Thursday, March 02, 2006

PRESIDENT TRUMP: COULD IT HAPPEN? PLUS DAY THREE OF "OSCAR COUNTDOWN WEEK"

Good evening. Now, for years on the newsgroups I've been bashing and bantering about the various entertainment news shows pilferating the airwaves and that I've done a special commentary -- "Safe Route, Sleazy Route" -- about them. Of all those on the air, the best and most serious one of the bunch has to be "Showbiz Tonight" on CNN Headline News live at 3:00 here in Alaska (7:00 on the East Coast). The reason why they're better than "Entertainment Tonight" (a show I still watch occasionally after 20-odd years), "Access Hollywood" (a show I can't stand because of lots of graphics and Billy Bush) and others is for good reason: They actually report on entertainment NEWS, not gossip like the latest on Brad and Angelina!

One such example was their lead story on tonight's show. It may be two years away, but the
New York State Independence Party wants Donald Trump -- yes, Donald Trump -- to make the move from Trump Towers to the White House! That's right; a website has been put up by the party to help draft Trump so that he could be hired for the top job of all top jobs: President of the United States.

In 2000, Trump seriously considered running for President under the Reform Party -- the same one that had Ross Perot as their candidate in 1992 and 1996. But now, with the Bush Administration continuing to seep into trouble and the Democrats still working on a master plan to take back Capitol Hill in November's mid-terms, the time could be right for a major change in Washington, and The Donald could be leading the charge.

But...could it really happen? Sure, he's sold more real estate than any realtor in the world (especially the lady who sold us our house); his "Apprentice" is now in its fifth season; he's got a hot daughter (Ivanka) and wife (Melania)...but could it mean a change of tune from "For the Love of Money" (The Apprentice's theme song) to "Hail To the Chief" come 2008? I don't know, but look what happened to Arnold Schwarzenegger when California elected him as their next Governor in 2003.

If Trump does happen to make the official word that he's running for the most powerful CEO in the world, then you know it'll be front page news. And the voters at the polls could be sending a huge message to the Republicans: "You're fired!"

Now, before we head to day three of my Oscar Countdown Week, you probably know that Best Actress nominee Reese Witherspoon, win or lose on Sunday, will be getting a huge paycheck: $29 million for "Our Family Trouble", eclipsing Julia Roberts as the highest-paid actress of all time by $4 million when Roberts got $25 million for her Oscar-winning role as "Erin Brockvich." And if she happens to win on Sunday, it could mean fatter paychecks...not to mention a possible cover spot on People's "50 Most Beautiful People" issue this spring. We'll see what happens; and with that said, on to...


Tonight, the Directing and Screenplay nominees:

Directing
(Directors' names are in parentheses)

"Brokeback Mountain" (Ang Lee)
"Capote" (Bennett Miller)
"Crash" (Paul Haggis)
"Good Night, And Good Luck." (George Clooney)
"Munich" (Steven Speilberg; he got that very same honor for "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" in 1994 and 1999 respectively)


Adapted Screenplay
"Brokeback Mountain" (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana)
"Capote" (Dan Futterman)
"The Constant Gardener" (Jeffrey Caine):
A British diplomat in Africa is drawn into a dark world of corruption and danger following his wife's murder. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of activist Tessa Quayle and the crime's possible ties to the international pharmaceutical market spur her grief-stricken husband Justin to search for answers that may put his own life at risk.
"A History of Violence" (Josh Olson):
Tom and Edie Stall and their two children are living a quiet and seemingly ordinary small-town life when an encounter with two violent criminals disrupts their world. The quick-thinking ease with which Tom dispatches the pair leads to admiring news stories...and the arrival in town of the menacing Carl Fogarty, who insists that Tom is not what he seems.
"Munich" (Tony Kushner and Eric Roth)

Original Screenplay
"Crash" (Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (Screenplay); Paul Haggis (Story))
"Good Night, And Good Luck." (George Clooney and Grant Heslov)
"Match Point" (Woody Allen; his 21st nomination with three wins):
When tennis pro Chris Wilton is befriended by the wealthy Tom Hewett, he finds himself drawn into the circle of Tom's family and friends and is soon engaged to Tom's sister, Chloe. His seemingly assured future is jeopardized, however, by his attraction to Tom's fiancée, aspiring actress Nola Rice.
"The Squid and The Whale" (Noah Baumbach): When writers Bernard and Joan Berkman enter into an acrimonious divorce, the emotional lives of their two sons suffer. Fourteen-year-old Walt sides with the father he adores, failing to see the self-centered pomposity that has alienated Joan, while their younger son, Frank, begins acting out at school as he becomes increasingly lost within his new, fractured family life.
"Syriana" (Stephen Gaghan, won Adapted Screenplay for "Traffic"): A CIA agent, an Arab prince, a Texas oil man, and a corporate attorney are among those caught up in a web of international conspiracies that reaches from Washington to the oil fields of the Middle East. As powerful oil interests and corrupt governments jockey for power and wealth, the lives of those who stand in their way are placed in jeopardy.

That's all from me tonight; tomorrow, Animated Feature and Foreign Language Film as Oscar Countdown Week continues. Good night!

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