#dan krieger

[mookquartetarchive]

Paul Dano and Dan Krieger performing with Cherry Revision at Studio Electrik in Stamford, Connecticut on November 29 2002 | CR fan archive

[tomixslefttoe]

The Hero: If we were at war and I was on the battlefield, would you just leave me behind?!

Artix: Yes. Well, no, no. It’s not that I would leave you behind; it’s that I wouldn’t notice that you died in the first place.

The Hero: Thank you.

[krispyweiss]

Album Review: Robby Krieger & the Soul Savages - Robby Krieger & the Soul Savages

The name has changed though the music holds steady on the self-titled debut from Robby Krieger & the Soul Savages.

The 10-track instrumental LP finds the titular composer and former Doors guitarist leading keyboardist Ed Roth, bassist Kevin “Brandino” Brandon and drummer Franklin Vanderbilt across the funk-flavored landscape of the fusion Krieger’s explored for decades on such titles as “Shark Skin Suit,” “Contrary Motion” and “Math Problem.”

Krieger plays slide, traditional leads and chorded rhythm against his tight band. And though it fails to reach the highs of 2020’s Zappaesque the Ritual Begins at Sundown, Robby Krieger & the Soul Savages nevertheless peaks on the neo-soul of “A Day in L.A.” and the funky strut of “Bouncy Betty;” “Ricochet Rabbit,” is meanwhile easily confused as an outtake from Steely Dan’s Gaucho sessions.

What it might lack in consistent listener electrification across its 45-minute runtime, Robby Krieger & the Soul Savages makes up for with a former psychedelic warrior sporting - and still sounding fine in - a different swirl of aural colors.

Grade card: Robby Krieger & the Soul Savages - Robby Krieger & the Soul Savages - B-

2/1/24

[itstheheebiejeebies]

A really great article about what the crew of the Just-a-Snappin' went through on the Bremen raid on October 8, 1943.

Transcript below Read More

Article found through this page on the 100th Bomb Group site

Article named: Uncommon valor

Subheading: Everett Blakely personified grace under pressure

By Dan Krieger Telegram-Tribune

Photos of the Just-a-Snappin' crashed into a tree, and one of Blakely smiling in uniform. The latter with the message "Everett 'Gopher' Blakely, right, lost his plne, 'Just-a-Snappin.' but saved his crew when he crash landed the B-17 bomber.

Pull quote in the article: 'For 3,000 feet Captain Blakely and Major Kidd fought to get that plane under control. It was only because of the superior construction of our bomber... plus the combination of two skilled pilots, that we ever even recovered from that dive. -Lt. Harry Crosby

Main article: Lt. Harry Crosby wrote to his wife, "Jean there are just two reasons why I am here today. One of them is because of Blake's superb piloting and the other is because of the skill of our gunners."

We often think of heroes as flamboyant people. More often than not, real heroes are quiet people who are doing what they believe is required of them.

Today Everett Blakely, a pilot trained in Santa Maria, says that he was "just doing what had to be done" in the war against Hitler. He was a quiet hero.

Allan G. Hancock College in Santa Maria has a long and colorful history. Long before it became a community college, the campus was known as the Hancock College of Aeronautics.

It was a private school, named after its energetic, versatile and creative founder and benefactor, Capt. Allan Hancock.

Well prior to American entry into the Second World War, Captain Hancock offered his school to the United States Army Air Corps as a flight instruction school. Between May 1939 and V-J Day, some 8,500 pilots and 1,500 aircraft mechanics were trained at Hancock College.

The commercial warehouse district just west of today's Hancock College campus includes the one-time hangers for the flight instruction aircraft. The Stearman PT-13 biplanes are gone, but the College of Aeronautics administration buildings still survive on campus.

Everett "Gopher" Blakely came to Santa Maria just out of the University of Washington at Seattle. He was convinced that America was going to get involved in the European war.

The Blitzkrieg over Poland in 1939, over Belgium and France in 1940, and the Battle of Britain had convinced Blakely that this was going to be a war where air power was essential. The United States was going to need pilots. "Gopher" Blakely had discovered his mission.

Blakely soon started flying the essentially First World War era Stearmans over the tranquil valleys of the Central Coast. He and his buddies from rainy Puget Sound loved the warm sunny climate. They thought Santa Maria was a friendly town and enjoyed a precious few weekend hours socializing at the Santa Maria Inn.

