Oral Roberts passes at 91; first televangelist talked about sex

Oral Roberts passed on today after complications from pneumonia. He was 91 years old. Roberts was someone I always associated with the religious fire and brimstone speeches and hard-handed hitting of subjects to get them to rise, asserting that they were healed from an illness. 

Roberts will be remembered not just as the first person to bring religious preaching and ceremony, and his healing ministry to television - he's now called the first "televangelist" - but for talking frankly about religion and sex on the airwaves.

But beyond theatrics and a powerful set of convictions, Roberts will be remembered for the school he created and established. 

Roberts started what he later called a "healing ministry" in Tulsa, Oklahoma called Oral Roberts University. It's the largest college of its kind in the World. Upon the news of his passing, the website of Oral Roberts University contained this statement:

Oral Roberts, founder and chancellor of Oral Roberts University, passed away on December 15 at the age of 91. His departure is mourned by the ORU family, including the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters who embraced his philosophy of whole-person education.


Born in 1918 in rural Oklahoma, Roberts was a preacher's kid who initially rejected his father's faith. At the age of 17, however, he was struck down with tuberculosis. A subsequent miraculous healing led to his conversion, and a call on his life from God himself to "take My healing power to your generation."


Carrying out that call took him from small churches to tent meetings to international crusades, and from radio and television to books and letters he wrote to the thousands who partnered with his ministry. The capstone of his life's work was the founding of ORU in 1963. "Raise up your students to hear My voice," God told Roberts, "to go where My light is seen dim, My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased."


As Roberts often said, "Success without a successor is failure." The graduates of ORU, he believed, would carry on the work of his healing ministry, "until Jesus comes again."

The school was not without controversy, as Oral Roberts son Richard Roberts came under fire for political and personal use of university funds in 2007.

Roberts used television to show live "healing ceremonies" where subjects would be able to walk and lift their legs allegedly just after he prayed and touched them where their ailment was located. Here's a video:



Roberts also used television to show how he was, again allegedly, casting out evil sprits from his followers:



The Young Turks' recently posted a video on Oral Roberts talking about sex.  Folks, even in today's more contemporary lens, what he has to say is still shockingly frank, regardless of your view on sex.  I'm not going to offer a text preview; just watch the video: 



You know, one is at times compelled to make fun of what Roberts has done over the years, but we can't fault him for trying to better the human condition. May he rest in peace.

Successful 787 dreamliner landing may spell end of United 747

The long-awaited Boeing 787 Dreamliner's successful landing at Boeing Field after a rainy test flight in Seattle today marks the official introduction of the advanced pssenger airplane. It also marks the eventual end of the 747 as used by United Airlines. Here's a video of today's events:





Two weeks ago, UAL announced the purchase of a fleet of both the 787 Dreamliner and the new Airbus-350. In a communication to employees on its website, UAL also explained that the new planes would be used on international routes.

Currently, United uses its 747 fleet almost exclusively for international flights, meaning that by 2019, when the airline is expected to take delivery of both the 787 and the A-350, they plan to phase-out the giant jumbo jet.

Today, United Airlines' President John Tague issued this statement:

The Dreamliner is going to be a tremendous addition to our fleet, providing our customers with a better travel experience in the cabin and new technology that reduces our impact on the environment, increases fuel efficiency and provides cost savings. This is a great day, and we congratulate Boeing on the success of the test flight and look forward to our continued partnership with them and continued success as they bring the aircraft online."

When asked why United didn't purchase the larger A-380 or the newer-generation of 747-8, United's Tague said "Our objective is to optimize the company's performance in the down cycle and to manage the down-side risk, not to capture every last dollar of opportunity that an extremely large aircraft might create for a short period of time."

But some industry watchers say both the A-350 and the 787 are too small to replace the 747-400, so United may be making a hedge bet for the future just to maintain its international routes. Still at some point United need to make a decision on what to do about the 747 program. Meanwhile it awaits the 787.

As I wrote before, the 787 is an exciting airplane with cool new push-button window shade technology. The problem is one has to reach over a sleeping window seat passenger to get to the button.

Stay tuned.

