How to win next year’s Oscar Party Pool. (PLUS DRINK RECIPES)

February 27th, 2012 Heather Kovar

I wouldn’t say Academy Award prediction polls are as common as March Madness brackets and pools, but I’ve guessed my way through plenty of “Who will win the Oscar” forms.

However, I’ve found my weapon to help choose best “Animated Feature Film,” “Supporting Actor” and so forth…. THE BAFTAS.

This February, two weeks prior to the Academy Awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) held its film award equivalent to the Oscars. Many of the categories are the same, and many of the same films are nominated. Okay, mostly the same films are nominated in mostly the same categories. And for the most part, the winners are the same.
You can compare. Here is the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (OSCARS) website and click here for the official Bafta site.

But here is a quick comparison: “The Artist” won the BAFTA for BEST FILM.
“The Artist” won the OSCAR for BEST PICTURE.

Jean Dujardin won the BAFTA for LEADING ACTOR.
Jean Dujardin won the OSCAR for ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE.
(All nominees were the same except one.)

Meryl Streep won the BAFTA for LEADING ACTRESS. Meryl Streep won the Oscar for ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE.

Guess who won the BAFTA for SUPPORTING ACTOR and OSCAR for Actor in a Supporting Role?
Yes, CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER. He beat out Jonah Hill and Kenneth Branagh on both sides of the Atlantic.
According to this article,
Plummer also earned a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award, a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for this role. (They didn’t mention the BAFTA.)

And of course Octavia Spencer won the BAFTA and OSCAR for her supporting role in “The Help.” She also won the Golden Globe, SAG and Critics Choice Award.

Here is an exception: The Artist won the BAFTA for ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY. “Midnight in Paris” won the OSCAR for Writing (Original Screenplay.)
“Bridesmaids,” one of my favorites this year, was nominated against both “Midnight in Paris” and “The Artist” for the Original Screenplay category for an OSCAR and BAFTA.

It didn’t win- but it’s kinda the reason I’m writing this blog post..
Living in London I somehow missed the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Critics Choice Awards. I might not have caught the Academy Awards had it not been for an email from a public relations contact. I used to host a cooking show and she was offering a recipe for a drink in honor of Bridesmaids two OSCAR nods. ( I only then looked it up to find the movie also had the same two BAFTA nominations.)
SO cheers!!!
(Oh, and scroll down- I also got a recipe from the UK to celebrate “The Artist.”)
I’m not one usually to write to promote- but had I not received the email, you might not have won your Oscar Poll next year. You could have instead read a post on Syria or elections or … Anyway-

The Bridesmaid
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
4 oz Mionetto Prosecco Brut DOC, chilled
Combine ingredients in a fluted glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Created by Allen Katz, Mixologist Southern Wine & Spirits
Using the same Mionetto Prosecco-
THE GEORGE CLOONEY
2 oz Vodka
¼ oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1 oz Pear Nectar
½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz Mionetto Prosecco Brut DOC, chilled
Shake the first four ingredients over ice and strain into a collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with Mionetto Prosecco Brut and garnish with a gooseberry.
RECIPE FROM THE UK- G’VINE DU JARDIN– in honor of BAFTA & OSCAR winner Jean Dujardin.
G’Vine is a premium gin crafted in Cognac, France from grape spirit and flavoured with the elusive vine flower.

G’Vine du Jardin (from the garden)
Ingredients :
1 quartered strawberry
2 basil leaves
3/6 lime
1/3 part Agave nectar or simple syrup
1 part G’Vine Floraison
2/3 part White grape juice
Method :
Muddle the first four ingredients in a shaker. Add G’Vine Floraison, the white grape juice, ice, shake and serve in a special cocktail glass. Garnish with half a strawberry and a basil sprig.

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Ode to Gary Carter via OLD BLOG

February 16th, 2012 Heather Kovar

Tonight I was having a look back at some of my old blog postings- and actually laughing at one about baseball. It’s from 2006- back when I guess I thought blog posts were supposed to be as long as possible.
Click here- this post went into extra innings as I seem to throw out every bit of the very little knowledge I have of baseball. I finally make a call back to my early mention of Pete Rose. However I’m not sure how many people possibly stuck around for the end.
But for me it brought back memories of my time reporting from Cooperstown- and as I was reminiscing about the Hall of Fame, I got an email alert – breaking news–
Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter has died. He had brain cancer.

Strange feeling.

But then I realized- Gary Carter!
Correct me Mets and Red Sox Fans if I’m wrong- but hearing his name brought you back to the 1986 World Series.
The Mets won- Gary Carter was a Met.
We’ll forgive him for going into the Hall of Fame as an Expo. (He wanted half Expo/half Met.)

And please forgive me for continuing to write this- but somehow it seems Gary Carter is connected to every random baseball posting I made in the post I was just writing about. (Okay, so probably not really- but I’m about to look it up and see what I can come up with. It’s how I learn.)
My blog post starts out with my constant writing about whether people in southwestern Connecticut should be a Met, Yankee or Red Sox fan.
Gary Carter was a Met from 1985 to 1989. Yankee fans love to hate Red Sox fans; but there is also a huge cross town rivalry of Mets/Yankees.
I’m sure Met and Yankee fans banded together to cheer on Carter as the Mets won that 1986 World Series against the Red Sox. In game four he hit two home runs in Boston.

AND…. (skip down a bit in my blog- I’ll come back to the Cooperstown writing & Cracker Jack.)
I write of how I’ve cheered for the Astros for 30 years and was lucky to go to the Astrodome.
Just so happens- in 1986- the Mets beat the Houston Astros to go to the World Series. NL East Champions New York Mets versus NL West Champions Houston Astros.
Carter was up to bat and hit a RBI single to win Game 5. He also had some hits in Game 6- at the ASTRODOME- in that famous game that lasted 16 innings.

When I wrote my blog I guess I didn’t know about that 1986 between the Mets and Astros, because I only mention that the Astros almost went to the World Series in 1980 but lost to the Phillies. But I think I mentioned Phillies because I was trying to name stadiums I’d been to before they were replaced. I was trying to make my rantings news! The approval to build a new Yankee stadium was recent headlines.

But back to Gary Carter and my old blog post.
After writing about Astros/Phillies I have a picture of me with the Bridgeport Bluefish mascot and my closing line is
“The Bridgeport Bluefish play their home opener against the Long Island Ducks May 3rd at 7:05 pm. See you there!”

Had you gone to any Long Island/ Bridgeport games in 2009, you probably would have seen Gary Carter. He was the manager of the Ducks for that year.
The Ducks mascot is called “QuackerJack.”
I wrote about Cracker Jacks briefly replaced by Crunch N Munch at the old Yankee stadium. (Okay- so this one is a stretch:)
Moving on…. back to the Phillies. In 1981 as an Expo, Carter helped beat defending champs Philadelphia Phillies in the playoffs.
And I mentioned Pete Rose a few times in my blog- in 1981 Pete Rose played for the Phillies.
In 1975, Carter made his first All Star Appearance as a defensive replacement for Pete Rose.
In 1984, both Carter and Rose played for the Expos. The both left the Expos after the 1984 season. Carter returned for the 1992 season.

Okay- I realize I could have written about any team and drawn parallels. But at least now I know a little more about the man called “KID” who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 and died February 16, 2012.

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On Groundhog Day: How’s the weather in London?

February 2nd, 2012 Heather Kovar

The question usually comes in a sympathetic voice through half snarling lips, “How’s the weather … in London?”

After living here through all four seasons, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to let in on reality. I guess it also depends on if I’m answering friends from New York or Texas. There hasn’t been any snow this season. And the amount of snow that shut down airports LAST season in London wouldn’t have even caused LIRR or Metro North delays.  

Plus it hasn’t been cold (New England standards.) As for rain- oh that London rain!!! If it falls, it’s for a brief period followed by gorgeous crisp sunny skies. ( I guess like Florida.)

And get this- a common term used by weather people on TV here- is CHANGEABLE.  That’s the forecast. Not mostly sunny or partly cloudy. Changeable. (I guess like Florida and Texas… and …. )

Since it’s Ground Hog day, and since winter hasn’t really began yet in London (New England standards) I thought I should report that Denis Dog saw his shadow in the UK.

I’ve read there is a bit of controversy in the states whether there will be six more months of winter or an early spring since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow (six more months) and Staten Island Chuck did not see his shadow (early spring.) I read it on a breaking news email alert from ABC 7.  I’m still subscribed. Here is the link. 

As for my former station, News 12 Connecticut,
I can’t really tell if my favorite weather man Paul Piorek saw his shadow, but he did wear photojournalist Lori Golias’ groundhog hat. Lori and I spent several years covering the big event, usually checking in with Bridgeport’s Beardsley Bart.

(If and when I find a copy of that piece I’ll post it here. I like a good laugh at myself now and then.)

I don’t know of any ground hog celebrations here in London, but then I have to admit I didn’t really dig around. I did find that next Monday the movie Groundhog Day is showing  at The Prince Charles Cinema.
 It’s part of the cinema’s “double BILL season.” Following Groundhog Day is Animal House.  It doesn’t just mean Bill Murray. Clerks and Clerks 2 is coming up- and so is Dirty Dancing with Flashdance.

Quite a good find- if you are in London you can see movies you’ve already seen elsewhere. Just kidding. This looks like a place to keep an eye one, especially for independent film makers. I’m glad I googled groundhog day London.

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