Weekend Edition--The Battle for Best Picture

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.

• 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.

For more trivia about the Best Picture award, please check out Filmsite.org.

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

Countdown to Oscar 2015--Best Director

Happy Hump Day! We hope the revelers in NOLA and other cities that celebrate Mardi Gras have recovered from yesterday's celebrations. Today is Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the Lent period for Christians around the world. Ash Wednesday is a somber day of fasting, and the Lent period covers the approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday. During Lent, observers traditionally give up an action that is deemed to be a "vice" (smoking is a popular one) and often donate the money spent on that "vice" to charities and other organizations. Lewis Milestone Today's Oscar talk continues with the Best Director Award. Since Oscar's inception in 1927, a total of 89 awards have been given in this category. Only in its first year were there separate awards for Drama and Comedy. Frank Borzage received the prize for "7th Heaven" while Lewis Milestone was honored for "Two Arabian Knights. As usual, there are fun lots of facts and trivia associated with the Best Director award. Frank Borzage

• The awards for Best Director and Best Picture have often been linked throughout the history of the Awards. Of the 82 films that have been awarded Best Picture, 62 have simultaneously received the Best Director prize,
• Only four films have won best picture without its directory being nominated: "Wings" (1927-28), "Grand "Hotel" (1931-32), "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), and "Argo" (2012).
• William Wyler holds the record for the most nominations with 13. He won three.
• John Ford has won the most Best Director awards with four.
• To date, only four women have been nominated for the award:  Lina Wertmüller for "Seven Beauties" (1976), Jane Campion for "The Piano" (1993),  Sofia Coppola for "Lost in Translation" (2003), and Kathryn Bigelow" for The Hurt. Bigelow is the only female winner of the Best Director Award.

Kathryn Bigelow

• Seven out the first eleven awards were  won by men named Frank: Frank Borzage, Frank Lloyd, and Frank Capra.
• The youngest Best Director nominee is John Singleton for "Boyz N the Hood" (1991). He was 24.
• The youngest Best Director Winner is Norman Taurog for "Skippy" in 1931. He was 32.
• The oldest Best Director Nominee is Charles Crichton for "A Fish Called Wanda" in 1988. He was 78.
• Only four duo directing teams have been nominated for Best Director: Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise for "West Side Story" (1961) (won); The Coen Brothers for "No County for Old Men" (won) (2007) and "True Grit" (2010); and Warren Beatty and Buck Henry for "Heaven Can Wait" (1979).

The 2015 nominees for Best Director are:

• Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
• Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
• Bennett Miller, "Foxcatcher"
• Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• Morten Tydlum, "The Imitation Game

Alejandro González Iñárritu

It looks like a race between Iñárritu, who recently won the Director's Guild of America prize and Linklater, winner of a Golden Globe, along with several other awards from film critics' organizations. 

Richard Linklater

For a complete list of winners and more trivia about the Best Director Award, check out Filmsite.org.

Now it's time for today's lists:

Oscar Party Idea of the Day comes from Party City.com. They suggest a costume accessories bar complete with hats, boss, top hats, wigs, glasses, and tiaras. Of course, they carry a complete set of supplies and decorations you'll need to make your home look fabulous for the occasion!

Source: Party City

Black History Month Fun Fact of the Day: Negro League star Leroy "Satchel" Paige became the oldest Major League Rookie at age 42. He played with the St. Louis Browns until he was 47, and represented the team in the 1952 and 1953 All-Star Games.

 Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: The Coppola Family has had the most combined nominations with a total of 24: Patriarch Carmine with 2 nominations and 1 win; Francis Ford with 14 nominations and 5 wins; Talia Shire with 2 nominations but no wins; Sofia with 3 nominations and 1 win; Nicolas Cage with 2 nominations and 1 win; and Roman with 1 nomination but no wins. Pretty impressive!  

Today's Birthdays: Regina Spektor (35), Tyrone Burton (36), Ike Barinholtz (38), Molly Ringwald (47), Dr. Dre (50), Tommy Scott (51), Matt Dillon (51), Greta Schcchi (55), Vanna White (58), John Pankow (60), John Travolta (61), Larry Rust (62), Robbie Bachman (62), Randy Crawford (63), Juice Newton (63), Cybill Shepherd (65), Dennis De Young (68), Yoko Ono (82!), Milos Forman (83), and George Kennedy (90).

Holidaze: Today is National Battery Day! Did you know that in 1748, Benjamin Franklin first used the term "Battery" to describe an array of charged glass plates? Can you imagine a world without batteries? There would be no cell phones, cameras, computers, flashlights, alarms or hearing aids! It was said that Alessandro Volta invented the first battery in 1800, and this day is in honor of his birthday in 1745.