The Golden Globe Nominations 2010 - Weinstein Company leads distributors

As we go through the list after the 2010 Golden Globe Nominations announcement it should be noted that The Weinstein Company leads all motion picture distributors with a whopping 12 nominations. Nine of those are for two movies: five for Nine, and four for Inglorious Bastards. Here's the list of motion picture distribution companies and their number of nominations:

The Weinstein Company - 12
Warner Bros. Pictures - 9
Paramount Pictures - 7
Sony Pictures Classics - 6
Lionsgate - 5
Twentieth Century Fox - 5
Fox Searchlight Pictures - 4
Sony Pictures Releasing - 4
Summit Entertainment - 4
Universal Pictures - 4
Disney Studios Motion Pictures - 4
Focus Features - 2
Relativity Media LLC - 2
Apparition - 1
Elephant Eye Films - 1
Miramax Films - 1
Oscilloscope Laboratories - 1

The full list of winners is here.

Stay tuned.

Golden Globe Nominations 2010 : 'Up In The Air' 'Glee' and 'Dexter'

The Golden Globe Nominations 2010 have been released for the 67th Annual Golden Globes to be held January 17th, 2010 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. This is the list of nominees produced by the HFPA and this major award program before the 2010 Academy Awards contains some interesting developments.

Up In The Air, the travel-romantic dramedy by Jason Reitman and staring George Clooney, was nominated six times, leading all films followed by Nine (5) and Avatar and Inglorious Bastards (4).

Katheryn Bigelow continues her surprising and path-breaking awards course, again nominated for Best Director for The Hurt Locker. Bigelow has already earned the same award twice this year, at the Washington DC and New York Online Critics awards programs, and was the first women to win such an award at the DC Crtics event.

George Clooney

In the television category Dexter, the Showtime tv series about the moonlighting serial killer that was the focus of my blogs on Monday, was nominated for three awards. But NBC's Glee leads all TV programs with four noms.

Stay tuned for more blogs related to the nominations today; here's the list from the HFPA:


NOMINATIONS PRESS RELEASE
1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

1. AVATAR
Lightstorm Entertainment; Twentieth Century Fox
2. THE HURT LOCKER
Voltage Pictures; Summit Entertainment
3. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
The Weinstein Company / Universal Pictures; The Weinstein Company
4. PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
A Lee Daniels Entertainment / Smokewood Entertainment Group Production;
Lionsgate
5. UP IN THE AIR
Paramount Pictures; Paramount Pictures

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

1. EMILY BLUNT
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
2. SANDRA BULLOCK
THE BLIND SIDE
3. HELEN MIRREN
THE LAST STATION
4. CAREY MULLIGAN
AN EDUCATION
5. GABOUREY SIDIBE
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

1. JEFF BRIDGES
CRAZY HEART
2. GEORGE CLOONEY
UP IN THE AIR
3. COLIN FIRTH
A SINGLE MAN
4. MORGAN FREEMAN
INVICTUS
5. TOBEY MAGUIRE
BROTHERS

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER
Watermark Pictures; Fox Searchlight Pictures
2. THE HANGOVER
Warner Bros. Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures
3. IT’S COMPLICATED
Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Productions; Universal Pictures
4. JULIE & JULIA
Columbia Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing
5. NINE
The Weinstein Company/Relativity Media/Lucamar Productions/Marc Platt Productions; The Weinstein Company

5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR
MUSICAL

1. SANDRA BULLOCK
THE PROPOSAL
2. MARION COTILLARD
NINE
3. JULIA ROBERTS
DUPLICITY
4. MERYL STREEP
IT’S COMPLICATED
5. MERYL STREEP
JULIE & JULIA

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY
OR MUSICAL

1. MATT DAMON
THE INFORMANT!
2. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS
NINE
3. ROBERT DOWNEY JR
SHERLOCK HOLMES
4. JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
5. MICHAEL STUHLBARG
A SERIOUS MAN

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

1. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation; Sony Pictures Releasing
2. CORALINE
Laika, Inc.; Focus Features
3. FANTASTIC MR. FOX
American Empirical Picture; Twentieth Century Fox
4. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Walt Disney Pictures/Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
5. UP
Walt Disney Pictures/PIXAR Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. BAARIA (ITALY)
Medusa Film; Summit Entertainment
2. BROKEN EMBRACES (SPAIN)
El Deseo SA; Sony Pictures Classics
3. THE MAID (CHILE)
(LA NANA)
Forastero; Elephant Eye Films
4. A PROPHET (UN PROPHETE) (FRANCE)
Chic Films; Sony Pictures Classics
5. THE WHITE RIBBON (GERMANY)
(DAS WEISSE BAND – EINE DEUTSCHE KINDERGESCHICHTE)
Wega Films; Sony Pictures Classics

