comedy of Academy Award Winner Woody Allen, "Whatever Works", and apparently are a lot of comedy films in competition, and gives me a reminder of something very important, films are the mirror or the idealistic and utopic image of the real world, this 2009 its been a historical year because of the fall down of big enterprises, a lot of jobs in the world had been dissapear and Hollywood is rising like hell in numbers...WHY?...


Because, us, as an audience, we want to forget in so many cases the real situation of our finantial issues...Is this year the time, Oscar will go for a comedy in Best Picture?...Tribeca Film Festival will show us some comedie films and we will see more, even in the last day will be show the comedy, "My Life in Ruins".

Oscar buzz is already for Woody Allen's "Whatever Works", in Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Clarkson, "Funny People" in Best Original Screenplay as well, from Sam Mendes, "Away we go" for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Maya Rudolph. Could this three comedies go further??

Winners of Oscar's Best Picture, in the last 20 years.
*Not a single pure comedy!!


2008.- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.- DRAMA


2007.- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.- DRAMA


2006.- THE DEPARTED.- DRAMA


2005.- CRASH.- DRAMA


2004.- MILLION DOLLAR BABY.- DRAMA


2003.- THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING.- DRAMA


2002.- CHICAGO.- DRAMEDY/MUSICAL


2001.- BEAUTIFUL MIND.- DRAMA


2000.- GLADIATOR.- DRAMA


1999.- AMERICAN BEAUTY.- DRAMA


1998.- SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.- DRAMEDY


1997.- TITANIC.- DRAMA


1996.- THE ENGLISH PATIENT.- DRAMA


1995.- BRAVEHEART.- DRAMA


1994.- FORREST GUMP.- DRAMA


1993.- SCHINDLER'S LIST.- DRAMA


1992.- UNFORGIVEN.- DRAMA


1991.- THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.- DRAMA


1990.- DANCES WITH WOLVES.- DRAMA


1989.- DRIVING MISS DAISY.- DRAMA


1988.- RAIN MAN.- DRAMA

BIOPICS AND OSCAR

I'm startin' to understand more and more the Academy Awards....

For example if the leading actor/actress is nominated in a film nominated for Best Picture, their chances for winning is like fruntrunners and most of the time, they win but not the film...other thing Oscar's Best Picture matches in most of the cases with Oscar's Best Adapted Screenplay winner...AND they love biopics performances, at least one acting winner every single year, only in the last ten years!!

Richard Nixon, Dan White, Queen Elizabeth I, Chris Gardner, John R. Cash, Edward R. Murrow, Howard Hughes, Sir James Matthew Barrie, Clara McMillen, Frida Kahlo, John Nash, Muhammad Ali, Iris Murdoch, Reinaldo Arenas, Jackson Pollock and the list is long!!

All this real people played by gifted actors...got Academy Award Nominations, BUT!..not the win.

This is the complete list, from 1998 to 2009, of the biopic performances that got Oscar recognition.

2009.- Best Actor.- Sean Penn in Milk (Harvey Milk)

2008.- Best Actress.- Marion Cotillard in La Vie En Rose {"Edith Piaf"}

2007.- Best Actor.- Forest Whitaker In The Last King Of Scotland {"Idi Amin"}, Best Actress.- Helen Mirren in The Queen {"The Queen"} and Best Supporting Actress.- Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls {"Effie White"}

2006.- Best Actor.- Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote {"Truman Capote"} And Best Actress.- Reese Witherspoon in Walk The Line {"June Carter"}

2005.- Best Actor.- Jamie Foxx in Ray {"Ray Charles"} And Best Supporting Actress.- Cate Blanchett in The Aviator {"Katharine Hepburn"}

2004.- Best Actress.- Charlize Theron in Monster {"Aileen Wuornos"}

2003.- Best Actor.- Adrien Brody in The Pianist {"Wladyslaw Szpilman"} And Best Actress.- Nicole Kidman in The Hours {"Virginia Woolf"}

2002.- Best Supporting Actor.- Jim Broadbent in Iris {"John Bayley"} And Best Supporting Actress.- Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind {"Alicia Nash"}

2001.- Best Actor.- Russell Crowe in Gladiator {"Maximus Decimus Meridius"}, Best Actress.- Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich {"Erin Brockovich"} And Best Supporting Actress.- Marcia Gay Harden in Pollock {"Lee Krasner"}

2000.- Best Actress.- Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry {"Brandon Teena/Teena Brandon"}

1999.- Best Supporting Actress.- Judi Dench in Shakespeare In Love {"Queen Elizabeth I"}

Who will join' next year?? Morgan Freeman?, Meryl Streep?, Hilary Swank?

