5 things we learned from Oscar nominations

5 things we learned from Oscar nominations

The nominations for the Academy Awards were presented Thursday morning, and as always there were trends and surprises. Here are a few things we learned:

1. Make way for older women.

It's not for nothing that one of best jokes from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the Golden Globes referred to the lack of meaty roles for actresses of a certain age: "Meryl Streep (is) so brilliant in 'August: Osage County,' proving that there are still great parts in Hollywood for Meryl Streeps over 60," said Fey. And yes, Streep was nominated for an Oscar (for best actress) as well.

But also nominated were Judi Dench, 79, and perhaps more surprisingly, June Squibb, 84. Squibb is a longtime character actress -- you may remember her as Elderly Woman in "Far From Heaven" or Mrs. Cone in an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" -- who got a chance to shine as Bruce Dern's exasperated yet caring wife in "Nebraska." In fact, of the 10 actresses nominated for either best actress or best supporting actress, six are over 40 and two others -- Amy Adams and Sally Hawkins -- are in their late 30s.

2. Diversity, but no diversity.

This year featured a number of notable movies starring or directed by people of color, including "Lee Daniels' The Butler," "Fruitvale Station," "42," "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" and "12 Years a Slave." But of that group, only "12 Years" got any support from the Oscars, with nine nominations. "Mandela" picked up a nod for a U2 song; "Fruitvale" -- despite showcasing rising talents Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler -- got nothing. And despite a $100 million box office -- and raves for performers Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey -- "The Butler" also came up with zero. During the Globes show, there was a Twitter hashtag protesting the lack of diversity: #notbuyingit. You'll probably see it again on Oscar night.

2014 awards season: Does diversity matter more than wins?

3. Where's Tom Hanks? What about Oprah?

Tom Hanks is one of the most beloved film stars in Hollywood. He's a successful producer and two-time Oscar winner. After a sluggish few years, marked by "Cloud Atlas," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" and "Larry Crowne," he was back in the good graces at the box office and with critics, thanks to "Captain Phillips" and "Saving Mr. Banks." The result? No Oscar nominations. Maybe he split the vote; maybe voters just weren't that impressed. (They certainly weren't by "Mr. Banks.")

As for Winfrey -- also a successful producer and personality -- the theory is that "The Butler's" summer release hurt its chances. But it was still a surprise that her name wasn't listed for either the Oscars or the Golden Globes. Better luck at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Oprah.

4. There are no sure things.

The handicappers were wrong about a lot. Take a gander:

• Snubbed: Robert Redford, "All Is Lost." An almost wordless solo performance goes for naught at the Oscars. "Lost," indeed. 

• Snubbed: The Coen brothers, "Inside Llewyn Davis." Despite their offbeat production, Ethan and Joel have become Oscar favorites -- even if it's just a scriptwriting nod. Not this year. Llewyn Davis will have to keep walking the streets (probably with a waterlogged shoe). 

• Snubbed: Emma Thompson, "Saving Mr. Banks." So much for "Banks" despite its Disney pedigree. 

• Snubbed: James Gandolfini, "Enough Said." The academy thought "Enough" was apparently too much, since neither Julia Louis-Dreyfus nor Nicole Holofcener's script were picked, either. 

• Surprise!: Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine." The academy loves Woody Allen screenplays (he got nominated, too), and Hawkins wasn't overlooked. 

• Surprise!: "Philomena." A small, character-driven movie about a woman searching for her son? Best picture, best actress (Dench) and best adapted screenplay nominations are the prizes.

Special coverage: All things awards season

5. Love for "Dallas Buyers Club."

Perhaps "Hustle," "12 Years" and "Gravity" will duke it out for best picture. But remember "no sure things," because when it came to audience response at the nominations, "Dallas Buyers Club" was the clear winner, greeted with cheers for every nomination. It has an Oscar-friendly subject -- a heroic battle against AIDS -- and strong performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. It received a surprising six nominations.

The Academy Awards are March 2.

Source : http://edition.cnn.com/

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Aaliyah: Fans Tweet ‘RIP,’ Wish Aaliyah Happy Birthday on 35th Birthday

Aaliyah: Fans Tweet ‘RIP,’ Wish Aaliyah Happy Birthday on 35th Birthday

Aaliyah at 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC Studios in Burbank, Ca. 7/25/01. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Aaliyah, the R&B singer who died in 2001, had her birthday on Jan. 16.

