Oscars: How does “The Help” SAG win shake up the Best Picture race? – ANALYSIS
By Sean O’Connell
TrendPK.com: Not so fast, Oscar prognosticators (myself, included). There might be a little more juice in this year’s Oscar race that previously assumed.
One night after “The Artist” seemed to button up a Best Picture Oscar by picking up the Directors Guild trophy for Michel Hazanavicius, Tate Taylor’s “The Help” threw its weight around the Screen Actors Guild awards, picking up key awards for Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Octavia Spencer), Female Actor in a Leading Role (Viola Davis) and Cast in a Motion Picture … the SAG equivalent of Best Picture.
A win by the “Artist” ensemble would have slammed shut any other film’s chances of topping Hazanavicius’ silent ode to old Hollywood in the coveted Best Picture race. But the show of support for Taylor’s period drama shows signs of life in what has been a landslide race up to this point. Could “The Help” build on its SAG momentum and turn the next few weeks into a frenzied contest for Oscar’s affections?
We shall see.
Elsewhere at the SAG awards (at least on the movie side), Christopher Plummer picked up yet another award for his work in “Beginners,” expertly playing a closeted homosexual coming out of the closet after his wife passes away.
But “Artist” lead Jean Dujardin threw a wrench into “Descendants” star George Clooney’s Oscar plans by picking up the SAG for Male Actor in a Leading Role. As THR’s main Oscarologist Scott Feinberg notes, Dujardin has a very good chance of taking Best Actor away from Clooney on Oscar eve, and this SAG win suggests a shift in momentum in that category.
“In so doing, Dujardin became the new frontrunner to win the best actor Academy Award, just like the last seven best actor SAG Award winners and all but four best actor SAG Award winners ever,” Feinberg writes.
So, the race – which we declared over just a few days ago – is back on. The ball is back in Harvey Weinstein’s court, because the bulk of today’s headlines are about “The Help,” and not “The Artist.” Plenty of time to swing momentum back to Hazanavicius’ gem, but the next big move has to happen soon.
And because we never tire of showing it, here is Davis and the cast of “The Help” picking up our Hollywood Ensemble trophy at the Hollywood Film Awards in October. Truly, this film’s awards journey started on our stage, and we couldn’t be happier for their success:
Awards Alley brings you the best Oscar coverage. Click below to read our exclusive interviews with:
– Harvey Weinstein
– The cast of “The Artist.”
– Kenneth Branagh for “My Week With Marilyn.”
– Bennett Miller talks “Moneyball.”
– Producer Jim Burke for “The Descendants.”
– Sir Ben Kingsley and Chloe Grace Moretz for “Hugo.”
– Tilda Swinton for “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”
– David Fincher, Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
– Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer for “The Help.”
– Tate Taylor for “The Help.”
– Woody Harrelson for “Rampart.”
– Gavin O’Connor for “Warrior.”
– Gary Oldman and Colin Firth for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
– Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody for “Young Adult.”
– Steve McQueen for “Shame.”
– Glenn Close for “Albert Nobbs.”
– Seth Rogen and Will Reiser for “50/50.”
– Producer Grant Heslov for “The Ides of March.”
For complete Oscar and Film Festival coverage, visit our Awards Alley for the latest news items, reviews and interviews all season long.
Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.
Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News
Oscars® “Celebrate the Movies” with Launch of Digital Exhibition
TrendPK.com: In anticipation of the 84th Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences has launched “Celebrate the Movies,” a digital exhibition spotlighting iconic moments from 84 films.
Beginning today, January 23, the exhibition will appear on digital billboards in Los Angeles, and on ABC’s digital “SuperSign,” an electronic landmark in New York’s Times Square. It will also be showcased on an online gallery on Oscar.com, and extend to youtube.com/Oscars, where fans can share their most memorable movie-going experiences through video or text.
Images will debut in groups of 20 within the next two weeks. The 84 films represented span eight decades, beginning with “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) and culminating in “Avatar” (2009). Highlights from each decade include “Gone with the Wind” (1939), “Casablanca” (1942), “The Killers” (1946), “Sunset Boulevard” (1950), “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961), “True Grit” (1969), “The Exorcist” (1973), “Saturday Night Fever” (1977), “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989), “Apollo 13″ (1995), “Shrek” (2001), “Ray” (2004), and “The Dark Knight” (2008). The exhibition highlights all of Hollywood’s major genres, as well as independent, animated, foreign-language, and documentary films.
Included in the first 20 images are the eight that were featured in the key art campaign, which was unveiled in late December.
The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.