Within months, Blakely and his friends were on the damp fen lands of Norfolkshire in England's East Anglia. They had graduated from the tiny Stearmans to the "Queen of the Bombers," the four-engine, hundred-foot-winged Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress."

On July 4, 1943, the first American pilots participated with Britain's Royal Air Force in bombing raids over Germany. But as late as January 1943, Winston Churchill, en route to meet with President Roosevelt at Casablanca, wrote a secret memo to his Secretary of State for Air.

In that memo, Churchill complained that "the Americans have not yet succeeded in dropping a single bomb on Germany." What Churchill meant was that no American bombers were able to penetrate German anti-aircraft fire a sufficient distance. This was because the Americans were trained for daylight missions only. The British had bomber Berlin early in the war by flying mainly night missions,

Churchill wanted the Americans to start flying night missions also. But Gen. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold was convinced that it would take too long to retrain air crews for night flying. That loss of time would allow the Germans to rebuild their military strength.

At Casablanca, the Americans won Churchill over to a doctrine of round-the-clock bombing which would "give Hitler no rest." The Americans would send increasingly larger waves of B-17s by day. The RAF would continue doing what it did best through nighttime assaults.

The decision at Casablanca was costly in terms of the lives of American aircrews. Daytime raids were decidedly more risky. Few of us realize that the losses to the Eight Air Force alone approach American losses in the Vietnam War.

Capt. "Gopher" Blakely became the pilot of "Just-a-Snappin," a B-17 in the 100th Bomb Group flying out of Thorpe Abbots in Norfolkshire. Blakelly and his crew were piloting their B-17s over the upper reaches of the Danube in the famous raids on Schweinfurt and Rogensburg.

On Oct. 8, 1943, the 10th Bomb Group participated in a raid on the shipbuilding and industrial center of Bremen and the nearby U-Boat building yards and pens at Vegesack.

Both of "Just-a-Snappin's" right wing engines were shot out in a running battle with German fighters over the Zuider Zee. Five of the crew were injured - Waist Giner Sgt. Lester Saunders fatally.

Lt. Harry Crosby, "Just-a-Snappin's" navigator, filed an astonishing report on the B-17's struggle to return to England:

"For 3,000 feet Captain Blakely and Major Kidd fought to get that plane under control. It was only because of the superior construction of our bomber, and its perfect maintenance, plus the combination of two skilled pilots, that we even recovered from that dive.

"If I were an expert on stress and strain analysis, or a mechanic, or even a pilot, I would dwell at length on the manner in which the plane was restored to normal flying attitude. As it is, the procedure defies my description. But I am certain it was a very great accomplishment."

Everett Blakely's description recalls, "You can lose altitude awfully fast when one engine goes sour and your controls are chewed to ribbons. We dropped for 3,000 feet before Major Kidd and I could regain control... Most of the crew were not strapped to their seats were thrown to the floor, shaken severely - but at last the ground was once more back where it ought to be, instead of standing up on one ear. Once more we were in level flight and, at least temporarily, safe."

Crosby's report states that:

"At 10,000 feet we were able to look out the windows (and) were temporarily assured to not that the ground was now in the right place. A hurried consultation was held over inter-phone to determine a plan for fighting our way back to England.

"The following facts had to be considered: We had lost all communication back of the top turret, so it was impossible to determine the extent of injury and damage. Our control wires were fraying as far back as the top turret operator could see. At least two of the crew had reported being hit immediately after we left the target.

"One engine was in such bad condition that bits and finally all of the cowling were blasted off. We were losing altitude so rapidly probably because of the condition of the elevator that any but the shortest way back was beyond contemplation. So we headed across the face of Germany for home."

Later, Harry Crosby wrote of Blakely and his co-pilot:

"The normal reaction on the part of our pilots should have been to think of their own personal safety, or in cases of extreme nobility of character perhaps they would have been thinking about the other members of the crew. But they did not, even in this crisis, forget for one minute they were the leaders of a great formation. Their first thought was of the crews behind them. In unison, as we fell into our dive, the words came over the interphone to our tail gunner, 'Signal the deputy leader to take over.'

"I can't help but to think as they fought for their lives they might have been excused for being too busy to think of their command, but such was not the case.

