Shiny-toothed rapper Lil Wayne seems suitably cuh-raaazy in this preview of Katie Couric's Grammy interview with him (they go bowling!), but you've gotta love how he calls her "Miss Katie."

Actually, it's more like two.
 
The supporting-actress race is shaping up to be a smackdown between Penelope Cruz (the frontrunner from last summer for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona") and Viola Davis (for "Doubt"). Cruz has the Weinstein company in its corner, as well as a previous Oscar nod for "Volver" and the whole gorgeous-beauty-in-a-Woody-Allen-movie factor. Davis is in a movie that seems to be more adored by the Academy (four acting nominations!). Plus, she holds her own against Meryl Streep. But, eh, she's only in the movie for one really long scene. Miramax is trying to hush those doubts -- no doubt! -- by posting a seven-minute clip that showcases almost all of Davis's performance.  Watch it here.

Oh no, Penelope! How are you going to fight back?
 
For the sake of equal airtime, we'll post the 44 second scene where you kiss Scarlett Johansson:

Alien on the heels of Reese Witherspoon's character. Monsters vs. Aliens ™ & © 2008 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C. All Rights Reserved.

This year's Super Bowl match-up has at least a few football fanatics disappointed.  But if the on-field sparring fails to capture your interest, there'll still be millions worth of ads to amuse. For starters, the first 3D ad in Super Bowl history will air courtesy of a DreamWorks-SoBe Lifewater pairup -- it's a trailer for DreamWorks Animation's new film, "Monsters vs. Aliens," made in-your-face by SoBe's distribution of 125 million pairs of 3D glasses. (Yes, Eisenhower era -- we missed you, too).  If "M vs. A" sounds like a grindhouse-y iteration of a Sigourney Weaver movie, it's not; the voice talent behind the upcoming film is stacked with funnymen -- Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Colbert, Rainn Wilson, Will Arnett and Paul Rudd, to name some of them.

And if you still aren't thrilled by what you see -- if Bruce Springsteen's halftime show fails to generate a memorable sing-along or nipslip -- rewatch these classics:

A bleak rallying cry against conformity and Big Brother culture in 1984-- and, with Ridley Scott at the helm, the talk of the nation for weeks.  Ironically, 15 years later, no company has perhaps a more blindly devoted following than Apple.  Anyway, the main point here is that Ms. Sledgehammer could use some support.

Mr. Britney Spears in this classic...

...and the ex-missus in the Pepsi generation commercial.

"Veggie Love," an ad for PETA, has been making the rounds online after being banned from the '09 broadcast for its racy implications.  Just a bunch of girls, showing some enthusiasm for produce.  In their underwear.  Conspicuously covered in baby oil.  Gonna say NSFW on this.

[CLICK MORE>> FOR FULL POST]

NEWSWEEK International Editor Fareed Zakaria and "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle chat about the Indian protests surrounding the Oscar-nominated film -- here's an excerpt:

ZAKARIA: Do you think part of the resonance and appeal of the movie stems from people's fascination with India, and Mumbai in particular?

BOYLE: I think so. That's one of the reasons I wanted to make the film. I didn't want to make the film because of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." I have to say, though, I've rethought [the importance of India to the film's appeal]. Although that is an element in it, for the public it's the universality of the story. People want to root for Jamal. It doesn't matter where he comes from.

 

Great Q&A and really interesting subject -- check it out.

• Despite Piven's Best Efforts, 'Speed-the-Plow' Will Break Even. The Broadway revival of the David Mamet play has recouped its $2.25 million in start-up costs -- something that looked unlikely with star Jeremy Piven's sudden sushi departure.  William H. Macy as a last-minute replacement has garnered better reviews, however, and the show will run in the black through its originally slated end date of Feb. 22. [Variety]

• Three Tickets to the Isle of Lilliput, Please.  How fun does this movie sound: Jack Black is travel writer Lemuel Gulliver, Emily Blunt is the island's princess and Jason Segel is Horatio, the Lilliputian sympathizer to Gulliver's plight.  So it's shaping up, anyway -- Black is committed, Segel is in negotiations and Blunt has just been offered.  Fingers crossed!  [The Hollywood Reporter]

• Surprise! While Everybody's Watching TV This Weekend, the Movies Will Be Meh.  Most years, studios will tactically game Super Bowl weekend by stacking the female-geared releases, but this year, only the abysmally reviewed "New in Town" fits the rom-com mold.  Analysts are predicting that Liam Neeson's con-man thriller "Taken" will take the box office, with a PG-13 rating luring more females than it would normally -- but most can't hide their feelings that this is a pretty meh weekend for movies.  So stay home! [The Hollywood Reporter]
  

Asleeponthesubway is so simple, so much fun

• The Osmonds Are Going (Back) to Hollywood!  Two members of the Osmond family separately announced yesterday their intentions to appear on the two most popular reality shows in America.  Yesterday Donnie Osmond let slip on a daytime talkshow that he will head to "Dancing With The Stars."  And down at the Salt Lake City auditions for "American Idol," 29-year-old David Osmond -- son of original Osmond Alan -- wowed judges and got a ticket to Hollywood.  The younger member of the famous entertaining family suffers (like his father) from M.S.  [People]

• Mickey Rourke Realizes He's Not Actually A Wrestler.  So after mentioning on the SAG Awards red carpet that he'd be attending the 25th anniversary of "Wrestlemania" -- ostensibly to, well, wrestle -- Mickey Rourke's people now say he will do no such thing.  His publicist told the AP last night that Rourke will remain "focusing entirely on his acting career."  Some awards critics speculate that the decision to wrestle at the April 5 event could've harmed his chances for an Oscar. [The Baltimore Sun]

• Clarkson's Jump From Mediocrity to Top Banana Will Set Some Kind of Record.  Kelly Clarkson's new single, titled "My Life Would Suck Without You," will set a record today for the longest leap to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the chart's half-century history. It debuted last week at No. 97.  This is her first No. 1 since "Since U Been Gone." [ Reuters]
  

Photos: Mark Mainz/AP (left); Jim Watson/Getty Images.

Who would YOU tap to play Barack Obama? The "real" roles of various Obama administration officials have barely been filled, and already we're determining who'd play their fictional counterparts. Check out our gallery of some of the Casting Society of America's choices for who'd play the new 1600 Penn resident -- plus eight other administration officials -- in a potential Obama movie. Also included are our own pooled Newsweek critics' picks. Generous, cruel or totally dead-on? Decide -- or make your own picks -- in the comments!

At least five female friends have sent me today either this story from yesterday's New York Times, this direct blog link, or this spitting Gawker post about Dating A Banker Anonymous, a support group of distressed girlfriends-of-bankers who are finding their social calendars more Netflix-and-takeout-based than, say, tasting-menu-inclusive.  Here's how the recession affected one member:

“[A]ll of a sudden, [my boyfriend] couldn’t focus. If he stayed over he’d be up at some random hour checking his BlackBerry, Bloomberg and CNBC.”

