Rethink.

Today, my mom would have turned 56. My mom was one of my heroes, my best friend and my TV buddy. We loved to watch Game Show Network, Disney Channel and “Desperate Housewives” together. That night, before she went to sleep and never woke up, she came to my room and asked if I wanted to watch “Housewives.” It was a Sunday night. It was March 6, 2011, and I was busy in my room, wrapping up Oscars coverage for the season, after returning from Hollywood earlier in the week. That may have been the last interaction I had with her. I remember that night like it was yesterday. Her fingers on my slightly opened door, peeking her head into my cramped quarters. That smile on her face. Maybe I should have joined her for one last TV binge. A year or two later, I would find a photo on my phone from that night — the last meal she made. It was nothing special: chicken with noodles. My mom never had a penchant for making fine cuisine. As a divorced working mom raising two kids ...

A photo of me taken in my office after our 10th anniversary celebration.  It hit me about 11 hours later. I cried tears of gratitude mixed with grief, overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and messages about the closing of Toledo Free Press . You never quite realize the impact something has had until it's gone or taken away. Reading a colleague's comment on a photo I posted started the tears. It was about 2 a.m., 11 hours after Publisher Tom Pounds' statement went live that his Toledo weekly would be closing its door after 10 years. Word traveled quickly. I heard from friends around the country — Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee and Nashville — within an hour of the story going live. I had yet to share anything via social media myself. I have been with Toledo Free Press for nearly all of my professional career. Since graduating college in 2009, I worked a few odd jobs until I was hired full-time in May 2010. It was joining the Free Press that showed me how i...

I recently attended the Cleveland International Film Festival and a documentary really stuck with me. " Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine " is a well-done documentary chronicling the life of Shepard, whom the world met after his 1998 beating and murder when he was a gay 21-year-old college student. Director Michele Josue said the purpose of the film was to share his story and his humanity and to show that Matt wasn't perfect and he wasn't a martyr. What the movie does right is trying to show Shepard as a flawed young man, instead of a gay rights icon. Matt struggled with his identity, but also his place in the world. His teachers and mentors interviewed in the documentary echo this struggle. Everyone struggles with their identity and place in the world. Having Josue focus on this and the backstory of Matt's life really made the film better. If you get a chance to see the documentary, go! I'm hoping to bring a screening to Toledo. Watch my Twitter ...

Each week, my routine was the same. After watching the latest offering from Hollywood on the big screen, I composed my thoughts and analysis and wrote my review. Then, I read what Roger Ebert thought about the movie. This final step was important to me — week in and week out. If Ebert loved a movie I disliked, why was that? He always provided great commentary and gave me reasons to admire a certain film more or dislike it more. He has always been an important validator for me. It’s like we had a conversation about a movie each week. And now I’m on my own. I was devastated to hear about the loss of Ebert. He taught us all about movies and life. The New York Times called him “ A Critic for the Common Man .” He was the consummate writer, journalist, film critic and human being. Ebert just celebrated his 46th year as film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times . I always admired Ebert’s ability to draw on his life experiences when reviewing a film. The first line of his 2011 mem...

It's easy to forget how fragile life can be — how fragile we all are. I was reminded of this fragility earlier this year when I spent a few days in the hospital. There were so many things wrong with me, my family doctor thought it best to admit me. After three full days of blood tests, an IV in each arm, a CT scan and beaucoup medication I was able to head home. I had been diagnosed with a fever, viral infection, strep throat and swollen ankles and joints — the latter of which the disease specialist called post-streptococcal reactive arthritis . For months after my stay at the hospital, which came at the beginning of May, I had to see a rheumatologist, a joint doctor. From there, I had more tests — my blood toxicity still high — and even had to see a cardiologist to make sure my heart was not affected from the strep. I was on multiple medications for weeks, steroids almost until Labor Day. The fragility of my body was tested. My ecosystem had been compromised. It wasn...

