By Howie Nave

It’s that time of year again folks, the Super Bowl of the motion picture industry known as the Academy Awards. This year promises to be what I think will be an exciting one in part because of its host: comedian Chris Rock. Talk about perfect timing, huh?

First the old farts who decide who gets nominated virtually overlooked every African-American contender, which sparked not only outcries from those in the acting community, but also wanted Chris Rock to boycott the Academy as well (for those who don’t know, Chris Rock is black).

Rock is not only one of my favorite comedians, but has also refused to work college campuses because of the students’ politically correct attitude which means I think he’s gonna go straight for the funny this Sunday in the most ruthless and hilarious way.

I hope the members of the Academy get slammed too because they always overlook sci-fi flicks even when they are the biggest box office generators. Can anyone say, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” that is now the biggest box office hit of all time? And what about director J.J. Abrams’ reboot of “Star Trek” in 2009 propelling that movie into the top 5 box office earners? Did the Academy appreciate the millions it generated and millions of filmgoers who went to see that movie? No!

So, c’mon Chris Rock, channel all of that rage into a biting night of satire making this night one of the best Oscar nights ever.

That said it has been a pretty good year for movies with some exceptional performances.

Let’s start with the Best Picture category where we have: 

“Spotlight”

“The Revenant”

“The Big Short”

“The Martian”

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

“Bridge of Spies”

“Room”

“Brooklyn”

I loved “The Martian” (and Matt Damon’s performance) and Tom Hanks’ “Bridge of Spies.” Room” and “Brooklyn” don’t stand a chance leaving “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Big Short,” “Spotlight” and “The Revenant,” as the ones that count. I don’t know how “Mad Max” got in (still prefer the original), but the others? Wow. I was split between “The Big Short” and “The Revenant,” but the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and acting by Leonardo DiCaprio for me sealed the deal so going with “The Revenant” for Best Picture. 

In the Best Actor category we have: 

Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”)

Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”)

Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”)

Matt Damon (“The Martian”)

Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”)

     OK, first off we have Eddie Redmayne who won the Oscar last year for “The Theory of Everything” who was exceptional, yes, but lightning won’t be striking twice this time. As I mentioned earlier, I loved Matt Damon in “The Martian,” but the Academy hating all things sci-fi (even if it is on the fringes of a good drama) will bypass him. Michael Fassbender was exceptional and usually the Academy likes to reward those who do biopics, but because Apple won’t give the Feds the application to break into that terrorist’s iPhone they’re gonna pass (sorry Magneto). Bryan Cranston plays the character of 1940s blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and guess what? The Academy is going to blacklist him once again, which leaves Leonardo DiCaprio for his virtually doing the impossible being in every scene (almost like a one-man show) as 19th-century American frontiersman Hugh Glass, who is left for dead after being mauled by a bear during a winter expedition in “The Revenant.” So I’m going with Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor. 

The nominees in the Best Actress category are as follows:

Brie Larson (“Room”)

Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn”)

Cate Blanchett (“Carol”)

Jennifer Lawrence (“Joy”)

Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years”)

    I was so impressed with the versatility of Jennifer Lawrence that my first instinct was to go with her, but upon settling down some I realized there can be only one (to quote “The Highlander”) and that’s Brie Larson for “The Room.” I mean, c’mon she’s already won the trifecta of awards: the Golden Globe, SAG Award, and BAFTA for Best Actress. The movie made me feel so claustrophobic and Larson’s performance was so amazing you felt so liberated at the end of the movie I was literally cheering for her (and her son played brilliantly by 9 year old Jacob Tremblay). Larson’s stiffest competition is going to be Cate Blanchett, who’s already won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. However, the early buzz that Blanchett received around her Oscar-nominated performance in “Carol” has quickly faded in the fickle world of Hollywood and nobody can pronounce Saoirse Ronan’s name for her role in “Brooklyn” and nobody saw “45 Years,” so I’m going with Brie Larson for Best Actress. 
The Best Supporting Actor category includes:

Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”)

Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”)

Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”)

Mark Ruffalo (“Spotlight”)

Christian Bale (“The Big Short”)

    Oh, how the Academy loves to reward those who’ve had a long running history and in a year or round numbers, this case 40 years. Yes, Sylvester Stallone deserves winning in this category for his movie, “Creed” not just because of his powerful performance and the sentimentality behind his beloved character (as that of Rocky Balboa) but also because the Academy did us all a disservice for overlooking the film’s director, Ryan Coogler and the movie’s incredibly acted lead character of the title name, Michael B. Jordan. Two spoilers in this category would be Mark Rylance and Christian Bale, but hands down I’m going with Sylvester Stallone as Best Supporting Actor. 

Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh and Howie Nave circa 1995. Photo/Provided

In the “anything goes” category the nominees for Best Supporting Actress include:

Rooney Mara (“Carol”)

Kate Winslet (“Steve Jobs”)

Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”)

Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”)

Rachel McAdams (“Spotlight”)

   This category spotlights an incredible range of talent and is wide open (and deserving) for any of them. Kate Winslet received a Golden Globe for her performance in “Steve Jobs” as former Mac marketing executive Joanna Hoffman, but even with her surprise Globe win, this category is far from a done deal. Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara turned in solid performances and the other two nominees, Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”) and Rachel McAdams (“Spotlight”), blended well in their perspective ensemble, movies though Leigh’s intense performance as Daisy Domergue, a female outlaw in the 19th century has many (including myself) believing she might be bring home Oscar. Boy, and if that weren’t enough, Leigh is also the voice of the title character in the Oscar-nominated stop-motion animated film, “Anomalisa” so, as much as a long-shot as it may be, I’m going for Jennifer Jason Leigh as Best Supporting Actress.

In the crowning jewel for Best Director we have the following:

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“The Revenant”)

Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”)

Adam McKay (“The Big Short”)

George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)

Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”)

     All five directors have been to the Academy before, but leading the nominees is 70-year-old veteran George Miller. What still shocks me is the absence of director Ridley Scott for “The Martian.” Director Lenny Abrahamson did a fabulous job in his self-contained direction of  “Room,” as did Tom McCarthy. The spoiler could be Adam McKay for his very smartly acted “The Big Short,” but I’m going with a sweep here with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Best Director. 

For Best Original Screenplay the nominees are:

Matt Charman, Joel and Ethan Coen (“Bridge of Spies”)

Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley (“Inside Out”)

Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (“Spotlight”)

Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”)

 Jonathan Herman, Andrea Berloff, S. Leigh Savidge and Alan Wenkus (“Straight Outta Compton”)

I’m going with Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer for “Spotlight”.

For Best Adapted Screenplay the nominees are:

Emma Donoghue (“Room”)

Drew Goddard (“The Martian”)

Nick Hornby (“Brooklyn”)

Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (“The Big Short”)

Phyllis Nagy (“Carol”)

And the winner will be Adam McKay and Charles Randolph “The Big Short”.

In the Best Animated Feature department we have:

“Anomalisa”

“Boy and the World”

“Inside Out”

“When Marnie Was There”

“Shaun the Sheep”

Hands down the winner will be “Inside Out” for Best Animated Feature.

In the Best Documentary Feature category the nominees are:

“Amy” (Asif Kapadia)

“Cartel Land” (Matthew Heineman)

“The Look of Silence” (Joshua Oppenheimer)

“What Happened, Miss Simone?” (Liz Garbus)

“Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” (Evgeny Afineevsky)

Need I even bother? Big win for “Amy”as Best Documentary.

For Best Cinematography the nominees are:

“Carol” (Ed Lachman)

“The Hateful Eight” (Robert Richardson)

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (John Seale)

“The Revenant” (Emmanuel Lubezki)

“Sicario” (Roger Deakins)

His work was absolutely brilliant in “The Revenant” so going with Emmanuel Lubezki for Best Cinematography.

For Best Film Editing the nominees are: 

“The Big Short”

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

“Spotlight”

“The Revenant”

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

And the winner is “The Big Short”.