She would have been 35.

At the age of 22, Aaliyah–born Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn–and eight others were killed in a plane crash over the Bahamas after she filmed the music video “Rock the Boat.”

Aaliyah was identified as a rare talent from an early age, and when she was 12, she signed a record deal with Jive in the early 1990s. She also appeared on “Star Search” and sang with Gladys Knight.

When she was 15, she released “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number,” which topped the charts. Later, she released “One in a Million” in 1996, which sold 2 million copies.

In 2000, she appeared in the film “Romeo Must Die” alongside rapper DMX.

On Wednesday, fans tweeted “RIP” in her memory.

“Happy Birthday to the beautiful and talented, Aaliyah! #RIP,” wrote one. 

Added another, “Till this day im still in love with Aaliyah.” 

“HBD Aaliyah! You’ve inspired my voice, my music, and millions around the world. You were taken too soon but will never be forgotten…#RIP,” tweeted another user. 

Source : http://www.theepochtimes.com/

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'American Hustle,' 'Gravity' Dominate 2014 Oscar Nominations

'American Hustle,' 'Gravity' Dominate 2014 Oscar Nominations

"American Hustle" and "Gravity" stole the show this morning as both blockbuster films were nominated for 10 Oscars with "12 Years a Slave" right behind at nine nominations. The surprise of the day came from "Nebraska," a film that nabbed six Oscar nods. "Dallas Buyers Club" and "Captain Phillips" also got six.

The stars dominated the individual nominations as expected with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey all making the cut for Best Actor, while Amy Adams, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep were all nominated for Best Actress.

For Best Picture, all the big names made it in as well, including "American Hustle," "12 Years a Slave," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and "Gravity."

OSCAR NOMINATIONS 2014, COMPLETE LIST

Best Picture:

"American Hustle"

"Captain Phillips"

"Dallas Buyers Club"

"Gravity"

"Her"

"Nebraska"

"Philomena"

"12 Years a Slave"

"The Wolf of Wall Street"

Best Supporting Actor:

Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"

Bradley Cooper, "American Hustle"

Jonah Hill, "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Michael Fassbender, "12 Years a Slave"

Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Supporting Actress:

Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine"

Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"

Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"

Julia Roberts, "August: Osage County"

June Squibb, "Nebraska"

Best Director:

David O. Russell, "American Hustle"

Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity"

Alexander Payne, "Nebraska"

Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"

Martin Scorsese, "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Best Actor:

Christian Bale, "American Hustle"

Bruce Dern, "Nebraska"

Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"

Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyer's Club"

Best Actress:

Amy Adams, "American Hustle"

Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"

Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"

Judi Dench, "Philomena"

Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County"

Best Original Screenplay:

"American Hustle"

"Blue Jasmine"

"Dallas Buyers Club"

"Her"

"Nebraska"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

"Before Midnight"

"Captain Phillips"

"Philomena"

"12 Years a Slave"

"The Wolf Of Wall Street"

Best Animated Feature:

"The Croods"

"Despicable Me 2"

"Ernest & Celestine"

"Frozen"

"The Wind Rises"

Best Foreign Feature:

"The Broken Circle Breakdown," Belgium

"The Great Beauty," Italy

"The Hunt," Denmark

"The Missing Picture," Cambodia

"Omar," Palestine

Best Visual Effects:

"Gravity"

"The Hobbit: The Desolation"

"Iron Man 3"

"The Lone Ranger"

"Star Trek Into Darkness"

Best Cinematography:

"The Grandmaster"

"Gravity"

"Inside Llewyn Davis"

"Nebraska"

"Prisoners"

Best Costume Design:

"American Hustle"

"The Grandmaster"

"The Great Gatsby"

"The Invisible Woman"

"12 Years a Slave"

Best Documentary Feature:

"The Act of Killing"

"Cutie and the Boxer"

"Dirty Wars"

"The Square"

"20 Feet from Stardom"

Best Documentary Short:

"CaveDigger"

"Facing Fear"

"Karama Has No Walls"

"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life"

"Prisoner Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall"

Best Film Editing:

"American Hustle"

"Captain Phillips"

"Dallas Buyers Club"

"Gravity"

"12 Years a Slave"

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

"Dallas Buyers Club"

"Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa"

"The Lone Ranger"

Best Music (Original Score):

"The Book Thief"

"Gravity"

"Her"

"Philomena"

"Saving Mr. Banks"

Best Music (Original Song):

"Alone Yet Not Alone" from "Alone Yet Not Alone"

"Happy" from "Despicable Me"

"Let It Go" from "Frozen"

"The Moon Song" from "Her"

"Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"

Best Production Design:

"American Hustle"

"Gravity"

"The Great Gatsby"

"Her"

"12 Years a Slave"

Best Short Film, Animated:

"Feral"

"Get a Horse!"

