A good year for movies

Feb. 24 marked the 85th Academy Awards, when the best and the brightest in Hollywood gathered to celebrate the best and the brightest filmmaking of the year.

Leo with 'Manong Oscar'

Sunday was Hollywood’s biggest spectacle final stretch. Mega-rich industry attendees descended from their hillside mega-mansions to sit inside the Dolby Theater  in one-of-a-kind gowns and Prada tuxedos. It was true, the glare from their diamonds could blind you.

We’re hearing more and more about what kind of show to expect while covering the Oscar Week. Observers had been predicting who would bring home the Oscars even accredited media men from all over the world, your columnist included (US-based Boholano socialite Mikey Gatal who accompanied me spotted  rising Thai actor Chaiyapol Julian Pupart who is Mario Maurer's co-star in movie Jan Dara and Spanish actress Sonia Monroy) had placed their own markers.

Everybody got a little piece of something.  Argo, Les Miserables, Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln were all touted as front-runners at one point or another.

Former Miss USA 2007 and Miss Universe 2007 4th runner-up and E! reporter Rachel Smith who's covering the Oscars for four years said that it was fantastic.

When she learned we're from Philippines, Rachel was all smiling. "I would love to visit the Philippines soon. I heard wonderful things about it. I met the kindness people from there and a  little r and r. "

Mikey Gatal with Spanish diva Sonia Monroy

ABC7's George Pennacchio told us earlier that the 85th Oscars was different from the past.

"It's gonna be surprises. I think it's a good show.  I think America and the whole world would fall in love. it's the most prestigious red carpet of the year."

The Oscars have historically been the place to find the biggest dresses and even bigger fashion statements. We would ask, “who are you wearing?"

A number of designers and stylists offered their predictions for what we might see. On the red carpet was Filipino designer Alexis Monsanto who was KTLA Morning News' in-house Oscar fashion critic. He said that "every year is fantastic." Monsanto said his father came from Batuan, Bohol.  

"They are classic timeless designs. Beautiful colors of turquoise of blue, I expect to see that," said Monsanto, who made the gown for Hollywood actress Kimberly Roberts.

Rachel Smith

Another Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino dressed up actress Gloria Reuben for this year's Oscars. 

Also reporting on the red carpet were Fil-Ams Yong Chavez of ABS-CBN North Bureau, film expert David Magdael  and Inquirer's Ruben Nepales.

Oscars host Seth MacFarlane mocked Hollywood and embraced it. MacFarlane has the musician's edge too. He could do singing and dancing that the producers didn't have to force him to do. He delivered the kind of opening that gets a host invited back.

Sunday was the biggest night of Anne Hathaway' life. The actress made sure everyone knew of her enthusiasm for Les Mis , and she didn't let us forget it.

“It came true!” was Anne Hathaway’s opening speech. 

We agreed Hathaway totally deserved that award. Even watching that tiny little clip of her Les Miserables song made us teary-eyed. Isn't it?

Alexis Monsanto

But there's a woman who earned a place in our hearts forever. The talented and accident-prone Silver Linings Playbook actress Jennifer Lawrence who fell flat on her face.

Dressed in an off-white strapless Dior Haute Couture gown, a stunned Lawrence tripped over all that fabric. Thankfully, Lawrence recovered quickly, and managed to turn her awkward moment into a totally adorable one. "You guys are only standing up because you feel bad that I fell, and that's really embarrassing, but thank you," she told the audience as they gave her a standing ovation. It was pretty much perfect.

It was Lawrence's second major wardrobe malfunction. She accidentally hike up her blue Dior gown, revealing a sheer panel over her legs and making it look like her dress had ripped in half while climbing the stairs to accept her Golden Globe.

Jennifer Lawrence Courtesy: AMPAS

Ang Lee, a humble and beloved figure in Hollywood, emphasized that the achievement of his film was not just about effects.

“I hope this award season thing help people recognize that it’s not just technology’s triumph, it served the purpose of our artistic expression,” he told reporters on the red carpet. “It’s actually the artistic approach that I think make it believable and amazing. It’s not just technology itself, it’s the handcrafts, it’s the heart of doing it.”

The Oscars were all about music this year. It featured  Jennifer Hudson belting And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, Anne Hathaway singing One Day More passionately, and Catherine Zeta-Jones performing All That Jazz"  bringing Chicago back to life. Some raised questions as to whether Zeta-Jones was lip-syncing.

Hudson inspired the entire Dolby Theater to deliver a standing ovation. Then the cast of Les Mis including Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and Eddie Redmayne, took the stage with a medley that they wisely opened with the only original song from the score, Suddenly. Of course, they also decided to let Russell Crowe sing with them too.

