'Jack and Jill'は見ていないが、ここで言っていることが理解できる。どの映画も同じようなものだからだ。サンドラーの映画はファンではない。彼はたくさんの映画を過去に作っている。ところがどの映画も-全部ではないが主要作品の殆どは所有の７、８本のＤＶＤで見ている-始まりもだが、終り方もまったく中途半端で、見終えても満足するものがない。彼の下手糞な演技も筋も、映画にのめりこめない理由だ。３０分のギャグ物を、無理して一時間以上の映画物に作りなおしたようなものばかり。短ければ、それなりにギャグとして面白いと思う。ところが映画にしているから、時間を持たせるために筋が必要であるが、それが机上で生み出したような滑稽なもの。無理やりに話を組み立てているため、そこに人生の真実がまったく心で感じられない。馬鹿げていて首をかしげたくなる場面の続出。映画がとんでもなく間延びしているから、全体にパンチがまったくなく、見ていて欠伸がでる。たとえて言えばファンシーレストランにいってオードブルからメインのデナーを食べ終え会計後外に出るが、食べた満足感がない。あるいは口直しが欲しくなる。それが彼の映画。よくも次から次と筋があるような無いような映画を大量生産できるなと感心する。時間をじっくりかけて、練った筋をもとにすれば、どんなにか映画が見るに耐えるものになるだろうとつくづく思う。サンドラーの映画を形容するとすれば以下の言葉が良く似合う。Annoing、 bizarre、unfunny、bad acting、silly、to say the least strange、disturbing、drained and strained、chirpy。
*****
'Jack and Jill'
Friday, Jan. 13, 2012
Sandler is still unfunny, no matter how many parts he plays
By KAORI SHOJI
Director: Dennis Dugan
Running time: 91 minutes
Language: English
Opens Jan. 21, 2012
[See Japan Times movie listing]
------------------------------------
Sandler may have once been considered a semi-serious actor with a funny streak ("The Wedding Singer" and "Punch-Drunk Love" come to mind), but his latest vehicle, "Jack and Jill," is a potentially career-sinking torpedo of a stinkbomb. In the United States, this was actually Thanksgiving fare (released Nov. 11) and rated PG. The U.S. army would be well advised to use it as a weapon in the fight against terrorism.
Just to make sure I wasn't the only one suffering from acute chest pains and checking my watch every five seconds, only to be horrified to discover that the movie had just begun, I looked around the screening room, and I saw that many of my fellow critics had closed their eyes, shutting out everything and pretending they were somewhere else. Most likely a world where Sandler does not exist, or one where he's decided to ditch making movies altogether to do volunteer work in Africa.
Does Sandler know that worthy people are going jobless and hungry while he's allowed to make what could aptly be described as a colossal insult against humanity — and being paid for it? Shouldn't there be an Occupy Bad Movies? Just thinking that Sandler and director Dennis Dugan (who's another can of worms all by himself) are among the 1 percent does major inflammatory damage to the soul.
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One of the gaping open wounds that mar "Jack and Jill" is that Sandler is never off-camera — ever. He plays both title roles, twins Jack and Jill Sadelstein, and though we're given to understand that Jack is a better person (more mature, compassionate, etc.) than the bizarrely obnoxious Jill, they're essentially the same. Sit down with them at a dinner table and within a second you'd want to pack up and take the next bus out of town.
The story never acknowledges the fact that Jack and Jill are equally and painfully annoying. It kicks off with the premise that every year, Los Angeles-based hotshot ad executive Jack must endure the presence of his less privileged sister Jill for an entire Thanksgiving weekend and that it gets worse each time. His saintly wife, Erin (Katie Holmes), acts like it's no trouble at all and coos, "But she's your one and only sister!" when Jack gets all het up over his twin's imminent arrival. And when Jill does show, the delivery is a whole lot worse than the promise. At this point in his life, Sandler isn't what you'd call "cute," but the sight of him in a wig, fake boobs and an array of god-awful dresses ups the need for a sick bag.
The wonder of this vehicle is that Al Pacino (yes, the real one) makes a rather long cameo appearance as himself, and he falls for Jill at a Lakers game. Jill then has a perfect excuse to overstay her welcome at Jack's place: Her brother needs Pacino to star in a TV commercial, and the only way he can swing the deal is through Jill.
Even in this setting, Pacino exudes his own indefatigable aura, which saves the movie from eroding entirely into a lava pit of silliness. And admittedly, he's great fun to watch here. Pacino moves through the story like a man who accidentally came to the wrong party, but was welcomed inside and handed a drink. His body seems constantly on the verge of lunging for the door, and the look on his face (an interesting blend of confusion, resignation and panic) isn't something you'd normally associate with one of Hollywood's cinema legends.
The other wonder is Holmes, aka Mrs. Tom Cruise. In the same year that her husband had starred in and produced "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," Holmes had starred in "Jack and Jill" as Jack's wife. This discrepancy in their careers is, to say the least, strange as hell.
It would probably be less disturbing if Holmes had looked as if she were enjoying the whole thing, but there's not one instance where her expression registers happiness. She looks more drained and strained with every scene, as though she is suffering from an undetected flu virus (though some may argue that this is her normal appearance anyway).
Surrounded by Sandler and Sandler-in-drag, Holmes as Erin (despite her chirpy and encouraging dialogue) is a woman on the verge. Erin should have got her hands on a chain saw at an early stage in her marriage. No such luck, however, is in store for the poor woman.
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_＿＿
Golden Globe Awards 2012 Winners List
January 15, 2012 8:01:00 PM by Drusilla Moorhouse
Paul Drinkwater/NBC
Here are the winners in movies and TV categories for the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards...
MOTION PICTURES
Motion Picture, Drama: The Descendants
Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical: The Artist
Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: George Clooney, The Descendants
BACKSTAGE SHOCKERS! Kate Winslet Wants to Be a Man?!
Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Jean DuJardin, The Artist
Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
MORE: 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Trend: Jewel Tones
Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Screenplay, Motion Picture: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Foreign Language Film: A Separation, Iran
Animated Feature Film: The Adventures of Tintin
Original Score, Motion Picture: The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Original Song, Motion Picture: "Masterpiece," Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry; W.E.
MORE: Best & Worst of the 2012 Golden Globe Awards: Ricky Gervais Breaks All the Rules Again!
TELEVISION
TV Series, Drama: Homeland
TV Series, Comedy: Modern Family
TV Movie or Miniseries: Downton Abbey
Actor in a TV Series, Drama: Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Actress in a TV Series, Drama: Claire Danes, Homeland
MORE: Kelsey Grammer's Wife, Kayte Walsh, Is Pregnant!
Actor, TV Series Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Actress in a TV Series, Comedy: Laura Dern, Enlightened
Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Idris Elba, Luther
Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
MORE: Did Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Deliver on the Golden Globes Red Carpet?
Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
SAG Awards 2012 Winners List
'The Help' nabs Best Ensemble' in a stunning upset, while awards-show fave 'The Artist' leaves light on wins.
By Eric Ditzian (@ericditzian) Jan 29 2012 10:39 PM EST 56,062
The SAG Awards, as we have noted, often have a curious way of letting us know what the Oscars are going to deliver. So when the Screen Actors Guild doled out its golden statuettes on Sunday night (January 29), we couldn't help but feel there were more than a few hints at how the Academy Awards might shake out in a few weeks.
What are we to make of the upset SAG win for "The Help" in outstanding cast in a movie, for instance? Where does this leave "The Artist," which had been looking increasingly, inevitably like the big champ come Oscar night, yet only won outstanding male performance (Jean Dujardin) at the SAGs?
Things were more predictable on the TV side of things. In 2012, for the second year in a row, "Modern Family" (Outstanding Cast in a Comedy) and "Boardwalk Empire" (Outstanding Cast in a Drama and a Lead Actor win for Steve Buscemi) had strong showings. Check out the full list of winners:
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
"Bridesmaids"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
☆"The Help"
"Midnight in Paris"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
☆Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
☆Viola Davis, "The Help"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Armie Hammer, "J. Edgar"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
☆Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
☆Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
"The Adjustment Bureau"
"Cowboys & Aliens"
☆"Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows - Part 2"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"X-Men: First Class"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries
Laurence Fishburne, "Thurgood"
☆Paul Giamatti, "Too Big to Fail"
Greg Kinnear, "The Kennedys"
Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce"
James Woods, "Too Big to Fail"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries
Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite"
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult"
Betty White, "The Lost Valentine"
☆Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce"
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Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick J. Adams, "Suits"
☆Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, "Harry's Law"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
☆Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
☆Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"
☆Betty White, "Hot In Cleveland"
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
☆"Boardwalk Empire"
"Breaking Bad"
"Dexter"
"Game of Thrones"
"The Good Wife"
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
"30 Rock"
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Glee"
☆"Modern Family"
"The Office"
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
"Dexter"
☆"Game of Thrones"
"Southland"
"Spartacus: Gods of the Arena"
"True Blood"
Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award
Mary Tyler Moore
Track all of 2012's hottest red-carpet-stunners from awards season at MTV Style and come back to Style every day for the latest fashion news.
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テレビのバラエティ番組でどんなだったかその様子を話題にしている。ケーブルないから見たことない。ここにも書かれているが、高い確率でオスカーを予想するらしい。
****
Screen Actors Guild
SAG Awards 2012: "The Help," Jean Dujardin win big honors
By Lauren Moraski January 29, 2012 7:35 PM
(CBS/AP) "The Help" took home three top honors at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday: best picture, best actress for Viola Davis and supporting actress for Octavia Spencer.
Dreaming big was perhaps the theme of the night. When French actor Jean Dujardin accepted the lead actor trophy for his role in the black-and-white silent film, "The Artist," he talked about being a bad student growing up.
"Thank you for this dream," he said.
Davis also spoke about following a dream.
"What is there but a dream? You can't trade in your dream for another dream," "The Help" star said while accepting the lead actress award. She ended her speech with a word of advice: "Dream big and dream fierce."
Veteran actor Christopher Plummer took home the first acting honor of the evening: outstanding male actor in a supporting role for "Beginners."
"I'm so flattered to be on the same bill" as the other actors in the category, Plummer, 82, said while accepting the honor, adding that his co-star Ewan McGregor makes "acting look so easy."
"30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin and Betty White of "Hot in Cleveland" won the best acting in a TV comedy series awards.
During her speech, the 90-year-old White said, "I remember you sweetheart," while touching the trophy.
The cast of "Modern Family" took home outstanding ensemble in a comedy series, and it was the younger actors who got the chance to accept the award.
Kate Winslet, who wasn't present to accept the award, won outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries for her role in "Mildred Pierce." Paul Giamatti, also absent from the ceremony, won the TV mini-series/movie actor award for "Too Big to Fail."
The "Bridesmaids" cast caught some laughs for their "Scorsese" drinking game sketch. Every time director Martin Scorsese's name gets mentioned, they said, it was time to take a swig -- and the girls, including Melissa McCarthy (with drink in hand), managed to utter Scorsese quite a few times while on the stage. Other actors followed suit later in the evening, including Tina Fey and Steve Buscemi.
Jessica Lange scored the honor for female actor in a TV drama series for "American Horror Story, while "Boardwalk Empire" star Buscemi won the best male actor prize for TV drama series. He thanked his cast members, including the ones who were killed off last season.
"Please stop yelling at me on the street," Buscemi said, referring to the reaction from "Boardwalk" fans about the season finale.
Prior to the televised ceremony, the final "Harry Potter" installment won the stunt ensemble film award, while HBO's "Game of Thrones" earned the TV stunt honor.
SAG recognized Mary Tyler Moore, 75, with the lifetime achievement award. The prize was presented by Dick Van Dyke, her co-star on the 1960s sitcom "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
"I love that woman," Van Dyke said during his introduction. "Beautiful and bright and talented ... She's given so much of herself to help other people."
The SAG Actor winners are picked by their acting peers. Going into the evening, the Deep South drama "The Help" led the with four nominations. "The Artist" was second with three nominations.
In the past, SAG Awards winners have gone on to earn Oscars. In 2011, all four acting winners also won Academy Awards.
セリン・デオンやマライヤ・カレイとよく並び称されるホイットニー・ヒュウストン。世界を代表する３大歌手の一角の死には悲しいものがある。
****
48歳のホイットニー・ヒューストン、ビバリーズヒルズホテルで死す。
Award-winning singer Whitney Houston dies at age 48
By Bob Tourtellotte
Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:04pm EST
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston, one of the most talented performers of her generation who lived a turbulent personal life and admitted drug use, died on Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel room. She was 48.
A Beverly Hills police officer told reporters they were called to the Beverly Hilton, in Los Angeles, at around 3:20 p.m. PST and that emergency personnel found Houston's body in a fourth-floor room, and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.
"She has been positively identified by friends and family (who) were with her at the hotel, and next of kin have already been notified," Lieutenant Mark Rosen told reporters.
Police said there were no obvious signs of criminal intent at the scene and her death is under investigation.
Houston was in Los Angeles for the Grammy Awards, the music industry's biggest honors program that will take place on Sunday night. She died hours before she was expected to perform at record producer Clive Davis's annual pre-Grammy party on Saturday, which is held at the Beverly Hilton
Houston, inspired by soul singers in her New Jersey family, including mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick, as well as her godmother Aretha Franklin, became one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, taking multiple Emmy, Grammy and Billboard Music awards.
STELLAR CAREER, PERSONAL TROUBLES
Her popularity soared in the 1980s and 1990s with consecutive No. 1 hits including the smash single "I Will Always Love You," from the soundtrack of the feature film "The Bodyguard," in which she starred.
She also appeared in "Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996)."
By the early 1990s, Houston had become the queen of pop music, achieving great critical and commercial acclaim, but her personal life was becoming troubled. In 1992 she married singer Bobby Brown, who had a bad-boy reputation, and during their 14 years together had a tumultuous relationship fueled by drugs.
In 2000, she and Brown were stopped at an airport in Hawaii and security guards discovered marijuana in their luggage.
The pair also starred in reality TV series, "Being Bobby Brown," which painted an often unflattering portrait of the pair.
The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by drug use, rumors of relapses and trips to rehab. In a 2002 TV interview, she admitted using marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs.
She launched a comeback tour in 2009 and in April 2010 she called media reports she was using drugs again "ridiculous." In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a drug and alcohol rehab program.
Reactions came pouring in from fans and friends in the music industry.
"I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing," legendary music producer Quincy Jones said in a statement. "... I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."
Neil Portnow, chief executive of the Recording Academy that gives out the Grammys, called her "one of the world's greatest pop singers of all time who leaves behind a robust musical soundtrack spanning the past three decades."
Pop star Rihanna posted on Twitter "No words, just tears," and rapper Nicki Minaj tweeted "Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houston. Greatest of all time."
(Additional reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Philip Barbara)
アメリカ音楽界の最大のイベント、グラミー賞。
Grammys 2012 preview: start time, TV schedule, list of performers and presenters
Here are some answers to basic questions about the 2012 Grammys: start time, TV rights, and performers
Vancouver Sun February 12, 2012 2:06 PM
The 2012 Grammy Awards are set for Sunday, February 12. Usually the music industry's biggest night, the 2012 Grammys will be a more sombre affair following the death of singer Whitney Houston.
Here's some basic info on what you need to know about the 2012 Grammys:
When do the 2012 Grammy start?
The Grammys start time is 8:00 pm ET/PT.
What channel will broadcast the 2012 Grammys?
The Grammys will air on CBS in the U.S. In Canada, the awards show will air on Global.
Where are the Grammy taking place?
The awards ceremony will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
Who will host the Grammys?
Rapper LL Cool J is set to host.