Quotes like this are so vapid that they actually make the women sound supremely satirical and arch -- so why is everyone taking them seriously?  Perhaps because Fashionista just reported that the creators have landed a book deal.  Exactly what we need: more aspirational, Manhattan-based chick lit, cover-art-ed with lipstick, leopard print and a Veuve bottle.  Eeesh.

Read the below-reproduced statement from the AMPAS, announcing that the full four producers of "The Reader" -- rather than the customary three -- will be listed as the nominees in the Best Picture category.  Two of those producers -- Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack -- died during the post-production.  This is the second time in a week that "The Reader" is associated with upending Academy precedent; when Kate Winslet nabbed a surprise Best Actress nomination for her role in the film, beating out herself in "Revolutionary Road," it marked the first time that a Golden Globe winner's performance in the Drama category wasn't even nominated for the Oscar.  And here's the Academy:

Because four producers were listed on the credits form submitted for Oscar® consideration and Academy rules allow for only three producers – except in “a rare and extraordinary circumstance” – to be nominated and potentially receive Oscar statuettes, a meeting of the executive committee was necessary. In the end, the committee determined that the circumstances of “The Reader” – in which the two original producers (Minghella and Pollack) both died partway through the process – met its definition of “rare and extraordinary” and that all four submitted individuals should be named as nominees.

For a bit about each departed director-turned-producer, read (1.) Frank Gehry's essay from our Periscope section, about Gehry's old friend Sydney and the Renoir-like quality of "The Interpreter;" or (2.) David Ansen's remembrance of Minghella's "rare sensitivity," conveyed in films like "The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain."  Pollack was 73; Minghella was 54.

In TBS's new dramedy "Trust Me," Eric McCormack, formerly America's favorite gay man on "Will & Grace," plays Mason McGuire, a conscientious professional trying to work on his relationship with his partner, Conner (Tom Cavanagh.) Before you start thinking McCormack has been typecast, I'll have you know that Mason is happily married. And not Connecticut-married–his wife Erin is played by Sarah Clarke, once the unsinkable villain Nina Myers on "24." Mason and Conner are partners, but only in the professional sense–they work together at Rothman Greene & Mohr, a pressure-cooker of an advertising agency not unlike "Mad Men's" Sterling Cooper would be after civil rights movements and employment laws ruined all the good-old-boy fun. But more than it is about American consumption, work culture or the creative process, "Trust Me" is about the intricacies of a male friendship, and it's about time there was a show like it.

For years women have had such shows, the most notable of which is "Sex and the City." That show was about copulation and urban life on the surface, but it was really about friendships – what builds them, what breaks them, what makes them last. This is no more evident than when Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her gals disagreed. A scene (in the clip above) in which Carrie and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) have a blow-out in a clothing store is one of the most observant fight scenes I can remember seeing on television. Male friendships are seldom captured well. Usually they are seen as fratty and childish, like in MTV's stupor-inducing "Bromance. Other times, they are sensitive in all the wrong ways, as in the Patrick Dempsey rom-com "Made of Honor." There are several scenes in which Dempsey's character chops up his predicament with his buddies, and not one of them is the least bit credible.

The truth is, male friendship usually lands somewhere right in the middle. Yes, it is jocular and juvenile, but also steady and fiercely loyal. Thanks to Judd Apatow, we get to see this accurately depicted in films – "The 40 Year Old Virgin," "Superbad" and "Knocked Up." The upcoming "I Love You, Man" deals with men's friendships more directly. Paul Rudd plays Peter, a guy who has never made friends because he's always been tied up with his girlfriend. When it comes time to get married, he doesn't have anyone to be his best man, and has to make a buddy in a hurry. Jason Segal (an Apatow alum, like Rudd) steps into the role. Hijinks ensue.

"Trust Me" is a different animal, though. It's funny, but by no means a straight comedy. It's got the tone and rhythms of drama. Better still, Mason and Conner aren't the agers or neer-do-well manchildren that populate Apatow's films. They are older and wiser, with the responsibility to show for it. Even Conner, the Oscar of their Odd Couple, has a mite more gravitas than we're use to seeing from contemporary men on television. Their relationship is based on necessity of course – their opposing personas perfectly balance out – but also on loyalty, mutual respect, and, yes, love. The show hasn't quite reached the heights of Carrie's row with Miranda, but give the pair a little more history and it'll get there. Mason and Conner have all the right ingredients for a true and lasting bromance.

• Mickey Rourke: Life Imitates Art.  The star of "The Wrestler" may join the 25th anniversary of "Wrestlemania," or so he told Access hollywood on the red carpet at the SAG awards.  Reportedly, Rourke said, "The boys at WWF asked me to do it." [The Boston Herald]

• Daniel Craig Goes Dark.  The Bond actor will try his hand at a villain come 2011, when he'll play the evil seamen Red Rackham in "Tintin," the Spielberg-helmed Belgian comicbook adaptation (Peter Jackson will head up the sequel, and has producing credits on the first).  Jamie Bell, the now-adult who played "Billy Elliot," will star as the titular reporter.  Also on board (and who we're really excited about) are "Hot Fuzz" duo Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. [Variety]

• Bumped "Betty" Sparks Rumors. "Ugly Betty" gets bumped from Thursday night for two other comedies, "In the Motherhood" and "Samantha Who."  Execs say they still "believe" in the show, but critics say this looks bad for the campy show.  "Betty" will return to its spot when the other two shows are through with their runs. [Variety]
  

Another nugget from our chat with the Oscar-winning (and -nominated!) writer/director of "Wall-E," "Finding Nemo" and "A Bug's Life." He's been toiling away on his first live-action project -- "John Carter of Mars," about the Edgar Rice Borroughs character from his 20th-century novel series -- and he's given Pop Vox the scoop on how it's faring.  As of last week, he'd chatted with a half-dozen actors during pre-production; he'll finish up some visuals, solidify Draft No. Two of the script and start location scouting in the coming weeks. He's been a fan of the books since he was a kid, and says he's watched a slew of other directors get this project -- never dreaming he'd end up with it:

Since before I even went to college, I’ve watched somebody almost about to make this film.  And just wanting to see it done, just cheering everybody on.  As a matter of fact, when Robert Rodriguez had it, I remember I saw him at the Vanity Fair party on the night that I won the Oscar for "Nemo" -- I just railed on him and said, ‘You gotta do it right!  You gotta do it right, buddy!”  .... I’m shocked to suddenly find myself, years later, to be the one that might get the chance to do it. 

He calls the project "hugely outside" of his comfort zone -- "I've pretty much set myself up to either make or break my career through this thing," he says.  "It kind of screws with your head, because you’re looking down the abyss of this big scary thing, and like, 'Oh my God, can we or can’t we do this?!'"

We'd never bet against a man who can make a trash compactor have a soul.

