L.A. Starz

81st Academy Awards Nominations

2009-01-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

BEST PICTURE "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "Frost/Nixon" "Milk" "The Reader" "Slumdog Millionaire" BEST ACTRESS Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married" Angelina Jolie, "Changeling" Melissa Leo, "Frozen River" Meryl Streep, "Doubt" Kate Winslet, "The Reader" BEST ACTOR Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon" Sean Penn, "Milk" Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler" Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor" BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Adams, "Doubt" Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Viola Davis, "Doubt" Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler" BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Josh Brolin, "Milk" Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder" Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt" Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road" BEST DIRECTOR Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" Stephen Daldry, "The Reader" David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon" Gus Van Sant, "Milk" BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Dustin Lance Black, "Milk" Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River" Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky" Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges" Andrew Stanton, and Jim Reardon; original story by Stanton and Pete Docter"WALL-E" BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire" David Hare, "The Reader" Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon" John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt" Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM "The Baader-Meinhof Complex" (Germany) "The Class" (France) "Departures" (Japan) "Revanche" (Austria) "Waltz with Bashir" (Israel) BEST ANIMATED FILM "Bolt" "Kung Fu Panda" "WALL-E" BEST ART DIRECTION "Changeling" "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "The Duchess" "Revolutionary Road" BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY "Changeling" Tom Stern "Slumdog Millionaire," Anthony Dod Mantle "The Reader," Chris Menges "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Claudio Miranda "The Dark Knight," Wally Pfister BEST FILM EDITING "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall "The Dark Knight," Lee Smith "Frost/Nixon," Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill "Milk," Elliot Graham "Slumdog Millionaire," Chris Dickens BEST COSTUME DESIGN "Australia," Catherine Martin "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Jacqueline West "The Duchess," Michael O'Conner "Milk", Danny Glicker "Revolutionary Road," Albert Wolsky BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" "Encounters at the End of the World" "The Garden" "Man on Wire" "Trouble the Water" BEST ORIGINAL SONG "Slumdog Millionaire," "Jai Ho" "Slumdog Millionaire," "O Saya" "WALL-E," "Down To Earth" BEST ORIGINAL SCORE "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat "Defiance," James Newton Howard "Milk," Danny Elfman "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman "WALL-E," Thomas Newman BEST MAKEUP "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" BEST SOUND EDITING "The Dark Knight" "Iron Man" "Slumdog Millionaire" "WALL-E" "Wanted" BEST SOUND MIXING "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "Slumdog Millionaire" "WALL-E" "Wanted" BEST VISUAL EFFECTS "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "Iron Man" BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" "Manon on the Asphalt" "New Boy" "The Pig" "Spielzeugland (Toyland)" BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM "La Maison en Petits Cubes" "Lavatory - Lovestory" "Oktapodi" "Presto" "This Way Up" BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM "The Conscience of Nhem En" "The Final Inch" "Smile Pinki" "The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"

66th Annual Golden Globe Awards

2009-01-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Nominees and Winners for the 2009 Golden Globe Awards, presented Sunday, January 11, 2009 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "Frost/Nixon" "The Reader" "Revolutionary Road" "Slumdog Millionaire" (Winner) BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY "Burn After Reading" "Happy-Go-Lucky" "In Bruges" "Mamma Mia!" "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (Winner) FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE "The Baader Meinhof Complex" "Everlasting Moments" "Gomorrah" "I've Loved You So Long" "Waltz With Bashir" (Winner) BEST DIRECTOR Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"(Winner) Stephen Daldry, "The Reader" David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon" Sam Mendes, "Revolutionary Road" BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR Leonardo DiCaprio, "Revolutionary Road" Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon" Sean Penn, "Milk" Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler" (Winner) BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married" Angelina Jolie, "Changeling" Meryl Streep, "Doubt" Kristin Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You So Long" Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road" (Winner) BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL Javier Bardem, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Colin Farrell, "In Bruges" (Winner) James Franco, "Pineapple Express" Brendan Gleeson, "In Bruges" Dustin Hoffman, "Last Chance Harvey" BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL Rebecca Hall, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Winner) Frances McDormand, "Burn After Reading" Meryl Streep, "Mamma Mia!" Emma Thompson, "Last Chance Harvey" SUPPORTING ACTOR Tom Cruise, "Tropic Thunder" Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder" Ralph Fiennes, "The Duchess" Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt" Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" (Winner) SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Adams, "Doubt" Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Viola Davis, "Doubt" Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler" Kate Winslet, "The Reader" (Winner) ANIMATED FILM "Bolt" "Kung Fu Panda" "Wall-E" (Winner) SCREENPLAY Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire" (Winner) David Hare, "The Reader" Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon" Eric Roth, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt" ORIGINAL SCORE Alexandre Desplat, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Clint Eastwood, "Changeling" James Newton Howard, "Defiance" Hans Zimmer, "Frost/Nixon" A.R. Rahman, "Slumdog Millionaire" (Winner) SONG "Down to Earth" (performed by Peter Gabriel, written by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman), "Wall-E" "Gran Torino" (performed by Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens, lyrics by: Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens), "Gran Torino" "I Thought I Lost You" (performed by Miley Cyrus and John Travolta, written by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele), "Bolt" "Once in a Lifetime" (performed by Beyoncé, written by Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street), "Cadillac Records" "The Wrestler" (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen), "The Wrestler" (Winner) TELEVISION CATEGORIES DRAMATIC TV SERIES "Dexter" "House M.D." "In Treatment" "Mad Men" (Winner) "True Blood" BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment" (Winner) Michael C. Hall, "Dexter" Jon Hamm, "Mad Men" Hugh Laurie, "House M.D." Jonathan Rhys Meyers, "The Tudors" BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters" Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU" January Jones, "Mad Men" Anna Paquin, "True Blood" (Winner) Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer" TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY "Californication" "Entourage" "The Office" "30 Rock" (Winner) "Weeds" BEST ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" (Winner) Steve Carell, "The Office" Kevin Connolly, "Entourage" David Duchovny, "Californication" Tony Shalhoub, "Monk" BEST ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?" America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty" Tina Fey, "30 Rock" (Winner) Debra Messing, "The Starter Wife" Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds" BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION "Cranford" "Bernard & Doris" "John Adams" (Winner) "A Raisin in the Sun" "Recount" BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Judi Dench, "Cranford" Laura Linney, "John Adams" (Winner) Catherine Keener, "An American Crime" Shirley MacLaine, "Coco Chanel" Susan Sarandon, "Bernard & Doris" BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Ralph Fiennes, "Bernard and Doris" Paul Giammatti, "John Adams" (Winner) Kevin Spacey, "Recount" Kiefer Sutherland, "24: Redemption" Tom Wilkinson, "Recount" BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Eileen Atkins, "Cranford" Laura Dern, "Recount" (Winner) Melissa George, "In Treatment" Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers & Sisters" Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment" BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother" Denis Leary, "Recount" Jeremy Piven, "Entourage" Blair Underwood, "In Treatment" Tom Wilkinson, "John Adams" (Winner) CECIL B. DEMILLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD< Steven Spielberg