"Mr. Hublot"

"Possessions"

"Room on the Broom"

Best Short Film, Live Action:

"Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)"

"Avant Que De Tout Perdre" (Just Before Losing Everything)

"Helium"

" Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa?" (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)

"The Voorman Problem"

Best Sound Editing:

"All Is Lost"

"Captain Phillips"

"Gravity"

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

"The Lone Survivor"

Best Sound Mixing:

"Captain Phillips"

"Gravity"

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

"Inside Llewyn Davis"

"Lone Survivor"

Source : http://abcnews.go.com/

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Liam Hemsworth Slams Miley Cyrus With the Painful Truth

Liam Hemsworth Slams Miley Cyrus With the Painful Truth 

Been curious about how Liam Hemsworth is coping with his very public split? Well, wonder no more. The Catching Fire star revealed exactly how he feels about life after Miley Cyrus. And to say her threw a major burn her way is a serious understatement.

During an interview with the Associated Press,

These days I feel like I'm more centered and grounded than I've ever been.

Translation: My life was a complete shit show with Miley. He goes on to credit his costar Jennifer Lawrence for helping him through the messy breakup.

For a few years I went down a path where I forgot to be in the moment and enjoy the moment. But being around someone like Jen, who is so honest and laughs all day long, I am forced to be in the right now. I'm much happier.

Oh what a sad turn that relationship took. You may recall that the pair met on the 2010 set of the teen romance The Last Song. But let's be honest here, he really dodged a bullet by breaking up with Miley. It's clear that she has gone off the deep end. It seems in her desperate attempt to shed that cute Disney Hannah Montana image she may be taking things a bit too far.

More from The Stir: Miley Cyrus' Eyebrows Are Back & We Are Officially Confused 

Her trashy twerk-a-thon during the MTV Video Music Awards will go down as the most disturbing performance of all time. And to be clear, it wasn't the grinding alone that pushed it over the top. Her outfit. That tongue. Her attitude. Ugh. That kind of behavior didn't stop when she left the stage. If he wasn't "much happier" without her, that would mean he was as crazy as she is. It seems he's way too grounded for Miley's new world.

How do you think Miley will respond to Liam's diss?

Source : http://thestir.cafemom.com

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Leonardo DiCaprio had a piece of Warrant's 'Cherry Pie' vixen Bobbie Brown: memoir

Leonardo DiCaprio had a piece of Warrant's 'Cherry Pie' vixen Bobbie Brown: memoir 

In a new tell-all book Brown recalled a tryst she had with DiCaprio when he was 19-years-old.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a hot topic in  Warrant's 'Cherry Pie' vixen Bobbie Brown: memoir.

Some intimate details of Leonardo DiCaprio's sex life has been revealed in a new memoir.

Bobbie Brown, who is best known for starring in Warrant's racy “Cherry Pie” music video in 1990, said she got up close and personal with the A-list actor when he was 19-years-old.

Leonardo DiCaprio, pictured here1993 supposedly had a tryst with Brown in the early 90s.

ROSE HARTMAN/GETTY IMAGES

Leonardo DiCaprio, pictured here1993 supposedly had a tryst with Brown in the early 90s.

"I unbuttoned his jeans and tugged down on his boxers. (What) I saw made me gasp. It made no sense. The kid put Tommy Lee to shame," the model wrote in her book "Dirty Rocker Boys: Love and Lust on the Sunset Strip" (via the Daily Mail).

RELATED: LEONARDO DICAPRIO, VICTORIA'S SECRET MODEL TONI GARRN VISIT VERSAILLES

Bobbie Brown in Warrant's video for 'Cherry Pie.'

WARRANTVEVO

Bobbie Brown in Warrant's video for 'Cherry Pie.'