For foodies everywhere, it's National Stuffed Crab Flounder day. Yum! Try Emeril's recipe from the Food Network. 

That's all for today. Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, so I'll be talking about where the celebrations are happening.

Have a PRINTASTIC Day!

Kathy

Countdown to Oscar 2015--Best Leading Actress

Abraham Lincoln

Good afternoon and Happy Birthday to Mr. Lincoln! Yes, folks, today is Abraham Lincoln's actual birthday. I remember that during my early years in elementary school, we only got off for Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays. Sometime during the '70s (I think it started with the energy crisis), many school districts decided to close during the third week of February to save money on heat and electricity. They called it "mid-winter recess." A holiday was created called "President's Day," which is celebrated the third Monday in February and officially covers both presidents' birthdays. I think it's just an excuse for department stores to get rid of their winter inventory. In Lincoln's honor, there are thousands of counties, cities, libraries, a tunnel, and a memoria named for himl. Plus, he gets to appear on the $5 bill. Not bad for a boy from very humble beginnings.

Janet Gaynor

Brian Williams has been suspended for six months without pay from NBC News for his little tales. Some people said he should be taking Jon Stewart's place on "The Daily Show" since he knows how to write a good story and always wants to be amusing.

Today we'll take a look at our last acting category for this year's Oscar race: Best Leading Actress. Over the last 86 years, the Academy has presented 87 awards to 72 different actresses. The first recipient was Janet Gaynor, for her performances in "Seventh Heaven," "Street Angel," and "Sunrise."

Here are the fun facts about this category:

• The actress with the most Oscars in this category is the legendary Katharine Hepburn, with four. 
• The actress with the most nominations in this category is Meryl Streep, with 15.
• The actress who had the most nominations without winning is Deborah Kerr, with six.
• The oldest nominee is Emmanuelle Riva at age 85.
• The youngest nominee is Quvenzhané Wallis, at the tender age of 9.
• The oldest winner is Jessica Tandy. She was 81.
• The youngest winner is Marlee Matlin at age 21.

Julianne Moore

This year's nominees in the Leading Actress category are:

• Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"
• Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
• Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
• Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
• Reese Witherspoon, "Wild

The clear favorite to win the race is Julianne Moore. She has already won the SAG, BAFTA, and Golden Globe for her portrayal of a professor diagnosed with an early-onset of Alzheimer's.

Here is another movie-themed game from the shop. For $30, this is a freeform crossword puzzle that you can customize with your favorite actor, director, or film. This puzzle makes a great gift for the movie fan and can be used as an icebreaker for any movie-themed party. In the sample shown below, I have used the films of Tom Hanks.

It's now time for today's lists:

Party Idea of the Day: Attention procrastinators! You can still make Valentine's Day memorable. thanks to the website Practically Functional, which lists 35 simple DIY projects from bloggers and crafters. I like these DIY coasters, courtesy of View From the Fridge. All you need is some cork coasters, paint, and duct tape (for stencils).



Black History Month Fun Fact of the Day: Although the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall had an excellent academic record in high school, his behavior was less than exemplary. As punishment, he once had to memorize one section of the Constitution for each infraction of the rules. In two years, he was able to memorize the entire document. This further piqued his interest in the law.

Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: Laura Dern plays Reese Witherspoon's mother in "Wild." Dern is only nine years older than Witherspoon. They are nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress, respectively.

Plum Pudding

Today's Birthdays: Jennifer Stone (22), Christina Ricci (35), Sarah Lancaster (35), Jesse Spencer (36), Chynna Phillips (47), Josh Brolin (47), Raphael Sbarge (51), Arsenio Hall (59), Joanna Kerns (62), Michael McDonald (63), Steve Hackett (65), Michael Ironside (65), Cliff DeYoung (69), Maud Adams (70), Moe Bandy (71), Joe Don Baker (79), and Franco Zeffirelli (92).

Holidaze: In addition to Mr. Lincoln's birthday, it's also National Plum Pudding Day. I have never had plum pudding, but it's a British Christmas treat that doesn't even contain plums! Instead, in consists of dried fruit held by egg and suet, and can include spices such as molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

We are mourning the loss of "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon, who was killed in a car accident last night. He had a nearly 50-year career at CBS and won numerous Emmy and Peabody Awards.

After a strong start at the beginning of this year, things have slowed down at the shop a bit. However, I'm not discouraged. I will keep retooling the shop and make more of an effort to network. I'm a little shy when it comes to the latter, but I'm learning.

The weekend edition of the blog will cover 40 years of "Saturday Night Live." I was among the first generation of viewers, and I'm happy to say my son is carrying on the tradition.

Have a PRINTASTIC night!

Kathy