Steve Gilliard, 1964-2007
It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey
the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog,
passed away June 2, 2007. He was 42.
To those who have come to trust
The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial
tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped
lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects
and interest categories where others feared to tread.
Please keep Steve's friends and family in your
thoughts and prayers.
Steve meant so much to us.
We will miss him terribly.
photo by lindsay beyerstein
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Oscar Contest--Courtesy of the Amazing Doc Jesse Wendel
 The Nominees
You probably don't know my mother-in-law is Emmy Winner Judith Holstra. Sure, I've been divorced a good while, but with four kids to whom she's grandma, Judith is more my mother-in-law now than when I was married. Every Thanksgiving and again at the Holiday dinner, the talk is about movies & television -- what parts are going to whom, what directors are doing what, how these actors are doing, what screenwriters are being successful, and so on. And the hot gossip. My second daughter, Chelsea (19), told me this week she's changing her last name to her grandma's and become a Casting Director also, succeeding Judith in running the family business. *smiles* For those of you whom remember, this is the kid who stunned me several months ago by announcing she was applying to the Naval Academy to fly jets. To take after her Grandma, a very successful, highly regarded Casting Director, would be a good, good, thing. My sister-in-law works at one of the major studios. My father-in-law used to write on a network comedy show. I've written a screenplay. And I'm working on the financing for a feature documentary I'm going to direct. In other words, the Oscars are my Super Bowl.Steve hates the Oscars. Can't stand them. For Your Consideration: I'm not saying there's any connection between Steve mocking Oscar and being smitten down by illness, but I'm sure next year he won't be so quick to mock the great Oscar to whom many millions in Variety ad dollars are sacrificed.
Hey... I could write a movie about that... dibs...Anyway, it's time for our Second Annual The News Blog Academy Awards Contest.The Oscar nominees are listed below. You've no doubt been carefully considering your choices for weeks. Or at least for a few minutes, now that you know there's a prize.You can watch Trailers for all the nominated movies by category at Apple Movie Trailers. Send your picks to me and I'll count them up. DEADLINE FOR PICKS TO ARRIVE IS Sunday February 25, 2007 - 5PT/8ET. We're not responsible for delays in your email system, so send early. We may publish your entry and name even if you don't win unless you tell us otherwise.The contest winner gets a copy of Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need or the classic Inside Oscar, 10th Anniversary Edition from Amazon, their choice.Tiebreakers: 1) Music (Score), 2) Cinematography, 3) Documentary Short, 4) Short Film (Live Action), 5) Film Editing, and if we must, 6) time of email delivery.
So...Oscar fans -- tell us whom you think will win.Also, hopefully during the awards we'll have an Open Thread available to make remarks about the speeches, Ellen as Host, the winners, the dresses, George, Julia, Jack, and everything else you want to talk about... Hey -- it's The Oscars! Get your picks in. See you Sunday night.Jesse "Doc" Wendel/Seattle
Will post an update on Gilly later if I can...thank you all so much again for your good wishes and offers of help.
UPDATE: I fucked up and forgot to post the categories. Without further ado:
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Leonardo DiCaprio – BLOOD DIAMOND Ryan Gosling – HALF NELSON Peter O'Toole – VENUS Will Smith – THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS Forest Whitaker – THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Alan Arkin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE Jackie Earle Haley – LITTLE CHILDREN Djimon Hounsou – BLOOD DIAMOND Eddie Murphy – DREAMGIRLS Mark Wahlberg – THE DEPARTED
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Penélope Cruz – VOLVER Judi Dench – NOTES ON A SCANDAL Helen Mirren – THE QUEEN Meryl Streep – THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Kate Winslet – LITTLE CHILDREN
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Adriana Barraza – BABEL Cate Blanchett – NOTES ON A SCANDAL Abigail Breslin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE Jennifer Hudson – DREAMGIRLS Rinko Kikuchi – BABEL
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM CARS HAPPY FEET MONSTER HOUSE
ART DIRECTION DREAMGIRLS THE GOOD SHEPHERD PAN'S LABYRINTH PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST THE PRESTIGE
CINEMATOGRAPHY THE BLACK DAHLIA CHILDREN OF MEN THE ILLUSIONIST PAN'S LABYRINTH THE PRESTIGE
COSTUME DESIGN CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA DREAMGIRLS MARIE ANTOINETTE THE QUEEN
DIRECTING BABEL THE DEPARTED LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA THE QUEEN UNITED 93
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE DELIVER US FROM EVIL AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS JESUS CAMP MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY
DOCUMENTARY SHORT THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT RECYCLED LIFE REHEARSING A DREAM TWO HANDS
FILM EDITING BABEL BLOOD DIAMOND CHILDREN OF MEN THE DEPARTED UNITED 93
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM AFTER THE WEDDING DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES) THE LIVES OF OTHERS PAN'S LABYRINTH WATER
MAKEUP APOCALYPTO CLICK PAN'S LABYRINTH
MUSIC (SCORE) BABEL THE GOOD GERMAN NOTES ON A SCANDAL PAN'S LABYRINTH THE QUEEN
MUSIC (SONG) "I Need to Wake Up" – AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH "Listen" – DREAMGIRLS "Love You I Do" – DREAMGIRLS "Our Town" – CARS "Patience" – DREAMGIRLS
BEST PICTURE BABEL THE DEPARTED LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE THE QUEEN
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED) THE DANISH POET LIFTED THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL MAESTRO NO TIME FOR NUTS
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION) BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA) ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY) HELMER & SON THE SAVIOUR WEST BANK STORY
SOUND EDITING APOCALYPTO BLOOD DIAMOND FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
SOUND MIXING APOCALYPTO BLOOD DIAMOND DREAMGIRLS FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
VISUAL EFFECTS PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST POSEIDON SUPERMAN RETURNS
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY) BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN CHILDREN OF MEN THE DEPARTED LITTLE CHILDREN NOTES ON A SCANDAL
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY) BABEL LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE PAN'S LABYRINTH THE QUEEN
Thanks again Doc! You rock. And thanks for talking this afternoon. I've cancelled my plans for this evening to just eat soup and watch whatever crap Netflix sent and drink wine and try to forget that I still don't have hot water.
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