Unless you’ve been living in a cave (like you do), you’re aware that the Oscars are very nearly upon us!  We here at Click would like to share our favorite Oscar experiences/stories/general wackiness.

But first, some fun facts you may or may not have known about our bald golden friend, Oscar:

1) Thomas Edison, yes THAT Thomas Edison, (inventor of the lightbulb, phonogragh, and motion picture camera) was awarded the first Honorary membership to the Academy in 1927.

2) During World War II, in order to support the war effort, the Academy handed out plaster statuettes instead of the customary metal ones.  When the war ended, winners could trade up for the traditional metal man.

3) For the 61st Academy Awards (1989), the Academy replaced the phrase “And the winner is…” with “And the Oscar goes to…..”, which is still used to date.

4) Oscar winners and their heirs, if for any reason, decide they no longer wish to retain their award, must first offer to sell their statuette back to the Academy for the grand price of $1; if a winner refuses to agree, the Academy keeps the statue.

5) The original nude model for the Oscar statuette was a former Mexican revolutionary living in exile in LA, taking bit parts in films.  Emilio Fernandez, who appears in 1969 Western, The Wild Bunch posed nude for statuette designer Cedric Gibbons in 1928.

And now, a trip down memory lane…

ANGELICA

While many watch the Oscars to see who wins the coveted golden trophy, many like myself also watch it anxiously waiting to see what the stars are wearing. As Joan Rivers would flag on her E! “Fashion Police” show as “Street Walker” or “Starlet?” I’m all eyes on best, worst and the downright outrageously dressed. One of my most memorable Oscar moments was when Comedy Central’s “South Park” creators attended the award show in 2000. Trey Parker imitated Jennifer Lopez’s revealing green Versace gown and Matt Stone flaunted a look mirroring Gwyneth Paltrow’s pink Ralph Lauren dress they both wore at previous ceremonies. Trey even sported a fabulous wig to match his look. It was hilarious! And, who could forget Bjork’s swan she picked up from the nearby lake that she wrapped around her body. Sorry Bjork, Black Swan didn’t make it’s way on screen yet in 2001.  I did however, love Halle Berry’s gorgeous Red Elie Saab floral dress she rocked in 2002 where she won her first Academy Award and was the first black woman to win an Oscar for Best leading Actress for Monster’s Ball. Excited to see what fun surprises we’ll get for 2013!

Trey Chic

Trey Chic

BRIGID

One of my favorite Oscar memories is attending the Academy of Friends Gala in San Francisco.  Everyone dresses up and enjoys food and wine provided by amazing Bay Area establishments.  The Academy Awards are broadcasted on numerous screens throughout the venue so you do not miss a second of the show.  It is a great evening full of entertainment and glamour and the best part is the proceeds of the Gala benefit Bay Area HIV/AIDS organizations.  If you are reading this and live in San Francisco I highly recommend purchasing a ticket.

COLLIN

Every year the Oscars bring about heartbreak, upset, and yelling at the TV for not picking my favorite actor, score, or film.  Except when Marisa Tomei won, that was awesome.  Part of the fun of Oscar night is witnessing pop culture in the making.  My favorite part though is paying homage to pop culture from the past.  The “In Memoriam” section is always very emotional for me.  Seeing a montage of clips and images illustrating the proudest people in entertainment makes me proud to be a film nerd.  Coupling a beautifully arranged song like when Queen Latifah sang “I’ll Be Seeing You” with clips of our beloved entertainers always manages to get me teary.

DINAH

If you know Mac & I well, then you know that we throw a party for the Oscars every year. The party that our friends enjoy today was born in 2002, which is the first year we rolled out a “red carpet,” the first year we started the betting pool  for the winners (and booby prizes for whoever got the least amount right), and the first year we started naming food after movies. This detail is important because in 2002 Will Smith was nominated for his role in Ali, for which we decided to serve punch.

We had a dickens of a time finding a punch recipe we liked. We didn’t want a red Hawaiian punch, we didn’t want any sherbet in it, we didn’t want it to be too ridiculously sweet. We just wanted a yummy punch. Ultimately Mac just ended up throwing some vodka, rum, some assorted juices & some 7-UP into a bowl. The result was nothing short of spectacular. A year later our good friend Therese asked us if we would be serving the same “funch,” and we were like, “What?” And she said, “You know: it’s fun! And it’s punch! Funch!