"By this signaling, the remainder of the formation was notified immediately that we had been hit and were aborting. This act would have prevented any planes being pulled even a few feet out of position into danger from the enemy aircraft buzzing about."

Despite the loss of the airplane's compass, Blakely and his amazing navigator, Lt. Harry Crosby, made it to landfall. They crash-landed at Ludham, Norfolk. The completely unmaneuverable aircraft, without any brakes, skidded into an ancient British oak tree.

Blakely remembers: "The tree crashed between Np. 2 engine and the pilot's compartment. That was lucky because another three inches to the right and it would have crushed the pilot and co-pilot. We had slowed to maybe 50 mph by then..."

Blakely's co-pilot for that mission, Major John B. Kidd, recalled that "someone counted over 800 separate holes in that aircraft."

"Just-a-Snappin" would never fly again.

The Bremen mission was typical of dozens of missions which penetrated deeper and deeper into German territory. Even before the Bremen raid, Blakely and his crew were piloting their B-17's over teh upper reaches of the Danube in the famous raids on Schweinfurt and Regensburg.

Today, Blakely is retired and lives with his wife, Marge, in San Luis Obispo. They are the parents of Supervisor David Blakely, who speaks with great pride of his father's contribution to the fight against Hitler.

-three stars end the article and separate a note about the author

Dan Krieger is a Cal Poly history professor and member of the County Historical Society.

-Along the bottom of the page the article is attributed to the San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Telegram-Tribune in the Saturday, February 16, 1991 edition on page 23.

[kwebtv]

Raid on Entebbe - NBC - January 9, 1977

Historical Drama

Running Time: 150 minutes

Stars:

Peter Finch as Yitzhak Rabin

Charles Bronson as Brigadier General Dan Shomron

Yaphet Kotto as Idi Amin

Martin Balsam as Daniel Cooper

Horst Buchholz as Wilfried Böse

John Saxon as Major General Benny Peled

Jack Warden as Lieutenant General Mordechai Gur

Meshach Richards as Major General Allon

Sylvia Sidney as Dora Bloch

Robert Loggia as Yigal Allon

Tige Andrews as Shimon Peres

Eddie Constantine as Captain Michel Bacos

Warren Kemmerling as Gad Ja'akobi

David Opatoshu as Menachem Begin

Allan Arbus as Eli Melnick

Stephen Macht as Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu

James Woods as Captain Sammy Berg

Harvey Lembeck as Mr. Harvey

Dinah Manoff as Rachel Sager

Kim Richards as Alice

Aharon Ipalé as Major David Grut

Mariclare Costello as Gabrielle Krieger

Larry Gelman as Mr. Berg

After the Uganda–Tanzania War, Tanzanian troops discovered Bloch's body in 1979 in a sugar plantation around 20 miles (32 km) from Kampala, near the Jinja Road. Visual identification was impossible because her face was badly burned, but the corpse showed signs of a leg ulcer. A pathologist working with the Israel Defense Forces formally identified Bloch from the remains. Her remains were returned to her son in Israel, where she was given an Israeli state funeral. She was buried in Jerusalem's Har HaMenuchot Cemetery. (Wikipedia)

[ravianefleurentia]

Tag 18. Aufrechterhaltung der alten Kräfte (Dan Heng IL x Blade) HSR

"Dan Heng, bist du es wirklich?" fragte Märzchen und kicherte. "Was sollen denn die Hörner?" stellte das junge Mädchen sogleich die nächste Frage. Der Drache erklärte seinen Freunden die ganze Geschichte und doch hatte er etwas Angst allein gelassen zu werden. 

Als die Beiden alles wussten ging Dan Heng erst einmal spazieren um seine Gedanken zu ordnen. An der Klippe angekommen fühlte er sich frei und berührte leicht seine Hörner. Diese Empfindungen waren immer noch ungewohnt. 

Plötzlich erklang ein Geräusch hinter ihm. Sofort drehte er sich um und erblickte IHN. Blade! Instinktiv ging der Drache in eine Verteidigungsposition. Auf den Lippen des Schwert Kämpers war ein fieses Grinsen zu sehen. "Lange nicht gesehen!" kam es ironisch zurück. 

Blade zog sein Schwert und ließ seine Hand über die Klinge fahren, bevor er zum Angriff überging. Geschickt verteidigte sich Dan Heng und schaffte es sich einen Vorteil zu verschaffen, indem er ihm das Schwert aus den Händen riss. "Nicht schlecht aber ich bin auch ohne Schwert stärker!"  sprach der Krieger und stürzte sich auf den Drachen. 

