Good afternoon from another frigid day in NYC. However, I don't feel so bad since it's been cold in the south, too.
Last night, I watched the series finale of "Two and a Half Men," along with the new version of "The Odd Couple." Both were pretty awful. However, "Big Bang Theory" handled the death of Howard's never-seen mother very well. If you remember, Carol Ann Susi, the actress who played Mrs. Wolowitz, passed away in November.
I just learned they are relaunching Laurel and Hardy cartoons. Can't Hollywood come up with anything new?
Speaking of Hollywood, today's blog post will cover the granddaddy of the Academy Awards--the Oscar for Best Picture. The award for Best Picture is the most prestigious of all since it represents the efforts of acting, directing, composing, editing, screenwriting, and technical achievements in a single film. Since the first award for "Wings" was handed out in 1928-29, there have been 520 pictures nominated for this award. Which one is your favorite? Here are some fun facts and trivia about this award.
This year's nominations for best picture are:
Once again, the race seems to be between "Boyhood" and "Birdman." "Boyhood" won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. However, "Birdman" took home the big-three prizes from Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Screen Actors' Guild (SGA), and the Producers Guild of America (PGA). On the other hand, both "The Imitation Game" and "American Sniper" did very well at the box office. You never know what will happen in this race.
It's time for this weekend's lists:
Party Idea of the Day: Need table centerpieces for your Oscar party? Check out HG Do It Yourself for 30 different ideas! I like the way this table is decorated with chauffeur place cards and toy limousines.
All the Oscar party ideas I've been discussing over the past two weeks can also be tweaked for a movie-themed party, such as a bar/bat mitzvah or birthday milestone celebration.
Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: There are three films that have won the "Big 5 Awards" (Best Picture, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Director, and Screenplay): "It Happened One Night" (1934), "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), "The Silence of the Lambs," (1991).
Black History Month Fun Facts of the Day: Alexander Lucius Twilight was the first African-American to receive a college degree. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in 1823 and went on to become a minister and educator.
Edward Alexander Bouchet was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in 1876. He was also the first African-American graduate of Yale in 1874. He went on to teach physics and chemistry before becoming a high school principal.
Today's Birthdays: Rhianna (27), Jessie Mueller (32), Majandra Delfino (34), Chelsea Peretti (37), Lauren Ambrose (37), Brian Littrell (40), Lili Taaylor (48), Andrew Shue (48), Cindy Crawford (49), French Stewart (51), Ian Brown (52), Joel Hodgson (55), James Wilby (57), Anthony Stewart Head (61), Walter Becker (65), Peter Strauss (68), Brenda Blethyn (69), J. Geils (69), Sandy Duncan (69), Buffy Sainte-Marie (69), Nancy Wilson (78), and Sidney Poitier (88)
Tomorrow's Birthdays: Sophie Turner (19), Hayley Orrantia (21), Corbin Bleu (26), Ellen Page (28), Ashley Green (28), Charlotte Church (29), Jennifer Love Hewitt (36), Eric Wilson (45), William Baldwin (52), Ranking Roger (54), Christopher Atkins (54), Jack Coleman (57), Kim Coates (57), Mary Chapin Carpenter (57), Kelsey Grammer (60), William Peterson (62), Jerry Harrison (66), Alan Rickamn (69), Anthony Daniels (69), Tyne Daly (69), David Geffen (72), Peter McEnery (75), and Gary Lockwood (78).
Sunday's Birthdays: Daniel E. Smith (25), Zach Roerig (30), Tom Higgenson (36), James Blunt (38), Drew Barrymore (40!), Jose Solano (44), Clinton Kelly (46), Jeri Ryan (47), Paul Lieberstein (48), Rachel Dratch (49), Kyle MacLachlan (56), Ellen Greene (64), Julie Walters (65), John Ashton (67), Jonathan Demme (71), and Paul Dooley (87).
This Weekend's Holidaze: Awww, today is National Love Your Pet Day! This is a day to give some extra TLC your dogs, cats, birds, fish, and more. Personally, I've never owned a pet, but they give unconditional love, don't talk back, and are a major reliever of stress. So treat your pets to a new toy or just spend some extra time with them!