Who will be performing at the Grammys?
Some of the notable musicians scheduled to perform at the Grammys: Adele in her first live performance since undergoing vocal cord surgery; Coldplay and Rihanna; Foo Fighters; Bruno Mars; Paul McCartney; Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson; Nicki Minaj; Katy Perry; Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band; and Taylor Swift. Chris Brown, Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood are also slated to hit the stage together while Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt will perform a tribute to the late Etta James.
Who are some of the presenters at the Grammys?
Notable presenters include Jack Black, Drake, Fergie, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the Roots, and Ringo Starr.
Will there be a tribute to Whitney Houston at the Grammys?
The Recording Academy intends to include a "respectful" tribute to Houston in Sunday evening's show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, according to Grammys show producer Ken Ehrlich. Singer Jennifer Hudson is expected to perform as part of a "respectful" tribute at the Grammys,
KABC-TVのチャンネル７でライブ中継をみた。かつて映画で共演したケビン・コスナーと１０代の若いホイットニーをスターダムにのし上げたスポンサーのクリーブ・デイビスの弔辞が、歌では生前彼女が才能を大いに讃えたアリーシア・キイがピアノを自ら弾いての熱唱が印象的だった。スティービー・ワンダーを久しぶりにみた。ピアノを弾きながらの、いつもの張りのある歌声を披露。彼の年齢という時が止まっているかのような、少しも歳を感じさせない姿に驚いた。
****
ホイットニー・ヒューストンの葬式
Stars mourn Whitney Houston at rousing New Jersey funeral
By Christine Kearney and Jonathan Allen
NEWARK, New Jersey | Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:24pm EST
NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Stars, family and friends mourned Whitney Houston in a spirited Baptist funeral service at her hometown church on Saturday, a week after the death of the singer whose spectacular voice made her one of the biggest pop stars of her era.
Gospel and soul music greats, celebrities and family members swayed to gospel hits and delivered tributes both sung and spoken to the crowded New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where Houston honed her wide vocal range as a young choral singer with her mother Cissy Houston, a backup singer for Aretha Franklin.
"Whitney returns home today to the place where it all began," said actor Kevin Costner, who starred opposite Houston in the 1992 hit film, "The Bodyguard."
He urged those around the world to "dry our tears, suspend our sorrow - and perhaps our anger - just long enough, just long enough to remember the sweet miracle of Whitney."
Houston, who died in a Beverly Hills hotel room last week, recorded stirring love songs and vibrant dance tunes during a 30-year career that peaked with her 1992 signature hit "I Will Always Love You" and paved the way for a generation of singers that followed.
She was among the greatest singers of the 1980s and 1990s, but later admitted to heavy use of cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescription pills. Officials have said prescription drugs were found in the hotel room where she died.
Her death at age 48 shocked her family, fans and the music industry. Houston was found underwater in a hotel bathtub on the eve of the music industry's Grammy Awards. Her cause of death has yet to be determined.
She suffered a turbulent personal life and marriage to singer Bobby Brown, who said in a statement he left the service early after being repeatedly asked to move by security, who prevented him from seeing the daughter he shared with Houston, Bobby Kristina Brown, 18.
"This was a day to honor Whitney," Brown said. "I doubt whether Whitney would have wanted this to occur."
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During the service, her cousin and famed soul singer Dionne Warwick read out a funeral poem and introduced music greats from the past and present, including Alicia Keys who said "it was so obvious the way she just crept into everybody's heart" before singing an emotional rendition of "Prelude to a Kiss."
GOSPEL AND SOUL
Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder spoke of once having "a little crush" on Houston before singing a version of his 1982 R&B hit "Ribbon In The Sky," inserting the lyrics "No more, Whitney, No more, Do you have to cry - You'll always be a ribbon in the sky."
Others spoke eloquently of Houston's passion, strong-willed spirit and once hopeful future, including Clive Davis, the founder of her label Arista Records, who discovered and molded Houston into a global pop phenomenon. He said shortly before she died, Houston had promised she was getting back into shape.
"You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime. You wait for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that, for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all it takes your breath away," he said. "Music was her passion. Whitney lived music. Whitney loved music."
R. Kelly performed the 2009 song he wrote for Houston, "I Look To You," and director Tyler Perry talked about Houston's "grace that led her all the way to the top of the charts." The service was dominated by gospel music, by singers Kim Burrell, Donnie McClurkin and others.
Houston's family decided against a public memorial, as was done for pop star Michael Jackson after his 2009 death, but they agreed to allow the four-hour service to be broadcast live by television networks and on the Internet.
Many of Houston's fans left cards and balloons around the church dedicated to the singer, who became a global star with her 1985 debut album, which included the hits "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love Of All."
Police urged fans to stay home and watch the funeral on the Internet or television, but some flew and drove from around the country to get as close as they could to the late singer.
"This is history," said fan Hedwig Berthold, 40, who flew from Miami and watched the broadcast with dozens of others in a nearby cafe. "I bought her records, I saw her concerts, I saw her in the good times. So I wanted to be here for her final farewell."
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Others gathered on the streets, including Wendy Saunders, who drove from Detroit to pay her respects to Houston and said "She meant so much to me," while Renee Taylor, from Baltimore, held a sign, "You gave us more love than we will ever need."
Houston grew up surrounded by gospel and soul music legends like Franklin - who fell ill and was unable to attend the service - as well as Warwick. She later forged new territory for a black female artist who brought R&B and gospel touches into pop music's mainstream.
After her debut, her popularity grew exponentially with her second album, "Whitney" (1987), with all four singles - "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" - hitting No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Her music videos featuring her 1980s style and innocent, fun-loving image made her wildly popular around the world. In "The Bodyguard," with Costner, Houston played a character not far removed from her real self: an international singing sensation coping with fame.
Costner recalled during his speech that Hollywood executives were hesitant to cast Houston in her first starring role, preferring "somebody white," but she soon won everyone over. He also spoke of Houston's immense talent - and insecurities.
"The Whitney that I knew, despite her worldwide success and fame, still wondered, 'Am I good enough, Am I pretty enough, Will they like me?' It was the burden that made her great, and the part that caused her to stumble in the end," he said. "People didn't just like you, Whitney. They loved you."
She made other films, including "The Preacher's Wife," but the 15-year period when she was married to singer Brown coincided with a decline in the quality and frequency of her albums. The couple, who have an 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, divorced in 2007.
Houston's powerful voice suffered in recent years. On her last world tour in 2010, she struggled to hit the high notes.
But the service ended by focusing on the old, soaring voice she had promised to reclaim. Her inimitable "I Will Always Love You," rang out as the casket was carried out of the church.
(Additional reporting by Patricia Reaney and Gianna Palmer; editing by Anthony Boadle and Todd Eastham)
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オスカー3時間前。ここ一週間はTVはオスカー一色。アメリカTV視聴率のランキングはアメリカンフットボールのスーパーボウルが第1位。2位がアカデミー賞、3位がグラミー賞。今年はウィットニー・ヒューストンの死によってグラミー賞が大幅増の40million viewers。オスカーが3位に落ちるとの見通しを告げている。
****
Oscars aim for surprises to spice up show
By Bob Tourtellotte
Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:17pm EST
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After the curtain rises on Sunday's Oscars, producers hope a few surprise winners and heartfelt acceptance speeches will spice up the program in which silent movie "The Artist" is widely seen as the choice for best movie.
The world's top film honors are in jeopardy of losing their status as the second most-watched TV event in the United States behind professional football's Super Bowl if the show can't lure more than 40 million viewers, which could be difficult.
Producers have brought back popular host Billy Crystal to provide laughter, but the best solution for a lively TV awards program, sponsors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences say, is a group of surprise winners or ones who give genuinely emotional or rousing acceptance speeches.
"Be memorable, and you will be remembered," co-producer Don Mischer told nominees at a recent luncheon.
It's hard to forget 73-year-old Jack Palance doing one-arm pushups on the Oscar stage after winning best supporting actor for 1991's "City Slickers," or more recently the heartfelt speech by writers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of best song winner "Falling Slowly" from 2007 film, "Once."
The Oscars need a few surprises because silent movie romance "The Artist," while critically lauded, has generated only around $30 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices, and the Oscars generally enjoy larger TV audiences when popular hits like "Avatar" are in the hunt for best movie.
The show annually is the second most-watched program on U.S. TV behind professional football's Super Bowl, but this year's Grammy Awards, music's top honors, lured 40 million viewers the night after Whitney Houston's death and could easily surpass the Oscars, which only twice since 2002 has had a larger audience.
Oscar producers also hope a return of popular comedian Crystal as host of the program for the ninth time will lure viewers. He hasn't been emcee of the show since 2004 when it drew roughly 44 million viewers and box office smash "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was the big winner.
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This year "The Artist," a tale of old Hollywood that sees a fading star find redemption through the love of a woman just as silent movies are being taken over by talkies, is widely picked to take home best film by most industry pundits.
It comes into the night with 10 nominations, second only to Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" with 11. But most of the nods for "Hugo" are in technical categories like cinematography, whereas "The Artist" nominations are spread across several categories.
"It's unbeatable," said Dave Karger, movie writer for Entertainment Weekly magazine.
While it faces keen competition from civil rights drama "The Help," "The Artist" has come out on top in most award shows this year. Still, pundits point out that "The Help" did win best ensemble cast from the Screen Actors Guild, and actors make up the biggest group of Oscar voters.
The third movie that has had Hollywood buzzing this season is family drama "The Descendants," starring George Clooney as a man trying to keep his family together after his cheating wife is hospitalized in a coma. But "Descendants" has failed to spark Oscar voters, and its key win is seen as adapted screenplay.
The category of best actress features a too-close-to-call race between Viola Davis playing a maid in "The Help" and Meryl Streep as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." Tom O'Neil of awards website Goldderby.com calls that race "neck and neck."
The best actor category sees American Clooney "Descendants" face Frenchman Jean Dujardin, star of "The Artist." For a long time, Clooney seemed to have the upper hand, but Dujardin has won most every time the two have been pitted against each other.
Supporting actor and actress appear locked for Christopher Plummer, playing an elderly gay man in "Beginners," and Octavia Spencer as one of the black maids in "The Help."
At age 82, Plummer would be the oldest Oscar winner ever, and if both Spencer and Davis are victorious, then it would be the first time two African American women have won those categories in the same year for the same movie.
The race for director is widely tipped to go to "The Artist" maker Michel Hazanavicius, but could see a surprise by "Hugo" and Scorsese, Woody Allen with "Midnight in Paris" or Alexander Payne and "The Descendants."
Finally, Iranian film "A Separation" goes up against Israel's "Footnote" in the category for foreign language film, bringing world politics into the movie industry awards.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Sandra Maler and Cynthia Osterman)
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ワースト映画賞 - The Golden Raspberry awards
And the Worst Film of the Year Is Officially…
Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill. At least according to the Razzies, which just "honored" the film with a dozen nominations for its annual worst-of-the-year awards.
By Nick Carbone | February 25, 2012 | The Time Mag
The Razzies (also known as the Golden Raspberry awards), are in their 32nd year of celebrating the industry’s worst films. And Adam Sandler’s Jack & Jill cleaned up in this year’s nominations, receiving 12 Razzie nods though it was eligible in only 10 categories. That’s right, the film was so heinous in the eyes of the Razzie voters that it was nominated multiple times per category. Talk about a dis-honor. Not even the vampiric action of Twilight could outshine Sandler’s gender-bending travesty.
Though its not as if anyone expected Jack & Jill to be good. The cross-dressing comedy has been rated in the single digits on Rotten Tomatoes since its November release (it currently holds an abysmal 3% positive rating). One movie critic wrote in his review that it “gives fart jokes a bad name.” We even voted it the worst movie of 2011. But none of those landmarks could have prepared it for such a Razzies sweep. The awards even went outside their own standard boxes to dish out disgrace. Adam Sandler notched a nod for both worst actor (as Jack) and worst actress (as Jill). David Spade was nominated for best supporting actress for his drag queen role in the film.
The Razzies note that Jack & Jill is the fourth film to tally more nominations than there are categories. It joins such esteemed company as Lonely Lady, Showgirls and Battlefield Earth, all which took home the Razzies’ Worst Picture award. What a drag.
See the full list of nominees on the next page.
Worst Picture
- Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
- Jack & Jill
- New Year’s Eve
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Worst Actor
- Russell Brand, Arthur
- Nicolas Cage, Drive Angry 3-D, Season Of The Witch, and Trespass
- Taylor Lautner, Abduction and Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I
- Adam Sandler, Jack & Jill and Just Go With It
- Nick Swardson, Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star
Worst Actress
- Martin Lawrence (As “Momma”), Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
- Sarah Palin (As “Herself”), Sarah Palin: The Undefeated
- Sarah Jessica Parker, I Don’t Know How She Does It and New Year’s Eve
- Adam Sandler (As “Jill”), Jack & Jill
- Kristen Stewart, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I
Worst Supporting Actress
- Katie Holmes, Jack & Jill
- Brandon T. Jackson (As “Charmaine”), Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
- Nicole Kidman, Just Go With It
- David Spade (As “Monica”), Jack & Jill
- The Underwear Model (Aka Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
Worst Supporting Actor
- Patrick Dempsey, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
- James Franco, Your Highness
- Ken Jeong, Big Momma’s #3, Hangover Part 2, Transformers #3 and Zookeeper
- Al Pacino (As “Al Pacino”), Jack & Jill
- Nick Swardson, Jack & Jill and Just Go With It
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- The Entire Cast of Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star
- The Entire Cast of Jack & Jill
- The Entire Cast of New Year’s Eve
- The Entire Cast of Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
- The Entire Cast of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I
Worst Director
- Michael Bay, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
- Tom Brady, Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star
- Bill Condon, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I
- Dennis Dugan, Jack & Jill and Just Go With It
- Garry Marshall, New Year’s Eve
Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel
- Arthur
- Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star (Rip-Off of Boogie Nights and A Star Is Born)
- The Hangover Part 2 (Both a sequel and a remake!)
- Jack & Jill (Remake/Rip-Off of Ed Woods’ Glen or Glenda)
- Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I
Worst Screen Couple
- Nicolas Cage & Anyone Sharing the Screen with Him in Any of His Three 2011 Movie
- Shia Lebeouf & The Underwear Model (Aka Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), Transformers #3
- Adam Sandler & EITHER Jennifer Aniston OR Brooklyn Decker, Just Go With It
- Adam Sandler & EITHER Katies Holmes, Al Pacino OR Adam Sandler, Jack & Jill
- Kristen Stewart & EITHER Taylor Lautner OR Robert Pattinson, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I
Worst Screenplay
- Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star, Written by Adam Sandler, Allen Covert and Nick Swardson
- Jack & Jill, Screenplay by Steve Koren & Adam Sandler, Story by Ben Zook
- New Year’s Eve, Written by Katherine Fugate
- Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, Written by Ehren Kruger
- Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I, Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg, from the novel by Stephenie Meyer
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今年はフランス色。ベスト映画賞にフランス監督の「アーテスト」、主演男優賞にフランス人ジャン・デュジャルダン。マーティン・スコセッシ監督「フューゴ」やウッディ・アレン監督の「ミッドナイト・イン・パリ」もフランスを舞台に見立てている。また外国語映画賞にはイランの「セパレーション」、主演女優賞のMeryl Streepは元イギリス首相を演じた「鉄の女」 、助演女優賞を獲得したオクティビア・スペンサーのドレスを作ったのは日本人デザイナーのタダシ・ショウジと国際色を飾る。授賞の言葉で印象に残ったのはクリストファー・プラマーが一番、その次にメリル・ストリープとオクタヴィア・スペンサーに続く。
****
"The Artist" paints golden picture at Oscars
By Bob Tourtellotte
Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:55am EST
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood showed some love for its history at the Oscars on Sunday, giving its best film award and four others to silent movie "The Artist" in a ceremony that recalled why cinema is special to so many people.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also gave Oscars to playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady," marking Streep's third Academy Award in 17 nominations, and veteran Christopher Plummer made history by becoming the oldest winner ever at age 82 with his role as an elderly gay man in "Beginners."
