Popcorn & Papparazzi

They rolled out the Oscar nominations today. And you'll find more surprises in Cher's costume closet and more cliffhangers at Joan Rivers' plastic surgeon's office.

All the acting categories have clear favorites: the oft-neglected, now five time nominee Jeff Bridges who scored the top prize at both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards--considered predictors for the Big trophy--looks poised for a long over-do win for his acclaimed role in Crazy Heart . Same can be said for first time nominee Sandra Bullock, whose role in the Best Picture nominated The Blindside ,also scored top prize at the Golden Globes and SAGs. Ditto for Best Supporting nominees Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz, winners for Precious and Inglorious Bastards, respectively.

Of course, the Academy has been known to throw a curve or two. Remember when William Hurt won all those years ago for Kiss of the Spider Woman? Or Gwyneth Paltrow's inexplicable victory for her lightweight turn in Shakespeare in Love? If there's a curve this year, look for a tie bewteen Bullock and Meryl Streep for her amazing performance as Julia Child in Nora Ephron's uneven Julie & Julia.

The real drama could be a battle of the exes as James Cameron's Avatar faces off against ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker in a few categories most notably Best Director and Best Picture. Bigelow has already nabbed the coveted Director's Guild Award, usually a solid Oscar predictor. But Cameron won the Golden Globe.

The Best Picture nominees are:

Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Precious, An Education, A Serious Man, Inglorious Bastards, The Blind Side, District 9, Up and Up in the Air.

The big question: now that there are 10 Best Picture nominees, how long will the show be? Place your bets. I've got dibs on April 15. I figure they've got to get home in time to hit the local H&R Block and pay homage to the tax man. And with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin handling the festivities, the evening could be a delight or a disaster. Let's just hope they fare better than Gervas at the Globes and Colbert at the Grammys. They really should have an eject button installed and Billy Crystal warming up in the bull pen.

I can't comment on all the films, but Up in the Air -- which captured the cultural zeitgeist--might pull out a wild card win. Read more in my News Junkie Post review.

Living in Limbo: Clooney Soars Up in ‘Air’ | NEWS JUNKIE POST


Drive safe. Play nice. Pass the popcorn.

aba

Not so Gaga over Grammy

OMG: I just realized Mario Cantone is my mother! Okay, wait, that's impossible. But I just saw the comic's acerbic Grammy review on The View Monday, and it was like reliving Sunday's broadcast with my mom's commentary running as the colorful play-by-play. Both Mom and Mario had some choice observations about Lady Gaga's get-ups. Mario: "she thought she'd relax in an outfit that makes her look like the Winter Warlock." Mom: "What's all that schmutz on her face about?" Mom didn't get Elton's mambo mutant Ninja earring either. Or those decorative arms-- discards from the "fame factory"-- that adorned the piano. "What is this early Halloween?" would be the popular refrain of the evening.

Pink's damp costume and ( actually amazing) Cirque de Soleil tricks, Beyonce's Tina Turner moves and the Black Eyed Peas garnered quips from both pundits. Mario's commentary about the Peas was a tad more R-rated (especially for morning TV) than Mom's. He thought the back-up dancers looked like a particular part of the female anatomy with which he may not be all that familiar. Mom just said they looked like "aliens." No wait, she edited herself, "they're robots." No, "They're alien robots from another planet." Thanks for clearing that up, Mom

And the lyrics to most of the songs eluded both Mario and Mom. At one point during the Eminem, Rap act, I think, they were bleeped. No need, as Mario and Mom pointed out, you can't understand them anyway. Mario said he was dialing his cable company for a refund. "I'm not paying for those three hours. I want a credit." Mom didn't make the claim, but I bet she was thinking it."The whole thing is giving me a headache already, " Mom lamented as we pushed through the show's interminable first hour.

She dozed off before the lackluster Michael Jackson 3D tribute, which unless you were--as Mario pointed out--one of the nine people with the special glasses--only looked blurry. And a tad boring.

There were highlights: among them The Zac Brown Band playing with Leon Russell( Mom: "Santa Claus missed the last Sleigh home. Mario: They gave Father Time a life time achievement award); Maxwell singing with Roberta Flack and Taylor Swift singing with her childhood icon; Stevie Nicks, who as both Mario and I(uh, oh, I'm morphing into Mom, too) pointed out has been sporting the same do and the same flowy black dress from the wiccan catalogue since the '70's.