For Best Original Score the nominees are: 

“Carol” (Carter Burwell)

“Sicario” (Jóhann Jóhannsson)

“The Hateful Eight” (Ennio Morricone)

“Bridge of Spies” (Thomas Newman)

“Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens” (John Williams)

I am picking Ennio Morricone for “The Hateful Eight”, but John Williams might be the spoiler for “Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens”.

And finally for Best Original Song the nominees are:

“Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”

“Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction

“Simple Song #3” from “Youth”

“Til It Happens To You” from “The Hunting Ground”

“Writings on the Wall” from “Spectre”

I am going with the song, “Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”.

Howie Nave is host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys. You can hear him Monday-Friday 6 to 10am on KRLT FM-93.9.

Hungrytown, which has been touring internationally for more than 10 years, will be performing in South Lake Tahoe March 19.

The stop is part of a 42-date, 14-state tour in support of their album, “Further West.” The album made the top 10 on the American Folk DJ charts for two months last summer.

Hungrytown will be at the South Lake Tahoe Library (1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.) from 2-3pm. This event is free and open is sponsored by the Friends of the South Lake Tahoe Library.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz haul their find back to their vehicle. Photo/American Pickers

By Kathryn Reed

“American Pickers” has been on TV for nearly a decade and not a single episode has featured someone from the Tahoe-Reno area. That might change.

This show that airs on the History Channel is labeled a documentary, but it’s also part reality show.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz scour people’s collections – most of them unrefined – to see if it might have value. They are considered pickers, and they call themselves antique archaeologists.

Wolfe says his fascination with junk started at age 4. Fritz started his own collections as a kid. Together, the friends have been traveling throughout the United States for 20 years looking for treasures.

They find the old items that no one is using and often refurbish them after buying the goods from the owner. Negotiations for the price are often done on camera.

On the show they delve a bit into the historical significance of their treasures.

It’s as though nothing is off limits. They have found motorcycles, classic cars, bicycles, one-of-a-kind memorabilia, old musical equipment, vintage clothing, military items and early firefighting equipment. Toys is one category they really like.

Producers were in the area in 2014, but to no avail. They are trying again to find someone who might have just the right something for Wolfe and Fritz to analyze. Filming is set to begin in March.

A spokeswoman for the show said there is a process for how it all unfolds, but she wouldn’t give Lake Tahoe News the specifics. She said the show is authentic and nothing is preplanned.

—–

Notes:

·      “American Pickers” airs Wednesdays on the History Channel.

·      To have a collection reviewed, email your name, phone number, address and description of the collection and photos to americanpickers@cineflix.com.

By Edward Ortiz, Sacramento Bee

Charitable giving scored a banner year in 2015 with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, the largest area manager of charitable funds to nonprofits, posting a record year for new funds established.

The foundation operates like an investment house for charitable accounts opened by donors in Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado and Placer counties. Foundation donors can direct grants to nonprofit groups of their choice as often as they like, or in perpetuity, in the case of endowed funds.

In 2014, the foundation saw the establishment of 44 new funds with $5.8 million. In 2013, 33 new funds were established, and between 2008 and 2011, an average of 23 new funds were added annually.

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Mewtoo

Mewtoo is a nice 1-year-old girl who has been at the shelter the longest of all cats, perhaps because she needs to be an only pet. She is affectionate and does like children.

Adoption fees for cats have been reduced to $30 this month.

Mewtoo is spayed, microchipped, tested for FIV, and vaccinated. She is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes. Go to the Tahoe animal shelter’s Facebook page to see photos and descriptions of all pets at the shelter.

Call 530.573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet.

For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go online.

— Karen Kuentz

Goldener Hirsch has communal seating throughout the property. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Publisher’s note: This is one in a series of stories about Park City, Utah.

By Susan Wood

PARK CITY – If a hotel property is only as good as its leadership, then Goldener Hirsch would medal in guest services.

But it’s also about teamwork at this hotel that is steps from Deer Valley, the ski area that has been rated No. 1 in the United States for multiple years.

There’s a distinct reason why this 20-room boutique hotel prides itself on attention to detail and being true to its heritage. It’s owned by a family with a background in the golden experience – the Eccles lineage, with Spencer as its patriarch, and daughter, Hope, as the president.

