Posted on Monday, February 20th, 2012 by Angie Han
That Oscar voters are predominantly old, white, and male isn’t terribly surprising. Academy demographics are often cited as one of the reasons Oscar tends to favor, say, something like The King’s Speech over The Social Network, and it seems like each awards season sees an onslaught of stories about Hollywood’s diversity problem. But some recently released statistics have shed some light on just how skewed the voting population really is. According to a new report, 94% of Oscar voters are Caucasian and 77% are male. They have a median age of 62, with just 14% of voters under 50. More details after the jump.
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If you’re like me and a little underwhelmed by this year’s Oscar nominees, maybe seeing them through Mondo’s eyes will make it more exciting. The poster boutique of the Alamo Drafthouse is making posters for four of their favorite films, in four of their favorite categories, timed to the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26.
The first two films are Martin Scorsese‘s Hugo, representing the Best Picture category, designed by Kevin Tong and Gore Verbinski‘s Rango, representing the Best Animated Film category, designed by Tom Whalen. Check them out after the jump. Read More »
Posted on Friday, February 17th, 2012 by Angie Han
Although the Muppets have recently seen a resurgence in popularity — not unlike the one they enjoyed in the plotline of last year’s The Muppets, which contributed to that popularity — they’ve had some trouble getting into Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. First, the powers that be decided to go with Billy Crystal rather than the Muppets to replace Eddie Murphy as host, despite impassioned pleas from fans. Then, news broke that in a departure from tradition, this year’s Best Song nominees (of which “Man or Muppet” is one) would not be performed live during the telecast.
But fans can cheer up, because it seems the Academy’s finally found a place for the beloved puppets in this year’s ceremony after all. Kermit and Miss Piggy are now set to present at the Academy Awards, joining the all-star ranks of Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Ben Stiller, Tina Fey, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, and more. Read more after the jump.
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The Muppets star Miss Piggy went on the red carpet to interview all the celebrities and award contenters at the 2012 British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. The resulting 8-minute video features off-the-cuff exchanges with Jon Hamm, Chris Dowd, Jessica Chastain, James Corden, Michael Fassbender, Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Adam Deacon, Daniel Radcliffe, Tate Taylor, Octavia Spencer, Tom Hiddleston, Viola Davis, Jonah Hill, and more. Watch Miss Piggy’s red carpet coverage embedded after the jump.
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Meryl Streep prevented the cast and crew of The Artist from a total sweep of the major categories at this year’s British Academy Film Awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and commonly called the BAFTAs. Streep won Best Actress for playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, and The Artist took Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Music and Best Costume Design.
There were a few good winners for categories in between all those, and we’ve got the full rundown after the break. Read More »
If you walked out of The Muppets feeling like you were on top of the world, Bret McKenzie was a big reason. The actor/singer/songwriter, best known for his HBO series Flight of the Conchords, was hired by director James Bobin to write many of the brand new songs for characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and others to sing in the Muppets triumphant return to the screen. And to that aim, McKenzie was a success. He was rewarded for his work with an Oscar-nomination for Best Original Song for “Man or Muppet,” which features Jason Segel’s character Gary and his brother, Walter the Muppet, signing about their true identities. It’s funny, clever, catchy and has a 50/50 shot at gold since only two songs are nominated.
We sat down to talk to McKenzie about the honor, his process integrating songs in the film, the song not being performed at the Oscars, as well as his upcoming role in a tiny film called The Hobbit and more. Watch the video interview after the jump. Read More »
Each year, the Oscars are the culmination of a year of movies in Hollywood. Films from January through December of the previous year are celebrated and awards are handed to the best of the best. This year however, maybe I’m crazy, but something doesn’t feel right.
It all began with the Brett Ratner/Eddie Murphy debacle. Brian Grazer and Billy Crystal replaced them, which was fine, but then the nominations came out and were almost too predictable for words. Even as recently as Tuesday, it was announced the two Best Original Song nominees won’t be performed. What’s supposed to be a joyous occasion, filled with glitz and glamour, now has what feels like a huge rain cloud hanging over it.
Maybe the people who are behind the whole shebang agree. They’ve just revealed a new ad campaign to remind viewers, and filmgoers, about Oscar’s storied history with thirty plus images saying “We Showed You” followed by a reference to a great movie of the past. We’ve picked ten of the best for you to check out after the jump. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 by Angie Han
It’s been a rough awards season for the Oscars’ Best Original Song contenders. Not only did the complicated new rules lead to just two out of thirty-nine eligible songs getting nominated, we’re now learning that the songs that did get acknowledged — “Real in Rio” from Rio and “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets — will play a smaller role than usual at this year’s ceremony. In past years, the event has featured live performances of the Best Original Song nominees. However, according to a new report, this year’s Awards will likely skip the performances altogether. More details after the jump.
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