The 87th Academy Awards are this Sunday. Here’s my take on some of the possible winners.
The Best Actor award will likely go to Eddie Redmayne for his performance in “The Theory of Everything.”
I give a reasonable, outside chance for Michael Keaton to win the award for “Birdman.”
Almost definitely, the Best Supporting Actor award will go to J.K. Simmons for his role in “Whiplash.”
The more competitive awards for Best Director and Best Picture figure to go to director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for his film, “Birdman.”
Though Director Richard Linklater and his film “Boyhood” both have a real chance.
As noted here the past few years, my interest in the Academy Awards has waned considerably, since I feel that many of the categories have an “apples vs oranges” quality.
This year it would seem as though there is very little mystery as to whom will win the “acting awards.”
Before I tell you the overwhelming favorites, the likes of which I have not seen in these categories, I do respect the nomination process and kudos to all the actors nominated.
Also spoiler alert as it would be a shock if any of these top heavy favorites do not win, so read no further until Monday and maybe there will be one upset winner. More than one would be a tremendous shock.
The Best Actress will go to Julianne Moore for her performance in “Still Alice.”
Patricia Arquette will win the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in “Boyhood.”
Tomorrow I will talk about best actor, best supporting actor and the far more competitive, it would seem, best picture and best director categories.
One playoff match up that would be very enticing would be the New York Rangers vs the New York Islanders.
Both teams figure to make the playoffs and are in the same division, making it possible they will meet at some point in the playoffs.
The top three teams in each of the four NHL divisions qualify for the playoffs. The other four teams, two from each conference, are wild card teams with the most points among teams that did not finish in the top three in each division.
My prediction at this point is that the Rangers and Islanders will face each other in this year’s NHL playoffs. Should it happen, it will make for fascinating hockey and publicity.
In 2012 and 2014 the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup crown, appropriate word for Kings.
In their non-Cup winning year of 2013, L.A. made it as far as the semi-finals, losing to the eventual champion, Chicago Blackhawks.
Last year, the Kings “returned the favor,” dethroning the Blackhawks, also in the semi-finals.
Thus the last two NHL seasons produced semi-finals where the eventual champion dethroned the defending champion.
This year, the Kings are in a battle to make the playoffs, making all their games meaningful.
My early prediction is that the Kings will make the playoffs, likely be hard to beat, but someone will. No matter, this is part of a great period of success for them. Do not count them out.
During this “Hot Stove” season, I recall a trade that turned out to be more than one sided.
During the 1964 season, the Chicago Cubs traded promising outfielder Lou Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Ernie Broglio.
Broglio had two big years with the Cards but never came close to such seasons after the trade. It was later revealed that Broglio had suffered an arm injury before the trade but the Cubs were never informed.
Lou Brock went on to a Hall of Fame career, helping the Cards win two World Series.
It turned out to be a great trade for the Cards. Meanwhile though ever optimistic, the Cubs have not won a pennant since 1945. They have not won a World Series since 1908.
Seeing Jack Nicholson appear on the 40th anniversary special for the television show, “Saturday Night Live,” made me think back to Jack and the wonderful movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” which also made its debut in 1975.
Nicholson won the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in the film. “Cuckoo’s” Nest was a great book by Ken Kesey. The film was produced by Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas, before the latter reached actor stardom.
Milos Foreman directed and Louise Fletcher was brilliant as the controlling nurse (Mildred) Ratched.
The movie has several sports tie-ins.
Nicholson in real life is a big basketball fan, and he played basketball in the movie with Will Sampson, who played “The Chief.”
Later, basketball great Robert Parish, who played on 3 title teams with the Boston Celtics, was given the nickname, “The Chief.”
Another sports reference is a telling scene in the movie, involving the 1963 World Series.
The patients at the mental facility want to watch the game. Sadly, they are denied the chance by “Nurse Ratched.”
Helping deal with that denial in a very tough scene, is the fact the real NBC Radio broadcast is heard with the great broadcaster Ernie Harwell setting the scene as part of the pre game show.
Nicholson’s “McMurphy” evokes the names of baseball greats Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax, of the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers (the 1963 World Series opponents) as part of pre game anticipation.
