"Marge, wake the neighbors. I'm coming home!"

Movie Blog Boy is tuckered out from Oscar coverage and needs a nap and makeover.

He and his team of image-minded masterminds are taking five days think about a wholesale wardrobe change, regimented ab workouts, vitamin drinks, a chin implant, sleep schedules, and split infinitives.

(In actuality, he's tripping it to the Great Frozen North, but his fibs are more fun than reality.)

Expect my return to the office on Tuesday, March 4, when blogging will be resumed at full blast.

I have two requests for you, my friends:

1) Are you from The Shreve and headed to South by Southwest in Austin? I'll be there between March 6-9 to cover the film festival and need co-conspirators. Send me an email if you're as lonely as me.

2) If you have news about casting calls, new productions or runaway celebrities, please let my boss know or simply post your notice to the comments field.

In the meantime, what kind of Midwest schwag can I score for you? Walleye nuggets? A sundae from heaven? A bargain-bin deal on a suffering NBA franchise?

'Year One' needs extras through March

The feature film starring Jack Black and Michael Cera needs extras through the end of March.

Contact Bam Casting for info: (318) 676-7998, (318) 676-3548 or yearoneextras@gmail.com.

They also need more for "Comeback" starring Keke Palmer and Ice Cube.

SUBMITTED VIDEO: Robinson Film Center construction nearing end

Construction of the two-screen Robinson Film Center is nearing completion. It will open May 3. For more information, log on to www.robinsonfilmcenter.org.

'No Country' is big winner but Oscars felt lackluster

“No Country for Old Men” (four awards, including best pic and directors) and local Oscar prognosticator chris-brad were tonight’s big winners.

My celebrity guests were pretty excited about the outcome. The only minor surprise was Marion Cotillard winning best actress for “La Vie En Rose,” and that moment got the biggest cheer at Kent Oscar HQ. (Besides the mere appearance of George Clooney. We had a superfan in the house and she went crazy!)

The ceremony wasn’t very exciting for me, however. I obviously didn’t care for Jon Stewart – some will certainly disagree. He wasn’t helped by the show’s production value, which was lackluster. It felt as if the show’s producers didn’t know what to do with this crop of films. In recent past years, they’ve presented each film in clip segments throughout the night. Tonight, if memory serves me right, they simply skipped the segments and gave more weight to the other categories.

While I appreciate the idea behind it – the ceremony is about everyone winning, not just one category – it didn’t make for a very entertaining or suspenseful show. I point to the final moment when Joel and Ethan Coen walked from backstage back to the podium for best pic after they received their best director(s) award. Their stroll seemed inevitable. Lifeless. Subdued. The house/crowd didn't appear or sound to be really invested or excited about their triumph, and that's a shame.

"No Country" is a really great film, but I don't think this night will excite people to see it.

I enjoyed watching the show, because it gives me a great opportunity to invite friends (uh, I mean celebs) and share food and conversation. But if you ask me in two weeks about the ceremony itself, I don’t think I’ll remember much of what was said. No great speeches and a just a couple of very classy moments: Daniel Day-Lewis’ speech for best Oscar was gracious and Jon Stewart ushering best song co-winner Markéta Irglová back on stage after the break so she could give props to struggle artists everywhere.

Congrats again to chris-brad who picked 15/24 right to my 14/24. Noma also posted 9 picks and predicted 4 correctly. (Did I get the count right?)

Other than that, it’s time for bed. At the very least, we all got to share a moment in time to celebrate some great films, and we had milkshakes.

What do you remember most about the ceremony? What award made you the happiest? The maddest?

Jon Stewart is bombing like Letterman, and worse

Jon Stewart's introduction of Harrison Ford -- "he's either a international movie star or a car dealership" or something like that -- officially confirmed my feelings about this ceremony. It's the worst I remember, it's because of the host.

That includes Letterman's "Uma/Oprah" nightmare. Seventy-five percent of Stewart's jokes are bombing for me. He's better behind a desk impersonating a news anchor. On the Oscar stage, he comes off as too jaded, too disrespectful.

Congrats to Diablo Cody for winning best screening with "Juno." She's from my old stomping grounds -- Minneapolis. It's good to know that Hollywood can come from where we come from.