But it was the "The Artist," a French movie that has been called a love letter to old Hollywood by its makers, that charmed Oscar voters. Made in the style of old silents, it tells a romantic story of a fading star in the era when silent movies were overtaken by talkies.
"The Artist" collected Oscars for its star Jean Dujardin and director Michel Hazanavicius, as well as for musical score and costume design.
"I am the happiest director in the world right now. Thank you for that," Hazanavicius told the audience of stars including George Clooney, Michelle Williams, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and members of the Academy.
Dujardin was equally excited, exclaiming "I love this country" before thanking the Academy, the film's makers and his wife, and calling silent actor Douglas Fairbanks an inspiration.
Streep's victory surprised Oscar pundits who thought Viola Davis would win the Academy Award with her portrayal of a black maid in a southern white home in civil rights drama "The Help."
But Streep's turn as an elderly Thatcher who is slipping into dementia was too good to be ignored. It was Streep's third Academy Award out of 17 nominations, and even she reckoned that Oscar voters would think she's been there, done that. Backstage she termed it "Streep fatigue" to reporters.
"When they called my name, I could feel America saying, 'Oh why her again?' But whatever," she joked. Yet even the steely veteran could not hold back the emotion of an Oscar victory. When she thanked her husband and talked about her career she came close to breaking into tears, and backstage she said it made her feel like a kid again.
MAKING HOLLYWOOD HISTORY
Veteran Plummer, a star of classic film "The Sound of Music," won his first ever Oscar for his portrayal of an elderly gay man who comes out to his family in "Beginners."
"You're only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all of my life," he said, looking at his golden Oscar, which was celebrating its 84th awards ceremony.
Spencer, a relative newcomer in contrast to Plummer, had to hold back tears as she accepted her trophy for her portrayal of a black, southern maid in civil rights drama "The Help."
"Thank you Academy for putting me with the hottest guy in the room," she said holding her Oscar in her hand. She then went on to talk about her family in Alabama and could not hold back her tears as she joyously accepted her trophy.
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Director Martin Scorsese's "Hugo," which like "The Artist" pays tribute to early filmmaking, came into the night with a leading 11 nominations - one more than "Artist" - and also picked up five wins. But its Oscars came in technical categories cinematography, art direction, sound editing and mixing and visual effects.
Another highly touted movie, family drama "The Descendants," walked off with only one Oscar, adapted screenplay for its writer and director Alexander Payne and co-writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Woody Allen won for original screenplay with "Midnight in Paris," but he was not on hand to accept his trophy.
In other major wins, the foreign language film award went to Iranian divorce drama "A Separation." "I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment," said its director, Ashgar Farhadi.
Asked backstage how he thought the Iranian government might respond, he said he really did not know. "I can't predict what's going to happen," he said.
"Rango" claimed best animated film, while "The Iron Lady," won a second award for makeup.
BILLY'S RETURN
The documentary category saw another major surprise for "Undefeated," a film about football players in a poor struggling community to make their lives better. "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" had been widely picked to win by pundits.
One of the film's makers, T.J. Martin, used an expletive onstage in a sign of his joy, but it was edited out for television audiences. He apologized backstage in the press room.
Comedian Billy Crystal, who returned to emcee the show for the ninth time, had the crowd laughing loudly with an opening video in which he was edited into the year's top movies.
He was kissed by George Clooney on the lips in a scene out of "The Descendants" and even ate a tainted pie from "The Help." He opened with a monologue in which he joked: "there's nothing like watching a bunch of millionaires present each other with golden statues" and sang a comic song about the movies.
Other highlights included stars like Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler and others in brief video vignettes telling audiences why they loved movies. The clips highlighted this year's themes of reminding people what makes movies magical.
Finally, Hollywood's biggest fashion parade on the Oscar red carpet heated up with Michelle Williams in a stunning red dress from Louis Vuitton, "The Help" star Jessica Chastain in a dazzling Alexander McQueen black and gold embroidered gown, while Gwyneth Paltrow chose Tom Ford and white, a popular color.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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2012 Oscars: Complete List of Winners
Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:00am EST By TheWrap Staff at TheWrap
The complete list of winners and nominees for the 84th Annual Academy Awards. The winners are noted; scroll down to see entire list.
ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
Demin Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
WINNER: Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
WINNER: Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
WINNER: Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Benice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
WINNER: Octavia Spencer in "The Help"
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"A Cat in Paris " Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli"
"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
WINNER: "Rango" Gore Verbinski
ART DIRECTION
"The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
WINNER: "Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse" Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
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CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
WINNER: "Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski
COSTUME DESIGN
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
WINNER: "The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips
DIRECTING
THE WINNER: "The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Alexander Payne
"Hugo" Martin Scorsese
"Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
"Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
WINNER: "Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione
WINNER: "Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen
FILM EDITING
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
WINNER: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote" Israel
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
WINNER: "A Separation" Iran
MAKEUP
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
WINNER: "The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
WINNER: "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
WINNER: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett
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BEST PICTURE
THE WINNER: "The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
WINNER: "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
WINNER: "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø
SOUND EDITING
"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
WINNER: "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom
SOUND MIXING
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
WINNER: "Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson
VISUAL EFFECTS
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
WINNER: "Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
WINNER: "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
WINNER: "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi
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2012 Oscars: And the winners of best Academy Award winners’speeches are...
Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer, Asghar Farhadi among memorable speakers
Opinion By Joe Neumaier / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, February 27, 2012, 11:32 AM
Despite an overriding sense of inevitability, the 84th annual Academy Awards had its share of memorable moments (including a hilarious faux-film of a 1939 "focus group" critiquing "The Wizard of Oz," courtesy of Christopher Guest and company).
"I love your country," Dujardin said, holding up his award for his portrayal of fictional silent-film star George Valentin.
"If George Valentin could speak, he’d say, "Formidable! Merci beaucoup," he said, using French words for "terrific" and "thank you very much."
Many speeches were heartfelt or moving, but here are five that stood out.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Alexander Payne, co-writer/director of "The Descendants" - who previously won for 2004's "Sideways" — collected his film's only award of the evening alongside co-writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rush by first thanking "our beautiful Hawaiian flower, Kaui Hart Hemmings, wrote wrote the novel." Payne then pointed out his mom, who came to L.A. from Omaha for the event and who, Payne said, "made me promise that if I ever won another Academy Award, that I'd have to dedicate it to her, just like Javier Bardem did with HIS mother. Thanks for letting me skip nursery school so we could go to the movies."
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, genuinely moved and shaken by her walk to the stage to accept her Oscar, breaks down while thanking her real family "and my 'Help' family." Despite winning at SAG and the Golden Globes, the impact of an Oscar isn't lost on this 39-year-old working actress.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, the first filmmaker from his country to win this award, makes a from-the-gut, eloquent, thoughtful acceptance speech in which he states Iran is "a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under politics… I kindly offer this award to the people of my country , a people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment."
BEST ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, the underdog who defeated George Clooney — and the first Frenchman to win the award — gives an ebullient acceptance speech, starting with "I love your country!" and winds up with a sincere, nearly-shouted "Merci! Merci beaucoup!"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: With his manner as smooth and warm as his velvet tuxedo, the ever-elegant 82-year-old Christopher Plummer — the newly minted oldest Oscar winner ever — takes the stage. "You're only two years older than me — where have you been all my life?" he coos at his statuette. Complimentary, witty and self-effacing, the onetime "Sound of Music" co-star thanks his fellow nominees, his director and co-star, his daughter Amanda Plummer, and his wife, "who deserves a Nobel Peace prize for coming to my rescue every day."
アメリカのテレビ高視聴率３大イベント（2012年） 第1位スーパーボウル111.3 million 、第2位グラミー授賞式39.9 million、 第3位アカデミー授賞式は39.3 million
Billy Crystal Helps Improve Oscar Viewership
By Associated Press | February 27, 2012 | Mark J. Terrill | TV Ratings
Billy Crystal performs during the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (NEW YORK) — The return of Billy Crystal helped boost viewership for the Academy Awards but not enough to prevent a cultural oddity: The Oscars weren’t even the most-watched awards show on television this month.
The Nielsen Co. estimated Monday that 39.3 million people watched the Oscars on ABC Sunday night, up from the 37.9 million viewers during the much-panned 2011 show where James Franco and Anne Hathaway shared hosting duties.
Crystal was called in after original host Eddie Murphy pulled out. It was the ninth time Crystal has done that job and he delivered, despite worries that best picture winner “The Artist” would not be much of an audience draw.
Nielsen said 39.9 million people watched the Grammy Awards on CBS on Feb. 12. That huge audience was likely due to the popularity of big winner Adele and curiosity about how Grammy producers would address the death of singer Whitney Houston the day before the show.
It was only the second time since the two events were televised that the Grammys earned a bigger audience than the Oscars. After the Super Bowl, the Oscars are frequently the second most-watched TV event of the year.
In 1984, when Michael Jackson was the big winner at the Grammys, the show had 51.7 million viewers. The Oscars that year, when “Terms of Endearment” won best picture, had 42.1 million viewers, Nielsen said.
The social media analysis company Trendrr estimated that there were some 4.2 million examples of social media action during the Oscars on Sunday — such as tweets on Twitter and posts or likes on Facebook.
That more than doubled the 2.02 million estimate from last year’s Oscars, Trendrr said. It illustrates the growth in social media as well as the tendency of people to comment online with their friends as they share the experience of watching on TV, said Chris Thonis, spokesman for Trendrr.
Still, it paled in comparison with the 17.47 million examples of social media activity during the Super Bowl earlier this month, and the 17.12 million for the Grammys, he said.
The Grammys have become more of a performance show than an awards show in recent years, increasing their television ratings and giving viewers plenty to talk about.
“There were great story lines for the Grammys this year versus the Oscars, which didn’t have as many story lines,” Thonis said.
アカデミー賞にノミネートされた人達は授賞を逃しても手ぶらでは帰らない。彼らが受け取るフリーギフトが入ったバッグ。その中身は39 品目にわたり総額は$62,023。昨年は$75,000。その中の主なもの8品目を挙げている記事。
The 8 Most Opulent Gifts in the Oscar Swag Bags
Swag Bag Bliss
By Nick Carbone | February 26, 2012 | 1
People bustle about the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre as preparations continue for the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012.=写真
Even those actors who don’t receive a little gold man at tonight’s Oscars won’t be going home empty-handed. The swag bags that each Academy Award nominee receives will almost certainly dull any lingering disappointment, to the tune of $62,023. This year’s goodie bags contain swag of all purposes and prices, from bath products and cosmetics worth hundreds to vacation getaways worth tens of thousands.
The 39 items have been carefully curated to be seen in the hands of the biggest Hollywood stars. Lash Fary, the founder of Los Angeles-based marketing company Distinctive Assets, is celebrating a decade of curating the Oscars swag bags. And he’s had his hand in the Grammys’ gift bags for 13 years now. So he’s something of an expert at curating the celebs’ consolation prizes. “These people don’t make decisions based on a price tag,” Fary tells NewsFeed, so he views it as an opportunity to “help them shop for things that they might not normally buy.”
Sure, celebrities might not typically buy these items, but normal Americans simply can’t afford many of them. After all, you’d have no idea we were in the midst of a recession. This year’s bags are worth more than $60,000. But that’s a drastic decrease from last year’s Oscars, where the swag given away to each nominee was valued at more than $75,000. The reason for this year’s decline? Fewer vacations, Fary says. “Last year there were four major trips, each valued at over $10,000. This year, there are only two.” Half the number of tropical getaways this year. And we probably won’t even have a single one. But then again, we don’t have an Oscar nomination either.
While most of the items are beauty products, there are certain items that are overly opulent, even for an A-list celebrity. Here are eight of the most extravagant items the also-rans will receive after the Oscars statuettes are handed out.
African Safari
Value: $15,580
For those celebrities that won’t be enjoying the glint of a golden statue, they can instead enjoy the golden-colored sunsets of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Premier Tours has offered the Oscar nominees an inimitable vacation for the past four years, and they’ve cut no cost this year. For the 2012 crop of best actors and actresses, the travel company has put into the swag bag an African safari package worth more than $15,000. The star (and a guest, naturally) will be able to view the exotic wildlife while riding atop elephants from the Abu herd on the 5-day trip that seems guaranteed to pamper them even in remote Africa.
Disaronno Customized Party
Value: $15,000
So you didn’t win an Oscar, but surely the mere fact that you were nominated should be reason to celebrate, right? Disaronno, the Italian amaretto liqueur, is offering to throw each celebrity a lavish party starring the fruity, nutty booze and hosted by an artisan mixologist like Willy Shine, Steve Levigni or Carlo Splendorini. But that’s about all the restrictions that the company provides. The rest is up to the stars. They can choose the location, the cocktail menu, and most importantly, the guests – up to 100 of them – to create a unique celebration that’s “fit for Hollywood royalty.” A Disaronno spokewoman said, “We wanted to provide something personal, unique and organic.” Here’s hoping it doesn’t turn into a pity party.
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Blinged-Out Purell
Value: $135
Hand sanitizer knows no social class boundaries, but you can still dress up your tiny $3 bottle of antibacterial gel to show off your elite status. For the stars, Purell has dreamt up a hot pink, Swarovski crystal-studded carrying case for their hand sanitizers. Purell commissioned Crystal Ninja, the Swarovski supergeeks who crystallize everything from iPhones to Range Rovers, to create a custom design for their carrying case. It seems they were able to cram so much bling into the design that it notched the price above a C-note. Which makes us wonder: when did sanitizing become so stylish? Usually we just covertly splash some Purell on our hands, but maybe we should be more flashy about our sanitizing habits.
Inhalable Dessert from Vaportrim
Value $9.95
So it’s not the priciest item in the bag – in fact, it’s the second-cheapest out of all of the 39 items – but it is among the most interesting. If you’re one known to inhale dessert like it were your last meal, Vaportrim is giving you the opportunity to literally inhale your dessert without the caloric penalties. Fooling your senses into thinking that you’re eating a delicious blueberry muffin or peach cobbler, Vaportrim has no calories and nothing to get stuck in your teeth, for that matter. It’s simply artificial flavors that you can inhale from a tube. It looks like a faux cigarette, and you exhale water vapor in just the same way while, well, “eating,” – but it seems rather OK to get addicted to this!
Unlimited Blowouts for One Year
Value: $2,000
Channel your inner DJ Pauly D and treat yourself to unlimited blowouts for an entire year. In all seriousness, these aren’t the same blowouts that the Jersey Shore star gets – the blowouts offered by Beverly Hills’ JM Blowdry are rather sophisticated and involve a full shampoo, blow-drying and your hair-styling of choice. And with each blowout valued at $35 a pop, the stars have the potential to save quite a bit of cash thanks to the swag bags, which will entitle them to become VIBs (Very Important Blowouts, of course) at the salon. They’ll receive walk-in treatment whenever they desire – and, naturally, all the cupcakes and champagne that come with a visit. While this seems like a gift skewed toward the women, we wonder if the treats would be enough to sway, say, George Clooney into a visit.
