Results tagged “academyaward”

It's almost Academy Awards® time and whether or not the writers will still be on strike, it seems that each year the movies are less and less relevant to the show itself. Between the Valentino dresses, Armani suits and pregger rumors, we feel Oscar® (or at least media coverage) has lost its focus.

turned 50 last year, and Leonard Bernstein would have turned 90 next August. Classical music is giving Hallmark a run for its money as an anniversary-driven industry.

Australia-born actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his NYC apartment today. It is reported that he allegedly died of either a drug overdose or hanging at Mary-Kate Olsen's apartment. More details as they come in. Sad. Very much so. Read more about the actor here and here.

The rock et roll pioneer and hardcore curmudgeon died today in San Marcos, San Diego. He made a name for himself when he discovered a young Tina Turner, and the rest is Academy Award-nominated history. Toward the end of his life, he was remorseful about his treatment of Tina. "I know what I am in my heart. And I know regardless of what I've done, good and bad, it took it all to make me what I am today." We hear you, Ike. We hear you.

We had an interview lined up, and were instructed to call his hotel at the agreed time, and ask to be transferred to Christopher Hampton. What? The guy won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for Dangerous Liaisons, won a Tony award for the libretto of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard, wrote the script for, and directed tons of movies involving Leonardo di Caprio, Richard Gere or Gérard Depardieu, and he checks in the hotel under his real name? We're glad to be of help, so we put his name into the Ron Mexico name generator: Christopher, you'll be Fausto Tobaggo on your next trip.

-- The Exorcist: Linda Blair, pea soup, 360-degree head turn, Satan, "the power of Christ compels you...," blah, blah -- whatever, it's still a great movie. And besides, it stars Ellen Burstyn, who is practically perfect in every way. Part of the Castro Theatre's William Friedkin Series, it screens tonight at 7 p.m.; $6-$9.

-- Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's performance as Effie White won her an Academy Award, and her end of Act I nervous breakdown ("And I Am Telling You") blew audiences to the back wall of the theatre. . She is the reason to see this movie. It also features Anika Noni Rose, a former A.C.T. student. Check out this musical loosely based on the rise of the Supremes tonight at 7 p.m. at the Castro Theatre, Castro and Market Streets; $9.50.

It was a deadly weekend to be famous, that’s for sure. As one commenter already pointed out today, famous people tend to die in threes: Bill Walsh, Tom Snyder, and of course, ABC 13’s Marvin Zindler from Houston, who -- while still tied-up with breathing tubes, in his hospital bed, and very pissed off at 24-Hour Fitness -- gave and gave until the very end.

We are always going to tell you to see Other Cinema. You can set your watch to it, we promise. This week’s Incredibly Strange Music program is packed with punk rock/bad music video genius. We’re particularly into the experimental film but there’s oddity for every taste, as curator Craig Baldwin’s program religiously offers.

SFist is pleased to see native son Clint Eastwood garnering so many Academy Award nominations for Million Dollar Baby, the best women-in-boxing film since Against The Ropes. (We're kidding, Hilary, please don't kick our ass.)

and that it's not in reference to Ian Ziering (as the Sports Guy on ESPN put it- "when you've worked with Eastwood, Freeman, Ziering and Morita in a 10-year span…that's a career."). Also being released today is Moolaadé, a cheery holiday movie about female genital mutilation. Sounds like a perfect movie for that post-New Year's Hangover.