15th Annual SAG Awards

2008-12-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Nominees for the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced December 18, 2008. The SAG Awards will be presented Sunday, January 29, 2009 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The show will be aired live on both TNT and TBS. THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor" Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon" Sean Penn, "Milk" Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler" Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married" Angelina Jolie, "Changeling" Melissa Leo, "Frozen River" Meryl Streep, "Doubt" Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road" Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Josh Brolin, "Milk" Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder" Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt" Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" Dev Patel, "Slumdog Millionaire" Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Amy Adams, "Doubt" Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Viola Davis, "Doubt" Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Kate Winslet, "The Reader" Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture "Doubt" "Milk" "Frost/Nixon" "Slumdog Millionaire" "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture "The Dark Knight" "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" "Iron Man" "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" "Wanted" TELEVISION Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Michael C. Hall, "Dexter" Jon Hamm, "Mad Men" Hugh Laurie, "House M.D." William Shatner, "Boston Legal" James Spader, "Boston Legal" Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters" Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU" Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace" Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer" Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men" Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" Steve Carell, "The Office" David Duchovny, "Californication" Jeremy Piven, "Entourage" Tony Shalhoub, "Monk" Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?" America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty" Tina Fey, "30 Rock" Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds" Tracy Ullman, "Tracy Ullman's State of the Union" Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series "Boston Legal" "The Closer" "Mad Men" "House" "Dexter" Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series "30 Rock" "Desperate Housewives" "Entourage" "The Office" "Weeds" Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Tom Wilkinson, "John Adams" Ralph Fiennes, "Bernard and Doris" Paul Giamatti, "John Adams" Kiefer Sutherland, "24: Redemption" Kevin Spacey, "Recount" Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Laura Dern, "Recount" Laura Linney, "John Adams" Shirley MacLaine, "Coco Chanel" Phylicia Rashad, "A Raisin in the Sun" Susan Sarandon, "Bernard and Doris" Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series "Heroes" "Friday Night Lights" "Prison Break" "The Unit" "The Closer"

Meet Robert Pattinson, Movie Star

2008-11-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

This is it. The week the reviews come out. The week that finds the rest of Hollywood opening its eyes to the magic of Robert Pattinson, the movie star.

No matter how the film is received, Pattinson is bound to emerge from this experience as a bona fide movie star.

Sitting through hundreds of recent interviews while promoting this week's potential blockbuster Twilight, Pattinson never lost his charm, wit or grace and now the qualities that have attracted his long time fans are cemented for jaded industry people to absorb.

The same for all those promotional photo shoots - not only did they capture his obvious good looks, they also captured the chameleon like quality he possesses when photographed. One moment he looks like a boy; then a boy on the verge of manhood; then he looks like a mature adult male. These looks will allow him to accept any variety of film roles, and not be locked into any one genre. He will have his pick of scripts.

Robert Pattinson is not just another pretty faced 22 year old actor. There is much more to him than that. He is a true artist, a student of the world and well grounded; he will not be just the "it boy" of the year.

Long time fans will probably feel the same way I do - vindicated. My daughter reminded me the other day about when, after seeing him in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I went to his IMDb page to see who he was and what his previous works were. At the time, GOF was his only film credit and I told her then "watch out, this young man is going to make it."

I believe he made it in 2008.

