Academy Awards

Friday, February 14, 2014

Final Oscar voting officially begins today — did some vote sooner?

  Hollywood is getting ready for its biggest awards affair — the Academy Awards. Officially, the final voting for the 86th Academy Awards began today for online as well as paper balloting. Some voters may have been able to jump the gun. Some members of the Motion Picture Academy Arts and Sciences reportedly got their ballots in the mail earlier […]
Friday, August 2, 2013

Ellen DeGeneres to host Oscars 2014

  TV  daytime talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres,  is going to host the Academy Awards ceremony again. The announcement was made today by the show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “We are thrilled to have Ellen DeGeneres host the Oscars, said Zadan and Meron in a statement. “As a longtime friend, we had always hoped to find a project for […]
Sunday, December 16, 2012

Casablanca piano sells for just over $600, 000

Sam’s piano in the movie classic “Casablanca” sold for $602, 500 last Friday according to Reuters. The 58-key upright hit the auction block for between $800, 000 and $1.2 million. The selling price fell short of Sotheby’s estimate, but still a huge gain over the previous purchase, which was $154, 000 back in 1988. The reason: this piano has been […]
Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Academy Award winner rides out superstorm Sandy

The East Coast took a brutal pounding from the superstorm Sandy, which made landfall late yesterday. The storm caused widespread devastation in some of the mid-Atlantic states, knocking out power to millions. At least 26 deaths have been blamed on Sandy, now moving slowly across the country — less powerful, but still a threat. The nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., suffered […]
Monday, February 27, 2012

Oscars shine brightest for “The Artist”

As expected “The Artist” collected the major prize of best picture last night at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood. However, one of the best moments of the night occurred when Octavia Spencer won the best supporting actress Oscar for her work as a feisty maid in “The Help.” Octavia Spencer received her golden statuette from last year’s best […]
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Americans think “The Help” should win Best Picture Oscar

The Best Picture Oscar is the most-coveted prize at this Sunday’s 84th Academy Awards ceremony. The odds-on favorite to win best picture is “The Artist,”  the homage to Hollywood ‘s silent film era. However,  most Americans believe “The Help,” the story of two African-American maids living in Mississippi during the civil rights movement,  should walk away with that honor, according to a survey by The […]
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

2012 Academy Awards nominees

The nominees for the 84th Academy Awards are getting a lot of attention — the day after the big announcement. Yesterday, “Hugo” picked up 11 nominations — the most of any film — including best picture and best director. The movie is a 3D drama adventure about a 12-year-old boy who lives in a Paris train station tending to the […]
Friday, November 11, 2011

Catching up: Billy Crystal returns as Oscar host

The confusion surrounding the 84th Academy Awards ceremony has cleared and the big event appears to be back on track today. Late yesterday, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced entertainer Billy Crystal would be hosting next February’s Oscar telecast. Here’s the official press release. Beverly Hills, CA (November 10, 2011)– Producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer have […]
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Talk of the Town: Oscar drama

The Oscar telecast is the biggest event in Hollywood. The 84th Academy Awards ceremony is not until next February, but there is already plenty of real life drama surrounding it. The spark in a firestorm of controversy was lit over the weekend by movie director Brett Ratner who made an anti-gay slur and resigned on Monday as the producer of the upcoming Oscar broadcast because […]