One year ago...

...we lost a gifted artist, loving father, and courageous human being. I still feel pangs when I think of Heath Ledger being taken but I'm grateful he lives on in his films. In honor of the one-year anniversary of his death, I'd like to call attention to the phenomenal number of awards and nominations Heath has received for his unforgettable performance in The Dark Knight, including the Oscar nomination he received this morning.







List of awards and nominations Heath Ledger has received for the year 2008-2009: (courtesy of IMDB)

-81st Annual Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor (TBD)

-66th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2009 British Academy Film Awards-BAFTA (Winners will be announced on February 8th, 2009)
Best Supporting Actor (TBD)

-15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (Winners will be TELECASTED LIVE on January 25th, 2009 on TBS and TNT)
Best Supporting Actor (TBD)

-2008 Australian Film Institute Awards
Best Actor-International (WON)

-14th Annual Broadcast Film Critics Associations Critics Choice Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2009 London Film Critics' Circle Awards (Winners will be Announced on February 4th, 2009)
Actor of the Year (TBD)

-13th Annual Satellite Awards
Best Supporting Actor (nominated)

-2008 Los Angeles Film Critcs Association Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 San Francisco Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 San Diego Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Phoenix Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Austin Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Toronto Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Houston Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Dallas-Fort Worth Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 New York Online Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Southeastern Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 St. Louis Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Chicago Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Detroit Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Las Vegas Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Florida Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Utah Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Oklahoma Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2009 Kansas City Film Critics Award
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 African American Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2009 Central Ohio Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2009 Online Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2009 Vancouver Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 Bulgaria Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2008 EDA Awards
Best Supporting Actor (WON)

-2009 National Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (nominated; runner-up)

-2008 New York Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor (nominated)

-2008 GQ Australia Men of the Year Awards
Best Actor (WON)

-35th Annual People's Choice Awards
Favorite Onscreen Match-up - shared with Christian Bale (WON)
Favorite Ensemble Cast - shared with rest of the cast of TDK (WON)

-3rd Annual Scream Awards
Best Actor in a Fantasy Film or TV (WON)
Best Villain (WON)

***Heath Ledger so far has WON 35 awards, and been NOMINATED 43 times

Love me some Oscar nods

Well as much as I can't believe it, the Oscar nominations come out in two days. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in my social circle that cares, but when has that ever stopped me from obsessing over them? This year there's a REALLY good crop of movies out there for the picking so even if the Academy Awards don't interest you, I think the films that will be nominated are definitely worth checking out. Whether it's a brilliant performance, amazing script, or phenomenal cinematography and sound, the Oscar nods can be a very useful guide for what to see in the theater or put on the top of your Netflix list.

So in honor of this momentous occasion, I'm going to do what I do every year and predict the nominations for the six big categories.

* - what/who I'm currently pulling for

BEST PICTURE

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
*Slumdog Millionaire

Wildcard: The Reader

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
*Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Wildcard: Stephen Daldry - The Reader

BEST ACTOR

Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
*Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Wildcard: Richard Jenkins - The Visitor

BEST ACTRESS

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy Go Lucky
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Meryl Streep - Doubt
*Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Wildcard: Kristen Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

(*Um, this is by far the hardest category from which to choose a favorite...which is okay since it won't matter in the end)

Wildcard: Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Amy Adams - Doubt
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
*Kate Winslet - The Reader

Wildcard: Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
*Wall-E

Wildcard: The Visitor

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Dark Knight
*Slumdog Millionaire

Wildcard: The Reader


And as a fun little aside, I thought I'd call attention to a list E-dubs put together this week. It's a tribute to what they consider the all-time worst Oscar snubs in history. Rather than give you the whole list (there were 100 after all), I'd like to simply point out the significance of #1 and #2. Actually, I don't even need to point it out. I think these pics will speak for themselves!





Now get your ass up and see some movies!!

2008 hodgepodgery

Ohhhhhhhhhkay the year is officially over!! And how did I officially do on my 25/25 list? Well I completed 17 of the 25 goals, and did a bang up job with the remaining eight. In the immortal words of that random photo store dude on Seinfeld, "I'd say that's damn good!" So let's take a closer look at how I tackled my list, shall we?

