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

Gung Hay Fat Choy--Happy Chinese New Year!

Good afternoon! Wishing everyone "Gung Hay Fat Choy"  or  Happy Chinese New Year! In China, this holiday is also known as the Spring Festival. Celebrations run from Chinese New Year's Eve (the last day of the last month on the Chinese calendar) to the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month. The festivities will be celebrated by one-third of the world's population!

Chinese New Year dates back thousands of years and was initially a festival to honor deities as well as ancestors. The Chinese Zodiac is based on the Lunar Calendar, which is associated with the Chinese Zodiac. There are 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. You can calculate your Chinese Zodiac sign based on your birth year. I was born during the Year of the Tiger. This year, we are celebrating the Year of the Goat (which some people confuse with sheep).

Because Chinese New Year is a major celebration, there are many customs and traditions associated with the holiday. Those who celebrate clean their houses and throw out the things they no longer need. This is called "sweeping the dust," which symbolizes the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. "Sweeping the Dust" is similar to the custom of cleaning out the "chametz" (or leavened products, such as bread, cookies, pasta, and crackers) for Passover. Both traditions are considered forms of spring cleaning. 

Typical Chinese New Year''s Banquet

People buy food, decorations, and new clothing in the days before the New Year. This year, goat images will appear on the windows, as well as door gods, which symbolize power. Celebrants also place spring couplets, which are verses written in Chinese that are believed to ward off evil. Some people write them, but most are store-bought. Other decorations include New Year's paintings and paper cutouts. Paper cutouts can depict farming, myths and legends, flowers, or birds. 

Now comes the best part, the food. On the eve of the New Year, Chinese families get together for a big feast. The website Chow provides a list of 10 "good luck" foods for the New Year, including oranges, whole fish, long noodles, and sweets. 

Another tradition of the New Year is the red envelope. Children are given red envelopes by their parents, grandparents, and other relatives as New Year's gifts. The red envelope is a symbol of energy, happiness, and good luck to the receivers. However, there are some gifts you should never give for the New Year. China Highlights kindly provides a list of the "wrong" gifts, including sharp objects, anything with the number "4" (which is similar to the word for "death"), and shoes (the Chinese word is similar to that of "evil"). The site also lists traditions that have disappeared during modern times.

Red envelopes

Flushing has the largest population of Asians here in New York City and a bustling Chinatown. In that neighborhood, activities for the Lunar New Year are in full swing and continue through March. This includes Saturday's big parade down Union Street and 37th Avenue. In Manhattan (home of the original Chinatown), check out Chinatown Online for a list of their events. The holiday is also very popular in London and Hong Kong, where it's a big day for horse racing. 

Once again, for those who are celebrating, enjoy the festivities!

Now it's time for today's lists:

Oscar Party Idea of the Day: What Oscar viewing party would be complete without a popcorn bar? After all, it's a night about the movies? You can provide plain popcorn, along with a selection of toppings, for your guests. Good choices are chocolate pieces, various seasonings such as cinnamon and Parmesan, and toppings such as caramel drizzle and sea salt, Another choice would be to provide various types of popcorn, from plain to caramel to cheddar-flavored. From Hello Productions, here is a great example of a classy popcorn bar.

Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: Last year's Oscar telecast had an average rating of 25.6%. The ceremony is most popular in households with more than $100,000 in income (rating of 36.1) as well as those in which the head of the household had 4+ years of college  (rating of 32.8). The audience of the last five telecasts had a median age of 50. (Source: Forbes).

Black History Month Fun Fact of the Day: On February 19th, 2002, bobsledder Vonetta Flowers became the first African-American athlete to win a Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics. A native of Alabama, she was inducted into that state's Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Today's Birthdays: Victoria Justice (22), Bellamy Young (45), Benicio Del Toro (48), Justine Bateman (49), Jon Fishman (50), Jessica Tuck (52), Seal (52), Dave Wakeling (59), Jeff Daniels (60), Tony Iommi (67), Lou Christie (72), Smokey Robinson (75), and Carlin Glynn (75).

Holidaze: I'm in heaven because it's National Chocolate Mint Day! I love this combo in everything from peppermint patties to mint chocolate chip ice cream to Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies! Chocolate mint is a member of the herb family with edible leaves that taste like chocolate and mint. FYI, the Girl Scouts sold their first boxes of Thin Mint cookies in 1953.

Our weekend edition of the blog will cover the final major award before the big night: Best Picture. 

Have a PRINTASTIC day!

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