Elizabeth Taylor has passed away.

CNN has reported that Elizabeth Taylor passed away at the age of 79, from congestive heart failure. A five-time nominee, and three-time Oscar recipient, twice for performing (for Butterfield 8 in 1960, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf in 1966), and once for her humanitarian work. Off-screen, she was as notorious as on, racking up eight total marriages, to seven different men. Her affair with Richard Burton is the stuff of legend. In the 50s and 60s, she and Marilyn Monroe WERE the epitome of the Hollywood sex symbol.

When she accepted her honorary Oscar, she said "I call upon you to draw from the depths of your being -- to prove that we are a human race, to prove that our love outweighs our need to hate, that our compassion is more compelling than our need to blame." But I think this statement, made by her around the time she turned 50, sums her up the best.....

"I don't entirely approve of some of the things I have done, or am, or have been. But I'm me. God knows, I'm me."

She will be remembered as one of the greatest names in Hollywood history, and one of the most beautiful women to ever grace us with her prescence. RIP Liz.

http://http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=636902&GT1=28101

Notable filmography includes:

National Velvet (1944)
Father of the Bride (1950)
A Place in the Sun (1951)
Ivanhoe (1952)
Giant (1956)
Raintree County (1957)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
Butterfield 8 (1960)
Cleopatra (1963)

Steven Soderbergh is retiring???

Just found this online and thought it was interesting. One of the few men to ever be nominated for Best Director for 2 different films in the same year.

http://http://omg.yahoo.com/news/steven-soderbergh-plans-to-retire-from-filmmaking/58382

Interesting. I wonder if this one is actually for real, or if we have another case of Amanda Bynes "I'm not gonna do it anymore" syndrome going around. Time will tell.

2010 BEACHHOUSE AWARDS WINNERS

In all the craziness of the Oscars, as well as my computer situation, I just realized that I never announced my winners for my own personal awards of the year, the Beachhouse Awards.
So, here are my choices.

BEST SCENE/SEQUENCE
Black Swan -- Nina's Final Transformation

BEST BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
David Michod "Animal Kingdom"

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Jennifer Lawrence "Winter's Bone"

BEST COMEDY FILM
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Carlos

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Black Sheep" -- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
How To Train Your Dragon

BEST MAKEUP
The Wolfman

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Inception

BEST SOUND EDITING
How To Train Your Dragon

BEST SOUND MIXING
Inception

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alice In Wonderland

BEST ART DIRECTION
Inception

BEST FILM EDITING
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Inception

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
How To Train Your Dragon

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Social Network

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Inception

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
The Social Network

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Olivia Williams "The Ghost Writer"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale "The Fighter"

BEST ACTRESS
Natalie Portman "Black Swan"

BEST ACTOR
Colin Firth "The King's Speech"

BEST DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan "Inception"

BEST PICTURE
The Social Network


Winners by #'s

INCEPTION -- 6 Wins
--Best Director (Christopher Nolan)
--Best Original Screenplay
--Best Cinematography
--Best Art Direction
--Best Sound Mixing
--Best Visual Effects

THE SOCIAL NETWORK -- 3 Wins
--Best Picture
--Best Ensemble Cast
--Best Adapted Screenplay

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON -- 3 Wins
--Best Animated Feature
--Best Sound Editing
--Best Original Score

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD -- 3 Wins
--Best Film Editing
--Best Original Song "Black Sheep"
--Best Comedy Film

BLACK SWAN -- 2 Wins
--Best Actress (Natalie Portman)
--Best Scene/Sequence -- Nina's Final Transformation

THE KING'S SPEECH -- 1 Win
--Best Actor (Colin Firth)

THE FIGHTER -- 1 Win
--Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale)

THE GHOST WRITER -- 1 Win
--Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Williams)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND -- 1 Win
--Best Costume Design

THE WOLFMAN -- 1 Win
--Best Makeup

CARLOS -- 1 Win
--Best Foreign Language Film

WINTER'S BONE -- 1 Win
--Best Breakthrough Performance (Jennifer Lawrence)

ANIMAL KINGDOM -- 1 Win
--Best Breakthrough Filmmaker (David Michod)