25 Goals for my 25th Year

1. Finish notes on all Hitchcock films (3-4 per month)
2. Take another acting class
3. Break my 'times I've seen a single movie in the theater' record (currently holds at 5 with Spider-Man
4. Pay Katie and David back
5. Go on a date (I am allergic to dating so this is, in fact, going to be a challenge)
6. Give up alcohol for Lent
7. Improve digestive health (vitamins, less stress, more fiber, less alcohol, etc.)
8. Read 12 books (7/12)
Darkness, Take My Hand - Dennis Lehane
Faith of My Fathers - John McCain
No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy
Sacred - Dennis Lehane
The Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis
Bringing Down the House - Ben Mezrich
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
9. Do at least one freelance writing piece for profit
10. Cater a cocktail party
11. Build savings account (at least $100 a month)
12. Go to the Milwaukee Art Museum
13. Eat at one new restaurant every month
14. Volunteer with at least one charitable group
15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month
16. Take up meditation/find a serene place in the city to meditate
17. Get a digital camera
18. Create a food blog with recipes and pictures
19. Go to the opera, symphony or ballet
20. Attend the Triduum at St. John’s
21. Watch at least one documentary every month (8/12)
22. Run a 5K
23. Do a Pilates Challenge (30 sessions in 60 days)
24. Keep a gratitude journal
25. Buy 15 classic albums from the Rolling Stone 500 (13/15)-Bob Marley & The Wailers: Legend
-Bob Dylan: The Essential Bob Dylan
-The Mamas and the Papas: If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
-Cyndi Lauper: She’s So Unusual
-U2: Achtung Baby
-Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
-Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything
-Neil Young: After the Gold Rush
-Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
-Carole King: Tapestry
-Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
-CSNY: Deja Vu
-Frank Sinatra: In the Wee Small Hours
-Billy Joel: 52nd Street
-Otis Redding: The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul


So for the things I did not accomplish or complete, well I came close. For #1, I finished notes on 27 Hitchcock movies and I only have 10 left. #3, well I saw The Dark Knight five times in the theater and watched it on my friend's big screen TV. I'd say that's pretty damn close! I read 7 out of 12 books, and considering I was never an avid reader AND I had a pretty busy year, I'm very proud of #8. Oh and none of those books were Harry Potters ;-) #9 and #11 didn't end up being so important because I actually accomplished something even better. I got a new job that boosted my salary by $12,000. Not too shabby at all. #14 I wish I could have checked off the list and I'm really hoping to find more volunteering opportunities in 2009 because that really is important to me. I was only able to see 8/12 documentaries for #21 but the ones I did see affected me immensely. I ran out of time at the end of the year and thus was not able to do #23. However, I think all the running and training I did for the 5k more than made up for it.

As for the things I DID accomplish, well I'm proud of each and every one of them. I discovered a ton of great music, saw some amazing films, exercised my creative culinary muscles, ran a 5k race, improved my health, put a major dent in my Hitch book, fell in love with the city of Milwaukee, and fell in love with a boy :) I have to say it was one of the greatest years of my life if not the greatest. I hope to carry over many of these goals into 2009 because I truly believe they not only enhanced my life, but made me a much happier, healthier and well-rounded person.

December hodgepodgery

Well it was a ridiculously busy month but I was able to check a few things off...

13. Eat at one new restaurant every month

This month I ate at Eagan's, the restaurant located inside the infamous 'Abode of the Damned." I went with Katie and Nate before what would have been Katie's Christmas party. It was a total blast. We indulged in a few Manhattans and I had the Buffalo Chicken Salad which was to DIE for. Very good times indeed ;-)

15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month

This month I donated $25 to the Salvation Army. Katie actually took time out of her schedule to volunteer as a bell-ringer and that inspired me to donate to the them.

25. Buy 15 classic albums from the Rolling Stone 500 (8/15)

I took it upon myself to ask for a plethora of RS list albums for Christmas and I got the following:

Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul



Carole King: Tapestry



Miles Davis: Kind of Blue



CSNY: Deja Vu



Frank Sinatra: In the Wee Small Hours



Mmmkay that about does 'er! Stay tuned for my 25/25 year-end wrap up!