Is Tarnish Dulling Oscar’s Lustre?

Hollywood’s biggest night of the year has come and gone, and it seems many could care less. Last night’s 83rd Annual Academy Awards show wasn’t as dreadful as many critics have charged, but it wasn’t lustrous, either — not the way it has been in decades past — leading many to wonder if the ceremony is: a) losing its relevance; b) compromised by the down economy; c) an indicator of the changing state of both the film and broadcast industry.
The turn of the 21st century has seen the celebrated awards show take a hit. Changes over the past decade seem to have aversely affected the program, including shifting the broadcast from Monday at 9pm to Sunday at 8:30pm in 1999. During the TV writers strike in 2008, just over 32M viewers watched the Oscars, the least viewed ever.
This year the Academy Awards show fell to an 11.7 adults 18-49 rating, down 12% vs. last year’s 13.3 adults 18-49 rating. The average viewership fell to 37.6M viewers, down 9% below last year.
Last night’s ceremony felt more mechanical than usual. Folks showed up and did what they were supposed to do, but with little passion or fanfare. Despite hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway’s combination of dry humor and goggle-eyed ardor, respectively, the two seemed largely unsuited for hosting duties. Burdened with banal scripted material, the pair managed to inject the show with energy, but little majesty or self-effacing levity.
The two hosts had been recruited to attract a younger viewing audience…you know, the same audience that felt slighted when the ‘In Memoriam’ segment of the awards show failed to honor Corey Haim, the Lost Boys actor who died of pneumonia complications last year at age 38.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly a banner year for mainstream nominations, either, so it’s hard to level blame at either the Academy or ABC. The King’s Speech, which took best picture, director and actor awards, is a great film, but of little interest to the throngs of sub-30 year-old audiences primarily targeted these days. True Grit was good, but overrated. And Black Swan, a personal favorite of yours truly, is powerful, but far too darkly esoteric for mainstream audiences (despite Natalie Portman’s deserved and poignant best actress win).
Are the Academy Awards falling victim to a perfect storm of economic restraints, shifting audience tastes and a changing industry? Let us know what you think below. Meanwhile, the complete list of Oscar nominations and winners follows…
BEST PICTURE:
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
The Fighter (Paramount Pictures), David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features), Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
The Social Network (Columbia Pictures), Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
Toy Story 3 (Disney•Pixar), Darla K. Anderson, Producer
True Grit (Paramount Pictures), Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
Winter’s Bone (Roadside Attractions), Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers
DIRECTING:
Tom Hooper - The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company)
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
David O. Russell – The Fighter (Paramount Pictures)
David Fincher – The Social Network (Columbia Pictures)
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – True Grit (Paramount Pictures)
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Colin Firth – The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company)
Javier Bardem – Biutiful (Roadside Attractions)
Jeff Bridges – True Grit (Paramount Pictures)
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network (Columbia Pictures)
James Franco – 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Natalie Portman – Black Swan (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features)
Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole (Lionsgate)
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone (Roadside Attractions)
Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine (The Weinstein Company)
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Christian Bale – The Fighter (Paramount Pictures)
John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone (Roadside Attractions)
Jeremy Renner – The Town (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features)
Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company)
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Melissa Leo – The Fighter (Paramount Pictures)
Amy Adams – The Fighter (Paramount Pictures)
Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company)
Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit (Paramount Pictures)
Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom (Sony Pictures Classics)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
The Social Network (Columbia Pictures), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
Toy Story 3 (Disney•Pixar), Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
True Grit (Paramount Pictures), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone (Roadside Attractions), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler
Another Year (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter (Paramount Pictures), Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features), Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
In a Better World (Sony Pictures Classics), Denmark
Biutiful (Roadside Attractions), Mexico
Dogtooth (Kino International), Greece
Incendies (Sony Pictures Classics), Canada
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) (Cohen Media Group), Algeria
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
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Toy Story 3 (Disney•Pixar), Lee Unkrich
How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks Animation), Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
The Illusionist (Sony Pictures Classics), Sylvain Chomet
ART DIRECTION:
Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Pictures), Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (Warner Bros. Pictures), Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
True Grit (Paramount Pictures), Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Wally Pfister
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Matthew Libatique
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Danny Cohen
The Social Network (Columbia Pictures), Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit (Paramount Pictures), Roger Deakins
COSTUME DESIGN:
Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Pictures), Colleen Atwood
I Am Love (Magnolia Pictures), Antonella Cannarozzi
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Jenny Beavan
The Tempest (Touchstone Pictures), Sandy Powell
True Grit (Paramount Pictures), Mary Zophres
FILM EDITING:
The Social Network (Columbia Pictures), Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter (Paramount Pictures), Pamela Martin
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Tariq Anwar
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Jon Harris
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Inside Job (Sony Pictures Classics), Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
Exit Through the Gift Shop (Producers Distribution Agency, Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
Gasland (Rooftop Films), Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
Restrepo (National Geographic Entertainment), Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
Waste Land (Arthouse Films), Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley
MAKEUP:
The Wolfman (Universal Pictures), Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Barney’s Version (Sony Pictures Classics), Adrien Morot
The Way Back (Newmarket Films), Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
ORIGINAL SCORE:
The Social Network (Columbia Pictures), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks Animation), John Powell
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight Pictures), A.R. Rahman
ORIGINAL SONG:
“We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 (Disney•Pixar), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Coming Home” from Country Strong (Screen Gems), Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from Tangled (Walt Disney Pictures), Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
SOUND MIXING:
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
Salt (Columbia Pictures), Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
The Social Network (Columbia Pictures), Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
True Grit (Paramount Pictures), Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
SOUND EDITING:
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Richard King
Toy Story 3 (Disney•Pixar), Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
TRON: Legacy (Walt Disney Pictures), Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
True Grit (Paramount Pictures), Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
Unstoppable (20th Century Fox), Mark P. Stoeckinger
VISUAL EFFECTS:
Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures), Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Pictures), Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (Warner Bros. Pictures), Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter (Warner Bros. Pictures), Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
Iron Man 2 (Paramount Pictures, Marvel Studios), Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
Strangers No More, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
Killing in the Name, Jed Rothstein
Poster Girl, Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block
Sun Come Up, Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
The Warriors of Qiugang, Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon
ANIMATED SHORT FILM:
The Lost Thing, Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Day & Night, Teddy Newton
The Gruffalo, Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
Let’s Pollute, Geefwee Boedoe
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary), Bastien Dubois
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM:
God of Love, Luke Matheny
The Confession, Tanel Toom
The Crush, Michael Creagh
Na Wewe, Ivan Goldschmidt
Wish 143, Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Despite Recent Setbacks, Ron Howard Still Bullish on Dark Tower