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Fitness Retreat
Value: $4,850
Punishment by exercise is a premium many will pay for. And Live In Fitness Enterprise, a Los Angeles-based boot camp, realizes that you should probably live under their roof while you undergo your weight loss regimen. So they’ve built an entire facility dedicated to fitness. But it’s not for penny-pinchers. The program, which costs nearly $5,000 a week, comes with everything included: lodging in a private apartment, four – presumably small and ridiculously healthy – meals per day, a seven-hour-a-day workout regime and start-to-finish personal coaching. Their facility boasts a 14,000-square-foot gym (that’s the size of a small New York City apartment building), and Le Cordon Bleu-certified chefs who teach cooking classes. Stars like Jessica Biel and Blake Griffin have all taken advantage of the L.I.F.E. services – and their trainers are now even helping out the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team. With all the pressure to look good on the red carpet, might we suggest saving this gift until just before next year’s Oscars?
Tropical Resort in Mexico
Value: $3,350
After the incessant flashing lights and microphones of the evening, a secluded vacation might be at the forefront of these stars’ minds. Imanta Resorts is offering the nominees a two-night stay (with a guest of their choosing) at their Pacific Ocean resort in Punta de Mita, Mexico. Though party-centric Puerto Vallarta is just 30 miles away, the stars will be shrouded from gawkers and paparazzi alike at Imanta’s ocean casas, housed in stunning 2,500-square-foot villas nestled in the forestland of the Mexican coast with a private beach just steps away. It might be tricky attracting the celebs back to Hollywood’s hustle and bustle.
Interior Design
Value: $10,000
For the celebrity that can’t possibly cram any more free swag into his or her home, perhaps a little interior design is of the order? Seyie Design is offering $10,000 worth of their services to the Hollywood tastemakers. Designer Seyie Putsure is an Indian-born fashion and design guru who formerly was an executive for Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel and now focuses on creating chic interiors for homes and businesses. She’s ready to dress up the stars’ dwellings with a mix of haute fashion and functional design. We hope Seyie can help fill the void of the shelf where a little gold man may sadly not stand tomorrow.
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Fans Devour The Hunger Games for a $155-Million Feast
By Richard Corliss | March 25, 2012
Murray Close“You really want to know how to stay alive?” Haymitch Abernathy tells Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of The Hunger Games. “Get people to like you.” Well, Katniss not only survived, she thrived. The movie based on Suzanne Collins’s teen-fave best-seller smashed nearly every record in the box-office annals with $155 million in its first three days of release in North American theaters, according to Lionsgate, its delirious distributor. That number is the third highest ever for an opening weekend, behind the $169.2 million for the Harry Potter finale and $158.4 million for The Dark Knight and ahead of Spider-Man 3. It is the all-time tops for a nonsequel and the best for a film released between December and April. As Haymitch or Sally Field might say about Katniss, they like her, they really like her!
Invading 4,237 theaters and occupying nearly 10,000 screens, including 268 IMAX venues, The Hunger Games played to sold-out crowds and enthralled fans across the country. Audiences surveyed by the CinemaScore polling company awarded the film a straight A, reflecting the indulgent 86% approval grade on the critics’ aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. (Among the few negative voices were reviews from The New York Times, The Financial Times and TIME. The few, the proud, the utterly ignored.) The weekend’s humungous crowd skewed slightly older than the audience for a typical blockbuster: 54% were 25 or older.
(MORE: Is The Hunger Games Too Dark for Kids?)
The movie’s record-smashing success also attested to Girl Power. Fully 61% of the attendees were women — now the largest, most reliable filmgoing audience. It also proves that women will see stories created by women. With two Twilight Saga episodes (New Moon and Breaking Dawn, Part 1) in fifth and sixth places, four of the top six all-time opening weekends are now held by films based on children’s and young-adult novels written by women.
Credit much of the wow status of The Hunger Games to Lionsgate’s a wizardly digital campaign, whose aim was unerring as Katniss’s archery. Essentially, the Lionsgate marketers convinced kids that they were discovering the film on internet sites, rather than being cunningly led to them. Last month Lionsgate bought Summit, the producers of the Twilight franchise, just in time to exceed the megagrosses of New Moon and Breaking Dawn 1. The indie company, which geared up for film production in 2006, can now boast three of the top six openings of all time. Because of the merger, the marketing geniuses who made The Hunger Games work may soon loses their jobs. In Hollywood, “thanks” is a four-letter word.
We’ll have a wrapup of the other box-office data later today.
Houston drowned in hot water, coroner says
Heart disease and cocaine use contributed to the Grammy winner's death, final report concludes. An expert says the amount of coke was not at a toxic level.
April 5, 2012 By Andrew Blankstein and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times
The coroner's investigation into the death of Whitney Houston came to a close Wednesday with a final autopsy report that described the singer submerged face-down in hot water in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel suite with a unidentified white powdery residue left in a spoon on the bathroom counter.
The report released Wednesday confirmed that the 48-year-old singer drowned in a bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors. It concluded that Houston's death was accidental.
A personal assistant found her dead in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the report said. The water was described as "extremely hot," and the singer had scalding burns when she was examined.
Houston was last seen alive by her personal assistant Feb. 11 between 2:45 p.m. and 3 p.m., the report stated.
The singer had complained of having a sore throat in the days leading up to her death. Before the assistant left, she told Houston to "take a bath to start getting ready for tonight," referring to a pre-Grammy party thrown by her mentor, producer Clive Davis.
The personal assistant left to pick up items at Neiman Marcus and returned to the locked hotel room at 3:36 p.m. When she went into the bathroom, she found Houston face-down and unresponsive in the tub, the report stated.
She called out to a bodyguard, the report stated, and they pulled Houston out of the bathtub. The assistant ran to call the front desk and told them to call 911.
On a counter in the bathroom, investigators found an ashtray filled with cigarette butts and a "small spoon with a white crystal-like substance in it, and a rolled-up piece of white paper." They also found prescription drug bottles on the counter and a small plastic bag that had been ripped open. In a drawer, they found a portable mirror with more remnants of a white, powdery substance. Coroner's officials said they did not test the powder, saying that was a job for police. The Beverly Hills Police Department did not release any information about the substance Wednesday.
Houston had battled drug addiction for years, and the report found that she had a perforation in her nose typical of habitual cocaine users. Toxicology test results showed that she had cocaine in her system at the time of death. The coroner's office also found traces of several other drugs — including marijuana, the anti-anxiety medication Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril as well as Benadryl — in her system.
Dr. Nachman Brautbar, a toxicologist and professor emeritus at USC who reviewed the toxicology report, said the level of cocaine in Houston's system was not at a toxic level. He estimated that she had taken the cocaine two hours or more before getting in the tub.
Brautbar said none of the drugs on their own were at a toxic level, but the combination might have contributed to her losing consciousness and slipping under water.
"The combination was toxic for her," he said.
The release of the report also means that police will be able to wrap up their investigation into Houston's death. Lt. Mark Rosen, a spokesman for the Beverly Hills Police Department, said the investigation had been on hold pending release of the final coroner's report.
今シーズンのアメリカンアイドルのコンテスタントは例年になく粒ぞろいで目が話せない。3人のジャッジが優勝候補の筆頭と太鼓判を推すフィリピン系アメリカンのジェシカ・サンチェスが前日の舞台の視聴者投票で最低数を獲得。今週で消える運命になったが、納得しない3人のジャッジが唯一許された拒否権を行使し彼女を助ける。来週もコンテストに参加できるようにした。予想外のちょっと趣の違ったエピソードであった。
"American Idol" judges save Jessica Sanchez
By Andrea Burzynski
NEW YORK | Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:20am EDT
NEW YORK(Reuters) - Jessica Sanchez, the youngest finalist on TV singing contest "American Idol," was dramatically saved from elimination on Thursday by the show's judges as she performed a last chance song to prove she was worthy of continuing.
With Jennifer Lopez leading the way, fellow judges Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler stormed the stage and announced they were using their only "save" to keep Sanchez on the show shortly after Sanchez was told she had received the fewest fan votes this week.
"Give me that mic!," Lopez exclaimed as she rushed up to Sanchez. "This is crazy!"
This season, "Idol" judges were allotted one "save" to override audience votes and keep a promising contestant on the show. All of them must agree, and if the "save" had not been used by next week's performance, it would have expired.
Sanchez, who sang Deborah Cox's song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" to close out the show, appeared bewildered by both her last place finish and her save.
Then again, bewilderment seemed to be a theme of a wild evening on the No. 1-rated U.S. TV singing contest.
Host Ryan Seacrest began by directing contestants to opposite sides of the stage without telling them which group was safe and which group was in danger of going home. With three singers in each group, Seacrest told remaining contestant Skylar Laine that she would stay and instructed her to "pick the group you think you belong with."
After a shocked Laine protested, Seacrest guided her to a group he finally pronounced as safe, leaving Elise Testone, Joshua Ledet and Sanchez in the bottom three. All three judges expressed confusion and dismay with this outcome. At the end of the show, Jackson admonished audiences to vote more wisely.
This week, audiences judged contestants based on performances of songs from the present decade in Wednesday night's telecast.
Thursday's results episode featured two performances from former "Idol" contestants. Jennifer Hudson, who received an assist from Ne-Yo, sang "Think Like a Man", and James Durbin sang his song "Higher than Heaven."
"Idol", which first aired in on Fox in 2002, has launched the careers of singers Kelly Clarkson and Adam Lambert. Audiences vote for their favorite performers by phone and text message each week as contestants are challenged by a variety of musical styles. The winning contestant receives a recording contract. This season's winner will be decided in May.
(Reporting By Andrea Burzynski; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
映画祭コンテスト出品の心得
The Festival Madness...
There are now more than 4,000 so-called "Film Festivals" in the world. When WorldFest began, it was the 3rd in North America, after San Francisco and New York. We began in 1961, and after SFO and NYC, along came Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Cleveland and many, many more. There are now even companies that promote your entry into many film festivals. Some of these film festivals are scams, just after your entry fee! Do remember, those Fest Entry organizations charge all the festivals a fee for their services and some charge a membership fee to handle your work. DO IT YOURSELF! - We have discussed this with members of our Board, and many Agencies and Studios. To put it simply, they are not really impressed that you won the audience award at the Bugtussle Video Festival and the Bustleberg Indie Video Festival (Yes, there actually is a Bustleberg in Virginia, but no festival as of yet!), or others like it. Here is what you should do:
Carefully evaluate your production. Then consider the top ten or so film festivals in the world that might like your film. Start with Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, San Sebastian, Karlovy Vary and then consider Sundance, San Francisco, Seattle, USADallas, Chicago and Houston. Please do not waste your money on some 1st Annual Flim-Flam FilmFest! It does not impress festival directors at all when you tell them that you just won the top award at some new and obscure video festival. It is really pretty meaningless. Winning in some of the significant film festivals we just listed is an important accomplishment, winning in a new and unknown festival is not something that will really boost your career, though it may boost your ego!
WorldFest receives more than 1,500 short film and video entries, so to win here is quite a significant honor. Only about 15% of the entries win in WorldFest. In some of the smaller festivals almost all the entries win something. If they want to charge a Finalist Fee, be suspicious! We know of some festivals that will give you a Gold Award if you reserve a table at the awards dinner for a big fee! A Golden Snail from the Tittywompus Indie Video Awards might make you feel good but it is really meaningless in the real world. Do remember, not everyone is a Spielberg, Lucas, Ang Lee, Randal Kleiser, John Lee Hancock or Atom Agoyan! We do wish you all the best of luck, work hard, do your best, enter festivals carefully!
ヘアードレッサーの神様、バイダルサスーン氏の逝去
Famed fashion icon Vidal Sassoon dead at 84
May 9, 2012 | 12:08 pm
Famed hair stylist and fashion icon Vidal Sassoon was found dead at his Mulholland Drive home, authorities said.
Law enforcement sources said Sassoon, 84, died after an unspecified illness and that family were by his side. No details further details were immediately available.
Sassoon, hugely influential in the hair care and fashion worlds, was the subject of a 2010 documentary.
According to a Times profile in 1999, Sassoon went to work at age 14. As a "shampoo boy," he was responsible for mixing dyes: bleach powder, peroxide and ammonia.
"The ammonia jar was kept locked up because if you spilled it, it would clean out the sinuses of the block, not just the salon," he explained.
In 1954, he opened his first salon in London. "I gave myself five years. If I couldn't change anything, I was out of there."
"When I first came into hair, women were coming in and you'd place a hat on their hair and you'd dress their hair around it," says Sassoon. "We learned to put discipline in the haircuts by using actual geometry, actual architectural shapes and bone structure. The cut had to be perfect and layered beautifully, so that when a woman shook it, it just fell back in."
He eventually opened a New York salon. In 1973, his hair-care products debuted to the trade. A couple of years later, he moved to Los Angeles, and by 1980, he even briefly had his own American television talk show. It was quite a life for a poor boy from London's East End.
Sassoon was married four times. He met his current wife of seven years, Ronnie, when she was running a graphics design firm in Cincinnati 10 years ago. Procter & Gamble was one of her clients.
Date(s) May 7, 2012 This year
TBA (upcoming)
Location(s) Metropolitan Museum of Art, Costume Institute
New York, New York
AboutThe Met Costume Gala (also known as the Costume Institute Gala) is one the most highly anticipated fashion events of the year. The event is held in New York each year, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sylvana Soto-Ward is the organiser of the Met Ball.（Wikifashion）
The Costume Institute
The Museum of Costume Art was founded by Aline Bernstein and Irene Lewisohn. In 1937, they merged with the Met and became its Costume Institute department. Today, its collection contains more than 35,000 costumes and accessories. The Costume Institute used to have a permanent gallery space in what was known as the "Basement" area of the Met because it was downstairs at the bottom of the Met facility. However, due to the fragile nature of the items in the collection, the Costume Institute does not maintain a permanent installation. Instead, every year it holds two separate shows in the Met's galleries using costumes from its collection, with each show centering on a specific designer or theme. In past years, Costume Institute shows organized around famous designers such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gianni Versace; and style doyenne like Diana Vreeland, Mona von Bismarck, Babe Paley, Jayne Wrightsman, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nan Kempner and Iris Apfel have drawn significant crowds to the Met. The Costume Institute's annual Benefit Gala, co-chaired by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, is an extremely popular, if exclusive, event in the fashion world; in 2007, the 700 available tickets started at $6,500 per person. Exhibits displayed over the past decade in the Costume Institute include: Rock Style, in 1999, representing the style of more than 40 rock musicians, including Madonna, David Bowie, and The Beatles, Extreme Beauty: The Body Transformed, in 2001, which exposes the transforming ideas of physical beauty over time and the bodily contortion necessary to accommodate such ideals and fashion, The Chanel Exhibit, displayed in 2005, acknowledging the skilled work of designer Coco Chanel as one of the leading fashion names in history, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, exhibited in 2008, suggesting the metaphorical vision of superheroes as ultimate fashion icons,[27] and, the 2010 exhibit on the American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity, which exposes the revolutionary styles of the American woman from the years 1890 to 1940, and how such styles reflect the political and social sentiments of the time. The theme of the 2011 event was "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty". Each of these exhibits explores fashion as a mirror of cultural values and offers a glimpse into historical styles, emphasizing their evolution into today's own fashion world.（Wiki）
At Met’s Fashion Benefit, Stars Honor Two Designers
By ERIC WILSON
Published: May 7, 2012
Walking through the displays of ugly-chic dresses and slightly surreal designs in a new Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition that compares the designers Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, many guests at this year’s ultimate fashion gala on Monday night observed some surprising similarities between two women whose work is separated by half a century.
“I loved the play of the two of them together,” said Tom Ford, arriving at the Costume Institute gala with the model Chanel Iman, who wore a dress made of pheasant feathers molded to her body. “It was amazing how hard it was to differentiate some of the pieces.”
