Deirdre Childress Hopkins explores the world, entertainment and sports

Posts tagged ‘Oscars’

A Fashion Countdown to the Oscars

Here is a link to one of my fave Oscar stories.

It’s all about the gowns.

Here is a link to the 50 Best Oscar Dresses as selected by the Hollywood Reporter – http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/50-best-oscar-dresses-422169#51

I think they blew it a bit because even if folks don’t like Cher’s style sense – she is on my best list because she is MEMORABLE. They threw her in the worst list of course, but for me, you can’t beat a full black headdress: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0804/gallery.feathers.fsb/3.html

 

And here is their gallery of the worst – http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/worst-oscar-dresses-ever-421781

I commend the judges for the selection of Paltrow’s pink, the cups are not filled dress, as well as the love they gave her on the Best Dressed side when she was Brad Pitt’s arm candy.

And of course there was Jennifer Hudson in that hideous brown. I think that helped her seriously do the Weight Watchers campaign.

And dare I say it? I often question Meryl Streep’s fashion sense, but never her acting.

 

 

 

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Django Unchained – Part 2

Deirdre C. Hopkins, Dr. Ahati Toure, Dr. Candice Love Jackson, Dr. Jerry Ward Jr. and actress Tiffany.

Deirdre C. Hopkins, Dr. Ahati Toure, Dr. Candice Love Jackson, Dr. Jerry Ward Jr. and actress Tiffany.

Whether Quentin Tarantino’s film, Django Unchained, should be viewed as a realistic or mythological portrayal of slavery in the U.S. dominated a panel discussion Thursday at Delaware State University.

Dr. Jerry Ward, known for his study of the work of Richard Wright, described the film as a very American film, a richly satiric cartoon. He said the filmmaker created a collage to shock the audience, offered moments to glorify in revenge and in some ways added to the romance of slavery.

Dr. Candice Love Jackson described the character of Kerry Washington as Broomhilda von Shaft as connected to the blaxploitation film legend John Shaft andshe  looked at the film in the context of Tarantino’s handling of other heroines played by Uma Thurman and Pam Grier in such films as Pulp Fiction.

Several actresses, one on the panel and others in the audience of more than 100 people, debated their conflicts about roles that are offered but fall outside of the acceptable characters that might uplift or improve perceptions of African Americans. I was able to tie this point back to The Help and the difficulties Viola Davis faced first in accepting the role and finally in the Academy of Motion Pictures inability to reward her for that performance.

My presentation focused on the history of film as studied by Tarantino, his focus on spaghetti Westerns, blood, gore and language. The N-word is inescapable in this film. I distributed a quiz on African American film quotes and again, language is part of our relationship to film.

Dr. Marshall Stevenson of Del State set the tone for the discussion along the themes of sex and violence and how they are intertwined with American history. To them, I would add RACE.

Django Unchained Panel Discussion at Delaware State University

This Thursday, the Delaware State University College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will offer a panel discussion on the controversial film, Django Unchained, by Quentin Tarantino and starring Jamie Foxx.Jamie

The event – entitled “Django Unchained: Myths and Realities of Slavery in the Old South” — is free and open to the public at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 in the Education & Humanities Theatre on campus.

This is a topic that I hope provokes a lot of discussion. As a film editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer for five years, I grew to not only understand why it is so important to support African Americans in cinema, but to embrace opportunities to discuss how our culture is often held to the standard of one speaker, one view – the monolith. This discussion, just before the Oscars, will give us the opportunity to consider how the story is told and by whom.

Join us if you can!

More info: http://www.desu.edu/news/dsu-host-feb-7-panel-discussion-film-django

Whiner or activist film critic?

I’m offering a bit from Spike Lee today because the day of the Oscar nominations could not pass without hearing a bit from Lee about the state of films and African Americans.

Link to Boston.com is below and thanks to them for letting us know what he said:

PARK CITY, Utah—Spike Lee just premiered the fifth film in his “continuing chronicles of Brooklyn, N.Y.,” at the Sundance Film Festival, but the filmmaker is still frustrated at the lack of diversity in the entertainment industry.