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“The Artist,” “The Help” and The Razzies in today’s Oscar news – AWARDS ALLEY
By Sean O’Connell
TrendPK.com: Tomorrow morning at this time, we’ll know which films and talent will be competing for Academy Awards next month. Will it be “The Artist” versus “The Descendants,” or can another movie rise up and create an upset? We’ll be tracking the latest throughout today and tomorrow as we head toward Oscar nominations on Jan. 23. With that in mind, here’s the latest awards news:
- Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist” continues to snatch up key awards. On Saturday night, the silent ode to vintage Hollywood earned the top prize from the Producers Guild. Then, it grabbed the U.K. Regional Plaudit Film of the year Award. However, last year’s winner was “The Social Network.”
- Meryl Streep, a Best Actress contender for “The Iron Lady,” revealed that she’ll narrate an IMAX documentary titled “To the Arctic 3D.”
- “The Help” and “Pariah” collected the top NAACP Image Award nominations.
- And finally, The Razzies announced a move to April Fool’s Day.
Awards Alley brings you the best Oscar coverage. Click below to read our exclusive interviews with:
– Harvey Weinstein
– The cast of “The Artist.”
– Kenneth Branagh for “My Week With Marilyn.”
– Bennett Miller talks “Moneyball.”
– Sir Ben Kingsley and Chloe Grace Moretz for “Hugo.”
– Tilda Swinton for “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”
– David Fincher, Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
– Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer for “The Help.”
– Tate Taylor for “The Help.”
– Woody Harrelson for “Rampart.”
– Gavin O’Connor for “Warrior.”
– Gary Oldman and Colin Firth for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
– Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody for “Young Adult.”
– Steve McQueen for “Shame.”
– Glenn Close for “Albert Nobbs.”
– Seth Rogen and Will Reiser for “50/50.”
For complete Oscar and Film Festival coverage, visit our Awards Alley for the latest news items, reviews and interviews all season long.
Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.
Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News
Top-secret Weisz wedding for Bond star Craig
June 28, 2011 by Trend PK
Filed under Entertainment
NEW YORK: James Bond actor Daniel Craig and Oscar-winning fellow-Brit Rachel Weisz have married after a whirlwind six-month romance, her spokesman said.
Craig, 43, and Weisz, 41, tied the knot Wednesday in an ultra-secret New York ceremony. Reports said only four guests were in attendance, two family friends acting as witnesses, Craig’s teenage daughter and Weisz’s young son.
Weisz’s publicist Megan Moss confirmed to AFP that the couple had tied the knot.
The pair team up in the forthcoming “Dream House”, playing a married couple who relocate to a quaint New England town only to discover that their idyllic new home has been the scene of horrific murders.
Craig and Weisz have reportedly been friends for years but began a largely hush-hush romance on the set of the film, which is to hit cinemas in September.
Craig, star of Bond flicks, “Layer Cake,” “Munich” and later this year “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” has a daughter from his previous marriage to Scottish actress Fiona Loudon.
He was engaged to long-term film producer girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell for five years before they split in 2010.
Weisz, who won a supporting actress Academy Award for her performance in the 2005 drama “The Constant Gardener,” has a son from her nine-year relationship with “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky.
Their relationship also ended last year.
Craig has had two outings as MI6 agent 007, “Casino Royale” (2006) and the “Quantum of Solace” (2008). He is due to reprise the role in a 23rd Bond instalment, which is being directed by another Brit, Sam Mendes, and is due out in November 2012.
A.R.Rahman receives Crystal Award at World Economic Forum
Academy Award winner A.R.Rahman received the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award for his contribution to the world of art and culture and for his outreach to improve the state of the world. “Countries that work to eradicate poverty and help the poor are the best”, said Rahman at the annual summit of the forum at the Swiss ski resort after Hilde Schwab, president and co-founder of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, presented him with the award.
Jose Carreras, an opera artist from Barcelona, was also given the Crystal Award for his social work for the patients of leukaemia.
The award function was attended by several heads of governments, including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, top C.E.O’s, religious leaders and academicians.
Indian actors chase Hollywood dreams
MUMBAI: From “Spiderman” to “Mission Impossible,” Bollywood actors are increasingly finding their way into mainstream Hollywood films.
As Hollywood brings more Indian and Asian characters into its stories, established stars in India are now looking for a career in the West, hoping to make it big in an industry Bollywood looks up to for inspiration.
“Slumdog Millionaire” actor Anil Kapoor has landed a role in the next Mission Impossible film, while Irrfan Khan, who worked with Angelina Jolie in “A Mighty Heart,” has bagged roles in both the next Spiderman film and Ang Lee’s forthcoming “Life of Pi,” Indian media reported.
Success is not limited to the men. Bipasha Basu, who as one of Bollywood’s most popular leading ladies also has her eyes set westwards, has won a role in Academy Award winning director Roland Joffe’s next film, “Singularity.”
