I Rate All the Film Versions of A Christmas Carol

 Rating the MANY different versions of "A Christmas Carol"  (by year of release) 

 A Christmas Carol 1910 * :  silent, black and white version. 10 minutes long. Primitive, as you can imagine. nice costumes. Marc McDermott as Scrooge. Rated PG

Scrooge 1935 * :  not every entertaining due to filming limits in that era, pretty forgettable. Seymour Hicks as Scrooge. Black and white. Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 1938 ** : mediocre version but very, very dated. Reginald Owen as Scrooge. Black and white. Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 1949 * : pretty painful to watch. It was a low budget TV short so it was only 25 minutes.  The lines and scenes were rushed, dialogue was directly from the book. Seemed slapped together. Taylor Holmes as Scrooge. Vincent Price narrates so of course that's creepy. Black and white. Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 1951 ** Alastair Sim makes an excellent Scrooge. well done for the time era. Black and white. Rated PG

Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol 1962 **** : one of my favorite versions.  animated. great, fun version. Wonderfully written songs. A family classic.  Only version that has The Ghost of Present as the first ghost.  Rumor has it was due to the TV commercial breaks.  Jim Backus voices Scrooge. Amazingly talented cast and crew.  Rated G

Carol For Another Christmas  1964 * : dreary TV version brought to you from "The Twilight Zone" creator Rod Serling.  It drags and tends to be too preachy about the repercussions of war.  It really doesn't have much to do Christmas.  Sterling Hayden as Scrooge, although  the character's called Daniel Grudge.  Has some other great stars from the past such as Peter Sellers and Robert Shaw. Black and white. Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 1969 ** : animated version.  Made for television.  kinda forgettable.  Dialogue is pretty exact to the book.  Animation is pretty rudimentary.  The drawing of Marley may be scary to small children.  Ron Haddrick voices Scrooge. Rated G

Scrooge 1970 **** : one of my top rated versions. This Musical version is very entertaining, full of catchy songs, such as "December the 25th" and "Thank You Very Much" (which was nominated for an Oscar). A little annoying that some of the characters names are altered.  Albert Finney is a very good Scrooge but talks a little too feeble.  Only version to show Scrooge in hell which is a bonus treat.  Also, only version that has Belle as Fezziwig's daughter, which is not true to the book but is a neat twist.  Plus he dresses as Santa in the end which is different. Alec Guinness as Marley.  Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 1971 ** : another animated short made for TV. Very dark and gloomy. Not drawn with many colors and no music so it is very joyless. Alastair Sim returns to do the voice of Scrooge. Rated G

A Christmas Carol 1977 * : extremely bland acting. I felt like the book was being read to me line for line.  Low budget. Skip. Michael Hordern as Scrooge. Rated PG

The Stingiest Man in Town 1978 ** : traditional drawings you'd expect from a Rankin/Bass Production.  A Musical version but the songs seem out of tune and clunky.  They do not flow nicely, very forced.  Not memorable, I suppose that's why no one has ever heard of this version.  Shame cause it has some great voices from Tom Bosley and Walter Matthau. Rated G

Rich Little's Christmas Carol 1978 **** : by far the funniest version of this story.  It's a one man show starring the impersonator Rich Little playing all the roles.  He acts as C.W. Field's as Scrooge, Johnny Carson as Fred, Peter Sellers as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Richard Nixon as Marley, Groucho Marx as Fezziwig and many more.  Very witty. Classic. Rated PG

An American Christmas Carol 1979 *** : great American, modern take on the classic. Very good acting and original script.  Henry Winkler as Scrooge, although Scrooge's name is changed to Benedict Slade in this movie.  He is a bitter furniture salesman. Takes place in New England. Watch! Rated PG

Mickey's Christmas Carol 1983 **** : one of my favorite versions. Fabulous, heart-felt version. animated. nicely explains the tale for children. Short, running time is 26 minutes. Alan Young as the voice of Scrooge. Rated G

A Christmas Carol 1984 *** : good version. little drab and dark. Only version to have a character play Scrooge's father and show Belle as a married woman with children.  George C. Scott obviously, makes for a terrifying Scrooge. Co-stars Roger Reese, Frank Finlay, David Warner and Michael Gough. Directed by Clive Donner Rated PG

Scrooged 1988 **** : one of my favorite versions. such a funny and original modern version of the story. Bill Murray makes a hilarious, sarcastic, arrogant Scrooge. Scrooge's name is Frank Cross in this version.  He is a ruthless CEO of a television station. Takes place in NYC. co-stars Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Robert Mitchum, Carol Kane, so many more.  Directed by Richard Donner  Rated PG-13 

A Muppet Christmas Carol 1992 **** : one of my favorite versions. wonderful sets and costumes. Very well composed songs for this Musical version. Mixes real people with puppets. Michael Caine is very memorable as Scrooge. Great voices from Frank Oz. Directed by Jim's son Brian Henson. Rated G

A Flintstones Christmas Carol 1994 ** : not very original. Maybe two jokes.  trying to be like Mr. Magoo's version.  The dialogue is literally right from the pages of the book.  Henry Corden who voices Fred Flintstone as Scrooge. Rated G

Ebbie 1995 *** : very good modernization version with a female as the main role.  good acting. Starring Susan Lucci as a CEO of a department store as Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge and Jeffrey DeMunn as Jake Marley.

A Christmas Carol 1997 ***  : animated.  Very well done version.  With a great cast, including Ed Asner, Whoopi Goldberg and Tim Curry as Scrooge. Rated G

Ms. Scrooge 1997 * : just miserable.  Hallmark movie.  Cicely Tyson as Scrooge.  I am perplexed about so much...like why did they have her mumble through the film seems like poor acting from a pro.  It was very difficult to hear what she was saying.  So odd.  good premise and cast but it missed the mark.  Also stars Katherine Helmond and Michael Beach. Rated G

A Christmas Carol 1999 ** : dull version, Patrick Stewart is forgettable as Scrooge. co-stars Joel Grey and Dominic West, Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 2001 * : the worst version I've ever watched. Writing is dreadful. Animated. Waste of some great voice-overs by known actors such as Kate Winslet and Nicholas Cage. Simon Callow as Scrooge. Rated G

A Christmas Carol: the Musical 2004 ** : terrible musical TV movie version. No enjoyable songs. Some of the acting is rough. Very odd casting choices such as Jennifer Love Hewitt as Belle and Jason Alexander as Marley. What a joke. Kelsey Grammar is good as Scrooge. Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 2009 ***  : animated version of the story. Can be very dark for little kids. Very good cast such as Jim Carrey as Scrooge, Robin Wright as Belle, Gary Oldman as Cratchit, Colin Firth as Fred and Bob Hoskins as Fezziwig. Directed by Robert Zemeckis.  Rated PG

A Christmas Carol 2012 * : I don't want to be too harsh because this was an extremely independent Irish version and I'm sure they had no budget.  The special effects are as good as they can be without any money.  It does feel like the actors are just reading the book to you.  However, the acting is not bad, in fact it is better than some of the stars from the big budget versions.  Actor Vincent Fegan as Scrooge. (Brendan O'Carroll makes a cameo as Old Joe.  Uncredited)   Rated G. 

All American Christmas Carol 2013 ** : interesting modern white-trash version of the story. Rare version that has a woman as Scrooge. Her name is Cindy in this movie, she is a hair dresser,  Played by Taryn Manning. Rated PG-13

The Man Who Invented Christmas 2017 *** : not exactly a version of "A Christmas Carol" but is a movie based on true events and the life that Charles Dickens was living at the time that he wrote the novel. Very well done and entertaining. Heart-warming tale. Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens and Christopher Plummer as Scrooge. Rated PG

A Christmas Carol *** 2019 : very dark version.  Definitely not for kids.  I liked the new take on the story, some literally liberties.  Some new twists and turns.  Very well acted and great scenery.  As usual London is extremely dreary looking.  Guy Pearce plays a great dismal and gaunt Scrooge, a bit younger looking than most versions.  Mini-series broken up into 3 episodes.  Co-stars Andy Serkis, Joe Alwyn and Jason Flemyng.  Rated R

A Christmas Carol * 2020: very strange British version.  very amateur technology.  It's a lot of interpretive dance and old illustrations.  It is narrated by an Sian Phillips who plays a grandmother.  Simon Russell Beale as Scrooge.  Many talented British actors lent their voices such as Martin Freeman as Cratchit, Andy Serkis as Marley and Carey Mulligan as Belle.  Oh boy, I feel like they did this as a favor for this director.  This version is almost unwatchable. 

