New Oscar rule limits song noms to 2 per film

Last time around, the Oscar songs category was three times “Enchanted” a trick that may never be repeated.

The number of original songs that can be nominated from a single movie will now be limited to two, according to a rule change by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The academy’s governors approved the change late Tuesday.

Last year, Disney’s “Enchanted” had three titles in contention: “Happy Working Song,” “So Close” and “That’s How You Know.” The winner of best original song: “Falling Slowly,” from “Once.”

The new rule would also have applied in 2007, when three songs from “Dreamgirls” were nominated. That year, the Oscar went to “I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth”

The above article was originally posted here.

25 getting Hollywood Walk of Fame stars next year

Hollywood will enshrine an eclectic bunch in its famous curbside Walk of Fame next year, including Hugh Jackman, Ben Kingsley, The Village People and fictional Tinker Bell.

Recipients of the sidewalk stars also include Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr., Tim Burton, Leslie Caron, Charles Durning, Ralph Fiennes, William Petersen, Kyra Sedgwick, John Stamos, Mark Burnett, Chuck Lorre, Kenny “Baby Face” Edmonds, Dave Koz, The Miracles, Doug Morris, Rush, Shakira, KFI radio personality Bill Handel and KCRW host Harry Shearer, who also provides voices for characters on “The Simpsons.”

Cheeta isn’t on the list. The animal actor, whose credits include the 1967 comedy “Doctor Dolittle” and the “Tarzan” movies, was trying for the seventh time to get a sidewalk star.

His handlers had launched an online petition to get supporters to urge the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to give him a star in 2009.

Guinness World Records has called the 76-year-old chimp the oldest living, non-human primate. Cheeta is retired and lives in Palm Springs.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s Walk of Fame Committee chose the recipients, who were ratified by the board of directors Thursday.

The above article was originally posted here.

The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ellen DeGeneres has no plans to stop with her fourth consecutive Daytime Emmy for talk show host.

DeGeneres picked up the honor Friday night during the 35th annual Daytime Emmy ceremony at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre. Rookie “Rachael Ray” cooked up a surprising win in the talk show category, beating veteran talk show winners “The View” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Would DeGeneres consider pulling an Oprah Winfrey and refrain from submitting herself for future honors?

“I’m not going to take my name out,” DeGeneres deadpanned backstage. “Oprah has made so many bad choices. Look at her career.”

“General Hospital,” which celebrated its 45th anniversary this year, was honored with a record-breaking 10th drama Daytime Emmy. Anthony Geary, who plays Luke Spencer on the ABC show, took the lead actor honor, while Jeanne Cooper of CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” won lead actress.

As host, DeGeneres again bested Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa from “Live with Regis and Kelly” — as well as Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd from “The View,” the 11th consecutive loss for the “View” ladies as hosts.

Other acting honors went to supporting actress Gina Tognoni of CBS’ “Guiding Light”; supporting actor Kristoff St. John of “The Young and the Restless”; younger actor Tom Pelphrey of “Guiding Light”; and younger actress Jennifer Landon of CBS’ “As the World Turns.”

“I only made up my mind to come on Monday,” said Cooper, who’s been nominated for a lead actress trophy eight times but never won. “I’m glad I did.”

Philbin, who’s only won as talk show host once in the 20 years he’s hosted “Live,” took home one trophy, at least: the Lifetime Achievement Award. Jimmy Kimmel presented the award to the 76-year-old, whose career can be traced back to his days as an NBC page in the 1950s.

Kimmel joked that Philbin had logged 30 billion hours on TV as a host of talk, variety and game shows — and as the host of “Live” with his granddaughter Kelly.

“What a night,” Philbin said during his acceptance speech. “Tyra Banks told me to kiss her big beautiful, and I found out that I’m older than the ‘Guiding Light.’”