After DiCaprio met Brown at the VIP lounge of the Grand Ville club in Hollywood in the early 90s the pair supposedly went back to her house, put on TLC's hit song "Waterfalls" and began to get undressed.

Brown, who was in her mid-twenties at the time shared that DiCaprio asked her if she had been tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

Bobbie Brown rose to fame after she was in Warrant's video for 'Cherry Pie.'

WARRANTVEVO

Bobbie Brown rose to fame after she was in Warrant's video for 'Cherry Pie.'

"So Bobbie, do you have any diseases? Also what about gonorrhea? Have you been tested for that?" she shared.

RELATED: GEORGE CLOONEY TAKES JABS AT RUSSELL CROWE, LEONARDO DICAPRIO

The cover for 'Dirty Rocker Boys: Love and Lust on the Sunset Strip' by Bobbie Brown.

GALLERY BOOKS

The cover for 'Dirty Rocker Boys: Love and Lust on the Sunset Strip' by Bobbie Brown.

“Waves of satisfaction rippled through my body. If only Tommy Lee could see me now," she continued in the tell-all referring to her famous ex that reportedely left her for Pamela Anderson.

"He was a unicorn. Rare, innocent, and horny. Me, on the other hand, I'd been engaged, married and had given birth. I needed a man, not a man-child."

Brown, who had been married to Warrant lead singer Jani Lane for three years, said she cut her tryst with “The Great Gatsby” star short and did not sleep with him.

She claimed the reason was because he made her feel uncomfortable that she was older than him.

The now 44-year-old blond’s book is filled with pages discussing her battle with drugs and several accounts of the many men in Hollywood that she dated.

Source : http://www.nydailynews.com

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Robocop trailer suggests José Padilha's remake won't suit everyone

Robocop trailer suggests José Padilha's remake won't suit everyone

The new take on Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi classic looks lean, sleek and promising. But what's with Robocop's new armour?

The appearance of the first trailer for José Padilha's Robocop heralds yet another remake of a bravura Paul Verhoeven sci-fi film from the 80s. The film-going public can't really win in this situation. If the new version turns out to be a pale imitation of the original's bombastic, gorgeously grim satire on corporate America, we've all paid to see a duff movie. If Padilha pulls off a miracle and delivers the sleek and visceral reworking hinted at here, you just know they're going to bring back Showgirls next.

At first sight, Robocop isn't as instantly off-putting as Total Recall, last year's po-faced attempt by Underworld's Len Wiseman to excise all the fun from Verhoeven's brilliantly barmy 1991 Arnold Schwarzenegger romp. There are clear shifts in the origins story, but nothing quite as infuriating as Wiseman's decision not actually to bother with the bit where everyone heads to Mars.

The suit is certainly a conversation starter, and has proved unpopular with fans of the original. Less bulky than the outfit worn by Peter Weller, and in matt black rather than shiny steel, its insectoid look is undoubtedly sinister. Then there's the fact that Joel Kinnaman, as cop Alex Murphy, is not actually dead when he becomes Robocop. Just … you know … radically messed up.

I also find it slightly offputting, though weirdly comforting as a fan of the series, that Kinnaman appears to be channelling Stephen Holder, the US Killing's cop, in the film's pre-Robocop scenes. Maybe Mireille Enos will turn up later on as a mini-Robo sidekick with dysfunctional mom tendencies.

Not that Padilha, who has promised the film will tackle the highly topical issue of drone politics, needs any additions to what is a killer cast. The much-missed Michael Keaton steps into Ronny Cox's shoes as the film's corporate villain, with Gary Oldman as deranged scientist Dr Dennett Norton and Samuel L Jackson as preachy media mogul Pat Novak. Abbie Cornish is the long-suffering wife, presumably pondering a future of family holidays stymied by her husband's serious antipathy towards airport metal detectors.

This looks like a leaner, meaner Robocop, but will Padilha's take bring enough verve and imagination to the table to make the second coming of Murphy a thing of wonder? Or are you already imagining the filmic equivalent of ED209, the ineffective and ultimately abortive replacement for Robocop in Verhoeven's 1987 original?

Source : http://www.theguardian.com/

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Ashton Kutcher gives life advice at Teen Choice Awards

Ashton Kutcher gives life advice at Teen Choice Awards

Ashton Kutcher accepts the ultimate choice award at the Teen Choice Awards at the Gibson Amphitheater on Aug. 11, 2013, in Los Angeles. / AP

Ashton Kutcher is far from a teenager at 35 years old. But he still walked away with a Teen Choice honor Sunday night in Los Angeles.