Sandra Bullock Marriage Trouble
March 18, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Entertainment
Sandra Bullock Marriage Trouble, Sandra Bullock born July 26, 1964, is an American actress who came to fame in the 1990s, after roles in 
successful films such as Speed and While You Were Sleeping. She has since established her career with films such as Miss Congeniality and Crash, which received critical acclaim. In 2007, she was ranked as the 14th richest female celebrity with an estimated fortune of $85 million. In 2009, Bullock starred in the most financially successful films of her career, The Proposal and The Blind Side.Bullock was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, and the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side.
Bullock married motorcycle builder and Monster Garage host Jesse James on July 16, 2005. They met when Bullock arranged for her ten-year-old godson to meet James as a Christmas present.
Sandra Bullock has pulled out of a trip to London for the premiere of her film ‘The Blind Side’ for ‘unforeseen personal reasons.’ Bullock’s decision comes amidst rumors of marital trouble.
In a statement released by Warner Bros, Bullock says: “Due to unforeseen personal reasons a trip abroad to support The Blindside has been deemed impossible at this time. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for your continued support of the film.”
Normally publicity shy, Jesse James had walked the red carpet with Sandra during this year’s awards season that saw her win an Oscar for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for The Blind Side. Bullock also won a Gloden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance.
Oscars 2010: Hurt Locker Rules The Roost
March 8, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Entertainment
The Iraq War drama “The Hurt Locker” won best picture and five other prizes at the Academy Awards, besides best director for Kathryn Bigelow, becoming the first woman in the 82-year history of the Oscars to earn Hollywood’s top prize for filmmakers.
Sandra Bullock went home with best actress award for ‘The Blind Side’; Jeff Bridges as best actor for ‘Crazy Heart’; Mo’Nique as supporting actress for ‘Precious’ and the first black actress to win an Oscar; and Christoph Waltz as supporting actor for ‘Inglourious Basterds’. ‘Precious’ also won the adapted-screenplay Oscar for Geoffrey Fletcher. ‘Avatar’ won three Oscars, for visual effects, art direction and cinematography, beating ‘The Hurt Locker’ for the latter. ‘The Hurt Locker’ also won out over ‘Avatar’ for film editing, sound editing and sound mixing. ‘Hurt Locker’ screenwriter Mark Boal, won the Oscar for original screenplay.
‘Up’ earned the third-straight feature-animation Oscar for Disney’s Pixar Animation, which now has won five of the nine awards since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added the category. Argentina’s ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’ pulled off a surprise win for foreign-language film while ‘Crazy Heart’ also won for original song with its theme tune ‘The Weary Kind’. ‘The Cove’, an investigation into grisly dolphin-fishing operations in Japan, was picked as best documentary. Oscar hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin opened the show with playful ribbing of nominees.
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The Cove Movie, The Cove wiki
March 8, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Entertainment
The Cove Movie, The Cove wiki, The Cove is a 2009 Academy Award winning American documentary film about the annual killing of dolphins in a National Park at Taiji, Wakayama, in Japan.
The film highlights that the number of dolphins killed is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic, and claims that 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan every year. The migrating dolphins are herded into a hidden cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan’s most recent progress report 1,569 cetaceans in Taiji were killed during the 2007 season, including methods other than drive hunting. Only 1,239 cetaceans were killed by drive hunting. A total of 13,080 cetaceans were killed throughout Japan in 2007.
The film was directed by former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos,[5] and portions were filmed secretly during 2007 using underwater microphones and high-definition cameras disguised as rocks.[
The documentary won the U.S. Audience Award at the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival in January 2009. It was selected out of the 879 submissions in the category.
On March 7, 2010 The Cove won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.
Oscar Nominees Attended Lunch At Beverley Hills
February 16, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
Oscars nominees gathered for the annual nominees luncheon, an informal gathering of Academy Award contenders just three weeks ahead of the March 7 awards season extravaganza at Beverly Hills.
Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Morgan Freeman Carey Mulligan, Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock were among those stars who rendered shine to the event. Sandra Bullock spoke of maintaining a good work ethic for years to come. Bullock has been considered the front-runner to win best actress for the football drama “The Blind Side” but said didn’t take her nomination for granted.
“Does anybody expect a nomination? I certainly didn’t,” said Bullock, an enduring box-office draw who had never before been nominated for an Oscar. “I’m really very amazed and thankful to be here, because I’d like to work hard for another 10, 15 years. So if this is what that means, bring it.” Bullock, Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe, a best-actress nominee for the Harlem drama “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ By Sapphire,” said they have barely started to consider what to wear to the Oscars, one of the world’s top fashion bashes.
Oscar Nominees Attended Lunch At Beverley Hills was first posted on February 16, 2010 at 5:21 pm.