'Once' gets another major boost with best song

"The is a guy who doesn't have health insurance and is traveling around to pubs," said another Kent Oscar party celebrity guest about "Once" winning for best song. Robinson Film Center should be happy for that too. "Once" was screened in late 2007 by the nonprofit film center.

Stewart just had another funny comment (his only other funny comment): "That guy was so arrogant," he said sarcastically as the "Once" star and songwriter Glen Hansard (and his unspeaking costar/cowriter) left the stage.

It's way too late for the Oscars to be getting goofy, though. That should have started two hours ago.

NOTE: Jon Stewart invited the unspeaking costar Markéta Irglová back on stage after the break so she could give her acceptance. That was classy. Nice work, Jon.

chris-brad bests Movie Blog Boy, I think

chris-brad picked "The Bourne Ultimatum" right, and he's officially won for two years in a row. Our picks are the same from here on out.

Kudos to you! Curse my faith in Roderick Jaynes, editor of "No Country for Old Men," who actually doesn't exist, and who the show actually showed a picture of (as noted by one of my celebrity guests. It's a pseudonym for the Coen bros.)

chris-brad's "keener than a times reporter" crowning will take place some time this week.

NOTE: And as a famous celeb guest just said to me, staring me dead in the eye, "I think I'm going to watch the Oscars next year with chris-brad." Better get your milkshake recipes ready, punk.

The dame schtick was funny

Seth Rogen and Jonah will hilarious as presenters in the sound categories. Filling in for Judi Dench and Halle Berry, they argued about who best resembles Berry.

We've gotten a couple big categories already and our first upset: Marion Cotillard won best actress for "La Vie En Rose!" That should make The Shreve and supporters of the Robinson Film Center. The local nonprofit film center screened the French flick in Oct. or Nov.

Hooray for a movie The Shreve cinephiles actually had a chance seen!

chris-brad are tied at 5/12 so far.

Whatever happens, there will be milkshakes

We've dipped into the party's obvious theme already: milkshakes. Two chocs, and two stawberry-blueberries. Yes, we're officially awesome at Kent Oscar HQ.

chris-brad and I are tied: 4/9.

Still a bit bored by the festivities. Tilda Swinton's speech was refreshing -- I think she said, "You rock, man!" -- but everything feels too canned so far. We need a surprise.

Phew ... Javier wins

... and my house is still in one piece. One of my celebrity guests was preparing for a riot if Javier hadn't won best supporting actor for "No Country."

Stewart finally told a funny joke about Cate Blanchett playing every role, including the killer dog in "No Country."

The Oscars just doesn't have the sparkle so far, and I think it falls on the host. As chris-brad said, the crowd is disinterested.

Starting strong in the picks!

I'm 2/3, having just picked "La Vie En Rose" over "Pirates" for best eyeliner ... makeup. My rival chris-brad is keeping pace.

So far, host Jon Stewart is a bit of a snoozer. His political humor -- especially his joke about committing to a surge in Iraq documentaries to build audience support -- is decidedly unfunny and out of place. Hopefully he'll sharpen up and get to the trivial stuff.

What have you noticed so far?

My celebrity guests have arrived

... and we're angry because we didn't get the seat-filler gigs. Oh, well. We laughed when we saw Javier Bardem lean away from Jack in the front row.

Red carpet ceremony was a nonevent, but we're looking forward to a night of "make-up sex," as Jon Stewart called. Hey-o!

Barbara on 'Juno': 'I don't get it'

Stop the ceremony! Barbara Walters is confused.

During her Oscars special, Ms. Interview interviewed best actress nominee Ellen Page. Said Barbara, I'm going to ask you about the music. "Ellen, I don't get it."

Wow! How very dated and "honest" of you. I'm sure her ratings with the 18 to 35 just shot through the roof.

Everything was made good when Ms. Interview asked Page to serenade her with that Moldy Peaches ditty.

Barf.

Hold it, Friend-o! You got Oscar company

The Academy Awards are my Super Bowl, and I'm not alone. The Times invited five local cinephiles to defend the five best pictures. Consider these opinions before you settle down for the spectacle:

• Judy Kieffer: "Atonement"
• Angela White: "Juno"
• Donna Curtis: "Michael Clayton"
• Chris Jay: "No Country for Old Men"
• Heidi Kallenberg: There Will Be Blood"

I also wrote a separate essay on "There Will Be Blood." Click here. I'm so excited about tonight's ceremony, and I'm barely embarrassed about it!

