Here is the poster for Ricky Gervais’ up and coming movie “The Invention of Lying”. This has a fantastic cast so should be a hit comedy.
The Invention of Lying (2009) Poster
Efron Joins Influential Stars List
Thats really cool and I can see why.
Zac Efron has been named one of the world’s most influential people by a U.S. magazine – and the teen idol is in good company alongside U.S. President Barack Obama, George Clooney, Bono and Oprah Winfrey.
Efron, who shot to fame in Disney’s High School Musical franchise, has made his first entry in Time magazine’s annual list of the planet’s top 100 influential figures.
And Efron’s Me And Orson Welles co-star Claire Danes is adamant the 21 year old is worthy of the honour, comparing him to Leonardo DiCaprio.
Danes, who starred with DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet, tells the magazine: “(Working with Zac) I couldn’t help being reminded of the time I had spent with another gifted idol, Leonardo DiCaprio, about a decade before. I saw the simmering ardour of the teenage masses turn into unbridled hysteria after Titanic was released. But this was even more intense. The difference, I realised, was that Zac is not only an actor but also a musician, a bona fide song-and-dance man. We ladies are defenceless against such a combination.
“But I suppose we all know that Zac is a song-and-dance man. What is less known – and what I had the privilege of learning firsthand – is that he is a performer capable of great subtlety and vulnerability. It seems Zac is not only an entertainer but also an artist. He is going to make us swoon for many years to come.”
Other stars on the list include rapper M.I.A., actors Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks, sports star Tiger Woods as well as actresses Kate Winslet and Tina Fey.
Oscars 2009 – Report
Ok, So I have wrote a big long report as I was watching the Oscars.
- Hugh Jackman, with a very clever opening in a song featuring all of the nominated films. He was getting involved talking to the actors, and Anne Hathaway joined him on the stage for the Frost/Nixon segment, which was just fantastic.
- Best Supporting Actress – 5 previous winners appeared on the stage to present the nominations. Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Anjelica Huston, Tilda Swinton and I cannot remember who the 5th was. Each of them talked about one of the nominees. This is the first time the awards have been done like this and was a very good touch. Winner – Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona).She began her speech by saying she thought she was going to faint. Share with fellow nominees and thanked a few people including Woody Allen for writing such good in depth female characters. *This wasn’t really a big shock as Penelope had been picking up awards at a lot of the other ceremonies.
- Steve Martin and Tina Fey are the presenters, for screenplay awards. Good graphics of a computer screen with the words appearing across as they spoke. Best Original Screenplay – Winner – Dustin Lance Black (Milk). Sean Penn looked really happy when this was announced. Dustin was rather emotional and in his speech told how the story of Harvey Milk really helped him in his life and realise that things can change for the gay community. *Not really a surprise, as this was his first screenplay on a very powerful story with a good movie out of it. I was hoping for a big shock win for my favorite ‘In Bruges’. Best Adapted Screenplay – Winner – Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire). Start of the Slumdog Sweep . . .
- Jennifer Aniston and Jack Black are the next presenters. An Animation year book is shown with all the animated films from 2008. Best Animation – Winner – WALL.E. Great reaction from Jack Black who screamed.
- Hugh Jackman is back to tell us what happens next in the moving making process. The next two presenters appear, these being Daniel Craig (YAY) and Sarah Jessica Parker (two of my favorites so I was happy!). Art Direction – Winner – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. *First win for Benjamin Button. Back to DC and SJP. Costume Design– Winner- The Duchess. *Possibly a little bit of a shock with Benjamin Button and Milk being in the category. Best Make Up – Winner – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. *Win number 2, I was kind of hoping for ‘The Dark Knight’ to get an award early on.
- Robert Pattinson aka Edward Cullen and Amanda Seyfried (from Mamma Mia!) introduced the Romance in 2008 yearbook.
- Presenters Natalie Portman and Ben Stiller (dressed and behaving like Joaquin Phoneix) which was extremely funny and I really do not know how Natalie managed to not laugh even a little bit at the way Ben was going on wandering around as she was reading the nominations. Cinematography – Winner – Slumdog Millionaire. *That’s number 2 now for Slumdog.
- Jessica Biel presented a recap of the Sci-tech awards.
- James Franco and Seth Rogan on video clip, being the characters from ‘Pineapple Express’. Watching some of the nominees which are the serious films at laughing at them which is just too funny. This is my favorite comedy moment so far.
- James Franco, Seth Rogan and some guy who’s name I did no write down come on to present an award. Best Live Action Short Film – Winner – Spielzugland (Toyland). *Which James couldn’t pronounce and Seth started laughing, which was also rather amusing
- Hugh!!! Starts talking about how Mamma Mia has now sold more tickets than Titanic in the UK. This is the beginning of a huge medley of songs from loads of musicals. The newer song was top hat and tails with stars names said in it. Singing in the Rain, Hey Big Spender, West Side Story, Beyonce then joins Hugh on stage. Grease, your the one that I want. Sound of Music, Chicago . . . All That Jazz . . . Moulin Rouge, Lady Marmalade. Enter Vanessa Hudson, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper. One Night Only from Dreamgirls, Hairspray you can’t stop the beat. At last sung by Beyonce, High School Musical 3. Evita. Mamma Mia. I absolutely loved this segment, defiantly my favorite part. I am a total musical geek so this was just brilliant.
