Entertainment News Wednesdays: The Oscars

Lupita Nyong'o is All Smiles as Accepts Her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (12 Years A Slave)
Photo Credit: Getty/AFP, Kevin Winter

As I heard Lupita's name for "Best Supporting Actress", I jumped out of my bed and began screaming, "She won, She won". Sharee and I have been following her fairy tale rise from unknown actress out of Yale school to Oscar winner.

Other Highlights from the 86th Academy Awards were:

• Host Ellen DeGeneres taking a selfie (See picture below) with Kevin Spacey, Channing Tatum, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jared Leto, Lupita, Lupita's brother Peter, Bradley Cooper and Meryl Streep during the middle of the Oscars.
• The selfie broked Twitter with over a million retweets
• Ellen ordering Pizza for everyone
• A frenzy on Twitter as to whether pregnant Kerry Washington got any pizza
• Pharrell singing "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 and dancing with Lupita Nyong'o and Meryl Streep
• The tribute to West Columbia, South Carolina Sarah Jones, who was killed by a train while working on the set of Midnight Rider, two weeks ago.
• The pure emotion and excitement of Steven McQueen on stage after winning Best Picture for 12 Years A Slave. (See picture below)

Director Steve McQueen
Photo Credit: Theguardian.com

Photo Credit: Ellen Twitter

The Winners of the 86th Academy Awards:

Best Picture	12 Years a Slave
Best Actor in a Leading Role	Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Actress in a Leading Role	Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Best Animated Feature	Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
Best Cinematography	Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Best Costume Design	The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)
Best Directing	Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
Best Documentary Feature	20 Feet from Stardom (Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers)
Best Documentary Short	The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (Malcolm Clarke, Nicholas Reed)
Best Film Editing	Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger)
Best Foreign Language Film	The Great Beauty (Italy)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling	Dallas Buyers Club (Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews)
Best Original Score	Gravity (Steven Price)
Best Original Song	Let It Go - Frozen (Idina Menzel)
Best Production Design	The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn)
Best Animated Short Film	Mr. Hublot (Laurent Witz, Alexandre Espigares)
Best Live Action Short Film	Helium (Anders Walter, Kim Magnusson)
Best Sound Editing	Gravity (Glenn Freemantle)
Best Sound Mixing	Gravity (Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead, Chris Munro)
Best Visual Effects	Gravity (Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, Neil Corbould)
Best Adapted Screenplay	12 Years a Slave (John Ridley)
Best Original Screenplay	Her (Spike Jonze)

Jared Leto
Photo Credit: eonline.com

Matthew McConaughey
Photo Credit: Entertainment.time.com

Great speech Matthew gave thanking God, his parents, wife, and kids.

His memorable line:
"Alright, Alright, Alright"





Jared gave an emotional speech about his mom having him and his brother as a teenager.







Did you watch the Oscars? What was your favorite moment? Should Ellen host again next year?

Oscar Nominees We Are Watching

We Connected Productions, LLC attended the Oscars Red Carpet event in 2013. A few months afterwards, the AMPAS announced Cheryl Boone Isaacs as the new President of The Academy Awards aka The Oscars. The first African-American woman President in it's 86 year history. 

Cheryl Boone Isaacs
Photo Credit: Hollywoodreporter.com

2013 was a great year for Black Hollywood, and we are excited about this years nominees. These are a few to watch out for.

Lupita Nyong'o, Best Supporting Actress Nominee for 12 Years A Slave
Photo Credit: Vogue.com

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lead Actor Nominee for 12 Years A Slave
Photo Credit: Zimbio.com

Barkhad Abdi, Best Supporting Actor  Nominee for Captain Phillips
Photo Credit: Allvoices.com

Finally, this video just makes you HAPPY for all the nominees. Congrats to Pharrell Williams on being nominated for his song "Happy" for Despicable Me 2.

Watch this video and see if you don't get "Happy".

        

Which Oscar category will you be watching closely?

Rhonda W. & Sharee W.

Your Life Captured in The Last 24 Hours

Michael B. Jordan as Oscar Grant, III in "Fruitvale Station"

I walked out of the theater in SILENCE. 

The image of Oscar Grant, III real life daughter in my mind. 

