Anyone care about the Oscars?

[chainsaw]

We have an Oscar party every year - not because we really care about who wins, but more so just to yell at the TV and badmouth the celebs. I'm really bored at work, so I though that since the show itself can get pretty boring, I'll made a quiz for my guests. Anyone want to take a wack at it? I know cheating via the net is tempting, but please... be honest.

1 Nominee Natalie Portman was in her first movie at the age of 13. What was it?

2 He is the only director to be nominated four times and not win. Tonight is his 5th nomination. Who is he? And name two of the five films he has been nominated as Best Director for.

3 In 1998 she was nominated for an Oscar for playing the title character in Elizabeth, but lost to Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love. Who is she?

4 Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen are both nominated for their roles in Sideways. According to the official website for the film, what type of wine should you drink when you eat brie cheese? Name one of the three.

5 Colin Farrell is scheduled to play Det. James 'Sonny' Crockett in the upcoming film version of Miami Vice in 2006. What nominee has been announced to play Det. Ricardo Tubbs?

6 Though she started acting at age 11, she wasn't in her first film until Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures in 1994 (she was 19). Who is she?

7 He had a recurring role in a series of BMW commercials as their mysterious driver. He played a valet in Gosford Park and he played a character named "The Professor" in The Bourne Identity, who also drove a BMW. Who is he?

8 From The Phantom of the Opera, "Learn to be Lonely" is nominated for Original Song. The original stage performance opened in 1986. Who played the original Phantom on stage?

9 Imelda Staunton is nominated for her leading role in Vera Drake. I don't know anyone that's seen this? So… What's Vera Drake about?

10 Jamie Foxx is nominated this year for his amazing portray of Ray Charles. But Jamie Foxx is not his birth name. He changed it from Eric Bishop. Why?

11 Annette Bening has played a wife in many films. Name three, and the actors who played her husband in each.

12 How tall is the Oscar statuette?

13 She won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1999 and is nominated again this year. Maybe she'll remember to thank her husband in her acceptance speech this time. Who is she and who is her actor husband?

14 Two of this years nominees played brothers in a movie in 1993. Who are they and what was the movie?

15 This nominee has directed 21 of the movies he's starred in. Name three. And who is he?

16 Sophie Okonedo, from Hotel Rwanda, was in another movie in 1995 that took place in Africa. She played the beautiful Wachati Princess in this ridiculous comedy sequel. What's the name of the movie?

17 This nominee said in an interview that in all the years he's acted, he has never been cast as a romantic lead, nor has he been cast opposite a female love interest in any movie he's starred in. That's a shame since he's been in movies with Gwyneth Paltrow, Tea Leoni, Monica Bellucci, Renee Zellweger, Ashley Judd, Jennifer Aniston, Kirsten Dunst, Hillary Swank, and soon, Katie Holmes, just to name a few. Who is he?

18 What was Johnny Depp's first movie and what year was it released?

19 Nominated for Best Picture, The Aviator is the story of Howard Hughes. Hughes was famous for many things, the Spruce Goose, or Hughes H-4 Hercules, being one of them. What is the wingspan of this gigantic flying boat?

20 Based on her performance in Primal Fear (1996), Clint Eastwood chose this nominee to play his daughter (another lawyer) in Absolute Power (1997). Who is she?

21 Catalina Sandino Moreno is nominated for her role in her very first film, Maria Full of Grace. She plays a 17-year old who swallows and transports pellets full of a half-kilo of this highly addictive substance from Colombia into the U.S. What type of drug was she smuggling?

22 Freddie Highmore not only acts along side Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland but they share the same birthday, and Depp requested Highmore to co-star in his next feature due out July 2005. What is it?

23 He is probably best known as Capt. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce from M*A*S*H. Who is he? And what's the name of the movie he wrote, directed and starred in in 1990? (Hint: He played Molly Ringwald's father)

24 This nominee played the character Basher Tarr in two films (in 2001 & 2004). Who is he/she and what are the names of the two films?

25 Name as many films as you can that have won for best picture since the Oscars started (76 possible answers).

[lookout123]

i think Oscar is great. who else could really live in a garbage can and be perfectly content. i think he is a role model for us all.

oh? hollywood? no don't care. as Chris Rock said, "no straight man watches the Oscars."

[Troubleshooter]

I always wondered about Oscar's roommate, Felix.

He seemed a bit... fastidious to me.

[SteveDallas]

I think oscars are great.

[Guyute]

I could get into it more if they didn't have retards like Mary Hart standing out front talking like she is being zapped with a taser. She really bugs me. Her interviews (and most of the other ones) are so chopped up that it gets annoying watching so-and-so for 8.2 seconds, then flitting over to another camera shot for 12.6 seconds, etc. I am always somewhat interested because I don't watch TV and I haven't been to a theatre in 3 years, so I don't even know half of the movies being talked about, so it is actually interesting to me just to see who's new and who's back.

[wolf]

I find that lately the only part that really holds my interest is the Dead Guy Montage.

I don't think I've seen any of the nominated films this year.

Unless the theme from Team America: World Police got nominated for best song ...

I guess not.

[wolf]

Well, they're finally over. Chris Rock did a reasonable, although largely undistinguished job as emcee. No real surprises in the dead guy montage (which, as I have mentioned before, is my favorite part of any awards show).

I had no real interest or investment in any of the nominated films. I only saw one of them, The Passion of the Christ, which was nominated for some technical and artistic awards and didn't win.

Of the remainder I only kind of want to see some of them ... maybe The Incredibles, and I'll probably catch Spiderman 2 when it comes to HBO. Lemony Snicket looked interesting based on the advertising, and someone told me The Polar Express was creepy, mainly because of the attempt to simulate actual humans.

[Billy]

I think Oscar is good. It activates filmmakers to produce many good movies.

[Catwoman]

No 1 is Leon. Can't be bothered to read the rest. Good film though.

[glatt]

Don't make it out to the theaters much these days. So I have only seen a couple of the movies. I'll see many of these when they come out on DVD.

I'm glad Morgan Freeman won. I really like him.

Welcome back, Catwoman.

[lookout123]

The Incredibles was a movie that i truly enjoyed. and not just because my 3 year old was enthralled.

i finally saw Shaun of the Dead yesterday and i now believe it should have received best picture honors.

[Catwoman]

back for a bit as I find myself getting paid to do nothing. again. this post just cost the company £75.

[Trilby]

I am disappointed that Paul Giamatti didn't get the nomination. Sideways was awesome. He did a stellar job.

[russotto]

For those who didn't watch: Chris Rock did a bit on how real people don't watch nominated films. He also did a most unconvincing imitation of Catherine Zeta-Jones, who wasn't there. (OK, it WAS funny)

And despite the lack of respect the academy traditionally gives science fiction/action films, I think they took most of the theme music for the awards itself from those films. (_Terminator_ and _Star Wars_ in particular)

[glatt]

Originally Posted by russotto

And despite the lack of respect the academy traditionally gives science fiction/action films, I think they took most of the theme music for the awards itself from those films. (_Terminator_ and _Star Wars_ in particular)

I was on the computer while my wife watched the awards in another room. I heard the theme to Star Trek Next Generation playing loudly for a few seconds, so I got up to see what was going on. I expected to see Patrick Stewart giving away an award or something. But they were just cutting to a commercial break. Had nothing to do with Star Trek. I returned to whatever geeky thing I was doing on the computer. (Oh yeah, now I remember, I was writing a long e-mail with pictures about the science fair entry my kindergartener just did. Geeky for sure.)