louise on the left (coast)

Pete Larsen.  Reporter with handy notepad on left. Will Smith.  Star.  With hand to ear on right. Tonight, once again, my daughters and I get to watch my husband don his traditional rental tux and drive up to the red carpet at the Oscars to interview all the stars alongside all the other media paparazzi. Peter Larsen, Pop Culture Reporter, Orange County Register I was so predictably irritated by this today that I didn't even take any of my usual photos of him on his way up like I have all the other times.  My bad. Now that his daughters are older, we ALL get to pretend it's just fine we're not there with him.  That we all couldn't be happier to left alone in the middle of a perfectly good Sunday so he can go TO THE OSCARS. And that it is JUST FINE that he gets to go "see it all" and meet all those Oscar-winning celebs over and over again.  And over, again. Anna Lily and Juliet Larsen giving pre-Oscar interviews It's fine.  Rea

If Academy Awards were actually given to actors who deserved them, then Melissa Leo would already have a collection of little gold men starting with one for  her work in 21 Grams   ( 2003)  , and another for her role Frozen River   (2009) . Below is a clip from  21 Grams , in case you forgot how great she was in it: In previous years I posted about her previous nominations for an Oscar: Why Melissa Leo Should Win Best Actor (2009) A More Personal Take...Melissa Leo to Win Best Actor (2009) But, the truth is, whenev er  it comes to Leo's work, e veryone in the business knows what those of us growing up with her knew;  Melissa Leo is not just extremely talented, she's also a fearless powerhouse who gives her all for her work.  So today I'm giving a "shout out"  to Leo for her Golden Globe win last night. And I'm stating I've got my fingers crossed (again) that she will also be nominated for her work in  The Fighter , and even, perhaps, make 2011 the

Okay, so maybe it's because it's overcast today, or maybe it's because I just can't stand waiting to see Melissa Leo tonight at the Oscars but today just seems like an eternity till those awards start! Anyhow, I had to see what she's been saying in her most recent interviews managed to find some photos of her looking fabulous. (Can't wait to see what she wears tonight!) First of all, can I just say that I had no idea she was "dragged kicking and screaming to Vermont."    Or that her dad lives in Long Island or that she hasn't seen Thelma & Louise. Wow.   And, secondly, I love that she goes on record stating she's a "method" actor, which is kind of bold statement to make given the hype surrounding that term. She's a brave one.  She just has to win! Hell, she'll give the most interesting speech, for God's sake!  Doesn't that count for anything!   For God's sake, just hurry up and pick Melissa!   Here's that

My handsome, tuxedo'd up reporter husband, Pete Larsen! Note: Dashing handsome Orange County Register reporter with handy-dandy notebook interviews "difficult" celebrities on the cement carpet. (Oh, wait, that's not "Steve" in Blue's Clues, is it?) Peter Larsen, The Orange County Register : Hello, Miss, can you answer one or two questions, for me? Miss Larsen #1 : I need to check with my press agent, first. Reporter: So, who do you predict will win the Academy Award for Best Actress this year? Miss Larsen #2: Why, Mom's old school chum, Melissa Leo, of course! We all saw Frozen River can't tell why on earth it got an "R" rating, because Mommy talks like that all the time. Note: Dashing press vehicle including official OSCARS press pass. Okay, so, once again I waved so long to my husband, tuxedo'd up and ready to meet and greet the stars who strut down the infamous red carpet on their way into the 2009 Academy Awards.

I originally wrote this in the comments section regarding a former post regarding having seen Frozen River . However, I thought this comment was interesting enough, and certainly long enough, to merit it's own post and not just languish, buried in some random comments section somewhere. So, here it is, again with a little re-working in it's own private post. From Me to Prince Gomolvilas re: Melissa Leo in Frozen River: ...Yeah, it's (Frozen River) is a film which I think is incredibly respectful to all the characters in the film. Let's face it, (unfortunately) I think Winslet may win this year, because she's so well known, but I'm obviously loyal to those who've touched my life personally, and this time, I actually think Leo deserves to win. And, yes, I'm a fan of all the women nominated this year. How do you call any one actors work "the best?" You can't. But, you can choose who to honor that year. Leo was as good as any of the others

And I can't tell if that's a good thing, or just a really bad karmic joke at my expense. Probably both. I mean, isn't that always the case? Let me just state, that I've had the ongoing misfortune of spending countless Oscar ceremonies at home in front of the television, while my husband gets to don a tuxedo to be part of the "Red Carpet" scene each year. I have lost track of how many times my kids and I have waved goodbye as he drove up to LA in his old Volvo, leaving the three of us at home to scan the "pre-show" sea of reporters all feeding at the red carpet. My husband is the pop-culture reporter for The Orange County Register, and has actually been quite fortunate to land covering this gig for several years in a row. He's usually easy to spot in a crowd. He's 6'6" and wears Buddy Holly-esque glasses. And he's nice to people and asks great questions of those wise enough to answer them. He's not going to dish about g