Erst konnte er dem stand halten aber nach einigen Minuten verließ die Kraft um Angriffe auszuführen. "Du scheinst deine Wahre Natur noch nicht ganz im Griff zu haben!" sprach der Blauhaarige und drückte den Jüngeren zu Boden. Dieser konnte sich absolut nicht dagegen wehren. Angst stieg in ihm auf. Würde er hier sterben?

"Ich habe mal gehört, dass sich die Drachenkräfte auflösen, wenn man hoher Anstrengung ausgesetzt ist! Ich frage mich ob das stimmt!" meinte Blade nun und betrachtete den Jungen unter sich. Auf seinem Gesicht bildete sich Panik. "W...Was hast du vor?" fragte Dan Heng und versuchte sich zu befreien. 

Blade lachte und stieß ihm in die Seite. Der Schwarzhaarige zuckte heftig und sah ihn an. "Sieh an, Drachen können kitzlig sein?" fragte er und grinste überlegen. "D...Du willst mich kitzeln?" wollte Dan Heng nun wissen. "Oder wäre es dir lieber wenn ich dich aufschlitze?" wollte der Ältere nun wissen und knurrte. 

Er schüttelte den Kopf. "Dann lieber kitzeln..." murmelte er nun und kam sich lächerlich vor. Blade antwortete nicht und fing an erneut die Seite des Anderen zu kitzeln. Der Drache konnte nicht anders und fing sofort an zu lachen. 

"Hahahahahahaha nihihihihihihicht hahahahahaha..." lachte er und versuchte sich dagegen zu wehren. "Oh doch! Das ist eine interessante Wendung unseres Kampfes!" grinste Blade und kitzelte ihn quälend sanft, was den Jungen überraschte aber gleichzeitig ihn wie verrückt kichern ließ. 

Er wusste selbst nicht das er so unfassbar kitzlig war. Wenn Caelus das wüsste, würde Dan Heng wahrscheinlich keine ruhige Minute mehr im Astralexpress haben. Seine Gedanken wurden durch das Gefühl des Kitzelns unterbrochen. "Hahahahahahaha..." lachte er aber flehte noch nicht um Gnade. 

"Halte deine Kräfte so lange aufrecht wie es geht!" forderte der Krieger und packte die Arme seines Opfers um sie über seinem Kopf zu fixieren. Dan Heng wollte sich wehren aber konnte absolut nichts machen. Leicht und nahezu zärtlich fing er an die Achseln auf ihre Empfindlichkeit zu prüfen. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NIHIHIHIHIHIHIHICHT DAHAHAHAHAHA..." schrie er nun lachend und riss an seinen Armen. "Nicht hier? Warum denn nicht hier scheinst du am empfindlichsten zu sein! Also werde ich dich sehr wohl an dieser Stelle kitzeln!" sprach Blade ruhig und genoss es richtig. 

Der Drache lachte sich kaputt und versuchte seine Kräfte aufrecht zu halten. "HAHAHAHAHAHA HÖHÖHÖHÖHÖHÖR AHAHAHAHAHAUF HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..." rief er nun unter seinem Lachen und trat mit seinen Füßen wild um sich. Er konnte und wollte dieses Kitzeln endlich loswerden. 

Blades schnelle Reflexe reagierten sofort und so griff er sich den Fuß. "Das wirst du bereuen!" knurrte dieser nun und zog gekonnt den Schuh aus. "N...Nihihihihihihicht..." kicherte er, als die Finger über seine Fußsohle tanzten. "Du hast es darauf angelegt!" konterte Blade nun und war gnadenlos. 

Nach einer Weile sah man die Drachengestalt verschwinden und Dan Heng war nun wieder ganz er selbst. Doch hörte das Kitzeln immer noch nicht auf. "Bihihihihihihihitte hahahahahaha höhöhöhör ahahahahauf hahahahahahaha..." flehte der Schwarzhaarige und Lachtränen liefen seine Wangen entlang. 

Erst nach weiteren 10 Minuten hörte Blade endlich auf und ließ den Jungen zu Atem kommen. Erschöpft lag er auf dem Boden und konnte nicht mehr. Blade hingegen grinste ihn fies an. "Also ich hatte Spaß!" gab er von sich, holte sich sein Schwert wieder und verschwand schlussendlich.    