Best not mention that to Mrs. Prada, one of the most influential female designers in recent history, who initially rebuffed the museum’s plans to mount an exhibition that compared her to Schiaparelli, who died in 1973. Mrs. Prada said in many interviews about the show that she had never been inspired by the work of her predecessor.
“Well,” Mr. Ford said, “Coco Chanel said that creativity is the art of concealing your sources.”
Fashion snap.
Mrs. Prada, in an embroidered ivory tunic and trousers, evening pants being a big look of the night, avoided most interviews. At one point, there was talk that she might not come. After a lengthy chat over cocktails with the actor James Franco and the artist Marina Abramovic, she was asked if she was satisfied with the show.
“Yes, but it’s too late,” she said, meaning for questions.
Oh, but everyone else wanted to talk, especially the celebrities and superstar athletes who dominated the guest list. Tim Tebow was there wearing Ralph Lauren and being sweet to all of the women who approached him, including one who asked Mr. Tebow whom he was standing next to.
“Well, that’s Tom Brady,” Mr. Tebow said.
Over there was Beyoncé, in a gown that was sheer but beaded at the same time. Turn around and it was Cate Blanchett in a concoction of black feathers by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. And just what could Gwyneth Paltrow be talking about for so long with Kanye West?
Oh, hello, Mick Jagger. What are you wearing?
“My creation,” Mr. Jagger said, affecting some sort of grand accent that suggested that he had been overcome by the beauty of the exhibition. “I am wear-ing my cray-ya-tion! All this dee-zi-yen is mii-yen!”
Moving on, Marc Jacobs seemed sane by comparison. He wore a see-through dress made of black lace, with black socks and white boxer briefs that were perfectly visible. “Brooks Brothers, I think,” he said.
Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor and a chairwoman of the event who oversaw every detail, wore a white Prada dress with embroidered silver stones in the shape of a lobster, a tribute to a famous Schiaparelli design made in collaboration with Salvador Dalí.
Many guests wore elaborate or bizarre dresses in honor of Schiaparelli, who once made a hat from an upside-down shoe. One guest had a Coca-Cola bottle on her head; another, Linda Fargo, the fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, wore a bejeweled cape that would have been the envy of Elvis. And the actress Emma Stone, a guest of the designer Alber Elbaz of Lanvin, wore a short pink dress made of rainproof plastic.
Carey Mulligan, the actress who, as a co-chairwoman, stood in a receiving line greeting 800 guests, seemed to enjoy the attention paid to her dress, a stiff gold halter made of shiny gold paillettes, also by Prada.
“Everybody told me this was going to be boring,” Ms. Mulligan said. “But I had the best time.”
A version of this article appeared in print on May 8, 2012, on page A24 of the New York edition with the headline: At Met’s Fashion Benefit, Stars Honor Two Designers.
Fashion News: New York hosts its Oscars, the Met Gala
May 8, 2012 | 8:33 am
The biggest fashion extravaganza of the year is the annual Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- sometimes called New York's Oscars because of the star-studded red carpet. This year's installment took place Monday to celebrate the opening of the "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations" exhibition. A bevy of stars turned out, along with top names in fashion. The clothes were wonderful, for the most part, as our photo gallery shows. Or sometimes funny -- Marc Jacobs wore a sheer dress. [Los Angeles Times] [New York Times] [UPDATED: a previous version of this post incorrectly said Tom Ford wore the sheer dress.]
Attending a press preview of the exhibition, Charlotte Cowles of New York magazine's the Cut blog found the video "dialogue" between the living Miuccia Prada and the long-dead Elsa Schiaparelli (portrayed by actress Judy Davis) "a bit surreal." [Cut]
In honor of the exhibition's opening, Racked reprinted Schiaparelli's "12 Commandments for Women," published in 1954. Among them: Women should ask for "competent criticism and advice," they should shop alone or with a man, never with another woman; and this observation: "Remember, 20 percent of women have inferiority complexes, 70 percent have illusions." [Racked]
The New York Post reports that last week's day in court seems to be all it took for billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault -- who is married to Salma Hayek -- to reach a child support agreement with supermodel Linda Evangelista, whom he dated briefly pre-Hayek and who had been seeking financial help raising their 5-year-old son. Evangelista had said it cost $46,000 a month to care for the child. No word on what the ex-lovers settled on over the weekend. [New York Post]
Amazon is so intent on becoming the online fashion-purveyor-of-choice that it has hired three women to do nothing but try on size 8 shoes for its Web reviews, the New York Times says in a piece that takes a look at how the one-time seller of nothing but books is taking on the high-end clothing market. [New York Times]
Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio gave birth to a baby boy Monday. [Cut]
Giuliana Rancic is designing a collection for HSN. [Styleite]
And Nicole Richie is doing one of Macy's Impulse capsule collections. [WWD] (subscription required)
-- Susan Denley
Photos: Arriving on the red carpet for the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday evening are, clockwise from top left, designer Zac Posen with actress Amber Heard; performer and deejay Solange Knowles, left, with designer Rachel Roy; Vogue editor Anna Wintour with daughter Bee Shaffer; and actress Camille Belle. Credit: Larry Busacca / Getty Images
Fashion News: Met Gala had some fashion head-scratchers
May 9, 2012 | 8:54 am
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala on Monday had more than its share of gorgeous gowns on the red carpet, as we showed in our photo gallery. But there were some other fashion moments that were drawing stares for other reasons. Christina Ricci's Thakoon dress with the ginourmous bow, for instance. Did she plan to stand up all night? Florence Welch's Alexander McQueen made her look like a wedding cake or a polar bear. Marc Jacobs was the night's most outre, in a transparent lace dress, white boxers and pilgrim-buckle shoes. "I didn't want to be boring," he reportedly said. Also eye-catching, but more in a good way, was model Coco Rocha who bypassed gowns for a stunning vintage Givenchy pants outfit, pink bustier, shoes by Sergio Rossi and pink dip-dyed hair. It didn't quite match the occasion, but it sure was a fun look.
Alice Cooper, 64, plays himself in Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows," which opens Friday. The film is set in the early 1970s, when Cooper was at the peak of his popularity. On the red carpet at the movie's Hollywood premiere on Monday, he talked about aging -- kind of. "They decided that they were going to do a computerized thing where they make me [look like I'm from] 1972," he said. "And I said, 'Well, don't make me look younger. In '72, I was a mess. I looked 20 years older in '72 than I do now.'" [Los Angeles Times]
An Australian artist says the label on Madonna's Truth or Dare fragrance ripped off his trademark logo. [Toronto Sun]
After the announcement a few days ago that the House of Schiaparelli is returning from the dead this year -- it's been closed since 1954 -- people are wondering if John Galliano will be named creative director. [Cut]
Fashion designers are lauding the election of Francois Hollande as France's new president. [WWD] (subscription required)
And now that she won't bogged down by being first lady of France anymore, model Carla Bruni plans to release a new album in an effort to revive her show biz career. [Daily Mail]
Esteban Cortazar, best known for his three seasons at Emanuel Ungaro, is relaunching his signature brand, with the help of Net-a-Porter. [WWD] (subscription required)
A former employee is suing Chris Burch on charges of discrimination, saying he was fired for not being gay. The $1-million suit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, claims that Burch (ex-husband of Tory Burch) said he “only hired gay men because they were productive and he trusted them.” Burch's lawyers deny the allegation. [New York Post]
Brad Pitt is the new celebrity face of Chanel No. 5, one of the world's most classic women's fragrances. [Racked]
-- Susan Denley
Photos, clockwise from top left: Christina Ricci, wearing Thakoon with a huge bow, arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2012 Costume Institute Gala; Florence Welch, wearing Alexander McQueen; Marc Jacobs showing how to not be boring; Coco Rocha in vintage Givenchy. Credits: Charles Sykes / Associated Press; Justin Lane / EPA
'American Idol' recap: The final four duke it out
May 10, 2012 | 4:30 am 21
I'm still a little damp-eyed from Jessica Sanchez's final performance on "American Idol" Wednesday night, on which the final four contestants each sang a song either from or about California (yes, somewhat random) as well as a song they wish they'd written themselves, which Ryan Seacrest also classified as songs that inspired them.
Sanchez's take on "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from "Dreamgirls," into which she channeled all the emotion stirred up by her near "Idol" ouster a few weeks back, may have inspired us all — or at least anyone who has at any point ever felt underappreciated or overlooked. It was not just beautifully sung and deeply felt; it was moving, galvanizing, electrifying. Breathtaking.
Jimmy Iovine had been so deeply affected by Sanchez's song during rehearsal, he said he'd probably never forget the moment. He said if she sang it the same way during the show, "it could be game-over."
It could be game-over.
It really would be game-over if it weren't for the fact that Sanchez has some stiff competition — at least for the judges' affections — in Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet.
In fact, the judges responded so enthusiastically to Ledet's final performance — the standing O was just the beginning — they almost seemed to have nothing left to give to Sanchez after her rousing final number. Sure, they again rose to their feet to applaud her performance, but in their critiques, they trotted out the trite and true. "Another winning performance," "just over the top," said Steven Tyler. Jennifer Lopez said Sanchez had the sort of vocal talent you don't find every day. And Randy Jackson called the 16-year-old a phenomenon and said she was "in it to really win it," before throwing focus to Julian Lennon, who for some mysterious reason was in the audience.
That all sounds great until you consider what the judges had told Ledet after he sang James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" mere moments before. Ledet really dug into it, but for me, his version paled in comparison to Juliet Simm's inspiring take on it on "The Voice" last week. A woman brings a particular meaning to that song I missed in Ledet's hands. Plus, I didn't love his growl. (Should we blame his new Seacrest-dubbed "bromance" with Phillips, a veteran growler, for that?)
But the judges, well, they sounded like the characters in that kids book "Guess How Much I Love You," competing to be Ledet's biggest admirer. "Neither man nor woman has ever sang that good or with that much compassion on this show, ever," Tyler told Ledet, though I continue to wonder if his "Idol" knowledge goes back further than last season. "I can go home right now. I never heard anything like that in my life."
Jackson took it further. "I think it was the best performance in the history of any singing show!" And Lopez? "I saw the Lord."
The poor judges had peaked too soon and run out of superlatives. They had little left to offer Sanchez, although as she stood before them, trembling and weeping, they scraped together what they could.
They'd also used up a few gushy phrases on Phillips, whose cover of Damien Rice's "Volcano" really deserved to be gushed over: intensely contained and impressively melodic, showing off a range it was not previously clear Phillips had. Tyler said it was the kind of song he could see listening to in headphones "over and over and over." Lopez called it "one of the most beautiful, poignant moments a contestant has ever had." And Jackson rightly told Phillips it was "one of your best performances of the whole season."
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Those three songs, by three very different contestants, were probably the evening's highlights, though you could also toss Phillips and Ledet's cover of Maroon 5's "This Love" and Seacrest faking us out into thinking, for a split-second, that he was about to propose to his girlfriend, Julianne Hough. (That rascal. At least she seemed to be in on the joke.)
Other strong performances included Sanchez singing Etta James's "Steal Away" (the tune was a little too old for her, but she proved she could really sing the blues), Ledet's take on Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" (very different from Chris Mann's more operatic, less emotive take on "The Voice" the other night, and with some too-literal staging), and Hollie Cavanagh's powerful performance of Journey's "Faithfully." Parts of Phillips' version of CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" weren't bad, either, though he seemed to be straining on the top notes.
But Cavanagh had a song-choice stumble with Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," a great song, but one with which she couldn't manage to make us love her. And given that the producers didn't do Cavanagh or Sanchez any favors with their duet on "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles, a swingin' production that was beyond peculiar, I think this could be the week Cavanagh finally heads home — and not in the camera-ready way the three finalists will enjoy.
What did you think of the performances? And who's your favorite for the win?
"American Idol" vs. "The Voice"
Each week our experts and readers rank the best of the best between the two blockbuster singing competitions. Last week, readers put "American Idol's" Jessica Sanchez just slightly ahead of "The Voice's" Juliet Simms on top. Who will be the favorite this week? Vote below and check out last week's performances and see what our judges had to say at latimes.com/idol-voice.
'Idol' vs. 'The Voice': Vote for your favorite
Chris Mann, "The Voice"
Hollie Cavanagh, "American Idol"
Jermaine Paul, "The Voice"
Jessica Sanchez, "American Idol"
Josh Ledet, "American Idol"
Juliet Simms, "The Voice"
Phillip Phillips, "American Idol"
Tony Lucca, "The Voice"
Vote
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— Amy Reiter
Photo: (From left) Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Josh Ledet and Hollie Cavanagh on "American Idol" Wednesday. Credit: Michael Becker / Fox.
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Donna Summer dead: Her voice soared through disco and beyond
May 17, 2012 | 11:05 am
Donna Summer died Thursday after a battle with cancer. The 63-year-old Summer was known for her soaring voice and sensual purrs that made her a queen of disco when the genre was in its heyday in the 1970s. And it was a title she held well beyond those years.
A statement from her family called Summer "a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith."
"While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy," according to the statement released by Universal Music, her record label. "Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time."
Summer had been living in Englewood, Fla., with her husband, Bruce Sudano.
She was a five-time Grammy winner. Although best remembered for her songs decades ago, Summer continued to tour and record, including a stint last year as a guest judge on the Bravo reality show "Platinum Hit."
Born LaDonna Andrea Gaines in suburban Boston on New Year’s Eve, 1948, Summer was one of seven siblings in a church-attending family who encouraged studies and singing in equal measure.
An early fan of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, Summer sang in a Boston rock band called Crow in the late 1960s, and left home for New York City at age 18 to find work on Broadway, which she did quickly by landing a role in a touring version of the hot Broadway show “Hair.”
She spent the next three years living and touring in Europe. There she met and married the singer Helmut Sommer, whose last name she adapted as her stage name.
While in Europe she also met Italian music producer Giorgio Moroder, whose early dance tracks were making an impact across Europe. Moroder and Summer started working together, resulting in their first hit, the seductive 17-minute-long dance floor epic “Love to Love You Baby.” On it, Summer moans in ecstasy throughout, seeming to climax with the music. A shortened version of it was released by then-hot label Casablanca in 1975, and peaked on the Billboard singles chart at No. 2.
That was the first of a string of songs that not only helped bring disco to the mainstream, but predicted the rise of both techno and house music. Among those were “I Feel Love,” “Bad Girls,” “She Works Hard for the Money” and “On the Radio.”
But unlike some other stars of disco who faded as the music became less popular, she was able to grow beyond it and later segued to a pop-rock sound. She had one of her biggest hits in the 1980s with "She Works Hard for the Money," which became an anthem for women's rights.
Soon after, Summer became a born-again Christian and faced controversy when she was accused of making anti-gay comments in relation to the AIDS epidemic. Summer denied making the comments but was the target of a boycott.
Still, even as disco went out of fashion she remained a fixture in dance clubs, endlessly sampled and remixed into contemporary dance hits.
Her last album, "Crayons," was released in 2008 and marked her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on "American Idol" that year with its top female contestants.
The American Idol vs. The Voice, Dancing With the Stars, The X Factor
****
‘Idol’ Grapples With Its Own Competition
By BRIAN STELTER
Published: May 22, 2012
As Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips, above, vie to win the current season of “American Idol,” that Fox show itself feels the heat of TV contenders. =pic
As Fox’s “American Idol” wraps its 11th season this week with a sing-off between Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez, those involved with the show are asking what went wrong, a rare dose of soul-searching for a show that has been the runaway hit of this century.