9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A
MOTION PICTURE

1. PENÉLOPE CRUZ
NINE
2. VERA FARMIGA
UP IN THE AIR
3. ANNA KENDRICK
UP IN THE AIR
4. MO’NIQUE
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
5. JULIANNE MOORE
A SINGLE MAN

10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A
MOTION PICTURE

1. MATT DAMON
INVICTUS
2. WOODY HARRELSON
THE MESSENGER
3. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER
THE LAST STATION
4. STANLEY TUCCI
THE LOVELY BONES
5. CHRISTOPH WALTZ
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

1. KATHRYN BIGELOW
THE HURT LOCKER
2. JAMES CAMERON
AVATAR
3. CLINT EASTWOOD
INVICTUS
4. JASON REITMAN
UP IN THE AIR
5. QUENTIN TARANTINO
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

1. NEILL BLOMKAMP, TERRI TATCHELL
DISTRICT 9
2. MARK BOAL
THE HURT LOCKER
3. NANCY MEYERS
IT'S COMPLICATED
4. JASON REITMAN, SHELDON TURNER
UP IN THE AIR
5. QUENTIN TARANTINO
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

1. MICHAEL GIACCHINO
UP
2. MARVIN HAMLISCH
THE INFORMANT!
3. JAMES HORNER
AVATAR
4. ABEL KORZENIOWSKI
A SINGLE MAN
5. KAREN O, CARTER BURWELL
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

1. “CINEMA ITALIANO” — NINE
Music & Lyrics by: Maury Yeston
2. “I WANT TO COME HOME” — EVERYBODY'S FINE
Music & Lyrics by: Paul McCartney
3. “I SEE YOU” — AVATAR
Music by: James Horner, Simon Franglen
Lyrics by: James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell
4. “THE WEARY KIND (THEME FROM CRAZY HEART)” — CRAZY HEART
Music & Lyrics by: Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
5. “WINTER” — BROTHERS
Music by: U2
Lyrics by: Bono

15. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

1. BIG LOVE (HBO)
Anima Sola and Playtone in association with HBO Entertainment
2. DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
Showtime Presents, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions
3. HOUSE (FOX)
Universal Media Studios in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry
4. MAD MEN (AMC)
AMC
5. TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
Your Face Goes Here Entertainment in association with HBO Entertainment

16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –
DRAMA

1. GLENN CLOSE
DAMAGES
2. JANUARY JONES
MAD MEN
3. JULIANNA MARGULIES
THE GOOD WIFE
4. ANNA PAQUIN
TRUE BLOOD
5. KYRA SEDGWICK
THE CLOSER

17. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

1. SIMON BAKER
THE MENTALIST
2. MICHAEL C. HALL
DEXTER
3. JON HAMM
MAD MEN
4. HUGH LAURIE
HOUSE
5. BILL PAXTON
BIG LOVE

18. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. 30 ROCK (NBC)
Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little Stranger Inc.
2. ENTOURAGE (HBO)
Leverage and Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
3. GLEE (FOX)
Twentieth Century Fox Television
4. MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Twentieth Century Fox Television
5. THE OFFICE (NBC)
Universal Media Studios, Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC

19. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –
COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. TONI COLLETTE
UNITED STATES OF TARA
2. COURTENEY COX
COUGAR TOWN
3. EDIE FALCO
NURSE JACKIE
4. TINA FEY
30 ROCK
5. LEA MICHELE
GLEE

20. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES –
COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. ALEC BALDWIN
30 ROCK
2. STEVE CARELL
THE OFFICE
3. DAVID DUCHOVNY
CALIFORNICATION
4. THOMAS JANE
HUNG
5. MATTHEW MORRISON
GLEE

21. BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

1. GEORGIA O'KEEFFE (LIFETIME TELEVISION)
Sony Pictures Television
2. GREY GARDENS (HBO)
Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films
3. INTO THE STORM (HBO)
Scott Free and Rainmark Films Production in association with the BBC and HBO Films
4. LITTLE DORRIT (PBS)
Masterpiece/BBC Co-production
5. TAKING CHANCE (HBO)
Motion Picture Corporation of America and Civil Dawn Pictures in association with HBO Films

22. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION
PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

1. JOAN ALLEN
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE
2. DREW BARRYMORE
GREY GARDENS
3. JESSICA LANGE
GREY GARDENS
4. ANNA PAQUIN
THE COURAGEOUS HEART OF IRENA SENDLER
5. SIGOURNEY WEAVER
PRAYERS FOR BOBBY

23. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION
PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

1. KEVIN BACON
TAKING CHANCE
2. KENNETH BRANAGH
WALLANDER: ONE STEP BEHIND
3. CHIWETEL EJIOFOR
ENDGAME
4. BRENDAN GLEESON
INTO THE STORM
5. JEREMY IRONS
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE

24. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A
SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

1. JANE ADAMS
HUNG
2. ROSE BYRNE
DAMAGES
3. JANE LYNCH
GLEE
4. JANET McTEER
INTO THE STORM
5. CHLOË SEVIGNY
BIG LOVE

25. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES,
MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

1. MICHAEL EMERSON
LOST
2. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
3. WILLIAM HURT
DAMAGES
4. JOHN LITHGOW
DEXTER
5. JEREMY PIVEN
ENTOURAGE

WINNERS BY MOTION PICTURE DISTRIBUTOR
AND TELEVISION NETWORK

MOTION PICTURE DISTRIBUTOR
The Weinstein Company – 12
Warner Bros. Pictures – 9
Paramount Pictures – 7
Sony Pictures Classics – 6
Lionsgate – 5
Twentieth Century Fox – 5
Fox Searchlight Pictures – 4
Sony Pictures Releasing – 4
Summit Entertainment – 4
Universal Pictures – 4
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures – 4
Focus Features – 2
Relativity Media LLC – 2
Apparition – 1
Elephant Eye Films – 1
Miramax Films – 1
Oscilloscope Laboratories – 1

TELEVISION NETWORK
HBO – 17
FOX – 6
SHOWTIME – 6
NBC – 5
CBS – 4
LIFETIME TELEVISION – 4
ABC – 3
AMC – 3
FX NETWORKS – 3
PBS – 3
TNT – 1

WINNERS BY MOTION PICTURE
AND TELEVISION SERIES OR PROGRAM

MOTION PICTURE:

UP IN THE AIR – 6
NINE – 5
AVATAR – 4
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS – 4
THE HURT LOCKER – 3
INVICTUS – 3
IT’S COMPLICATED – 3
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE – 3
A SINGLE MAN – 3
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER – 2
BROTHERS – 2
CRAZY HEART – 2
THE INFORMANT! – 2
JULIE & JULIA – 2
THE LAST STATION – 2
UP – 2
BAARIA – 1
THE BLIND SIDE – 1
BROKEN EMBRACES – 1
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS – 1
CORALINE – 1
DISTRICT 9 – 1
DUPLICITY – 1
AN EDUCATION – 1
EVERYBODY'S FINE – 1
FANTASTIC MR. FOX – 1
THE HANGOVER – 1
THE LOVELY BONES – 1
THE MAID – 1
THE MESSENGER – 1
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG – 1
A PROPHET – 1
THE PROPOSAL – 1
A SERIOUS MAN – 1
SHERLOCK HOLMES – 1
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE – 1
THE WHITE RIBBON – 1
THE YOUNG VICTORIA – 1

WINNERS BY MOTION PICTURE
AND TELEVISION SERIES OR PROGRAM

TELEVISION SERIES OR PROGRAM
GLEE – 4
30 ROCK – 3
BIG LOVE – 3
DAMAGES – 3
DEXTER – 3
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE – 3
GREY GARDENS – 3
INTO THE STORM – 3
MAD MEN – 3
ENTOURAGE – 2
HOUSE – 2
HUNG – 2
THE OFFICE – 2
TAKING CHANCE – 2
TRUE BLOOD – 2
CALIFORNICATION – 1
THE CLOSER – 1
COUGAR TOWN – 1
THE COURAGEOUS HEART OF IRENA SENDLER – 1
ENDGAME – 1
THE GOOD WIFE – 1
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER – 1
LITTLE DORRIT – 1
LOST – 1
THE MENTALIST – 1
MODERN FAMILY – 1
NURSE JACKIE – 1
PRAYERS FOR BOBBY – 1
UNITED STATES OF TARA – 1
WALLANDER: ONE STEP BEHIND – 1

Theresa Rogers and Julie Postle Tigers Woods alleged affairs - media error

Theresa Rogers and Julie Postle are Tigers Woods alleged affairs 10 and 11. Now, Theresa Rogers pictures are the spicy search of the day. Tiger Woods affair photos are all the rage. Tiger Woods latest news is still the rage. And Cori Rist went on the Today Show Monday to apologize to Woods' wife Elin Nordegren for her "time" with Woods.

