An amusing New Year's Eve diversion: Etiquette columnist MIss Manners chastizes the Oscars for obliterating time-honored rules for formal wear. For her, it's a black-and-white issue ...
Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" was named the year's best picture Thursday by the Chicago Film Critics Association. The film topped the annual balloting with three prizes, including best director (Scorsese) and adapted screenplay (William Monahan). The only other movie to win multiple honors was "The Queen," cited for best actress (Helen Mirren) and original screenplay (Peter Morgan). Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima," a Japanese-language companion to his "Flags of Our Fathers," was named best foreign-language film.
Other winners:
Actor: Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland."
Library of Congress adds films to national registry
By BROOKS BOLIEK
WASHINGTON — As Rocky Balboa makes his big-screen comeback, the movie that launched the franchise 30 years ago and made Sylvester Stallone a household name was among 25 films named to the National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress on Wednesday. ...
‘‘Rocky,’’ the Oscar winner for best picture of 1976, joined Mel Brooks’ outrageous comedy ‘‘Blazing Saddles’’ (1974), John Carpenter’s slasher classic ‘‘Halloween’’ (1978), the Coen brothers’ black comedy ‘‘Fargo’’ (1996) and Steven Soderbergh’s groundbreaking ‘‘sex, lies, and videotape’’ (1989) on this year’s selection of treasures that are guaranteed to be preserved forever.
The 2006 entrants span the years 1913-96 and feature performances by Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Bill Murray, Ingrid Bergman, John Wayne and late soul great James Brown and directors Alfred Hitchcock, Rouben Mamoulian and Raoul Walsh.
The National Film Registry list, begun in 1989, now numbers 450.
While the choices by Librarian of Congress James Billington spotlights some well-known films, it also features many lesser-known lights of the filmmakers’ art, including the only film recording of pioneering blues artist Bessie Smith, a 1913 exploitation film about the white slave trade, one of the first rock concert movies and even a home movie.
‘‘The annual selection of films to the National Film Registry involves far more than the simple naming of cherished and important films to a prestigious list,’’ Billington said. ‘‘The registry should not be seen as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Academy Awards or even America’s most beloved films. Rather, it is an invaluable means to advance public awareness of the richness, creativity and variety of American film heritage and to dramatize the need for its preservation.’’
Billington made his selections from more than 1,000 titles nominated by the public after lengthy discussions with the library’s motion picture division staff and members of the National Film Preservation Board.
Congress created the registry in 1989 to preserve films of cultural, historical and artistic significance. Selection in the National Film Registry singles out films for preservation either in the Library of Congress’ own archive or facilities elsewhere.
With a farewell tip of the hat to Robert Altman and a special commendation for Clint Eastwood, the American Film Institute completed its review of 2006 on Wednesday by highlighting what it calls the AFI’s Moments of Significance. ...
Casting the spotlight on eight developments that had an impact on the worlds of TV and film, the list leads off with Eastwood, dubbed ‘‘a national treasure,’’ citing the fact that he completed two films, ‘‘Flags of Our Fathers’’ and ‘‘Letters From Iwo Jima’’ that ‘‘not only complement one another, but they resonate together to create one of the great motion picture experiences of the new century.’’
The AFI also hailed Eastwood’s team of collaborators — including producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz, writer Paul Haggis, cinematographer Tom Stern, editor Joel Cox, production designer Henry Bumstead and casting director Phyllis Huffman — for providing ‘‘an epic reminder that the American viewpoint is not the only human perspective.’’
‘‘Letters’’ also was included among the AFI’s choices of the top 10 movies of the year, which were announced this month.
The new list concluded by eulogizing Altman, who died Nov. 20. It called him ‘‘a true maverick of American film. His body of work — both in film and television — reflects an exceptional diversity in genre, but always with his indelible signature. From overlapping dialogue to the epic ensemble pieces filled with actors who revered him, Altman’s style continues to inspire artists and audiences alike.’’