"PAPER HEART" TRAILER

Director: Nicholas Jasenovec
Writer: Nicholas Jasenovec
Studio: Overture Films
Cast: Michael Cera, Charlyne Yi.


No comments on that!
LOL!

"THE STONING OF SORAYA M." TRAILER

Starring: Academy Award Nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marnò and Jim Caviezel.
Winner Runner Up Audience Choice Award in Toronto Internationl Film Festival.

Very good trailer, it seems that is a film that I have to keep an eye on it...
Shohreh Aghdashloo, was for me the best of Oscar's Best Supporting Actress in 2004 and Jim Caviezel, well what can I say...He was amazing in "The Passion of the Christ" and he was totally ignored ¬¬
Hope one day we could have the chance to watch them holdin' an Oscar.

"DOWNLOADING NANCY" TRAILER

Starring: Maria Bello, Jason Patric, Rufus Sewell.
Director: Johan Renck

A very disturbing trailer gotta admit it...
Oscar worthy'''mmm...I have my doubts..only Maria Bello, and god knows she's overdue!

CHRISTIAN BALE IN "FIGHTER"

We know Christian Bale is a fighter.. with his mouth, hands... Poor Mama Bale, but anyway. Variety reports:
Christian Bale and director David O. Russell are poised to get into the ring with Mark Wahlberg on "The Fighter."
Relativity Media has stepped up to fully finance the film. Paramount Pictures, which initiated the project, will now be limited to distributing domestically.
The picture is expected to begin production in July, though Relativity stressed that the principals’ deals are still being negotiated.
Pic tells the story of Boston fighter "Irish" Mickey Ward and how he was helped to the world lightweight championship by half-brother Dicky Eklund. Eklund once decked Sugar Ray Leonard and went the distance against the boxing legend before forfeiting his career to drugs and crime. He redeemed himself by training Ward through his Rocky-like run to the title.
Project reteams Bale with Relativity and its fledgling one-off picture division, which produced the Bale starrer "3:10 to Yuma." Over the past few years, "The Fighter" has drawn some of Hollywood’s biggest talents but was KO’d on two previous occasions. The project first came together with Boston natives Wahlberg and Matt Damon toplining for director Darren Aronofsky.

SPIELBERG PRESENTS "EMPIRE" MAGAZINE

Here it is: the Empire magazine edition directed by Steven Spielberg. Enjoy.

FIRST LOOK: THE LOVELY BONES

"The Lovely Bones" tells the story of 14-year-old Susie , who after getting raped and killed, watches her family from heaven as they cope with her death. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens adapted the best-selling book by Alice Sebold into a screenplay.
This smells a lot like Oscar. Not only is the story baity, the cast is quite impressive too. "Atonement" Oscar-nominee Saorise Ronan plays Susie, Oscar-nominee Mark Wahlberg plays her father, while 2005's Best Supporting Actress winner Rachel Weisz plays Susie's mother. Emmy-Award winner Michael Imperioli ("The Sopranos") plays the detective, who investigates the case, Golden-Globe winner Stanley Tucci plays Susies killer and Academy-Award winner Susan Sarandon plays Susie's grandmother.
The two pictures above (from Empire magazine) show Saorise Ronan and Stanley Tucci.
This is probably going to be top-notch in every was so I can imagine that the Academy will eat this up and that "The Lovely Bones" will get a boatload of nominations...

NICOLE KIDMAN PROMOTING "NINE"

Nicole Kidman and her co-stars are already promoting NINE. Here is a pic of a photo shoot. NINE leads our first Oscar predix. Check it on the left.

Click here for everything about NINE.

All about Nicole Kidman is here. Check the fabulous pics of Nicole.

UPDATE: SLUMDOG CHILD STAR

From EW: The father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali denies a story by British paper News of the World that he tried to sell his daughter for $300,000, reports People.com. Rafiq Qureshi confirmed he did meet with prospective adoptive parents looking to buy Ali--who turned out to be News of the World reporters-- but says he only entertained their offer out of social decorum. "In India," Qureshi tells People, "you never say 'no' directly, least of all to guests. You try not to offend people by refusing to help." Qureshi's second wife, Meena, tells People, "We are poor, yes, but not so poor that we have to sell our children. The whole thing is a lie."
Update: Indian police are now investigating the alleged attempt to sell Ali, following up on a complaint filed by the child's mother, Khurshid Begum, the Associated Press reports. Ali's father, Qureshi, refuted the allegations, speaking to reporters outside a Mumbai police station Sunday, after he was questioned. Qureshi asserts that he initially believed the alleged sale attempt was a ruse by his ex-wife to regain custody of Ali. Mumbai police have made no findings of fact on the complaint, with police officer Nishar Tamboli telling assembled journalists, "There are claims and counterclaims made by the mothers and the father.…We are probing the matter."