Meanwhile Tiger Woods is still not talking as corporate sponsors Accenture and Gillette back away from him to varying degrees. Tiger Woods once bullet-proof image is now taking on the look of Swiss Cheese.

What. You say its affairs number 13 and 14. No, I say 10 and 11 because no one can name the other two, and I refuse to give life to two other names that never surfaced. So far, we have Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs, Kalika Moquin, Jamie Jungers, Mindy Lawton, Cori Rist, Holly Sampson, Joslyn James, and now Loredana Jolie, Theresa Rogers and Julie Postle.

And if you're keeping score that's two porn stars, one waitress, six night club workers for those who's occupations we can pin down.  


But that's 11 women. Name the other two affairs?

Holly Sampson never slept with the married Tiger Woods

The reason I stopped giving Orlando, Florida lawyer Michael O'Quinn any credit is he never said who he represented and that's hurt his credibility until this week; he represents Julie Postle and it seems Theresa Rogers a 40-year-old Florida resident. So that takes the "unnamed mistress spot" out. No more of them as far as I'm concerned.

The media's sloppiness in all of this is galling.

For example, the online publication Metro UK reports that Woods had an affair with Theresa Rogers after he was married. But then TechBanyan has a reference that Woods was with Rogers before he was married to Elin. That happens often. However, Eurweb.com has it that he was with Rogers before and after he was married.

My head is spinning. Reminds me of Charlie Sheen asking Michael Douglas in Wall Street, "How much is enough? How many jets can you water ski behind?"

And in what I contend is still an economic recession, the dominance of Checkbook Journalism taints the claims of any of the women who's stepped forward who were paid for their stories. Yes, some had hard evidence, like Jamie Grubbs and the voicemail, but after that it's hard to really pin down these stories.

Some of them come from boyfriends and more unnamed sources that one can shake a stick at. Without Tiger Woods' coming forward - really with Elin by his side - to set the record straight, this media circus is just going to go on and on.

Stay tuned. More soon today.

Avatar is New York Film Critics Online's Best Picture

On Sunday, the New York Film Critics Online selected Avatar as Best Picture at their awards ceremony at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center. Jeff Bridges was named Best Actor for Crazy Heart while Meryl Streep was picked as Best Actress for her role as Julia Child in Julie & Julia.

Kathryn Bigelow snared the Best Director for The Hurt Locker, and marks the second time she's won the award in three weeks, having taken the same nod at the Washington DC Area Film Critics Awards (WAFCA), making her the first woman to ever receive prize from the WAFCA.

Rounding out the major awards, Mo'Nique won Best Supporting Actress for Precious, Christoph Waltz earned 'Breakthrough Performer' while 'Best Screenplay' went to Quentin Tarantino, both for Inglourious Basterds.

While it did not get an individual performance award and lost 'Best Picture' to Avatar, Up In The Air was named one of 2009s' top films.

Here's the full list of New York Film Critics Online winners from their website:

Picture - Avatar (20th Century Fox)
Actor - Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Actress - Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)
Director - Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique (Precious)
Breakthrough Performer - Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Debut Director - Marc Webb - (500) Days of Summer
Ensemble Cast - In the Loop (IFC Films)
Screenplay - Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino
Documentary - The Cove (Roadside Attractions)
Foreign Language - The White Ribbon (Sony Classics)
Animated - Up (Disney/Pixar)
Cinematography - Inglourious Basterds - Robert Richardson
Film Music or Score - Crazy Heart - Steve Bruton & T. Bone Burnett, music supervisor: Jeffrey Pollack

Top 10 Films of 2009 (in alphabetical order)

Adventureland (Miramax Films)

Avatar (20th Century Fox)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Fox Searchlight)

The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment)

Inglourious Basterds (The Weinstein Co.)