Barbra Streisand sang The Way We Were as this year’s In Memoriam segment paying tribute to performers and artists like Ernest Borgnine, Nora Ephron, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jack Klugman, Tony Scott, Frank Pierson, Marvin Hamlisch, Hal David, the critic Andrew Sarris and Adam Yauch.

Lawrence and Hathaway Courtesy: AMPAS

Film critics said that the win by Argo demonstrates the difference — when it comes to predicting Oscar winners — between earning critical acclaim and earning an Academy Award. Zero Dark Thirty may have won more plaudits from critics, but critics didn’t vote in the Oscar balloting.

In the Academy Awards, as in political elections, who votes, matters.

We can fall on every stage and still be graceful.  Maybe we can take lessons from Jennifer Lawrence.

The Winners of Oscars 2013:

Picture-Argo

Actor in a Leading Role-Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Actress in a Leading Role-Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Director-Ang Lee, Life of Pi 

Original Screenplay- Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino

Adapted Screenplay-Argo, Chris Terrio

Original Song- Skyfall, Skyfall

Original Score- Life of Pi, Mychael Danna

Production Design- Lincoln, Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Film Editing- Argo, William Goldenberg

Actress in a Supporting Role- Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables

Sound Editing- Zero Dark Thirty, Paul N.J. Ottosson

Sound Mixing- Les Misérables, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes

Foreign Language Film- Amour, Austria

Documentary Feature- Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn

Documentary Short Subject- Inocente, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine

Short Film, Live Action- Curfew, Shawn Christensen

Makeup- Les Misérables, Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Costume Design- Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran

Visual Effects- Life of Pi, Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott

Cinematography- Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda

Animated Feature- Brave, Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman

Short Film, Animated- Paperman, John Kahrs

Actor in a Supporting Role-Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

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Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.

And the Oscar goes to....

LOS ANGELES, CA- I grew up loving the Oscars.  I like the evening's glamorous fashions, the little snippets of the screenplays, famous kisses to seat-climbing winners and the wildest acceptance speeches.

 

Like you, the Oscars brings out the child in all of us.  We all dream of walking the Red Carpet on the arm of a movie stars we like while hundreds of bulbs flash simultaneously.

 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences aka Oscar is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema.

Last Wednesday, I arrived in Los Angeles, California to cover the 85th Academy Awards.  

 

US-based Boholano socialite Mikey Gatal, who lives in the downtown Los Angeles County, accompanied me during the Oscars activities. 

 

It was like an epic to watch the red carpet being physically rolled out last Wednesday for the ceremony. The golden statues were being readied. Statuettes of Oscars are ready for visitors and tourists at a local souvenir shop in Hollywood. 

 

Mikey and I gushed when we witnessed how the Oscars organizers and crew were all organized.  

 

"They are very organized and they have a very tight security," observed Mikey.

 

Before starlets hit the Red Carpet, Hollywood Boulevard was being dressed for the occasion. It was closed between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue. There was re-routing bus traffic. However, people could still visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Forecourt of the Stars at Grauman's Chinese Theater and Madame Tussauds Hollywood and Hollywood Museum and the Max Factor Building. (I was thinking to visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame after the Oscar activities for the day yet Mikey rushed me to Hollywood's famous spots.)

 

At the Dolby Theater (formerly known as Kodak Theater), the statues were lined the length of the red carpet which is approximately 500 feet. A little bit of Oscar trivia – the size of most common set-dressing Oscar is 34 in. diameter (base), 7½ feet tall and 65 pounds. The statuette was designed by Cedric Gibbons, art director for MGM studios, and was sculpted by George Stanley.

 

Mikey Gatal

In the week leading up to the Oscars, Mikey and I attended the events celebrating this year's nominees. The Oscar Week featured screenings, film clips, and discussions with filmmakers and artists whose work has garnered nominations in the animated feature film, documentary, foreign language film, make-up and hairstyling and short film categories.

 

We’re hearing more and more about what kind of show to expect this Sunday.

 

The films Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Argo and Les Miserables earned multiple Oscar nominations.

 

Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron told reporters that Academy Award winner Jane Fonda will join Jennifer Garner, Kristen Stewart and Kerry Washington to present on the Oscar telecast. They are working on a tribute to the genre of movie musicals. With Dame Shirley Bassey, Adele and Barbra Streisand performing, as well as the Les Miserables cast members Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, it promises to be an all-singing, all-dancing kind of affair.

 

Fonda earned seven nominations and won Academy Awards for her roles in "Klute" and "Coming Home." Garner was seen in this year's "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" and will be seen next in "Dallas Buyers Club." Stewart is best known for her role as Bella Swan in the "Twilight" saga and also starred in 2012's "On the Road" and "Snow White and the Huntsman." Washington starred in the Best Picture Nominee "Django Unchained" and was seen in "A Thousand Words." Washington is also the star of ABC's hit drama "Scandal."