In the foodie category, it's National Cherry Pie Day. Since Sunday (2/22) is George Washington's actual birthday, this day is appropriately placed on the calendar. We all know the legend of George Washington and the cherry tree. This dessert was also a favorite of the English and they brought their recipes upon settling in the colonies.
Tomorrow is another foodie holidaze--National Sticky Bun Day! When Germans settled in Philadelphia in the late 18th century, they brought this recipe with them. A sticky bun consists of rolled pieces of leavened dough with brown sugar and/or cinnamon. Prior to baking, the pan is lined with "sticky" substances such as maple syrup, honey, butter, sugar, and nuts. They are a popular breakfast food but a treat in which I indulge only once in a while.
Sunday, we celebrate National Margarita Day! This is one of America's favorite bar drinks and is made with tequila, triple sec, and lime or lemon juice. You can also add different flavors such as strawberry, cantaloupe, blueberry, or even red chili.
We also celebrate National Cook a Sweet Potato Day on Sunday (to go with those margaritas!). Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of nutrition (vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and iron). Best of all, they are only about 105 calories each! With sweet potatoes, cooks can create dishes from casseroles to fries.
Today is Friday that only means one thing--another freebie from the shop! Today, we have a printable Oscar ballot for your viewing party. As usual, this is a JPEG file where you just right-click the picture, download to your hard drive, and print. This is for personal use only and not for sale.
Personally, I enjoy the red carpet coverage more than the actual awards ceremony. I also love seeing all the comments and snark about the ceremony on Facebook and Twitter.
Have a PRINTASTIC weekend!
Kathy
- Only two novels that were made into films won both Best Picture Oscar and the Pulitzer Prize ("Gone with the Wind" (1939) and "All the King's Men" (1949)/
- Talia Shire is the only actor to have starred in three consecutive even-year Best Picture winners ("The Godfather (1972)," "The Godfather Part II," (1974), and "Rocky" (1976)).
- A handful of actors have starred in an Oscar-winning best picture two years in a row: Clark Gable, Walter Pidgeon, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Gielgud, Ian Charleson, Russell Crowe, and John Goodman.
- Adjusted for 2015 inflation figures, "Gone with the Wind" is the highest-grossing picture. However, "Titanic" is the first recent picture to gross over $1 billion at the box office. On the opposite end of the spectrum, "The Hurt Locker (2009), was the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner, with only a $14.7 million box office at the time of the award.
- "Gone with the Wind" was also the first all-color picture to win the Best Picture Oscar. The last entirely black-and-white film to win best picture was "The Artist "(2011).
- With a few exceptions, the most-overlooked genres in the selection of the Best Picture are science fiction, action-adventures, thrillers, Westerns, and comedies. These are known to the industry as "popcorn films."
- The longest Best Picture winner is "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) (3 hours, 52 minutes). At just one hour and 30 minutes, "Marty" (1955) clocks in as the shortest Best Picture winner.
This year's nominations for best picture are:
- "American Sniper"
- "Boyhood"
- "Birdman"
- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
- "The Imitation Game"
- "Selma"
- "The Theory of Everything"
- :"Whiplash"
Once again, the race seems to be between "Boyhood" and "Birdman." "Boyhood" won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. However, "Birdman" took home the big-three prizes from Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Screen Actors' Guild (SGA), and the Producers Guild of America (PGA). On the other hand, both "The Imitation Game" and "American Sniper" did very well at the box office. You never know what will happen in this race.
It's time for this weekend's lists:
Party Idea of the Day: Need table centerpieces for your Oscar party? Check out HG Do It Yourself for 30 different ideas! I like the way this table is decorated with chauffeur place cards and toy limousines.All the Oscar party ideas I've been discussing over the past two weeks can also be tweaked for a movie-themed party, such as a bar/bat mitzvah or birthday milestone celebration.
Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: There are three films that have won the "Big 5 Awards" (Best Picture, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Director, and Screenplay): "It Happened One Night" (1934), "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), "The Silence of the Lambs," (1991).
Black History Month Fun Facts of the Day: Alexander Lucius Twilight was the first African-American to receive a college degree. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in 1823 and went on to become a minister and educator.
Edward Alexander Bouchet was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in 1876. He was also the first African-American graduate of Yale in 1874. He went on to teach physics and chemistry before becoming a high school principal.
Today's Birthdays: Rhianna (27), Jessie Mueller (32), Majandra Delfino (34), Chelsea Peretti (37), Lauren Ambrose (37), Brian Littrell (40), Lili Taaylor (48), Andrew Shue (48), Cindy Crawford (49), French Stewart (51), Ian Brown (52), Joel Hodgson (55), James Wilby (57), Anthony Stewart Head (61), Walter Becker (65), Peter Strauss (68), Brenda Blethyn (69), J. Geils (69), Sandy Duncan (69), Buffy Sainte-Marie (69), Nancy Wilson (78), and Sidney Poitier (88)
Tomorrow's Birthdays: Sophie Turner (19), Hayley Orrantia (21), Corbin Bleu (26), Ellen Page (28), Ashley Green (28), Charlotte Church (29), Jennifer Love Hewitt (36), Eric Wilson (45), William Baldwin (52), Ranking Roger (54), Christopher Atkins (54), Jack Coleman (57), Kim Coates (57), Mary Chapin Carpenter (57), Kelsey Grammer (60), William Peterson (62), Jerry Harrison (66), Alan Rickamn (69), Anthony Daniels (69), Tyne Daly (69), David Geffen (72), Peter McEnery (75), and Gary Lockwood (78).
Sunday's Birthdays: Daniel E. Smith (25), Zach Roerig (30), Tom Higgenson (36), James Blunt (38), Drew Barrymore (40!), Jose Solano (44), Clinton Kelly (46), Jeri Ryan (47), Paul Lieberstein (48), Rachel Dratch (49), Kyle MacLachlan (56), Ellen Greene (64), Julie Walters (65), John Ashton (67), Jonathan Demme (71), and Paul Dooley (87).
This Weekend's Holidaze: Awww, today is National Love Your Pet Day! This is a day to give some extra TLC your dogs, cats, birds, fish, and more. Personally, I've never owned a pet, but they give unconditional love, don't talk back, and are a major reliever of stress. So treat your pets to a new toy or just spend some extra time with them!In the foodie category, it's National Cherry Pie Day. Since Sunday (2/22) is George Washington's actual birthday, this day is appropriately placed on the calendar. We all know the legend of George Washington and the cherry tree. This dessert was also a favorite of the English and they brought their recipes upon settling in the colonies.
Tomorrow is another foodie holidaze--National Sticky Bun Day! When Germans settled in Philadelphia in the late 18th century, they brought this recipe with them. A sticky bun consists of rolled pieces of leavened dough with brown sugar and/or cinnamon. Prior to baking, the pan is lined with "sticky" substances such as maple syrup, honey, butter, sugar, and nuts. They are a popular breakfast food but a treat in which I indulge only once in a while.
Sunday, we celebrate National Margarita Day! This is one of America's favorite bar drinks and is made with tequila, triple sec, and lime or lemon juice. You can also add different flavors such as strawberry, cantaloupe, blueberry, or even red chili.
We also celebrate National Cook a Sweet Potato Day on Sunday (to go with those margaritas!). Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of nutrition (vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and iron). Best of all, they are only about 105 calories each! With sweet potatoes, cooks can create dishes from casseroles to fries.
Today is Friday that only means one thing--another freebie from the shop! Today, we have a printable Oscar ballot for your viewing party. As usual, this is a JPEG file where you just right-click the picture, download to your hard drive, and print. This is for personal use only and not for sale.
Personally, I enjoy the red carpet coverage more than the actual awards ceremony. I also love seeing all the comments and snark about the ceremony on Facebook and Twitter.
Have a PRINTASTIC weekend!
Kathy
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