The other developments cited by the AFI include:
• The documentary speaks to the world. Citing Davis Guggenheim’s ‘‘An Inconvenient Truth,’’ which examined global warming; James Longley’s ‘‘Iraq in Fragments,’’ one of a number of docus that took on the war in Iraq; and Spike Lee’s ‘‘When the Levees Broke,’’ an epic take on Hurricane Katrina’s effects on New Orleans. The AFI noted ‘‘in 2006, it was the documentary that best illustrated the power of film and television to bring us together as a global audience — and, with hope, to affect change.’’
This is what we live for here at The Gold Rush. On New Year's Eve, the TV Guide channel will be airing a 15-hour marathon of all the awards shows from 2006. It's Joan and Melissa Rivers' "Red Carpet Rewind Marathon," starting at 10 a.m. Sunday. What better way to get revved up for the upcoming season than to relive the shock and awe of "Crash"?!
Edward Copeland on Film has launched another of his annual Oscar surveys. Last year, it was which were the best and worst winners of the Best Picture Oscar. This year, it's who did and didn't deserve her Best Actress award. ’Cause, really — Julia Roberts? Cher?
Only because this is a Chicago-based blog: Check out this odd little news item about our homegirlOprah. Apparently, even though she's a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and thus an Oscar voter, she is being allowed to voice her editorial support for certain movies on her show — despite Academy rules forbidding voters to do just that.
Choose one of the following. I want to watch the Grammys:
(a) at home, alone, voicing my barbed wit and critical comments to my cat.
(b) while enjoying free food with a bunch of other music freaks and hollaback girls.
If you (wisely) chose (b) ...
The Recording Academy has partnered with Hard Rock International to bring the frenzy of the Grammys to cities beyond their Los Angeles home. On Grammy night (Feb. 11), head down to your local Hard Rock Cafe — in Chicago, look for the big pointy guitar at 63 W. Ontario — for a Grammy Viewing Party, with live entertainment, food, drinks and special giveaways.
If you believe the stats, the Dallas/Ft. Worth film critics are the best at forecasting each year's Best Picture winner. (OK, they missed "Crash" last year, but who didn't — except the Sun-Times' Roger Ebert ...?) In this article, you might be surprised by their pick this year: "United 93."
What if movie studios took a page from political campaigns and went negative in their pre-Oscars advertising? For your consideration, The Envelope looks at how probable such a turn of events might be: "The two worlds are eerily similar. When it comes to winning an Oscar or an election, shrinking violets need not apply."
Producers have announced that director Louis J. Horvitz will return to direct the 79th annual Academy Awards telecast. He's an old pro: This will be Horvitz's 11th time directing the Academy Awards show. In August, he won an Emmy for directing last year's broadcast. He has received a total of eight Emmy nominations and four Emmy Awards for his Oscar telecast work.
No white Christmas, and maybe fewer white award winners ...
In this intriguing consideration of the Oscars race, L.A. Times writer Greg Braxton looks at the fairly recent colorization of films and roles in Hollywood. He writes: "Almost a year after the racially tinged "Crash" scored a best-picture upset at the Academy Awards, deep explorations of nonwhite cultures have dominated the silver screen as have ethnic performers who have delivered penetrating, emotional portrayals."
Mediaweek reports that ABC is turning over its post-Oscars broadcast (not the PRE-Oscars telecast, as many online outlets are erroneously reporting) to a live special by its talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. Last year, Kimmel's after-Oscars special drew 4 million viewers.
Why are we here, devouring all this Oscars hype on The Gold Rush? ABC News considers what makes the Oscars such an alluring and addictive spectator sport. "I'm a newcomer to the red carpet," says David Carr, who runs the New York Times' excellent Carpetbagger pre-Oscars site. "I've covered city politics in some rugged cities. But there is nothing more ferocious than that red carpet. Like those little fashion reporters, they don't mind dropping a heel right into your soft shoe or a sharp elbow into your beer gut. … You better come to play."
