OSCAR, Best Actor

I suppose formally educated has a better ring to it. He dropped out of school at age 12, I believe.
I was so impressed with his conversation with Charlie Rose, a man on the other end of the education spectrum, and even more impressed with Sidney Poitier -- who left school after second grade -- and who speaks like and carries himself like an academic.

You continue to enlighten, Plainoldme

What's it all about, Alfie?

Its really refreshing to read such fine portraits of Michael Caine from mainly US based filmaholics, an english cockney born actor Caine has always for me mastered the art of understatement.

The Ipcress File was on the TV again recently and some films age with time, I enjoyed it MORE this time, all down to Caine.

A lot of UK folk slam Caine as due to our ridiculous taxes in this country he has to live away from our shores for large parts of the year. For me this adds to his appeal as in the little time he has here he helps charities and does dozens of free events when he has precious little time here.

He is a gentleman and he deserves the Oscar.

Ironic that he probably very rarely uses cockney dialects. I've heard him do a convincing southern U.S. accent.Hiama, is there a term for english as spoken scholastically correct, Like Queen's english, or something like that?

Booman,

Yes the term is " The Queen's English " , however the Queen's speech itself has changed a lot over the years from sounding like Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter maybe 30 years or so ago to more of a midstream upper class accent with dollops of the common people's ( like me) phraseology mixed in.

Michael Caine is excellent and deserving in "Quiet", but if it were up to me you could just go ahead and Fed-X Oscar to Daniel Day-Lewis.

He does everything but chew on the scenery. I have never seen a better performance.

"Gangs" is excessively violent (that's Scorcese for you, though) and is too long and a bit ambiguous at the end for me, but Bill the Butcher will live in infamy as one of cinema's great villains.

Hiama,
...Oh yeah,I'm sure all languages are evolving, as we speak By the by, I could listen to CNN's, Cristiane Andjuhour, all day, reading from a telephone book, or whatever.

Pdiddie you got me to thinking, (Ya' smell that wood burning? )
...Over at Abuzz, I had a thread going, paying homage to cinema's great villain's and supporting actors. So-o-o, I was wondering if you guys thought such a thread, be worth resurrecting. Hm-m-m...
...Feedback appreciated.

Do it, Boobird.

Booman<

A bit personal perhaps, but where have you ever been to hear a "convincing U.S. southern accent?"

I have thought of starting a thread about actors and actresses who have mangled "southernese." The names Max Baer and Burt Reynolds immediately come to mind.

My thread, though, would have limited appeal only to those of us at A2k who truly have a southern accent. (Mine, of course, is very genteel.) Your idea for a thread, as stated above, would be welcomed by all true cinemaholics.

Go ahead.

sounds good, Booman.

WH,
...I was raised by and around people from the south. In my profession, I toured the south extensively. I missed W. Virginia. A few more years and I might have been able to tell you what state a person is from by the accent. As it is I can only guess sometimes.
...Okay,okay, since you twist my arm ....I'll get a good nights rest, and then start the thread.

Okay, "Villains and Supporting Actors" has been started.

I haven't watched this parade of greed, arrogance and self indulgence in years. Not much talent there either.

In addition to the term the Queen's English, there is the term, "Oxbridge," referring to the sort of university trained English spoken by news readers and others. Several years ago, in The Story of English, the tv series hosted by Robert MacNeil, it was noted that linguistic influence goes up and down the social ladder in England.

Daniel Day-Lewis-- 75% chance. Things could change, Oscar ballots not due until March 18.

Zelwegger or Kidman opinion anyone ?

I'd go with Nicole, but I'm so in lust with Diane Lane that I'm picking her.

I'd guess Nicole...but Chicago's on such a roll that it's hard to predict.