Tina Fey, creator and star of NBC’s sitcom30 Rock, has publicly expressed support for her co-star on the show, Tracy Morgan, amid a storm of controversy over a joke the actor/comedian is alleged to have made in a recent stage show. During the stand-up performance in Nashville, Morgan reportedly went on an ‘anti-gay tirade’ and is said to have joked that he’d “pull out a knife and stab” his own son if he were gay.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the allegations against Morgan were made by Kevin Rogers, who attended the show and said that before the show he was a fan of the Saturday Night Live alumnus. Rogers subsequently posted a piece on Facebook titled “Why I No Longer ‘Like’ Tracy Morgan – A Must Read.” The story was later picked up by the website of Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that campaigns against anti-gay extremism.
Morgan himself has since said sorry for any offense that he caused. In a statement to the trade paper he apologized to his fans and the gay & lesbian community for his “choice of words.”
“I’m not a hateful person and don’t condone any kind of violence against others,” Morgan said. “While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.”
Fey, also a former SNL star, has now offered her support to Morgan. Although she admitted that “the violent imagery of Tracy’s rant,” disturbed her, she indicated that homophobia was not something she associated with her co-star.
“It also doesn’t line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person,” The Reporter quotes her as saying.
“I hope for his sake that Tracy’s apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers on30 Rock, without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket,” she added.
Meanwhile, NBC exec Robert Greenblatt had said he was pleased that Morgan has apologized. At the same time, however, he gave a thinly veiled warning to the actor and other stars of the network’s shows that NBC won’t take kindly to being embarrassed in this way again.
“We will always recognize an artist’s freedom to express him or herself, but not when reckless things are said no matter what the context,” said Greenblatt. “Unfortunately, Tracy’s comments reflect negatively on both 30 Rock and NBC – two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations – and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”
The controversy may have exploded too late to make the judges at the 51st Monte Carlo Television Festival’s Golden Nymph Awards think twice about rewarding Morgan for his role in 30 Rock. The star was named Outstanding actor in a Comedy Series at the event on Friday night.

Today would have been celebration galore

Today would have been celebration galore for most fans of Emeka Ike that stormed the Federal High court premises for the final verdict on who the authentic AGN president really is but that didn't come to be as the judge again strike out the case on technical grounds.
A disappointed Emeka Ike definitely not happy with the judge's decision left the court premises in annoyance and when he came out to his fans, he told them in these words " You guys should wait as i have been asked to go get some document and will be back in not less than 1 hour". This didn't happen as several hours later Emeka Ike the Maradona never showed up and calls to his mobile phone by some of his fans were returned unanswered. Well the bottom line is that Segun Arinze who is the AGN president the Industry knows is still in charge and will still be for a very long time to come. Is there hope for Emeka Ike in this legal battle? Some people say why is he not concentrating his energy on the growth of his private school and many other businesses? Why AGN; what is it that is not done right at the Guild that he wants to fix? Well over to you o my brother from another mother. We were told that the AGN president Segun Arinze or his lawyer were not at the sitting.

NOLLYWOOD CELEBS & THEIR BETTER HALVES!