Twilight Stars Stalked by Paparazzi

2008-11-17T09:19:00.001-08:00

This video of Twilight stars Rob Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed and Rachel Lafevere has got a lot of people mad on Twilight forums, and I agree. So I'm promoting it in an effort to make this video go virally BAD for the paparazzi channel that got "this scoop." This is an opportunity to voice your opinion to let greasy paparazzi photographers know that sometimes it's just not okay to follow Rob's every move. Yes, Rob looked gorgeous walking down the jetway at LAX, but also really, really bushed from that crazy road trip. Yes, a lot of fans like to see his every move, but if we condone pap videos like this, will you really want to see one come out of him taking a sh*t or something? Because that's where his newfound fame is going to take him unless they get a clue as to where to draw the line. A week ago these paps didn't know who he was, now they were out for the MONEY shot. Please join me, rate this video with your heart - not with 5* because Rob's in it. But a 1* because it wasn't necessary to document in the first place. Getting off my pulpit now ...

Meet Rachelle Lefevre from Twilight

2008-11-15T21:45:00.001-08:00

I have a feeling that Racheele Lefevre is going to be the next breakout star from the Twilight movie phenomenom. Rachelle plays the nomad vampire Victoria in the Twilight movie, and she's done an outstanding job promoting the film for Summit Entertainment. She's smart, funny, beautiful, energetic, and sincere. These are the same qualities her co-star Robert Pattinson possesses - and where he is undoubtedly Hollywood's Breakout Male Star of 2008, Rachelle might find herself cast as his female counterpart.

Backstage at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards

2008-10-07T22:20:00.001-07:00

Karen Wood from Backstage Creations introduced the Tiger Electronics Celebrity Gift Retreat at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards.

MTV Video Music Awards Gift Suite Celeb Body secret

2008-10-07T22:18:00.001-07:00

2008 'STUFF THAT ROCKS' GIFT VILLA

2008-10-07T22:17:00.001-07:00

Oscar Celebrity Gift Bag

2008-10-07T22:16:00.005-07:00

Celebrity VIP Gift Bag for Emmy Awards

2008-10-07T22:16:00.003-07:00

In the 2008 Emmy Awards gift lounge

2008-10-07T22:16:00.001-07:00

Declare Yourself - Don't Vote

2008-10-02T22:45:00.001-07:00

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Usher, Jonah Hill, Kyra Sedgewick, Kevin Bacon, Jamie Foxx, Natalie Portman, Sarah Silverman, Dustin Hoffman, Forrest Whitaker, Ellen DeGeneres, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria Parker, Halle Berry, Laura Linney, Courtney Cox Arquette, Benicio Del Toro, and more top celebs share this message with you. They encourage you to forward this video to 5 of your friends. Please spread the word, and visit DeclareYourself.com for more.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008)

2008-10-01T10:30:00.001-07:00

Matt recently appeared on Tyra's show featuring You Tube stars. Let's all do a happy dance!

Going Beyond Celebrity Gossip Rags

2007-12-30T10:32:00.001-08:00

When I was younger, I was a voracious reader. In school, I dutifully read every book on the required reading list, then expanded beyond those elementary titles to weightier novels. My passion continued on into young adulthood, when my friends were out partying, I would read late into the night, grab a couple hours of sleep then drag myself into work. I read to my daughter every night from early infancy until she took over the titles and started reading to me. Then, a few years, I realized I had stopped reading. I had given in to my upper extremities issues and just couldn't set aside the pain long enough to linger over a book the way I used to, so I just put them all aside. I started to feel ignorant, having missed the latest releases and being unaware of what book topped what best seller list. Plus, I've really been wanting to go back and read some of the classics I skipped in lieu of more lusty prose from Danielle Steele's early collection.

So now I want to read and I'm much better prepared to handle the adjustments I need to make to get into those long awaited novels. My problem was that I had nothing to read, had too many interests to narrow down to choosing that first book, and starting a book list of my own just seemed like it would take too much energy. So when my sister asked the inevitable question "what do you want for Christmas this year?" I was prepared with my answer: books. But I added one caveat to my request - I did not want brand new books. I did not want to ask her to choose ten titles for me at Barnes and Noble that would ring up to $200.00 or more. I asked her to please head down to our local library and hit up the annual book sale there.

To my total happiness on Christmas morning, I unwrapped a most wonderful package containing just the right mix of books to get me back on the literary path. Sister had managed to snag the following, all in good to great condition:

A brand new copy of Anthony Bourdain's Bits and Pieces (hardback); a 1949 copy of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; Pandemic by Daniel Kalla; Alice Hoffman's Here on Earth; Homeland by John Jakes; Grift Sense and Funny Money, both by James Swain; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou; Killer Body by Bonnie Hearn Hill; Helen Fielding's Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination; and a few more. The grand total for this most wonderful Christmas package: $7.00.

Sister is surprised that I chose to write about this, but it is a great example of a couple points: Christmas presents do not have to cost a lot of money, and it is an easy way to support the efforts of our local Friends of the Library.

Just one more thing, next time you're cleaning out your bookshelf, you might consider donating your discarded books to your local library. Most libraries are also willing to take your magazines and other reading material (books on tape / CD, etc). Library volunteers then distribute your donations to reading projects, nursing homes, and public sales.

p.s. thanks Sister for all the other great gifts, as well!

New Year, New You?

2007-12-30T10:27:00.001-08:00

It seems every year at this time we see a variety of articles in print and online with the headline "New Year, New You." Having seen this catchy phrase most recently on the cover of Costco Connection - right above a slightly photoshopped picture of one of America's original fitness gurus Jack LaLanne - just got me wondering, what does it mean? If I run to Costco to pick up Jack LaLanne's Power Juice Machine, will my life suddenly change in 2008?

Golden Globe Nominations

2007-12-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

Nominees for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning. See the complete list on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's website: http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/index.html.

