Macworld: News: Macworld Expo Live Keynote Coverage

"Apple sold 14 million iPods this holiday season, compared to 4.5 million for the 2004 holiday season — that averaged to more than 100 sold every minute. The total number of iPods Apple has sold since the music play was first introduced in 2001 — 42 million."

Most Annoying Stars

Hollywood star Tom Cruise has been voted the most annoying person of 2005, only a week after he was named most irritating in a British magazine poll.

1. Tom Cruise
2. Michael Jackson
3. Paris Hilton
4. Britney Spears
5. Osama Bin Laden
6. Al-Qaeda
7. Dr. Phil McGraw
8. Tara Reid
9. Kobe Bryant
10. Jessica Simpson

"Honey, I shrunk the PowerBook"

PowerBook nano one step closer to reality? by ZDNet's Jason D. O'Grady -- A story in the Taipai Times reports that Topology research analyst Simon Yang is predicting that Apple will introduce new "light-weight [notebooks] with a stylish design aimed at luring female users."

According to Yang the new Apple portables are expected to "include 12-inch notebooks weighing in at 1.5kg (3.3 lbs) as well as 14-inch models below 2kg (4.4 lbs)." This would fit my requirements for a PowerBook nano quite nicely, thank you.

Star of the month "olivia De Havilland"

Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters. Olivia De Havilland as Catherine Sloper
(Heiress, The - 1949)

Born to British parents in Japan, raised in California and discovered by Max Reinhardt, Olivia de Havilland signed with Warner Bros. before her 20th birthday and quickly built a solid reputation as an endearing leading lady in a series of Michael Curtiz swashbucklers starring Errol Flynn. Her demure sweetness played well against Flynn's cocky machismo, and Warners paired them eight times (seven directed by Curtiz) in romantic adventure films and Westerns like "Captain Blood" (1935), "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938) and Raoul Walsh's "They Died with Their Boots On" (1941). With the release of "Gone With the Wind" (1939), de Havilland became a major star, earning her first Academy Award nomination; her role as the long-suffering and almost insufferably sweet Melanie, however, did not lead to more prestigious projects, as Warners continued to put her in run-of-the-mill pics.

De Havilland's victory broke the stranglehold that film companies had on actors in Hollywood, but it was a risky move at the time. Once free from Warners and the courts, de Havilland made "The Well-Groomed Bride" before winning the first of her two Academy Awards for "To Each His Own" (1946). Playing twins (one good, one evil) in the psychological drama "The Dark Mirror" (also 1946) gave de Havilland an opportunity to present a more twisted nature side-by-side her standard saccharine temperament. She explored insanity further and picked up another Oscar nomination for "The Snake Pit" (1948), a wrenching look inside a mental institution which helped spur changes in the treatment of patients. Robert Aldrich convinced her to play the scheming cousin opposite Bette Davis in "Hush. . . De Havilland played the Queen Mother in "The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana" (CBS, 1982), the Dowager Empress Maria in the NBC miniseries "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" (1986) and Wallis Simpson's aunt in "The Woman He Loved" (CBS, 1988), her last screen appearance to date.

The Girl Who Walked Home Alone

Following her intimate portraits of Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder, Charlotte Chandler draws on her extensive interviews with Bette Davis to reveal new details about the public and private lives of the legendary actress in her new book, The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis, a Personal Biography

Jody Jody Jody

“Dance music has a lot of soul, not just the cold techno stereotype. I'm blending the warmth and musicality of jazz & rhythm & soul, with danceable grooves...and as always, my lyrical take on life and love. I'm inclined to present a more "boutique" approach to making music now.I've adapted the notion that I want to appeal to the music fan looking for something more eclectic and unique."

Jody Watley

Jan. 19-21 -"Songs in the Key of My Life!" Jody WatleyA Special Engagement- The Empire PLUSH Room San Francisco Note: This will not be your Moms cabaret!!! Think of an ambient Verve Remixed - Midnight Lounge ambient vibe.. first 4 songs will be a tribute to Ms. Diana Ross! The Empire Plush Room at The York Hotel 940 Sutter Street San Francisco
415 885 2800 or visit: www.EmpirePlushRoom.com
http://www.jodywatley.net/

Is He Gay ??

