Oscars Best Actress Winner 2010 - Sandra Bullock! And Great Acceptance Speech (VIDEO)

Sandra Bullock was the favorite to win Best Actress at the 2010 Academy Awards, but considering that upsets often occur it wasn't until Sean Penn announced her name that Bullock knew for sure that she had won. (Her acceptance speech is below; I hope it will still be there by the time you read this.)



Sandra Bullock has had a long career in film, with many hits (and a number of misses) on her resume. Though she is a talented actress with great comic timing, the fact that she is known mostly for romantic comedies has limited her chances to be nominated for an Oscar. This year that all changed with her dramatic turn in "The Blind Side" as a wealthy white woman who adopts a young black man and helps him become a top college football prospect. ("The Blind Side" is based on the true story of Michael Oher, who now is an offensive lineman for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.)

This was the first Oscar nomination for Bullock, who has starred in popular comedies including Speed, While You Were Sleeping, Two Weeks Notice, The Proposal, Miss Congeniality, and Hope Floats. (One of Bullock's misses, All About Steve, won a Razzie Award for Bullock as Worst Actress, giving her the dubious distinction of becoming the only actress to win a Razzie and an Oscar in the same year.) Bullock has also been in some dramatic roles, most notably as part of the star-studded ensemble ine the Oscar-winning Crash.

Sandra Bullock's Oscar acceptance speech last night was classic Bullock: by turns funny, sincere, and gracious. She has a reputation as being a warm, genuine person, and in her speech she not only recognized her fellow nominees but paid tribute to the parents who care for children but don't get the credit or recognition they deserve. And she teared up when mentioning her own mother, Helga, who died in 2000.

With her Oscar win last night and other honors for The Blind Side, combined with the fact that her 2009 comedy The Proposal was her highest-grossing film to date, last year was a very good one for Sandra Bullock. Which makes her Razzie for All About Steve easier to take.

"I Already Work Around the Clock!" - Harrison Ford Line Lights Up the Internet

There's nothing like a new Internet meme to create a warm and fuzzy feeling of community, and the latest catch phrase buzzing around is a line from the new Harrison Ford movie, "Extraordinary Measures": "I already work around the clock!" (the blessed words are spoken about a minute and a half into the trailer above).

As an article on NowPublic.com notes, "I already work around the clock!" has gone viral, with an ESPN sportscaster claiming to have used it 25 times in a day. The article also refers to a Web site, ialreadyworkaroundtheclock.ytmnd.com, where you can hear the line repeated on infinite loop, with a photo of the angry Harrison Ford for inspiration.

"Extraordinary Measures" is about a father, Brendan Fraser, who seeks the help of a scientist (Ford) to find a cure for the disease that has stricken his children. Ford utters the now-famous line when Fraser tells him they must work around the clock to find the answer to the disease.

Will "I already work around the clock!" claim a place in the pantheon of other famous movie lines that have become Internet and pop-culture memes? Will it have the staying power of "Put the coffee down!," Alec Baldwin's classic from "Glengarry Glen Ross"? We'll find out when "Extraordinary Measures" opens January 22nd.

The A-Team Movie Trailer Hits the Web

"The A-Team" is the latest bygone TV show to be turned into a movie, and the trailer for the big-screen version in now online (only in a low-resolution version, from what I've seen). The movie doesn't open until June 11th, but the A-Team trailer will be screened in theaters this weekend.

The movie is directed by Joe Carnahan stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel, Quinton Jackson and Yul Vazquez.

Review of "Christina's House" Starring Allison Lange... Don't Let It In!

The good folks at Arrow in the Head Reviews (part of JoBlo.com) have watched the movie "Christina's House" so you don't have to. If their take on the film is correct, they are doing you a big favor, for they are none too impressed with this clunker or with its star, Allison Lange. The first part of their review reads:

"Seventeen year old (looks more like 30) Christina (Lange) lives with her nutso dad (Savage) and doofus younger brother (Stewart) in a new house. But an intruder is also hiding in the house. He likes to plant cookies, notes and commit the occasional murder. Who is this person and why doesn’t he/she get a freaking life?"

Arrow in the Head is somewhat more impressed with one aspect of Allison Lange's performance, however:

"Allison Lange (Christina) lets her t!ts take center stage in tight shirts and they do most of the acting."

The review also says Lange "scares us with her close ups (ouch!)." Ouch indeed.

Arrow in the Head's review is a hoot to read and, it sounds, much more fun that actually seeing Allison Lange and the rest of "Christina's House."

“The Foot Fist Way" Just Part of Danny McBride's Excellent Comedy Summer

Comedian Danny McBride is going to have a great summer. He's gone from having only one acting role in a movie to being in three of the summer's most anticipated movie comedies: “The Foot Fist Way,” (opening this Friday), “Pineapple Express,” and “Tropic Thunder.”