I love movie reviews -- which is why a key perk of my day is plopping down in any given Newsweek critic's office and getting the scoop on what's out. "Revolutionary Road: riff."  Their opinions almost never overlap ("Road" was, varyingly, "uggghhh-two-hours-of-fighting" and "mesmerizing"), but the lack of consensus only makes me want to see a film more.

Which is why I read with interest the Wall Street Journal's thoughtful piece last Friday about online movie ratings -- specifically, the knee-jerk reaction of print movie critics when they see their reviews turned into a number.  It's well known that Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes compress critical musings -- tally what percentage of Roger Ebert's thumbs are up -- to limited success and sometimes hilarious results.  (How could you quantify something like A.O. Scott's delicious send-up of "Mamma Mia," equal parts vitriol and generosity, and my favorite review of the year?) As the WSJ writer more bluntly puts it, "A movie that pleases everyone but thrills no one thus can beat out a polarizing masterpiece."  True to form: right now on both sites, palatable pap like "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" wallops Kate Winslet's elegiac, Oscar-nominated turn in the Oscar-nominated "The Reader," which itself earns a D-minus equivalent (RT) and an F equivalent (MC).

These sites haven't yet started to account for the very purposeful way that today's consumer attends movies.  In the age of On Demand, DVR, Netflix and Hulu, those who go and pay their $15 are looking to be pleased or challenged in a very specific, niche way.  What average filmgoer is really crossreferencing the evals for "Marley & Me" against French film "The Class," looking for an expression of each film's merits in like terms? And by the same, like-term token -- by branding "Revolutionary Road" as two-thirds of a good movie -- we're bound to accept that a fusion of "Corky Romano" (20) to "Frost/Nixon" (80) would yield "The Godfather" (100).

Both sites also cull from the reviews of many mainstream critics, with Metacritic weighting the scores of more important voices, and Rotten Tomatoes separating out the elite reviewers into a "Top Critics" tab.  But they can be surprisingly different in what grades they assign. The following are a handful of films nominated for major Academy Awards -- acting, writing, director and best picture, among others -- and how they fared on the two sites:

"The Wrestler."  Nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress.  81 on Metacritic, 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. (Wow.)

"The Reader." Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress.  58 on Metacritic; 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.  (Comparable Ratings To: "Zach and Miri Make a Porno," in which a climactic scene involves feces splattering the face of a cameraman).

"Slumdog Millionaire."  Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay.  86 on Metacritic.  94 on Rotten Tomatoes. (That's "generally favorable" at MC to "certified fresh" at RT).

"Frost/Nixon."  Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay.  80 on Metacritic, 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. (Comparable Ratings To:

"Happy-Go-Lucky," "Milk" (both rated the same):  84 on Metacritic; 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

 What do you think?

• SAG Awards!  The Screen Actors Guild rewarded the predictable (Tina Fey for "30 Rock," the first couple in "John Adams") but there were a few surprises: Sean Penn for "Milk" over Globe-winner Mickey Rourke, for example, or Meryl Streep for "Doubt" -- though, it is Meryl Streep.  She was shocked to win, and while showing off her black pants, said, "I didn't even buy a dress!"  The cast of "Slumdog Millionaire" took home the top cast prize. Full list of winners here: [ Associated Press]

• There She Goes, Miss America.  Katie Stam, a 22-year-old college student from Indiana, was crowned Miss America in a Las Vegas Planet Hollywood this weekend -- not that you saw it.  Despite this year notching a 52-percent ratings improvement over last year, only 3.6 million people tuned in to see the winner crowned on TLC.  More than 25 million viewers watched the show in the mid-1990s.  Drastic show makeovers -- like leading in with a reality series, allowing viewers to vote and making the pageant girls act more mainstream -- has failed to hook. [ People]

• Triple Victory for "Monster's Ball" Producer Lee Daniels -- and Mariah Carey.  "Push," a film about parental abuse of a 16-year-old girl in 1980s Harlem, swept on Sunday at Sundance, taking both the Grand Jury Prize and the audience's award for drama, as well as a jury prize for acting.  Daniels directed, while Carey makes a cameo a social worker.  [LA Times]
  

We talked to 'Wall-E' director Andrew Stanton last week about his film and the increasing blurring of the line between animation and live-action movies -- plus, what makes the gun-wielding probe EVE a sleek, feminine mynx in WALL-E's eyes.  Excerpts:

Remember all that back and forth about how "Watchmen" would or wouldn't suck? The latest bit of viral marketing from the studio has the film firmly back in the "OMG this might actually be a great movie must watch it NOW" category. It's not filled with earth-shattering FX or anything, it's just subtle and pitch-perfect, which suggests that the filmmakers might actually have gotten the tone right.

• Movie About Gritty Boston Followed Up By Movie About Gritty London.  When "The Departed" scribe William Monahan makes his directorial debut, Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley will be on hand as the leads.  Monahan is helming a film adaptation of the Ken Bruen novel "London Boulevard," about a reformed Brit gangster and a young English actress.  Are they playing themselves? [Variety]

• Clooney, Scrub In!  Will he or won't he?  At this point, we're sick of guessing whether George Clooney is, in fact, shooting a cameo or guest appearance at his old haunts, ER.  Clooney got major flack for thumbing his nose at the series last year, as fans begged for him to return and he said no.  Now, with the series coming to a close, it looks like he -- and a lot of other former cast members -- will be back for more.  Maybe.  [EW]

• Sundance Was Cheerful, Warm and Fun!  But No One Bought.  Todd McCarthy is singing the praises of this year's festival, which closes on Sunday, saying the "ratio of good to bad was extremely high."  Here, a round-up of the popular films and documentaries that studios circled, as well as the ones that actually sold. [Variety]
  

So, things looked grim for this season of "Grey's Anatomy" in the plausibility department when Sandra Oh was pierced in the gut by a falling icicle in the first episode.  And now, as of 8 minutes ago, McSteamy just broke his... er, yeah.  That.  Snapped by Meredith's younger sister in the saddle. 

First there was jumping the shark.  Then nuking the fridge.  What could we delicately call this lowpoint??

So appropriate for today.  3:30 in -- but NSFW, be advised!

Photo courtesy of the AMPAS.

• DOWNRIGHT SHOCKING: The Boss.  Wow.  After a supremely confident win at the Golden Globes, Bruce Springsteen and his Dylan-style troubadour theme from "The Wrestler" found themselves without an Academy nod. Instead, two "Slumdog" tunes will square off against "WALL-E" song "Down to Earth."

• SURPRISING: Sally Hawkins.  Another Globe winner denied at the Big Dance.  Less surprising than Bruce, if only because Hawkins is smaller fry.  But Hawkins passed over for Angelina Jolie in "The Changeling" -- a film that was not only tepidly reviewed, but was criticized for Jolie's overly glamorous turn as a despondent mother?  Hmm.  Melissa Leo might seem like a surprise, but she was heavily praised for "Frozen River."