Mario Cantone, TCM's guest programmer for January, has been described by the New York Times as "a comedian of extravagant tantrums and extravagant gifts." Cantone's Tony-nominated turn in his outrageous one-man Broadway show, Laugh Whore, was repeated last year on cable TV's Showtime. Before that, he gained a following on HBO's Sex and the City

His chosen films, each of which features a Golden Age movie diva: Joan Crawford in A Woman's Face (1941), Bette Davis in Mr. Skeffington (1944), Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. (1950).

Joan, Bette, Judy and Swanson

Long live the Queen.

Janet is back next month

In a new interview with Newsday, Jimmy Jam revealed that Janet's still-untitled album is scheduled for an April release, and the first single will hit radio "in about a month."

He did not give any other of the album's secrets away.

"The important thing is that we're happy with it now," Jam says. "Once it leaves the studio, anything can happen."

Glen Or Glenda remake

Since the SAG, DGA, WGA, Golden Globe, and all critic awards has been annouce . it’s a time for me to make my guess.

Best Picture
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Good Night, And Good Luck
3. Walk the Line
4. Crash
5. The Squid & The Whale
Still has a chance: Capote, Munich, The Constant Gardener, and A History of Violence

Best Director
(I belive all DGA Nominees will get it)
1. Ang Lee
2. George Clooney, Good Night, And Good Luck
3. Paul Haggis, Crash
4. Bennett Miller, Capote
5. Steven Spielberg, Munich

Don’t count out James Mangold, Walk the Line Fernando Meirelles, The Constant Gardener David Cronenberg, A History of Violence

Best actor

I’m pretty sure all SAG nominees (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, David Strathairn) will make the cut except for Crowe but I’m still picking Crowe

Don't Count Out: Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow he might be the one who upset Crowe

Best Actress

Also believe that all SAG Nominee (Reese Whiterspoon, Walk the Line Felicity Huffman, Transamerica Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents Charlize Theron, North Country) will make the cut but Keira Knightley might upset Ziyi Zhang

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man George Clooney, Syriana Matt Dillon, Crash Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain Bob Hoskins, Mrs. Henderson Presents

Best Supporting Actress

Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener Catherine Keener, Capote Frances McDormand, North Country Scarlett Johansson, Match Point (chance has been cut since no SAG nom.)
I still hope Scarrlett woluld make the cut but I think Hollywood just hates her

Hayao Miyazaki movie on TCM every thursday on January

Known as the "Japanese Walt Disney," Hayao Miyazaki is one of his country's outstanding directors of animation. His internationally admired animated adventures include the epic Princess Mononoke (1997), a tale of a mythic battle between humans and forest animal gods that became the highest-grossing film in Japan's history; and Spirited Away (2002), in which a young girl stumbles into a mysterious spirit world.

Jon Stewart new oscar host

The long search for an Oscar host is over, The academy has made it official: as we reported last night, Jon Stewart will host the 78th Oscar show.

The best line from the press release comes, not surprisingly, from Stewart himself.

"'As a performer, I’m truly honored to be hosting the show,' said Stewart. 'Although, as an avid watcher of the Oscars, I can’t help but be a little disappointed with the choice. It appears to be another sad attempt to smoke out Billy Crystal.'"

Photo: On March 5 this man will be wearing a tux, and he'll have an Oscar statue instead of stars and stripes behind him.
(AMPAS)

Oe well.. Mariah

Nothing to say .. Why don't you click HEAR and download Mariah NYE Video. Good for her...

Oscar watch....

Dreamworks decide to campaign the new Woody Allen's femme fatale Scarlett Johansson in a supporting catagory. This make more chance for her to finally being nominated (or win). After being snupp by academy. Wait a minute . Supporting ????? Anyway I hope she'll get some recognition she deserve this time.

Oscar Nominating Ballots Mailed Out

Nominating ballots for the best picture Oscar were being mailed to the 5,798 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

There are 311 eligible films for 2005 the most in 32 years, the Academy said Wednesday.


Ballots must be returned by Jan. 21.To qualify, a movie must have a running time of more than 40 minutes, be exhibited on 35mm or 70mm film or a qualifying digital format, and open in a commercial theater, for paid admission, in Los Angeles County between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 and run for seven consecutive days.

Nominations for the 78th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 31 and the awards will be presented on March 5. (Kris will you wake up and watch a nominees with me this year????)


http://www.oscars.org

My favorite Joan Crawford flick.

The Women (1939)

A happily married woman lets her catty friends talk her into divorce when her husband strays.

Note :

• Though many people view Joan Crawford as the "bad girl" of the movie, Clare Boothe Luce, who wrote (as Clare Boothe) the play that the film was based on, sympathized most with Crystal Allen, Crawford's character.
  