The heart wrenching scene of Oscar's mother at the hospital.  Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer did an outstanding performance in her portrayal as Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant, III.

Director Ryan Coogler [27 yrs old, the same age Oscar would have been] captured Oscar in his last 24 hours with his family, friends, and strangers in "Fruitvale Station".  

Favorite Scenes:

• The Father/Daughter scenes - The running scene between Oscar and his daughter stood out the most. It was funny & heartwarming.
• Oscar with his friends - Everyone wanted to be around him. Oscar smiling, joking around, and just having a good time hanging with his friends as they went out for New Year Eve to see fireworks. 

No one ever suspecting what those remaining hours will be like...

It gave me a pause as to what if I only have 24 hours in my life remaining. 

• Will I be with my family in a kitchen filled with tasty food and lots of laughter? 
• Will I be with friends on an innocent night out in the city? 
• Will I meet people throughout those remaining hours for the first time and meeting them changed my life and theirs?

When I think about it, those scenes could play out in my life on any given day of the week!!

Go see this movie if you have not seen it. Yes, it will remind you of  the Trayvon Martin's shooting, which is even more of a reason to see it.  Then say a prayer for Oscar Grant's daughter "T", girlfriend Sophina, mother, family and friends.  I know I did.

Have you seen "Fruitvale Station"? What would we see if the last 24 hours of your life was captured? Please comment below.

Rhonda W, Co-Owner of We Connected Productions, LLC

Currently casting for Bullyknot in Columbia, SC

Twitter @weconnectedprod

Facebook @weconnectedprod

Mentor From A Distance

As I was going to bed on Tuesday, July 30 my Facebook and Twitter feeds were congratulating Cheryl Boone Isaacs. The first African-American and only the third woman to be President of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) aka The Oscars.  Boone Isaacs succeeds Hawk Koch, who served only one term.

As I Googled "Cheryl Boone Isaacs" and read her Bio, I was amazed of the fact that she was the Vice President of the 2013 Oscars when We Connected Productions, LLC was on the Red Carpet. I recently wrote "5 Actions to Take A Leap Into a New Career". The first action was finding a mentor regardless if you meet that person face-to-face: A Mentor From A Distance

My goal since then has been to read past and current articles and interviews about Cheryl Boone Isaacs. Everyday I'm coming across new information and learning the steps she took to be where she is today. Several of the posters on my Facebook updates commented on not only what she has done, but of her character. They said, "Wow. That's fantastic and couldn't happen to a nicer person", "History maker. I love it !", and "She's the first African American President and she's spectacular". I smile when I read these comments, because I know I will learn a lot, from publicity of films to navigating Hollywood - even if it is from a distance.

Facts about Cheryl Boone Isaacs:

•  Heads CBI Enterprises, Inc.
•  Consulted on such films as “The Call,” “The Artist,” “The King’s Speech,” “Precious: Based on the  Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “Spider-Man 2” and “Tupac: Resurrection"
•  As the third woman President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs follows screenwriter, playwright and producer  Fay Kanin from 1979 to 1983 as well as actress Bette Davis in 1941.
•  Produced the 2012 Governors Awards
•  Will find the Host of The 86th Academy Awards aka The Oscars
•  Served as president of theatrical marketing for New Line Cinema (“Austin Powers: The Spy Who  Shagged Me” and “Rush Hour.”)
•  Boone Isaacs was previous executive vice president of worldwide publicity for Paramount Pictures.  Orchestrated publicity campaigns for the Best Picture winners “Forrest Gump” and “Braveheart.”

God Bless Cheryl Boone Isaacs as she serves her first term as President of AMPAS. We are praying for you and know the 86th Academy Awards will be one of the best. Congratulations!! We are proud of you.

My next post will be my review of the Ryan Coogler directed film, "Fruitvale Station".  I will see the movie this weekend. "Fruitvale Station" has been on the Oscar Buzz radar. We hope to see it nominated when The 86th Oscars Nominations are announced.

Rhonda W, Co-Owner of We Connected Productions, LLC.
Currently casting for Bullyknot in Columbia, SC
Twitter @weconnectedprod
Facebook @weconnectedprod