Illinois Entertainer February 2017 | Page 14

OSCAR ! OSCAR !

Jimmy Kimmel hosts The Academy Awards on February 24

L

ike them or not , the 2017 Academy Award nominations are out and the world ( or some of it , anyway ) eagerly awaits the announcement of the winners this month . Even though the excitement of this awards season seems overshadowed by the dark cloud of political oppression hanging over it , there are still some things to be excited about .
First , the Academy has made every effort to address the lack of diversity issue by broadening the racial and cultural base of its membership and strengthening the rules by which it governs . Against the backlash of last
By Lori Vernon
year ’ s nationwide outcry of # OscarsSoWhite , black actors have been nominated in every acting category for the first time in history . And after being snubbed for Selma , Ava DuVernay has been nominated for her first Oscar for her work on 13th , a documentary about the 13th amendment . Three films with black producers were also nominated for Best Picture , including Kimberly Steward for Manchester by the Sea .
Another thing to look forward to is host Jimmy Kimmel . Kimmel is a very funny guy who in many ways reminds me of my alltime favorite Oscar host , Billy Crystal . Crystal
is an Oscars legend having hosted the show nine times – more than anyone except for Bob Hope , who hosted 18 times . Who can forget some of Crystal ’ s finest Oscar moments , like when he opened the 1992 show being wheeled out by two men in white coats while strapped to a cart wearing a Hannibal Lecter face mask , and then walking into the audience to tell Anthony Hopkins that he was having a few members of the Academy over for dinner . With fava beans and a nice Chianti , I presume . Or perhaps his opening montage from 2000 , when the sequence featured Crystal traveling through film history , chatting with Al Pacino in Taxi Driver , having a discussion with Marlon Brando in The Godfather and dropping by to check in on The Exorcist . However , I was always partial to the musical montage numbers Crystal would sing for each Best Picture nominee … “ It ’ s a wonderful night for Oscar … Oscar , Oscar ,” as he did back in 1997 , when four of the five Best Picture nominees were independent films and he used the theme from The Brady Bunch to describe the plot details of Secrets and Lies .
Kimmel has experience hosting awards shows - most notably the Emmys and the American Music Awards , but this is his first shot at the Oscars . He had a pretty hysterical opening sequence at this year ’ s Emmys , which featured him trying to get to the ceremony by hitching rides with various people , including Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Al Cowling driving OJ Simpson ’ s white Bronco , the cast of Modern Family in a cramped minivan , and with James Corden , who forces Kimmel into Carpool Karoake hell with Wham ’ s “ Wake Me Up Before You Go Go ,” which leads into a whole parody of the ridiculous video that accompanied the song . While I will watch this show for many reasons , I ’ m secretly hoping for a great musical number . When Crystal did the song montage back in 1997 there were only five nominated films . This year there are nine , and with the exception of La La Land , none of them will be easy to spoof musically – which could make it even funnier . Kimmel is going to have to come up with something outstanding and hopefully he will . The Oscars will air live on Sunday , February 24 on ABC .
If you ’ re already over last year ’ s films and looking for something new , here are a few movies opening this month :
February 3
The Space Between Us
Directed by Peter Chelsom Rated PG-13
In this interplanetary adventure , Garner Elliot ( Asa Butterfield ), the first boy born on Mars meets street-smart Colorado girl , Tulsa ( Britt Robertson ) while investigating his parentage and the home planet he ’ s never known . When he finally gets a chance to visit Earth , he ’ s eager to meet Tulsa and experience all of the wonders he has only read about . But scientists soon discover that Gardner ’ s organs can ’ t withstand Earth ’ s atmosphere . Eager to find his biological father , Gardner escapes the team of scientists and joins Tulsa on a race against time to unravel the mysteries of how he came to be , and where he belongs in the universe . Also starring Gary Oldman , Carla Gugino , BD Wong and Janet Montgomery .
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14 illinoisentertainer . com february 2017