Lee said Monday that in the “upper echelons of television and studios, it’s 1950. It’s Eisenhower.”

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2012/01/24/spike_lee_frustrated_by_lack_of_diversity_in_film/

Awards Season kicks into full swing

It’s here and I am ready for it.
Everyone always seems to have so much fun – with alcohol or otherwise –  with the Golden Globe Awards.
Right, Madonna? Or should we call you Madge of the tight bodice?

Anyway, now it is time for the Oscar nominations, this Tuesday.

And next Sunday we get the Screen Actors Guild Awards. I want to thank that group for sending me the following “by the numbers” info today:

FOR THE STAR STUDDED ARRIVALS AND TO TRANSFORM THE SHOWROOM the SAG Awards will:
• Lay 15,872 square feet of red carpet in the arrivals area, edged by 585 lineal feet of hedges
• Accommodate 300 fans in three-row six-foot high bleachers placed along an 180’ section of the red carpet arrivals area
• In the event of rain, protect the red carpet from the elements by 23,530 square feet of tenting
• Post five 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet and onstage.
• Lay 11,800 square feet of black carpet in the interior Shrine entrance and the showroom.
• Drape the interior Shrine entrance with 4,575 square feet of charcoal/silver shimmer fabric
• Post three 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet.
• Cover the showroom walls with 15,000 square feet of black drape to create a neutral background and block sunlight.
• On the stage, install 700 feet of steel tubing to support 120 running feet of 22’ high set walls punctuated by eight gold and platinum fluted columns and a central radiating backlit golden sunburst. Two stepped deco arches will be accented by 30 feet of translucent etched fins. Crowning the stage will be 400 feet of gold-leafed and copper-leafed deco molding, illuminated by 400 feet of warm white neon tubing.
• Float a 20’ wide “silver screen” framed by a platinum and gold screen-surround illuminated by 80 feet of embedded LED lights at center stage in front of 200 running feet of 30’ high fiber-optic star cloth.
• Line the stage floor with 150 ‘4’x8’ sheets of black Formica.
• Above the stage hang a 5-foot square crystal beaded art deco chandelier that will be echoed by the four chandeliers hung from the Expo Hall’s ornate ceiling.

TO SET THE DINNER TABLES, the SAG Awards will:
• Place over 3,600 Opus champagne, wine and water glasses, 2,400 pieces Scalini silver flatware and 1,200 square glass dinner plates, on 86 rectangular dinner tables and over 2,400 glasses at two 16’ beverage bars and two wine tasting bar.
• Create custom table coverings from 1306 linear yards of gunmetal crinkled organza, complemented by 1,200 silver satin matte lined napkins
• Soften 1,200 Silver “Simply X” Chameleon chairs with 1,200 black suede seat cushions
• Create a stunning visual setting through the use of florals. This year’s inspiration is a return to the roots. It is an organic approach using the various elements of foliage creating a textured landscape in shades of greens. The compositions incorporate thousands of stems of various foliage, green dianthus, various grasses, calathea, equisetum highlighted with hundreds of succulents, complimented with over 3,000 blossoms of miniature green cymbidium orchids and 4,000 white miniature cala lilies. Each of the arrangements is made in a glass container lined with frosted glass adding a slightly contemporary look to the textured landscaped style. It is the look of a newer Hollywood.

THE DINNER MENU

Guests will dine on antipasto plates conceived by James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin, deliciously prepared and artfully arranged by Lucques Catering, consisting of:

MAIN PLATE:
• Slow-roasted salmon with yellow beets, spicy carrot salad and raita
• Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
• Grilled chicken breast with black rice, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigrette

VEGETARIAN PLATE:
• Spicy carrot salad with yellow beets, cucumber and black mustard seeds
• Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
• Black rice salad with english peas, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigrette

Because how the famous eat is no different than you and I right?