I have been following the race to Oscar Sunday since September , and I'm ready to make my predictions in all 24 categories. (Update: I correctly predicted 15/24 categories, a 60 percent accuracy , down slightly from last year.) Best Picture   √ Correct “Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers “The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers “Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers “The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers “The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers “127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers “The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers “Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer “True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers “Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Originally posted on The Gold Knight Blog It's time for bacchanalian party of the year: the Golden Globe Awards. Ricky Gervais is the ringleader for the second year of an evening where celebrities eat and, notably, drink — an awards show without the required gravitas. Last year Gervais was the first host in 15 years for the show by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Here are my predictions ( marked in blue and winners highlighted ** ) for the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards . Enjoy and feel free to leave comments. Josh Duhamel, Katie Holmes and Blair Underwood announced the noms in December . "The King's Speech" received seven nominations, "The Fighter" and "The Social Network" six.

I love the Oscars. I wear that on my sleeves. Over the last two years, I've used this blog, Rethink., as a place for covering the Academy Awards. Last fall, I decided that I needed a better (and more marketable) place for doing so. And thus was born The Gold Knight blog . Over the course of the last few months, I've really taken off with my new blog. I have multiple correspondents — some of whom are close friends. I write a column for Toledo Free Press Star . I applied for Oscar Sunday press credentials and, while I did not get them, I have made some inroads with the Academy. I am very proud of where I have been thus far and am exciting about where I am going. I'll be in Los Angeles for the Oscars this year. While I might not have full access, I have a few (legal) tricks up my sleeve. To all my friends, thank you for all of the support and I appreciate your help and guidance.

I experienced college with Facebook. Toward the end of my senior year in high school, I heard about a website for social networking. Sure, we had MySpace in high school, but there was an air of mystery to it that was unappealing. Who was I really talking to? And, no one can forget those obnoxious and hideous profile pages. Who could find anything in that barrage of flashing images, clashing colors and obtrusive music that started with every new profile seen. I could not handle it. And then there was the promise of “The Facebook.” At the time, you needed an e-mail account ending with .edu or you would not be able to join. The profiles clearly stated the member’s name at the top of the page. The design was clean and made finding information easy. And, most of all, no music randomly starting. This was the place for me. As soon as I received my university e-mail address, I registered for an account. Since that day in the summer of 2005, my life has been cataloged via Facebook (and si...

Normally, I don't play the predictions game with the Emmys, but I was asked what shows I thought would win so here we are... There are 19 categories to be determined, split between series, specials and acting. Typically, the Academy Awards has many predictors for whom will win. With the Emmys, it's a little more up in the air. With that said, here are my official predictions for the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (winners marked ***): SERIES, DRAMA – 60% Confidence Breaking Bad (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) The Good Wife (CBS) – Ultimate dark horse, but unlikely Lost (ABC) – Winner; last season to be nominated, spectacular show ***Mad Men (AMC) – Cast won Emmy; won last two years; I'm not a fan True Blood (HBO)

Four months ahead of last year's announcement, the 83rd Annual Academy Awards now has telecast producers . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced late Tuesday. Academy Award-winning producer Bruce Cohen and television producer/director Don Mischer will produce the ceremony. Mischer will pull double duty as telecast director as well. While being involved with the telecast is a first for the gentlemen, they worked together on the Academy’s first Governors Awards last November. “ I fell in love with the Oscars as an eight-year-old kid , the night my grandmothers let me stay up to watch for the first time,” Cohen was quoted in the press release. "We hope to create a show that celebrates what people around the world love about the Academy Awards year after year – the excitement, glamour and tradition of Oscar Night itself.”

And the spot on the Red Carpet goes to… Terry Stackhouse and Zach Cusson . The team from Emerson College are the Grand Prize winners for the 2010 Oscar Correspondent Contest , sponsored by the Academy and mtvU. The coveted prize among college journalists gives students a spot on the Red Carpet for the 82nd Academy Awards and access to the backstage press rooms and the Governors Ball. “Terry and Zach made a strong impression among the online voters and with the Academy and mtvU selection panel. We are certain they will represent college journalists well,” said Academy President Tom Sherak, quoted in the press release. “They are in for an experience like no other — the energy and excitement on Oscar’s® red carpet is truly unique.” Stackhouse and Cusson battled for votes on mtvU's Web site after winning a spot to compete against 10 semifinalists, which was whittled down to three mid-February.