"Pineapple Express," of course, is the latest comedy from the comedy success machine of Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen (who serves as both actor and screenwriter for this film). Apatow is the producer or director of such successful and popular comedies as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up," "Superbad." and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

The Los Angeles Times offers a profile of McBride, telling how he went from night clerk at the Burbank Holiday Inn to sharing the bill with some of today's biggest and most established comedy names, including Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller. It talks about his knack for playing bumbing, awkward characters, which in this summer's movies involves McBride being beaten up, blown up, and tied up to a chair, among other things.

But if moviegoers like McBride as much as film festival audiences and his fellow actors do, it's going to be a very happy (and lucrative) summer for Danny McBride.

Michael Myers in "The Love Guru" - Movie Trailer

I've always been a fan of Michael Myers, so I was glad to see that the trailer is out for his new movie, "The Love Guru." Myers stars as an Indian guru (naturally) who counsels a hockey player to reunite with his wife, it seems. It's hard to tell from the trailer how good the movie will be, but I've liked Myers in everything from "So I Married an Axe Murderer" to "Wayne's World" and his SNL work, so I'll probably see it.

"The Love Guru" also stars the lovely Jessica Alba, and features Justin Timberlake (huh?) and Ben Kingsley... the man who played the title character in "Ghandi" many years ago.What's not to like? (Well, a couple of stars do not a good movie make, but I'll give Myers the benefit of the doubt.)

I just wish Myers had gotten his movie of "Sprockets" made. His Dieter character always made me laugh out loud when "Sprockets" was on SNL, with his "Germany's Most Disturbing Home Videos," his oddly spastic dancing, and his "Would you like to touch my monkey?" schtick.

Actor Roy Scheider Dies at Age 75

Actor Roy Scheider, best known as the police chief in the killer-shark movie "Jaws," died Sunday at age 75 at a hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. The hospital didn't release a cause of death, but someone at the hospital said that Scheider had been treated at the hospital for multiple myeloma for the last two years.

The 1975 blockbuster "Jaws," the first movie to earn $100 million at the box office, was an unforgettable role for Schieder. But he was also nominated for the golden statue for his role in 1971's "The French Connection." I'll always remember him for his role in 1979's "All That Jazz," an autobiographical film about dance director Bob Fosse, and I can still picture him getting out of bed in the morning, popping a bunch of pills, looking into the mirror, and saying, "It's showtime!" Scheider was nominated for best actor for that film.

According to an article from the Associated Press, "In 2005, one of Scheider's most famous lines in the movie — "You're gonna need a bigger boat" — was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U.S. movies."

Like Father, Like Son: Jason Reitman, Son of Ivan Reitman, Nominated for an Oscar

Jason Reitman has been nominated for the Best Director Oscar for the indie comedy "Juno."

The movie business is in his blood: Jason's father Ivan Reitman is the director of iconic comedies including "Stripes," "Meataballs," and "Ghostbusters," as well as "Legal Eagles," "Twins," "Junior," "Kindergarten Cop," and "Father's Day." And Ivan Reitman has been the producer of many more films, such as "Animal House."

CBS Sunday Morning did a story on Jason and Ivan Reitman on Feb. 10th.

Jason is best known so far for the 2005 comedy "Thank You for Smoking." But just being nominated for "Juno" has put him on the map.

Actress Sean Young Enters Rehab After DGA Outburst

Actress Sean Young has entered rehab for alcohol abuse in the wake of her drunken outburst as the Directors Guild of America awards ceremony, from which she was forcibly removed.

At the DGA Awards Saturday night Young exhibited a variety of odd behaviors, including heckling film director Julian Schnabel just as he started to speak and getting up from her table, putting her fur coat on, and then sitting down after walking around the table.

Access Hollywood published a statement from Sean Young's representative that read, "Actress Sean Young voluntarily admitted herself yesterday (Monday, 1/28) to a rehabilitation center for treatment related to alcoholism. It is understood that Young has struggled against the disease for many years."

2008 SAG Awards (Screen Actors Guild) Tonight

The 2008 SAG Awards are tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time on TBS and TNT. Here's the complete list of nominations for the SAG Awards, in which the performances of actors are voted on only by other actors.

Awards are given for outstanding performances in 2007 in five film categories and eight primetime television categories. This year there are also new SAG awards for "film and television stunt ensembles."

Check the list of nominations above, make your choices, and then see how your picks compare to those of the SAG members.

Sundance Goes Kinky with "Downloading Nancy" and "Towelhead"

Film festivals like Sundance always attract some offbeat, kinky entries, and the buzz at this year's Sundance Festival is about "Downloading Nancy," starring actress Mario Bello as Nancy, an unhappily married woman with a tendency to cut herself with razor blades.