 

Fonda, Garner, Stewart and Washington join a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters including Jennifer Aniston, Michael Douglas, Jamie Foxx, Paul Rudd, Salma Hayek Pinault, Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, Ted and "Marvel's The Avengers" cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; "Chicago" cast members Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones; special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron; and performers including Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit and Helena Bonham,Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.

 

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Feb. 24, the Oscar Sunday, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

 

Meanwhile, excuse me as I attend the Oscar Party tonight.

 

Here is the complete nominations lists:

 

Best Motion Picture

Argo
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django UnchainedLes MisérablesLife of PiLincolnSilver Linings PlaybookZero Dark Thirty 

 

Achievement in Directing

Ang Lee, Life of PiBenh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
David O. Russell, Silver Linings PlaybookMichael Haneke, Amour
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

 

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings PlaybookDaniel Day-Lewis, LincolnDenzel Washington, FlightHugh Jackman, Les MisérablesJoaquin Phoenix, The Master

 

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings PlaybookJessica Chastain, Zero Dark ThirtyNaomi Watts, The ImpossibleQuvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

 

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Alan Arkin, Argo
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

 

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams, The Master
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Sally Field, Lincoln

 

Best Animated Feature Film

BraveFrankenweenieParaNormanThe Pirates! Band of MisfitsWreck-It Ralph

 

Original Screenplay

Amour, Michael Haneke
Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Flight, John Gatins
Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Zero Dark Thirty, Mark Boal

 

Adapted Screenplay

Argo, Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin
Life of Pi, David Magee
Lincoln, Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell

 

Best Foreign-Language Film

A Royal Affair (Denmark)
Amour (Austria)
No (Chile)
War Witch (Canada)
Kontiki (Norway)

 

Original Score

Anna Karenina, Dario Marianelli
Argo, Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Lincoln, John Williams
Skyfall, Thomas Newman

 

Original Song

"Before My Time," J. Ralph; Chasing Ice"Everybody Needs a Best Friend," Walter Murphy and Seth McFarlane; Ted
"Pi's Lullaby," Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri; Life of Pi
"Skyfall," Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth; Skyfall"Suddenly," Claude-Michel Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boulil; Les Misérables 

 

Achievement in Production Direction

Anna Karenina
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

 

Achievement in Cinematography

Anna Karenina, Seamus McGarvey
Django Unchained, Robert Richardson
Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda
Lincoln, Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall, Roger Deakins

 

Achievement in Costume Design

Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran
Les Misérables, Paco Delgado
Lincoln, Joanna Johnston
Mirror Mirror, Eiko Ishioka
Snow White and the Huntsman, Colleen Atwood

 

Best Documentary Feature

5 Broken Cameras
The Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Searching for a Sugar Man

 

Best Documentary Short Subject

Inocente
Kings Point
Mondays at Racine
Open Heart
Redemption

 

Achievement in Film Editing

Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

 

Achievement in Makeup & Hairstyling

Hitchcock
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables

 

Best Animated Short Film

Adam and Dog
Fresh Guacamole
Head Over Heels
Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"
Paperman

 

Best Live-Action Short Film

Asad
Buzkashi Boys
Curfew
Death of a Shadow
Henry

 

Achievement in Sound Editing

Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

 

Achievement in Sound Mixing

Argo
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

 

Achievement in Visual Effects

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Marvel's The Avengers
Prometheus
Snow White and the Huntsman

1st Mr. & Ms. HNU 2013 held

Wake-uppers:

Scene: The people of Bohol wish Gov. Edgar Chatto a (belated) happy birthday (Feb. 20). Feliz compleaños to former Mayor Jose Torralba, Dr. Cyrilda Tallo and fashion icon Maximiel Tallo (Feb. 9), Councilor Kit Oppus (Feb. 10), Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim (Feb. 11), Bohol's seasoned host Raul Gatal (Feb.  12), Atty. Handel Lagunay and Fr. Val Pinlac (Feb. 14), Meljun Daniel (Feb. 15), Engr. Jes Tirol, Elvie Macalandag, Louella Husain and Tagbilaran City Councilor Lucille Lagunay (Feb. 17), Fr. Joesum Sumampong (Feb. 21); and Dr. Jojo Maniwan and Fiel Angeli Araoarao-Gabin (Feb. 24).