Changes may be afoot for “American Idol,” whose ratings have declined. Jennifer Lopez may leave as a judge after this season. =pic
“Idol” lost nearly a quarter of its audience this season (it is still huge), dipping below 20 million viewers for the first time since 2003, when a ratings surge made it the No. 1 entertainment program on American television. The drop-off was even more steep among viewers ages 18 to 49, the demographic mostly highly sought by the networks.
As a result, there is no longer bluster in the voices of the “Idol” judges and Fox executives who had confidently predicted that they would fend off “The Voice,” NBC’s one-year-old competitor, this season. Though some at Fox were initially dismissive of “The Voice,” they now think it was among the reasons for the double-digit decline.
Kevin Reilly, the president of entertainment for Fox, said last week that there would be some “creative reinvigoration” of the “Idol” franchise for next season.
But first there’s another winner to crown, which will take place live on Fox on Wednesday night. The choice is stark this season, between Mr. Phillips, 21, who would become the fifth consecutive white male guitarist to win the competition, and Ms. Sanchez, 16, who would become the youngest “Idol” winner. She would also be the first Latina to win, visibly representing change for a program that some TV critics have labeled boring.
Given that the series has been on TV since 2002, Ms. Sanchez “probably can’t remember a world without ‘American Idol,’ ” said Jeff Alexander, who dutifully recaps the show each week as M. Giant for the Web site Television Without Pity. “She’s trained to be on the show since she was 5, and it’s like watching somebody who was grown in a vat for this purpose.”
Some might say the same about Mr. Phillips, a Dave Matthews sound-alike who follows in the footsteps of the past four winners, Scotty McCreery, Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen and David Cook. Online odds-makers say Mr. Phillips is favored to win, but some social-media analysis companies say Ms. Sanchez, a powerhouse singer who idolizes Beyoncé, is more popular among online commenters. Fox has been paying close attention to the social-media chatter this season, and it says the millions of comments affirm that “Idol” remains the most culturally relevant show on television.
But the ultimate judge remains the Nielsen ratings. Last year, when “Idol” rebounded slightly from lows that were a record in 2010, a typical episode garnered 24.7 million viewers, excluding the finale week. Of those viewers, 10.8 million were between the ages of 18 and 49. Compare that with this year, when a typical episode has attracted about 19.2 million viewers, 7.5 million of whom are in that same demographic.
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“The Voice,” which benefited from a post-Super Bowl premiere, came close to tying “Idol” in that demographic, with 7.2 million on a typical night. And ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” came close among total viewers, with 18.3 million on dancing nights, and 16 million on results nights.
This is something new for “Idol”: true competition. Peter Rice, chairman of the Fox Networks Group, said in an interview that the ratings decline for “Idol” was a surprise at first, but, “in hindsight, when you look at it, it became a much more crowded space.”
Though “The Voice,” with its trademark red revolving judges’ chairs, was shown earlier in the week than “Idol,” the two still competed for attention and DVR space. Nigel Lythgoe, an executive producer of “Idol,” cited “The Voice” when he was asked to explain the ratings drop last week. “It’s never been like this before,” he said.
Mr. Lythgoe also cited “The X Factor,” the rival singing competition created by Simon Cowell that had its premiere on Fox last fall. Presumably some viewers feel committed to “The X Factor” and Mr. Cowell instead of “Idol.” Fox had little choice but to broadcast “The X Factor”; Mr. Cowell would have taken it to another network if Fox had not bought it. “The X Factor” helped to juice Fox’s fall lineup last year, and it’s almost impossible to know what effect it has had on “Idol” this spring.
For now “Idol” remains No. 1 after 11 seasons, an accomplishment even rival network executives note with awe. But it will have to fight to stay there. “The X Factor,” with two new judges in Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, will rival “The Voice” again in the fall, leading to even more concern that viewers will tire of the star-search format.
Jess Cagle, managing editor of Entertainment Weekly, said he had seen evidence of “Idol” fatigue in the magazine’s sales and Web traffic. “While the show still does solid numbers for us online, it’s no longer the juggernaut it once was,” Mr. Cagle said. Online page views for “Idol” coverage this season are about half of what they were in 2010, he said.
So cue the talk of changes to “Idol,” just as there was a few years ago when the show’s ratings started slipping. There is speculation that one “Idol” judge, Jennifer Lopez, will leave the show after this season, speculation aided by Ms. Lopez, who has said she has not decided whether to return. Fox has declined to comment.
Chase Carey, the chief operating officer of Fox’s parent, News Corporation, reminded investors early this month that “Idol” was “a big, valuable franchise and makes a lot of money.” He added, “We certainly think we’ve got a lot of life left in it.” But this year, he suggested, the producers “probably didn’t do enough” to make the show feel fresh.
They will do more next season, Mr. Lythgoe told reporters last week, though he had already ruled out one change: “I’ve rejected the revolving chairs.”
アメリカンアイドルの始まりの頃は凡人にとって珍しくて、ほんの数シーズンをみていたに過ぎない。その後はまったく興味がなくなって観ていない。久々のアメリカンアイドルだ。クレイ・エーケンが２位となった時とキャリー・アンダーウッドとジョーダン・スパークが共に栄冠に輝いた合計３シーズン。大分前の話。だから過去の最近の５シーズンの勝者は誰かはまったく知らない。今シーズンに毎週チャンネルをあわせるのはジェシカ・サンチェスの歌いっぷりが気に入り、彼女の舞台を見るため。だから彼女がいなかったら、アメリカンアイドルにはまったく興味がなかったろう。
****
If You Love 'American Idol,' Vote For Jessica Sanchez
May 22 2012 2:58 PM EDT 18,041
With the 'Idol' finale upon us, and Phillip Phillips the likely winner, Bigger Than the Sound tries to save the show from itself.
By James Montgomery
Unlike in previous years, when I called David Cook "a sociopolitical barometer with an awesome comb-over" and compared Adam Lambert to Barack Obama, I've avoided making sweeping generalizations about the 11th season of "American Idol," mostly because, at this point, there's not much about the show that inspires me to do anything (except complain, of course).
Worn down by the past four seasons — the revolving cast of judges, that time Casey Abrams did Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and, of course, the lilywhite list of champions (Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery) — I've come to view "Idol" for what it really is: a massively bloated, increasingly out-of-touch behemoth, one that lumbers and crashes with much import but leaves nary a footprint on the cultural landscape. It has become predictable almost to the point of parody, thanks to the de-fanging of the judges (not everyone is amazing, guys) and the voters, who, judging by their recent track record, seem to value stuff like "nice smiles" and "upper body strength" over genuine talent and commercial appeal. Oh, and the Y chromosome above everything else.
Because of that, "Idol" has unquestionably suffered. Long gone are the days when the show could create actual chart-dominating superstars. None of the previous four winners have done much of anything, sales-wise, which isn't really surprising, given the female-driven shift of popular music. Rihanna or Katy Perry or Lady Gaga or Beyoncé could never be crowned champion these days, mostly because voters would choose the handsome guy with the guitar instead. Given that they're the biggest stars in the universe, that's slightly troubling. If anything, "American Idol" has become completely antithetical to what it set out to be: It reflects the whims of a demographic more attuned to adult contemporary as opposed to pop music.
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And yet, I find myself breaking my season-long ban on "Idol" just in time for Tuesday night's (May 22) performance finale, which pits yet another handsome dude with a guitar — the indomitably growly Phillip Phillips — against the sassy, sublimely talented Jessica Sanchez. I'm making this exception mostly because I have loved this show for 11 seasons now, but also because tonight's extravaganza is much more than just another overproduced coronation ceremony: It may very well be a battle for the future of the show itself.
See, for the first time in years, "Idol" voters have a chance to make a genuine change tonight. In Sanchez, they have the show's best hope recapturing that old magic, of creating an actual, of-the-moment pop superstar. She is young (just 16) and current, she can sing pop, R&B and soul, and, as her alter ego BeBe Chez has proven, she possesses that sheer diva-tude that has driven the likes of RiRi and Bey to superstardom. In every way, from her biracial background to her grab bag of musical inspirations (Mariah, Xtina, MJ) to her supreme belief in self, she best represents the whims and attitudes of the millennial generation that drives trends and shapes culture (and downloads singles). In short, she is relatable to the people who really matter, and that's the key to it all. Like Rihanna or Katy or Gaga, there is a belief — either real or imagined — that today's biggest stars aren't only your best friends, they're you, living out your wildest dreams and fantasies.
And "Idol" hasn't had a potential champ like that since, shoot, maybe Jordin Sparks in 2007 (who actually won). Allison Iraheta was gone too soon. Crystal Bowersox was great, but she wasn't going to go pop, no matter what. Haley Reinhart was an old soul, pure and simple. And last year's runner-up, Lauren Alaina, well, she was country to the core. By giving Sanchez the crown, not only can voters send her on her way, but they give the show a shot at actually becoming culturally relevant once again. It can be the launching pad for the next great superstar.
But will they actually do it? Of course not. Phillips is going to win this one in a landslide, carrying on the proudly predictable tradition of the past four seasons — back in January, I begrudgingly signed off my "Idol" predictions piece by declaring "a white guy will win anyway" — and (probably) disappearing very quietly into the night. He seems like a nice enough dude, but he's certainly no superstar, and his win will only send "Idol" further down the relevancy scale, if that's even possible. It will just be more of the same, which, for a show currently on life support, might prove fatal. And when the confetti falls on Wednesday night, and Phillips cracks that same goofy grin, I will shed a tear for this once-proud show and promise myself that I will never watch again. Of course, I will anyway.
So, "Idol" voters, if you love this show like I do (for whatever reason: unintentional comedy, overwrought balladry, you are contractually obligated to write about it, etc.), I urge you to set aside your emotions and vote for Jessica Sanchez. It's the only way we can save "American Idol" from itself. Was she the best contestant this season? Of course not. But she's still standing, and she's our only hope. No offense to Phillips, but in our hour of desperation, we don't need Kris Allen 2.0. We need a glimmer of hope, we need someone to believe in ... we need BeBe Chez.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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訂正：過去５シーズンと書いたが、明らかに間違いで最近の過去４シーズンが正しい。５年になるとジョーダン・スパークが入るため。クレイ・エーケンはシーズン２。
Season 10 Scotty Mccreery
Season 09 Lee Dewyze
Season 08 Kris Allen
Season 07 David Cook
Season 06 Jordan Sparks
Season 05 Taylor Hicks
Season 04 Carrie Underwood
Season 03 Fantasia Barrino
Season 02 Ruben Studdard
Season 01 Kelly Clarkson
Eugene Polley, Inventor of the First Wireless TV Remote, Dies at 96
By Associated Press | May 22, 2012 |
Zenith engineer Eugene Polley invented the "Flashmatic" (seen in the above ad), which represented the industry's first wireless TV remote.CHICAGO (AP) — A spokesman for Zenith Electronics says Eugene Polley, the inventor of the first wireless TV remote control, has died.
John Taylor says the former Zenith engineer died of natural causes Sunday at a suburban Chicago hospital. He was 96.
Couch potatoes everywhere have Polley to thank for hours of feet-up, channel surfing. His invention began as a luxury, but has become a necessity in an era of hundreds of TV channels and home theaters. Just ask anyone who’s lost a remote.
Polley’s 1955 Flash-Matic pointed a beam of light at photo cells in the corners of the screen. This activated the picture and sound and changed channels.
Polley and fellow Zenith engineer Robert Adler were honored in 1997 with an Emmy for their work in pioneering TV remotes.
Phillip Phillips Has 'American Idol' In The Bag, Experts Say
'The show exists to find the next cute white guy with a guitar,' says Richard Rushfield, author of 'American Idol: The Untold Story.'
May 23 2012 5:08 PM EDT 12,299
By Gil Kaufman
Even if she hadn't been saddled with what is possibly the worst "American Idol" finalist song in the show's history, the chances of Jessica Sanchez beating Phillip Phillips seemed slim.
The guitar-strumming, foot-swiveling, five-o'clock-shadow-having Dave Matthews doppelgänger was many critics' early pick to continue the recent trend of cute white boys who strum guitars winning the crown. So MTV News asked some of our favorite "Idol" experts to place their bets on who will be dusting confetti out of their hair when Ryan Seacrest reads the final results Wednesday night (May 23) and, well, it was (almost) unanimous.
"I think she came into the night with approximately zero percent chance of winning, and I don't think that song changed that," said "American Idol: The Untold Story" author Richard Rushfield when asked if Sanchez's last-ditch chance to win was ruined by the treacly pop ballad "Change Nothing." "I think she was doomed from the start. After the top 24 was unveiled, I tweeted a congratulation to Phillip Phillips for winning 'American Idol' season 11, and every week since, I've tweeted the same."
Rushfield said this season gave him no reason to doubt that Phillips would continue the "cute white boy dynasty," because, at this point, it would take something "monumental" to change that, and Sanchez wasn't it. "If something happens five times, you can assume it will happen 20 times," he said.
Longtime "Idol" blogger MJ Santilli sighed and checked the box marked "Phillip" as well, though she wasn't enthused about doing it. "It's just become predictable that there's a certain sort of winner," she said. "Maybe we need someone a little different. ... If Jessica had come out and really killed all three of her songs, she might have had a chance to grab the casual viewers who turn in for the last few weeks, but she really had an uphill battle."
The dissenting opinion came from TVLine.com "Idol" recapper Michael Slezak, who said he was pretty confident of a Sanchez victory. "Phil won the night [on Tuesday], but I think she has a slight edge on him for the season. I think he had a bit of a rocky road through his 'Idol' journey, and somewhere between the top-nine week and the top-four week, he wasn't performing like an 'Idol' winner should."
Even though Phillips came on strong the past few weeks — and Sanchez was almost booted before the judges saved her in week seven — Slezak said she pulled it back together and ended the season with some of her strongest performances. "There's still a cosmic price to pay [for Phillip] for what happened midseason."
Former MTV News "Idol in 60 Seconds" star Jim Cantiello also predicted Phil would win way back in January, but he thinks show creator Simon Fuller's song choice on Tuesday night's show sealed the deal. "That set the tone, and to give Jessica a song that been covered so many times on 'Idol' [Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing'] seemed like a slap in the face," he said. "And to give Phil a song only three people have sung before [Ben E. King's 'Stand by Me'] ... it just set up Phil to do his thing."
Cantiello said if Sanchez hadn't gotten eliminated and saved, then there's a part of him that thinks she might have a shot at an upset. "But [Phillip] was never even in the bottom, let alone getting voted off once."
Who do you think is going to win "American Idol"? Let us know in comments below!
フィリップが栄冠。その瞬間、アメリカン・アイドルに嫌気が差した時。番組の興味が吹っ飛んだ瞬間である。というのも先の記事にもあるように勝者が予想できるからだ。過去五年間みな同じタイプ。ギター弾きのハンサム白人男性。その背景には視聴者の大多数が若い女性ということなのだろう。歌の上手さよりも、またミュージシャンとしての将来の成功よりも、キャーキャー叫ぶファン層によって支えられている番組。4年間の勝者の誰も、その後の音楽キャリアが伸び悩んでいる。レコードの売り上げが芳しくない。そういう状況下で、どんなに成功する歌手としての素質を備えていても、コンテストで歌唱力がどんなにトップでも、アメリカン・アイドルに選ばれる大きなポイントとはならないことがわかる。アメリカン・アイドル出身でその後も成功している歌手は、ホンの一握り。グラミー賞の常連、ケリー・クラークソン（グラミー賞授賞）、キャリー・アンダーウッド（グラミー賞授賞）、ジェニファー・ハドソン（アカデミー賞授賞）。みんな女性ということに注目。アメリカンアイドルはこの手の番組でトップの座にあるが、視聴率は年々右下がり。今回が最低を記録したらしい。最近生まれた他局の「ザ・ボイス」が視聴率で迫ってきている。「アメリカン・アイドル」番組の過去の栄光は徐々に崩れつつある。
*****
Phillip Phillips Wins 'American Idol'
May 24, 2012
Phillip Phillips was crowned the season 11 "American Idol" champion on Wednesday night's results show.
More than 132 million votes came in after Tuesday's performance show -- a new "Idol" record.
Jessica Sanchez was this season's runner up. Phillips was overcome with emotion performing his winner's song, "Home," as the show ended.
Before the results were revealed, Sanchez and Phillips sang the Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes duet, "Up Where We Belong."
The top 12, minus Sanchez and Phillips, opened the show with a group performance of Bruno Mars' "Runaway Baby."
Phillips teamed up with John Fogerty to sing Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" which he had performed earlier in the season. They followed it up with the CCR staple, "Bad Moon Rising."
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Sanchez later revisited Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," the song she first made a big impact with earlier in the season. She returned for a real show-stopping performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," from "Dreamgirls," with the woman who sang it originally on Broadway, Jennifer Holliday.
Joshua Ledet teamed up with Fantasia for a duet on the early Elton John song, "Take Me to the Pilot." Ledet was called "Mantasia" for most of the season, so this duet was a big moment for "Idol" fans.
The ladies of the top 12 sang Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody" and "Through the Fire" before Khan joined them on "I'm Every Woman."
Michael Becker/FOXPhillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez are seen... View Full Size Michael Becker/FOXPhillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez are seen on the on "American Idol" finale night, May 22, 2012.
The guys of the top 12 sang Neil Diamond's "America," "Cracklin' Rosie" and "I'm a Believer" before Diamond joined them for "Sweet Caroline."
The top 12 also poked fun at judge Randy Jackson's overused phrase about good singers being able to sing the phone book by actually singing the phone book in a funny skit.
In tribute to the late Robin Gibb, the top 12 guys sang a Bee Gees medley, including "Words," "How Deep Is Your Love," "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and "To Love Somebody."
Rihanna emerged out of a box onto a smoke-filled stage to perform "Where Have You Been." It was a high-production number with dancers and lasers accentuating Rihanna's latest hit.
Skylar Laine teamed up with country icon Reba McEntire for a collaboration on her no. 1 hit, "Turn Up the Radio."
Hollie Cavanagh was joined by Jordin Sparks for a duet on the show tune, "You'll Never Walk Alone."
Judge Jennifer Lopez turned in a performance of "Goin' In" from the upcoming movie, "Step Up Revolution," and "Follow the Leader" featuring Wishin & Yandel. Of course, Lopez was backed up by a big team of dancers.
Judge Steven Tyler performed with Aerosmith towards the end of the night, too. The group sang its new song, "Legendary Child," before going into "Walk this Way."
As part of the show, Ford presented new Ford Escapes to Phillips' musical mentor, his brother-in-law, Ben Neil, and Sanchez's mentor, Robert Talon. Phillips and Sanchez also got new 2013 Ford Fusions.
Several stars were spotted in the crowd, including former "Idol" champ Carrie Underwood and Jane Lynch of "Glee." Lauren Alaina and Taylor Hicks were there, too.
"Idol" alums and real-life couple Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo actually got engaged on the show. Young went down on his knees and presented her a ring, and DeGarmo nodded yes before they shared a big kiss. Seacrest held the ring's box as Young slipped it on DeGarmo's finger.
Preparations for "American Idol's" 12th season are already underway. Auditions for next season start in Los Angeles at Dodgers Stadium on June 7.
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入場料値上げにも人気に響かず、不況に強いディズニーランド・アナハイム
****
Theme parks' entry prices jump
With added rides and rising crowds, Disney and others are lifting fees to new heights.
By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times
May 26, 2012
Alhambra secretary Laurie Casado struggles each year to buy Disneyland annual passes for herself and her family, so the park's announcement last week that it was jacking up prices by up to 30% wasn't exactly good news.
But Casado will buy the passes anyway and cut out something else.
"I'll keep going because Disney is a big part of our lives," said Casado, who buys annual passes for her husband, daughter and two grandsons, ages 4 and 5. "But the price increase is so disheartening."
Disheartening, perhaps, but inevitable, industry experts say. Disneyland and other theme park operators have learned that they can raise prices without denting attendance.
This year, modest improvements in the economy and a major new attraction at Disney's California Adventure has apparently emboldened park operators to boost prices a bit more than usual, according to John Gerner, a theme park consultant and managing director for Leisure Business Advisors.
"Now that the economy has improved, that in itself justifies increasing prices," Gerner said.
Disney officials declined to explain their reasons behind the latest hike, except to say in an email, "we periodically evaluate and adjust our pricing structure to ensure we are offering a great entertainment value."
This year, daily passes for the Anaheim Disney parks — Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park — rose as of May 20 from $80 to $87. The biggest increase hit the estimated 300,000 park-goers, such as Casado, who buy premium annual passes that include parking. Those went from $499 to $649.
The jump last year was lower — Disney raised the daily pass by $4 and increased the price of the premium annual pass by $40.
Industry experts said the steeper hike in 2012 was probably tied to a major expansion at California Adventure, including Cars Land, a 12-acre addition with rides and other attractions based on the hit animated Disney "Cars" movies. It opens June 15.
"This is all about Cars Land," said David Koenig, author of four books about Disney's theme parks. "If it wasn't for Cars Land, the increase would be $4 or $5. Park-goers will go to see Cars Land."
Koenig also noted that the big jump in annual pass fees may be intended as a cap on those visitors. Pass holders tend to be Southern California locals who don't spend as much on food and souvenirs, and they can crowd out the big-spending out-of-towners, he said.
"There is no room in the park and the parking lot for this many people to come back over and over and over," he said.
The last time prices rose so much was in 2005, shortly before the park unveiled an array of new shows and attractions to celebrate its 50th anniversary. At that time, daily ticket prices for Disneyland jumped almost 13% — from $49.75 to $56.
Not all Disney fans have kept coming to the parks in the face of price hikes.
Torrance resident Marrianne Welsh, 69, had been visiting Disneyland since she was a girl but stopped in recent years.
"In this time of the Great Recession, one would think Disney officials would reconsider this annual price hike in favor of a reduction," Welsh said, "so more people can enjoy Disneyland and all it offers."
But overall, visitation is up nationwide for Disney. For the first three months of 2012, attendance at all Disney parks in the U.S. was up 7% and per capita spending was up 5%, according to the most recentWalt Disney Co.earnings report.
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"Because of all the new stuff we're doing," Disney's Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo recently told financial analysts, the company was enjoying "a lot of demand on the annual pass programs, particularly out here on the West Coast." "Disney" was the top Google travel search term in January and February, surpassing even "Las Vegas," "Florida" and "Hawaii," according a study by the AdGooroo digital marking firm.
"The annual passes are going up at least 30%, and they are doing it because the parks have been so packed," said Al Lutz, who writes the Miceage blog about Disney.
Although Disney's ticket prices are typically the highest of any Southern California theme park, others follow a similar pattern.
At Universal Studios Hollywood, one day passes increased in April from $77 to $80, and annual passes that include parking jumped from $149 to $169 — a 13% boost. On Friday, the park debuted its multimillion-dollar attraction "Transformers: The Ride — 3D."
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, which is not launching any major attractions this summer, is keeping daily ticket prices at $57.99. Its annual passes, with some blackout days and no parking, are increasing starting July 1, from $69.99 to $74.99 — a 7% increase. The park's unlimited pass with parking has not been raised — it's $165.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia has a big new attraction debuting this summer — Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom. But the park is keeping its general admission price at $61.99. For the same price, patrons have been able to get an annual pass with blackout days and no parking. That changes June 4 when the pass price goes up to $71.99. However, the unlimited pass with parking remains $125.
"We continually evaluate pricing and are committed to maintaining our competitive edge," said Six Flags spokeswoman Sue Carpenter.
Although the price increases may not be welcome by park-goers, the Southern California economy benefits significantly from the presence of these venues, said Robert A. Kleinhenz, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
Theme parks in Los Angeles County alone employ about 35,000 workers, he said. The parks attract millions of out-of-town visitors whose spending helps boost local hotels, restaurants and other businesses and generates sales tax revenue for state and local government.
"It certainly does create valuable economic activity that wouldn't otherwise be here," Kleinhenz said.
The price increases are not likely to dissuade foreign tourists, who make plans to visit theme park months and even years in advance, according to industry experts.
"If there is going to be resistance, it will be from locals," said Gerner. After all, they're more likely go multiple times in a year.
To appease them, industry experts say theme park operators often unveil discount deals for area residents during lower attendance periods, particularly in the fall or winter months.
But Disney fans such as Casado don't want their visits to be limited to off-peak periods.
She created a savings account, and contributes to it often, to buy annual passes for her family. Casado said she and her family try to visit one of the Anaheim parks once a month.
"It hurts," she said of the price hike, "because we count on that as our only entertainment."
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分野は違っても天才が吐く言葉は総じて簡潔な人生哲学に集約される。それは "Do what you love and love what you do."
****
Ray Bradbury, author of 'Fahrenheit 451,' dies
By JOHN ROGERS
Jun 6, 6:14 PM EDTAssociated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Ray Bradbury imagined the future, and didn't always like what he saw.
In his books, the science fiction-fantasy master conjured a dark, depressing future where the government used fire departments to burn books in order to hold its people in ignorance and where racial hatred was so pervasive that some people left Earth for other planets.
At the same time, his work, just like the author himself, could also be joyful, whimsical and nostalgic, as when he was describing the magic of a Midwestern summer or the innocence and fearlessness of a boy who befriends a houseful of ghosts.
Bradbury, who died Tuesday at age 91, said often that all of his stories, no matter how fantastic or frightening they might be, were metaphors for everyday life and everything it entailed. And they all came from his childhood.
"The great thing about my life is that everything I've done is a result of what I was when I was 12 or 13," he said in 1982.
For more than 70 years, Bradbury spun tales that appeared in books and magazines, in the movie theater and on the television screen, firing the imaginations of generations of children, college kids and grown-ups across the world. Years later, the sheer volume and quality of his work would surprise even him.
"I sometimes get up at night when I can't sleep and walk down into my library and open one of my books and read a paragraph and say: `My God, did I write that? Did I write that?' Because it's still a surprise," he said in 2000.
In many ways, he was always that 12-year-old boy who was inspired to become a writer after a chance meeting with a carnival magician called Mr. Electrico who, to Bradbury's delight, tapped him with his sword and said: "Live forever!"
"I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard," Bradbury said later. "I started writing every day. I never stopped."
Many of his stories were fueled by the nightmares he suffered as a child growing up poor in the Midwest during the Great Depression. At the same time, though, they were tempered by the joy he found upon arriving with his family in glitzy Los Angeles in 1943.
Decades later he would still boast of hanging out at film studios and cajoling actors to sign autographs and pose for photos, even once getting 1930s movie queen Jean Harlow to kiss him on the cheek.
"What I have always been is a hybrid author," Bradbury explained in 2009. "I am completely in love with movies, and I am completely in love with theater, and I am completely in love with libraries."
Much of Hollywood was also in love with him, and tributes from actors, directors and other celebrities poured in upon news of his death.
"He was my muse for the better part of my sci-fi career," director Steven Spielberg said in a statement. "He lives on through his legion of fans. In the world of science fiction and fantasy and imagination, he is immortal."
Although he was slowed by a stroke in 1999 that forced him to use a wheelchair, Bradbury kept up socially and professionally.
As he had done for decades, he continued to write every day, trying to produce at least 1,000 words, in the basement of his home in the Cheviot Hills section of Los Angeles and to make frequent visits to book fairs, libraries and schools.
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His writings ranged from horror and mystery to humor and sympathetic stories about the Irish, blacks and Mexican-Americans.
Bradbury also scripted John Huston's 1956 film version of "Moby Dick" and wrote for "The Twilight Zone" and other television programs, including "The Ray Bradbury Theater," for which he adapted dozens of his works.
He rose to literary fame in 1950 with "The Martian Chronicles," a series of intertwined stories that satirized capitalism, racism and superpower tensions as it portrayed Earth colonizers destroying an idyllic Martian civilization.
His stories continue to be taught at high schools and universities.
"Kids still read him. They still love him. People come and go, but he's one of those writers who continually engages young people. I think his legacy is going to last for a long time," said Luis J. Rodriguez, author of "Always Running." He added that Bradbury's work helped inspire him to become a writer.
"The Martian Chronicles," like Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End" and the Robert Wise film "The Day the Earth Stood Still," was a Cold War morality tale in which imagined lives on other planets serve as commentary on human behavior on Earth. It has been published in more than 30 languages, was made into a TV miniseries and inspired a computer game.
The "Chronicles" also prophesized the banning of books, especially works of fantasy. It was a theme Bradbury would take on fully in the 1953 release, "Fahrenheit 451."
Inspired by the Cold War, the rise of television and the author's passion for libraries, it was an apocalyptic narrative of nuclear war abroad and empty pleasure at home. (Bradbury said he had been told that 451 degrees Fahrenheit was the temperature at which texts went up in flames).
It was Bradbury's only true science-fiction work, according to the author, who said all his other works should have been classified as fantasy. "It was a book based on real facts and also on my hatred for people who burn books," he told The Associated Press in 2002.
A futuristic classic often taught alongside George Orwell's "1984" and Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," Bradbury's novel also anticipated today's world of iPods, interactive television, electronic surveillance and live, sensational media events.
Francois Truffaut directed a 1966 movie version and the book's title was referenced - without Bradbury's permission, the author complained - for Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Although involved in many futuristic projects, including the New York World's Fair of 1964 and the Spaceship Earth display at Walt Disney World in Florida, Bradbury was deeply attached to the past. He refused to drive a car and shunned flying, saying a fatal traffic accident he witnessed as a child left him with a lifelong fear of automobiles. In his younger years he got around by bicycle or roller-skates.
Bradbury's literary style was honed in pulp magazines and influenced by Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe, and he became the rare science fiction writer treated seriously by the literary world.
In 2007, he received a special Pulitzer Prize citation. Seven years earlier, he received an honorary National Book Award medal for lifetime achievement, an honor given to Philip Roth and Arthur Miller among others.
Other honors included an Academy Award nomination for an animated film, "Icarus Montgolfier Wright," and an Emmy for his teleplay of "The Halloween Tree." His fame extended to the moon, where Apollo astronauts named a crater "Dandelion Crater," in honor of "Dandelion Wine," his beloved coming-of-age novel.
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Born Ray Douglas Bradbury on Aug. 22, 1920, in Waukegan, Ill., the author once described himself as "that special freak, the man with the child inside who remembers all." He claimed to have total recall of his life, dating even to his final weeks in his mother's womb.
His father, Leonard, a power company lineman, was a descendant of Mary Bradbury, who was tried for witchcraft at Salem, Mass. The author's mother, Esther, read him the "Wizard of Oz." His Aunt Neva introduced him to Edgar Allan Poe and gave him a love of autumn.
His childhood nightmares stocked his imagination, as did his youthful delight with the Buck Rogers and Tarzan comic strips, early horror films, Tom Swift adventure books and the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. He sold his first story in 1941 and published his first book, a short story collection called "Dark Carnival" in 1947.
Bradbury was so poor during those years that he didn't have an office or even a telephone. He wrote "Fahrenheit 451" at the UCLA library, on typewriters that rented for 10 cents a half hour. He said he carried a sack full of dimes and completed the book in nine days, at a cost of $9.80.
