Month: January 2005

‘The Incredibles’ Sweeps Annie Awards
GLENDALE, Calif. – It was an incredible night for “The Incredibles.” The Pixar Animation Studios film about a family of superheros who save the day swept the 32nd annual Annie Awards on Sunday, winning top honors for best animated feature, best directing and best voice acting for Brad Bird, the film’s director who voiced the diminutive seamstress Edna Mode.
The Annie Awards are presented by the International Animated Film Society to honor outstanding animation in television and film. Winners, including last year’s “Finding Nemo,” have typically gone on to win the Academy Award for best animated feature. The film was distributed by The Walt Disney Co.
In the voice acting category, Bird beat Antonio Banderas, who provided the voice for Puss in Boots in the DreamWorks Animation film “Shrek 2.” He also edged out Samuel L. Jackson, who was nominated for his voicing of the cool superhero Frozone in “The Incredibles.”
The film also took awards for writing, production design and music for the throbbing score composed by Michael Giacchino.
Two of the Annie nominees for best theatrical feature ó “The Incredibles” and “Shrek 2” ó are nominated for an Oscar for best animated film at the Feb. 27 Academy Awards.
Among the other winners on Sunday were Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” for best animated television production, and actress Brittany Murphy for giving voice to the character “Luane” in the Fox TV show “King of the Hill.”
The awards were presented at the Alex Theater. Among the presenters were comic book legend Stan Lee and Debra Jo Rupp, co-star of the Fox sitcom “That 70’s Show.” The awards were hosted by Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Chris Rock Hip-Hops Into Oscar Gig
BURBANK, Calif. – Chris Rock’s eyes darted around the room, studying the chattering group of international print journalists. He licked his lips, clasped his hands … and only dropped one F-bomb as they questioned him in a variety of accents.
“I’m never proper or careful, but I never curse in front of my mother, either,” Rock told the writers. So he’s not worried about getting bleeped on worldwide TV when he hosts the Feb. 27 Oscar ceremony.
“I don’t think people are nervous,” Rock said later during an interview with The Associated Press. “I just came off tour in America, a million people came to see me. They weren’t nervous.”
Shooting a glance at Oscar show producer Gil Cates, he asked, “Are you, Gil?”
Cates didn’t flinch.
Neither has the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, although having the acerbic Rock as host is certainly a change of pace. The academy is known for its sedate style and the predominantly older, white membership that fills the Oscar night audience.
Rock mimicked the typical question he gets these days: “Oh, a black comic, how are you going to make it whiter? I’m like, `Dude, look around, can you get any whiter?'”
He honed his off-the-cuff style during a three-year run on “Saturday Night Live,” plus the club circuit and hit HBO specials.
“How do I say this without sounding like an egomaniac?” he said. “I don’t know a comedian that sells more seats than me in the red states and blue states, so I don’t see where I have to change that much.”
At least some of Rock’s cockiness stems from the positive response he received during his recent “Black Ambition” tour.
“When I’m in West Palm Beach, Fla., there are old Jewish people at the show,” he said. “When I’m in New Mexico, it’s Mexicans. Wherever I’m at, the people show up.”
Hip-hopping into the traditional footsteps of such Oscar emcees as Billy Crystal and the late Johnny Carson appealed to Rock, although he revealed he turned down the chance to host the Oscarcast several times before, believing it was “an old man’s gig.”
But he’s 39 now, and it feels right.
“I like the tradition of the Oscars,” he said. “I like that some of the greatest comedians ever have hosted the show.”
How did Cates choose Rock as host? “Billy is doing a show in New York,” he said, “Steve Martin is doing a movie.”
Rock cut him off. “Ellen DeGeneres has crabs. Jay Leno’s got a gig. They got to the R’s. Burt Reynolds said no.”
Creating an immediate buzz on Oscar night is Rock’s No. 1 challenge.
“A great monologue does it,” he said. “The secret to hosting awards shows is like sports ó get a big lead and run out the clock. Then kind of hand off the ball and assist the show.”
As a kid in Brooklyn, N.Y., Rock tuned in the Oscar show for the host’s monologue, then tuned out.
“Any black people nominated? No, oh, back to bed,” he said.
Not the case this year. Jamie Foxx is a best actor nominee for “Ray” and a supporting actor nominee for “Collateral” ó two of this year’s record five acting nominations for black performers.
“If he doesn’t win, I will steal the sound editing Oscar,” Rock declared.
Cates reminded him that award usually has multiple winners.
“They’re all punks,” Rock shot back.
Rock isn’t a member of the academy, despite acting in “Head of State,” “Bad Company,” “New Jack City,” “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka!” and, of course, “Pootie Tang.”
Why not?
“If you’re darker than a paper bag, you can’t get in,” he said.
Working a live audience is Rock’s forte, a good thing since the Oscars are broadcast in real time around the world. ABC has not yet decided whether there will be a delay on the broadcast to protect against stray profanities, as there was in last year’s post-Janet Jackson crackdown.
An Emmy-winning writer himself for his cable specials, Rock hired his own writing staff, and expects contributions from famous pals David Spade, Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy.
“I’ve been kissing — for years and now I’m going to reap the rewards,” he said, cackling. “I’ve been paying for a lot of dinners and now I want jokes, damn it!”