Apparently Nancy is so miserable she meets someone online and hires him to sexually abuse her, then kill her. Reports from Sundance have been that audience members have been squirming during the movie, or walking out, or both. A review I read makes "Downloading Nancy" sound excruciating to watch, and compares the movie to "Towelhead," another entry in this year's Sundance Kinkfest. In "Towelhead," Bill Pullman plays a character who twice has sex with a 13-year-old girl (played by a young-looking 18 year old).

And what do you know, Maria Bello is in "Towelhead," too! (The movie was formerly called "Nothing is Private.")

Kinkiness aside, the reviews seem to indicate that these are just not good films.

I have to wonder why established actors get involved in such projects. Bill Pullman has been in many good movies and is well known. Mario Bello is an actress I've liked since she played a doctor on "E.R." in the late 1990s, and she was good in 2005's "A History of Violence."

Maybe actors figure they can stretch their talents in offbeat, low-budget projects, which I can totally understand, but cutting yourself with razor blades? From the reviews I've read, it seems "Downloading Nancy" will be seen by few people... and that may well be a good thing.

Heath Ledger Death Sparks Frenetic Googling

The untimely death of actor Heath Ledger has sent many millions of people all over the world grabbing their computer mice to search not only for news about his death, but for anything and everything related to him.

Looking at the list of Google's top 100 search terms as of Tuesday night, I counted nearly 60 of those searches dedicated to topics related to Ledger, his work, or his family.

People are eager to learn about Heath Ledger... even if they aren't exactly sure of his hame. "Heath Ledger" has been the number-one search for several hours, but the number-two term being searched for is ... "Keith Ledger." We're also seeing Heath Legend and Keith Legend, and Keith Fletcher. Also on the top 100 are searches for his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child, Michelle Williams, as well as for the child herself, Matilda Ledger. And, of course, all of his movies, including the upcoming film in the Batman franchise.

Some people, though, not only can't get his name write, they haven't a clue of what it is, just that someone famous has passed away: one of the top 100 searches says simply, "dead actor."

Rob Zombie Re-Imagines "Halloween"

After a number of sequels over the past two decades, the "Halloween" series of movies needed a kick in the pants, and it's getting it in the form of a brand new film from rocker-turned-movie-director Rob Zombie.

The former frontman for heavy metal band White Zombie has successfully branched off into filmmaking, with his previous movies gaining loyal fans, and even critics noting his distinctive style and flair. And now on August 31st he's releasing Halloween the movie, his own re-imagining of the 1978 horror classic that started it all.

My favorite horror classic? That might well be "The Shining," Stanley Kubrick's filming of the Stephen King novel. I was an adult when I saw it, but it still scared the crap out of me.

The visual effects and style added to the feel of menacing and impending doom. Rob Zombie has visual style in spades, and no doubt that's a lot of what he'll bring to the table in his "Halloween." He's the writer as well as the director, and he's even taken to writing his own comic book in recent years. So he's got a good sense of putting together a story as well.

As the writer and director, it's Zombie's vision of "Halloween" all the way through. With the style he's established in his earlier movies, it'll be very interesting to see what he can do with a new take on an old classic.

Check out the trailer below. It's scary for sure, but there isn't a lot of slashing and screaming. It seems to be creating a sense of dread, anticipation, and fear of what's around the corner, rather than just piling up a lot of gory killings. The mask is very creepy, too. Zombie seems to be working on putting fear into your mind. To me, that makes for a more satisfying horror film than just a lot of gory scenes over and over.



And with Rob Zombie at the helm, you know Halloween the movie is going to have a killer soundtrack (pardon the pun).

If there was any movie franchise that needed a new face and a fresh look, "Halloween" is it. And Zombie may just be the ideal guy to pull it off and breathe new life into a story everyone's familiar with.

Beer, Donuts, Action: Simpsons Movie Premiere in Vermont

The eyes of the world will be on Springfield, Vermont tomorrow when it hosts the world premiere of The Simpsons movie. The premiere will host creator Matt Groenig, show developer Jim Brooks, and other celebs on a big yellow carpet.

The Vermont town with 9,300 residents beat out 13 other U.S. municipalities named Springfield, and it's hosting a festival to celebrate the movie's worldwide premiere. The Simpsons movie will start playing at 2 p.m., with the first screening being a VIP event reserved for the filmmakers, Fox execs, and members of the team that created Springfield, Vermont's winning video submission. The video made the case for why the town should be chosen to host The Simpsons premiere, and was cited as a big reason for the town's win.

Springfield, Vermont actually has some similarities to the Simpsons' hometown; it has a bowling alley and a local pub and even a nuclear power plant (Vermont Yankee) not too far away.

Legndary Vermont ice-cream entrepreneurs Ben & Jerry will be introducing a one-day-only special ice cream flavor called "Duff & D'Oh Nuts," honoringHomer Simpson's two great loves in life, beer and donuts. Supposedly the ice cream includes little glazed chocolate donuts and really does have some stout beer in it. Sounds like one day will be quite long enough for that flavor.