From the Press Room

Click here for my Daily Trojan article about being at the Oscars.

Back from the Oscars

Being at the Oscars was a blast. I'm exhausted - it was a long day - but I had a great time. I got to ask questions to Martin Scorsese (finally an Oscar-winner) and USC grad Ari Sandel, who won for Live Action Short.

More later...

Oscar Time

So, I'm going to the Academy Awards today. I'll be in the press interview room, which is where the winners go immediately after receiving their Oscars.

Simply put, I'm pumped.

Ennio Morricone

As one of the best composers in the history of cinema, Ennio Morricone will receive an Honorary Oscar on Sunday.

He's famous for his spaghetti western scores, such as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "Once Upon a Time in the West," and "A Fistful of Dollars."

But his most beautiful score was "The Mission."

Oscar Preview

My Oscar Preview article can be read here.

At a glance, here's what I'm predicting:

Best Picture
Will Win: “The Departed”
Should Win: “Babel”

Best Director
Will Win: Martin Scorsese, “The Departed”
Should Win: Paul Greengrass, “United 93”

Best Actor
Will Win: Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”
Should Win: Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”

Best Actress
Will Win: Helen Mirren, “The Queen”
Should Win: Helen Mirren, “The Queen”

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Eddie Murphy, “Dreamgirls”
Should Win: Jackie Earle Haley, “Little Children”

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”
Should Win: Rinko Kikuchi, “Babel”

Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: “Little Miss Sunshine”
Should Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: “The Departed”
Should Win: “Borat”

Best Foreign Language Film
Will Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Should Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Best Animated Feature
Will Win: “Cars”
Should Win: “Happy Feet”

Best Documentary Feature
Will Win: “An Inconvenient Truth”
Should Win: “An Inconvenient Truth”

Best Cinematography
Will Win: “Children of Men”
Should Win: “Children of Men”

Best Art Direction
Will Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Should Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Best Costume Design
Will Win: “Dreamgirls”
Should Win: “Curse of the Golden Flower”

Best Editing
Will Win: “Babel”
Should Win: “Babel”

Best Sound Mixing
Will Win: “Dreamgirls”
Should Win: “Apocalypto”

Best Sound Editing
Will Win: “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
Should Win: “Letters from Iwo Jima”

Best Visual Effects
Will Win: “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
Should Win: “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”

Best Makeup
Will Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Should Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Best Original Score
Will Win: “The Queen”
Should Win: “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Best Original Song
Will Win: “Listen” from “Dreamgirls”
Should Win: “Our Town” from “Cars”

INOCA Winners

As a voter for INOCA, I feel it's my duty to relay the winners.

Best Picture: Children of Men
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen
Best Supporting Actor: Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Best Ensemble: The Departed
Best Non-English Language Film: Pan’s Labyrinth
Best Animated Feature: A Scanner Darkly
Best Original Screenplay: The Queen
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Best Cinematography: Children of Men
Best Editing: United 93
Best Art Direction: Children of Men
Best Costume Design: Marie Antoinette
Best Original Score: The Painted Veil
Best Original Song: “You Know My Name”, Casino Royale
Best Sound Mixing: Children of Men
Best Sound Editing: Children of Men
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Best Makeup: Pan’s Labyrinth

New PC

After 5 long years with Dell Inspiron 8200, I've moved onto loftier horizons with my new Dell XPS 410.

Rather than brag about its specs, here are evidential photos:

Variety Speak

Daily Variety just hired me as an editorial intern. I start next week, and I'm simultaneously very excited and nervous.

In honor of the job, here is the Animaniacs' song about the magazine:

Great Music Videos - "Around the World"

Artist: Daft Punk
Song: Around the World
Director: Michel Gondry

Top 20 Films of the Decade (2000-2006)

I might as well update this each year. It's interesting to see which films get better over time and vice-versa.

#20

Tropical Malady

#19

The Incredibles #18
Hotel Rwanda

#17

Finding Nemo #16
In America #15
Borat #14

The Prestige #13
Gangs of New York #12
Murderball #11
United 93 #10
Downfall #9
A.I. Artificial Intelligence #8

Best in Show #7

Memento

#6
Pan's Labyrinth

#5
Requiem for a Dream

#4

Howl's Moving Castle #3
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

#2

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers #1
City of God

The Boy with the Incredible Brain

Very interesting documentary about the amazing math and memory abilities of Daniel Tammet.

Atomic Noodles

Great Music Videos - "Take on Me"

Artist: A-Ha
Song: Take on Me
Director: Steve Barron



And of course, the "Family Guy" version:

Across the Universe

Love her or hate her, Julie Taymor is one of the most adventurous and visionary artists out there, and her upcoming Beatles-musical, "Across the Universe," is dressed to impress.

Click here to watch the new trailer.

Oscar Luncheon

The Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon was fun. I got to hear from Djimon Hounsou, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Hudson, Penelope Cruz, Helen Mirren, Mark Wahlberg, and Rinko Kikuchi, among others.

Now I just need to write a story about it. Hmmm...

The Dakota Fanning Show

Oscar Winners Forecast

Here's how I would rank the likelihood of the following films or people winning on Oscar Night.

Best Picture
1. The Departed
2. Little Miss Sunshine
3. Babel
4. Letters from Iwo Jima
5. The Queen

Best Director
1. Martin Scorsese, The Departed
2. Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
3. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
4. Stephen Frears, The Queen
5. Paul Greengrass, United 93

Best Actor
1. Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
2. Peter O'Toole, Venus
3. Leonard DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
4. Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
5. Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson

Best Actress
1. Helen Mirren, The Queen
2. Kate Winslet, Little Children
3. Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
4. Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
5. Penelope Cruz, Volver

Best Supporting Actor
1. Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
2. Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
3. Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
4. Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
5. Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond

Best Supporting Actress
1. Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
2. Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
3. Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
4. Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
5. Adriana Barraza, Babel

Best Original Screenplay
1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. The Queen
3. Babel
4. Letters from Iwo Jima
5. Pan's Labyrinth

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. The Departed
2. Borat
3. Children of Men
4. Little Children
5. Notes on a Scandal

Great Music Videos - "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

Artist: Bob Dylan
Song: Subterranean Homesick Blues
Director: D.A. Pennebaker

Great Music Videos - "Whip It"

Artist: Devo
Song: Whip It
Director: Chuck Statler