by Meredith Bilski
With the 2013 Oscars just around the corner, many of us have been curious about the historical accuracy of films like Lincoln and Argo, both in the running for Best Picture. Luckily for us skeptical Brown students, we have an unparalleled opportunity to engage with knowledgable Brown historians about the films that fall within their respective areas of expertise. First, we had the opportunity to ask Professor Vorenberg anything about Lincoln (and we’ll have the opportunity to do so again on March 1, where there will also be cake). Now, the University presents its interactive “Ask a Professor about Argo” with beloved, no-B.S. Professor Shiva Balaghi, a jack of all trades and a master tweeter (Ed.-We’re sorry for “outing” you on Twitter back in the day, and we’re sorry for doing it again now).
Professor Shiva Balaghi is a cultural historian of the Middle East. She’s a Laya Khadjavi Visiting Professor of Iranian Studies here at Brown, teaching in the History and History of Art and Architecture departments. This semester, she’s teaching “Twentieth Century Iran,” a capstone seminar in the History department, and “What is Islamic Art?” an upper-level seminar in the History of Art and Architecture department. Additionally, she is the Vice-President of the American Institute of Iranian Studies. She left her native Tehran for the United States around the time that the events depicted in Argo took place.
Thus, a scholar of Professor Balaghi’s expertise is well-equipped to field questions addressing Argo‘s historical accuracy. You can submit questions to Professor Balaghi by commenting on this picture and choose the questions she’ll be asked by “liking” ones that tickle your intellectual fancy. If you’re interested in learning more about Argo as it relates to the reality of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, you should check out Professor Balaghi’s review of the film in India’s Frontline magazine.
Image via.
by Emily Boney
Well friends, the long weekend has come and gone, but never fear! After three grueling days of class, you’re in for a blissful Saturday and Sunday. Why? Because it’s Oscar season, of course! And Rhode Island is ready! So grab a friend and get beyond the bubble this weekend. We’ll show you how. [Read more →]
by Mike Makowsky
This Sunday, RISD alum Seth MacFarlane will take the mic to host the 85th Academy Awards (7 p.m., ABC). It’s been a solid year for film, with nine incredibly diverse Best Picture nominees vying for a place in the Oscar pantheon.
Before we get into our predictions, we’d be remiss not to mention just how surprising the nominations were. There were audible gasps from the journalists at the live-streamed announcement ceremony in January when both Best Director frontrunners (Argo‘s Ben Affleck and Zero Dark Thirty‘s Kathryn Bigelow) were passed over for nominations, leaving us to wonder: Can Argo pull off the win everyone expects without Affleck on the roster? The Director category is a historical determining factor for Best Picture, given:
- About three-fourths of all Picture winners also win Director, and
- A mere three films ever have scored Picture without a nom for Director. And it’s only happened once (1989′s Driving Miss Daisy) in the last eighty years. Good luck defying those odds, Argo.
[Read more →]
by Rachel Borders
Who is this old guy hosting? Why is it suddenly okay to make jokes about racism? Dogs can go to the Oscars?
These may be the questions you ask yourself tonight during the Oscars if you haven’t been following Hollywood closely this season. Not to fret! I’m here with everything you need to know to follow the show and understand all the poorly-delivered presenter jokes. [Read more →]
by Mike Makowsky
In anticipation of the 84th Academy Awards ceremony to be held this Sunday night (7pm, ABC), BlogDailyHerald is once again breaking down the major categories for you.
If anything, 2011 was a year marked by nostalgia. Martin Scorsese’s 3D family film Hugo explored the birth of film as an imaginative medium, while its rival The Artist functioned as a love letter to the long-gone silent film genre. Gil Pender, the protagonist of Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, contemplated whether nostalgia for a past decade should dominate one’s opinion of the present. The Muppets reminded us of the ragtag band of puppets we’d left behind with the birth of CGI. Of the Best Picture nominees, only one (The Descendants) didn’t take place in the past.
That being said, it’s appropriate that we take another look into the past, to celebrate the films of 2011 that awed and inspired (and sometimes underwhelmed) us. [Read more →]
by Mike Makowsky
With the Academy Awards only a few short days away (watch them this Sunday on ABC), here we are with a detailed breakdown of the major categories. Looking back, it was a pretty interesting year for film. Blockbusters like Toy Story 3 and Inception respected the intelligence of their audiences and garnered astounding critical acclaim. One of the most significant cultural institutions of our time was lampooned when The Social Network profiled Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. Also, Little Fockers came out. Yes indeed, 2010 was a year for the books… [Read more →]
by Ana Alvarez
Oh, the Oscars. Along with birthdays and the Superbowl, the Academy Awards is one of those once-a-year, can’t miss events. At least for anyone who loves critically-acclaimed movies, glitzy Hollywood stars, sing and dance numbers, and Meryl Streep. Thankfully, Gail loves all four.
This year’s Oscars were especially exceptional. For the first time in the Academy’s history, a woman took the Oscar for Best Director home. And not just any woman. The award went to The Hurt Locker’s director Kathryn Bigelow — James Cameron’s (a.k.a Mr.Avatar-big-CGI-movie-man) ex-wife.
Although “Avatar” was an impressive commercial success, not many were shocked when “The Hurt Locker,” which has been called a “near perfect war film” since its 2008 release, took the Best Picture award. Other winners included Jeff Bridges (or, as most Brown students call him, ‘The Dude’) for Best Actor, Sandra Bullock for Best Actress (who won another kind of award the night before), Mo’Nique for Best Supporting Actress, and Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor. [Read more →]
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