THE BEST AND THE WORST OSCAR NOMINATIONS EVER
****
THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
****
 |
| Clint Eastwood |
OSCAR NEWS --- The Oscar nominations were announced yesterday sending the net into a major hissy-fit: Snubbed: Into the Woods, Unbroken, and, Clint Eastwood as director of Best Picture nominee American Sniper. The LEGO Movie was dismissed. Almost all of Selma was bypassed, except for a Best Picture nom. The Bennett Miller film Foxcatcher, got everything but Best Picture.
Also snubbed: Jennifer Aniston in Cake and Golden Globe-winner Amy Adams in Big Eyes.
Robert Duvall’s good performance in a sub par movie, The Judge, was a nom as well. And, to me, a performance that’s really become etched into my mind, Steve Carell in Foxcatcher scored.
Odd choices for sure. I’ve seen Cake and Aniston is really stellar. It took a few days for her performance to sink in, but she’s awesome.
Last night at the Critic’s Choice Awards: Richard Linklater‘s 12-years-in-the-making Boyhood scored Best Picture and Best Director. Birdman led the field with seven wins, including three for Michael Keaton: Best Actor, Best Comedy Actor and Best Acting Ensemble. Julianne Moore kept up her hot streak, winning Best Actress for Still Alice, as did J.K. Simmons, who was chosen Best Supporting Actor win for Whiplash. The Grand Budapest Hotel took three awards including Best Comedy, and Guardians Of The Galaxy took two.
KIM FOWLEY RIP --- Producer, writer and musician Kim Fowley died yesterday after battling bladder cancer. He was 75.
While perhaps best known as the man who put together the Runaways, Fowley already had a very successful career behind him by the time he formed the ultimate all-girl rock band. He was born in Los Angeles to two actors and attended University High School with a class that included Jan Berry and Dean Torrence, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Johnston, Ryan O'Neal and James Brolin.
After recovering from a bout of polio, he began his management career, working with the local band The Sleepwalkers whose members included future Beach Boy Johnston and drummer Sandy Nelson.
As the 60's wore on, Kim continued to have his hand in a number of hits. He wrote Nut Rocker for B. Bumble and the Stingers, produced the Mermaid's Popsicles and Icicles and publicized for P. J. Proby.
Towards the end of the decade, he moved to London where he worked with the N'Betweens, an early version of Slade, the Lancasters which included a young Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) and Soft Machine.
It was also during this time that Fowley tried his hand as a recording artist, releasing four singles by the end of the decade. Over his career, his output would include over 25 titles. He almost seemed to be everywhere, playing on Frank Zappa's album Freak Out! to co-writing much of Warren Zevon's debut album to collaborating on music with friend Skip Battin which appeared on the Byrd's Untitled and Byrdmaniax albums.
As the 70's dawned, Fowley remained busy, producing music for Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids, recording with Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers and writing for artists ranging from KISS to Helen Reddy.
However, Fowley's greatest legacy would come starting in 1975 when he met a young guitar player by the name of Joan Jett. Kim had been looking to put together an all-female rock band and Jett was the first piece of the puzzle. Two weeks later he met drummer Sandy West and, a short time later, added Cherie Currie, Lita Ford and Jackie Fox who became the initial lineup for The Runaways. In 1976, the group signed with Mercury Records and released their self titled debut album which was produced by Fowley along with his writing or co-writing seven of the ten cuts including the single "Cherry Bomb."
By the time the group was ready to record their second album, Queen of Noise, their relationship with Fowley was going south. While he is listed as a producer for the album, the group brought in Earle Mankey to do most of the day-to-day work. Once again, Kim contributed to seven of the ten tracks on the album as a writer. Soon after, Fowley and the Runaways dissolved their partnership.
During the 80's, Fowley moved to Australia where he worked with the bands the Innocents. Upon his return to L. A., he added the bands Candy and Steel Breeze to his portfolio.
By the start of the 2000's, Fowley had once again branched out to work on film documentaries while also continuing to pursue his own music. He also released the first part of his autobiography, Lord of Garbage, in 2012.
Bold, visionary, unforgettable … RIP Kim.
H20 --- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inductees Daryl Hall and John Oates are the Number 1 selling duo in music history, with 7 platinum albums, several gold albums, and a string of hit singles, including six U. S. #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Their Philadelphia-bred blend of rock and soul captured the city's signature sound and brought it to the masses, inspiring a wealth of modern artists, while solidifying their stature as musical icons.
On March 31, Eagle Rock will release their first new concert video in seven years: Daryl Hall And John Oates: Live In Dublin on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray and Digital Formats.
The film kicks off with a direct quote about the heart and soul of this group: "It's not about stadiums and smoke bombs…it's about real playing."
Filmed at the Olympia Theatre on July 15, 2014, this set features the duo's first ever concert performance in Dublin. Hall and Oates dipped into their 40+ year rich repertoire to deliver a set list steeped in hits: "Sara Smile," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," "Out Of Touch," "Kiss On My List," "Private Eyes," "Rich Girl," "Maneater," and many more.
It's fitting that this high-energy 15-song concert film traverses songs from across their career, as Hall promises the audience that their "making up for lost time" in a city they've never performed in before.
CLOSING NOTES --- Pretty solid and positive reviews for director Michael Mann’s cyber-thriller Blackhat, opening today, starring Chris Hemsworth. Mann, who did Collateral and Heat –not to mention the 80’s visionary/trippy TV series Miami Vice- is a terrific director and storyteller. I recently watched Collateral again and it helped up terrifically well. Am looking forward to this one …
The 2015 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will feature
Billy Joel, Mumford & Sons, Kendrick Lamar, My Morning Jacket, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Deadmau5 and Florence + the Machine.
Also set to perform: Ben Harper, Spoon, Tears for Fears, Punch Brothers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bassnectar, Alabama Shakes, Childish Gambino, Belle & Sebastian, Hozier and Gary Clark Jr.
The four-day festival will get underway June 11 in Manchester, Tennessee.
Comments