ISN'T SHE FABULOUS?

Will Meryl Streep be leading or supporting actress in JULIE & JULIA? She is leading. The turkey is supporting. :)

SHOCKING REAL NEWS: FATHER TRIES TO SELL HER DAUGHTER, "SLUMDOG" STAR

How is this possible. A real shocking news about SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE star Rubina Ali. From Hidustan Times:

There is more trouble brewing in the Qureshi household. A day after reports surfaced that Rafiq Qureshi had tried to sell his daughter, Slumdog Millionaire child actress Rubina Ali, one of his daughters on Monday accused him of driving her out of home.
Sana, 13, alleged that her father thought of her as a burden and felt that she didn’t contribute to the family like Rubina, 9, did.
“The Oscar has destroyed my family,” Sana told Hindustan Times on Monday. Sana is now living with their biological mother Khurshida.
“My father said I was unwanted and Rubina was more precious,” she said. Qureshi denied the charge, but couldn’t explain why Sana was forced to leave.
“Khurshida might have done it to frame me,” he said. Sana, however, denied that her mother was involved. Khurshida and Qureshi are divorced. They have six children. Qureshi is now married to Mina.
“We used to go out together. Abba (father) cared for as well before the Slumdog… happened,” she said. While Qureshi has denied reports that he tried to sell Rubina to the highest bidder, Sana said she had heard him talk about it at home.
“There was some talk about her (Rubina’s) adoption a fortnight ago. When I asked Abba, he told me to shut up,” said Sana. “Abba always said the money wouldn’t last forever and nothing would change,” she said.
On Sunday, British weekly News of the World reported that Qureshi had tried to give Rubina away for adoption for Rs 1.4 crore.
He allegedly complained that the family had not made any money out of the film, which won eight Oscars in February, including the coveted best picture.
Qureshi described the report as a lie but accepted meeting a man claiming to be from West Asia who approached them with an offer for the nine-year-old.
The man, posing as a wealthy Arab sheikh, was in fact a reporter at the weekly.
“They kept saying we will give you a lot of benefits and it will be good for your daughter, but I declined,” Qureshi said. “The reports that I wanted to sell Rubina are false.”
Rubina, who played the young Latika in the hit film also said, “I want to remain with (my father).”
Kurshida has filed a police complaint against Qureshi.

SUSAN BOYLE TO SING AT OSCARS

Why not? Antonio Banderas did it and he can't sing, so... Check http://www.anorak.co.uk/celebrities/207777.html

"THE HUMAN FACTOR" POSTER

Is this the real THE HUMAN FACTOR poster? I still think JULIE & JULIA is better.

SUSAN BOYLE VIDEO

Susan Boyle Singer Britains Got Talent 2009 With Lyrics en Yahoo! Video

I KNOW!..This is a blog dedicated to the Academy Awards and all that buzz...BUT...this is a world sensation clip, so I wanted to share with all our readers, ok''
ENJOY!

"FACING ALI" TRAILER

WOOW!...
Good trailer!

"FOOD, INC." TRAILER

OSCAR WORTHY FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY??
it seems that is a YES.
Let's see if in our update Oscar predix could make the cut!

FIRST LOOK: THE LAST STATION

"The Last Station", directed by Michael Hoffman ("One Fine Day"), who also adapted the screenplay from the novel by Jay Parini, is about the last year in life of Russian author Leo Tolstoy ("War and Peace"). The film depicts his struggle between a simple life, as he wants it, and his wife's wish for a life full of wealth and privilege.
A biopic with an all-star cast always has to be considered when we are talking about the Oscars. Christopher Plummer might receive his first nomination for playing Tolstoy(which would be about time!) . Also Oscar-winner Helen Mirren is in the running for playing his wife Sofya. Remember, Mirren once before got nominated for playing the wife, as Queen Charlotte in "The Madness of King George" and she has two, possibly three other releases this year( "State of Play", "The Tempest" and "Love Ranch"), which should give her an additional push.
The cast also includes James McAvoy and Academy-Award nominee Paul Giamatti. If their parts rate it, we also need to consider them plus both have been snubbed before multiple times.
Right now, a definite release date has only been set for Germany (September 17th 2009).
On a side note: At one point Meryl Streep and Anthony Hopkins were attached to this project but dropped out.
As of now, this looks very promising but we'll have to wait and see....

