Taste the Blood of Showbiz History

5 random things that happened on this day in showbiz history...

1941 Citizen Kane has its world premiere in NYC

1969 Wes Anderson born in Houston, Texas

1970 Happy 50th anniversary to Hammer Horror's Taste the Blood of Dracula starring Christopher Lee which opened on this day.

1998 Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke get hitched, two days after Uma's 28th birthday and two months before the birth of their daughter Maya (who is now an actress, see Stranger Things season 3). They had co-starred in the previous year's sci-fi drama Gattaca and will make two more films together (Chelsea Walls and Tape) as well as a second child before separating in 2003 - a very big year for Uma, professionally. Yes Uma has been on our brains this week.

2000 Gladiator has its world premiere in Los Angeles before opening nationwide the following weekend and becoming an enormous hit. Later it competed for Best Picture at the big awards show and when the envelope was opened it was always...

GLADIATOR!"

On this day in history as it relates to the movies...

For no reason whatsoever that's what we're blogging at this moment! (Just humor me, okay? My back is in spasming pain.)

1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S. but 151 years later the topic is still on everyone's minds: see TV's Underground (any of you watching this?), the exciting news about Harriet Tubman on the $20 and two new biopics about her in the works, plus recent and current Best Picture types (Lincoln, 12 Years a Slave and possibly Birth of a Nation) 

1891 - Carnegie Hall (then named Music Hall) opened in NYC so that one day "JUDY! JUDY! JUDY!" could be recorded for posterity

1914 - Movie star Tyrone Power was born and we still don't have a biopic 102 years later even though Zac Efron would be perfect in the role

1927 - Pat Carroll is born so that 62 years later we might enjoy the genius of her voice in The Little Mermaid 

1955 - Damn Yankees opens on Broadway and quickly becomes the movie Damn Yankees (1958).

1981 - Bobby Sands dies of a hunger strike in prison. His last days inspire a movie which is just extraordinary and introduces the world to the genius filmmaker/muse partnership of  Steve McQueen & Michael Fassbender (Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave). 

2000 - Freshly minted Oscar winner, mesmerizing new screen presence, brother-kissing and blood-vial wearing Angelina Jolie marries Billy Bob Thornton further confusing / fascinating the world. That same day in movie theaters Gladiator opens which delights the world, Oscar voters, and drunk Elizabeth Taylor

Gladiator!  

10 Years Ago Right About This Very Second...

... Oscar night was wrapping up for the films of 2000. The lady whose smile devoured the world was loving her life.

Did you watch on that night? Were you into the Oscars yet? How is that particular race holding up for you.?  It broke down like so among the "Big 8"

• Picture: Gladiator
• Director: Steven Soderbergh, Traffic
• Actress: Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich
• Actor: Russell Crowe, Gladiator
• Supporting Actress: Marcia Gay Harden, Pollock
• Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, Traffic
• Original Screenplay: Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous
• Adapted Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan, Traffic

It was a spread the wealth night. Honestly, I'd forgotten that Almost Famous won Original Screenplay since it missed the Best Picture slot that many expected it to nab. You can blame the Weinsteins and the late entry Chocolat for that, I suppose. The other wins I remembered. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon won 4 Oscars but I still think it got the shaft (among their nominees) and should've taken Best Picture with ease. And I still maintain that Erin Brockovich was the keeper from Soderbergh's double dip.

And remember this? Winona Ryder sure loved musicians back in the day (in more than one way).

Thoughts? Jump back a decade, won't'cha.