[anonanimal]

rereading 17776 after becoming a steely dan devotee means i extra appreciated ed krieger singing "the caves of altamira"

[petit-atelier-de-poesie]

NOTE DE LECTURE :  L’encre du passé. Antoine Bauza / Maël. 2009

La BD convient parfaitement au traitement de cette histoire de calligraphie, de peinture et de poésie. 

L'auteur Antoine Bauza s'est complètement approprié la culture japonaise pour nous entrainer dans un scénario riche, au rythme du cheminement du maitre calligraphe et de sa jeune disciple. C'est aussi une histoire de transmission et d'apprentissage, de l'art et de la vie. On est avec eux dans la contemplation et dans l'épure, comme un haïku où trois vers et dix-sept syllabes suffisent pour situer le temps et nommer l'émotion. L'illustrateur Maël sert le récit avec des planches d'aquarelle, simples et détaillées, dans des tons neutres et peu contrastés, parfois presque des estampes. Pour finir, les calligraphies de Pascal Krieger ajoutent une touche d'authenticité à l'ensemble d'artiste. Une très bonne BD que j'ai appréciée de lire, avec lenteur et délicatesse.

[prettygirlgerard]

Emailed Dan Krieger of Mook to see if I can ask him some questions for an interview. Literally no one cares about Paul Dano’s old band from 2003 except for me but wouldn’t it be cool if I could get some answers on unreleased songs and maybe get my hands on a CD

[mookquartetarchive]

Paul Dano and Dan Krieger at the Sad Cafe in New Hampshire, 2009, performing with Mook during their east-coast tour with German rock band Solid | By Chuck Bruce

[huguesdelabarre]

Ces startups qui veulent plier le match à coups de milliards de dollars

En ce moment dans le groupe Facebook Intelligence Artificielle que j'administre

""La tendance des entreprises à rechercher des financements massifs pour dominer leur marché est illustrée par l’exemple d’Open AI envisageant de lever 5 à 7 trillions de dollars. Cette stratégie ne garantit pas le succès, comme le montrent les échecs d’entreprises surfinancées comme WeWork." Une tribune proposée dans Maddyness par Etienne Krieger, professeur à HEC Paris. Lire la suite : https://www.facebook.com/groups/artificielle.intelligence/

[thetalentedmrkashyap]

B-10 : Oscar 2024 Predictions - A Film Fan's Perspective

The 96th Academy Awards, a.k.a. The Oscars®, are set to happen on March 11 at 4:30 AM IST. The celebrations of the Oscar season are at their full peak. Amid the fun and excitement - and less than 24 hours for the ceremony to start, here's a look at the movie categories and our predictions of the winners. These are predictions based on the trends, previous award ceremonies this year (like Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics Choice, and SAG), and the winners - along with my perspective. So sit back and stay with me till the end:-

P.S. SPOILER ALERT!!!!

Best Picture

Nominees: 

American Fiction – Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson, producers

Anatomy of a Fall – Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, producers

Barbie – David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner, producers

The Holdovers – Mark Johnson, producer

Killers of the Flower Moon – Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese, and Daniel Lupi, producers

Maestro – Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers

Oppenheimer – Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan, producers

Past Lives – David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, and Pamela Koffler, producers

Poor Things – Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Emma Stone, producers

The Zone of Interest– James Wilson, producer

Prediction: Oppenheimer 

It's highly doubtful that the Academy would not give the highest honor to Nolan's cinematic masterpiece of the year. Not doing so would lead to havoc.

Best Director

Nominees: 

Justine Triet – Anatomy of a Fall

Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon

Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer

Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things

Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest

Prediction: Christopher Nolan

Nolan has given the ultimate blockbuster of the year - a period film with intense acting and technical excellence. It's time to make up for the snubs of the past.

Best Actor

Nominees: 

Bradley Cooper – Maestro as Leonard Bernstein

Colman Domingo – Rustin as Bayard Rustin

Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers as Paul Hunham

Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer as J. Robert Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction as Thelonious "Monk" Ellison

Prediction(s): Cillian Murphy

With his wins at the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and the SAG, it's time for the Irishman to get the golden man for his first role as a leading man in a Nolan (after playing supporting or character roles in movies like The Dark Night Trilogy, Inception, and Dunkirk).

Best Actress

Nominees: 

Annette Bening – Nyad as Diana Nyad

Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon as Mollie Burkhart

Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall as Sandra Voyter

Carey Mulligan – Maestro as Felicia Montealegre

Emma Stone – Poor Things as Bella Baxter

Prediction(s): Emma Stone/Lily Gladstone/Sandra Hüller

The competition for best actress is intense - as Gladstone has showcased her method acting (which might make her the first Native American to win the trophy). Meanwhile, Stone's feminist portrayal of a woman on her purpose to stand for equality and liberation seems Oscar-worthy (with her acting wins this year). Hüller, on the other hand, has given a breathtaking performance in the trilingual thriller.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominees: 

Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction as Clifford "Cliff" Ellison

Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon as William King Hale

Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss

Ryan Gosling – Barbie as Ken

Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things as Duncan Wedderburn

Prediction(s): Robert Downey Jr

RDJ might be memorable for Tony Stark/Iron Man. However, it's his portrayal of Strauss that's going to win this year. With two previous nominations (including one for portraying Charlie Chaplin), RDJ would likely be the first Marvel hero to win the Golden Man. He would also repeat the feat of Actor-Supporting Actor wins for the same film - after 1959's Ben Hur (Charlton Heston - Charles Laughton), 2003's Mystic River (Sean Penn - Tim Robbins), and 2013's Dallas Buyers Club (Matthew McCoughnahey - Jared Leto).

Best Supporting Actress

Nominees:

Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer as Kitty Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple as Sofia

America Ferrera – Barbie as Gloria

Jodie Foster – Nyad as Bonnie Stoll

Da'Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers as Mary Lamb

Prediction(s): Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Randolph's portrayal of a grieving mother stuck in a boarding school during the holiday season involves her comedic timing and emotional depth.

Best Original Screenplay

Nominees:

Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

The Holdovers – David Hemingson

Maestro – Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer

May December – Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik

Past Lives – Celine Song

Prediction(s): Anatomy of A Fall/The Holdovers

While the former is this year's Palme d'Or winner and Golden Globe-winning screenplay, the latter is what would become a holiday classic. It's going to be a tough contest between the two films.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Nominees:

American Fiction – Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett

Barbie – Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach; based on characters created by Ruth Handler

Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan; based on the biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Poor Things – Tony McNamara; based on the novel by Alasdair Gray

The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer; based on the novel by Martin Amis

Prediction(s): Oppenheimer/American Fiction

The former might be possible with the guaranteed Best Picture & Director awards - which could make Nolan another director to win writing, directing, and producing Oscars. However, the latter would pose a tough competition - as it has already won the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award, the Critics Choice Award, and several other precursor accolades. Its poignant exploration of race, family, and the American dream resonates with critics and audiences.

Best Animated Feature

Nominees:

The Boy and the Heron – Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

Elemental – Peter Sohn and Denise Ream

Nimona – Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan, and Julie Zackary

Robot Dreams – Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, and Sandra Tapia Díaz

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal

Prediction(s): Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse/The Boy and the Heron

It'll be Marvel's turn to preside over this category - with its innovative animation style, captivating story, and emotional connection. However, the Golden Globe-winning Japanese anime with a timeless tale of loss and resilience is a strong contender for the American animated film.

Best International Feature Film

Nominees:

Io capitano (Italy) – directed by Matteo Garrone

Perfect Days (Japan) – directed by Wim Wenders

Society of the Snow (Spain) – directed by J. A. Bayona

The Teachers' Lounge (Germany) – directed by İlker Çatak

The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) – directed by Jonathan Glazer

Prediction(s): The Zone of Interest

The Grand Prix-winning tale of a Nazi leader's family living next to Auschwitz is a tale that will send chills down the spine.

Best Documentary Feature Film

Nominees:

Bobi Wine: The People's President – Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp, and John Battsek

The Eternal Memory – Maite Alberdi

Four Daughters – Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha

To Kill a Tiger – Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe, and David Oppenheim

20 Days in Mariupol – Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath

Prediction(s): 20 Days in Mariupol

A tale about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 20 Days in Mariupol has won several documentary awards at multiple film festivals and award ceremonies. If it wins, it would be another film about the dark side of Russia to win the Oscar.