• EYEBROWS RAISED: "Revolutionary Road." As the demented but keenly insightful son of Kathy Bates, Michael Shannon well deserved a (surprising) nom for his performance.  As for the rest of the film?  It went unmentioned in the other major categories.  DreamWorks campaigned hard for Winslet's gut-wrenching turn as April Wheeler in the top female acting category, while the Weinstein Company resorted to plugging her as supporting for "The Reader."  Academy voters, however, staged a coup -- choosing to elevate Winslet as "Best Actress" for the Reader, and giving the film a "Best Picture" nom as well.  In the case of Winslet v. Winslet, it's... Winslet.  But will she win?

• KIND OF ODD: "The Dark Knight."  The blogosphere was abuzz with the notion that three guild nominations meant the noir Batman movie was a shoo-in.  News flash from the Academy: It's still a Batman movie, guys.  Heath Ledger bagged the expected supporting nomination, but the usual consolation prize for no Best Picture love -- a Best Director nod -- didn't go to "Knight" helmer Christopher Nolan.

• SLIGHTLY UNEXPECTED: "WALL-E."  No real surprise that the best-reviewed wide film of the year didn't get a Best Picture nomination, but a consolation prize came in the form of a Best Original Screenplay nod for story creators/writers Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter.  The love story between two taciturn machines set in space certainly makes this script the most "original" in the category.
  

Here's the president of the Academy Sid Ganis, and Forrest Whitaker:

(1) Amy Adams get in for best supporting actress over Kate Winslet for "The Reader." So much for Winslet's chances of winning two Oscars in the same year.

(2) No Dev Patel in "Slumdog Millionaire." Does that mean he could land in lead? (No.) When was the last time a movie won best picture with no acting nominations? Was it "Crash"? Michael Shannon gets in instead for "Revolutionary Road"

(3) Best actress, the big whoa category. They snub Kate Winslet for ... Kate Winslet. She gets in for "The Reader," not "Revolutionary Road," which she had been campaigning herself for. The other big surprise is that they nominate both Angelina Jolie for "The Changeling" and Melissa Leo for "Frozen River," but no Sally Hawkins for "Happy-Go-Lucky."

(4) Best actor, and it's Richard Jenkins for "The Visitor" over Clint Eastwood for "Gran Torino." Clint's love affair with the Academy is over. Brad Pitt is in! He and Angie are now an Oscars couple.

(5) And best picture ... has a big shock. "No Dark Knight." But "The Reader" gets in. I can live with that. "The Reader" is the better film, but I bet the Batman fans are bummed.

Best Picture

• The Reader
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Frost/Nixon
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Milk
  

Best Actor

• Sean Penn (Milk)
• Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
• Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
• Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
• Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button)
  

Best Actress

• Kate Winslet (The Reader)
• Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
• Angelina Jolie (The Changeling)
• Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
• Meryl Streep (Doubt) 

[CLICK MORE>> FOR FULL LIST]

Photos, the Associated Press.

The last sleeveless, ivory, intricately appliqued frock seen on a First Family member? Jenna Bush Hager's wedding dress, by Oscar de la Renta.  The irony is that the 27-year-old twin chose de la Renta, a time-honored first-lady favorite and experienced inaugural gown maker -- while the first lady's gown was created by Jason Wu, age 26, who heard about Obama's choice while eating pizza with friends.  Overnight a household name, the New York-based Wu told US Weekly that he thought "white would look great on her.  She's so statuesque!" 

Remember this phenomenal video of a young girl drumming along like a fiend to Rush's prog-rock classic "YYZ"?


That's nothing.
(More after the jump.)

<3s 

 

Photo courtesy AMPAS.

 

Best Picture

About three months ago, a funny thing happened. No one had any idea what would be nominated for best picture--in fact, most of the best picture nominees hadn't even been released or screened for the critics. So it's somewhat of a letdown that this category is so anticlimactic. The directors and producers guilds lined up perfectly, and the Academy will likely do the same and nominate "Slumdog Millionaire," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Milk," "Frost/Nixon" and "The Dark Knight."

Batman is the most vulnerable, since it's a comic book movie, was released over the summer and--can I be honest here?--is at times incoherent, especially in that last big action scene. But I can't think of a single movie that could displace it. "Revolutionary Road" and "Doubt" fizzled with the critics. "The Wrestler" and "Rachel Getting Married" never gained the momentum they deserved. "Gran Torino" opened too late--it clobbered the box office the weekend ballots were due. I wish "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" had a shot. Or "The Reader," the most overlooked movie of the year. But alas, they don't.

And the nominees will be:

• "Slumdog Millionaire"
• "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
• "Milk"
• "Frost/Nixon"
• "The Dark Knight"

• Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
• David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
• Gus van Sant, "Milk"
• Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
• Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight"

• Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
• Sean Penn, "Milk"
• Frank Langella, "Frost Nixon"
• Clint Eastwood, "Gran Torino"
• Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

• Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road"
• Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
• Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
• Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
• Kristin Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You so Long"

• Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
• Josh Brolin, "Milk"
• Dev Patel, "Slumdog Millionaire"
• Robert Downey, Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"

• Penelope Cruz, "Vicki Cristina Barcelona"
• Viola Davis, "Doubt"
• Kate Winslet, "The Reader"
• Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"
• Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

 So "Lost" is back for a fifth season of sermonizing on how you should perceive the afterlife--or numerology, or arctic wildlife migration patterns, or Evangeline Lilly's turquoise eyes, depending on how you interpret the teachings of the Church of J.J. Abrams.  It's been several long months since the last new episode--and yet, years will pass before we find out what all the hootenanny actually means.  For the skeptics, see if TV critic Joshua Alston--who's screened the first three episodes of Season 5--can convince you to keep feeding your addiction.  And for the die-hard fans--the ones fleshing out Lostpedia--peek at Patrick Enright's essay on how the show's confounding logic has gotten too, well, confounding.

• Michelle Obama's Hair Secrets to Get Their Own TV Show.  Johnny Wright, the First Lady's personal stylist, has inked a deal with reality show production company 44Blue.  The L.A.-based stylist has also styled Vivica A. Fox and Candace Bushnell, among others.  Maybe he'll reveal whether the mysterious Vogue cover is actually happening? [Hollywood Reporter]

• Bet on the Joker.  Most Oscar-predicting pundits are giving the fifth Best Picture slot to the Dark Knight, now in the last 24 hours before the nominations are announced.  ("Slumdog Millionaire," "Milk," Frost/Nixon" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" are generally predicted to be the other four).  Was "Beauty and the Beast," the sole animated film to nominated for Best Picture, really that much better than "WALL-E?"  Maybe not, but analysts say "Dark Knight" and its box office cachet could plump up the ratings for the ceremony.  Here's hoping the robot comes through. [Chicago Tribune]

• Guaranteed to Make You Feel Old:  "The Daily Show," that hip political spoof show that all the kids are watching these days, is a decade old.  A full package of commemorative stories and a chat with the producers, who talk about how the show will change in the post-Bush era on Variety.
  