SF Film Critics 2007 Award Winners

2007-12-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS CIRCLE announces its 2007 Awards for Achievement in Film San Francisco, CA, December 10, 2007 – The San Francisco Film Critics Circle has named “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” as the Best Picture of 2007. Andrew Dominik’s Western, based on the Ron Hansen novel, details the complex psychology of Robert Ford and his relationship to the infamous outlaw Jesse James. For his performance as Ford, Casey Affleck was named Best Supporting Actor. Veteran filmmaking team Joel & Ethan Coen took Best Director honors for helming “No Country for Old Men,” an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s existential crime drama. The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC), which includes twenty-four Bay Area film critics, honored George Clooney as Best Actor for the titular role of a troubled lawyer in “Michael Clayton.” Julie Christie won Best Actress for playing Fiona Anderson, who bravely faces Alzheimer’s disease in “Away from Her.” In addition to Affleck’s Best Supporting Actor nod, Amy Ryan secured Best Supporting Actress for playing Helene McCready, mother to a missing girl in “Gone Baby Gone.” Best Original Screenplay honors went to Tamara Jenkins’ “The Savages,” a seriocomic look at two siblings dealing with the physical and mental breakdown of their father, while Best Adapted Screenplay was awarded to Sarah Polley for turning Alice Munro’s short story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” into the film “Away from Her.” The San Francisco critics picked “No End in Sight” as the year’s Best Documentary; Charles Ferguson’s film explicates America’s controversial entry into and occupation of Iraq. Best Foreign Language Film went to Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (“Le scaphandre et le papillon”), a French-language adaptation of Jean-Dominique Bauby’s autobiographical book about life trapped inside a paralyzed body. The SFFCC issued a Special Citation to recognize the under-looked independent film “Colma: The Musical,” a homegrown song-and-dance extravaganza about the paradoxical drudgery and surreality of life in a city where the dead outnumber the living one thousand to one. Lastly, the group presented its Marlon Riggs Award, honoring a Bay Area filmmaker or individual who represents courage and innovation in the world of cinema, to filmmaker Lynn Hershman-Leeson. Hershman-Leeson’s films include “Conceiving Ada,” “Teknolust,” and this year’s “Strange Culture,” the true story of a Bay Area artist’s Kafkaesque experience as a suspected terrorist in the era of the Patriot Act. # # # The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC), founded in 2002, is comprised of film critics from Bay Area publications. Its members include Jeff Anderson (Combustible Celluloid), Jeanne Aufmuth (Palo Alto Weekly), Barry Caine (Bay Area News Group), Peter Canavese (GrouchoReviews), Andrea Chase (Killer Movie Reviews), Cheryl Eddy (SF Bay Guardian), Michael Fox (SF360), Susan Gerhard (SF360), Pam Grady (FilmStew), Peter Hartlaub (San Francisco Chronicle), Dennis Harvey (Variety), Johnny Ray Huston (SF Bay Guardian), Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle), Carla Meyer (Sacramento Bee), Bruce Newman (San Jose Mercury News), Mary Pols (Contra Costa Times), James Rocchi (CBS-5), Tim Sika (Celluloid Dreams), Ruthe Stein (San Francisco Chronicle), Jan Wahl (KRON-TV), Jason Walsh (Pacific Sun), Kelly Vance (East Bay Express), and Richard Von Busack (San Jose Metro).

New York Film Critics Circle 2007 Awards Winners

2007-12-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

THE NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS “NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN” BEST FILM OF 2007 December 10, 2007 (New York, NY) -- Stephen Whitty, Chair of the New York Film Critics Circle 2007 and critic and columnist for the Newark Star-Ledger (Newhouse News Service), announced today that the Circle has awarded top honors to the following films: Best Picture — No Country For Old Men Best Director — Joel & Ethan Coen / No Country For Old Men Best Actor — Daniel Day-Lewis / There Will Be Blood Best Actress — Juiie Christie / Away From Her Best Supporting Actor — Javier Bardem / No Country For Old Men Best Supporting Actress — Amy Ryan / Gone Baby Gone Best Cinematography — Robert Elswit / There Will Be Blood Best Screenplay — Joel & Ethan Coen / No Country For Old Men Best Animated Film — Persepolis Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary) — No End in Sight Best Foreign-Language Film — The Lives of Others Best First Film — Away From Her Lifetime Achievement Award — Sidney Lumet Special Critics Award — “Killer of Sheep” by Charles Burnett Whitty says “We started the vote without any clear front runners, but NO COUNTRY... quickly emerged as a favorite. It is a pleasure to welcome back these NY based filmmakers for their stunning achievement. It was also nice to see several debut efforts by female filmmakers (Sarah Polley for AWAY FROM HER and Marjane Satrapi for PERSEPOLIS) make our list this year. With such an interesting list of talented winners, I am really looking forward to our January 6th awards dinner.” The Circle’s awards ceremony will take place at Spotlight in New York City on Sunday, January 6, 2008. Founded in 1935, the Circle’s membership includes critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers and magazines. Every year in December the organization meets in New York to vote on awards for the previous calendar year's films. The Circle's awards are often viewed as harbingers of the Oscar nominations, which are announced each February. The Circle's awards are also viewed — perhaps more accurately — as a principled alternative to the Oscars, honoring esthetic merit in a forum that is immune to commercial and political pressures. http://www.nyfcc.com