The Messenger (Oscilloscope)

Precious (Lionsgate)

A Serious Man (Focus Features

Two Lovers (Magnolia)

Up (Disney/Pixar)

Up in the Air (Paramount)

Star Trek is Quentin Tarantino's best film of 2009 - for now

Star Trek is Quentin Tarantino's best film of 2009 - for now. The critically-acclaimed producer and director of films like 2009s Inglorious Bastards and the classic Pulp Fiction sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to list his top films of 2009.

 Quentin Tarantino

Before we listen to Mr. Tarantino, here's his list, again, so far:

1. Star Trek
2. Drag Me to Hell
3. Funny People
4 Up In The Air
5. Chocolate
6. Observe and Report
7. Precious
8. An Education

Quentin Tarantino states that he's not seen "some of the films I'm expecting big things from" Avatar, Lovely Bones, and Invictus. He also stated that he's not including his own film, Inglorious Bastards, his highest grossing film to date.

Here's the Quentin Tarantino video interview:



This, coupled with the New York Film Critics Online choice of Avatar as Best Film, is starting a kind of cooling off of the rapid awards success of Up In The Air. Still, the awards season is young and it's just December 14th.

Stay tuned.

Oakland breakfast benefit to help families hurt by homicide: 12/18/09

I received an email from Sean Sullivan who's on the board of directors of the Oakland-based Khadafy Foundation for Non-Violence, regarding a breakfast this Friday, December 18th 2009. The event, called the Chicken & Waffle Holiday Breakfast, starts at 8am and goes until 10 am, and is something that you should attend. It's just $25 per person and the ticket goes to the foundations' work.

The founder of the organization is Marilyn Washington Harris, who lost her 18-year old son, Khadafy on my birthday - August 4th, 2000 - as he was just riding his bike in West Oakland. Ms. Harris channeled her grief into the creation of Khadafy Foundation for Non-Violence to provide support services to anyone who's lost a child or loved one to violence. 

Marilyn Washington Harris

I think Sean already expressed it better than I can in his communication to me; here's what he wrote:

Seasons Greetings,


As the holiday season approaches, this will not be a merry time for everyone, including the now 102 Oakland families that have lost a family member to homicide. The Khadafy Foundation for Non-Violence, which exists to help these families through their loss, bereavement and after, is hosting a Holiday breakfast Friday, December 18th at the House of Chicken & Waffles in 444 Embarcadero.


The House of Chicken & Waffles is being so generous that they are picking up the entire cost of the breakfast so 100% of your $25 ticket for breakfast will go towards the Khadafy Foundation's work with these victimized families and is tax deductible.


This moving breakfast also serves as a way for businesses with smaller budgets than past years to treat staff out during the holidays without the high cost of a holiday party.


Whatever your situation, I hope you can join us.


Warm Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season,


Sean Sullivan
twitter.com/SeanforOakland

Here's a map showing the House of Chicken & Waffles' location at 444 Embarcadero in Oakland:


View Khadafy Foundation Oakland in a larger map

Please come on Friday morning.

Dexter Season Finale video controversy, race, and dissent

Yesterday I created a video-blog (video above) asking why the Showtime Original Series Dexter was so popular given the, er, habits, of its main character Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall from Six Feet Under) and why Dexter was cast as a white male.

In "Dexter Season 5 - what's Dexter anyway?" I asked two questions: first, what's wrong with a society that makes a show featuring a serial killer popular?; second Would the show be as popular if he were black? I ask those questions because I'm not comfortable with how we as a culture tend to consume mass media images given to us without questioning their existence. Simply, why is this what it is?

Dexter (regardless of Season 4 or Season 5 to come) may be good and with Michael C. Hall in the title role I'm sure its excellent, but I don't like what it says about America in 2009.

I am used to being insulted and criticized; that comes with the territory. However, what I find bothersome in this case is the sheer anger that some express over asking questions. Someone over at YouTube wrote that I should just "shut up and enjoy the show", which is a solid guarantee that I will do neither.

There aren't a lot of voices video-blogging such questions for a mass audience and I can think of just a few names with major news organizations who write about why blacks or women or people of color in general are regularly excluded from anything - but the question is important to raise regardless.

I remind all that I have and will employ the right of dissent. And if you need a refresher on its meaning, here it is:

1. To differ in sentiment or opinion, esp. from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often fol. by from): Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision.
2. To disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view.
3. To disagree with or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church.