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol ** 2022 :  Animated children's version of the 1970 British musical by the same name.  Should have left the Classic alone. Not impressed with animation.  The updated versions of the classic songs are lousy and not as catchy.  The characters names are altered like the 1970 film, which has no purpose.   Good acting from a cast with Luke Evans as Scrooge and other talents such as Olivia Coleman, Jessica Buckley, and Jonathan Pryce. Rated G

Leslie Jordan: Gone Too Soon

 Comedian and Author Leslie Jordan died in a car accident on October 24, 2022.  He was 67 years old.  I am devastated.  He truly was a motivation and inspiration to everyone during 2020. When times were very dark and tough he brought us laughter and hope.  And now when the world needs more laughter than ever he was taken from us.  I will miss him forever.  

I recommend his two books. "How Y'all Doing?" and "My Trip Down the Pink Carpet"

See my full remembrance video on TikTok. Paper_back_shack 

It's My Party, And I'll Cry If I Want To

My Birthday is March 6th:  

Happy Birthday to anyone sharing the same birthday. 🎉

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE DATE:

~ It is the 65th day of the year.  Leaving exactly 300 days left in the year.

~ March 6, 1521 Magellan discovered Guam. 

~ 1808 Harvard created the first college orchestra. 

~ 1820 The Missouri Compromise was signed in America by President James Monroe. 

~ 1836 Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were killed and the Alamo is captured by the                                

   Mexican army. 

~ 1854 The "Pope's Stone" is stolen from the "Washington Monument". 

 ~ 1857 The Dred Scott Vs. Sandford case concluded. 

~ 1867 Ash Wednesday 

~ 1878 Ash Wednesday 

~ 1886 "The Nightingale" became the first nurse magazine ever published. 

~ 1889 Ash Wednesday

~ 1899 "Bayer" registered aspirin as a trademark. 

~ 1900 An explosion in Red Ash Mine in West Virginia claimed 46 coal miners lives.  

~ 1901 an assassin tried to murder Wilhelm II, the last emperor of Germany.  

~ 1933 still suffering through the Great Depression FDR asks for this day to be a "bank holiday".                               

   Closing all US banks. 

~ 1935 Ash Wednesday 

~ 1943 Famous artist Norman Rockwell released the painting "Freedom From Want" in The   

   Saturday Evening Post.  

~ 1944 The first major American raid on Berlin during WWII began. 

~ 1945 "Operation Spring Awakening" was the last major battle by the Nazis during WWII.

~ 1946 Ash Wednesday 

~ 1951 The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg began. 

~ 1953 Georgy Malenkov succeeded Joseph Stalin as ruler of the USSR.

~ 1957 Ghana gained independence from Britain.  On this day they celebrate "Independence 

    Day". 

~ 1957 Ash Wednesday 

~ 1960 For the first time Switzerland allowed women to vote in municipal elections.

~ 1960 3,500 US troops were sent to Vietnam.

~ 1962 Fat Tuesday: the final day of Mardi Gras.

~ 1964 World Renown boxer Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

~ 1964 Constantine II became the last king of Greece.

~ 1967 Joseph Stalin's only daughter Svetlana flees to the US seeking sanction.  

~ 1973 Fat Tuesday: the final day of Mardi Gras.

~ 1975 the live footage of the assassination of JFK is first publicly released on national TV.

~ 1981 News anchor Walter Cronkite bids farewell to his loyal viewers for the last time on the

    CBS Evening News. 

~ 1984 Fat Tuesday: the final day of Mardi Gras.

~ 1985 new professional boxer, Mike Tyson won his first major fighting Albany, NY. 

~ 1987 the British ferry "MS Herald of the Free Enterprise" capsized and killed 193 people. 

~ 1988 three IRA members are shot dead during a terrorist attack in Gibraltar. 

~ 1992 The Michelangelo computer virus is released and starts to affect computers. (The artist                  

   Michelangelo was born on March 6.) 

~ 1997 "Tete de Femme" a million dollar Picasso painting was stolen at gunpoint from a London 

    gallery. 

~ 2003 Algerian Airlines flight 6289 crashed, killing 102 on board. One sole survivor. 

~ 2008 A suicide bomber in Bagdad killed 68 people. 

~ 2008 The Mercaz HaRav shooting occurred.  This was a school shooting at a Yeshiva in       

  Jerusalem that killed eight students. 

~ 2018 worth $112 billion, Forbes named Jeff Bezos the richest person in the world. (for the first 

   time) 

~2019 Ash Wednesday 

FAMOUS born and died on my birthday:

March 6:

BORN:

Tom Arnold 1959

Alisha Boe 1997

Connie Britton 1967

Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806

Lou Costello 1906 

Cyrano de Bergerac 1619

Kiki Dee 1947

George du Maurier 1834

Will Eisner 1917 

Eleanor Gehrig 1904

Stedman Graham 1951

Alan Greenspan 1926

Anna Maria Horsford 1948 

D.L. Hughley 1963

Moira Kelly  1968

Stanisław Jerzy Lec 1909

Gabriel Garcia Marquez 1927

Michelangelo 1475

Ed McMahon 1923 

Shaquille O’Neal 1972

Rob Reiner 1947

Millicent Simmonds 2003

Tael Stone 1985

John Stossel 1947

Hermann Struck 1876

Valentina Tereshkova 1937

Mary Wilson 1944 

DIED:

Louisa May Alcott 1888

James Bowie 1836 

Pearl S. Buck 1973

Davy Crockett 1836

Nelson Eddy 1967

Eleanor Gehrig 1984

William Hopper 1970

Ross Lockridge Jr. 1948

Georgia O'Keeffe 1986

Elvia Allman 1992 

Kirby Puckett 2006 

Ayn Rand 1982

Nancy Reagan 2016

Dana Reeve 2006

*Lou Gehrig's wife Eleanor was born on March 6, 1904 and died on her 80th birthday on March 6, 1984! 

This is a winter birthday.  March's birthstone is Aquamarine and its flower is Daffodil. 

March 6th falls under the Zodiac sign of "Pisces". Pisces is a water element and the sign of the Fish.  So they may be someone that loves swimming or the beach, maybe boating or fishing.

Pisces is the last sign in the Zodiac so it is also the mentally and emotionally oldest.  Usually Pisces feel wise beyond their years or have an old soul.  Perhaps they feel more comfortable around older people and have an older taste for music, movies or literature.  

Some Positive Traits of Pisces are:

creative

artistic

compassionate

witty

wise

mature

very intuitive

romantic

good listener

poetic

generous

rebel

forgiving

Some Negative Traits of Pisces are:

sulky

depressive

addictive personality

insomniac

insecure

anxious

moody

loner

overly sensitive

pessimistic 

evasive 

In a Tarot deck Pisces falls under the "Cups" minor cards and "The Moon" is Pisces major card.  

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

RESPECT THE FIRST AMENDMENT 

DO NOT CENSOR WRITING

DO NOT CENSOR BOOKS

FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR ALL.

NOT JUST TO THOSE WHOSE OPINION YOU AGREE WITH

Famous People Married on Valentine's Day

 AWWww...