Upon receiving the ultimate choice award at the Gibson Amphitheatre, Kutcher joked that he had won the "old guy award."

And it was partially true -- Kutcher was in the company of plenty of younger stars, including One Direction, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato on Sunday -- not to mention the audience members and all of the viewers watching at home. So he took the opportunity to impart some advice on to his younger fans with a speech about making the best out of life. "I believe that opportunity looks a lot like work," he said. "I never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. Every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job and I never quit my job before I had my next job."

He went on to talk about the importance of intelligence, which he equated to "being sexy": "The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful and being generous. Everything else is crap. I promise you. It's just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don't buy it. Be smart. Be thoughtful and be generous."

Steve Jobs also made his way into Kutcher's speech. The actor, who portrays the Apple co-founder in the upcoming movie "Jobs," said, "Steve Jobs said when you grow up you tend to get told that world is the way that it is."

Kutcher wrapped with: "Everything around us that we call life was made up of people that are no smarter than you. And you can build your own things and you can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life, don't live one, find your opportunities and always be sexy."

Source : http://www.cbsnews.com

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Usher to Keep Custody of His 2 Young Sons

Usher to Keep Custody of His 2 Young Sons

(ATLANTA) — R&B singer Usher will hold on to primary custody of his two young sons.

A judge in Atlanta on Friday dismissed an emergency request by Usher’s ex-wife seeking temporary custody of their two children.

Tameka Foster Raymond requested the hearing a day after the former couple’s 5-year-old son got caught in a pool drain while in the care of the multi-Grammy winner’s aunt at Usher’s Atlanta home. Fulton County Superior Judge John Goger dismissed her request for decision-making authority after hearing from both sides in court.

After the judge issued his ruling, Usher approached his ex-wife, who broke down while testifying, and gave her a long hug.

Based on the evidence presented at the hearing, Goger said he wasn’t certain anyone really could have done anything to prevent the accident. But he also advised the 34-year-old Usher to keep his ex-wife well advised of his whereabouts and who’s taking care of the children.

Usher Raymond V fell to the bottom of the pool and became stuck in the drain on Monday, according to an Atlanta police report. A housekeeper tried unsuccessfully to free him. A contractor doing work at the home pulled the boy from the pool and performed CPR.

The boy was “conscious, alert and breathing” when emergency medical workers arrived, police said. The boy was still in the hospital Friday.

“They’re just assessing him,” Raymond told reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing. “There is a lot we don’t know. I mean you can’t — it’s only been a few days so we’re very thankful that he’s obviously alive but we still have to observe him and make sure that everything is OK.”

Usher, who has recorded multi-platinum R&B albums “My Way” and “8701,” left the courthouse in downtown Atlanta without speaking to reporters. He also has several chart-toppers including “Nice & Slow,” ”U Remind Me” and “Love in This Club.”

The filing had said the boy “suffered a near-death accident” while left unsupervised at Usher’s home when the singer was out of town.

Contrary to what Raymond claimed, Usher’s aunt, Rena Oden, was poolside watching the children when the older child became stuck in the drain, and Usher was at a music studio one highway exit away, said the singer’s lawyer John Mayoue.

Rather than being grateful that her child had survived, Raymond used the episode to revisit the custody battle and gain publicity, Mayoue said.

The pool accident comes nearly a year after Raymond’s 11-year-old son, Kile Glover, Usher’s stepson, died from injuries he suffered when he was run over by a personal watercraft on Lake Lanier northeast of Atlanta.

Raymond, who is a hair and wardrobe stylist, was emotional during her testimony, at one point sobbing so hard that she had to step down from the witness stand to regain her composure.

“He doesn’t confer with me regarding anything,” Raymond said, explaining that she never knows where Usher is, where the children are and who’s taking care of them. Usher travels frequently and uses caregivers, including his aunt, who aren’t trained and qualified to care for young children, Raymond said.

Coger said he thought Raymond’s standards for a caregiver were unusually high and pointed out that many people leave their children with family members.

Usher and Raymond married in 2007 and divorced two years later. They went through a lengthy child custody battle, and Usher was given primary custody of the boys, who are about a year apart in age.

http://entertainment.time.com/

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