Oscars 2007 discussion

[X.]

It has been announced that Ellen DeGeneres will host the 79th Academy Awards next year.

It is the first time the actress and talk show presenter has hosted the telecast ceremony.

Commenting, Oscars producer Laura Ziskin said: "Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the Academy Awards. There is no more challenging hosting job in show business. It requires someone who can keep the show alive and fresh and moving, as well as someone who is a flat-out great entertainer."
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She continued: "Ellen completely fits the bill. I can already tell she is going to set the bar very high for herself and therefore for all of us involved in putting on the show. Now all we need is a lot of great movies."

Commenting on her new role, DeGeneres said: "There's [sic] two things I've always wanted to do in my life. One is to host the Oscars. The second is to get a call from Laura Ziskin. You can imagine that day's diary entry."

The 79th Academy Awards take place on 25 February 2007.

[animatedude]

awsomeness.i'll never forget the way she dressed like Bjork lol when she hosted the Emmy Awards back in 2001.

[shariqq]

Oscars producer Laura Ziskin said: "Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the Academy Awards."

What the fuck wes Laura doing all these years then? Waiting for Ellen to mature before calling her?

[kaytee]

This will be good. A lesbian host.

[sandeep]

This will be good. A lesbian host.

For the first time in the history of Oscars, an openly lesbian presenter. And only the second woman after Whoopi to host the awards. I guess this is attributed to their 'open and tolerant' movement after the African Americans winning one year, and Brokeback with so many nominations and best director nod last year. Good for them. I liked last years show (watched it with all you guys). Found Jon Stewart very entertaining, though he got a lot of flack for some of the stuff he said. Look forward to another Oscar nite with y'all.

[kaytee]

I still think Robin Williams should be given a chase to host the Oscars. He will go crazie.

[animatedude]

I still think Robin Williams should be given a chase to host the Oscars. He will go crazie.

hahaha trust me they won't let him.remeber when he was given a lifetime achievementaward? i dunno i think it was the Gloden Globe, he was talking to the crowd about  a stock he bought in and it went down and i think he mentioned the name of the stock!! he didn't know more than 30 million ppl are watching! i bet the stock went up that day haha

[kaytee]

Mod: Please edit topic to Oscars 2006

Deepa Mehta's Water touted as Canada's Oscar entry

Deepa Mehta's acclaimed film Water is in the running for an Oscar as Canada's official entry in the best foreign language category.

The decision to enter Water, which plays in Hindi with some passages in English, was announced yesterday by Telefilm Canada. Mehta, who is based in Toronto, filmed the melancholic drama in Sri Lanka as the final instalment of her elemental trilogy about women's rights in her home country of India. The series started with Fire and Earth. All are Canada-India co-productions with Canada as the primary partner.

Water, which stars John Abraham, Lisa Ray and Seema Biswas, was the official opening night gala of the 2005 Toronto film festival and opened last fall, eventually generating a healthy $10 million in worldwide grosses. A special Oscar committee will now screen Water and 82 other entries to determine the five nominees. Only three Canadian films, all by Montreal's Denys Arcand, have ever been nominated in this category. Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions, became the first Canadian winner in 2004.

[X.]

"Water" is a compelling film, I'll give it that, but it's tediously obvious - meaning it's got Oscar-bait written on its ass. The chances are good for a nomination.

[kaytee]

Mod or Admin - Please change this thread's title to Oscar's 2006.

RDB all set to color the Oscar academy with saffron 

Every so often Bollywood produces a rare gem like Rang De Basanti, a UTV Production that breaks the mould by offering something more sophisticated than the standard musical melodrama. Successfully weaving historical facts with contemporary themes, thanks to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s direction that Rang De Basanti's absorbing plot, which flits smoothly from past to present, has marched successfully to be India's official entry for the Oscars this year.

This would also be Aamir Khan's second film to make it to the Oscars after Lagaan. Earning top points is the strong performances from the ensemble cast that impress foremost, all of whom are totally convincing as disillusioned youngsters learning the importance of personal sacrifice. Accomplished and universally appealing, Rang De Basanti has provided India with another hope to win the Oscar.

