Oscars...tongue-tied actors coached on speech-making!

 

Didn't 'ya want to slap sense into Paltrow?

If you're ever found the Oscars to be a big yawn - and you've been inclined to channel surf away from the segments Hitchcock might refer to as the "boring bits" - you may want to stay glued to the glam broadcast this year to ensure you don't miss any memorable moments.

After all, the glitzy show-biz extravaganza is expected to zip along this year - in part, due - to the cheeky efforts of the producers.

At a tony luncheon yesterday in Beverly Hills to honor the nominees, actors were coached on the fine art of speech-making to help 'em along at the exciting proceedings this year at the Kodak Theatre (except for actor Colin Firth, of course, who is ably prepared in the event he has to scramble up to the podium to accept a coveted Golden Statuette).

Tips were offered up on how to deliver a touching heart-warming thank-you speech - within the forty-five second time limit - without fumbling and coming off like a amateurish jerk-off before the teaming masses around the globe come February 27th.

For example, producers cautioned performers about facilitating a scrap of paper to recall a laundry list rife with names of folks to thank (or using the palm of their hand for cheat notes).

Strictly taboo!

Just ask Sarah Palin.

To prompt the prime Grade A cattle along, a state-of-the-art indicator has also been installed on the front of the camera - to initiate a countdown - so unsuspecting thespians don't end up being yanked off stage with a hook (or cut off in the event irate sponsors cut to a commercial break).

For those who aren't a quick study, an instruction DVD was provided, for future reference.

So, if a handful of the speeches sound alike - or lack spontaneity or spark - you'll be able to fathom why.

You can't teach an old ham new tricks, after all!

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Cameron was "King of the World"

(in his own mind anyway!)



Oscars...Gwyneth Paltrow, Mandy Moore & Randy Newman slated to perform!

 

Ads for upcoming Oscars a bit flat!

Ever since the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences nabbed sizzling hot James Franco & sexy Anne Hathaway to host the upcoming Oscar celebrations in Tinsel Town, the power-brokers behind-the-scenes (Producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer) have been scrambling to round up a roster of heavy-weights to bolster their dazzling heady show-biz assignment on stage February 27th.

Gwyneth Paltrow has been lined up to warble "Coming Home" - for instance - a headlining tune she performed in the recently-released Country & Western gut-wrencher - "Country Strong" - which made a big splash in recent days at theatres around the country.

Randy Newman, Mandy Moore, and Zachery Levi and Florence Welch (The Machine) will also perform Oscar-nominated tunes when the curtain rings up in front of the glam-packed house at the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard just before springs roars in at the end of the month.

Newman will also warble a tune from "Toy Story 3" - while Mandy Moore & Levi and Menchen - were hand-picked to harmonize "I see the Light" from the animated hit "Tangled".

Stay posted for the latest news Oscar buzz, eh?

Still waiting for my invite.

Oh well, 'ya know how it is with snail mail these days!

http://www.thetattler.biz/



Cosmopolitan Hotel...Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kanye West attend Grand Opening!

In December I reported on the dazzling two-storey Cosmopolitan Hotel which threw open its doors amidst a lot of hoopla and on the edge of tough economic times still holding strong around the country.

In spite of a lot of tourist belt-tightening this past year - and the inclination of many to book into accommodations where bargain prices currently prevail - the Cosmopolitan managed to lure in a posse of show-biz luminaries for the Grand Opening which proved to be quite a shot in the arm for the non-Vegas-style establishment (backed by German financiers) out to carve a special niche in the ever-popular desert oasis

Regular Hotel guests rubbed shoulders with high-profile celebs like bodacious babe Beyonce, bad girl Rihanna, TV Idol Judge Jennifer Lopez (with low-key hubby Marc Anthony in tow), Markie Mark (oooops! Mark Wahlberg rather), charismatic actress Cameron Diaz, and Ashley Owen (to name a trendy few).

Oh, it almost slipped my mind!

Gwyneth Paltrow floated in (Country Strong) with kiddies Apple and Moses (!) in tow.

Jet-setters - with an ear for eclectic music - also flew in to catch Kanye West in concert at the hot spot revving up on the main strip these days.

Coldplay (Gwyneth's main squeeze is the lead singer) was also booked in to the visually-stunning environs to the delight of fans!

I predict the Cosmopolitan is going to take off in a big way in 2011.

By the way, the Marriot Rewards card may be used at the Cosmopolitan.

So, go rack up a few points, eh?

http://www.thetattler.biz

Eclectic Boy Bands are a lure!

Country Strong...Director Shana Feste & actor Garrett Hedlund @ screening! CW entertainment touches!

In one scene of a flick I took in last night at the Grove, a reporter asked one of the characters how he felt about the fact his career was going to change overnight.

Ironic that, because when "Country Strong" (produced by Toby MaGuire) is released next year on January 7th, Garrett Hedlund may find that fate has blessed his career with that very same surge upward into the glare of the heady stratosphere, too.

After all, Hedlund - who appeared with director Shana Feste in person at the sneak preview last evening - has a charismatic screen presence that jumps right out at the filmgoer.

In the role of a hopeful Country & Western Singer - the handsome actor excels - in a performance that is seamless, sexy, and downright magnetic.

Indeed!

The audience has a difficult time taking their eyes off the young stud, who steals every scene he appears in, I dare say.

Gwyneth Paltrow - the lead - fairs pretty well, too, in this refreshing down-to-earth tale about struggling (and established) Western-style pop stars trying to gain (and in the case of Paltrow's character "regain") a foothold in the topsy-turvy carnival-like atmosphere of the achy-breaky realms of Country & Western music.

Paltrow - who has left me hot (playing opposite Michael Douglas in a suspense-thriller) and cold (in the Tannenbaums) on occasion - manages to pull off a star-turn on the inviting Texas terrain here.

In fact, in the shell of a troubled C& W star (on the skids) - fighting to win back her reputation and fans - she holds her own.

Unfortunately, Ms. Paltrow is more Hollywood than Country & Western to the film's overall detriment.

All the supporting players, on the other hand, stand-out in well-crafted fleshed-out characterizations that wink like little gems throughout (not a fake-looking rhinestone in the lot).

Kudos to Leighton Meester and Tim McGraw, for sure, for turning in performances that will undoubtedly result in turning points in their respective careers.

The director - Shana Feste - crafted a tight believable script and capably brought it to life in a celluloid offering that is thoroughly entertaining bill-of-fare.

Her palette is warm, inviting, and yummy to the senses.

The plot twists - with a big focus on the intrigues of the heart - keep the audience fully engaged and on the edge of their seats pining for a satisfying Hollywood-style end.

And, they're not disappointed, in the final analysis.

When the film is released early next year, I expect that Country & Western music fans (and a posse of others) will flock to movie theatres to catch this heart-warming flick.

The sneak preview was sponsored by KIIS FM.

4 stars!

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