Spending the weekend in Chicago, I enjoyed visiting the "Meet the Oscars" exhibition at the Shops At Northbridge downtown, Michigan Avenue. Thanks to Kodak, you can take a picture with an Oscar statuette and have a copy printed in about a minute and go online later to download a digital copy. If you are visiting Chicago, the exhibition closes Sunday at 6 p.m. CT. If you are in New York City, there is another "Meet the Oscars" location at The Shops at Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center, running until Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. This was my second time holding an Oscar statuette and was just as enjoyable as the first. The 8.5-pound statuette never ceases to amaze. It's shiny, smooth and solid. And the most coveted and well-known trophy in the world. Link to video: Oscar Update: Meet Oscar - March 7, 2010 Sunday night we will learn the lucky few who are given their very own golden statuette.

Are you in need of some help for your office Oscar pool? Well have no fear because here are my official predicitions for the 82nd Academy Awards . My average rate of success is 75% and above. And I will note each category with a percentage of confidence to give you the best shot at winning your pool. This year, let me say, could be very predictable or very unpredictable. I'm going with both. Best motion picture of the year — 50% “Avatar” (20th Century Fox) — MY MONEY'S ON "AVATAR," BUT I'M JADED; I DID NOT LIKE "HURT LOCKER" AS MUCH “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.) “District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing) “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics) “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) — ALL THE PREDICTORS ARE THERE, BUT I CANNOT PUT THIS DOWN FOR THE WIN “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) “A Serious Man” (Focus Features) “Up” (Walt Disney) “Up in the Air” (Paramount in a...

We are now three days out from the 82nd Academy Awards. Rethink. has been waiting for this day all year and counting down. In Hollywood, preparations are being made outside the Kodak Theatre along the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard, between N. Orange Drive and N. Highland Avenue. In the photo above, you can see a team of workers rolling out the Red Carpet Wednesday. You'll notice the tents are back this year after a one-year hiatus. If it's going to rain, awards show organizers know tents are a MUST, especially organizers for this year's Golden Globes . After deciding not to pitch the tents earlier that day, celebrities found themselves hovering under umbrellas and "Precious" star Gabourey Sidibe was among the many sporting dresses with splotches of rain. Suffice it to say it was not pretty. When I was a bleacher fan in 2008, my friends and I were bummed by the tents and inclement weather; however, we enjoyed not getting wet. Right now, Weather.com is forecast...

In the week's video update, James discusses the latest news and buzz, including the Nominees Luncheon, the mtvU correspondent contest, this year's Oscar set by David Rockwell, the latest rumors and what the WGA Awards means for "Avatar." You do not want to miss this update. Link to video: Oscar Update, Feb. 21, 2010

Last week, Rethink. reported AMC is continuing its Best Picture Showcase , even with twice as many nominated films. I've attended the event two times now and it's pretty fun, if you don't mind sitting in a theatre all day. Whether you'd like to take a full dose of Oscar nominees all at once or two doses a week apart, AMC Theatres is the place to be. This year fans went to AMC's Web site and more than 86,000 votes were cast for the schedule of the ten Best Picture nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards, according to AMC.

To put a smile on your face, we thought we'd share this clip from last week's "Saturday Night Live," where Academy President Tom Sherak got his own impersonator — not bad either. I enjoy the faux "Access Hollywood" coverage. Enjoy. Video link: NBC.com

In the week's video update, James discusses the latest news and buzz, including the nominees, AMC continuing its Best Picture Showcase and the latest on the Academy agenda. The first round is ending for mtvU's Red Carpet Correspondent Contest. Final ballots are being mailed out soon and the Nominees Luncheon is coming up. Link to video: Oscar Update, Feb. 9, 2010

To start your weekend off right, I found an interesting read from USA Today's Anthony Breznican. The lucky reporter got permission from the Academy to chronicle the events leading up to Tuesday's announcement of the 82nd Academy Awards nominations . (Thus, he knew some of the nominees before the rest of world found out. Awesome!) Once inside the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' headquarters late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, depending on the staff member, there was no leaving and absolutely no communication with the outside world . Cellphones and smartphones were confiscated. No Internet access. Guards at the doors. From 8:58 p.m. Monday up to the announcement at 5:38 a.m. Tuesday, the lucky few prepare to tell the world how the Academy members have voted. "The accountants have the solemnity of undertakers, but the workers rip open the lids and pull out pages like overeager kids on Christmas morning ," Breznican writes. Find the article here...