Oscars 2013

On the Red Carpet

Bradley Cooper takes his Mum to the Oscars how cute, she is so short too!
The E girls did a look at the fashion. I could have strangled them all, talking about a load of rubbish. They have about as much taste as a goldfish. I seriously considered putting cotton wool in my ears.  They panned Jennifer Aniston and she looked great. They thought Adele looked fabulous but really, her dress swamped her and make her look so frumpy.  I mean how can Kelly Obsourne comment on fashion, come on!

The Oscars

Hosted by Seth Macfarlane who was going to fail as a host because of songs like we saw your boobs, very funny!
Actor in a supporting role - Christoph Waltz ( Django Unchained)
Animator Short Film - John Kahrs (Paperman)
Aminated feature Film - Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman (Brave)
Achievement in cinematography - Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi)
Achievement in visual effects - Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer, Donald R Elliott (Life of Pi)
Achievement in Costume Design - Jacqueline Durran (Anne Karenina)
Achievement  in Makeup and Hairstyling - Les Miserables
Shirley Bassey sings Gold Finger, of boy she still has an amazing voice and looked so good too, they gave a well deserved standing ovation.
Best Live Action short film -  Shawn Christensen (Curfew)
Best Short Documentary - Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Best Documentary feature - Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn (searching for Sugarman)
Best Foreign Language Film - Michael Haneke Amour
Catherine Zeta Jones as you have never seen her - All that Jazz from Chicago! Amazing I nearly didn't recognise her!
The cast of Les Miserables sing, sending shivers down your spine.
Best Sound mixing - Andy Nelson, Mark Patterson, Simon Hayes (Les Miserables)
Sound Editing - joint winners Paul NJ Ottosson (Zero Dark Thirty) Per Hallberg, Karen Baker Landers (Skyfall)
Best supporting Actress - Ann Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Achievement in film editing - William Goldenbert (Argo)
Adele sung Skyfall, a brilliant performance and what a piece of music.
Production Design -  Rick Carter and Jim Erickson (Lincoln)
Barbra Streisand sang memories, she looked amazing and not a day over 30, however her voice did lack the strength it once had.
Best original score - Mychael Danna (Life of Pi)
Best original song - Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth (Skyfall)
Adapted Screen Play - Chris Terrio (Argo)
Original Screenplay - Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Best Director - Ang Lee (Life of Pi)
Best Actress in a leading role - Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings)
Best Actor in a leading role - Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
Best Motion Picture - Argo

The Oscars will be on Channel 9 tonight at 9:30pm if you missed them, it was a good show, but too many ads, nothing new there!

We were really spoilt today at the Event Cinemas in George Street, food, drink and of course the Oscars 2013 on the big screen Gold Class! Telstra announced their new partnership with cinemas by offering all Telstra customers $10 tickets to any film. Plus they will be announcing soon special offers to entertainment and can't buy experiences.  Telstra wanted to bring some kind of thank you to their loyal customers.

Lincoln - Review

Reviewed by Ben Oxley

Lincoln

Preview screening, Sydney 6/2/13 

From Dendy Quays to the austerity of American Civil War. This major release, timed to bring revenue from the theatres and accolades in the awards season, promises much. A project that took Spielberg 12 years to realise was greatly anticipated.

So, to the movie. Words are very important to the story. Lincoln was renowned as a teller of stories to model his views and decisions. It is fitting the writer, Tony Kushner, has used much of the narrative drawn from Doris Kearns Goodwin’s well-respected book, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” 

Backed by the dream team of cinematographer Kaminski, editor Kahn, and composer John Williams, the storytelling is poignant and resonant with a nation growing up. Historical detail is a hallmark of Spielberg’s work, and a huge cast of over 170 are summoned for their characteristic look and sound.  

It is not without flaw, like the man it portrays, but it conveys the cries of freedom in the abolition of slavery. The opening scene has the soldiers recounting the Gettysburg Address to Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis). What a great device. It draws us in from the get-go.

War, abolition of slavery collide with Lincoln’s personal struggle - he lost his own son through illness. This brings an insight into the relationship with his wife played emotively by Sally Field. Strained and morose, she berates Lincoln for his dismissal of her emotional needs. They reconcile these struggles later in the story, after war has ceased and slavery has been ended.

Contrasted with personal life, his relationship with Secretary of State (David Strathairn) is also tense and hindered by miscommunication. There is frustration at Lincoln’s timing of judgement with those who work closely to him. His tales appear to misdirect decisions, but his mind is focussed on bringing resolution.

Perhaps the performance to rival Day-Lewis comes from veteran Tommy Lee Jones (perhaps you need three names to make an onscreen impression). His gruff, overbearing statesman wrestles verbally with politicians, and with Mrs Lincoln, or as she prefers, “Madam President”.

Ultimately this film is about leadership modelled on the servant, even slave status (he cleans his own boots). Day-Lewis’ portrayal champions small players in the drama, the message boy, the office clerk. All have an equality in Lincoln’s eyes to be a part of the history.

LINCOLN Trailer Launch

20th Century Fox is delighted to launch the new international trailer of LINCOLN, in cinemas February 7 2013. LINCOLN is directed by Steven Spielberg, and stars two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis as the President – and includes cast members Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, David Strathairn and Sally Field. LINCOLN is a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office.

Release: February 7, 2013
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon- Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones
Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Genre: Drama

Synopsis: Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in LINCOLN, a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6p1Q3RCpnY&list=UU1AJxP0vC_yqPUtr2MQttRQ&index=1&feature=plcp