‘300’ Conquers 2007 High-Def Awards

2007-12-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

‘300’ Conquers High-Def Awards DEC. 5, 2007 — Warner Home Video’s hit film 300 dominated the first-ever High-Def Disc Awards, taking High-Def Title of the Year and Best Bonus Feature honors. The High-Def Disc Awards dinner was part of High-Def 2.0, a one-day conference held Dec. 4 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Calif. High-Def 2.0 was presented by Home Media Magazine in cooperation with The Hollywood Reporter and the Entertainment Merchants Association. A panel of critics determined the best titles in 11 categories, with eligibility dating back to the inception of each high-def format — HD DVD in April 2006 and Blu-ray Disc in June 2006. Not only was 300 the only multiple winner, but it was also the only winner released on both high-def formats. Specifically, the 300 Blu-ray earned title of the year, while the HD DVD version won the bonus feature award for a function that allows a bluescreen version of the film to run simultaneously with the feature, allowing fans to compare the two and see the extent of the special-effects work done on the film to depict an ancient battle between Spartans and Persians. A live-action title of the year for each format also was awarded: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s James Bond epic Casino Royale won for Blu-ray and Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s cop comedy Hot Fuzz won for HD DVD. Sony Picture’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind was named best multidisc set. The definitive collection uses seamless branching to store three different versions of Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi film on a single disc, allowing viewers to compare them. High-Def Award Winners: High Def Title of the Year: 300 (Blu-ray), Warner Home Video Best Live-Action Blu-ray: Casino Royale, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Best Live-Action HD DVD: Hot Fuzz, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Best Animated: Ratatouille (Blu-ray), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Picture Quality: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (Blu-ray), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Audio Quality: Transformers (HD DVD), Paramount Home Entertainment Best Bonus Feature: 300 (HD DVD), Bluescreen Picture-in-Picture, Warner Home Video Most Innovative Use of New Technology: HD DVD U-Shop feature (Internet purchase ability), Universal Studios Home Entertainment Best Long-Form Music Video: Dave Mathews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall (Blu-ray), Sony BMG Best Catalog: Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Best Collection/Multidisc Set: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Home Media Magazine is the leading home entertainment business-to-business trade. It is published weekly by Questex Media Group Inc.

National Board of Review

2007-12-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Winners of the National Board of Review Awards were announced today. Awards will be presented in New York City on January 15, 2008. Actor George Clooney got the Best Actor award for Michael Clayton, Julie Christie was named Best Actress for Away From Her. Tim Burton was named Best Director for the film adaptation of Sweeney Todd, starring Johnny Depp, and No Country for Old Men was named Best Film. See the complete list at http://imdb.com/Sections/Awards/National_Board_of_Review_USA/2007.

2007 Golden Satellite Nominations

2007-11-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

The International Press Academy announced their nominations for the 2007 Golden Satellite Awards today. The award winners will be announced December 16, 2007.

2007 TV DVD Awards Winners

2007-11-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

Muppets, ‘Get Smart’ Reign at TV DVD Awards NOV. 13, 2007 — A complete-series boxed set of “Get Smart” won the top honor at the fourth annual TV DVD Awards Nov. 12, while shows featuring Jim Henson’s Muppet characters won three awards. The announcement came at a gala awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Calif. The TV DVD Awards were presented by Home Media Magazine in cooperation with TVShowsOnDVD.com, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group and The Hollywood Reporter. Get Smart: The Complete Series, a collaboration between Time Life and HBO Video, earned the coveted Best of Show prize. Judges pointed to the set’s simple yet clever phone booth packaging that mimics the show’s elaborate opening sequence, as well as such bonus features as commentaries, new interviews, bloopers and rare footage. “This is a classic show, and it’s good to see the care and consideration that fans should expect put into this DVD set,” said Thomas K. Arnold, Home Media Magazine publisher and editorial director. “So many catalog TV DVDs are just thrown out there with little added value beyond the episodes themselves.” Also revealed were the winners in 16 categories as voted by consumers in an online vote. A blue-ribbon panel of judges, comprised of top DVD critics and journalists, selected four finalists in each of the 16 categories from a field of more than 160 studio submissions of titles released between Sept. 1, 2006, and Sept. 30, 2007. Consumers voted for their favorites Oct. 15-26. The judges panel selected the Best of Show winner from among all entries. In addition to its Best of Show prize, “Get Smart” won the consumer vote for best 1960s series DVD and tied for best complete-series set with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s M*A*S*H: The Martinis & Medicine Collection. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s second-season DVD of “The Muppet Show” also won two awards, for best 1970s show and best children’s program, while another fan favorite from Jim Henson Productions, Fox and HIT Entertainment’s Fraggle Rock: Season 3, won best 1980s series. Judges bestowed a special award on Anchor Bay’s “Greatest American Hero” limited-edition collector’s set for its packaging, which included replicas of props from the show. Disney and Fox led all studios with three awards apiece, followed by BBC Video, Warner Home Video, Time Life/HBO Video and Paramount Home Entertainment, which each had two. FOURTH ANNUAL TV DVD AWARD WINNERS: Best of Show: Get Smart: The Complete Series, Time Life/HBO Video Best 2000s Series: Heroes: Season 1, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Best 1990s Series: Seinfeld: Season 8, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Best 1980s Series: Fraggle Rock: Season 3, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment/HIT Entertainment Best 1970s Series: The Muppet Show: Season 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best 1960s Series: Get Smart: The Complete Series, Time Life/HBO Video Best 1950s Series: Adventures of Superman: Seasons 5 & 6, Warner Home Video Best Animated Series: The Simpsons: Season 10, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Best Children’s Series: The Muppet Show: Season 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Reality Series: Survivor: Vanuatu, CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment Best Variety Series: The Best of Chappelle’s Show, Paramount Home Entertainment/Comedy Central Best One-Season Wonder: The Dresden Files, Lionsgate Best Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie: Roots: 30th Anniversary Edition, Warner Home Video Best Foreign TV Series: Doctor Who: Series 2, BBC Video Best TV Documentary: Planet Earth, BBC Video Best Bonus Materials: Lost: Season 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Complete-Series Set: M*A*S*H: The Martinis & Medicine Collection, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Get Smart: The Complete Series, Time Life/HBO Video Judges’ Special Citation for Best Packaging: The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series, Starz Home Entertainment/Anchor Bay Home Media Magazine is the leading home entertainment business-to-business trade. It is published weekly by Questex Media Group Inc.