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Recipients of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys were announced today by The Recording Academy. Joan Baez, Booker T. & The MG's, Maria Callas, Ornette Coleman, the Doors, the Grateful Dead and Bob Wills will receive the lifetime honors.
"This year's group of accomplished honorees are as diverse as they are influential as creators of the most renowned and prominent recordings in the world," said Recording Academy president Neil Portnow. "Their contributions exemplify the highest artistic and technical standards that have positively affected the music industry and music fans."
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium.
Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees:
Joan Baez — As one of the most accomplished interpretive folk singers of the '60s, Joan Baez has influenced nearly every aspect of popular music in a career that is still going strong after more than 45 years. Possessed of an instantly recognizable soprano, Baez has received eight gold albums, a gold single, six Grammy nominations, and the 2003 Recording Academy San Francisco Chapter Governors Award.
Booker T. & The MG's (Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Al Jackson, Booker T. Jones, and Lewie Steinberg) — As the house band at Stax Records in Memphis, Booker T. & The MG's had tight, impeccable grooves that can be heard on classic hits by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Carla Thomas, to name a few. They also were one of the top instrumental outfits of the rock era, recording classics including "Green Onions," "Time Is Tight," and "Hang 'Em High." As a band that featured two blacks and two whites playing as a cohesive group in the highly-charged south of the '60s, they set an example of how music can transcend social ills.
Maria Callas — Among her contemporaries, Maria Callas had the deepest comprehension of the classical Italian style, the most musical instincts and the most intelligent approach, with exceptional dramatic powers. She had a wide range from high E to the F below the staff, and an innate feel for the style of bel canto roles, but she was most notable for bringing a commitment and intensity to her dramatic portrayals that was unprecedented at the time. Her fame has transcended the usual boundaries of classical music, and she has been the inspiration for several movies, an opera, and a successful Broadway play.
Ornette Coleman — One of the most notable figures in jazz history, American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman is considered one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the '60s. He has influenced virtually every saxophonist of a modern disposition and nearly every jazz musician of the following generation. Coleman's timbre is one of the most easily recognized in jazz: his keening, crying sound draws heavily on the blues. From the beginning, his music and playing were unorthodox, and his sense of harmony and chord were not as rigid as most swing music or bebop performers and were easily changed and often implied. His growing reputation placed him at the forefront of jazz innovation, and free jazz was soon considered a new genre.
The Doors (John Densmore, Bobby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and *Jim Morrison) — As one of the most influential and controversial rock bands of the '60s, The Doors' music included socially, psychologically and politically influenced lyrics. The band formed in 1965 — when Morrison and Manzarek were film students at UCLA — with a sound that was dominated by Manzarek's electric organ and Morrison's deep, sonorous voice with which he sang his highly poetic lyrics. Blending blues, classical, Eastern music, and pop into sinister but beguiling melodies, the band sounded like no other. The group's first album, The Doors, featuring the hit "Light My Fire," was a massive success, and endures as one of the most exciting, groundbreaking recordings of the psychedelic era. The Doors' music and Morrison's legend continue to fascinate succeeding generations of rock fans.
The Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir) — The Grateful Dead were the psychedelic era's most beloved musical ambassadors as well as its most enduring survivors, spreading their message of peace, love and harmony across the globe for more than four decades. The ultimate cult band, the Dead were known for their unique and eclectic songwriting style, fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, psychedelia, and gospel, and for live performances, featuring long jams. The band released more than 50 albums, and was music's top-grossing live act year after year. As strong and passionate supporters of numerous educational and humanitarian charities, they established the Rex Foundation. Today, more than 10 years after Jerry Garcia's death, the legions of fans — called Dead Heads —have only grown larger and stronger.
Bob Wills — Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with Western swing. He is credited with popularizing the genre and changing its rules. Wills' band, The Texas Playboys, combined dance music, blues, jazz, pop, and country into a uniquely popular form. The band gained fame playing for eight years on a Tulsa, Okla., radio station and ultimately influenced generations of country and pop artists with its iconoclastic approach and individual sound.