And just like that, Funch was born. We have been serving it at our annual Oscar Party ever since.

Funch[4]

Funch: You can’t drink just one bowl.

EMILY

I spent the 2003 Oscars watching the live telecast at 3AM in London.  It was the year that Lord of the Rings: Return of the King swept 11 wins.  For every one of Peter Jackson’s wins I jumped up and cheered.  At my third or fourth rejoicing cheer the old building security guard, Hippy Bob, came down to make sure I wasn’t being attacked.  Once he realized I was just watching my version of the World Cup he smiled at me and wandered off, checking back in occasionally for the winning tally for LOTR: ROTK.  Despite the bizarre viewing time and the oddity of sharing this experience with a complete stranger, I have never forgotten the feeling of elation for Jackson’s 11 wins, and sharing the moment with Hippy Bob.

One statue to rule them all...

One statue to rule them all…

JONAH

My Favorite Oscar Memories never have anything to do with the ceremony itself.  Sure the speeches are cool, and the outfits are cool, but for me the Oscars is always about who you’re watching it with.  And in that instance, my favorite memory of the Oscars will always involve the wagering that goes into betting on the winners and losers.

Winning a few fozools is cool, sure.  But for my money, my proudest achievement will always be at the 2011 official Click Academy Awards Party when I missed all but two categories and walked away the biggest loser!  My prize pack included the year’s worst films like Marmaduke, Wall Street Money Never Sleeps, and The Bounty Hunter!  So this year if you’re looking to win, check out who I’m voting for and vote the exact opposite!

JULIE

The 2007 Oscars were particularly memorable for me, as I had watched The Departed no less than 2,378 times that year.  Watching Martin Scorsese win “Best Director” after being shut out multiple times in years past was truly a blissful moment.  There’s nothing quite like seeing one of your favorite directors win a much-deserved Oscar for their stellar work!

A few honorable mentions go to the co-creators of “South Park”, Matt Stone and Trey Parker for walking the red carpet dressed in drag back in 2000, as well as Bjork in 2001 for her swan gown.  Let your freak flag fly! ;)

I won, I won!  I finally won!

I won, I won! I finally won!

KIM

I used to work for a PR firm that served as the awards consultants for Warner Bros. We had been working for 6 months on The Blind Side, having screenings, receptions, Q&A’s, you name it!  It was hard work but some of the best times I’ve ever had working… Sandy was the best, even though she joked “let’s go get that biotch Meryl,” it was truly nothing but a lovefest between her and Ms. Streep every time they saw each other. So its Oscar day, the Best Actress category comes up, I’m sitting on a couch at my friend’s Oscar Party and I’m freaking shaking. Forrest Whitaker gives his tribute to Sandy first, and is followed by the 4 other presenters. I keep thinking 6 months of work down to this moment… Sean Penn walks out and takes his freaking time, and nominees are finally announced again. I’m holding my breath and I keep thinking, Meryl’s going to get it, oh man, it’s her year, I can’t breathe. And he announces her name “Sandra Bullock.” I let out my breath and I swear several tears at the same time, while frantically texting my colleagues “we freaking DID IT!!”  It was finally over, and we did it. She was on that stage, looking FAB in her Marchesa couture. It was awesome… I knew I loved my job!

Take that, Meryl!

Take that, Meryl!

MAC

Oddly enough, I think the happiest I ever was with someone winning as Oscar was Denzel’s win for Training Day.  Much to Andy Serkis’ chagrin, King Kong still ain’t got sh*t on Denzel.  But beyond the actual show, which can be entertaining (more so with Funch), my favorite activity is photoshopping movie posters to go along with our punny food menu.  ”Apocalyptaquito” is still my favorite. (Oh, I also went to a dress rehearsal for the 1995 Oscars and got glared at by Oprah because I was accidentally tapping her chair with my foot. That was funny.)

What'll be the fave this year?  We're not telling!