1. Desmond Elliot and his wife Vickie;(above) the two met as high school sweethearts and have been inseperable ever since. Vickie who is a banker keeps Desmond grounded and focused; well with family of four (two sets of twins) and a large retinue of dogs, who wouldnt? Big ups to both of them!
Nollywood celebrities; we have loved them, cried with them, signed autographs and hugged them but do we know their better halves? Those silent, patient souls that stand silently aside as their other half recieve so much adulation and praise. They put up with alot; the frantic adoration of fans who sometimes ignore them like their not there. Then those love scenes in the movies! Ooh lala! How do they cope? The stories, the lies, the rumours! Would you want to be in their shoes? Do you honestly think you have what it takes to be the strong silent one behind a successful actor or actress? Many really can't deal with it but for those who do, I duff my hat! Ladies and gentlemen, here's presenting the spouses of some of our more popular Nollywood actors!
2. Omotola and Matthew Jalade-Ekeinde;The couple just celebrated their 15th year anniversary! Wow! No small feat in Nollyweird! Matthew met Omo T in her teens and recognizing a good thing, married her almost immediately. The union has produced four lovely children and they continue to wax strong despite the pressures of fame and public scrutiny.
3. Ramsey and Emilia Nouah; Heart throb, beef cake, loverboy, martinee idol... whatever you want to call him, Ramsey is a director's dream; able to interprete any role you give to him if he is tasked enough. Forget that directors like to box him into the 'loverboy mode'. Ramsey is also a devoted father and husband to Emilia who he has been married to for several years and they have three children.
4. Ini Edo and Philip Ehiagwina; Nollywood sweetheart, Ini Edo has been the object of alot people's fantasies but sorry, she got snapped up a couple of years ago by American based business man, Philip Ehiagwina! lol! He's the man that goes home to that sugar! hahaha! Chocholate brown and perfectly built, Ini continues to woo her fans with her flawless acting. Shedding several pounds, she now sports a svelte, sleek look making her look even more fantastic.
6. Omoni & Nnamdi Oboli; Lovely couple Omoni and Nnamdi continue to be the couple to emulate. Sweet and cute looking together, they met earlier on in life when Omoni just started acting in Nollywood. A long hiatus from the industry and a stint in the U.K produced, three lovely boys. Undeterred by the strapping of motherhood and long absence from the industry, Omoni determinedly forged ahead and has become one of most sought after actresses in Nollywood.
7. Daniel and Doris Ademinokan; Lovely couple Daniel and Doris continue to woo fans where ever they go! He is a handsome director and she is a lovely actress and together they make magic together. Though they both startted in the Yoruba film industry, they sometimes cross over into the English movie genre. Daniel and Doris sometimes work together, and he has to direct her sometime as a love interest opposite an actor!! How does he handle that?! hahaha! The two have a lovely son together and continue to make great movies together!
Van and Adjoa Vicker: Ghanaian actor and heartthrob, Van Vicker might have legions of fans all over the world but he remains very much in love with his wife Adjoa! The lovely couple live in Ghana with their three children

Distinguished ladies of entertainment

Some of them are talent managers, producers and still others play indispensable roles as scriptwriters . Others like Kate Henshaw-Nuttal who regularly deliver good tidings from Promised and Rita Dominic indisputably have built reputation for themselves as brand ambassadors. In this report, Samuel Olatunji explores what makes them tick.
Mildred Okwo
Very few will recognize her in public, but her work speaks volumes. She’s a talent manager par excellence and a wonderful producer and director. She manages Rita Dominic, Kate Henshaw, Jim Iyke and Mike Ezuronye . A recent movie she produced didn’t say less. Genevieve Nnaji, who played the lead role in the movie, said she’s never had it so good. Why Mildred has not released the AMAA rated movie is best known to her.
Peace Anyiam Osigwe
She’s been “a godmother” of sorts for movie makers. She came up with the idea of the AMAA a while ago and it’s been Africa’s Oscars . She’s also a reputable producer and as a matter of fact she produced The GRA Women, a soap now running in Nigeria and Ghana.
Amaka Igwe
Her fans call her “the queen of the soaps” but Amaka does more than that. In recent times she’s been organizing workshops for aspiring filmmakers. Amaka is among the brains behind Checkmate, Fortunes and many other soaps of note .
Joy Ilibeno
Joy is the toast of movie lovers. She’s Head of Operations at Pan African Movies, West Africa. Now that Joy is distributing African movies in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, Joy is the arrowhead of movie producers who know their onions.
Emem Isong
In a male-dominated Nollywood , Emem Isong has carved a niche for herself and paved the way for aspiring female movie producers. From Games Women Play to Reloaded, Emem has left non in Nollywood in doubt that she still has a lot up her sleeves. She is reputed to have given Stella Damasus her first lead role, an opportunity which surely was instrumental in placing considerably ahead her peers. Nse Ikpe Etim also benefited immensely from Stella’s repertoire.
Vivian Ejike
Vivian Ejike is a banker-turned movie maker. Amongst her works are Silent Scandal, Private Storm and When the Heart Lies. She has a reputation of improving with very movie she produces which means she’s quite creative and dynamic . One of Vivian’s creative energy is Chelsea Eze who featured in one of her movies and now gradually carving a niche for herself in Nollywood