CELEBRITIES MARRIED ON VALENTINE'S DAY:

Leland Hayward and Inez Lola Gibbs 2/14/1930 (divorced) 

Cindy (Heller) Adams and Joey Adams 2/14/1952 

Bettie Page and Harry Lear 2/14/1967 (divorced)

Raquel Welch and Patrick Curtis 2/14/1967 (divorced) 

Jason Robards and Lois O'Connor 2/14/1970 

Richard Thomas and Alma Gonzales 2/14/1975 (divorced) 

My Parents 2/14/1976 

James Cameron and Sharon Williams 2/14/1978 (divorced) 

Ron Pearlman and Opal Stone 2/14/1981 (divorced) 

Steve Harvey and Marcia Whitman 2/14/1981 (divorced) 

Elton John and Renate Blauel 2/14/1984 (divorced) 

Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan 2/14/1991 (divorced)

Roseanne Barr and Ben Thomas 2/14/1995 (divorced) 

Janice Dickinson and Albert Gerston 2/14/1995 (divorced) 

Prince and Mayte Garcia 2/14/1996 (divorced) 

Isiah Washington and Jenisa Garland 2/14/1996 

Sharon Stone and Phil Bronstein 2/14/1998 (divorced) 

Diane Ladd and Robert Hunter 2/14/1999 

Lil Wayne and Toya Johnson 2/14/2004 (divorced) 

Keri Russell and Shane Deary 2/14/2007 (divorced) 

Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton 2/14/2008 (divorced) 

Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault 2/14/2009 

Adriana Lima and Marko Jaric 2/14/2009 (divorced) 

Natasha Henstridge and Darius Campbell 2/14/2011 (divorced) 

Benedict Cumberbatch and Sonia Hunter 2/14/2015 

Jimmy Lovine and Liberty Ross 2/14/2016 

Tyrese Gibson and Samantha Lee 2/14/2017 (divorced) 

Tommy Lee and Brittany Furlan 2/14/2019

BORN ON VALENTINE'S DAY:

Jack Benny: 2/14/1894 

Sylvia Field: 2/14/1901 

Thelma Ritter: 2/14/1902 

Jimmy Hoffa: 2/14/1913 

Edward Platt: 2/14/1916 

Hugh Downs: 2/14/1921 

Vic Morrow: 2/14/1929 

Brian Kelly 2/14/1931 

Florence Henderson: 2/14/1934 

Andrew Robinson: 2/14/1942 

Michael Bloomberg: 2/14/1942 

Alan Parker: 2/14/1944 

Carl Bernstein 2/14/1944 

Gregory Hines: 2/14/1946 

Tim Buckley: 2/14/1947

Pat O'Brien: 2/14/1948 

Raymond Teller: 2/14/1948 

Frank Collison: 2/14/1950 

Anton Lesser: 2/14/1952 

James Eckhouse: 2/14/1955 

Meg Tilly: 2/14/1960 

Sakina Jaffrey: 2/14/1962 

Enrico Colantoni: 2/14/1963 

Phill Lewis: 2/14/1968 

Simon Pegg: 2/14/1970 

Rob Thomas: 2/14/1972 

Danai Gurira: 2/14/1978 

Matt Barr: 2/14/1984 

Freddie Highmore: 2/14/1992 

DIED ON VALENTINE'S DAY: 

John Sheehan 2/14/1952 

Sig Ruman: 2/14/1967 

P. G. Wodehouse: 2/14/1975

Michael V. Gazzo: 2/14/1995 

Dick Francis: 2/14/2010 

Andrew Koenig: 2/14/2010 

Louis Jourdan: 2/14/2015 

Andrea Levy 2/14/2019

Lynn Cohen: 2/14/2020 

John Shrapnel: 2/14/2020 

Celebrities Who Tragically Lost a Sibling

These celebrities tragically lost a sibling:

WARNING: some of the deaths mentioned in article are by suicide or murder. 

A:

Gregg and Duane Allman created the popular band The Allman Brothers in 1968.  On October 29, 1971 Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident.  He was only 24 years old. 

Patricia, Rosanna, and David Arquette's sister Alexis died from AIDS on September 11, 2016.  She was 47 years old.  

Rowan Atkinson's older brother Paul died as an infant between the years 1946-1947.  

B:

Lionel and Ethel Barrymore's younger brother, John, died from liver failure from alcoholism on May 29, 1942.  He was 60 years old. 

Jim Belushi's older brother was SNL alumni and comedian John Belushi.  John died from a drug overdose on March 5, 1982.  He was 33 years old. 

Richard Belzer's brother Leonard died by suicide at age 73 on July 30, 2014.  

Jack Black's older half-brother, Howard, died from AIDS in 1991 at the age of 36.  

Zach Braff's older sister, Shoshanna died from a brain aneurysm on July 28, 2018.  She was 46 years old.

Albert Brook's older brother, actor, Bob Einstein died from cancer on January 2, 2019.  He was 76 years old. 

Luke Bryan's brother Chris died in a car accident on October 27, 1996.  He was 26 years old.  His older sister Kelly mysteriously collapsed and died on May 8, 2007.  She was 39 years old. 

George W. Bush's younger sister Pauline "Robin" died from leukemia on October 11, 1953.  She was three years old. 

C:

Drew Carey's older brother Neal died from a heart attack on the July 28, 2010.  He was 64 years old.  His brother's death frightened Carey into losing 80 pounds.  

Mariah Carey's older sister Alison died on August 24, 2024 (same day as Mariah's mother) from organ failure.  She was 63 years old. 

Keith Carradine's older half-brother, actor David Carradine died from asphyxiation on June 3, 2009.  He was 72 years old. 

Nick and Aaron Carter's younger sister Leslie died from a drug overdose on January 31, 2012.  She was 25 years old.  Aaron would also die from a drug overdose.

Kristin Cavallari's older brother Michael died of hyperthermia on December 15, 2015.  He was 30 years old. 

Charlie Chaplin's younger brother, George "Wheeler" died in Los Angeles on September 30, 1957.  He was 65 years old.  

Ray Charles' younger brother George drowned in his mother's boiling hot laundry tub when he was around three years old in 1934.  This was Ray's only sibling.  

Jessica Chastain's younger sister Juliet committed suicide in 2003 after many years of drug addiction.  She was 24 years old. 

Lois Chiles lost her younger brother Clay, to non-hodgkin's lymphoma on May 28, 1979.  He was 25 years old.  

Director Derek Cianfrance's sister Megan died in her sleep on October 9, 2019.  She was 36 years old. 

Rosemary Clooney's younger sister Betty Clooney died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm on August 5, 1976.  She was 45 years old.  After her death Rosemary started the Betty Clooney Foundation to raise awareness for traumatic brain injuries.  

Stephen Colbert lost his two brothers Peter, who was 18 and Paul, who was 15, in the Eastern Airlines flight 212 crash.  He father was also a passenger. 

Anderson Cooper's older brother Carter committed suicide by jumping from their NYC apartment balcony on July 22, 1988.  He was 23 years old. 

Sofia Coppola's older brother Gian-Carlo was killed in a speedboat accident on May 26, 1986.  He was 22 years old.  His daughter Gia was born seven months later.  

Kevin Costner's older brother Mark died at birth on January 18, 1953.  Strangely, Kevin's birthday is January 18, 1955. 

Dave Coulier's younger brother Daniel died from suicide in April 2021.  He was 58 years old. 

Cindy Crawford's younger brother Jeffrey died from leukemia in 1976 at age 3. 

Macaulay, Rory and Kieran Culkin's older sister Dakota was hit by a car on December 10, 2008.  She was 29 years old.   Their older half-sister Jennifer died from a drug overdose on May 20, 2000.  She also was 29 years old. 

Jamie Lee Curtis' younger, half-brother, Nicholas overdosed on heroin on July 2, 1994.  He was only 23 years old.  

D:

Robert Davi's younger sister Yvonne was murdered on April 16, 1985.  She was 23 years old.  

Laura Dern's older sister Diane died after falling into a swimming pool on May 18, 1962.  She was 18 months old.  

