Page 1 Roundup (03/05)

The Daily News: ‘The Shape of Water’ wins big at Oscars as show embraces #MeToo movement

Daniela Vega, ‘A Fantastic Woman’ star, becomes first openly transgender Oscars presenter

Special counsel subpoena demands communications from Trump, his campaign staff: report

Wait, aren't all Florida schoolteachers white nationalists?

Mental illness and megalomania are a terrifying combination

The New York Times: Europe once saw Xi Jinping as a hedge against Crazy Donald -- not anymore 

New York Post: Frances McDormand honors female nominees with best actress win

The Washington Post: Former Obama chief of staff said top Senate Republican ‘watered down’ pre-election Russia warning

He thought it was a blister. Now his foot has been amputated.

Reuters: Those are some impressive poles

The Wall Street Journal: Surprise! Your city has a flag and it’s terrible

Page 1 Roundup (01/24)

The Daily News: The Oscars are more diverse this year, but don't expect to see any Latinos

Iowa therapist accused of sexually exploiting patient in hot tub

Just another day in Donald's America

New York Post: Why porn stars are dying at an alarming rate

Naked teacher chases kids on playground in bizarre video

The Associated Press: Gay couple sues U.S. for denying citizenship to 1 twin son

The New York Times: Wall is ‘off the table,’ Schumer says, as progress on immigration unravels

School shooting in Kentucky is nation’s 11th of year -- it's Jan. 23

The Washington Post: Donald asked the acting FBI director how he voted during Oval Office meeting

The Wall Street Journal: If you’re a purist about Scotch whisky, you might find this hard to swallow

Academy Books

Mildred, Fierce

This is how you dominate the Oscars news cycle, kids. From HERE.

'Women' and Children First

I'd go the movies way more often if every film could be as thoughtful and smart as "20th Century Women." If it were up to me, Annette Bening would finally receiver an Oscar, and Lucas Jade Zumann and Elle Fanning would at least be nominated for their nuanced performances. 

'Spotlight' on Academy Awards

It's nearly 2 p.m. and I just peeked at the Oscar winners. The only major motion picture I saw last year -- which was the only one I wanted to see -- won Best Picture, so there's that. Full list of winners HERE.

Page 1 Roundup (02/29)

Did he go too far?

Taylor Made

Sweet story in The Hollywood Reporter about one of Elizabeth Taylor's sons, who reveals where he keeps her Oscar for "Butterfield 8." (Shirley MacLaine is still reeling about losing to a tracheotomy!) Read HERE.

P.S. Her Oscar for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" resides in Santa Fe, N.M.

Page 1 Roundup (01/15)

Genius!

Don't know much about the movies from 2015, but I had heard Michael B. Jordan gave an outstanding performance yet wasn't acknowledged here. Part of the reason all the nominees are white, though, is because most parts go to whites. So I suppose the real complaint should be to the producers and casting directors, who think Emma Stone is the white -- I mean right person to play an Asian.

2015 Academy Awards Nominees Announced

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and I'm happy TO READ that I'm not the only one who was completely underwhelmed by the films of the past 12 months. Truth be told, I was only able to work up the energy to see one of the nominees -- "Spotlight" -- which was good but didn't strike me as being anything Academy Award-worthy. Even the documentaries, which I usually cannot get enough of, left me cold, although I know I should give Amy and Nina a chance. Let me know if you think I'm missing out on something big.

I had been invited to a screening of "Carol" but couldn't make it. My friend who did go gave this review, which was enough for me to wait for cable ...

The movie was pretty good. Gorgeous to look at cuz it was filmed in Super 16mm and costumes were by Sandy Powell. I thought Rooney Mara (sp?) was great, but Cate overacted a smidge at times—You can never take your eyes off her, but I wonder if she's better calibrated for the stage.

Best Picture

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Supporting Actor
Christian Bale – The Big Short
Tom Hady – The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo – Spolight
Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone – Creed

Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Director
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max Fury Road
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamsson, Room
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Best Original Screenplay
Matt Charman, Joel & Ethan Coen, Bridge of Spies
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, Inside Out
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight
Jonathan Herman, Andrea Berloff, Straight Outta Compton

Best Adapted Screenplay
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, The Big Short
Nick Hornby, Brooklyn
Phyllis Nagy, Carol
Drew Goddard, The Martian
Emma Donoghue, Room

Cinematography
Ed Lachman, Carol
Robert Richardson, The Hateful 8
John Seale, Mad Max Fury Road
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
Roger Deakins, Sicario

Best Original Score
Thomas Newman, Bridge of Spies
Carter Burwell, Carol
Ennio Morricone, Hateful Eight
Jóhann Jóhannsson, Sicario
John Williams, Star Wars the Force Awakens

Costume Design
Sandy Powell, Carol
Sandy Powell, Cinderella
Paco Delgado, The Danish Girl
Jenny Beavan, Mad Max Fury Road
Jacqueline West, The Revenant

Best Foreign Language Film
Embrace of the Serpent
Mustang
Son of Saul
Theeb
A War

Best Makeup
Mad Max Fury Road
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant

Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars The Force Awakens

Original Song
Earned It from Fifty Shades of Grey (The Weeknd)
Simple Song #3 from Youth (David Lang)
Writing On The Wall from Spectre (Sam Smith)
Til It Happens To You from The Hunting Ground (Diane Warren and Lady Gaga) Manta Ray from Racing Extinction

Animated Feature Film
Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep
When Marnie Was There

Animated Short Film
Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live without Cosmos
World of Tomorrow

Live Action Short Film
Ave Maria
Day One
Everything Will Be Ok
Shock
Stutter

Documentary
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Best Documentary Short
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Body Team 12
Chau, Beyond The Lines
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres Of The Shoah
Last Day Of Freedom

Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars the Force Awakens

Production Design
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant

Sound Editing
Mad Max Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars The Force Awakens

Sound Mixing
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars The Force Awakens

They Make Mistakes, Don't They?

Oscar Nominations: The 50 Biggest Best Picture Blunders From 1968-2009  

Not a lot of time to weigh in, but I'd definitely agree with Nos. 26 and 39 and add "Raggedy Man" (1981) "Diner" (1982) to the list. 

(Click to ENRAGE)

Apparently I'm not alone in my "Diner" thinking -- it made a similar list of what would have been nominated if 10 pictures had been picked every year HERE!