Spencer Fox Eccles, known as Spence to his employees, is a prominent financier and philanthropist in Salt Lake City. Beyond serving on several boards including the National Chamber of Commerce, Alta Ski Corporation, National Parks Foundation and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, he was one of three people to steer the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee. Because of his undaunted work, he was appointed as mayor of the Olympic Village during the Games and received the Pierre de Coubertin medal from the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic movement’s highest honor.

Goldener Hirsch is walking distance to the slopes at Deer Valley. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Just visit Utah Olympic Park’s swimming pool used by freestyle aerialists, and see whose name is mounted on a welcome sign. As a University of Utah student, Eccles earned all-American honors in 1957 and was regarded as one of the top amateur ski racers in the nation.

Guests to his hotel in Silver Lake Village, which is walking distance to Deer Valley’s slopes, will notice his stamp of excellence channeled through his employees and the establishment at every turn. Nothing but excellence will do. And Eccles takes striving for perfection to new levels, and meaningful accolades have rewarded him. The hotel gained recent recognition as the No. 2 small hotel in North America by Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

At first glance, the Austrian influence can be found on all floors of this hotel that opened in 1989. The imported, ornate décor is so tasteful and authentic, it feels like one just stepped into a “Sound of Music” production. This is not off base, according to regular Doug Whitney of Park City, who was enjoying the après ski experience at the bar one recent evening with his buddies and sister.

A yodeler used to visit the hotel to sing in the bar in Julie Andrews’s style. There are long alpenhorns on the wall in the bar and the lobby seating area. Upon seeing these unusual specimens, a few guests couldn’t resist chanting “Ricola” to signify the cough drop commercials. It’s a European feast for the eyes throughout the hotel, with sleds and antique bureaus sprinkling the floors, and antlers and horse harnesses dotting the walls. Even the heavy wooden room doors emulate a European castle experience, complete with an oversized key that guests leave at the front desk when they depart the building.

Cocktails and breakfast are served by a fireplace. Photo/Kathryn Reed

But first and foremost, it’s the atmosphere that makes this place on Royal Street special. It’s quiet, relaxed, yet amenity filled – with indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and among other things, a fine dining restaurant that even staffers in nearby retailer establishments recommend to their customers. Chef Ryan Burnham, who several years ago worked at Sunnyside in Tahoe City, makes meals to savor.

Dave, the concierge, serves as the consummate host. He and his fellow employees make the experience seem as though you were visiting long-lost European relatives. This guy could move mountains. As a Jersey boy, “fuggetaboutit” means he’ll take care of every whim. He’s quick to start a fire in a guest room or run an errand, even pick up dinner downtown.

And speaking of offerings, the hotel keeps its tradition of the finest in things from providing Aveda products in the bathrooms to better than average ingredients in the bar. Mimosas mentioned on the “specials” board are not made with the cheapest Champagne. They’re made with Gloria Ferrer brut. Come time for breakfast, the whole wheat pancakes are smothered with syrup from Vermont, the connoisseur’s home state of the sweet stuff.

Glance over as you sip your coffee or juice, and you’ll see your skis put out by the staff to beckon you to the slopes. At the end of the day, the turn down staff tucks you in with chocolate mints and a forecast from the National Weather Service. It’s hard to decide whether to stay in the hotel’s comfy seating areas for a game of Backgammon or go out to Deer Valley’s pristine slopes to let the two planks carve perfect turns. (Deer Valley doesn’t allow snowboarders.)

Rooms at Goldener Hirsch are spacious and comfortable. Photo/Kathryn Reed

“The spirit and camaraderie is authentic,” said Whitney, who’s frequented Goldener Hirsch since 1992. He even recalls a time when much of the staff spoke German. (Note: this Goldener Hirsch bears no ownership relation to the one in Salzburg, Austria.)

Goldener Hirsch stands for “golden stag” – hence the Deer Valley reference.