OSCARS 2003, SALMA HAYEK PRESENTING BEST FOREIGN FILM

HEY!...its weekend! so its time for some videos, funny or memorables! :P
You guys know about my love to Salma Hayek, and guess what! I found this great video in YouTube!...she's presenting Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.

Germany won that year for Nowhere in Africa.
Salma Hayek received an Oscar nomination as Best Actress, that year, for her portrayal of Frida Kahlo in the title film "Frida", becoming the first mexican to achived it.

MEGAN FOX AND THE NARCOS!

Megan Fox is set to star in The Crossing, an upcoming thriller from ScreenGems, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The story centers on a couple returning from a vacation in Mexico. But bad things happen south of the border, and their car is hijacked, and Fox’s husband kidnapped. In order to free him, she must smuggle a load of heroin across the border.

Written by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi, the project is still looking for its director, and may begin filming in July.

Is this film another way Hollywood make it looks like they are the heroes AGAIN and AGAIN?!

After the Oscar winning for Best Actor, Sean Penn was set also to star a film about the drug cartels...My point is, this is a very problematic subject matter not only for Mexico, it is also for the United States, which is the largest consumer of drugs in the world, so how are they gonna show that problematic also in the american side of the border?.

Leave your toughts.

With information from MTV.

DANIEL PLAINVIEW: BEST VILLAIN WITH OSCAR

I had to put that image. It's from New Yorker and absolutely captures the essence of Daniel Day-Lewis' masterpiece performance of Daniel Plainview in THERE WILL BE BLOOD. I thought that The Joker would win our poll about the best villains rewarded with Oscar. Daniel Plainview won with 51% of the votes. The Joker was next with 22%. I think readers recognize that maybe a man with a plan, with ambition and greed is more powerful that one without a plan that loves anarchy.

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON IS THE BEST DIRECTOR WITHOUT OSCAR

I have to say that it was a surprise. I expected George Lucas or Sidney Lumet to win. But our readers think that Paul Thomas Anderson is the best director without an Oscar. With 41% of the votes, he is the winner. I voted for him but I didn't expect the same from the readers. Sidney Lumet is the second n the poll, with 12%.

PALME D'OR MEETS OSCAR : BEST ACTOR

The actors haven't been quite as lucky as the actresses when it comes to both Palme d'Or and Oscar glory even though it looked good at the beginning.
The first Best Actor winner at Cannes was Ray Milland for "The Lost Weekend" in 1946, who also went on to win the Oscar.
In 1952 Marlon Brando was given the Palme d'Or for "Viva Zapata!" but the Academy chose Gary Cooper for "High Noon".
Spencer Tracy won for "Bad Day at Black Rock" in 1955 but was beaten at the Oscars by Ernest Borgnine for "Marty".
"The Long, Hot Summer" garnered Paul Newman a Palme d'Or in 1958 but he didn't get nommed for an Oscar.
In 1962 Dean Stockwell, Jason Robards and Ralph Richardson shared the award for "Long Day's Journey Into Night", but none of them was nominated by the Academy.
1963 was Richard Harris' year when he won for "The Sporting Life" at Cannes and got nommed for an Oscar, which he lost to Sidney Poitier though.
Jack Nicholson was honored at Cannes in 1974 for "The Last Detail", the Academy nominated him for Best Actor, but they prefered Jack Lemmon in "Save the Tiger".
In 1978 the jury at Cannes and the Academy agreed on one Best Actor: Jon Voight in "Coming Home".
Jack Lemmon won the Palme d'Or twice: In 1979 for "The China Syndrome" and in 1982 for his role as a father desperately looking for his son in "Missing". Both times the Academy nommed him, but Lemmon didn't win.
William Hurt also won both the Palme d'Or and the Oscar for "Kiss of the Spider Woman". Bob Hoskins was voted Best Actor at Cannes but the Academy went with Paul Newman for "The Color of Money".
Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni won Best Actor in France for "Dark Eyes", he was Oscar-nominated for this perf too but lost to Michael Douglas.
Gerard Depardieu was given the Palme D'Or in 1990 but the lost the Oscar to Jeremy Irons for "Reversal of Fortune".
2006 Best Actor Oscar winner Forest Whitaker won in 1988 for Bird but was snubbed by the Academy as was James Spader for "sex, lies and videotape".
Also John Turtorro ("Barton Fink", 1991) , Tim Robbins ("The Player", 1992) and Sean Penn ("She's So Lovely", 1997) were only lucky at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2005 Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones was chosen as Best Actor for "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" but by Oscar time, his film was forgotten.
Last year Best Supporting Actor of 2000 Benicio Del Toro won the Palme d'Or for his portrayal of Che Guevara, but this Steven Soderbergh pic only got a limited release in the USA, so Del Toro was not nommed for an Academy Award.