Says UTV's Ronnie Screwvala, "I'm delighted that Rang De Basanti has been chosen as India's official entry to the Academy Awards. RDB has made a place for itself in the hearts and minds of millions of people all around the world. Such movies come along only once in a generation and we shall make every effort to ensure it is seen by as wide audience as possible internationally too. To enable this, we are already planning a mainline release in the United States in association with two major studios. Following the rousing reception the film received at the Golden Globes jury screening, we are confident it stands a strong chance with the Academy."

Over the past few months the RDB effect…the effect the film had had on the public at large, from the infamous Jessica Lal verdict to the Narmada anti-dam campaign to the latest protest marches against the proposed quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in institutes of higher learning, forms of protest in India have undergone a sea change from the usual hunger-strike, mob-violence routine. What makes these protests stand out is perhaps a sense of 'feeling for the cause' that transcends age and gender barriers and 'motivates' people to lend their support. Quiet candlelight vigils, rousing protest marches, enthusiastic sloganeering, passionate sound bytes and SMS campaigns.

Interestingly, all these forms of rebellion find a strange resonance and are reminiscent of the reel-life depiction of 'youth awakening' in Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra's, Aamir Khan-starrer film Rang De Basanti the simple message being 'clean your own mess'.

Now let’s hope RDB colors the academy with saffron. 

[kaytee]

Mexico puts 'Labyrinth' on path to Oscar

MEXICO CITY -- Guillermo del Toro's dark fantasy "Pan's Labyrinth" has been selected as Mexico's foreign-language submission for the 79th Annual Academy Awards, giving the film industry here a strong Oscar contender.

Written, directed and produced by del Toro, "Pan's Labyrinth" will hit U.S. theaters Dec. 29. Tequila Gang, del Toro's Mexican production company, co-produced the picture with Spain's Estudios Picasso.

Additionally, the Mexican Film Academy of Arts and Sciences has selected documentary "En el Hoyo" (In the Pit) as its foreign film entry for the 21st edition of Spain's Goya Awards.

Directed and filmed by Juan Carlos Rulfo, "Hoyo" has won prizes on the festival circuit, including best international documentary at January's Sundance Film Festival.

Should "Pan's Labyrinth" get an Oscar nomination, it will become the third Mexican film in six years to land one of the slots in the foreign-language category.

Recent nominees from Mexico include Carlos Carrera's "El Crimen del Padre Amaro" (The Crime of Father Amaro) in 2003 and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Amores Perros" (Love's a Bitch) in 2001.

[sandeep]

2 Hindi language films up for nominations... lets hope one of them makes it ;-)

[X.]

"Rang de Basanti" is badly directed but well-acted and well-written by Bollywood standards ofcourse. I quite liked its central provocation of idealism and sacrifice.

If I were running the Oscars (which I'm not, doesn't mean I won't or can't!), I'd never allow it though.

[kaytee]

‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ for Oscars
 
Yes, everyone knows that RANG DE BASANTI is India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. But even LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is going to the Oscars.

Overwhelmed by the response from the fans and audiences internationally, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has decided to send his blockbuster film to the Oscars as an independent entry. Ken Naz of Eros International, U.S.A. will be preparing the applications to seek entry for the film at the Oscars.

Speaking of his decision to send his film as a contender to the popular award function, Vidhu Vinod Chopra said, “The record number of fan mails that we have received worldwide have supported our belief and inspired us to go ahead with sending the film across to the Academy as an independent entry. We strongly believe that LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is a film that should be screened at all international film festivals.”

The belief has been further strengthened by an invitation extended to Chopra by the University of Southern California for a special screening of LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI on 27th October, which has been organized for their cinema students and the press from Hollywood.

[shariqq]

...better than RDB any day. Especially given the world's respect for Gandhi, this movie has more of an overall appeal.