What’ll be the fave this year? We’re not telling!

SABRINA

My first Oscars in Los Angeles were what you might call auspicious. A journalist friend of mine invited me to a party that was being hosted by the owners of a small home entertainment PR firm, whom she told me were “super chill and the kind of PR people you’d actually want to hang out with”. This was the first time I met Mac, Dinah and most of the Click team in February of 2010. Little did I know that a few short years later I would join their ranks and become a Clicker myself.

Being a recent transplant from Europe, this was the first time I watched the whole telecast during waking hours and boy was this the place for my maiden Oscar voyage! In addition to the main big screen in the living room there were two additional viewing areas: the outdoor tiki hut (gotta love SoCal weather) and the hushed “screening room” where online reporters were writing and filing their stories. I was warned that quiet murmurs were acceptable in the screening room but anything louder would have you booted out. The menu was inspired by the nominated films and some of the punny gems included: The Blackened Swan, True Grits, The Sausage Network and The King’s Peach.

This February 24th I’ll be surrounded by Clickers once again for the Oscars! This time around I will proudly be one of them because it’s true, sometimes, things just Click!

SCOTT

My favorite Oscar memory is not one that I saw when it aired live, but one that I’ve revisited many times online. The moment when The Silence of the Lambs won Best Picture capping off their incredible run of winning the “Big 5″ Oscars. It’s a great moment for what I consider the greatest film of all time.

TOMMY

One Oscar moment that has always stayed with me was when The Swell Season won for “Best Song”.  Falling Slowly is a great tune, and their story is an inspiring one for all independent artists.  On a small budget, these musicians (who were unknown by most of the public) put the movie Once together for $100K (not a lot of money to make a movie).  Next thing you know, they are winning awards at Sundance and then receive an Oscar.  WOW.  Dreams do come true I guess!  You may also remember Marketa Irglova’s acceptance speech being cut-off by the orchestra, and later host Jon Stewart let her come out and finish it.  I always thought that was cool of him, and a great Oscar memory to say the least.

They won an oscar, once!

They won an oscar, once!

TYLER

One Oscar moment I always looks back to, Jeff Bridges acceptance speech for Best Actor in Crazy Heart at the 82nd Academy Awards. In the style of Jeff Lebowski: “Mom and Dad, yeah, look! Whoo! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for turning me on to such a groovy profession.” That Oscar memory particularly sticks out because I witnessed Bridges’ acceptance speech for the same role at the Spirit Awards that year.  He truly personifies THE DUDE!

You owed me for Lebowski!

You owed me for Lebowski, man!


With the Olympic Games kicking off today, all eyes have turned to London as the world prepares to celebrate nationality and diversity. As such, I have also turned an appreciative eye to London with a tribute to some of my favorite new Brits from across the pond.

GOLD MEDAL: TIE!

Tom Hardy

Photo by Jon Furniss

Why You Know Him: He’s become a household name due to his most recent role as Bane in Warner Bros. The Dark Night Rises (2012).

Still from The Dark Knight Rises (Warner Bros.)

Films you may or may not also remember him from:

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Focus Features, 2011)

RocknRolla (Warner Bros., 2008)

Black Hawk Down (Columbia Pictures, 2001)

Band of Brothers (HBO, 2001)

Solider, spy, villain, whatever—I’ll be in the front row.

Tom Hiddleston

Photo by Slaven Vlasic

Why You Know Him: He recently became popular as Thor’s troublesome brother Loki in Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers (Marvel/Disney, 2012).

Still from Marvel’s The Avengers

2011 was quite the year for our Mr. Hiddleston!

Thor (Paramount Pictures/Marvel, 2011)

War Horse (Dreamworks, 2011)

Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics, 2011)

And he clearly has a penchant for literary characters, with his upcoming rolls as Henry V in Henry V (BBC TV Movie 2013) and Prince Hal in Henry IV (BBC TV Movie  2013).

Who doesn’t love an intellectual with a mischievous grin?

SILVER MEDAL:

Michael Fassbender

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain

Why You Know Him: He earned some serious geek cred as a robot in Prometheus (20th Century Fox, 2012) and as Magneto in X-Men: First Class (20th Century Fox, 2011).