Still, American ingenuity and lifestyle provide flair to this European experience. Walk into the bar after a day of skiing, and you could hear jazz in the background. Jazz, drinks, good food and off-the-charts comfort – life is good at the Goldener Hirsch.

“Vagina Monologues” return Feb. 26-27 for the 14th year in South Lake Tahoe.

The award-winning play “The Vagina Monologues” is based on V-Day founder/playwright Eve Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women. With humor and grace the production celebrates women’s sexuality and strength.

Our cast is made up of community members, students, mothers, daughters, sisters, new-to-the-stage and seasoned performers.

The performance starts at 8pm at the Tahoe Beach Retreat.

Tickets are $22.09 and may be purchased online. All Proceeds will go to Live Violence Free, CASA and Tahoe Youth & Family Services.

Timothy Stoll

Timothy Roger Stoll died suddenly of galloping pneumonia on Feb. 12, 2016. He was  77.

Dr. Stoll, an icon of the Tahoe area, practiced dentistry for more than 50 years in South Lake Tahoe and Minden.

He was born June 16, 1938. While a young boy vacationing with his family in Zephyr Cove in the 1940s and ’50s, he vowed he would make Lake Tahoe his home. Upon graduation from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco in 1965, Dr. Stoll came to Tahoe and met with the oldest dentist practicing in the community, Dr. Knudsen. He had limited funds to start a dental practice, so he asked how to start. Dr. Knudsen advised him to “just open your doors and buy your equipment as patients pay their bills.”

Fifty years later, Dr. Stoll was respected among his colleagues and admired with a large following of devoted patients. He put his heart and soul into his dental practice and his level of dentistry was praised by dentists from around the world. He was proficient in all aspects of dentistry, periodontics and cosmetic reconstruction. When his grandson, Talon, asked his grandfather what he liked best about his job, he responded, “I like helping people.”

A perpetual storyteller, he had a large repertoire of jokes ready for anyone who would listen. His capacity for laughter and fun knew no bounds. In addition to making people laugh, he was always ready to lend a helping hand to his family, friends, members of the community, and even the wildlife surrounding his home.

Dr. Stoll’s passion for wildlife and the wilderness led him to a life as an avid sportsman. He loved horsemanship, fly fishing, camping, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, skiing, boating, snowmobiling and shooting, and spent much of his free time in Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Alaska and the Caribbean. He obtained his instrument rated pilot’s license, which allowed him greater access to the places he loved to go.

No matter how successful Dr. Stoll was in his professional life he was the humblest of men. His golden rule was to always treat everyone fairly and with respect.

Dr. Stoll loved to rise before the sun, feed his horses, stoke a fire, and quietly immerse himself in a wonderful book. He loved the sweet silence of the morning and was the epitome of the saying, “still waters run deep.”

Dr. Stoll is survived by his wife of 45 years, Phil; children Paul Stoll, Heidi Stoll, Ellery Stoll, Kari Testa, and Marina Ellery; nine grandchildren; and sister Susan Barnes.

A memorial Services will be on Feb. 27 at 11am at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Calvary Chapel, P.O. Box 17671, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151.

Eric Munsing will give a talk titled Cars that Run on Sunshine: Making Electricity Greener on March 2 at Lake Tahoe Community College.

Munsing will talk about the opportunities and challenges facing California in the state’s effort to reach its climate change goals. Renewable energy and electric vehicles are considered to be two important energy solutions, but both present many technical challenges for the aging electrical grid. Munsing will discuss how the electricity system is being adjusted to allow for a cleaner, greener future.

Munsing is a researcher in the Energy, Civil Infrastructure, and Climate group at UC Berkeley.

This is a free event begins at 6pm in the board room.

By Soumya Karlamangla, Los Angeles Times

Under a law expected to go into effect by April, women in California will be able to stop by their neighborhood pharmacy and buy birth control pills without a prescription.

Proponents argue that easing women’s access to birth control will reduce unintended pregnancies, which make up as many as half of all pregnancies nationwide.

The new initiative is part of a larger effort to simplify America’s healthcare system, proponents say, as more people becoming insured under Obamacare look for quick and convenient ways to get medical care.

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