Michael Douglas' younger brother Eric died from a drug overdose on July 6, 2004.  He was 46 years old. 

Griffin Dunne's younger sister Dominique was murdered by her ex-boyfriend on November 4, 1982.  She was 22 years old. 

F:

Mia Farrow's older brother Michael died in a plane crash on October 30, 1958.  He was 19 years old. 

Joely Fisher's half-sister, actress Carrie Fisher died from a heart attack on December 27, 2016.  She was 60 years old. 

Larry Flynt's younger sister Judy died from leukemia in 1951.  She was 4 years old.  

Henry Fonda's younger sister Herberta died in Los Angeles on December 2, 1968.  She was 59 years old. 

Jane Fonda's younger brother, actor Peter Fonda died from lung cancer on August 16, 2019.  He was 79 years old. 

Connie Francis' younger brother George was murdered by a mafia hitman on March 6, 1981.  He was 40 years old.  At the time he was a working for the FBI as a federal witness.  

G:

Judy Garland's older sister Mary Jane "Suzanne" also suffered from alcoholism and died on May 27, 1964.  She was 48 years.  Judy died five years later.  

Gloria Gaynor's sister Irma Proctor tried to help during a street fight but was brutally beaten and died on December 7, 1995.  She was 45 years old.  

Ricky Gervais' older brother Lawrence died on July 6, 2019 in Scotland.  He was 75 years old. 

Jason Giambi's younger brother Jeremy shot himself on February 9, 2022.  He was 47 years old.  

Barry Gibb's younger brother Andrew died from heart failure caused by cocaine abuse on March 10, 1988.  He was 30 years old.  His younger brother Maurice died from a heart attack caused by an intestinal issue on January 13, 2003.  He was 53 years old.  Maurice's twin Robin Gibb died from colorectal cancer which had spread to his liver, causing kidney failure on May 20, 2012.  He was 62 years old. 

Jeff Goldblum's older brother Jay "Rick" died from dysentery while on a trip to Morocco on January 5, 1972.  He was 23 years old. 

Kelsey Grammer's younger sister Karen was raped and murdered in Colorado where she was a waitress at Red Lobster, on July 1, 1975.  She was 18 years old.  His two younger teenage half-brothers William and and Stephen drowned in a scuba diving accident in St.Thomas on June 15, 1980.  Willam was 18 and Stephen was 16. 

Kathy Griffin's older brother Kenneth died in 2001, he was 59 years old.  Her brother Gary died from throat caner in 2014, he was 64 years old.  Her sister, Joyce died of cancer in 2017, she was 70 years old.  Kathy was the youngest child and is the only remaining sibling.  

Arlo Guthrie's sibling's lives are riddled with tragedy.  His older, half-sister Gwendolyn died from Huntington's Disease in 1976.  She was 41.  His older, half-sister Sue also inherited Huntington's from their father and died in 1978.  She also was 41 years old.  His older half-brother Bill died when his car collided with a train on November 22, 1962.  He was 23 years old.  His older sister Cathy died in a house fire in 1947 when she was 4 years old.  His younger, half-sister Lorina died in a car accident in 1973.  She was 19 years old.  

H:

Chelsea Handler's older brother Chet was killed after a fall from a cliff when mountain climbing in the Grand Tetons, Wyoming on July 10, 1984.  He was 22 years old.  

Goldie Hawn's older brother Edward died on March 10, 1937.  He was only one month old.  

Anne Heche's older sister Cynthia died at 2 months old on October 26, 1961.  Her older brother Nate died in a car accident when he was 18 years old on June 4, 1983.  Her older sister Susan died from a brain tumor at age 48 on January 1, 2006.  Sheesh! 

Katherine Heigl's older brother Jason died in a car accident on September 30, 1986.  He was 15 years old. 

Mariel Hemingway's older sister, fashion model Margaux, committed suicide from a drug overdose on July 1, 1966.  She was 42 years old.  

Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein's older brother Jordan Feldstein died from a pulmonary embolism on December 22, 2017.  He was 40 years old.  

Alfred Hitchcock's older brother William died from heart failure brought on by mixing prescription pills and alcohol on January 4, 1943.  He was 54 years old.  

Bob Hope's younger brother Sidney died from cancer on August 24, 1946.  He was 40 years old.  His other younger brother, George, who worked on Hope's television show set died in Los Angeles on June 21, 1969.  He was 59 years old. 

Jennifer Hudson's older brother Jason (along with her mother and nephew) was shot to death on October 24, 2008 by her sister Julia's estranged husband.  He was 29 years old.  

Frieda Huges' younger brother Nicholas hung himself on March 16, 2009.  He was 47 years old. 

J:

Janet Jackson's older brother was world renown singer Michael Jackson.  Michael died from an accidental drug overdose on June 25, 2009.  He was 50 years old. 

Allison Janney's younger brother Henry "Hal" Janney died from suicide on February 14, 2011.  He was 49 years old.  

Naomi Judd's younger brother Glenn "Brian" died from leukemia on November 8, 1965.  He was 17 years old.  

K:

Carolyn Kennedy's older sister Arabella was born stillborn on August 23, 1956.  Her younger brother Patrick died two days after his birth on August 9, 1963.  Her younger brother John Jr. died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999.  He was 38 years old.  

Ted Kennedy's brother Joseph Jr in a naval aircraft explosion on August 12, 1944.  He was 29 years old.  His sister Kathleen died in a plane crash on May 13, 1948.  She was 28 years old.  His brother John was assassinated on November 22, 1968.  He was 46.  His brother Robert was assassinated on June 6, 1968.  He was 42 years old. 

Robert Kennedy Jr.'s brother David died from a drug overdose on April 25, 1984.  He was 28 years old.  His brother Michael died in a skiing accident on December 31, 1997.  He was 39 years old.  

Riley Keough's younger brother Benjamin shot himself on July 12, 2020.  He was 27 years old. 

Val Kilmer's younger brother Wesley had a seizure in a jacuzzi and drowned on September 12, 1977.  He was 16 years old. 

Rory Kinnear's older sister Karina, who was mentally disabled and wheelchair bound died from COVID-19 on May 10, 2020.  She was 48 years old. 

L:

Queen Latifah's older brother Lancelot Jr. died in a motorcycle accident on April 26, 1992.  He was 24 years old.  She had just gifted him the motorcycle he was driving at the time of his death.  

Spike Lee's younger brother Christopher died from a heart attack on December 30, 2013.  He was 55 years old. 

Jennifer Jason Leigh's older sister Carrie Ann Morrow died on December 27, 2016.  She was 58 years old. 

Jay Leno's only sibling, brother, Patrick Leno died of cancer on October 6, 2002.  He was 62 years old. 

Joseph Gordon Levitt's older brother Daniel died of an accidental drug overdose on October 4, 2010.  He was 36 years old. 

Twin actors Jeremy and Jason London lost their sister, Dedra, on September 9, 1992.  She was 16 years old. 

Loretta Lynn's older brother Melvin Webb Jr. died from the coal mining illness known as "black lung" on July 1, 1993.  He was 52 years old.  Her younger brother, singer, Jay Lee Webb died from pancreatic cancer on July 31, 1996.  He was 59 years old. 

M:

Madonna's older brother Anthony Ciccone died from throat cancer on February 25, 2023.  He was 67 years old.  

Dean Martin's older brother William died from a brain tumor on October 20, 1968.  He was 52 years old.  

Kellie Martin's younger sister Heather died of lupus on July 17, 1998.  She was 19 years old. 

Eva Mendes' older brother Juan Carlos died from throat cancer on April 17, 2016.  He was 53 years old. 

Helen Mirren lost her younger brother Peter in the Philippines in 2002 after he refused to return to Britain for proper medical attention for melanoma.  He was 54 years old. 

Eddie Murphy's older brother, comedian Charlie Murphy died from leukemia on April 12, 2017.  He was 57 years old. 

N:

Niecy Nash's younger brother Michael was shot at school by a classmate on November 22, 1993.  He was 17 years old.  Her mother started the organization M.A.V.I.S. (Mothers Against Violence In Schools)

Nelly's sister Jackie died from leukemia on March 24, 2005.  She was 31 years old. 

Olivia Newton-John's older sister Rona died from a brain tumor on May 24, 2013.  She was 70 years old.  

O:

Shaquille O'Neal's younger sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex died from breast cancer on October 24, 2019.  She was 40 years old. 

Oona O'Neill's older brother Eugene O'Neill Jr. committed suicide by slitting his wrists on September 25, 1950.  He was 40 years old.  

P:

Hayden Panettiere's younger brother Jansen died on February 19, 2023 from an enlarged heart.  He was 28 years old. 

Sean Penn's younger brother, actor Chris Penn died from heart failure due to weight gain and drug use on January 26, 2006.  He was 40 years old.  

Joaquim Phoenix's brother was prominent actor River Phoenix.  River died from a drug overdose at Johnny Depp's club, The Viper Room on October 31, 1993.  He was only 23 years old. 

Elvis Presley was born an identical twin with a stillborn baby boy named, Jesse, on January 8, 1935.  This was a dramatic event that Elvis often dwelled over.  It was a major factor in his depression as he often felt incomplete throughout his life.  

R:

Vanessa Redgrave lost both her siblings within a month of each other in 2010.  Her younger brother Corin died from prostate cancer on April 6, 2010.  He was 70 years old.  Her sister Lynn died from breast cancer on May 2, 2010.  She was 67 years old.  

Joely Richardson's older sister was actress Natasha Richardson.  Natasha died in a skiing accident on March 18, 2009.  She was 45 years old.  

Diego Rivera's twin brother Jose Carlos died on May 7, 1888 at one and half years old.  

Julia and Eric Robert's younger, half-sister Nancy committed suicide with prescription pills on February 9, 2014.  She was 37 years old. 

Mark Ruffalo's brother Scott was shot in his house on December 8, 2008. He was 39 years old.  The case remains unsolved. 

S:

Bob Saget's older sister Andrea died from a brain aneurysm on September 7, 1984.  She was 34 years old. His other older sister Gay died from scleroderma on April 10, 1994.  She was 47 years old. 

Susan Sarandon's brother, Terrance died from a heart attack on May 19, 2016.  He was 55 years old.  

Ridley Scott's brother was director Tony Scott.  Tony Scott jumped to his death from a California bridge on August 19, 2012.  He was 68 years old.  At the time of death he was suffering from depression and cancer. 

Peter Sellers was born Richard Sellers but his parents called him Peter after his older stillborn brother. 

Gary Shandling lost his older brother Barry to cystic fibrosis on January 1, 1960.  He was 13 years old.  

Molly Shannon's younger sister Kate died in a car accident on June 2, 1969.  Her sister was only three years old.  Her cousin and mother also died in the crash.  

Blake Shelton's younger sister Angela died at birth on May 24, 1977.  His older brother Richie died in a car accident on November 13, 1990 .  He was 24 years old. 

Sarah Silverman's older brother Jeffrey died from suffocation in his crib on October 31, 1965.  He was three months old. 

Sissy Spacek's older brother Robert "Robbie" died from leukemia on September 19, 1967.  He was 19 years old. 

Sharon Stone lost her brother Patrick Stone to a heart attack at age 57 on February 12, 2023. 

Don Swayze's older brother, actor, Patrick Swayze died from pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009.  He was 57 years old. 

T:

Nikki Taylor's younger sister, model Krissy, died from an asthma attack and heart condition on July 2, 1995.  She was 17 years old.  

Billy Bob Thornton's younger brother, Jimmy Don died from heart failure on October 3, 1988.  He was 30 years old. 

Jim Thorpe was out of 12 children.  He tragically lost three sisters and two brothers that died as children, a twin brother, Charles, that died of pneumonia at age nine in 1896.  His sister Adeline died at age 36 on October 25, 1931.  

Louis Tomilson's younger half-sister Felicite died from an accidental drug overdose on March 14, 2019.  She was 19 years old. 

V:

Sofia Vergara's older brother Rafael was murdered in Columbia in 1998.  He was 28 years old. 

Donatella Versace's older brother was world renown designer and founder of Versace, Gianni Versace.  Gianni was shot to death by an obsessed fan outside his Miami house on July 15, 1997.  He was 50 years old 

W:

Mark and Donnie Wahlberg's older sister Debbie died on September 2, 2003 from a heart attack brought on by a kidney infection.  She was 43 years old.  

Barbara Walter's brother Burton died from pneumonia as an infant in 1923.  Her older sister Jacqueline died from ovarian cancer at age 59 in 1985.  

Eudora Welty outlived her four siblings.  Her older brother Christian, died at three months old on August 7, 1906.  Her younger sister died at birth on January 26, 1924.  Her younger brother Walter died at 43 from advanced arthritis on January 9, 1959.  Her younger brother Edward died from a brain infection on January 24, 1966 at age 53, four days after her mother died from a stroke.  

Mae West's younger and only brother John died in Los Angeles on October 12, 1964.  He was 64 years old. 

Venus and Serena Williams' older half-sister Yetunde Price was shot to death in Compton, California on September 14, 2003.  She was 31 years old.  The shooting was said to be an accident when drug dealers inside a house fired at her car.  

Bruce Willis' brother Robert died from pancreatic cancer on June 26, 2001.  He was 42 years old.  He died six weeks after diagnosis.  

Larry Wilmore's brother Marc died from COVID-19 and kidney issues on January 30, 2021.  He was 57 years old. 

Oprah Winfrey's younger half-brother Jeffrey died from AIDS on December 22, 1989.  He was 29 years old.  Her half-sister Patricia died after a long struggle with cocaine addiction on February 19, 2003.  She was 43 years old. 

James Wood's younger brother Michael was brought to a Rhode Island hospital for vomiting in 2006.  Unfortunately, his symptoms were overlooked and his health quickly deteriorated.  On July 26, 2006 Michael died from a heart attack in the hospital's ER hallway.  He was 49 years old.  Woods later sued the hospital and won a wrongful death suit in 2009.  The hospital also built the Michael J. Woods Institute.  

Celebrities Born on the Fourth of July

People Born on the Fourth of July:

Nathaniel Hawthorne 7/4/1804 

Stephen Foster 7/4/1826

Calvin Coolidge 7/4/1872 

Cliff Lyons 7/4/1901 

Meyer Lansky 7/4/1902 

Gordon Griffith 7/4/1907

Gloria Stuart 7/4/1910 

Leona Helmsley 7/4/1920 

Eve Marie Saint 7/4/1924

Eric Fleming 7/4/1925

Gina Lollobrigida 7/4/1927 

Neil Simon 7/4/1927 

Stephen Boyd 7/4/1931

Geraldo Rivera 7/4/1943  

Ed O'Ross 7/4/1949 

Elie Saab 7/4/1963 

Tracy Letts 7/4/1965

Post Malone 7/4/1995 

Malia Obama 7/4/1998

Died on the Fourth of July:

John Adams 7/4/1826

Thomas Jefferson 7/4/1826

James Monroe 7/4/1831 

Marie Curie 7/4/1934 

Walter Long 7/4/1952

Franklyn Farnum 7/4/1961

Stephen Bosustow 7/4/1981

Vic Perrin 7/4/1989 

Olive Ann Burns 7/4/1990

Anne Shirley 7/4/1993 

Bob Ross 7/4/1995 

Eva Gabor 7/4/1995 

Barry White 7/4/2003 

Evelyn Keyes 7/4/2008 

Eric Sykes 7/4/2012

Married on the Fourth of July:

Margaret Mitchell married John Marsh on July 4, 1925 (her death) 

James Joyce married Nora Barnacle on July 4, 1931 (his death) 

Gertrude Lawrence married Richard Aldrich on July 4, 1940 (her death) 

Carole Landis and Willis Hunt Jr. on July 4, 1940 (divorced) 

Joan Blondell married Mike Todd on July 4, 1947 (divorced)

Viveca Lindfors married George Tabori July 4, 1954 (divorced) 

David Lean married Leila Matkar on July 4, 1960 (divorced) 

Lauren Bacall and Jason Robards on July 4, 1961 (divorced) 

George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst (for the 2nd time) July 4, 1967 (divorced) 

Jackie Gleason and Beverly McKittrick on July 4, 1970 (divorced) 

Barry White married Glodean James on July 4, 1974 (he died on their 29th anniversary) 

Karen Black and L.M. Kit Carson on July 4, 1975 (divorced) 

Linda Evans and Stan Herman on July 4, 1975 (divorced) 

Jeff Goldblum married Patricia Gaul on July 4, 1980 (divorced)

Ozzy Osbourne married Sharon Arden on July 4, 1982 

Ian Ziering married Nikki Schieler on July 4, 1997 (divorced) 

Billy Murray married Jennifer Butler on July 4, 1997 (divorced) 

David Beckham married Victoria Adams on July 4, 1999

Julia Robert married Daniel Moder on July 4, 2002 

Dennis Quaid married Kimberly Buffington on July 4, 2004 (divorced) 

Damian Lewis married Helen McCrory on July 4, 2007 (her death)

Tina Turner married Erwin Bach on July 4, 2013 (her death) 

Tom Hardy married Charlotte Riley on July 4, 2014 

Vanessa Williams married Jim Skrip on July 4, 2015 

Billy Joel married Alexis Roderick on July 4, 2015 

Ashton Kutcher married Mila Kunis on July 4, 2015 

Bipolar Celebrities

Bipolar disease once called the "Artist's illness".  

Does being a genius cause madness?

These celebrities opened up about their bipolar diagnosis:

Lilly Allen 

Maria Bamford 

Roseanne Barr 

Luke Bell

Maria Bello 

Isabella Blow 

Russell Brand 

Chris Brown 

Amanda Bynes 

Mariah Carey 

Aaron Carter 

Jack Cassidy 

Keisha Castle-Hughes 

Rosemary Clooney 

Francis Ford Coppola 

Richard Dreyfuss 

Patty Duke

Frances Farmer 

Carrie Fisher 

Larry Flynt 

Connie Francis 

Stephen Fry 

Kaye Gibbons 

Mel Gibson  

Selena Gomez

Graham Greene 

Halsey 

Linda Hamilton

Darrell Hammond 

David Harbour 

Abbie Hoffman

Catherine Zeta Jones

Margot Kidder 

Vivian Leigh 

Demi Lovato

Robert Lowell 

Burgess Meredith 

Billy Miller 

Robert Munsch

Kim Novak 

Sinead O'Connor 

Phil Ochs 

Nicola Pagett 

Jane Pauly 

Chappell Roan 

Renee Russo 

Ann Sexton

Charlie Sheen 

Sidney Shelton 

Nina Simone 

Phil Spector 

Dusty Springfield 

Peter Steele

Sting 

Gene Tierney 

Andrew Toles 

Ike Turner 

Ted Turner 

Mike Tyson 

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Ayelet Waldman 

Pete Wentz 

Kanye "Ye" West

Brian Wilson 

Amy Winehouse 

Jonathan Winters 

Virginia Woolf 

These celebrities never announced that they were officially diagnosed but probably were bipolar due to their behaviors:

Tallulah Bankhead

Clara Bow

Marlon Brando

Louise Brooks 

Johnny Carson 

Joan Crawford 

Kurt Cobain 

Greta Garbo 

Gloria Grahame 

Carey Grant 

Zane Grey 

Ernest Hemingway

Jimi Hendrix 

Stanley Kubrick

Veronica Lake

Carole Landis 

Jerry Lewis 

Marie McDonald 

Ezra Miller 

Jennifer O'Neill 

Nicholas Ray 

Frank Sinatra 

Peter Sellers 

Vincent Van Gogh 

Lupe Velez 

Robin Williams 

Bipolar is a serious mental disease.  If you or someone you know is suffering from bipolar, depression or have suicidal thoughts please seek medical help from some of the following programs:

The International Bipolar Foundation

NAMI: the National Alliance on Mental Illness 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Suicide Prevention Resource Center. SPCR.org 

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: AFSP.org 

2022 OSCAR RANT

 FINALLY...things are looking like they used to.  We are back at the Oscars' home at the Dolby Theater in downtown Hollywood.  and we have Hosts again! first time since 2018!  Phew....

94th Oscars 

Sunday, March 27, 2022

8 PM

Hosts: Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall

8 pm: The Show opens with Serena and Venus Williams who are here tonight for their biopic "King Richard".  Not loving Venus' Elie Saab white wide open gown.  I feel like a nipple slip can happen at any minute.  I really do not Like Serena's Gucci watermelon colored, sheer dress with black rose embellishments and black lace gloves.  Nope. no good girl, Serena is one of my worst dressed of the night. 

8:03 pm: Beyonce performs her nominated song "Be Alive" from the movie "King Richard".  Her gigantic green and black earrings look like sushi.  I don't love her short David Koma lime green feather and sheer fabric dress.  She wears a diamond garter on her leg that looks like it costs more than a Ferrari.  She's so proud of the city of Compton and performing there, yet she does not own a house there. She lives in Bel Air. Hmmm...

8:07 pm: The three hosts appear... Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina King.  DJ Khaled walks across the stage and starts cheering for the hosts and ramping the audience.  It's pointless and not funny.  Why was he even invited?  

    Amy Schumer is wearing a navy Oscar de la Renta dress with a big black and silver glittered bow down the front.  It fits well but I just don't love it.  

    I do however LOVE Wanda Sykes' Christian Sirano white suit.  I love the greek goddess draping on the left shoulder.  I love her hair and make-up and jewelry.  Perfection.  One of my Best Dressed of the night. 

    Regina Hall wore a beautiful brown, sheer Vera Wang dress on the red carpet but for the show's                 opening she changed into a different Vera Wang dress.  This one I don't like as much.  Its white tube top is not elegant enough for me.  It would have made a better after party dress.  Wish she hadn't changed her dress.  The Opening jokes fall flat.  I miss Billy Crystal.

8:12 pm: Praise for Samuel L. Jackson who got an Honorary Oscar for his lifetime achievement in film.  Although, I would have preferred if the gentleman was awarded the prize during the live viewing of the award show.  Let's get rid of the corny, forced fed opening jokes and let the man speak.

8:15 pm: Amy Schumer does a little stand-up.  You could tell she was quite nervous but she did well.  The Leonardo DiCaprio and the Lucille Ball jokes were funny.  

8:17 pm: Kristen Stewart's Chanel look is extremely inappropriate for a black tie affair.  She's wearing black shorts, a black jacket, and a wide open white shirt.  This is the Oscars, not a club.  This show has been graced with the presence of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Jessica Tandy.  Have some respect. 

One of my worst dressed of the night.  

8:18 pm: Singer H.E.R is wearing a lime green dress similar to Beyonce's color.  It is a very short, simply draped Carolina Herrera dress with a train.  Cute hair.  Daniel Kaluuya looks sharp in an aquamarine Prada jacket.  

8:21 pm: First time nominee and first time winner, Ariana DeBose for best supporting actress in "West Side Story".  She is wearing a red Valentino suit with a skimpy top and long cape.  The slacks are so elegant I wish the top was too.  

8:23 pm: Oh my gosh.  Jessie Buckley looked gorgeous in "The Lost Daughter".  And tonight her red hair is in a bowl cut and slicked to her forehead.  Her pink Erdem dress is terribly wrinkled.  Yikes, train wreck.  One of my worst dressed of the night. 

8:25 pm: I do not like Nicole Kidman's gray Armani Prive dress.  It has these triangles on her chest and a big puff on her waistline.  It looks like arm rests she can use when her hands get tired from clapping.  One of my worst dressed. 