In Dexter's case, I received precious few sensible answers to my questions, but even then what I got was both elegantly presented and a bit disturbing. Here's an example:

"Dexter is popular because many people like the idea of payback. Justification makes the concept of ending a life understandable. Not saying it is good, but if a person were to be removed from this planet and they were a vicious killer, Dexter's concept of testing and finding guilty is great!"

What I found bothersome, and the author agrees with me, is the idea that "Dexter's concept of testing and finding guilty is great!"

When I read that and considered that the organization Dexter Morgan works in is within the Miami Police Department, I wondered if a real life Dexter existed and if he went unnoticed in part because he was a good-looking white guy. So I openly wondered why Dexter isn't black?

And this - in a time when one online publications' list of the passing of important figures in American media included not a single African American person - is an important question. We as a nation must end this knee-jerk fear of questioning (or lack of attention to the question of) why people of color are excluded from presentations of our World in media.

Here's what's bothersome to me: the possibility that being bombarded with such images causes us to judge how bad someone is by the color of their skin, and at a subconscious level. Could Dexter's fans handle seeing a black Dexter exact his unique form of justice on mostly white victims? For that matter, would the people that could not stand such an image become fans of the show in the first place?

Those are the questions swirling in my head. They don't take the place of my concern with the America Economy, or the lack of spending for the University of California and the outrageously high tuition cost, or for the safety of Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau in the midst of this season of protest, but they're important nonetheless.

We must make sure that the images presented to us for consumption in media do not cause us to violate our amazing civil rights progress or forget the basic ideals that created America.

The elimination of racism and the embrace of dissent are key objectives in the advancement of American culture. Let's make sure we don't reject them and deteriorate into a society directed by the irrational, unpredictable, harmful, and occasionally racist desires of the mob.

Lastly, for those who've not seen Dexter and want a taste of it, as well as the show's producers, who are certainly happy for the Internet chatter, here's a clip from the show's last episode of 2009:



Stay tuned.

Dexter Season 5 - what's Dexter anyway?

Dexter is not a Tiger Woods update or an NFL football player. For that, you may say "Thank God", but look; what's Dexter anyway? More like who's Dexter anyway? Dexter Season 5 has got people talking include me, and I've never heard of Dexter. Showtime calls him "America's favorite serial killer."

Yikes.

Dexter is a Showtime Original Series about a man who works within the bowls of the criminal justice system, but goes out and kills those people already suspected of being guilty of a crime, making him a kind of serial killer.

My first response in considering this television series was "I can't believe someone made a show like this, and that people are watching it."

My second take was "What the hell is wrong with society?"

I ask because, thousands of people lined up for at least four hours to see a special screening of the show's Season 5 finale Sunday in New York City, leading to this tweet:

At the Dexter finale party in NYC and fans have been lined up since 4:30 this afternoon. That's Dextication! about 6 hours ago from Echofon

And "Dextication"? Oh man. What's going on? And I have to ask, why is Dexter white? Would the show be as popular if he were black? I ask because once again we're thrown images to consume without asking why we're supposed to do so. You know? Is this a way of saying that it's OK for a white man to be a celebrated serial killer? Now, maybe I should rethink that, because who in blazes wants to be fawned all over because they're a serial killer?

But the point is, does Dexter reflect a racial double standard, such that in reality a white person is more likely to get away with such crimes than someone black? It's worthy of discussion.

Well, here's a video from the show; maybe you can clue me in:



Stay tuned.

Giants Drop a Tough One to the Hated Eagles

Giants Drop a Tough One to the Hated Eagles



The NY Giants came into this game tonight needing a win over the Eagles in the worst way. They couldn't come up with one, and so goes their season. In dropping the second game of the year to the birds, NY has no chance to win the NFC eastern Division, and must now win the final three games against the Redskins, Panthers, and Vikings just to win 10 games and get into post season play. We will have a full recap, but three players who had tough days for NY on Offense were Brandon Jacobs, Eli Manning, and Mario Manningham. This was their last game against the Eagles in Giants Stadium, with all the motivation in the world, and while they never gave up, they made plenty of mistakes in the loss. Including a sack and fumble on the very last play on offense. the Giants allowed 4 turnovers and several big plays, including a defensive touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. The Giants drop to a 7-6 record and are once again hanging by a thread in the playoff race. No joy in "wetville" tonight folks.

Lady GaGa in San Francisco: fans wait in line

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