 

Scene:  Talented fashion experts and couturiers Henry Baron, Maximiel Tallo, Jong Magallano, Omie Auza, Rhigel Dulfo and EJ Relampagos will “Reveal” their collection in a gala fashion show on March 2, 8 p.m. at the Bohol Cultural Center. Initiated by the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran, “Reveal” is re-building and re-shaping the Boholano design aesthetic. One of Bohol’s respected designers who will showcase his collection is Maximiel Tallo, the master of elegance, who specializes in formal wear and wedding gowns. His clientele usually is international. Maxi was a semi-finalist of the Mega Young Designers Competition, finalist in the Paris Concours International de Jeunes Creatures de Modean International Young Designer Competition held at Bonifacio Tent and Top 20 in the Project Runway Philippines in 2010.

 

Scene: This barangay chief “RFJ,” who is seeking higher office in this May 2013 election in the water town of Bohol, was misbehaving. When two media personalities were covering the event in his barangay while a big rally was held on the same day, he got mad and forcibly picked and removed the mediamen from the place. “He should ask us politely besides that’s a public event,” said one mediaman.  

 

 

***

It’s never too late.

 

Beauty watchers were hopeful that the Holy Name University (HNU) would have time to include male candidates in the school pageant. It took many years to realize, thanks to Stephen Bryan Yu Bongcaras, Central Student Organization (CSO) president and secretary-general of the 9th National Youth Parliament.

 

Bongcaras, who also won in several personality pageants in the province, has a penchant for pageants.

 

Known as Miss Holy Name College (HNC), Miss DWC-T Personality (which was held at the time when Martial Law was at its peak after Marcos' declaration)  and Miss HNU, it produced many beauty queens like the late Mrs. Pastora Mendoza Visarra and Miss DWCT 1976 Ms. Lety Tinampay- Te, who according to Bohol’s seasoned host and “beauty expert”,  one of the most elegant Miss DWCT winners who reigned during the golden years of pageantry in Divine Word College of Tagbilaran City.”

 

Capitalizing on promoting social relevance and a sense of responsibility and volunteerism among the youth, the CSO of HNU headed by Bongcaras, produced the first-ever Mr. and Ms. Holy Name University (HNU) Personality.

 

In the afternoon of February 8, the 16 candidates representing the different departments and campus organizations shared a piece of their minds to the panel of interrogators led by Rev. Fr. Dudz Lero, during the one-on-one interview and pre-pageant judging which constituted 30 percent of the total score.

 

In the evening at the HNU Gymnasium, the pageant highlighted the CSO “BIG” Night which showcased the “BIG” advocacy projects, namely Bohol Red Cross' participation to the Million Volunteer Run 2, I Transform Hambabauran Initiative and the Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge in March 2013 in the municipalities of Antequera and Talibon, aside from the candidates sashaying on stage in their best behavior and bearing wearing production number outfits, professional and formal attire. In the grueling question and answer portion, each male and female candidates were made to share their insights on individual and common questions.

 

Cool but witty Collin Chio Joshua Jubac and statuesque Candy Cumayas romped to victory over their contenders and were crowned Mr. and Miss HNU Personality 2013, respectively. Noriefumi Palban and Crizelle Jade Requierme were proclaimed first runners-up, while Ralph Melchor Lacang and Melanie Quimson were adjudged second runners-up.

 

Other male candidates were Arjo Carajay, Kenneth Salabsab, Kevin Cantoneros, Vincent Descallar and Jason John Japon, with their female counterparts April Joy Baliong, Ezra May Corona, Suzanne Mae Campos, Tanya Bianca Schreurs and Ann Lorraine Ladera.

 

EJ Relampagos, Bohol’s fashion guru, Fiel Angeli E. Araoarao-Gabin, City Information Officer and Miss Tagbilaran 1987, and HNU’s Fr. Ruel S. Gado, high school and grade school chaplain composed the board of judges.

 

“I am overwhelmed with how good all the candidates look and speak their minds... to think it was all impromptu... wow!!! :) Kudos to all Holynamians! And of course to the organizing committee headed by Stephen Bryan Yu Bongcaras, congratulations for staging a decent and relevant personality search.  You guys did not only make history for the school, you also made a big difference in promoting social responsibility. You just proved that the quality of a beauty pageant does not rely on how much is spent for it, but it is the dedication of every person involved that makes it simply amazing,” EJ posted on Facebook, after the pageant.

 

Gracing the affair were Fr. Francisco T. Estepa, SVD, university president, Fr. Ruel F. Lero, SVD, vice-president for Academic Affairs and Fr. Vicente L. Uy, SVD, vice-president for administration,  and Nanelyn D. Wate, Student Affair's Office director. Pageant hosts were Stephen Bongcaras, Mr. Olive-C Bohol first runner-up and Lara Lumayag, Miss Teen Bohol 2012 second runner-up and Miss Friendship awardee.

 

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Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.