Best Documentary Short Film

Nominees:

The ABCs of Book Banning – Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic

The Barber of Little Rock – John Hoffman and Christine Turner

Island in Between – S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien

The Last Repair Shop – Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó – Sean Wang and Sam Davis

Prediction(s): The Last Repair Shop

Showing Los Angeles as one of the few United States cities to offer and fix musical instruments for its public school students at no cost, it might win the Oscar - as it has previously won the Critics Choice Documentary Award for the same category.

Best Live Action Short Film

Nominees:

The After – Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

Invincible – Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

Knight of Fortune – Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

Red, White and Blue – Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

Prediction(s): The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

I guess it's time for Anderson to win his Oscar now - with his colors, symmetry, and star cast.

Best Animated Short Film

Nominees:

Letter to a Pig – Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter

Ninety-Five Senses – Jared and Jerusha Hess

Our Uniform – Yegane Moghaddam

Pachyderme – Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko – Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Prediction(s): War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko

Inspired by and featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono's peace anthem "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," It is a simplistic take on war and humanity - which the Academy might honor.

Best Original Score

Nominees:

American Fiction – Laura Karpman

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – John Williams

Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson †

Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson

Poor Things – Jerskin Fendrix

Prediction: Oppenheimer

With his 54th nomination (and final because of his retirement), John Williams has entertained with his latest rendition of one of Hollywood's greatest film franchises. However, Goransson's Oppenheimer soundtrack adds tension to the film's plot - particularly with "Can You Hear the Music?" He can easily add an Oscar to his collection of Awards for Oppenheimer.

Best Original Song

Nominees:

"The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren

"I'm Just Ken" from Barbie – Music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

"It Never Went Away" from American Symphony – Music and lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" from Killers of the Flower Moon – Music and lyrics by Scott George

"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie – Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

Prediction: What Was I Made For?

It's likely a second win for the Eilish-O'Connell siblings - after No Time to Die. 

Best Sound

Nominees:

The Creator – Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic

Maestro – Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor

Oppenheimer – Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O'Connell

The Zone of Interest – Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

Prediction: Oppenheimer

It's Nolan's year when it comes to technical awards. The sound design and editing show that Nolan has duly followed the laws of physics - and ensured tension in the other scenes.

Best Production Design

Nominees:

Barbie – Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Killers of the Flower Moon – Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis

Napoleon – Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff

Oppenheimer – Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman

Poor Things – Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek

Prediction(s): Barbie/Poor Things

Fantasy films have eye-grabbing sets and decorations that are attractive to the Academy voters. It can be either of the two women-centric films.

Best Cinematography

Nominees:

El Conde – Edward Lachman

Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto

Maestro – Matthew Libatique

Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema

Poor Things – Robbie Ryan

Prediction(s): Oppenheimer

Hoytema's camerawork captures expansive desert vistas and painfully intimate close-ups using IMAX film cameras (in color and monochrome). A win for him is confirmed

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Nominees:

Golda – Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby, and Ashra Kelly-Blue

Maestro – Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou, and Lori McCoy-Bell

Oppenheimer – Luisa Abel

Poor Things – Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston

Society of the Snow – Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé

Prediction(s): Maestro

Although other movies have dominated the major categories, a Bradly Cooper film can win an Oscar this year - with the magnificent transformation of the lead actor into Leonard Bernstein. 

Best Costume Designing

Nominees:

Barbie – Jacqueline Durran

Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West

Napoleon – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick

Poor Things – Holly Waddington

Prediction(s): Barbie/Poor Things

Like many fantasy films, it's a tough pick between the two films in costumes - like the production design category.

Best Film Editing

Nominees:

Anatomy of a Fall – Laurent Sénéchal

The Holdovers – Kevin Tent

Killers of the Flower Moon – Thelma Schoonmaker

Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame

Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Prediction(s): Oppenheimer

It goes with saying for the technical awards and Nolan - with the montages, parallel storytelling, and transitions that accompany the screenplay.

Best Visual Effects

Nominees:

The Creator – Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, and Neil Corbould

Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Stéphane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, and Theo Bialek

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, and Neil Corbould

Napoleon – Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco, and Neil Corbould

Prediction: Godzilla Minus One

I'm deeply offended that Oppenheimer didn't get a nomination in this category. However, with the nominees, I'd have to pick Godzilla - with its first-ever nomination in the franchise - and also because it is a visual spectacle besides Oppenheimer this year.

