R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor

Happy Birthdat Rachel

rachel won the oscar for the 2005 film 'the constant gardener' in the supporting category. it was one of those misplaced nominations. she deserved to be in the best actress category but studio manipulations placed the nom in supporting. they figured she had a better chance to win there. she won there. perhaps they were correct. 

rachel's 2010 release 'agora' did not get much theatrical play. i recommended it before and recommend it still. it's intelligent. it's about history repeating itself. it's relevance is this: the crazy right wing christians today are repeating the same things today as the original jesus cults did in ancient times. try it.it's important.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth and Oscarbation 1966

liz won two oscars. don't get me started on the first for 'butterfield 8'. but her second for 'who's afraid of virginia wolff' was so damn deserved. really who knew she could indeed act?

'who's afraid of virginia wolff'

making conversation

dancing and smothering

confrontations

Judi Dench: 'And Furthermore'

the wonderful dame judi in conversation. a must for theatre lovers.

ms. dench won the 1998 best actress in a supporting role for 'shakespeare in love'.

Oscarbation: Luise Rainer

ms rainer won two consecutive wins for 'the good earth' and 'the ziegfeld follies' in 1936 and 1937. ms. rainer turned 101 on january 12th. belated wishes luise.

1936 'the ziegfeld follies'

the scene that got her the gold

1937 'the good earth'

Remembering Donna on Her Birthday and Oscarbation 1953

donna reed may best remembered for her role in 'it's a wonderful life' with jimmy stewart.

or she may be best remembered for her role as donna stone on the 'donna reed show'

however donna should always be best remembered for her academy award winning role as alma 'lorene' burke in 'from here to eternity'

'Harry's Law' Tonight on NBC

 the great kathy bates in her own series. i hope i hope.....

and an added bonus it brings the talented brittany snow ('american dreams') back to series tv

Happy Birthday Ellen

ellen's oscar win was for her performance in 'alice doesn't live here anymore'

my favorite ellen burstyn film was her oscar nominated 'resurrection'.

Happy Birthday Sally

i love sally...always have...always will...enuf said!

two deserved oscar wins for best actress

and you know what? i like her. i really really still like her.

Academy Award Winner 'The Secret in Thier Eyes' ***1/2stars

academy award winner 'best foreign film' of 2009 is a great mystery and a story of love's labors lost and found. justice and pain and injustice and more pain all collide. it's that rare intelligent film which is always welcome.

trailer

Happy Birthday Kate

Rejoice Rejoice for on this date in 1975 a new star burst forth that would  shine with beauty and brilliance and she would be called Kate

Well I'm rejoicing. I first came to Kate by way of 'Sense and Sensibility' in 1995. I was impressed. So in 1996 when 'Jude' was released I went to see it. I am becoming more impressed. Also in 1996 I went to see 'Hamlet' because it was a sort of Julie Christie comeback. And there was Kate playing 'Ophelia' and I know longer needed more impressions. I knew then and there that Kate would be an actress to be reckoned with.

Then comes 1997 and the titanic 'Titanic'. The STAR was born. From that moment on Kate would rise to the heights of super stardom. But Kate would also amaze. Being offered a lot of major Hollywood movies Kate opted to do smaller independent films. This is how she really learned the craft. Kate became an actress not a "movie star". Thank god.

She had five Oscar noms with no win. I could quibble with three of them. I can really accept one: that being Jennifer Connelly in 2001. Kate in 'Iris' lost to Jennifer's 'A Dangerous Mind' and even I say that was correct. The lose to Helen Hunt in 1997 was a sham. Truth be told Julie Christie and Judy Dench also should have won over Hunt that year.

The real robberey was in 2004. Kate lost for 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. WHAT? And to Hillary Skank, typo intended, for 'Million Dollar Baby'. Ridiculous, Absurd, Embarrassment. MADDENING!. Hillary snuck in with the rest of the Clint Eastwood's film awards. Highway Robbery.

I do have things to say about her 2006 lose for 'Little Children' but I'll deal with that another time.

But Finally At Last Kate won the Oscar for 'The Reader'. Just desserts justly served.

Happy Birthday Kate. Thanks for acting. Thanks for the choices. Thanks for the Work.

revisiting two videos i made awhile ago on her birthday