Still from X-men: First Class (20th Century Fox)

 

The German-born, Irish-raised Fassbender has been on our radars since sharing screen-time with Tom Hardy in Band of Brothers. Take some time to re-watch some other Fassbender films:

Shame (Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2011)

Inglorious Basterds (Universal Pictures, 2009)

300 (Warner Bros., 2006)

Band of Brothers (HBO, 2001)

In my view, there are very few troubles that can’t be improved with a nice smile and some British charm/sarcasm. (Wait, is that redundant?)

BRONZE MEDAL:

Henry Cavill

Photo source: HenryCavill.org

Why You Know Him: This superhero-sized actor is quickly becoming a household name with his upcoming role as Clark Kent/Superman in Man of Steel.

Still from “The Tudors” (Showtime)

He’s most commonly recognized by fans of the show “The Tudors” (Showtime, 2007 – 2010) for his role as King Henry VIII’s right hand man/brother-in-law Charles Brandon.

Looking for a quirky Saturday night period piece film?

I Capture The Castle (BBC/Samuel Goldwyn Films, 2003)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Touchstone Pictures, 2002)

Any man that can pull off a velvet doublet gets an ‘A’ in my book.

Additional contenders: Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alex Pettyfer. Any I missed? Add them in the comments!


3rd Annual Canned Goods for Good Charity Ball & Swag Bag Party Official Flyer

Three things I think most people can agree that they appreciate:

  1. Movies – don’t lie, everyone’s got a favorite; even people who only go to the theater once a year.
  2. Free stuff. – really don’t think anyone will debate me on this.
  3. Giving to a good cause – every one wins with this one.

What may you ask could possibly embody all of this awesome into one night?  The 3rd Annual Canned Goods for Good Charity Ball & Swag Bag Party.

This event aims to bring together things people want: free (movie related) stuff & fun with things many desperately need: donations.

This year, benefitting MY FRIEND’S PLACE: My Friend’s Place assists and inspires homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives.

For those of you based in LA, come join us
Monday, May 16th, 7:00PM-11:00PM
J-Lounge | 1119 Olive Street | Los Angeles, CA

For those of you elsewhere who may still want to donate, you still can, direct through MyFriendsPlace.org

Here’s the official Facebook page for the event as well: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139258136143042


What would you do without your cell phone?

We live in such a technology driven society these days, where information is available at the tap of a few buttons on your iPhone. Maps can be conjured from your mobile device at will; no more driving around or stopping at sketchy gas stations rife with The Hitcher to ask for directions. You can even check into various locations around the world and let your closest 100 friends (and stalkers) know where you are at all times, just in case they were curious. In this world of technology and constant feeds of information, we have become obsessed with the need to know.

If you’re reading this, I’m going to make the assumption that you are old enough to remember a time before cell phones. Somewhere, deep in the dark corners of your mind, where you’ve banished memories that remind you of a time when, if you wanted to call a friend you had to memorize their phone number, hides the memory of life before cell service. Perhaps it’s time for a new horror genre: A Day Without Your Cell Phone. I think the title needs some work.

Well, the iPhone is no good WITHOUT SERVICE.Most people, when pressed with the experience of forgetting their phone at home or losing it, turn all Psycho “Mother” or girl from The Exorcist on the world. They begin foaming at the mouth and waiting ever so impatiently for the next unsuspecting co-worker to come by in order to unleash their Carrie-esque fury. Oh the horror! So many little niches of your day in which you rely on that little piece of plastic to keep you connected with the world. Perhaps it’s not the loving device you imagine; perhaps it is in fact Rosemary’s Baby. I dare you to find a horror movie in which a cell phone does not lead at least one character into unsuspecting (or possibly suspecting) death due to dying battery or lack of cell service. Maybe the Scream franchise should add that to their Horror Movie Rules.

  • Number 1: You can never have sex.
  • Number 2: You can never drink or do drugs.
  • Number 3: Never, ever, under any circumstances say, “I’ll be right back.”
  • Let’s add Number 4: Always charge your cell phone, and don’t drive off into the deep, dark, death-inspiring woods.