Vegas Poker, Pussycats, Pop Princess, Parties!

2007-03-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

We're in Vegas, baby! I'm writing this from our plush mini-suite in the Palace Tower at Caesar's Palace where they apparently put the big stars, because we've already seen a galaxy of them in the corridors and riding the elevators. The top poker players are here for the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, the Pussycat Dolls are unveiling the new PCD Casino here at Caesar's, Christina Aguilera is having her concert after party at PURE nightclub, and natch, everyone is partying!! More from us later!

Oscar Weekend

2007-02-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

The L.A. Starz team is all over L.A. this weekend, covering Hollywood's biggest night, as well as the parties and swag scene. We're off to Santa Monica this afternoon for the Independent Spirit Awards, then hitting the club scene tonight. Oscar Sunday has us attending an Oscar Viewing Party on Hollywood Boulevard and Monday morning brings the big adventure of joining 3,000 or so of Oprah Winfrey's closest friends and biggest fans for the taping of Oprah's After Oscar Party inside the Kodak Theater in beautiful downtown Hollywood. We continue our fan fare Monday afternoon, going over to CBS Television City to see a taping of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, specifically to see the great singer songwriter John Mellencamp perform a song from his newest, greatest CD, Freedom's Road. John's segment airs on the Craig Ferguson show broadcast Friday, March 2nd!!

We're back!!

2007-02-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

We've received a lot of emails asking where we have been and why haven't we been reporting on our unique perspective of the celebrity scene. Our principal rep had a long time illness and a pretty tough 2006. That's all behind us now, and we're back. I (Linda) admit I'm not so crazy about this blogging thing - I like the old fashioned way of writing articles within the website - but I'll try to keep up with the blogosphere.

Kim Denounces KimWalter.com, Supports Stern

2007-02-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

Kimmy Walther, in yet another exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, this time with Jann Carl, denies that the newly launched website, KimberlyWalther.com, is hers. Oh well.

Kim Walther Denounces Howard K. Stern

2007-02-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Kimmy Walther, Anna Nicole's beleagured assistant on the E! reality show, may finally be breaking her silence. Shortly after Anna Nicole's death, Kimmy elected to make her My Space page private and has thus far stayed out of the media frenzy. However, a new website was registered 2/16/07 and emerged online today, and if this is really Kimmy expressing her opinion, Howard K. Stern will definitely be going down!!

The following is from kimberlywalther.com as posted 2/20/07:

Howard, let me see if I can get this straight

YOU LIED ON THE STAND TODAY! YOU SAID YOU DO NOT GAIN MONETARY BY BEING THE EXECUTOR OF ANNA NICOLE'S WILL? WHAT ABOUT THAT DOCUMENT YOU HAD HER SIGN ONCE YOU WON THE HUGE AWARD FROM HOWARD MARSHALL ESTATE??? DO YOU GET 10% OR 100% ??? SO YOU DO CONTROL THE EARNING TO BENEFIT YOU!!! WHAT A F&&*ING LIAR!!!!!!

1. Researched laws from around the country and found one that would benefit YOU in any paternity case.
2. Convinced Anna Nicole to move to the Bahamas for the benefit of her child.
3. Daniel died within hours of arriving and you flushed WHAT down the toilet?
4. You loved Anna Nicole so much you turned your head when you signed the FedX for the METHADONE?
5. You loved Anna Nicole so much you had to rush out and buy a Yacht and to take her where? A watery grave?
6. Did you have enough time to empty the refrigerator of anything you wanted to hide from the corner?
7. My guess the reason you don't want any DNA samples done on you or Dannielynn is they will find DRUGS in both systems.
8. Was Dannielynn born an addict?
9. Not for one minute do I believe Anna Nicole didn't have another will made out. You know she was obsessive about taking care of her child. What did you do with the updated will? Or did it not benefit you?
10. How much of a percentage do you get from the Marshall case? Did Anna find out you were bilking her out of her hard earned money?
11. Do I ever want to see your snout again? NO I value my health to much and your track record is not good…..people are dieing around you…
12. Where is Daniels will? I know he had one made out.
13. OH Please, Howard! Hot Smoochie Lips, Inc….Tell the world you wanted to star in your own reality show.
14. Where are the gowns of Annas that you sent out to be dry cleaned and they never returned? Will we be seeing them on ebay?
15. You never slept in the same bed with Anna!! You crawled in there after she fell asleep...she never invited you to her bed!!!
16. Now you have E on your side they won't show the real HOWARD!
17. The burial plots were bought by YOU...you sicko... that is the only way you could think of to finally get to sleep next to her each night?? After you are dead!!!! because it wasn't happening while she was living.