  
• In addition to its all-female cast, every animal that was used in the film (the many dogs and horses) was female as well. In addition, none of the works of art seen in the backgrounds were representative of the male form.
• 
  
  When Norma and Joan were called to shoot publicity stills, neither actress would enter the studio first. Instead, they remained in their limousines and circled the parking lot until director George Cukor summoned them and they instantly behaved like best friends.

Mildred Pierce (1945)

" turns herself into a business tycoon to win her selfish daughter a place in society. "

• Bette Davis turned down the title role, and Barbara Stanwyck was very keen to take it, but Joan Crawford got in first and earned her an Academy Award.
  
  
• Rosalind Russell turned down the title role.
  
  
• Joan Crawford had been under contract with Warner Brothers for two years before starring in this movie. To get the role, she had to submit to a screen test after years of flops at MGM-her previous studio-and turning down several scripts at Warner Brothers.
  
  

• Shirley Temple was originally considered for the part of Veda Pierce.
• http://www.filmsite.org/mild.html

Possessed (1947)

"A married woman''s passion for a former love drives her mad. "

Note : The film's working titles were The Secret and One Man's Secret . According to a press release dated 5 Apr 1944, Ida Lupino, Paul Lukas and Sydney Greenstreet were to star in the film. A 6 Aug 1946 HR news item reports that production closed on the film for several weeks due to Joan Crawford's illness with strep throat.... Joseph Valentine took over from Hickox after the latter had worked for 38 days. Although Joan Crawford appeared in a 1931 film of the same title, it is unrelated to this film."




The Damned Don't Cry! (1950)

Joan Crawford stars in this riveting character study about a woman who will stop at nothing to escape her impoverished lifestyle. Told in flashback, the story sees Crawford leaving the small factory town where she grew up and getting involved with a succession of men, eventually winding up in the middle of a deadly confrontation between her gangster boyfriend and his arch-rival.

The title comes from Eugene O'Neill. In "Mourning becomes Electra", a brother tells his sister: "Don't cry... the damned don't cry."

The murder of gangster Nick Prenta touches off an investigation of mysterious socialite Lorna Hansen Forbes, who seems to have no past, and has now disappeared. In flashback, we see the woman's anonymous roots; her poor working-class marriage, which ends in tragedy and her determination to find "better things." Soon finding that sex appeal is her only salable commodity, she climbs from man to man toward the center of a nationwide crime syndicate...a very perilous position.


@info by WWW.afi.com,WWW.imdb.com,WWW.tcm.com

Joan VS. Joan wanna be

Star of the month Joan Crawford

Her portrayal of a good-hearted flapper in her 21st film, "Our Dancing Daughters" (1928), made her a star. Crawford maintained this status throughout the remainder of her career, but not without setbacks. She successfully made the transition to sound films, her Jazz Age image being replaced by young society matrons and sincere, upwardly mobile, sometimes gritty working girls (memorably in "Grand Hotel" 1932) and her mien adopting the carefully sculptured cheekbones, broad shoulders and full mouth audiences remember her for. Her MGM films of the 1930s, though lavish and stylish, were mostly routine and superficial. Despite mature and impressive performances in "The Women" (1939) and "A Woman's Face" (1941), both directed by George Cukor, Crawford continued to be given less-than-challenging roles by the studio.
In 1943 Crawford left MGM and her career took a decided upward turn after she signed with Warner Bros.... Memorable roles in "Mildred Pierce" (1945, for which she deservedly won an Oscar), "Humoresque" (1946) and "Possessed" (1947) restored and consolidated her popularity.

...After this brief period of success, Crawford's career declined once again, and in 1952 her remarkable business acumen told her to leave Warners.... Although these later features were poor vehicles for her talents, she was a resilient and consummate professional with an uncanny knowledge of the business of stardom who was fiercely loyal to her fans and who continued to impose the highest standards of performance upon herself.... and Franchot Tone and was portrayed as a cruel, violent and calculating mother by Faye Dunaway in the 1981 film, "Mommie Dearest", based on a scathing biography by her adopted daughter Christina.

Just for fun,,

Not only HANDSOME but also wonderful actor. Try to guess who is my fav. (click on the picture)

Don't for get about us at No.1

With "Don't Forget About Us" moving to No. 1, Mariah Carey and Elvis Presley are tied for second place among artists with the most No. 1 hits in the rock era, behind the Beatles, who have 20.