Beyonce won six Grammys--the most by any female artist on a single show--including song of the year. But record honors went to the deserving Kings of Leon, and the album of the year was Taylor Swift's Fearless. The Zac Brown Band got best new artist honors. And one of Westchester's former favorite sons,Louden Wainwright III won his first Grammy for best traditional folk album. Gaga didn't score any of the top prizes, but the Madonna of the new generation didn't go home empty-handed. Along with her costumes she got to schlep Grammys for both electronic/dance song and album of the year. Congrats to all.

Oh, and Quentin Tarantino: Mario's Aunt wants her blouse back. Wait, I'm pretty sure that's the same blouse my Aunt Frieda wore to my cousin's baby shower in 1978. Maybe we are related.

And Lady Gaga's alien- from-the- green-lagoon costume will give Mom nightmares for weeks. Be on the look-out for our new show, "Watching TV with Mom" It will be a huge hit. On No Tube.

Oh, and all that ringing in your ears, Mom? No extra charge.

Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba

Battle of Titans: Huffington vs. Ailes Shakes Up Walters on ABC | NEWS JUNKIE POST

Political junkies and media mavens enjoyed a spicy Sunday TV talk brunch thanks to the punches served up by liberal blogosphere queen Arianna Huffington and Fox News conservative king maker Roger Ailes on ABC's This Week. Too bad guest host Barbara Walters cooled things off. Think the ladies on The View have made her a little skittish. Still there was enough to feast on. The best Sunday talk in a long time. Read more about it in my latest News Junkie Post piece. And while you're there please Digg, Tweet & comment... I mean if that's your thing. And check out the other great stuff, including Dolores Bernal's remarkable on-the-street reporting from Haiti!

Battle of Titans: Huffington vs. Ailes Shakes Up Walters on ABC | NEWS JUNKIE POST

Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba

Promisies, Promises

So we survived President Obama's first State of the Union speech. My take? The man can talk. And talk and talk. Honestly, I had to bail at 10 pm to catch the second half of the Spectacle finale with Elvis & Springsteen. And that was a rockin' show! Flashed back during commercials, and Obama was still going. The Energizer Bunny with a teleprompter. The President is as eloquent as he is loquacious, but I think he loses a lot of people. The speech--as most of his--would have been far more effective at half the length. Less is more. When it comes to deficits and speeches. He needs to appoint a White House Speech EDITOR.

Look, if you read RG regularly or follow me around cyberspace at News Junkie Post, who will win the 2012 election & other sites or have heard me on the radio, you know I'm a liberal, not a crazy shrill no compromise every Republican is a meanie liberal, but a liberal nonetheless. Still, I'm disappointed in Obama's first year performance. If I had to, I'd give him a far lower grade than the inflated gentleman's B plus he gave himself last December during that Oprah interview. But I went to Sarah Lawrence( Rahm Emanuel's alma mater) where they give you grades, but hide them with white-out and evaluations until it's time to apply to grad school. So I'll hide Obama's grade--hoping to see tremendous improvements-- for another two and a half years.

Let's hope he can deliver on all those jobs, jobs, jobs. And by deliver I mean get a real comprehensive plan through Congress that actually creates good, secure jobs. Not some watered down tree killer deal that does nothing but further line the fat cat bankers' pockets. You know, the reverse of the big go nowhere health care reform. To be fair, the Prez isn't giving up on that either. But so far, we've got nothing, And if they pass it tomorrow, it will just give the insurance companies a reason to dance like nobody's watching.

He also served up some pretty lofty talk about finally repealing that dopey "Don't Ask,Don't Tell." If Gay Americans are willing to serve and put their lives on the line they deserve the same rights as anyone brave enough to serve our country. With two wars going and an all-volunteer armed forces stressed to the max, we need all the help we can get. And we need to be grateful to all of them.

As an aside--and it's a big one-- I did notice Justice Alito shaking his head and mouthing "not true" when Obama criticized the Supremes for selling America to the corporations. A big no no, Justice Alito, bigger than Joe Wilson hurling " You Lie" during the health insurance speech.Whether Obama made the right legal citation is being debated in the blogosphere. But what can't be debated is this: the Supreme Court justices and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are always supposed to sit stoically through speeches. Showing emotion or signs of agreement or disagreement politicize the very members of the government who MUST display neutrality at all times. So Alito was not merely being impolite, he was in fact, violating his office. Was the infraction grave enough for Alito to forfeit his robe? Doubtful. But, I think a three month suspension is fair. And as a temp-to-perm replacement I nominate Judge Judy.