Read about the actresses HERE

ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGHSCHOOL REUNION

OK, I admit it, this movie is one of my guilty pleasures but it's so freaking funny and quotable.
Best friends Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) have been out of high school for ten years and haven't really achieved anything. When they receive an invitation for a high school reunion they try to become sucessful at last minute. But the two blondes can neither find decent jobs nor boyfriends so they decide to show up at the reunion pretending to be successful business women.
1995's Best Supporting Actress winner Mira Sorvino ("Mighty Aphrodite") gets a lot of flack for her post-Oscar career but she is great and flat-out funny here, as is Lisa Kudrow, who really should have been Oscar- nominated in 1999 for her performance in "The Opposite of Sex", for which she also won the New York Film Critics Circle Award. I think both actresses should at least have gotten Golden Globe nominations for this film.
Janeane Garofalo and Camryn Manheim provide funny supporting performances.

Here are some of the quotes from the movie:

Michele:God, this underwear is totally riding up my butt crack!

Romy: I was so lucky getting mono. That was like, the best diet ever.

Romy: Do you have some sort of business woman special?
Waitress: Come again?
Romy: Well, we're business women.
Michelle: From L.A..
Romy: And you know how some places have like a lunch special?
Michelle: For business women.

Romy (talking about "Pretty Woman"): Aw, look, poor thing - they won't let her shop. Yeah - like those salesgirls in Beverly Hills aren't bigger whores than she is.

Michele: Sandy Frink has a helicopter?
Romy: Yeah, apparently he's worth millions. He invented some kind of rubber.
Michele: Like, for condoms?

Michele: You know, even though I had to wear that stupid back brace and you were kind of fat, we were still totally cutting edge.

Romy: You have absolutely no proof that you're cuter.
Michele: Oh, proof. You want proof? Ok, fine. Who lost their virginity first?
Romy: Oh, big wow, with your cousin Barry. I wouldn't brag about it.

Romy: Swear to God, sometimes I wish I was a lesbian.
Michele: Do you want to try to have sex sometime just to see if we are?
Romy: What? Yeah, right, Michelle. Just the idea of having sex with another woman creeps me out. But if we're not married by the time we're 30, ask me again.
Michele: Okay.

Romy: You are Columbus and I am America. Discover me Ramon, just discover me!

Read memorable quotes from Heath Ledger's Joker HERE

HEATHER MATARAZZO

I just watched "Welcome to the Dollhouse" (Todd Solondz, 1995) and I was wowed by Heather Matarazzo's performance. She showed a lot of promise in this indie film, which I recommend to everyone. Matarazzo plays Dawn Wiener, a dorky 7th grader going trough the trials and tribulations of her teenage-life. Wether she gets bullied at school, neglected by her parents or ignored by the boy she has a crush on, Dawn pulls through. Her performance was full of honesty and humour and she won an Independant Spirit Award for the movie.
Today she is mostly seen on TV in show like "Law & Order" and "The L-Word", movie audiences know her from "Hostel: Part II" and as Anne Hathaway's best friend in "The Princess Diaries" and the sequel. All those roles don't really do justice to her talent and someone like Woody Allen should have cast her in something a long time ago. I get she isn't the usual model type actress but I believe she is a great talent. God, can someone give this girl some substantial film roles?

PALME D'OR MEETS OSCAR: BEST ACTRESS

The Cannes Film Festival starts May 13th and it’s time to take a look at the Best Actress winners who made it from France to the Oscars.
One of the first Best Actress winners at Cannes was Bette Davis in 1951 for her trademark performance in “All about Eve”, who would go on to lose at the Academy Awards to Judy Holliday for “Born Yesterday”. One year later Lee Grant won for her role as a shoplifter in William Wyler’s “Detective Story, at the Oscars Grant found herself nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category, losing to Kim Hunter for “A Streetcar Named Desire”.
In 1953 Shirley Booth won Le Prix d'interprétation féminine for "Come Back, Little Sheba" and Booth would repeat her win at the Oscars as well.
1956 was Susan Hayward’s year to be honored at Cannes for her portrait of alcoholic actress Lillian Roth, Italian actress Anna Magnani though would go on to win the Oscar for “The Rose Tattoo”.
Three years later, French actress Simone Signoret was given the Best Actress award for her radiant performance in “Room at the Top” and she was also voted Best Actress by the Academy, beating out the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor.
The following year, Cannes and the Academy would almost overlap again. Greek actress Melina Mercouri won at Cannes for her fiery portrayal of a working girl in “Never on Sunday”, but another working girl, Elizabeth Taylor for Butterfield 8, was the Academy’s choice.
1961 was Sophia Loren’s year winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Oscar for her devastating turn as a strong-willed mother in “Two Women”.
In 1962 Katharine Hepburn was voted Best Actress at Cannes for Sidney Lumet’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” but at the Oscars she lost to Anne Bancroft’s bravura turn in “The Miracle Worker”
The following winners at Cannes were Anne Bancroft for “The Pumpkin Eater” and Barbara Barrie for “One Potato, two Potato”. Bancroft found herself nommed for an Oscar, losing out to Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins, while Barbara Barrie missed out on a nom. She would receive a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 1979 for “Breaking Away”, losing to Meryl Streep.
Cannes winners Samantha Eggar for “The Collector” (1965), Vanessa Redgrave for “Morgan!” (1966) and “Isadora” (1969) were all nominated by the Academy but were beaten respectively by Julie Christie for “Darling”, Elizabeth Taylor for “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and in a tie Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl”) and Katharine Hepburn (“The Lion in Winter”).
1975’s Best Actress Oscar nominee Valerie Perrine (“Lenny”) also won the Palme d’Or, while 1978’s Palme d’Or winner Jill Clayburgh lost to Jane Fonda for “Coming Home”.
In 1979 the Academy and Cannes agreed on the Best Actress award: Sally Field for her performance as a courageous woman in “Norma Ray”.
In the 80s Cannes and the Oscars wouldn't overlap a lot, Cher won the Palme d’Or in 1985 for “Mask” but would be snubbed by the Academy. Barbara Hershey is the ony actress to win the Palme d'Or two years in row: in 1987 for her powerful turn in "Shy People" and in 1988 for "A World Apart". None of those performances resulted in an Oscar nomination for Hershey. In 1989 Meryl Streep was voted Best Actress at Cannes for her performance as a mother suspected to have killed her child in “A Cry in the Dark”, she lost the Oscar to Jodie Foster’s perf as a rape victim in “The Accused”.
Holly Hunter won both Best Actress awards for her portrayal of a deaf woman in “The Piano” in 1993 and 1994 respectively.
2006’s Best Actress Oscar winner Helen Mirren won her second Palme d’Or, after 1984 for “Cal”, in 1995 for “The Madness of King George”, for which she was a Best Supporting Actress nominee at the Oscars.
The next year another British actress would win at Cannes: Brenda Blethyn for “Secrets and Lies”. Frances McDormand though would go on to win at the Oscars for “Fargo”.
In 2000 Björk won for her surprisingly heart-wrenching performance in Lars von Trier’s “Dancer in the Dark, the following year French actress Isabelle Huppert was honored for her brave work in Michael Haneke’s “The Piano Teacher”. Both were snubbed by the Academy, as was Maggie Cheung for her deft work in “Clean”, who picked up the Palme d’Or in 2004.
In 2006 Pedro Almodovar’s female cast of "Volver" was honored at Cannes, Penelope Cruz was nommed at the Oscars in 2007 for Best Actress.
Let's wait and see how the Best Actress race turns out this year....

Read about how the actors fared HERE

JOKER'S MEMORABLE QUOTES

The man without a plan is memorable for his quotes. These quotes are now cinema history. Check Joker's memorable quotes. Thanks Heath Ledger:

1) Why so serious?
2) Let’s put a smile on that face!
3) Come on, hit me. Hit me!
4) Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are tonight’s entertainment!
5) And I thought my jokes were bad…
6) You know, you remind me of my father. I hated my father!
7) The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules!
8) I’m not a monster… I’m just ahead of the curve.
9) I’m a man of simple tastes. I like dynamite… and gunpowder… and gasoline!
10) Wanna know how I got these scars?
11) Do I really look like a man with a plan, Harvey?
12) If you’re good at something, never do it for free.
13) How about a magic trick?
14) You complete me.
15) Here’s my card.
16) Our operation is small but there is a lot of potential for ‘aggressive’ expansion.
17) Never start with the head, the victim gets all fuzzy.
18) This town deserves a better class of criminal…

LINDSAY LOHAN IS LOOKIN' FOR SOMEONE

Funny...
More Lindsay Lohan in Countdown Oscar, HERE.

"ANTICHRIST" TRAILER

Trailer for the upcoming film of visionary director Lars Von Trier.
All I can say is, POWERFUL.
Oscar buzz, :S!

GUILLERMO ARRIAGA TO WRITE IN THE NYT

Guillermo Arriaga, the writer of Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and The Burning Plain, will be writtin' in the prestigiuos The New York Times every month, according to this newspaper.