Shark Jumped: Video for Neil Young song from new concept album about (wait for it) eco-friendly cars

It's Like "One," But Not the Same: New U2 single, "Get on Your Boots"

Ya think?: Music industry urged to embrace the Internet

MC Please Stop: A bearded Joaquin Phoenix raps

Didn't Van Halen Do This in '91?: Britney changes title of raunchy tune

• The New York Times Is Shocked That People Actually Saw Kevin James' New Movie.  "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" was the runaway box-office winner over the four-day weekend, earning $39 million and stunning other recent comedic releases like "Yes Man" ($18.2 mil).  Or, as the Times put it: "Prolonging the biggest inaugural weekend surprise since William Henry Harrison declined to wear an overcoat, the underdog comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" (Sony Pictures) continued to dominate the box office on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday."  Merciful heavens!  [New York Times]

• Ad Spots Will Stay Upbeat on Feb. 1.  Even though the world is dark and depressing right now, ads during the Super Bowl will still try to tickle, execs say.  And it's new-age slogan on new-age slogan for the beverage industry: Pepsi has securing a slew of ad spots in the first half to shill it's new "Refresh Everything" tag line, while Coke will take the second half with "Open Happiness."  Somehow, it's hard to believe another classic "Federline! Fries!" moment will emerge from that duel. [USA Today]
  

• Cher Makes a 'Jackass' of Herself.  Cher and Johnny Knoxville.  To be co-billed.  As romantic interests in a new movie called "The Drop-Out."  He, a 35-year-old college student kicked out by his parents and looking for a place to crash.  She, his 62-year-old cougar neighbor and willing... roommate.  Ugh, there goes our breakfast. [Hollywood Reporter]
  

Today marks the big two-oh-oh for legendary horror/mystery writer Edgar Allan Poe. Good ol' EA would have loved Vincent Price in "The Tell-Tale Heart":

Phew. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox have settled their lawsuit over the hotly anticipated movie adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' legendary graphic novel "Watchmen." Fox will reportedly get a payout from WB, but, and this is key, the March 6 release date won't be affected. That's good. However, the movie's still directed by Zack Snyder, helmer of the execrable, plotless "300." That's bad. And yet … the trailers appear to hew quite closely to the look of the original, enough so that even skeptical fans will certainly head into theaters to see for themselves. But wait. Has there ever been a good adaptation of a Moore opus? (Short answer: no. Sorry, "From Hell" and "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" *shudder*.) And the rumors that the ending of "Watchmen" has been changed don't inspire confidence.

(MTVNews)

In even better graphic novel news, Steven Spielberg's animated "Tintin" movie starts production in a couple of weeks. Spielberg and "Lord of the Rings" genius Peter Jackson are swapping producing and directing duties on the first and second movies about the young reporter and his curmudgeonly, alcoholic sailor pal, Captain Haddock--Spielberg will reportedly be directing the first, with Jackson producing, and Jackson will direct the sequel while Spielberg produces. The story of the first will combine two of the classic comic books, "The Secret of the Unicorn" and "Red Rackham's Treasure." Andy Serkis, who "played" Gollum in the "LotR" movies, will again be sporting that oh-so-fashionable motion-capture suit, with Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead") reportedly also co-starring. No word yet on who will be portraying fluffy white terrier Snowy.

(ComingSoon)

[CLICK "MORE" FOR FULL STORY]

• Don Cheadle Must've Thought He Signed On for a 'Hotel Rwanda' Sequel. Instead he's opening today in kiddie flick "Hotel for Dogs" -- joined at the theaters by "My Bloody Valentine 3D," an in-your-face horror experience; "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," in which Kevin James manuevers a Segway in the suburbs; and "Notorious," the B.I.G. biopic. Also going wide after limited runs are Daniel Craig's "Defiance," a Holocaust film, and romantic comedy "Last Chance Harvey," co-starring Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman.  A big slate for a January weekend -- even a long weekend -- as the month is usually very quiet for film. [Variety]
  

• One Step Closer to Seeing Amy Poehler in Khaki Uniform?  NBC announced late yesterday that they'll renew "The Office," "30 Rock," and a struggling "Heroes" -- duh -- but they also revealed an April 9 premiere date for the as-yet-untitled Poehler project, originally slated as an "Office" spinoff before apparently becoming an un-spinoff.  The plot revolves around Poehler as an awkwardly overbearing parks/recreational services employee.  Can't.  Wait. [Hollywood Reporter]

• Casey Affleck Asks Joaquin Phoenix If He Can Film Him.  The younger Affleck will train a lens on Phoenix ("Gladiator," "Walk the Line") for an upcoming documentary about Phoenix's career -- in music.  Phoenix, whose first album will be produced by Diddy, has recently said that he may not return to acting so that he can focus on his rap.  We're envisioning Ross, holding the two-octave keyboard -- only a lot better. [Hollywood Reporter]
  

Kick back with Friday Night Lights, starting Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. Photo courtesy of NBC.

Last week was a major sweep for football: 26.8 million viewers tuned in for the BCS National Championship game between Florida and Oklahoma.  And the Fiesta Bowl (Texas vs. Ohio State) and the NFL playoff game between the Cardinals and the Panthers rounded out a bigtime ratings rally.  Super Bowl buzz is already underway -- in spite of sluggish predictions, NBC has sold more than 90 percent of the 67 ad spots and expects to break FOX's $186.3 million ad haul from last year.

So in theory, timing couldn't be better for football-centric, Emmy-winning drama "Friday Night Lights" to tackle the airwaves with its third season, debuting tomorrow at 9 p.m.  Mega-fan Bill Simmons continues to beat the drum via podcast over at ESPN.com, basically begging people to watch "the best sports TV show since 'White Shadow.'"  But "Lights" is about so much more than the gridiron. Showrunner Jason Katims tell us what to expect from Season 3 -- and why we should tune in now -- on the heels of the show's third straight Best Dramatic Series nomination from the Writers' Guild Assocation:

You've just wrapped Season 3 on DirecTV, and are re-showing the whole thing on NBC -- can we expect differences or added content?

I think that the versions on air between DirecTV and NBC are going to be very, very similar -- there are a few slight changes.  There is going to be a lot of extra content on NBC.com that we have -- specifically, deleted scenes for most of the episodes, never before available, which is something we've done before in the previous seasons and people really respond to them.  It tends to be on the show that we have a lot of really good scenes that unfortunately get cut because of time.  So we're able to sort of supply that to our fans -- who tend to be the kind of fans would seek out that kind of content.

How do you benefit from this kind of dual roll-out model?

Having it on DirecTV first... has kept it in the air – even if you haven't seen it, it's been on people's minds to some degree.  So fans are eager and anticipating Friday’s premiere because of that buzz factor.  They show hasn't been seen on NBC for over a year, or about a year, so we're hoping our fans have stayed reminded of the show -- and that new viewers are anticipating it, as well.  

[CLICK 'MORE' FOR FULL INTERVIEW]

• The Eighties Get Some Love from the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame.  Run DMC and Metallica are up for induction in April, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday, along with a handful of others.  And for the first time ever, you can watch them accept honors live: a limited number of tickets will be sold to watch the induction.  Through the Cleveland-based foundation's box office, Jan. 24, and via Ticketmaster on Jan. 26. [New York Times]

• Josh Schwartz Has Plumbed the Depths of Manhattan-Boarding-School Plotlines.  The "OC" and "Gossip Girl" creator will take his next CW project -- a spinoff of "Gossip Girl" centering around mom Lily van der Woodsen's teenage years -- back to the West Coast, specifically 1980s Los Angeles.  In the show, Lily (then Lily Rhodes) moves in with her sister in the San Fernando Valley at the peak of Valley-girl-dom and attends (gasp!) public school.  Pilot to air May 11 [Variety] 

• Eighth Season of "Idol" Debuts to Fewer Viewers.  Despite changes to the program, designed to entice new viewers and make the whole program a smidge more family-friendly, overall "American Idol" viewership was down 9 percent, with viewers in the 18 to 49 age bracket down 15 percent.  But the show still netted 30.1 million viewers -- it's the biggest show on television. [Variety]
  

Opposite William Shatner for the much-satirized "KAAAAHN!" moment of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn."

Tuxedoed in the opening credits of the 1978 season of "Fantasy Island." 

Montalban admiring the "rich, Corinthian leather" in a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba ad.

Remember Angie Martinez, the Brooklynite radio host and aspiring hip-hop artist who became American Idol's original fourth judge back in 2002?

Yeah, neither did we. Martinez departed after only five days on the job, issuing a statement claiming she "decided to leave the show because it became too uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream."

Meanwhile, after watching Kara DioGuardi slam the girl in the bikini, we suspect she has no problem playing judge.

Last week in our Newsmakers section of the magazine, we ran an item about buzz surrounding Nicole Kidman's down-under press tour for "Australia" -- specifically, about quotes of hers from an Australian radio interview that subsequently ran in the Sydney Morning Herald, in which she claims she was "not proud" of her performance.

But New York Times blogger Michael Cieply came to Nicole's defense with a post on Carpetbagger about how Kidman meant that she squirms while watching all her performances -- not just this performance. He posted a link to the original radio interview, in which Kidman simply says "No, no, no," in response to the question, "Are you proud of your performance?" -- as opposed to point-blank saying she wasn't proud of the film.  Kidman's publicists are asking for a slew of pubs, NEWSWEEK among them, to amend the "nasty and very erroneous item[s]" that addressed the hubbub.

• Sundance to Be Sleepy This Year.  The first film festival to hit since the recession started will be low-key, with fewer splashy parties and a more subdued theme in its 25th anniversary year (it opens tomorrow).  The festival's famous "gifting suites," with the free, high-end swag that usually includes designer clothing, jewelry and electronics, will be filled with less expensive wares; as was the case with awards show swag, there will be an opportunity to re-gift the haul to charity. [Variety]

• Robert Redford Remembers the Good Old Days.  A long Q&A with the actor-director about starting the festival, how there are too many gosh-darn film festivals these days, and what he'll do if there are Prop 8 protests. [Hollywood Reporter]
  

• Most Anticipated Sundance Films: "Black Dynamite," in which Michael Jai White parodies the 1970s African American action hero; "It Might Get Loud," a guitar doc by David Guggeinheim featuring Jack White, Jimmy Page, the Edge and more; "I Love You Philip Morris," starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as prison lovers; "Paper Heart," in which Michael Cera makes a movie with his real-life girlfriend Charlyne about... themselves; "Good Hair," an HBO doc in which Chris Rock unpacks the culture of African American hair; "Adventureland," from "Superbad" helmer Greg Motolla, about kids an at amusement park in the '80s; and more. [Variety slideshow]
  

The show's expanded panel of judges. Courtesy of Fox.

Television years are much like dog years. With each year that passes, television shows age exponentially. Their narratives peter out and their production staffs try everything in the book--stunt casting, shocking deaths, changes of locale--to energize them. This law of diminishing returns extends beyond scripted television, though. Unscripted shows also have to constantly find new ways to shake up the formula in order to stay relevant.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the producers of "American Idol" are unveiling in tonight's season premiere--the show's eighth--a new, fourth, judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi . She'll join Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, the judges who have lorded over the singing competition since it began in 2002. The caustic Cowell will have a tiebreaking vote during the audition rounds.

As cast shakeups go, it's not a bad choice. "Pop Idol," the British show on which the American version is based, has always had four judges. In its second season, the producers of the U.S. show tried to add radio personality Angie Martinez, but she quit early on. DioGuardi, meanwhile, is a respected songwriter, and at 37 she brings a fresh approach to the judging of a show that frequently uses the youth and youthfulness of its contestants as a basis of criticism (average age of the other three current judges: 49).

But if the intent is to stop the show's audience attrition--it dropped 7% in total viewership last season over the year before--DioGuardi's addition isn't going to cut it. In order for "Idol" to survive, it'll have to stop thinking of itself as a talent competition and start thinking of itself as what it has always been: a reality competition show.

• Obama, Coming to Theaters Near You.  The president-elect will take to the widescreen, sooner than we all thought.  MSNBC.com will distribute free tickets to see the inauguration and parade in 27 theaters nationwide.  Here's hoping it can revive a stale January B.O. slate. [Hollywood Reporter]

• Globe Take a Downward Spin.  Nielson reports that NBC failed to fully recapture the Golden Globes audience that defected after the 2007 ceremonies—this year lured 14.5 million viewers, but pre-strike Globes ceremonies routinely hooked numbers in the low 20-millions.  One speculated cause is the "obscure" nominees—if nobody watches "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" on TV in first-run, they're not going to watch them get an award. [Variety]

• TV Guide Runs Out of Space.  The magazine axed all mention of both CW and MTV shows in their guidebook—and CEO Scott Crystal says it's because they're out of room in print.  The claim would make more sense if this week's issue didn't include a feature on CW's "Smallville"—or if channels like Planet Green and QVC weren't still listed.  More like they finally admitted to themselves that no one watching "The Hills" needs to check TV Guide to find out when it's on.  [Variety]

• And in Celebrity News: Howie Mandel is hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat; Matilda Ledger will inherit Heath's Globe; Kelly Clarkson's new single just dropped online; and more [People]
  

The day is over, and the judgmental blogosphere that Tina Fey so roundly (and hilariously) critiqued last night has spoken.  Here, the PopVox judgment on which of those next-day fashion critiques are worth reading, and why:

• Judgiest Judge(s): But of course. The Fug Girls continue to do what made them famous -- namely, trouncing Renee Zellweger for the whole Civil War-era-funerary-costume fiasco.

• Most(ly) Even-Handed Assessment: EW gives a comprehensive, if really restrained, look at the highs, lows and mehs.  Though a slide of Anne Hathaway's serene sequined navy ballgown comes with an uncharacteristically snarky caption about how she didn't dress like a winner -- not sure that Ernst & Young factor that in, guys.

• Most Totally Oblivious to the Runway-Reality Divide: Vogue continues their contrarian death spiral by naming Zellweger's Laura Ingalls Wilder homage the best dress of the night.  Please.  Say what you will about the fashion quotient, Vogue, but the thing was downright unflattering. Worse: Marisa Tomei's "Pirates of the Caribbean" get-up took the silver medal; Blake Lively's pewter sausage casing came in fifth (guess they can't trash their latest cover girl), and Cameron Diaz's way-too-young Barbie pink column dress was ranked ninth.  Saving grace: Maggie Gylenhaal finally got some love.

• Most Middle School: Fashionista's notebook scribblings are quirky and cute -- even though, in this case, I can't read exactly what they liked about Elizabeth Banks' peaches-and-cream ensemble.  Oh well, on to seventh period!

• Best Attention to Detail: People.com's gallery has insets of the accessories each star wore -- a nice touch, since the jewels trumped the gowns this year.
  

Of course, doesn't the best commentary always come from the people around you?  Five favorite couch comments:

• Evan Rachel Wood. "Out of Marilyn Manson's death grips and showing off her amazing skin." (S)
• Beyonce. "She always tries to be so bootylicious. Sometimes it's okay to chill out." (R)
• Angelina Jolie. "Something we've already seen on her before (I'm talking about both her dress and her 'I'm way better than you' sneer)." (R)
• Renee Zellweger. "I cannot even believe that's Carolina Herrera." (S) and "Morticia Adams had a sample sale." (R)
• Rumer Willis. "...Oooooooh."  (A)

(Thank you, Remy, fashion merchandiser; Amanda, fashion-mag designer; and Saidi, fashionable law student!). What do you think?

What is it about the music from the Legend of Zelda series that makes everyone want to remix it? First, Diwa de Leon renders the music in four-part harmony and violin:

and, here, the theremin version, by Randy George:

Courtesy of IMDB and HFPA.

Maybe the crow's-nest hair was a Tippi tribute?

If you watched the red carpet show last night, you know that every man dressed exactly like the Jonas Brothers—slim suit, skinny black tie—with the exception a few traditional, bowtied gents (...and an actual Jonas.  Trying to be clever, are you?!) 

At the expense of the bow, the slim four-in-hand has made a huge comeback in men's formal wear, says neckwear expert Jerry Andersen—though, he adds, it's "sometimes not even fully drawn up to the collar."  The horror!  Three reasons why penguin accessories are skewing skinny:

• Duh—bows are hard to tie. "The bow tie has waned in popularity because so few men know how to tie one any more," says Andersen, of shirtsandties.org (and formerly of the defunct Men's Dress Furnishings Association). "They don't want to be seen wearing a pre-tied."  (Now that would be funny. Brad Pitt enters Globes afterparty, breezes past Zac Efron and jabs: "Nice clip-on, Nancy.")

• Skinny lapels are in—which call for skinny ties. "If you go with the newer narrow lapel jackets, the skinny tie is pretty much dictated or it looks out of balance," Andersen says. Same thing goes for the reverse: Those who opted for wider lapels complemented it with a "wider tie with a Windsor knot." Say that three times fast.
  

• Anything is better than no tie—or Tony Shalhoub in a BeDazzled choker. "I guess somebody has to try to bring back the Nehru," Anderson says.

Courtesy HFPA.

If you think the Golden Globes are an odd program to watch, you should take a look at the actual program--you know, the glossy one they hand out to the stars. It resembles a fancy high school yearbook. It opens with a letter from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who as the governor of California congratulates all the nominees--because he's like the school principal. "I won my first Golden Globe more than thirty years ago," the ex-"Terminator" writes. "I'm still waiting for my second!" Then there's a list of the 81 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the mysterious clique of journalists who vote on the Globes, from countries as far away as Malaysia, Japan, and Australia. Then there's the part that really looks like a yearbook, where a bunch of actors pass on Hallmark-worthy wishes to Steve Spielberg, this year's Cecil B. DeMille honorary winner. "Congratulations and I love you!" writes Dakota Fanning. "You are one in a million," says Goldie Hawn. "I bow to you!" And, of course, Tom Cruise is his characteristically low-key self: "This world is a better place because of the remarkable person you are."

Cruise probably has an equally high opinion of the Globes--after all, the organization is one of the only groups to single out his performance in "Tropic Thunder." But the rest of us know better. While the Globes are billed as a dress rehearsal to the Oscars, they are also an unscripted party with Hollywood's biggest stars--so unscripted in fact that you sometimes can't tell what the heck is going on. That's where we come in. We were backstage at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., where the winners took questions from the foreign--and non foreign--members of the press. Here are 9 things that we learned.

(1) As the evening started, Kate Winslet won best supporting actress for "The Reader," but when she opened her purse to take out her speech, it looked like there was more paper inside. Had she written a second speech for her other nominated performance, in "Revolutionary Road"? "(Those were) blotting papers, to take the shine off your face," Winslet said, slightly defensive. "There is no other speech! I have no further expectations."

(2) Then she won for "Revolutionary Road," too, and we saw that she wasn't lying when she delivered an impromptu, heartfelt acceptance. So why did she only write a speech for "The Reader"? "Because I thought Anne Hathaway was going to win it hands down," Winslet said. "I really feel like this is a dream."

(3) Ricky Gervais delivered a hilarious monologue about sleeping with the entire membership of the Hollywood Foreign Press, and he kept taking a sip of ...something. What was he drinking? "Beer," Gervais said. "But I think somebody put a little crack inside."

(4) As Sally Hawkins walked up to accept her award for best performance in a comedy for "Happy-Go-Lucky," Meryl Streep--who was also nominated in the category--leaned over and whispered something into her ear. What did Meryl say? According to Hawkins, Streep asked, "Are you happy now?!'" Later, Hawkins grinned to a roomful of journalists: "Yes, Meryl. I'm happy!"

(5) When "30 Rock" won best TV comedy series, Tracy Morgan accepted the award, saying, "Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for the show from now on." Come on, they didn't really make a wager about that, did they!?! "Absolutely," Morgan says. "It's in the contract now."

(6) There were two unintentional f-word moments on the live East Coast broadcast. Director Darren Aronofsky affectionately flipped off Mickey Rourke, and on the pre-show interview, Colin Farrell--who won best actor in a musical comedy for "In Bruges"--accidentally dropped the f-word. Did Colin get in trouble? "I wasn't aware of that at all," Farrell said sheepishly, adding he usually only realizes that he's cursing by the time he gets to the letters "CK."

(7) "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" won best musical comedy, but where was Woody Allen? He stayed in New York; according to one of the film's producers, Letty Aronson, "he's probably sleeping."

(8) Rourke thanked his past and present dogs in his speech for best actor in a drama ("The Wrestler"). How many has he had? At least a dozen, including his Chihuahua Taco Bell, and he has all of their names imprinted on the rings that he wears on his hand, he said.

