“Mom, I’m on the red carpet at the Oscars!” whispered a man behind me excitedly into his mobile and I knew I wasn’t the only one overwhelmed to be at the most glamorous event in the world. I boldly pulled out my camera and quickly snapped a shot of the gigantic Oscar beside me. It’s not cool but who cares, no-one can be cool at the starriest party on earth. I’ve attended a few major movie events now but the Oscars carpet has a magic of its own. The BAFTAs may have come a long way in the glamour stakes in recent years. And Cannes, despite passé sequins and visible bra straps, may have the beaches and sunshine but nothing can top Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. Yes, we’re talking The Academy Awards. That’s Oscar to you and me. It’s the glitziest party of the year. But first problem? How do you ever get an invite without a nomination or a blood tie to Mr Spielberg? It was a question that plagued me often as I sat at home in front of the television each year watching the parade of gorgeous gowns and tear sodden acceptance speeches. What would it be like, I dreamed, to be in the midst of all that glamour, all that glitz, all that silicone…? Then lady-luck brought me a friend who had ‘connections.’ A few pleading calls suggesting he sell his first born to get me a pass and hey presto! Quicker than you can say ‘blackmail’ ‘threat’ or ‘I’ve got the photographs’, I had it....
At a pre BAFTAs party once I saw a young woman throw herself at Leonardo DiCaprio. I mean, literally fling herself at him as he passed....
Let’s start with a few basic issues before we look at possible changes: Movies are about fantasy. They star impossibly attractive people (or highly charismatic ones...
The 89th Academy Award nominations have just been announced, and for the most part it was a comparatively predictable year. Though nobody perhaps predicted a joint...
Strictly may have finished its run for the year but the Oscar dance I mentioned in my last article is just heating up. This week, Denzel...
After months of waiting, anticipation over who would host the 2017 Oscars was at fever pitch. Awards nerds around the world were waiting with bated breath...
If you thought the Clinton and Trump presidential campaigns were ugly, you’re going to need industrial strength Valium to get you through the next three months...
The Academy are a funny bunch, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the acting categories. Sometimes a newbie will storm the season with their...
On Tuesday 8th November the world watched in disbelief as Donald Trump, a billionaire New York businessman, defied the pollsters and any shred of common sense...
As the 2016 – 2017 awards season gets into full swing, all eyes will turn towards the Oscars or, more specifically, who will be hosting the...
When Fox Searchlight picked up Birth of a Nation in January for a record $17.5 million fee at Sundance, they knew all about the past of its...
Winning an Oscar is not just a sprint you know. It takes months, arguably years of preparation, from the concept through to the marketing strategy. Therefore...
The Academy earlier announced a cohort of 683 prospective new members who had been invited to join the organisation. Among them is James Rupert Jacob Murdoch,...
The 2016 Academy Awards were clouded by controversy. From the nominations announcement through to the closing moments of the telecast, the buzz word on everyone’s lips...
Last year we singled out The Revenant as our one to watch for the Oscars, and sure enough it picked up twelve nominations and won three on...