PHOTO: Miramax Films.

Post your Oscar predictions, please!

No more milkshake jokes. It’s time for calculated risks, blind guess work and pathetically hurt feelings. And my 80th Academy Awards predictions are:

Best motion picture of the year
“No Country for Old Men”

Achievement in directing
“No Country for Old Men,” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Julie Christie in “Away from Her”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton”

Adapted screenplay
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”

Original screenplay
“Juno”

Best animated feature film of the year
“Ratatouille”

Achievement in art direction
“Atonement”

Achievement in cinematography
“There Will Be Blood”

Achievement in costume design
“Atonement”

Best documentary feature
“No End in Sight”

Best documentary short subject
“Freeheld”

Achievement in film editing
“No Country for Old Men”

Best foreign language film
“The Counterfeiters”

Achievement in makeup
“La Vie en Rose”

Original score
“Atonement”

Original song
“Falling Slowly” from “Once”

Best animated short film
“I Met the Walrus”

Best live action short film
“The Tonto Woman”

Achievement in sound editing
“Transformers”

Achievement in sound mixing
“The Bourne Ultimatum”

Achievement in visual effects
“Transformers”

On this blog, I'll keep a log of my failures Sunday night during the broadcast. You can find the nominees here on my blog. IMDb.com has a nifty listing and PDF ballot, too.

'There Will Be Blood' should best 'em

I've been thinking and writing about this film for days, and my milkshake's empty.

You can read my thoughts about its social significance in Sunday's paper in an essay tentatively titled, "An oil man, an evangelist and the American way."

What do you think about this pic? Puzzling? Masterful? Controversial? Snoozer?

As passionately as my friends feel about "No Country for Old Men," I feel about "There Will Be Blood." You can listen to me and Chris Jay of the Robinson Film Center talk about the Oscars and these flicks today on Red River Radio at 4:44 p.m.

Buzz doesn't appear to favor my choice for top prize, but I personally believe "There Will Be Blood" has no equal for 2007.

What got me excited about this film was Manohla Dargis' review in The New York Times.

Here's a great excerpt: "With a story of and for our times, 'There Will Be Blood' can certainly be viewed through the smeary window that looks onto the larger world. It’s timeless and topical, general and specific, abstract and as plain as the name of its fiery oilman. It’s an origin story of sorts. The opening images of desert hills and a droning electronic chord allude to the beginning of '2001: A Space Odyssey,' whose murderous apes are part of a Darwinian continuum with Daniel Plainview. But the film is above all a consummate work of art, one that transcends the historically fraught context of its making, and its pleasures are unapologetically aesthetic. It reveals, excites, disturbs, provokes, but the window it opens is to human consciousness itself."

PHOTO: François Duhamel/Paramount Vantage.

MTV's Josh Horowitz spoofs the spoofs

Super Extra highlights current extra opps

Susie "Super Extra" Labry has dug up a bunch of extras opportunities coming up. Susie's been in a ton of La.-made movies. Here's her listserv message:

From Susie Labry To All Meetup Members

So far the latest I got, more to come later:

SHREVEPORT***"Comeback" Extras Casting - Bam Casting
Pay $58/8

SHREVEPORT***"Year One" Extras Casting - Bam CastingNeed Tons and 600 Extras Starting Next Week, well into March email to yearoneextras@gmail.com.
Email your: Name, Contact Telephone Numbers, Age, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Height, Weight, Size, Whether You Have Tatoos Showing, and Availability-days you are available. If you will make this a Word Document and Insert your Photo. Do Not Call unless necessary as telephones are swamped and extremely difficult to get through, so to make it easier email them to assure they get your application/email. They will call you when they need you. Also, their website and email is down, so they have this new email yearoneextras@gmail.com
Pay $58/8

NEW ORLEANS***"12 ROUNDS" Extras Casting - Coulon Casting
Shoot Dates: February 25, 2008
Shoot Location: New Orleans, LA
Director: Renny Harlin
Coulon Casting, LLC: Casting Local Actors & Background Actors
TYPE: Cop Action Film. Starring John Cena.
To register: Download the Talent Registration Form provided in http://www.couloncasting.com/ site. Complete the form, attach a recent, non-returnable photo and mail or email to: Coulon Casting, P.O. Box 750489 New Orleans, LA 70175-0489 info@couloncasting.com

FORT JACKSON***"Privateer" Extras Casting - Pepper Morgan PJMorgan1976@yahoo.com
She needs few Featured Extras for this Saturday, Feb 23 in Fort Jackson , LA (in Plaquemines Parish)
TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED TO SET FROM NEW ORLEANS!!!
This is for a movie entitled Privateer which depicts the life of Jean Lafitte and is set in the 1700's.Pay is $75/daySpecifics on what they need: Madame Lafitte (Jean Lafitte's mother; mid twenties) petiteBust size: 36-37"Waist: 23-26"3 additional women: 2 @ Bust 38-40", Waist 28"; 1 @ Bust 40-42", Waist 30"7 men 38 to 40 medium size, not too tall, long hair a bonus but not required.
If interested please email Pepper with headshot and resume at PJMorgan1976@yahoo.com
ASAP as filming is in 2 days. Thanks!

SHREVEPORT***From Margaret Wren LCGAE Coordinator "Soul Men" Extras Casting - Christopher Gray
If you wish to work on "Soul Men" they need the following:
Caucasian's needed for House Of Blues scenes
African American's are needed for Apollo scenes
You may contact them at 318-828-1926

NEW ORLEANS***"Cirque du Freak" Extras Casting - Robin Batherson1231 Pryatania Street, 3rd FloorNew Orleans, LA mailto:cdfcasting@yahoo.com

NEW ORLEANS***"Final Destination 4" Extras Casting - Robin Batherson
Need tons of Extras
504-680-8497
email: fd4casting@yahoo.com
1231 Prytania Street 3rd FloorNew Orleans, LA 70130

***Keep photos with your name all lower case yourname.jpg and keep it less than 500 kilobytes.
***Susie Labry
lasunshinebr@yahoo.com
225-235-7879

'No Country' gets no argument from me

“No Country for Old Men” delivers a chilling movie-going experience. The Coen brothers abandon humor, for the most part, and chase down a robber and killer with cold, exacting craft. Editing? Seamless. Performances? Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin are model noir actors who use words sparingly and actions to maximum effect. Score? There is virtually none. All of the tension is generated by cuts, camera angles and fluid sequencing.

My initial personal quibble – that the movie left me cold – really doesn’t hold water anymore. After all, that’s what this western noir piece is designed to do: scare the hope out of us.

Is this best Coen brothers movie? Does it top “Fargo,” “Barton Fink” or “Miller’s Crossing?”

Are you “No Country’s” friend-o?

PHOTO: Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in a scene from "No Country for Old Men." (Richard Foreman/Miramax Films)

Tasha Smith hung up on Tyler Perry for me ... sort of

I gather you’ve heard that actress Tasha Smith is teaching a two-part acting class this weekend. If not, click here.

The actress is in northwest Louisiana (mostly Minden) shooting “Comeback” with Keke Palmer, Ice Cube and director Fred Durst.

Last Friday, Smith and I talked about her craft and career during a 15-minute interview. Right before we started, she was chatting on the phone with Tyler Perry, who has cast her in “Daddy’s Little Girls” and “Why Did I Get Married.” In the latter, Smith played a character named Angela.

When fans recognized Smith, conversation inevitably turns to that role.

“They say, ‘She just like me!’” she said. “’She just like my momma, she just like my auntie, or she just like my wife! Angela just like every black woman in the world!’”

Smith has been teaching acting workshops in L.A. and Atlanta for six years. She simply wants to offer others the kind of support she received when she was starting out. “If I didn’t have anyone encouraging that dream, I probably wouldn’t be on the set working with Ice Cube.”

IF YOU GO
WHAT: Two-day acting class with Tasha Smith.
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 23 and 24).
WHERE: Actors Café, 1401 Fairfield Ave. (formerly Bear's Café), Shreveport.
COST: $200, must prepay.
TO REGISTER: call (318) 573-0039 or e-mail Tara Duncil at tara@laactingworkshops.com or Jamie Baremore at jjbaremore@aol.com.
MORE INFO: http://www.tsaw.com/.

PHOTO: Tasha Smith on the set of "Comeback." (Tracy Bennett/The Weinstein Co.)