The time for deliberation is almost over. The voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have begun mailing out the nomination ballots for the 84th Academy Awards, scheduled to take place on Sunday February 26 and to be hosted by Billy Crystal.

The ballots themselves, which are to be completed by the 5,783 voting members of the Academy, must be returned by January 13 and will be announced on January 24, at which point firm-favourites and critics-choices will learn if their hopes of award-season glory have been warranted or wasted.

Some of those favorites include Meryl Streep and George Clooney, whose roles in “The Iron Lady“ and “The Descendants”, respectively, have already garnered them nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

Other actors expected to receive Academy Award nominations based on prior accolades this season include: Michelle Williams for “My Week With Marilyn”, Ryan Gosling for “The Ides of March” – for which, incidentally, Clooney has received a Golden Globe nomination in the directing field -, Leonardo DiCaprio for the biopic “J. Edgar”, and Viola Davis for Dreamworks’ adaptation of “The Help”.

Statistically, the Golden Globes and SAGs have been shown to be the primary indicators of who will achieve success at the Academy Awards. For example, the 2010-11 awards season saw David Fincher’s “The Social Network” compete against Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” in many of the major categories, with Fincher’s film triumphing at the Golden Globes, Hooper’s film triumphing at the SAGs, and each film ultimately walking away with a handful of Academy Awards.

This ceremony is in fact the last in Hollywood’s award season, so if this year’s voting replicates last year’s, it may go down to the wire as to who will indeed succeed in the Academy’s Best Picture and Acting categories. Therefore, while there may be little in the way of surprises awaiting the Hollywood press on January 24 when the nominations are announced, there will be no doubt added anticipation over whether the voters will sway away from favoring the abundance of high-profile biopics making waves this season.

These are namely: “The Iron Lady”, a study of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; “My Week With Marilyn”, a week in the life of Marilyn Monroe; and “J. Edgar”, a study into the FBI director’s personal life and debated sexuality. Each film has already received multiple nominations from other major award bodies, but this may be a case where there are too many releases from the same genre which ultimately cancel each other out.

Aside from their acting nominations at the Golden Globes, none of the films managed to make the final cut into the Hollywood Foreign Press’ Best Motion Picture selection, so there may still be some spots up for grabs in the final Academy Award shortlist.

Whatever happens, it won’t be long until the public finds out.

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It is a charming irony that the man whose appearance is best remembered as Frankenstein’s monster should be equally regarded for his mellifluous voice as narrator (and protagonist) in ‘Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’

It is another irony that ‘Boris Karloff’ was never his legal name. William Henry Pratt signed his name as “William Henry Pratt AKA Boris Karloff.” He was the youngest of nine siblings; his older brothers were distinguished members of the British government. Mr. Karloff abandoned this career to become a more respectable monster.

He was born in London, England in 1887, with bow legs, a lisp, and a stutter. He shed the stutter, but the lisp remained and helped distinguish his usually soft voice. That distinctive voice has become most associated with the 1966 television production of Dr. Seuss’s ‘Grinch.’

In 1909, he toured Canada, performing theatre. Afterwards, Mr. Pratt became Mr. Karloff on stage. In 1912, a cyclone hit Regina, Saskatchewan, where he had been staying. He and other performers helped clean up the city.

He was cast in silent films when he first arrived in Hollywood. Mr. Karloff appeared in eighty films before playing the monster in James Whale’s version of ‘Frankenstein’ (1931). He was credited as “?” in the immensely successful feature.

Other roles followed swiftly, many that were in horror films. He appeared as Frankenstein’s monster in two more films: ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ (1935) and ‘Son of Frankenstein’ (1939). He also played Imhotep in ‘The Mummy’ and Dr. Fu Manchu in ‘The Mask of Fu Manchu,’ both roles in 1932.

Although he was first a silent film star, he made the transition to ‘talkies’ easily, and recorded several stories. He played ‘Cymbeline’ for the Shakespeare Recording Society and narrated ‘Peter and the Wolf’ with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra.

Other recordings were intended for children. Among these were ‘Just So Stories’ by Rudyard Kipling, ‘Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes,’ and ‘The Hunting of the Snark’ by Lewis Carroll.

Mr. Karloff had grown up quite poor; he is quoted as once having wished for an extra dime for a pair of doughnuts with his coffee. Perhaps because of his roots, he was charitable, kind and a gentleman. He donated particularly to children’s charities.

He was also interested in fair treatment for adults: he was a charter member of the Screen Actors Guild, which was formed as a reaction to the working conditions at the Hollywood Studios in the 1930s.

Boris Karloff continued acting until his death in 1969; a couple of films were released posthumously. Perhaps his greatest legacy is his narration of ‘Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ (1966), which has been at the top of Christmas specials’ popularity lists for many years since. It is a fitting finale for a monster with a big heart.

Image Courtesy of  Fr. Dougal McGuire

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The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG Awards), one of the industry’s most prized honors, will take place on January 29 in Los Angeles. The event is well known since it presents thirteen awards for acting in film and television. The awards focus on both individual performances as well as on the work of the entire ensemble of a drama series and comedy series, and the cast of a motion picture.

“The Help,” has scored a total of four nominations, an admired movie about race relations in the sixties that is based on a book by the same title from author, Kathryn Stockett. Viola Davis, who played maid Airbileen Clark, earned a leading role nomination. Other movies that have been given multiple nominations are sensation comedy Bridesmaids, The Artist and romantic comedy Midnight In Paris.

Nominees were announced on December 14, 2011 from the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.

The full list of nominees:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn)
Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Nick Nolte (Warrior)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo (The Artist)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight In Paris

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
The Adjustment Bureau
Cowboys & Aliens
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
X-Men: First Class

Tickets are not available to the general public, they are by invitation only. The cost of the tickets are $800 each, and there is a limit of 2 tickets per member. 

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