Still, I was buoyed by Springsteen's passionate performance of "The Rising." And if Obama and the Congress can harness some of that spirited American energy, real change could happen. If not, we'll have to do it ourselves. We're Americans. We'll find a way.

Drive Safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba

All fall Down

Season three of FX's Damages opens with a bang! Literally. Patty Hewes
(Glenn Close) is driving through Manhattan, savoring Curtis Sliwa's talk radio rant about her favorite topic, herself when POW someone crashes into her car! The driver then disappears. And oddly enough there are no witnesses. On a crowded NYC street. In broad daylight.

The first episode, filled with the show's signature time shifts and smart character explorations, forshadows an exciting season.

As usual there's also a lot of guest star power in the season that will take on the powerful Tobin family whose patriarch has been nabbed in the biggest Ponzi scheme.Sound familiar? Lily Tomlin plays a desperate and fidgety Ruth Maddoff type. Martin Short is the fallen family's sleazy lawyer. And Campbell Scott is the son Joe Tobin, who--hellbent on proclaiming his innocence-- beats up a guy in the street who wants his money back, or at least a bag of groceries from the so-called straight arrow son.

Oh,Ellen Parsons( Rose Byrne) is still in the picture,though she's ditched Hewes & Associates(which by episode's end is officially renamed Hewes-Shayes and Associates, as long suffering associate Tom--the unflappable Tate Donovan--finally gets his due)for a desk prosecuting drug dealers at the D.A.'s office. Patty-- who can't leave well enough alone-- sends Ellen a $3000 Chanel bag that winds up--in the 6 month fast forward-- in the cart of a homeless man who is somehow connected to Patty's car crash. Oh, yeah, and among his other belongings, there's a dead body. The identity may or may not be revealed, but I'm not giving up the potential spoiler for those who've yet to indulge in this guilty pleasure.

I know some people find the show's time transitions too jarring, the story lines too confusing. But if you stick with Damages, the pay-off is a deliciously thrilling psychological ride. One of the best on television these days. Too bad it now goes head-to-head against the other best show, TNT's Men of a Certain Age. Thank God for cable re-broadcasts. And DVRs. Both Damages and Men of a Certain Age originally air Mondays at 10PM; check your cable guide or station websites for additional airings.

Stay tuned.

Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba

Stewart Skewers Olbermann

"Daily Show" maestro Jon Stewart skewers Keith Olbermann in a hilarious and oh, so spot-on spoof "commentary." Olbermann-- who kinda lost it last week with explosive criticisms lodged at Massachusetts new Republican Senator-elect Scott Brown--first underplayed Stewart's parody on Fridays' "Countdown," hinting it was a weak version of Ben Affeck's "SNL" skit last year. You are wrong, sir! But by the end, Keith concedes: "You're right, I have been a little over the top lately."

If Keith can cop to his mistakes and laugh at himself, we all can. Hey libs, if you don't have a sense of humor, you better cultivate one. We're all gonna need it!

Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba

Meryl Streep is ‘Golden’ as Julia | NEWS JUNKIE POST

I know early RG regulars may have seen this way back in September when Julie & Julia first hit the big screen. But with all the Awards hoopla and potential Oscar buzz, I updated my review for News Junkie Post. Please check out and Tweet, Digg, comment at your leisure. Meryl Streep is ‘Golden’ as Julia | NEWS JUNKIE POST

Oh, yeah, if I had to place a bet, I'd say Meryl definitely gets an Oscar nomination, but may lose out to Sandra Bullock's role in The Blind Side. The Academy might just think it's her time. Or maybe they'll tie, as they did in the Critics' Choice Awards January 15. It's been done-but rarely.

Too bad, the Oscars--which has expanded its Best Picture roster to 10--doesn't follow the Globes and offer a Best Comedy & Best Drama category.

More movie musings in the coming days and weeks. So keep the popcorn popping. Duds, too. As in Milk. Not Mystery Date.

Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba