Oscar Recipes: 'The Artist' Not So Silent Martini

The Artist Not-So-Silent Martinis : Makes 1
Equipment: one martini glass, one mixing glass, ice, spoon and a cocktail stick.

To crust the rim
1 tablespoon of popping candy
1 teaspoon of salt flakes
1 teaspoon of liquid glucose

For the martini
2 1/2 oz/ 70 ml gin
1 oz/ 30 ml Cointreau
3 black olives on a cocktail stick
Ice

Instructions
1. Gloss the rim of the glass with a thin stripe of liquid glucose.
2. Combine the popping candy and salt on a dry plate. Rotate the rim of the glass through the pebbles to create a crust on the rim of the glass.
3. Carefully pour the Cointreau into the center of the glass (so as not to touch the popping candy) and swirl around.
4. Combine the gin with ice in a separate glass and stir to ensure it's well chilled. Strain the gin and pour carefully into the center of the martini glass.
5. Garnish with three black olives on a stick.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victoria-haschka/martini-recipe_b_1281178.html

The Official Oscars Envelope!

This is the official Oscars envelope! Who else is excited for Oscar Sunday?

Source: The Academy

Oscars Won’t Perform Both Nominated Songs From ‘Rio’ Or ‘Muppets’

Source: Deadline Hollywood
http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/exclusive-oscars-wont-perform-nominated-songs/

It was bad enough that just about every eligible tune in the Best Original Song category was omitted from this year’s Academy Awards nominations. Or that, due to their complicated voting system, the music branch of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences saw fit to nominate only two songs: Rio’s “Real In Rio”  and The Muppets’  ”Man or Muppet” when well-known artists like Elton John, Mary J. Blige, and Sinead O’Connor also had terrific songs in the mix. But now Deadline has learned that neither nominated song will be performed during the Oscar telecast as things stand now. We understand that both studios — Rio‘s Fox and The Muppets‘ Disney — formally protested the decision to skip but received turn-downs. ”It seems like a huge missed opportunity to me, and we certainly tried,” one song insider just told us. Said another song insider: “It doesn’t make sense. They could have so much fun with Muppets and Rio staging.”

Though this decision sounds firm because of the telecast’s pressure-cooker time constraints, some of those affected hope all-powerful Academy Awards telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer still have a work in progress. “The show is not locked yet. Decisions about this and other things continue to be evaluated by the team trying to produce the most entertaining 3 hours possible,” one authoritative source just emailed us. “Someone ‘leaking’ this possibility to you is just another way for people to try and influence the creative direction of the show. And there have been Oscar shows that did not have the nom songs performed.” Indeed Alan Carr’s infamous 1989 Oscars performed no songs, and another recent broadcast presented a clip reel of the warbling. Hey, for what it’s worth, we want the songs every year.

So, in case we do not get a performance of the two songs nominated for Best Original Song, here they are:

Rio - Real In Rio


The Muppets - Man or Muppet

The Animated Films up for Best Animated Film at The Oscars 2012!

Here are the five animated films up for Best Animated Film at this year's Oscars!

A Cat in Paris

By day a child's beloved companion... by night, a rooftop-roaming thief! Presenting Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli's captivating new film, from France's most acclaimed animation studio, Folimage.

Our tale's hero is Dino, a common house cat who lives a double life. He's the loyal pet of Zoe, a lonely little girl who lives with her busy single mother Jeanne, a police officer. But after sundown, he clambers over the rooftops of Paris in the company of Nico, a skilled thief with a big heart. Eventually, Zoe discovers what Dino is up to and becomes drawn into a thrilling, adventure involving jewels, gangsters and capital-T trouble.

A Cat in Paris is a completely refreshing and unique throwback to the traditional form - every cell of the film has been hand-painted, and its highly stylized, colour-saturated design looks absolutely gorgeous on the big screen. A must-see for animation fans of all ages.


Chico and Rita

Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey - in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero - brings heartache and torment. From Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas, two passionate individuals battle impossible odds to unite in music and love.

Kung Fu Panda 2

In KUNG FU PANDA 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will Po be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

Puss in Boots

"Puss in Boots" - one of the most beloved characters of the Shrek universe - tells the hilarious and courageous (daring, bold, brave) tale of Puss's (Antonio Banderas) early adventures as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty (Salma Hayek) to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

Rango

A chameleon that aspires to be a swashbuckling hero finds himself in a Western town plagued by bandits and is forced to literally play the role in order to protect it.

I have seen all five films and my favorite by far is Chico and Rita. The animation style, the incredible music and the great love story makes this a winner for me. Make no mistake however, this is not a children's film. Dare I say that this film is an erotic love story? There is some nudity in this film just so you are aware. But this is still my favorite animated film of the year.

Have you seen any of the nominees? If so, which one do you want to see win?