Thanks everyone for all the nice emails. I will start a forum.. and we will talk... I'm still in a state of shock over what is going on. And that judge?? what is up with him?? That bloke needs to go back to being a cabbie...

I'll add more questions as I think of them.. In the mean time sell some more of your false delusions. You never had Anna Nicole and you know she is looking down on you right now saying F&&% YOU Howard! I knew I couldn't trust YOU! I'm going to show up, when you least expect me! I have my own tapes... you had no right making a fool out of Anna like you did.

Kimmy

LARRY BIRKHEAD IS THE FATHER OF DANNIELYNN

Larry only wanted the best for Anna Nicole. He tried to do the right thing by her and his daughter.

Way to go, Kimmy!!

ET Denies Stern Blood Money

2007-02-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

While Access Hollywood's Tony Potts confirmed on cable news shows that rival tabloid tv shows are willing to, and have, paid for first right to air 'exclusive' news, Entertainment Tonight's Mark Steines hit the cable news circuit in an effort to debunk the rumors.

Steines, accompanied by ET's Senior Supervising Producer Bonnie Tiegel, was first up on tonight's Larry King show and proclaimed "we've had a relationship with Howard K. Stern and Anna Nicole Smith" and "I found myself in a position to be on that (private) plane and asked Stern if I could do the interview." Steines and Tiegel insisted they did not and do not pay for interviews. Instead, "they hustled and got the exclusives."

So as far as ET is concerned, it just pays to be in the right place at the right time.

By the way, while we don't always know who is being paid what by whom for personal interviews, it is common for agencies to pay for photos or video that might accompany an interview. That payment, or licensing fee, usually goes to the owner or copyright holder of the images, i.e. the photographer or videographer, or in the case of, say, family photos, to the bank account of the person offering up the image for sale.

Tony Potts Blasts Paid Interviews

2007-02-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Access Hollywood correspondent Tony Potts really laid into "those other news programs" during interviews he was giving from the Bahamas today. Potts confirmed the rumor that Entertainment Tonight paid $1 million for the "world exclusive" interviews given to ET's Mark Steines by Anna Nicole's associate Howard J. Stern. The interviews began on Stern's private plane ride from Florida back to the Bahamas, continued as he "discovered" Anna Nicole's estate had been ransacked, included his "emotional reunion" with baby DannieLynn Hope, and tried to portray Stern as the grieving widower (and it's only Tuesday).

Potts told Showbiz Tonight's AJ Hammer that the news shows have to compete to get the latest scoop first and that Access Hollywood has been offered "the scoop" ... for prices starting at $50,000, but that AH has refused to pay for such "news."

Potts went on to question Stern's motives and behavior while still in Florida. "Isn't this the time for mourning?," said Potts of Stern, "he was not mourning in his room, he was negotating" shortly after learning of Anna Nicole's passing.

Tony Potts closed the segment with AJ Hammer by reporting "there is a lot of bad mojo in the Bahamas. It's all about the money." He also asserted that Prince Van Anhalt's assertion of Anna Nicole having 20 - 30 lovers may not have been far off, that these possible lovers were rich men - "millionaires, billionaires" - and questioned why Howard K. Stern would allow her these trysts. Wow!!

By the way, Entertainment Tonight's Mark Steines denied that ET or the Insider gave any money to Howard K. Stern "for interviews." That statement doesn't include the sale of pictures or videos, and implies that Stern may not have been directly paid - the money could change hands through a booking agent!

Did Stern Plan Break In at Anna Nicoles House?

2007-02-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

In Howard K. Stern's 'exclusive' $1 million interview with Entertainment Tonight's Mark Steines, Stern announced on camera that every single important document and every single legal paper of importance was stolen from Anna Nicole's house in the Bahamas last weekend. With ET cameras in tow, Stern took Steines and crew through Anna Nicole's mansion, known as Horizons House, recording his report of what was taken.

At one point inside Anna's bedroom, Stern reaches up to the top SHELF in her closet and points out that THIS was where he kept all of those IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENTS. On the TOP SHELF. Not in a safety deposit box, not even in a locked, personal safe.

Come on, was Stern really that careless and irresponsible with his only client's most important papers?

Howard K. Stern Seeks His Pay Day

2007-02-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

Is Howard K. Stern a grieving Black Widower? He is reportedly receiving $1 million from Entertainment Tonight for Mark Steines' "World Exclusive" interviews, which ET is dragging out over 5 days of shows (is this sweeps week?). Not that this is the first time Stern has sold scenes from Anna Nicole Smith's private life. It appears that ET must have a first right of payment negotiated with Stern, which also allowed the infotainment show to be in the room with Anna Nicole when she gave birth to her daughter, Dannilynn Hope Smith, last September. A seven minute clip of Anna Nicole painfully undergoing a C-section can still be viewed on YouTube. And of course, ET was the 'only' program allowed to be with HKS and ANS at their supposed commitment ceremony last October. Knowing this now, we wonder how many times Stern cashed in by arranging these 'exclusive interviews' involving Anna Nicole.