Although some academics doubted that account, saying he could not have created such a masterpiece in such a rapid, seemingly cavalier fashion, Bradbury maintained in several interviews with the AP over the years that that was exactly how he did it.
Until near the end of his life, Bradbury resisted one of the innovations he helped anticipate: electronic books, likening them to burnt metal and urging readers to stick to the old-fashioned pleasures of ink and paper.
In late 2011, as the rights to "Fahrenheit 451" were up for renewal, he gave in and allowed his most famous novel to come out in digital form. In return, he received a great deal of money and a special promise from Simon & Schuster.
The publisher agreed to make the e-book available to libraries, the only Simon & Schuster e-book at the time that library patrons could download.
A dynamic speaker with a booming, distinctive voice, Bradbury could be blunt and gruff, but he was also a gregarious and friendly man, approachable in public and often generous with his time to readers as well as fellow writers.
In 2009, at a lecture celebrating the first anniversary of a small library in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley, he exhorted his listeners to live their lives as he said he had lived his: "Do what you love and love what you do."
"If someone tells you to do something for money, tell them to go to hell," he shouted to raucous applause.
Bradbury is survived by his four daughters, Susan Nixon, Ramona Ostergren, Bettina Karapetian and Alexandra Bradbury. Marguerite Bradbury, his wife of 57 years, died in 2003.
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Associated Press writer Robert Jablon contributed to this report.
Daytime Emmy Awards 2012: Stars Celebrate At Low-Key Ceremony
6:49 PM PDT 6/23/2012 by Bill Higgins
"This is more of a family reunion than an award show,” said "General Hospital"s' Kristen Alderson at the 39th annual event, held at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
The fact that there was a murder-suicide in the hotel Friday night did little to dampen the festive atmosphere at the Beverly Hilton Saturday afternoon when the 39th annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy awards were presented.
While the atmosphere was festive, there was no danger of comparing the event with the Oscars or the Primetime Emmys. If you weren’t a fan of daytime television, there were few recognizable faces. It might be comparable to attending an award show for porn stars – if you’re not fluent with the genre it just looks like a gathering of attractive people wearing black-tie on a sunny afternoon. The overall impression was of wealthy folk who live in Santa Barbara and visit Los Angeles infrequently.
“For us, this is more of a family reunion than an award show,” said General Hospital’s Kristen Alderson. “There’s not so much riding on a win, so it’s easier to celebrate.”
As an example of how relatively low-key the scene was (and this might be a first) there was no traffic back-up at the BevHilton’s circular driveway. Guests just drove up; left the car; and were greeted by a few dozen fans. Inside there was a scene with people greeting each other in the lobby, but there was room for zookeeper Jack Hanna who had a lemur on his shoulder and was trailed by two women, one with an oversize porcupine on a leash; the other carrying a five ft.-long alligator. Not far from them was Gloria Allred handing out business cards. Somehow they both fit in.
“If the Primetime Emmys are Dad, then we’re mom,” said Judge Joe Brown exec producer John Terenzio, whose show had a pre-party in the lobby’s Le Chateau wine store. “In network TV, we do all the heavy lifting and we do it every day. And the kids love us more.”
PHOTOS: Emmys 2012: Behind the Scenes of THR's Comedy Actress Roundtable
There was the standard red carpet with a full complement of photographers, but the Daytime Emmys differed from other award shows as there was also a publicist who’d stand behind each arriving star with their name spelled out on a dry erase board. She was quite busy getting the names and spelling right.
One of those on the carpet was Kate Linder, who’s been on The Young and the Restless for 30 years (“I’ve been kidnapped twice”) who strongly defended the work done on daytime dramas. “We do 80 pages of script a day and we do the scenes in one take,” said the actress. “I’d like to see an Oscar winner do that.”
Daytime Emmy Awards 2012: The Winners List
4:58 PM PDT 6/23/2012 by THR Staff
The 39th annual ceremony featured big wins for "General Hospital," "Regis and Kelly", and "Dr. Oz."
The 39th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, broadcast live on HLN, took place at the Beverly Hilton hotel June 23. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences event featured tributes to recently cancelled programs including All My Children and One Life to Live, as well as the presentation of a lifetime achievement award given by Barbara Walters to veteran producer Bill Geddie.
Below is the list of the evening's winners.
Outstanding Drama Series
All My Children, ABC
Days of Our Lives, NBC
General Hospital, ABC* WINNER
The Young and the Restless, CBS
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Maurice Benard, as Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. on General Hospital
Anthony Geary, as Luke Spencer on General Hospital* WINNER
John McCook, as Eric Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful
Darnell Williams, as Jesse Hubbard on All My Children
Robert S. Woods, as Bo Buchanan on One Life to Live
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Crystal Chappell, as Dr. Carly Manning on Days of our Lives
Debbi Morgan, as Angie Hubbard on All My Children
Erika Slezak, as Viki Lord on One Life to Live
Heather Tom, as Katie Logan Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful* WINNER
Laura Wright, as Carly Corinthos Jacks on General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Bradford Anderson, as Damien Spinelli on General Hospital
Matthew Ashford, as Jack Deveraux on Days of our Lives
Sean Blakemore, as Shawn Butler on General Hospital
Jonathan Jackson, as Lucky Spencer on General Hospital* WINNER
Jason Thompson, as Patrick Drake on General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Melissa Claire Egan, as Annie Chandler on All My Children
Genie Francis, as Genevieve Atkinson on The Young and the Restless
Nancy Lee Grahn, as Alexis Davis on General Hospital* WINNER
Elizabeth Hendrickson, as Chloe Mitchell on The Young and the Restless
Rebecca Herbst, as Elizabeth Webber on General Hospital
Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
Eddie Alderson, as Matthew Buchanan on One Life To Live
Chad Duell, as Michael Corinthos on General Hospital
Chandler Massey, as Will Horton on Days of Our Lives* WINNER
Nathan Parsons, as Ethan Lovett on General Hospital
Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
Molly Burnett, as Melanie Layton on Days of our Lives
Shelley Hennig, as Stephanie Johnson on Days of our Lives
Christel Khalil, as Lily Winters on The Young and the Restless* WINNER
Jacqueline Macinnes Wood, as Steffy Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful
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Outstanding Culinary Program
Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction, Food Network* WINNER
Giada At Home, Food Network
Guy's Big Bite, Food Network
Sandwich King, Food Network
Outstanding Culinary/Lifestyle Host
Diada de Laurentis, Giada at Home
Rick Bayless, Mexico—One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless
Nate Berkus, The Nate Berkus Show
Paula Deen, Paula’s Best Dishes
Sandra Lee, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee* WINNER
Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, syndicated
Live with Regis and Kelly, syndicated* WINNER
The Talk, CBS
The View, ABC
Outstanding Talk Show/Informative
Anderson, syndicated
The Dr. Oz Show, syndicated* WINNER
The Doctors, syndicated
Outstanding Talk Show Host
Anderson Cooper
Dr. Mehmet Oz
Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa* WINNER
The Doctors (entire cast)
Outstanding Morning Program
Good Morning America, ABC
Today, NBC* WINNER
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Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program
America's Court with Judge Ross, syndicated
Judge Joe Brown, syndicated
Last Shot with Judge Gunn, syndicated* WINNER
We the People with Gloria Allred, syndicated
Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show
BrainSurge, Nickelodeon
Cash Cab, Discovery Channel
Jeopardy! syndicated* WINNER
Let's Make A Deal, CBS
Wheel of Fortune, syndicated
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, syndicated
Outstanding Game Show Host
Ben Bailey, Cash Cab
Todd Newton, Family Game Night* WINNER
Wayne Brady, Let’s Make a Deal
Meredith Vieira, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Outstanding Children’s Animated Program
Curious George, PBS
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Nickelodeon
Peep & The Big Wide World, American Public Television
Penguins of Madagascar, Nickelodeon* WINNER
Sid the Science Kid, PBS
SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon
Outstanding Performance in a Children’s Series
Dakota Goyo, as Josh on R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour The Series
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, as Abby Cadaby, on Sesame Street
Kevin Clash, as Elmo on Sesame Street* WINNER
Caroll Spinney, as Big Bird on Sesame Street
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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorcing
Jun 29, 6:53 PM EDT
By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It always seemed more than a little weird, didn't it? The whirlwind romance of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes with its very public, very emphatic proclamations of love. It all occurred too quickly and too loudly to seem real.
Now, after nearly six years of marriage, Holmes is divorcing Cruise. She filed the papers on Thursday, said Cruise's lawyer Bert Fields. The two share a daughter, 6-year-old Suri, who's been featured in celebrity media nearly as frequently as her parents.
But it's telling that even in addressing their split in the typically vague fashion of famous people, Cruise still refers to Holmes by the name he called her: Kate, as if to distance her from the adorable Katie audiences came to know and love from the teen soap "Dawson's Creek."
"Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children," Cruise's representative, Amanda Lundberg, told The Associated Press. "Please allow them their privacy to work this out."
Holmes' attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, made a similar plea Friday: "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family. Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."
But we've never been able to leave them alone - and even if we tried, they probably wouldn't let us.
Theirs was a bond that never really made sense on paper, despite Cruise's famously euphoric couch-jumping on "The Oprah Winfrey" show and Holmes' starry-eyed confession that she'd had a crush on the "Top Gun" star when she was a girl. Cruise turns 50 on Tuesday, Holmes is 33.
They'd kiss passionately for the benefit of photographers on red carpets and were all-too happy to share the romantic details of their engagement: He popped the question at the Eiffel Tower in Paris early one morning in June 2005. The wedding itself in November 2006 was a fairy-tale, A-list extravaganza at a 15th century Italian castle before a Church of Scientology minister.
So why didn't we believe them? Maybe because it always felt like they were trying so hard to prove to the world they were in love.
"I can't be cool. I can't be laid-back," Cruise said during his notorious "Oprah" appearance. "Something happened and I want to celebrate it."
Cruise has two children with his previous wife, Nicole Kidman. The actor was also previously married to Mimi Rogers. This was Holmes' first marriage.
Cruise showed up alone at recent premieres of the musical film "Rock of Ages," in which he's earning strong reviews for his performance as an Axl Rose-style lead singer. Holmes also was absent earlier this month when Cruise received the fourth-ever Friars Club Entertainment Icon Award. He said at the time that Holmes was overseas and the family would reunite in Iceland for Father's Day.
Yet a year ago, in receiving an award from Women in Film, Holmes thanked Cruise in the audience, saying his "commitment to his work and family inspires me daily."
Before the relationship, Holmes had drawn acclaim for her work in films like "Wonder Boys" and "Pieces of April." And Cruise was ... well, he was Cruise, one of the biggest stars on the planet. But the marriage, and the general speculation about its legitimacy, seemed to hurt both their images.
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It was around the time of the "Oprah" appearance that Sumner Redstone and Paramount broke ties with Cruise after their long relationship. Cruise's company, Cruise/Wagner Productions, then signed a deal with First & Goal LLC.
Redstone was recently quoted by The Hollywood Reporter as saying that he "actually fired Tom. His behavior was terrible ... He was jumping on the couch on the Oprah show. Women hated him. A lot of people said they would never come back and see Tom Cruise."
Kelly Lynch, editor of the pop-culture website Socialite Life, noted Friday the August 2005 W Magazine cover story on Holmes in which a woman described as Holmes' "Scientology chaperone" sat in on the interview and chimed in on her responses, even though Holmes herself was consistently ebullient about Cruise.
The chaperone also deflected particularly pointed or uncomfortable questions about rumors that this love might not be real.
"She wasn't Joey from `Dawson's Creek' anymore," Lynch said. "It was almost like the life had been sucked out of her when she started dating him."
Her first film back, the 2008 heist comedy "Mad Money," was a critical and commercial failure. That same year, Cruise came out as the eyepatch-wearing star of the Nazi thriller "Valkyrie," which drew mixed reviews but still made $200 million worldwide.
Holmes' recent films include Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" and the Emmy-winning mini-series "The Kennedys," in which she played Jackie Kennedy. Cruise, meanwhile, starred in the fourth film in the "Mission: Impossible" series, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," which has made more than $690 million worldwide.
Lynch said she was surprised by the demise of the duo dubbed "TomKat" because she figured that, no matter what, Cruise and Holmes would always try to maintain the meticulously crafted image that they were the perfect couple.
"Despite some of my reservations about the relationship, I thought they were happy to kind of swim along as man and wife, despite reports in every sort of magazine that they weren't getting along, that Katie is trapped in the marriage," Lynch said. "But I never truly believed that they were truly in love. It felt very arranged."
How the divorce impacts either of their images or careers remains to be seen, said veteran celebrity publicist Howard Bragman.
"They're both going to be defined by their choices. Tom was never really defined by the marriage. Tom was defined by Tom. He's such a force of nature," he said. "A single Tom Cruise is an interesting phenomenon. I think we'll be hearing about him dating.
"Katie will be fine. I think this raises her to a new level. I think she'll get more active in her career," Bragman added. "She's got talent, beauty, a good family, a good support system, good Midwestern values - these things are all going to serve her. I think mostly she's a good mother. That's what I respect her most for."
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AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report from New York.
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Houston tribute, obscenities highlight BET Awards
Jul 2, 4:13 AM EDT
By MESFIN FEKADU
Associated Press
With all the star power at the BET Awards (AP) -- Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few - the most stirring moment came not from a superstar, but from the mother of one.
Whitney Houston's mother Cissy provided the emotional highlight of Sunday's ceremony as she sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in tribute to her late daughter, leaving audience members like Beyonce and Soulja Boy in tears.
Mariah Carey opened the tribute, and her voice wavered as she told stories about Houston. She recalled the last time she saw Houston last year, and how the two laughed and gossiped together.
"I miss my friend," Carey said. "I miss hearing her voice and laughter."
R&B singer Monica was vocally top-notch as she sang "I Love The Lord," a gospel song once sang by Houston; Brandy sang two upbeat Houston hits, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight." Chaka Khan blazed the stage with "I'm Every Woman," which Houston remade. Gary Houston, Whitney's brother, also performed; and Houston's "Waiting to Exhale" cast mates - Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine - also honored the singer.
But it was Cissy Houston's soaring performance that brought the audience to their feet, and had many dabbing their eyes. The tribute came five months after Houston's death: She died the night before the Grammy Awards of an accidental drowning complicated by heart disease and cocaine use.
As compelling as that moment was, the show was also defined by its low points: Entire segments of performances, from Nicki Minaj to Rick Ross, were muted out due to foul language and obscenities, though several vulgarities were heard on air.
It started during the opening number by West's G.O.O.D. music group, which included Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz. There were long moments of censored silence when the rappers performed "Mercy," though not all the offending words were bleeped out. Moments later, Jackson, the show's host, was joined by Spike Lee as they did a comedic version of Jay-Z and West's hit song "... In Paris," to laughs.
"Two distinguished Morehouse men," Lee joked after the performance, referencing the alma mater of the two.
The censor police also worked overtime when Rick Ross performed with his Maybach Music Group and during Minaj's performance and acceptance speech for best female hip-hop artist. Minaj's win was her third consecutive time taking the prize.
"I really, really appreciate BET for keeping this category alive, and I appreciate all the female rappers doing their thing, past, present and future," she said, before uttering an obscenity.
Best gospel winner Yolanda Adams, who also performed, gently took some of her peers to task, urging them to act mature and use their fame wisely.
"We need all of y'all," she said onstage. "I'm saying the world needs everyone in this room. Please make sure that you use your gift responsibly, `cause we're watching. Our babies are watching, and they want to be like us."
West, the most nominated act of the night with seven, and Jay-Z won the ceremony's top prize, earning video of the year for "Otis." They also won best group.
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