How will Rock know if he’s killing the Kodak Theatre audience on Oscar night?
“I’ll probably pay more attention to the musicians in the pit than the stars because they’re the closest you’re going to get to normal people in the audience,” he said.
“If I can get them laughing, I know I got the whole world laughing.”

Hollywood Braced for Closest Race in Years
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Academy members’ eagerly awaited choices for best picture suggest a tight Oscar race rivaling the suspense of the 1999 derby, when “Shakespeare in Love” enjoyed a shock triumph over “Saving Private Ryan.”
Tuesday’s picks — “The Aviator,” “Sideways,” “Finding Neverland,” “Million Dollar Baby,” and “Ray” — turned out to be right in line with nominations and awards from a number of Oscar bellwethers, including the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards and the Producers Guild of America Awards.
Miramax and Warner Bros.’ “The Aviator” had landed the Golden Globe for best picture (drama), was a Critics’ Choice best picture nominee, won the PGA’s best picture award, and will compete for a the best ensemble cast prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 5.
Fox Searchlight Pictures’ “Sideways” went home from the Globes with a best picture (musical/comedy) win, was the Critics’ Choice best picture winner and received a SAG best ensemble nomination.
Miramax’s “Finding Neverland,” Warner Bros.’ “Million Dollar Baby,” and Universal’s “Ray” each received best picture nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards. They will also compete for SAG’s ensemble cast prize.
The films come into the race with certain advantages, but also face some specific problems. The critically acclaimed “Sideways,” for instance, must confront the Academy’s historic tendency not to take comedy seriously. Since 1934, only nine films that can be described as comedies or dark comedies have won the best picture Oscar, including “American Beauty” (1999), “Shakespeare in Love” (1998) and “Forrest Gump” (1994).
“The Aviator” has an advantage in that it’s the only epic film in this year’s best picture race. Epics have been one of the Academy’s favorite genres over the years. At the same time, there’s speculation that this could be the year the Academy finally acknowledges director Martin Scorsese with a best director win.
Scorsese’s record of having been overlooked by the Academy, by the way, can be documented all the way back to 1974 when “Mean Streets” received no Oscar nominations. In 1976, “Taxi Driver” was nominated for best picture, but lost to “Rocky.” In 1980, “Raging Bull” received best picture and director nominations, but Scorsese lost to Robert Redford, whose “Ordinary People” also won best picture. In 1988 Scorsese was nominated for directing “The Last Temptation of Christ,” but lost to Barry Levinson for “Rain Man.” In 1990, “Goodfellas” received best picture and director nods. Scorsese lost to Kevin Costner, whose “Dances With Wolves” also won best picture. And in 2003, “Gangs of New York” was a best picture and director nominee. Roman Polanski won best director for “The Pianist” and “Chicago” captured best picture.
Immediately after the nominations were revealed, London odds makers Ladbrokes Limited cited “Aviator” as its favorite to win best picture with odds of 4-5 and Scorsese as the favorite to win best director with odds of 4-6.
Excitement over best actor or actress prospects can also create momentum for a best picture contender. In the case of “Aviator,” there’s Leonardo DiCaprio in the best actor race. “Baby” has Clint Eastwood. “Neverland” has Johnny Depp. “Ray” has Jamie Foxx, the favorite according to Ladbrokes with odds of 1-4.
“Sideways,” however, isn’t in the best actor race. That slot went to Don Cheadle for MGM/United Artists’ “Hotel Rwanda.” Paul Giamatti’s not being nominated for “Sideways” stands as one of this year’s major surprises given the critical acclaim he received throughout the awards season to date.
On the best actress front, there’s only one match-up with the best picture nominations, and that’s Hilary Swank for “Baby.” Ladbrokes is quoting 1-1 odds for Swank and 2-1 odds for Annette Bening for Sony Pictures Classics’ “Being Julia.”
Swank won the Globe for best actress-drama and Bening won the best actress-musical or comedy Globe. They were competing head to head in the Critics Choice Awards, where Swank was victorious. The last time these two actresses slugged it out was in 2000 when Swank won the best actress Oscar for “Boys Don’t Cry” and Bening lost for “American Beauty.”
There’s also a strong best actress candidate in Fine Line Features’ “Vera Drake” star Imelda Staunton, who has done well with critics groups all season. The odds are longer for Catalina Sandino Moreno for Fine Line’s “Maria Full of Grace” and Kate Winslet for Focus Features’ “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
The predictability of the best picture Oscar nominations carried through to a large extent in other key categories, too, although there were a few surprises. In the best director race, for instance, Mike Leigh’s nomination for “Vera Drake” came straight out of left field since none of the critics groups and other awards organizations had recognized him. But Academy members showed they understand the role a director plays in obtaining an awards worthy performance from his actors. Leigh was previously nominated in 1997 for writing and directing “Secrets & Lies” and in 2000 for writing “Topsy-Turvy.”
There was, on the other hand, no directing nomination for Marc Forster for “Neverland.” Although critics groups didn’t embrace Forster, he did score key nominations in the Globes, Critics’ Choice and Directors Guild of America races.
The Academy’s final ballots go into the mail Feb. 3 and are due back by 5 p.m. Feb. 22. The 77th annual Academy Awards will take place Feb. 27.