Banks picked up the first ever Daytime Emmy for informative talk show. Banks, “Dr. Phil” and PBS’ “A Place of Our Own/Los Ninos en su Casa” — a daily show about child care that has English and Spanish versions — didn’t have to spar with DeGeneres, “The View” or Ray for talk show this year thanks to the new category split.

“I want to thank Oprah Winfrey for her inspiration,” Banks said. “She is the queen and will always be the queen.”

Also new this year was the legal/courtroom program Daytime Emmy, which was awarded to “Cristina’s Court.” Formerly, “Judge Judy” competed in a special class category against shows like “Trading Spaces” and “A Baby’s Story.” This year, the veteran TV judge was joined by “Cristina’s Court,” “Judge Hatchett Show,” “The People’s Court” and “Judge David Young.”

The behind-the-scenes teams of ABC’s “One Life to Life” won both directing and writing team awards.

ABC shook up this year’s ceremony by adding a new interactive element and a Golden Globes-style seating arrangement at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre. The live broadcast was co-hosted by Sherri Shepherd from “The View” and Cameron Mathison from “All My Children.”

Instead of sitting in the Kodak’s stuffy theater seats, nominees gathered around their own banquet tables and were allowed to feast on food and sip booze from an open bar. Digital video cameras were placed at the tables, with footage uploaded to SoapNet.com throughout the broadcast.

“There was a few people enjoying the free booze,” co-host Mathison said in the press room.

After plummeting to an all-time low of 6.1 million viewers in 2006, last year’s Daytime Emmy Awards were watched by 8.3 million people, the ceremony’s best ratings since 2004, according to Nielsen Media Research. That scaled-down, two-hour Daytime Emmys aired on CBS after a rebroadcast of Bob Barker’s final “Price Is Right” episode and featured the game show host receiving his 19th Daytime Emmy.

The article above was originally posted here.

Zombie Girl (concert)

Deviant (Live: Electro-rock, Goth)

Independent Film Festival of Boston 2005

Boston, Massachusetts is hosting its annual Independent Film Festival this weekend. The Somerville Theatre, Coolidge Corner Theatre, and The MFA are hosting a variety of underground films from April 21-April 24. Steve Buscemi is making his directorial debut with his film, Lonesome Jim, a poignant portrait of a working class man (played by Casey Affleck). The all star cast includes Liv Tyler and Casey Affleck, the Afflecks are from around Boston so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was in attendance. Steve Buscemi will be in attendance at his showing and at the after-party. Tickets for both events are on sale at the Independent Film Festival of Boston’s website. This should be a star-studded event, plus the movies look incredible.

Hitch or Miss, Part Deux

So all I have to say is thank God I used a gift certificate to see “Hitch”. In all fairness, it wasn’t all that bad but between the predictability and being mind-numbingly painful to watch on the eve of a failed relationship, it lost points with me. I would recommend it as a DVD pick when it comes out in another month or so…

I’d also like to add my two cents on this year’s awards season. Two of my absolute favorite films of the last year (”Garden State” and “Motorcycle Diaries”) were snubbed during both the Oscars and Golden Globes for best picture, acting/directing honors, etc. (I am aware the “Diaries” was academy award-nominated for screenplay, which it shouldnt’ve lost!!). Both films were more poignant than “Ray” and “Million Dollar Baby”, and they struck a chord with me long after I left the theater. Why couldn’t a biopic about Che Guevara have the same commercial success as a film about Ray Charles? Did everyone go to the latter film because the lead actor was in “Booty Call”?!!!

Welcome to On Movies!

On Movies is a new weblog devoted to movies, the film industry, and everything Hollywood. (Well, not Prada slippers and $4.50 mocha lattes.)

On Movies will feature original reviews, as well as links to the latest film news from around the web.

OnMovies.net is another weblog brought to you by Niner Niner - your walkie-talkie to the world.

Niner Niner is collaboratively blogging the Long Tail of media — from movie reviews to medical privacy - we’ve probably got a blog for you.

To write for OnMovies.net or any of the Niner Niner weblogs, head over to NinerNiner.com and Signup today.