8:30 pm: Host Regina Hall has changed into a lilac Jason Wu dress.  The ruffles and zipper down the front are too much for me.  The COVID test results bit was funny at first but when she starts to pat down Josh Brolin and Jason Moana it becomes cringeworthy.  I mean Come on, if a male actor ever started patting down a female actress on stage and make lewd jokes the media would have his head on a silver platter.  Social media would have him "cancelled" as the new generation says.  The #MeToo movement would go nuts.  Sexually harassment rules have to go both ways, no double-standards.  Can't believe this skit was okayed by producers. 

8:32 pm: Timothee Chalamet is in part of a Louis Vuitton suit.  Black pants, sequin jacket and a missing shirt.  I'm so confused by this arrogance.  First of all it's inappropriate, second he doesn't even have a masculine body.  It is very prepubescent.  One of my worst dressed. 

8:33 pm: "Dune" wins for Best Sound.

8:35 pm: Rosie Perez, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson come on stage for the 30th anniversary of "White Man Can't Jump".  Rosie Perez looks nice in a red off the shoulder Christian Siriano dress, Harrelson looks handsome as ever.  Snipes doesn't look too good.  He looks extremely skinny and sickly. He is wearing an odd maroon Givenchy short suit. He's one of my worst dressed.   

8:37 pm: "Dune" wins Best Cinematography 

8:40 pm: My Lord! Maggie Gyllenhaal's Schiaparelli dress is a horror.  It's so matronly.  The giant off the shoulder strap and these clunky gold things glued to it.  They look like coat hangers.  By far, one of my worst dressed of the night. 

8:47 pm: "Dune" wins for Best Visual Effects

8:50 pm: Alana Haim looks great in a white scalloped Louis Vuitton long sleeved dress.  

8:57 pm: "Dos Oruguitas" from "Encanto" is performed by Sebastian Yatra.

8:59 pm: That is a wild light blue suit Kodi Smit-McPhee is wearing.  With matching platform boots, very Beatles like. 

9:02 pm: "Encanto" wins Best Animated Film. Poor Lin-Manuel Miranda is absent because his wife tested Covid positive prior to show. 

9:12 pm: Wanda Sykes has switched into a beautiful black sequin suit.  She does a funny skit while visiting the New Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.  Although, part of me feels like it's a free advertisement for the new $480,000 project.  Too bad tourism to California is extremely low right now. 

9:17 pm: Last year's Best Supporting Actress winner, Youn Yuh-jung, is here to award the Best Supporting actor award.  In her broken English she always seems so sincere and humorous.  The award goes to first time nominee, first time winner, Troy Kotsur.  After, Marlee Matlin (his wife in the film) he is the second deaf person to win an Oscar for acting.  Huge standing ovation and congratulations in sign language.  His speech about his father is absolutely heart wrenching.  The actor signed while a voice-over spoke for him. 

9:29 pm: ugh not loving Tiffany Haddish's bleach blond hair.  Also, not loving her tight dark green Dolce and Gabbana dress.  Its is pencil straight with a train that looks like an after thought.  Her jokes are lame.  I just don't ever think she is funny.  Simu Liu wears a very loud red Versace tux. 

9:31 pm: "Drive My Car" wins Best International Film for Japan! 

9:33 pm: Mila Kunis looks nice is a blush colored Zuhair Murad gown. She was born in the Ukraine and speaks about the devastating war there.  

9:34 pm: Reba McEntire sings her song "Somehow You Do" from the film "Four Good Days".  She looks ageless in a long sleeved, black Dolce and Gabbana dress that has a sequin embellishment at the waist.  One of my best dressed of the night. 

9:38 pm: Maya Rudolph is there to support her partner, Paul Thomas Anderson for his movie "Licorice Pizza".  Once again she is wearing a giant sac.  It is a no form, flowing orange Valentino smock with feather embellishments. I don't understand her fashion sense, EVER.  She is not a huge woman so why does she always dress like an obese, washed up 75 year old soap opera star?? Perplexing.  One of my worst dressed of the night. 

9:40 pm: Known for dressing a little wacky at previous Oscars I have to give Olivia Coleman credit for her long sleeved, silver, pleated, Maria Grazia Chiuri dress.  One of my best dressed of the night. 

9:42 pm: I think Lupita Nyong'o's gold Prada dress is way too busy.  It has sequins and fringe and this white balls on the top.  Very gaudy.  One of my worst dressed. But I do love her gold eyeglass frames.  I like Ruth E. Carter's Jovana Louis black skirt with a sculpted white cape.  

9:43 pm: "Cruella" wins best costume design.  Jenny Beaven that British wild child.  She wearing what looks like a black tux with a bit of a tulle skirt and a dog shaped purse?  Gotta love her. 

9:51 pm: "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from the animated winner "Encanto" is performed.  Nice performance but it's odd that is sung since it's not nominated tonight.  Again, something like this could have been cut and they could have let Samuel L. Jackson receive his lifetime achievement Oscar.  

9:53 pm: Queen Latifah looks great in a yellow Pamella Roland dress with a long patterned yellow shawl.  

9:56 pm: Wanda Sykes comes out dressed as Will Smith from "King Richard".  She's wearing a red sweater, mini white shorts, and a beard while pushing a shopping cart of tennis balls.  Regina Hall comes out as Tammy Faye Baker, tons of make-up on her face.  She's wearing a white dress with giant shoulder pads and carrying a little doll.  Amy Schumer drops from the air dressed as Spiderman and sprays silly string.  It gets a few laughs and then is over.  For all that preparation the skit should have lasted longer.

10:00 pm: Kenneth Branagh wins Best Original Screenplay for "Belfast". 

10:02 pm: "CODA" wins Best Adapted Screenplay.  Sian Heder shines bright in what looks like a shattered mirror, long-sleeved, Michael Kors dress.  She speaks while a translator behind her signs her acceptance speech. 

10:12 pm: Hans Zimmer wins Best Score for "Dune"

10:14 pm: Billie Eilish performs "No Time to Die" from the James Bond film.  She's wearing a very simple black, off the shoulder collared shirt with wide black pants.  This is nothing compared to her hugely ruffled, black Gucci dress with huge train on the red carpet.  That dress made her one of my worst dressed of the night.  good thing she changed.  Beautiful voice, as always. 

10:21 pm: "Dune" wins Best Film Editing 

10:23 pm: Wanda and Regina do a painful skit about consolation prizes.  ugh It's terrible.  Although, I do love Wanda's brown glittered tux that she changed into.  All her tuxes throughout the night have be gorgeous. 

10:24 pm: Dame Judy Dench looks beautiful in a long white Dolce and Gabbana dress, with a matching long sleeved to the floor coat.  Pearls lining it.  One of my best dressed of the night.

10:25 pm: Chris Rock comes on stage.  (We all know what happens next.  I don't want this nonsense to overshadow some amazing feats that were accomplished tonight.)  Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from a disease called Alopecia, which causes a person to lose body hair.  She has shaved her head to even out bald spots.  She is wearing a gorgeous, dark green, long sleeved, Jean Paul Gaultier gown with a train miles long.  

Chris Rock makes a joke towards Jada, saying she going to be starring in "G.I. Jane 2".  This comment upsets Jada and at first Will Smith is laughing but he must of saw she was pissed and he felt compelled to defend her.  Words are ones best source of defense but instead Will unfortunately chose violence.  He walks on stage to an unsuspecting Chris Rock and slaps him across the face.  Rock is stunned.  Will Smith smiles as he returns to his seat and curses Rock multiple times from his chair.  Should he have been escorted out??  Wasn't Chris Rock just assaulted?? and where was security?? This is outrageous! 

Chris Rock acts professional and is quick to recover and continues to fulfill his duty that he is there for which is to give out the Oscar for Best Documentary.  

Thank goodness Troy Kotsur received his Oscar before this garbage went down. 

10:29 pm: Questlove wins best Documentary for "Summer of Love".  He gets choked up. 

10:31 pm: Penelope Cruz looks stunning in a black Chanel dress.  The top is a corset cut lined with buttons down the front, it has a beautiful sequined bow at her neck line.  The skirt half is very puffy.  Remarkably simple and yet gorgeous.  One of my top best dressed for the night. 

10:34 pm: a tribute to 50 years of the "Godfather".  Very odd sound track to the film clips!?!?! Why is this to rap music?  Why isn't it played to the CLASSIC theme song??? 

LISTEN! Stop trying to appeal to the younger crowd, Academy, it's foolish.  They aren't watching this show!! The artists and intellectuals are.  No young people of the new generation watch the Oscars.  It's a four hour live show with COMMERCIALS.  The current generation lives 24 hours on social media and streams everything.  They have has no patience for the Oscars. So stop the nonsense.  Stop writing corny jokes, stop trying to entertain children who are in bed before the show even starts, stop doing tons of musical numbers, this is the Academy Awards not the Grammys, not the VMAs.  This is about the art of film and talented artists.  A craft we have been celebrating since 1929!! 30 years before the first Grammys ever aired! 

    If the Academy needs further proof the current generation doesn't care about artsy films they asked the public to vote for their "fan favorite movie" this year and they voted for a stupid zombie movie.  What does that say??? to me it speaks VOLUMES.  Know your fan base! and don't graffiti on a Monet.  The new generation wants to be entertained not inspired.  Instead of getting more young viewers just try not losing the few royals you have left.  Focus on getting better comedians to host with more experience and talent, bring back the awards that you pushed out this year just so people could shimmy on stage. Bring back the honorary Oscar.  Stop letting the show be a political forum and make off-colored jokes about certain states (eg: Florida, Texas.)   You're pushing whatever viewers you have left in these states away... and you need every old soul you can get.  Reminder: not all movie fans live in Blue states. 

   Since 1998 the ratings for the Oscars have slowly dropped and ratings have dramatically dropped in the last few years.  This reminds me of when I worked for a bookstore chain that was not doing financially well, they panicked and instead of diving further into the love of books and reaching out to the hundreds of bookworms left in the world they tried to pull in the younger crowd by selling music and movies.  It was a huge mistake with terrible consequences.  They should have created their own publishing team, had more book signing, more book discussion groups, things that would inspire readers instead they tried to bring in customers who had absolutely no passion for reading and were never going to.  This led them to bankruptcy and eventually out of business. I see the producers of the Academy Awards going down that same road.  And I'm saying this as a person who has watched the Oscars since the 80s and has hosted an Oscar party in 2003.  WAKE UP! and one last thing why can't they air the show on a Saturday night rather than a Sunday?? That way my party guests don't have to leave early cause they have work Monday morning! 

10:35 pm: Director Francis Ford Coppola, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino come out on stage in honor of the "Godfather".   Short speech from Coppola and then he walks quickly off stage.  He looks like he is heading straight home to bed.  

10:39 pm: In Memorian.  Tyler Perry speaks about Sidney Poitier.  Bill Murray speaks about Ivan Reitman.  Jamie Lee Curtis talks about Betty Davis while holding a puppy.  Jamie is wearing a bad, navy, turtleneck, Stella McCartney dress.  One of my worst dressed of the night. This upbeat choir singing is a bit much.  I like when it's just one artist with a guitar.  Bob Saget, Norm Macdonald, and Ed Asner were so of the names left out of this segment. Yet, they have room for executive producers or talent agents.  Definitely shame on them for Asner.  Even, the new generation saw "Up". 

10:50 pm: Best Production Design goes to "Dune".

10:52 pm: Ugh not feeling Zoe Kravitz boring pink Saint Laurent dress.  Her hair is boring too.  Poor choice for such a unique individual.  Best Original Song goes to Billie Eilish for "No Time to Die".  She's super excited. 

10:54 pm: Rita Moreno looks amazing for 90 in her Carolina Herrera black two piece with slacks, complete with black and white feathers in her hair.  

10:56 pm: Kevin Costner presents the award for Best Director to Jane Campion for "The Power of the Dog".  That makes it two years in a row that a female has won best director and only three women in history since Kathryn Bigelow won in 2009.  Campion is wearing a terrible black Christian Dior tent of a dress.  One of my worst dressed. 

11:06 pm: An Honor for the random 28 years since the film "Pulp Fiction".  John Travolta has finally decided to shave his head and stop wearing very obvious hairpieces, Samuel L. Jackson looks awesome in a black velvet suit jacket and Uma is wearing a silk white collared shirt and long black Bottega Veneta silk skirt.  The shirt is buttoned up to her neck.  I know this wardrobe is a homage to the clothes she wore in "Pulp Fiction" but I wish she had undid the top bottom and added a necklace.  She looks too stuffy.  One of my worst dressed of the night. 

11:07 pm: Will Smith wins Best Actor for "King Richard".  He repeatedly speaks about protecting his family and his cast members.   He apologizes to his fellow nominees and to the academy.  He ends his speech with saying "I hope the academy invites me back". I'm sure they will because they didn't escort him out.  He still got to enjoy the rest of the show.  Sitting in the audience, laughing and smiling like it ain't no thing.  Meanwhile, Chris Rock did not escalate the moment.  After he was assaulted he went back stage to speak to the producers and the LAPD where he refused to press charges.  He then left the Oscars.  So that was how he got to spend his night at the show while Will was living it up.  I do think Will needs to makes amends and apologize to Chris Rock face to face and not just via twitter.  After Will hit Chris Denzel Washington tried to calm Will down and enlighten him with these wise words "At your highest moment, Be careful, that's when the devil comes for you."  

After the slap Will Smith's 23 year old son, Jaden tweeted "And that's How We Do It".  Classy.  Makes you wonder what morales they teach their children at home.  I feel so bad for Chris Rock's daughters who had to watch their father get assaulted on stage.  

I see quite a lot of the public and celebrities are taking Will Smith's side which basically means these people condole violence which is very sad for our society. 

11:20 pm: Best Hair and Makeup go to "The Eyes of Tammy Faye".  Tammy Faye herself deserved an Oscar for doing that makeup every day.  

11:21 pm:  Amy Schumer makes jokes and definitely lightens the mood.  She says "I've been getting out of that Spiderman costume, did I miss anything?" Funny. and it's ad lib.  She does a funny "seat filler" joke with Kirsten Dunst, who looks quite nice in a red ruffled, strapless, Christian Lacroix dress. 

11:23 pm: Anthony Hopkins is here to presents the Oscar for Best Actress.  He did not attend last year to win his Best Actor award due to covid so this year he gets a standing ovation.  He is the least Hollywood person ever, besides the fact that he lives in England.  He has no time for the show's nonsense.  So he says to Will Smith, "yes, Will, lets now have peace, and love and quiet."  Best Actress goes to Jessica Chastain for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye".  Love her gold and lilac Gucci gown.  Very frilly on the bottom.  I was worried Hopkins was going to trip on it.  One of my best dressed of the night.  She speaks out about suicide prevention, something that she has endured with the loss of her sister in 2003.  

11:33 pm: Liza Minnelli comes out in a wheelchair with Lady Gaga to present Best Picture.  It's the 50th anniversary of "Cabaret".  Liza seems very confused.  She has had a long history of poor health, most recently diagnosed with encephalitis, which causes brain swelling.  Still she is a legend, just like her mother was.  Lady Gaga is wearing a sexy, slick Ralph Lauren sequin tux.  one of my best dressed. 

Best Picture goes to "CODA".  Amazing.  Marlee Matlin looks awesome in a long sleeved, red silk, Monique Lhuillier dress.  First film with a predominately deaf cast to win best FILM. And first streaming film to win Best Picture. This is the wave of the future.  

See You Next Year! 

BEST DRESSED: Penelope Cruz

WORST DRESSED: Maggie Gyllenhaal