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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Feb 24, 2012
February 24, 2012
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The 84th Academy Awards:
Overview: The 84th Academy Awards cranks up Sunday night at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. BILLY CRYSTAL returns as its host. The bash starts at 8:30 (Eastern) on ABC, with red-carpet gawking beginning at 7 pm.
Unlike last year, when winners seemed predetermined, there are genuine question marks in the acting categories. JEAN DUJARDIN, the dashing star of "The Artist," appears a favorite for the lead-actor Oscar, but GEORGE CLOONEY for his slightly rumpled performance in the "The Descendants," is a factor as well. There's higher drama in the lead actress category, where favorite VIOLA DAVIS ("The Help") will try to fend off MERYL STREEP ("The Iron Lady"), perennial Oscar nominee but infrequent Oscar winner.
Someone will keep tally of who wins more among the top nominees: "Hugo," with 11 nominations, or "The Artist," with 10. Interestingly, both films are inspired by love of movie history, the first about the inventor of the cinema, the second about the transition from silent films to talkies.Oscar trivia:
Who is the youngest person to ever receive an Oscar? Ans: 5-year-old SHIRLEY TEMPLE back in 1934. (However, Shirley's Oscar was an honorary one.)
Who is the youngest actress to win a standard Oscar? Ans: TATUM O'NEAL, who was 10 years old when she won the Best Supporting Actress award for "Paper Moon" in 1974.)
Who is the oldest Oscar winner? Ans: JESSICA TANDY, who won her Best Actress Oscar at age 81 for "Driving Miss Daisy."
Who is the oldest actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor? Ans: HENRY FONDA, for "On Golden Pond". He was 76.
Name one of the only two men to win back-to-back best acting Oscars. Ans: TOM HANKS in 1993 and 1994 for "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump" and SPENCER TRACY in 1937 and 1938 for "Captains Courageous" and "Boys Town."
Best Picture Odds (SportsInteraction.com):
--"The Artist," 7/50
--"The Descendants," 7/1
--"The Help," 8/1
--"Hugo," 16/1
--"War Horse," 33/1
--"Moneyball," 50/1
--"Midnight in Paris," 50/1
--"The Tree of Life," 80/1
--"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," 80/1Best Actor Odds:
--Jean Dujardin, ("The Artist"), 57/100
--George Clooney, ("The Descendants"), 6/5
--Brad Pitt, ("Moneyball"), 20/1
--Gary Oldman, ("Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"), 25/1
--Demian Bichir, ("A Better Life"), 50/1Best Actress Odds:
--Viola Davis, ("The Help"), 3/5
--Meryl Streep, ("The Iron Lady"), 6/5
--Michelle Williams, ("My Week With Marilyn"), 14/1
--Glenn Close, ("Albert Nobbs"), 40/1
--Rooney Mara, ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), 40/1On, off, and way-off Broadway:
WOODY ALLEN is working on a musical version of his 1994 movie, "Bullets Over Broadway." Playbill.com says the story about a playwright who gets involved with mobsters during the 1920's will open on Broadway in 2013. Woody is adapting his original screenplay with DOUGLAS McGRATH for the show, and all of the songs will be tunes originally heard during the Prohibition era. JOHN CUSACK starred in the movie along with DIANNE WIEST who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. (Marino)
Trolling for publicity:
There's crazy. But Nothing Compares 2 SINEAD O’CONNOR crazy. She’s offering to pose for Playboy magazine! In a dog collar! Why? It’s on her “bucket list,” of course. We're sure HUGH HEFNER will get right on that for her. Zap2It.com says the odd-bald, 45-year-old-hit-wonder didn’t do a pictorial back in her Pope-picture-ripping days because she was “too miserable and Irish.” She also said that she likes the idea of doing her Playboy interview while wearing “weird sex gear, talking about something really serious” like the economy. Ooookay. (Bartha)
Editor's note: That's assuming Hef... or anyone else for that matter... wants to see her naked! (Marino)
Phone Starter: A question to help scrub that disturbing mental image from your brain... do you have anything odd/unusual on your bucket list? (Bartha) -
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