The mexican writer and director, earned an Academy Award nomination for Babel as Best Original Screenplay and won in Cannes Festival in the Best Screenplay category for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Arriaga's upcoming film, The Burning Plain, will be release in the United States until september 18th, 2009. With performances by Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron, José María Yazpik, Jennifer Lawrence, Joaquim de Almeida and Academy Award Winner Kim Basinger. The film is already generating Oscar buzz for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress for Charlize Theron and Best Supporting Actress for Kim Basinger.

SPIELBERG "DIRECTS" EMPIRE MAGAZINE

After so many movies, Spielberg will "direct" a magazine: the british EMPIRE. We just have to wait a couple of weeks to see how Spielberg was as an editor. He is the guest editor of the 20th anniversary issue of film magazine.
Spielberg is currently shooting The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, in Los Angeles.
The director, a giant of modern cinema, has won two best director Oscars.

I have to collect this edition...

"GREY GARDENS" TEASER TRAILER

Countdown Oscar Staff is like dyin' to watch this HBO's TV Movie!!
& here it is the teaser trailer of this already Emmy and Golden Globe BUZZ tv film!

Enjoy!

AMERICAN IDOL AND OSCAR

I love to see American Idol, the talent show of Fox. American Idol is responsible for some talents that also become actors. Jennifer Hudson is the great example. Her role in DREAMGIRLS is amazing and that scene with "And I am telling you"..., wow. She won the Golden Globe, the SAG and the Oscar. Other contestants tried to became actors. Fantasia was n Broadway with THE COLOR PURPLE, Clay Aiken with SPAMALOT, Ace Young with HAISPRAY.

This year, the frontrunner is Adam Lambert, and actor and singer that was on the stage production of TEN COMMANDMENTS with Val Kilmer and n WICKED. Last week, he performed the fabulous song "Mad World". I have a feeling he is going to win this season. And I have a feeling that we gonna see him too in some movies. The guy can really sing and there is a clip on YouTube of him in TEN COMMANDMENTS that proves that he can act. Is Adam Lambert another American Idol contestant that can win an Oscar?

FELLINI'S 8 1/2 ORIGINAL TRAILER

With all the Oscar buzz for "Nine" this year, this is the trailer of the original film in wich is based Rob Marshall's upcomin' film.

Enjoy!

BILLY BOB THORNTON AND THE GRAVY INTERVIEW

First Joaquin Phoenix in The David Letterman Show and now Billy Bob Thornton in the most hated interview ever in a canadian radio show.

This is the full lenght interview, enjoy.
Well if you guys can enjoy this "interview".
Kudos to CBC DJ Jian Ghomeshi!!

PS...HERE IS YR GRAVYYYYY!!

"BROKEN EMBRACES" ISN'T AMONG ALMODOVAR'S BEST

I saw BROKEN EMBRACES this week. I was near a spanish city so I decided to stop by and watch the movie. BROKEN EMBRACES tells the story of Lena, a secretary turned lover of an important spanish businessman turned actress. She falls in love with the director and writer of the movie she's in and basically the businessman wants revenge.

BROKEN EMBRACES is just a regular Almodovar movie. But a regular Almodovar movie can also be one of the best of the year. The movie doesn't have the strengh of VOLVER or LA MALA EDUCACION, movies that had a central character. I mean, VOLVER is all about Penelope Cruz character. In BROKEN EMBRACES, we can't say the same. That's way I think Penelope won't be nominated again for a best actress Oscar. Her character doesn't have any scene that "uau" us. Maybe it will be a bad year for actresses and Penelope still has a chance.

BROKEN EMBRACES has too many details. Almodovar gives information that isn't necessary to the audience (the last 15 minutes...). But most important of that: Almodovar seems to lost some of his element of surprise. BROKEN EMBRACES is too predictable. For the first time, I was watching an Almodovar movie and I could guess what is going to happen.

So, this is not one of Almodovar's best. My favourites are ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER and VOLVER. BROKEN EMBRACES reminds me that movies from Woody Allen that he does just to say that he makes one movie every year.

But don't get me wrong: BROKEN EMBRACES is still better than most of the movies that will appear this year. And it can have Oscar nods for best foreign language movie and best original screenplay (but it's not one of the most original screenplays of Pedro Almodovar). I really want to see Pedro Almodovar gets an Oscar for best director, but I don't think this is the movie for that.

See here the mixed reviews the movie got in Spain.

"EXTRACT" TRAILER

FREAKIN' FUNNY!
OSCAR BUZZ? MMM. DON'T THINK SO!...LOL
ALTOUGH THAT GIRL FROM "THAT 70'S SHOW" HOT!