(9) "Slumdog Millionaire" swept with four wins, including best picture drama. So you'd think the real Hollywood stars would be jealous of its cast of unknowns, right? Maybe not. "I had a funny experience with Angelina Jolie [at a recent dinner]," said Freida Pinto, the film's female lead. "I wanted to go up to her but I didn't want to seem like a creepy girl. I'd just stuck a pastry in my mouth and Angelina Jolie came up to me and said, 'Great film.' Talk about bad timing."

The surprise winner of Sunday night's Golden Globes? "Milk Meets Nixon." No, your author isn't suffering from a champagne-fueled Jack Nicholson/Elizabeth Taylor-like moment. This unlikely pairing was a winner at the completely unauthorized, unofficial Golden Globes party I attended, far from Hollywood, in a cozy apartment in New York.

Our gracious host Randall, who is a bit of a movie nut and a contest junkie with a serious competitive streak, ordered invited guests to "bring a party dish that is not only delicious but also inspired by one of this year's GG nominees." Oh, #%@*, I thought. This ought to be fun—NOT.

But after bemoaning my plight to friends and coworkers, nearly all offered ideas, with gusto. Some even sounded a little sad that they wouldn't be going to said soirée. And it did turn out to be fun, even the judging part. Yes, the dishes were judged according to an elaborate scoring system devised by our host:

50% - Link/explanation to your dish and the chosen Golden Globe nominee. Written, clever explanations are encouraged.
35% - Taste.
15% - Presentation.

So, without further ado, the envelope please:

3rd Place: "Milk Meets Nixon": Apparently Nixon's favorite snack food was dried figs. (Really, not prunes?)  So guest Ken created mini semolina cakes made with "milk" and topped his creations with fig syrup.

2nd Place: "Harvey's Milk Pie": I was responsible for this tooth-rotting traditional "milk pie" flavored with "Harvey's Bristol Cream" sherry ... If you haven't seen "Milk", the protagonist's name is Harvey Milk. Terribly clever, right?

And the Golden Globe went to "In Bruges," another masterful creation by Ken. I'll give you his description verbatim: "Two Irish men find themselves enmeshed in the local customs of Bruges, Belgium. I took a very Irish ingredient (potatoes) and made a sandwich out of it. The filling between the two 'buns' are things that are not Irish to symbolize the two Irishmen being in a different culture." The three different fillings were tuna, chicken and avocado.

Honorable mentions should go to the delicious tortilla Espanola (in tribute to "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), "Revolutionary (Rocky) Road" (an ice cream/cake concoction), and "The Wrestler" (a cheese "ring" with lots of raspberry preserves in the middle, symbolizing, well, blood). The booby prize of the night goes to a plain (and untouched) carton of "Milk." Who brought that?!

Alas, I wasn't able to capture an image of this eclectic spread due to an unfortunate accident involving leakage from my milk pie, which hadn't quite set before we set out for the party. If you've ever wondered, cameras don't mix very well with sugary, milky syrup.

Now your author must sign off for a pre-bed diet of Tums. And hope my stomach recovers in time for the Oscars.

P.S. Did anyone else notice that whenever the camera panned an actor sitting at a table, the Moet label on the champagne was always turned so that you could read it? Did they have attendants running around to stage the champagne bottles after every glass of bubbly was poured? Now that's some serious product placement.

Last hours of the work week, one task to go: plunk some cash down on the Golden Globes.  Who cares if they're a poor man's Oscars (...or a rich man's People's Choice Awards?).  And the contenders are...

Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

The Carrie Bradshaw crew will flock to "Bride Wars" this weekend -- even if critics are slamming the chick flick as tiered-tulle tripe. (The main B.O. opponent looks like Clint Eastwood as a reformed racist coot, who takes to the nationwide multiplexes in the excellent "Gran Torino.")

But as Variety's Todd McCarthy points out in passing, one of the more odious aspects of the film isn't the tired bridezilla schtick or, as he groans, the use of "OMG" in response to any and all scenarios.  It's the setting in a thoroughly bygone era -- that of the opulent, pre-recession wedding:

"Wishful thinking, ...a schoolteacher signing on for a deluxe wedding without even inquiring as to the cost. But then, the movie is already a period piece, made before last September, when price wasn't an issue."

A period piece! In ye olde times of fat, we had San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker and "Desperate Housewife" Eva Longoria, married in front of "several hundreds" at a 17th-century French chateau and faintly denying reports that the cake cost $11,000 -- just to fly from L.A. to Paris. 

Now in famine, we have "The Hills"' Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, ditching a bar in Mexico to elope on a cheap-tequila buzz -- family, friends and $100-a-head caterers notably absent.

The country is following suit.  A survey conducted by David's Bridal last month revealed that 75 percent of brides had to rethink their wedding budget in light of the economy.  How?  By replacing wedding cakes, once an up to $3,000 suck on a bridal budget, with a $150 rented version.  (A lavish dummy cake arrives in a wooden crate; once it's been thoroughly admired, you haul it into the kitchen to "slice," and out comes Costco sheet cake).  Or by getting married in a cheaper country, a la Speidi -- destination weddings attract on average a third of the guests vis-a-vis traditional weddings. Even fashion designer Vera Wang, whose bridal line is the ne plus ultra of that retail sector -- and whose designs both Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson wear in the film -- is backing out of New York Fashion Week next month to cut costs.

Is this Tina Fey's year? Can "True Blood" really win? NEWSWEEK's Joshua Alston and Marc Peyser make their picks for the awards show. Disagree? The comments are all yours.

Introductory blog posts kind of make my skin crawl.  "Join me as I peel back a batiked-peace-sign curtain to reveal my moody thoughts, which I 'll be transcribing and creatively punctuating three times a day."  Eesh. 

This is kinda fun:

Cover art for the Criterion Collection edition of Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm"

FROM AMERICAN GEEK: Back in my DVD buying heyday, scanning The Criterion Collection section of Tower Records (R.I.P.) or the Virgin Megastore was an essential part of movie shopping. Some of the movies I'd already seen ("Dead Ringers") and others I hadn't ("The Seven Samurai"), but the care and dedication of the folks at Criterion always added a little extra something to my viewing experience. So it's welcome news that the company has started streaming some of its movies online. Here's how Laurence Lerman wrote up the news for Video Business:

Titles will be available online as streaming video for $5 for a one-week rental. The rental fee can be applied toward the purchase of that film on DVD or Blu-ray Disc when it is bought online at www.criterion.com. Criterion also initiated a "frequent flyer" program wherein every dollar spent earns the purchaser a point; 500 points yields a $50 gift certificate redeemable at the Web site.

"The rental fee counting toward the purchase of the DVD or Blu-ray was a direct response to the fact that, even though we've spent a huge amount of time developing an encoding workflow and a set of compression standards that we truly believe is the most film-like streaming experience on the Web, we still feel we can't offer video worth buying over the Internet," said Becker. "If you love these movies and really want to see them in high quality versions, you should buy the DVD or the Blu-ray disc."