That's all for now. Let's see who wins what this year. See you at the Oscars.

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Oscars 2024 Nominations

The 2024 Oscar nominations have been announced. Best Picture American Fiction (Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, Producers) Anatomy of a Fall (Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, Producers Barbie (David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, Producers) The Holdovers (Mark Johnson, Producer) Killers of the Flower Moon (Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, Producers) Maestro (Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers) Oppenheimer (Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, Producers) Past Lives (David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, Producers) Poor Things (Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, Producers) The Zone of Interest (James Wilson, Producer) Best Directing Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall) Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon) Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest) Best Actor in a Leading Role Bradley Cooper (Maestro) Colman Domingo (Rustin) Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) Best Actress in a Leading Role Annette Bening (Nyad) Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) Carey Mulligan (Maestro) Emma Stone (Poor Things) Best Actor in a Supporting Role Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction) Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon) Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) Ryan Gosling (Barbie) Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things) Best Actress in a Supporting Role Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) America Ferrera (Barbie) Jodie Foster (Nyad) Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) American Fiction (Written for the screen by Cord Jefferson) Barbie (Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach) Oppenheimer (Written for the screen by Christopher Nolan) Poor Things (Screenplay by Tony McNamara) The Zone of Interest (Written by Jonathan Glazer) Best Writing (Original Screenplay) Anatomy of a Fall (Screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari The Holdovers (Written by David Hemingson) Maestro (Written by Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer) May December (Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik) Past Lives (Written by Celine Song) Best Animated Feature The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki) Elemental (Peter Sohn and Denise Ream) Nimona (Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary) Robot Dreams (Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal) Best Documentary Feature Film Bobi Wine: The People’s President (Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek) The Eternal Memory (Nominees to be determined) Four Daughters (Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha) To Kill a Tiger (Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim) 20 Days in Mariupol (Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath) Best International Feature Film Io Capitano (Italy) Perfect Days (Japan) Society of the Snow (Spain) The Teacher’s Lounge (Germany) The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) Best Animated Short Film Letter to a Pig (Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter) Ninety-Five Senses (Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess) Our Uniform (Yegane Moghaddam) Pachyderme (Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius) War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (Dave Mullins and Brad Booker Best Live-Action Short Film The After (Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham) Invincible (Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron Knight of Fortune (Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk) Red, White and Blue (Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Wes Anderson and Steven Rales) Best Documentary Short Film The ABCs of Book Banning (Sheila Nevins and Trish… https://chorus.fm/news/oscars-2024-nominations/

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Birthdays 12.28

Beer Birthdays

John Molson (1763)

George C. Schemm (1862)

Dan Rabin (1954)

Marc Worona (1967)

Daniel Del Grande (1968)

Chris Spradley (1971)

Tyler King

Five Favorite Birthdays

Peter Finch; actor (1916)

Stan Lee; comic book writer (1922)

Linus Torvalds; computer engineer (1969)

Denzel Washington; actor (1954)

Edgar Winter; rock keyboardist, singer (1946)

Famous Birthdays

Mortimer Adler; educator, philosopher (1902)

Lew Ayres; actor (1908)

Alex Chilton; pop singer (1950)

Richard Clayderman; French pianist (1953)

Guy Debord; French philosopher, writer (1931)

Keith Floyd; chef, cookbook author (1943)

Earl "Fatha" Hines; jazz pianist (1903)

Lou Jacobi; actor (1913)

Johann Krieger; German organist, composer (1651)

Francesca Le; porn actor (1970)

John Legend; singer, songwriter (1978)

Seth Meyers; comedian, actor (1973)

Sienna Miller; actor (1981)

Martin Milner; actor (1931)

Billy Mitchell; aviation pioneer (1879)

Kary Mullis; biochemist (1944)

John von Neumann; Hungarian mathematician (1903)

Charles Neville; rock musician (1938)

Johnny Otis; R&B inventor, songwriter (1921)

Eliza Pinckney; horticulturist (1722)

Manuel Puig; Argentine writer (1932)

Noomi Rapace; Swedish actor (1979)

Maggie Smith; English writer (1934)

Steve Van Buren; Philadelphia Eagles HB (1920)

Chris Ware; cartoonist (1967)

Charlie Weaver; comedian, actor (1905)

Woodrow Wilson; 28th U.S. president (1856)