An Oscar Feast

I like to choose the food for my Oscar party to relate to the nominated best pictures. now that there is an annoying 10 nominees it has become a feast!

Here is my menu for this year……

127 Hours & Winter’s Bone – Marinated Chicken Drumettes (bone exposed) . Why? – well in 127 Hours he cut off his own arm/drummette, and in Winter’s Bone they skin a squirrel, chicken is the best bet, should I serve the drumette with a tomato based, blood like sauce?

The Social Network – Frat Boy food, I guess they would like Nachos? at my party – corn chips with a delicious home made salsa & guacamole

True Grit – I wanted to make a bean & meat stew but thought it was too much, so I will group it with the Social Network as it is Tex/Mex food and Matt Damon played a Texan.

Black Swan – well a fellow party guest made a brilliant suggestion and is making an over the top pink frosting cake, or cupcakes, a tribute to Barbara Hershey’s momma’s creation which she almost binned. Thank you SS x

The King’s Speech – I am planning on Gin jelly shots, a tribute to the Queen mum (played brilliantly by Helena Bonham Carter), as we all know, the Queen mum loved her gin, and a bet on the horses!

The Kids Are All Right – another Oscar party guest is making an organic LA food inspired salad (I am excited to taste this one), based on the fact that Mark Ruffalo’s character owned and ran a trendy LA Organic restaurant. Thanks Doris!

Toy Story 3 – a bowl of gummy bears will suffice. 3 packets as I bet they are popular.

Inception – I will design my own cocktail, as it is MY dream in MY head, I plan to add an architectural touch to the design of the cocktail. I smell a bloody mary, celery has a strong sense of design, don”t you think?

Gin shots and bloody marys! oi voi!

The Fighter – well I am obsessed with perfecting the perfect Cauliflower cheese, so be it!

Cauliflower ears from boxing – get it?

My dear friend Liz Watt’s will be in the audience cheering on our Jacki Weaver for “Animal Kingdom”.

So the “Animal Kingdom” Oscar dish?  I think it is well covered with chicken drumettes , and tomato sauce blood.

It is sure to be a fun night, I hope we don’t all vomit by the end.

Pictures to be posted after the fact.

Designing dreams

I am very excited today, why you ask?

Tomorrow morning I should wake up to the announcement of the nominations for the Art Directors Guild Of America’s annual awards for excellence in production design.

Unlike the Oscars where all designs are bunched in together, the ADG have 3 separate categories for film.

Contemporary, Period & Fantasy.

Last years winners were –

Contemporary – THE HURT LOCKER

Period – SHERLOCK HOLMES

Fantasy – AVATAR

Will be interesting to see what films are nominated this year. I expect “Alice In Wonderland” and “Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows” to appear in the fantasy category. Contemporary – “Black Swan” & “Social Network” maybe?  Period – “King’s Speech”. I would like to see my fave designer of the moment Mark Friedberg get a nomination for Julie Taymor’s film of “The Tempest” and I hope that Dante Ferretti is recognised for his superb designs on “Shutter Island”.

They also nominate TV design, hopefully “True Blood” will get a nomination, I expect “Mad Men” will too, and “The Pacific” of course, good luck to the Aussie’s involved who have already won an Emmy.

Will let you know my honest opinion when the nominations are announced.

Martin Scorcese directs Ben Kingsley, Leonardo DiCaprio & Mark Ruffalo on the set of “Shutter Island” – production designer Dante Ferretti.

Oscar Buzz – Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale – The Fighter.

Long overdue for award recognition in my own opinion. Playing the crack addict brother of boxer Mark Wahlberg, Bale once again has physically transformed to create the character (he did the same in “The Mechanist”). Since the film was seen last week all the attention is leading to a nom for Bale who overshadows Wahlberg.

Andrew Garfield – The Social Network.

English actor Andrew Garfield impresses as the betrayed best friend of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Soon to be seen as the new Spiderman in a reboot of the series, Garfield also appears this year in the English ensemble drama “Never Let Me Go”, he is certainly making his mark and hopefully the Academy will acknowledge his impressive performance here. Ain’t bad on the eye too!

Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech.

© the Weinstein company

Previous Oscar winner Rush seems perfectly cast in this role. As an Aussie actor not doing well in his chosen career he becomes the speech therapist to the stuttering King Of England. Rush is always good when the role requires a big serving of ham. He will certainly be riding the gravy train that this film is providing for many.

Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right.

Mark Ruffalo is another long deserved actor to hopefully gain some Academy recognition. He lost out on a nomination for his excellent turn in “You Can Count On Me” his breakthrough role. As the carefree sperm donor to the uptight lesbians he lays on all the charm and sex appeal required to woo audiences. Perhaps not enough dramatic gravitas to actually win, but I am sure he will join his co-stars in being nominated at least.

Ed Harris – The Way Back.

If there is a veteran award on offer then hand it to Ed Harris. He has been up for an award 4 times in the past. He is always reliable to give a great and honest performance and may be in with a very good chance of winning. Playing a tough-as-nails American who escapes with a motley group from a Russian Gulag. Director Peter Weir steered him to a nomination in “The Truman Show”  – perhaps he will help him find his way to the podium this time.

John Hawkes  – Winter’s Bone.

A character actor who has appeared in many good films over the years. Hawkes is both frightening and compassionate in this role as the uncle with a meth addiction warning the distraught heroine hunting for her missing dad to be careful. I expect he may not make it to the nom selection he sure deserves to be there and even win!

OTHERS IN WITH A CHANCE.

Justin Timberlake – The Social Network.

Sam Rockwell – Conviction.