I grew up in the Northwest, a part of the country in which many horror films are set (for good reason). It’s a beautiful area with gorgeous Evergreen trees surrounding the towns. These wonderfully brilliant trees also block a lot of the cell service in the area, which causes me a forced experience of the “day without my cell phone” each time I visit. I have since discovered the 3 locations in the house where I may make and receive phone calls and texts. With these kinds of odds, one would not survive long in my house if it were the setting of a horror film.

deep in the dark woods

Our phones have become a hindrance as much as help in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I had a meal with friends when at least one person, if not everyone in the party (myself included) didn’t check their phone at least once during the meal. Without your phone, there would be no twitter, Facebook, or texting on the go. While you’re running your errands or on your way to or from the office, perhaps you will hear your favorite song on the radio, which you otherwise would have missed because you were tweeting about the world’s worst driver cutting you off. For many people, a day without their phone is a day in Misery. For this Clickster, a day without my cell phone is a day when I’m just not myself. But tomorrow is another day, and your cell phone, well, it’ll “be right back.”


Stores are so prepared to blow your mind with all the amazing technical statistics of why Blu-ray is so much more awesome than DVD that they often overlook the one key element in their jargon-filled diatribe of technical word-vomit: their audience.

For most people, hearing about technical specs is about an interesting as reading the phone book.  I think it’s fantastic that the sales kids at Best Buy even know what pixel resolution and frames per second even mean.  However, that doesn’t mean that the average consumer necessarily does.  Here are three key technical differences between Blu-ray and DVD, broken down into layman’s terms (i.e. something I can explain to my mom).

Anamorphic 16×9, 59.94i frame rate, 1920×1080 pixel resolution

Blah, blah, blah–it’s a better picture.

All this tech speak means is a cleaner image and better color, whether you’re watching on a 15 or 50-inch screen.  It’s simple math: A higher number of pixels = denser image = clearer picture.  And those little black bars at the top and bottom of the screen?  Not just there to piss you off.  They actually preserve the way the film was shot and prevent the film from being distorted and stretched.

Want to experience the world altering colors of Pandora in Avatar?  Blu-ray is for you.  Want to see the intimate details of the Mad Hatter’s make-up in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland?  Blu-ray is for you!  Looking forward to experiencing the Lord of the Rings trilogy the way it was MEANT to be seen?  Me too. Ergo, Blu-ray.

Dolby Digital (AC-3), DTS-HD High Resolution Audio

There is essentially one important difference between audio on a Blu-ray and audio on a DVD.  DVD uses “Lossy” sound, which is a euphemistic, albeit weird, way of saying that you’ll get six channels of sound, but will lose some of it digitally.

Blu-ray, on the other hand, includes eight channels of sound in which no digital sound is lost; appropriately named “Lossless.”

So, to recap, partial sound versus full sound.  These are the difficult decisions of our lives.

Single Layer = 25GB,  Dual Layer=50GB

Let’s not lie to ourselves–size DOES matter.  Fewer available gigabytes (GB) per disc simply means there’s less space.  With Blu-ray’s additional space, you get things like better picture, better audio, and more bonus material.  And while there are quite a few people who buy a DVD or Blu-ray because they just like the movie, there is a large part of the film-loving population of über-nerds like me who also make a choice based on bonus materials.  And I’m not just talking about previews and bloopers.  We’re talking J.J. Abrams Star Trek style bonus here.  A dual layered disc is more likely to have every interactive Behind the Scenes featurette the filmmakers and studios can dream up.  From creating the make-up for mystical creatures to a nanny-cam worn around set by a child star to capture those Candid Camera moments.  I dare you not to watch.

We’ve covered the basics, but before I stop bending your ear, let’s answer the ultimate question:

What is “Blu-ray?”

Simply put, the color of the laser that reads and writes on the disc is blue (well, blue-violet).  You cannot trademark an everyday word (let alone a primary color), so in true English language fashion, we drop a letter.  Voila!  Blu-ray.

Now go forth, my friends, and spew your knowledge to the world.  Or even just your mom.

Today’s blog was brought to you today by the color Blue Blu and the letters B and D.