"THE UGLY TRUTH" TRAILER

I JUST LOVE THIS TRAILER AND THE MUSIC! playin' my favorite song of this springbreak!!YEAAAH! sexy trailer!

"MOON" TRAILER

LOOKS VERY PROMISING!!
OSCAR BUZZ BEGINS NOW!

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST AND THE FORGOTTEN OSCAR

Today is holly friday and gave me some memories back in 2004, that year was released, the probably most polemic film of the year, besides "Farenheit 9/11", Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ", as a movie fan, I consider that is a very well done film, with very strong performances and brilliant direction, but it was completely forgotten by critics, major awards and of course Oscar.

This film it is ranked in the 12th place in the US box-office, having a domestic total gross of $370,274,604 and having a worldwide number of $611,899,420.

Back in that year, "Million Dollar Baby" was named the Best Picture by Oscar, and winning Best Director for Clint Eastwood, Best Actress for Hillary Swank and Best Supporting Actor for Morgan Freeman. But, I personally consider that "The Passion of the Christ" could it be a great treat to Oscars in some strong categories as well; Best Picture, Best Director for Mel Gibson, Best Actor for Jim Caviezel and Best Supporting Actress for Maia Morgenstern. But in the end, it only received 3 nods for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Makeup and Original Score, with zero wins.

Is it because the religion matter? Is it because the extreme use of violence in the film?
Is it because Mel Gibson is a religious fanatic?

Here it is a review, that was shared by so many critics around the globe.
"Mr. Gibson has constructed an unnerving and painful spectacle that is also, in the end, a depressing one. It is disheartening to see a film made with evident and abundant religious conviction that is at the same time so utterly lacking in grace."
-- A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Is it because, all of that, the Academy decided snubbed the film?
I wont know the answer, but what I know is this, this is a film to watch, either you are catholic or another religion, this is a film to watch to understand the religion as well and the times of easter and reconciliation in hummanity. And also because it is a very well done film, even tough the "probably" fanatism of its director.

With info from CNN, IMDB, oscars.org.

WHO WILL BE THE KING OF THE 2009 BOX OFFICE?

This is the complete list of the 10 films that leaded the box-office in 2008.

1.- The Dark Knight-Warner Bros- $1,001.9
2.-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-Paramount- $786.6
3.- Kung Fu Panda- Paramount /DreamWorks- $631.9
4.- Hancock-Sony- $624.4
5.- Mamma Mia!-Universal-$602.6
6.- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa-Paramount/DreamWorks- $594.1
7.- Iron Man-Paramount- $582.0
8.- Quantum of Solace- Sony- $576.0
9.- WALL-E-BuenaVista- $534.8
10.- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian- BuenaVista- $419.7

Worlwide Box-Office.

Apparently if we see only the top ten, Paramount Pictures was the real winner, with 4films on that selected list, $2,594 million dollars!!!WOW! Good job!

Kudos to Universal Pictures, Mamma Mia!, is a film harsh to believe that is in that top ten, but what can we say, ABBA is ABBA and always be ABBA.

And what can we say about our favorite one, The Dark Knight, this film had everything to made the cut at the Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay, but the Academy is harsh with blockbusters. Warner Bros, with only one single film was in that list and in number one! and gotta say, this film achieved 8 Academy Awards nods, including the winning for Heath Ledger as Best Supporting Actor, for playing The Joker.

Fox, where are youuu?, is Bill O'Reilly takin' all the budget?, LOL, just kiddin'
So my question is, Who will be leading this year Hollywood's box-office?

Paramount's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Treck; Sony's Angels & Demons; 20th Century Fox's Dragonball, Wolverine, Ice Age 3; Warner Bros's Terminator Salvation, Harry Potter; Universal's Brüno, Inglorious Basterds.

THE BEST POSTER OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)

JOE PESCI RETURNS WITH "WIFE" HELEN MIRREN

One of the funniest actors is back. Joe Pesci returns this year to the big screen with Helen Mirren in LOVE RANCH. Here is a first look. LOVE RANCH, based on real events, is a drama centered around a married couple who opened the first legal brothel in Nevada. Joe Pesci plays Helen Mirren husband, while Taylor Hackford, Helen Mirren's real husband, is the director. I miss Joe Pesci. I love GOODFELLAS and HOME ALONE is one of my pleasure memories of my childhood. Joe Pesci last movie was 1998's LETHAL WEAPON 4 and he played a little role in THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

His performance in GOODFELLAS is my fourth favourite of the best supporting actors with Oscar. See the rank here.