In the 1969 World Series, both Mickey and Sandy worked on the NBC pre game show, with the under rated and fine broadcaster Jim Simpson.
They all came to life and boy can they still sing and entertain!
Those were my feelings as “The Ratpack Undead,” now playing at “Times Scare” (669 8th Avenue) in Times Square with talented “Frank” “Dean” “Sammy” and “Marilyn,” let me go back in time and enjoy them once again.
The performance knocked away some winter blues as the stars now “undead,” performed the old songs with some new words.
The premise that Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.and Marilyn Monroe come back to life among the somewhat ghoulish room artifacts (skeleton and crypts) at Times Scare in Manhattan, led to the new words. Those words and premise are good.
What is great is hearing the “updated” (“What kind of Ghoul I am” an example) music and seeing truly fine incarnations of the stars, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.
The music is timeless and The Ratpack Undead in some way defies death to prove that again.
Kudos to the cast: Bradley Lassiter (Frank Sinatra), Johnny Blaze Leavitt (Dean Martin), Erick Carter (Sammy Davis Jr.) and Julia Register (Marilyn Monroe).
The show was created by and is produced by Cooper Jordan. I strongly suggest seeing it.
For more info on future performances, click here
Tomorrow is the annual NBA All Star Game which this year will be at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
There should be some great individual performances by some of the all stars. A high scoring, entertaining game is expected.
In fact, the experts expect nearly 300 points to be scored and surely there will be some great individual moves as well.
One great NBA All Star game I believe in the New York area was recalled to me by the late, great broadcaster, Marty Glickman.
When I asked him about some of his broadcasting thrills, Marty cited the clutch free throw shooting of legendary Minneapolis Lakers’ center George Mikan in an All Star game.
Mikan had to make two free throws to tie the game and did so. Glickman recalled he winked at the crowd while doing so.
I also recall Hal Greer of the then defending NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers being the Most valuable player in an NBA All Star game, played at Madison Square Garden.
I look forward to new NBA All Star Game memories to be established tomorrow.
It was a stirring Wednesday evening program as three greats in their fields, long time Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, his wife, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Lucinda Franks, and interviewer Dan Rather discussed Ms. Franks book “Timeless: Love, Morgenthau and Me” at The Temple Emanu-El Skirball Center in New York City.
Mr. Rather conducted the interview with good, leading questions as one would expect from such a fine journalist.
Mr. Morgenthau, as he was referred to by Rather, though known well enough to be “Bob,” has lived an incredible life.
I was most impressed by Ms. Franks’ candid, insightful comments on her relationship with Morgenthau, which is now a great marriage of 37 years.
I truly look forward to reading her book. Among the great revelations is how Ms. Franks, self described as truly looking for change as a 60’s activist, and Mr. Morgenthau, about thirty years older and part of the “establishment,” have worked hard to make theirs a great relationship.
A clue: The long time District Attorney “makes great pancakes” and surely other things.
Mr. Morgenthau talked of his career in a question and answer period while Mr. Rather’s most telling comments concerned the shoddy job networks have done in having “3 screaming heads in a room or on a set” as opposed to building bureaus in far off places and devoting time and money to investigative journalism.
It was a tremendous presentation, as all three “heavyweights” in their fields, Morgenthau, Rather and Franks demonstrated their acumen, all in discussing ‘Timeless: Love, Morgenthau and Me,’ surely now a “must read.”
I remember being outraged as to how long it took for Tony Perez, the great baseball player, to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Now that he has been enshrined for a while, I reflect on this winter’s day about his greatness as a clutch hitter.
Of course “Doggy” as he was known, was part of a great Cincinnati Reds’ team. Ask the players on that team and they will testify that Perez was indispensable.
When Cincinnati did lose Perez to free agency, their fortunes turned for the worse.
It was a “pick your poison” situation for Yankees’ manager Billy Martin in game 2 of the 1976 World Series, an eventual Reds’ sweep.
This was the lone competitive game of that World Series and with Ken Griffey at second base, and two outs of a (3-3) game in the bottom of the ninth inning, Martin could have Jim “Catfish” Hunter face either Perez or the great Joe Morgan.
He chose to face Perez, who singled home Griffey, with the winning run, surely a highlight in Perez’ great career.
Andy B Sports 