- Best Supporting Actor – 5 Previous winners take to the stage to present the nominees and the award. These were, Christopher Walken, Kevin Kline, Cuba Gooding Jr, Alan Arkin and Joel Grey. Winner- Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight).Collected by- His father, Mother and sister. So the rumours of them attending were true, I spied Christopher Nolan so figured he would collect it. But it was brilliant that Heath’s family collected it. His father said it was humbling and thanked the academy for recognising the talent in which Heath possesed. His mother said that tonight they would celebrate what Heath achieved. His sister said they often joked about appearing on the Oscars to collect an award and wishes he was here tonight, and they accepted the award on behalf of his beautiful Matilda. *Probably not a dry eye in the house after this one, it was very moving and so upsetting at the same time, but so well deserved for Heath as he is truly fantastic as the Joker. Many of the A List stars looked close to tears too.
- Hugh again, moving onto the post production of a film. The action of 2008 yearbook.
- Presenter Will Smith. Jokes that the best thing about action films, is the fans. Outstanding Visual Effects– The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. *That’s number 3. Outstanding Sound Editing– The Dark Knight. *That’s number 2. Sound Mixing-Slumdog Millionaire. #3. Film Editing– Slumdog Millionaire. #4.
- Presenter Eddie Murphy for theJean Hersholt Award– Winner- Jerry Lewis.
- Back to the lovely Hugh Jackman again. Mentions how Audery Hepburn said ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ was much better with a score. That’s right onto the music awards. Original Score– Winner- Slumdog Millionaire. Then onto Original Song which were then sung. John Legend sung the song from Wall.e after Peter Gabriel would not perform as he was asked to not sing the whole song. Winner- Slumdog Millionaire. #6 now.
- Hughy! Presenters Liam Neeson and Freida Pinto. Foreign Language Film– Winner- Departures (Japan).
- Queen Latifah. Tribute to people who we have lost over the past year. She began to sing a song (I do not know if this was a new song for the show, or if it is an old song I haven’t checked yet.) “I’ll be seeing you all in the old familiar places. The pictures were shown on the screens and the last person to show was Paul Newman with a clip from one of his films.
- Back to Hugh, who introduces the president of the academy (who did not make a speech) and that there is going to be a new president next year. Presenter Reese Witherspoon for the best director award. Direction– Winner- Danny Boyle. While yes I do dislike, Slumdog Millionaire. I do really like Danny Boyle, he just seems so genuine and a nice guy. In his speech he first jumped up and down on the stage apparently being like tigger. He began by saying that the show is bloody wonderful from the theatre. Firstly thanked his family and even mentioned the social club, haha.
- Best Actress in a Leading Role– the 5 previous winners who were presenting, Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman and Marion Cotillard. I was hoping for Julia Roberts in all honesty. But loving Shirley MacLaine, shes just awesomeness. Winner- Kate Winslet. YAY for Kate :-). Its taken her to 6 nominations to get her first win and I am so pleased for her. I loved how she held Angelina Jolie’s hand as she walked to the stage, just too cute especially after the whole forgetting her from the Golden Globe speech. *Speech- that she probably had a version of this speech when she was 8 years old with a shampoo bottle, and it certainly wasn’t a shampoo bottle now. Thanked her family and friends, and asked her dad to whistle, which he did and she screamed was brilliant. Mentioned people she worked with from Peter Jackson, to Emma Thompson and then her Sam (Mendes). And that she couldn’t believe being in a caterogry with Meryl Streep.
- Best Actor in a Leading Role– the 5 previous winners were, Robert DeNiro, Sir Ben Kingsley, Adrien Brody, Michael Douglas (YAY) and Sir Anthony Hopkins. YAY for Michael Douglas! But were was Jack Nicholson ?!?! Why wasn’t he at the Oscars ?!?! And why did they say Sir for Ben and not for Anthony?!?!?! Winner- Sean Penn.Wow, I really must say that I thought Mickey was going to get it, and I am so sad that he didn’t get it, but Sean was still a very worthy winner. Dustin Lance Black, was shown a couple of times crying. *Speech- Thanked his friends, the support, Cleve Jones. Gus Van Sant the director. The people who do not support gay marriage to have a good hard think about it and that we have to have equal rights for everyone! but my favorite part and quote of the whole Oscars “Mickey Rourke rises again and he is my brother.” Mickey then blew him a kiss.
- Hugh introduces Steven Spielberg.
- Best Picture – A look back at the different films nominated for best picture in the past. Winner- Slumdog Millionaire. I was really hoping for an upset but it didnt happen.
- Hugh Jackman, ends the show.
Overall it was a very good show, and much better than last year. The only thing it really missed was Jack Nicholson sitting grinning in the front row. I mean how can you have an Oscars without Jack?!?! I think some of the surprises for the presenters for the acting awards were the best parts, although a few of them did walk the red carpet, but others did not. I also hope they bring back Hugh Jackman as host next year.