Sunday 27 February 2011

The Oscars are hours away

TONIGHT (Sunday, February 27) is the 83rd annual Academy Awards.

The King’s Speech is still the hot favourite to take Best Film at this year’s ceremony.

Also in with an outside chance is The Social Network, which is a film about the social networking site Facebook.

The Best Director category is proving to be a very close award to predict. Experts are saying David Fincher, for The Social Network has the best chance. Fincher is the man behind Se7en and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, both excellent films.

Many are saying Colin Firth is the most likely to receive the Best Actor award for The King’s Speech. While for Best Actress, Natalie Portman is favourite for Black Swan.

Black Swan was the last film I saw. In my opinion it is a very good psychological thriller, although over the top in its violence at times.

There is a sense of impending doom throughout the film, you constantly think something bad is going to happen.

It was also difficult to work out, at times, if Natalie Portman’s character is actually hallucinating, or not.

Meanwhile, I was glad An Audience with Ken Dodd was repeated on Saturday.

The audience were laughing throughout the show and Dodd must have relentless energy to keep going.

He just tells joke after joke, and never stops.

His theatre shows normally go on for hours, even though he is now well into his 80s.

Monday 21 February 2011

Happy as Larry

IT was funny to see 10 Downing St has a new cat called Larry.

Larry has been bought to deal with a rat problem at the home of the Prime Minister.

ITV reporter, Lucy Manning, had reported on the issue and had asked the Prime Minister’s spokesman, if Downing Street would be getting a cat. She was told no at first, but the government did a U-turn and decided to get a cat.

The cat arrived last week and was reported to being stressed about meeting the Prime Minister.

Lucy Manning had to wait an hour outside 10 Downing Street while a Russian minister departed and the cat rested. But she was finally able to film Larry, although he left four scratch marks on her arm.

After meeting Larry she said she was “happy as Larry” to give up being the cat correspondent.

Meanwhile it is National Chip Week this week (starting Monday, February 21).

If you are a fan of French fries, during this week, you will be able to win the chance to eat them in your dream destination, across the globe.

To win the competition, called The Chip Factor, you have to go to your nearest chippy and film yourself singing a song about chips.

Entries should be uploaded to www.lovechips.co.uk.

I think if I could eat chips anywhere in the world, it would be in a restaurant on the promenade of a town in the Mediterranean, or in the Caribbean.

Finally let’s hope Liverpool can beat Sparta Prague on Thursday and make it through to the next round of the Europa League.

Sunday 13 February 2011

Golf's greatest prizes

THERE the golf tournaments the professionals most want to win – the majors.

The majors are made up of The Masters, The US Open, The Open and The US PGA.

First to be played is The Masters, which is held at Augusta National every year.

This year the event – the 75th – will be held from April 7-10.

Last year’s tournament was won by Phil Mickelson. It was the third time he had won The Masters.

Following the Masters will be the US Open. The event will be staged at The US Open Championship Congressional Country Club from June 13-19.

Last year, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell was the first European golfer to win the title since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

The third major of the year is golf’s oldest tournament – The Open.

This year Royal St George’s will host The Open and the best players in the world will gather on the south coast to compete for the Claret Jug.

It will be the first time The Open has been played at St George’s since 2003 when Ben Curtis of America took the title, with Vijay Singh coming second. Tiger Woods was fourth that year.

The Open is now played at four courses in England and they are Royal Birkdale, Royal St George’s, Royal Lytham and Royal Liverpool. Luckily three of them are in the North West. The Open will be returning to this region in 2014, when it will be played at Royal Liverpool.

The last major of the year will be the US PGA and it will be held from August 8-14 at the Atlanta Athletic club at Johns Creek in Georgia.

Last year’s event was won by another European. Germany’s Martin Kaymer took the title at Whistling Straits.

Saturday 12 February 2011

JR is back

DALLAS is to return after a break of 20 years.

But will the eighties soap opera work today.

Many of the original actors have signed up, including Larry Hagman as JR Ewing, Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing and Linda Gray as Sue Ellen.

Dallas ran from 1978 to 1991 and was shown here on the BBC. Another similar programme to run at the same time was Dynasty.

Dallas was about Texan oil barons and the problems within their families.

JR was the villain and best remembered character. The show’s most watched episode – who shot JR? – was seen by 360m people all over the world.

It has been said the new series will feature the Ewing offspring and their battle for power of the family business.

The pilot has been written, but it has yet to be said when filming will start.

I wonder if the same soundtrack will be used in the new programme.

Meanwhile new Liverpool owner John Henry has given a clear indication the club will be staying at Anfield, instead of moving to a new ground.

Anfield is a unique place and there can’t be many sporting arenas to rival the atmosphere there on a match day, especially when Liverpool play Everton or Manchester United.

John Henry told an American sports channel: “The Kop is unrivalled.”