Oscars For Old Men

There were no big surprises at the 80th Academy Awards, although some minor shockers came in the female categories, as French actress Marion Cotillard took home Best Actress for La Vie En Rose, while Brit Tilda Swinton got Best Supporting Actress for her role in Michael Clayton.

In fact, all four of the acting awards went to Europeans this year, as Daniel Day-Lewis captured his much-expected Best Actor Oscar for There Will Be Blood, and Spaniard Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor for No Country For Old Men.

Bardem’s trophy was only one of many for Joel and Ethan Coen’s dark film, as No Country For Old Men also went home with Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

As for the Oscar ceremony itself, second-time host Jon Stewart seemed much more comfortable this time around – and while this year’s awards may not be among the most memorable, Stewart did nothing to embarrass himself, and even scored some points when he allowed Best Original Song winner Marketa Irglova to return to the stage to give an acceptance speech after she was abruptly cut off before a commercial break.

The only black mark on this year’s telecast was the inexcusable absence of the recently-passed Roy Scheider during the “In Memoriam” reel. Shame on you, Oscar.

Writer's Strike Ends

Praise to the TV gods – the Writer’s Strike is finally over. But what does that mean for your favorite TV shows?

The good news is that your favorite daily and late night talk shows will be back up and running in no time. Programs like The Daily Show, The Tonight Show and Late Night With Conan O’Brien will all have their writing staffs back on duty as early as this week (David Letterman, of course, had already cut a deal with the WGA to use writers during the strike).

But what about your favorite primetime shows? Well, since it will take a good six weeks or more to get new episodes onto the air, the major networks have been deciding which shows to bring back this spring and which shows will just wait until the fall.

Shows that you won’t see coming back any time soon include 24 (which fans won’t see until January of 2009!), Heroes, Las Vegas, Chuck and Pushing Daisies. Shows that fans will see more of before summer gets here consist of Lost, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy and the various incarnations of C.S.I.

So while the strike is officially over, the effects are going to linger a little while longer for television viewers.

Chief Brody Shown The Way Home...

DVD Empire is saddened to report the passing of one of our favorite actors: Roy Scheider – best known for his portrayal of Police Chief Martin Brody in Jaws.

Scheider, who was 75, died Sunday. Although the reason for his death was not released, the actor had been suffering from multiple myeloma for several years. It’s a cancer of the plasma cells that is incurable, but often treatable.

In addition to his performances in Jaws and its first sequel, Scheider was known for his roles in TV’s SeaQuest DSV, and the movies 2010 and Blue Thunder. He received two Oscar nominations during his career: one for Best Supporting Actor in 1971’s The French Connection; and one for Best Actor in 1979’s All That Jazz.

We’ll miss you, Roy. Heaven’s going to need a bigger boat.