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Posts tagged as the oscars

Awards Shows

The Oscar Nominations Mostly Ignore Comedy This Year

by | January 10th, 2013

The Academy just released their Oscar nominations, recognizing the best in film from 2012, and the list of pretty light on comedies this time around. Silver Linings Playbook, director David O. Russell's romantic comedy-drama was the only comedy-ish film to receive a lot of recognition (although there are plenty of laughs in non-comedy Best Picture nominees Django Unchained and Argo). Silver Linings was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Russell), Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Supporting Actor (Robert DeNiro), Best Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver), and Best Adapted Screenplay (David O. Russell). Moonrise Kingdom, which was a contender for a Best Picture nomination, was snubbed, only [...]

Awesome Things

Eddie Murphy In Talks To Host Oscars

by | September 6th, 2011

Seeing as how four of his last six acting gigs involved him portraying a cartoon donkey, the idea of Eddie Murphy hosting the Oscars in 2012 makes me want to flap my hands in raw geek excitement. According to Deadline, Oscars' producer Brett Ratner is submitting Murphy's name to the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences today as his choice of host. Luckily for everyone who sat through this year's Franco-thon, Murphy is reportedly "showing interest." Granted, Eddie may be the frontrunner in part because he's starring in Ratner's Tower Heist this fall, but really, the fact that Murphy isn't onstage/in front of a live audience all [...]

Professional Advice

Steve Martin Has Some Oscar Hosting Advice For Eddie Murphy

by | September 21st, 2011

In honor of Eddie Murphy's Oscar hosting gig this coming spring, Steve Martin has penned "An Open Letter to Eddie Murphy," a letter filled to the brim with helpful hints based on his turn as host in 2001, 2003 and 2010. Regrets? Steve Martin has a few. Then again, they all seem to be Alec Baldwin related.

Awards Shows

Billy Crystal Wants to Be Your Oscars Host; Brett Ratner Considers

by | August 16th, 2011

According to statements he made to a crowd last Friday, Billy Crystal wants to host the Oscars for the ninth time next year, a desire that may or may not be connected to seeing James Franco lumber on stage as a sad, beefy Marilyn Monroe. “They had called and said would you do this thing and honor Bob Hope and that was a kind of cool thing to do,” Crystal said about his cameo at this year's show. “I said okay. I did it, and people wanted to see me, they stood up, and I couldn’t talk for about a minute [while waiting for the ovation to subside]. And, um, I [...]

lending a hand

Norm MacDonald Volunteers His Oscar Joke Writing Services to Eddie Murphy

by | September 8th, 2011

Norm Macdonald said yesterday on the Dennis Miller Radio Show that he'd happily write jokes for Eddie Murphy's Oscar hosting gig. His vote of confidence is pretty convincing: "Eddie’s become a little zen-like… He’s stepped back a little from the 'crazy Eddie' of old. I think this is going to burst him back to the 'incredibly funny Eddie Murphy,' and I can’t wait to see him.” Let's hope the "Eddie Murphy camp" takes Norm up on his offer.

Awards

The Ten Funniest Films to Be Nominated for Best Picture

by | January 27th, 2011

There have been a lot of funny moments in Oscar history — like when Rob Lowe sang a duet with Snow White in 1989, and when How Green Was My Valley beat Citizen Kane and The Maltese Falcon for Best Picture in 1941. But both of those are unintentionally funny, and have nothing directly to do with comedy, a common theme for the Oscars. No straight-up comedy has ever been nominated for Best Picture (for instance, Juno and Forrest Gump have funny moments, but they’re not exactly Blazing Saddles), but there have been some that at least received a nomination. Here are the 10 funniest:

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