The Shadow Cabaret

Jeff Bridges’ rambling and joyously heartfelt tribute to his parents was the highlight of the 2010 Academy Awards, a slick (if nonetheless 3 ½-hour) broadcast that provided few surprises but plenty of glitz and good will for some talented practitioners.

The closest thing to a surprise was undoubtedly Sandra Bullock’s Best Actress award for The Blind Side, not only beating out Meryl Streep’s formidable performance as Julia Child but also making her the only performer ever to win an Oscar and a Razzie (for All About Steve) in the same year.

Kathryn Bigelow’s win as Best Director was less of a surprise to those who saw The Hurt Locker (also the winner for Best Film), showing the cynics that the titanic box office return of Avatar couldn’t buy an Oscar. In winning, Bigelow also made Academy history as the first woman to win the award for directing.

Among the year’s winners:

THE HURT LOCKER

Best Picture

Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow)

Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal)

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THE BLIND SIDE

Best Actress (Sandra Bullock)

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CRAZY HEART

Best Actor (Jeff Bridges)

Best Original Song (“The Weary Kind,” Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett)

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PRECIOUS

Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique)

Best Adapted Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher)

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INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

Best Supporting Actor (Christolph Waltz)

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UP

Best Animated Feature

For a complete list of nominations and winners, see ABC’s Academy Awards Website.

Justin Mentell

Dec. 16, 1982-Feb. 1, 2010

Rodolfo de Anda

July 6, 1943-Feb. 1, 2010

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The nominations for the Razzie Awards for the past year’s worst achievement in movies have been announced, and it is a prime cheesefest, indeed. In addition to the usual gathering of the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, the 2010 Razzies feature a second set of nominations to decide the very worst movies of the decade.

(Note that Frank Miller’s The Spirit didn’t make the cut for worst-of-the-worst. However, considering that the Razzies are restricted to professional films, it’s a fair distinction.)

One can get the full list of nominations at the Razzies website, but be warned that you have to buy a membership to see the ballot. Or you can jump to news sites like this one at the Los Angeles Times, which provides full coverage.

For the second year in a row, Frank Miller’s The Spirit has been snubbed by the Academy, again falling victim to the Hollywood prejudice against movies that are even stupider and more ineptly made piles of crap than Transformers.

For a complete list of nominees, click here.

Jean Carroll
Jan. 6, 1911-Jan. 1, 2010

Tetsuo Narikawa
April 15, 1944-Jan. 1, 2010

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Some choice links to blogs and articles posted this month for lovers of classic Hollywood films:

Legendary talk show host Dick Cavett provides a straight-shooting reminiscence about a star-struck afternoon spent with John Wayne on the set of the Duke’s last movie, The Shootist.
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Eva Szorenyi
May 26, 1917-Dec. 1, 2009

Maggie Jones
June 21, 1934-Dec. 2, 2009

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My friends at the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle have voted on the best films of the year, a solid list of achievement that’s sure to include a few of your favorites. Among the OFCC’s favorite films and performances: Read more

Since he shifted his career into virtually full-time directing, Clint Eastwood has never told the same story twice. Think back on the experience of viewing Unforgiven, Mystic River, Flags of Our Fathers and Changeling, among a startling number of others, and the only common thread you’ll find is a consistent level of quiet excellence.

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Sean McGinley
?? 1952-Nov. 1, 2009

Jorge Vargas
June 25, 1941-Nov. 2, 2009
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