On today's Entertainment Tonight, Stern's sister, Bonnie Stern, tells Mark Steines that Howard has not received any money as Anna Nicole Smith's attorney since 1996! She further said that HIS PARENTS have supported him these last 11 years!! Ohmigod, that must mean he will have some kind of claim against her estate for unpaid legal fees. In the meantime, we can be sure he will continue to keep baby Dannilynn close by. Without her, he might find that no one will pay to follow him around.

How Guilty is Howard K. Stern???

2007-02-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

As we watch the news unfold concerning Anna Nicole's death, this is the question that keeps burning through my mind. Did Howard K. Stern mastermind and manipulate this entire scenario for his own benefit? Too many things seem to support this tragic idea, the most obvious being his presence at the scene of both Daniel's death last September and Anna Nicole's death yesterday in Hollywood, Florida. However, there are many other factors that seem to cast a shadow of doubt on Mr. Stern.

Of course, there is always the possibility that Anna Nicole's passing will be found to be of natural causes, with no foul play involved. The poor lady had been under a seemingly overwhelming amount of stress, coupled with natural post-partum issues, compounded by the loss of her beloved son. We have heard about people dying of a broken heart. Could this be what re-united Anna Nicole with Daniel in heaven?

But what about the prescription medications reportedly seen in Anna Nicole's hotel room at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino? According to "insiders" for Star Magazine, there were at least four bottles of meds prescribed not to Anna Nicole Smith, but to Howard K. Stern. These drugs include Xanax (an anti-anxiety medication), Vicodin (for pain), Methadone (sometimes given for chronic pain in lieu of Oxycontin, MS-Contin, Kadian or Fentanyl, though it's not known if that applies here), and Provigil, a medication most commonly associated with narcolepsy, though doctors have found a variety of off-label uses for it (according to the manufacturer's website, Modafinil (Provigil) is a mood-brightening and memory-enhancing psychostimulant which enhances wakefulness and vigilance). In other words, Provigil is like an upper, frequently prescribed to offset the loopiness caused by other medications.

What kind of condition does Howard K. Stern have that requires him to take these drugs? Or did he obtain these meds on behalf of Anna Nicole because he just couldn't tell her no? Did he not take into consideration the pathology findings following Daniel Smith's death which stated that Anna Nicole's son died from a lethal combination which included Methadone along with Zoloft and Lexapro?

2007 SAG Awards - Nominations

2007-01-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

13TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS Awards for excellence in 2006 film and television presented Sunday, January 28, 2007 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The awards broadcast live on TNT and USA television networks. THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Leonardo DiCaprio / BLOOD DIAMOND – Archer - Warner Bros. Pictures Ryan Gosling / HALF NELSON – Dan Dunne - THINKFilm Peter O’Toole / VENUS – Maurice - Miramax Films Will Smith / THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS – Chris Gardner - Sony Pictures Forest Whitaker / THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND – Idi Amin - Fox Searchlight Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Penelope Cruz / VOLVER – Raimunda - Sony Pictures Classics Judi Dench / NOTES ON A SCANDAL – Barbara Covett - Fox Searchlight Pictures Helen Mirren / THE QUEEN – The Queen - Miramax Films. Meryl Streep / THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA – Miranda Priestly - 20th Century Fox Kate Winslet / LITTLE CHILDREN – Sarah Pierce - New Line Cinema Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Alan Arkin / LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – Grandpa Fox Searchlight Pictures Leonardo DiCaprio / THE DEPARTED – Billy Warner Bros. Pictures Jackie Earle Haley / LITTLE CHILDREN – Ronnie J. McGorvey New Line Cinema Djimon Hounsou / BLOOD DIAMOND – Solomon Warner Bros. Pictures Eddie Murphy / DREAMGIRLS – James “Thunder” Early Paramount Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Adriana Barraza / BABEL – Amelia - Paramount Vantage Cate Blanchett / NOTES ON A SCANDAL – Sheba Hart - Fox Searchlight Pictures Abigail Breslin / LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – Olive - Fox Searchlight Pictures Jennifer Hudson / DREAMGIRLS – Effie White - Paramount Pictures Rinko Kikuchi / BABEL – Chieko - Paramount Vantage Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture BABEL - Paramount Vantage Adriana Barraza - Amelia Cate Blanchett - Susan Gael García Bernal - Santiago Rinko Kikuchi - Chieko Brad Pitt - Richard Kôji Yakusho - Yasujiro BOBBY - MGM/The Weinstein Company Harry Belafonte - Nelson Joy Bryant - Patricia Nick Cannon - Dwayne Emilio Estevez - Tim Fallon Laurence Fishburne - Edward Robinson Brian Geraghty - Cooper Heather Graham - Angela Anthony Hopkins - John Casey Helen Hunt - Samantha Joshua Jackson - Wade David Krumholtz - Phil Ashton Kutcher - Fisher Shia LaBoeuf - Jimmy Lindsay Lohan - Diane William H. Macy - Paul Svetlana Metkina - Lenka Janacek Demi Moore - Virginia Fallon Freddy Rodriguez - José Martin Sheen - Jack Christian Slater - Timmons Sharon Stone - Miriam Jacob Vargas - Miguel Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Susan Taylor Elijah Wood - William THE DEPARTED - Warner Bros. Pictures Anthony Anderson - Brown Alec Baldwin - Ellerby Matt Damon - Colin Leonardo DiCaprio - Billy Vera Farmiga - Madolyn Jack Nicholson - Costello Martin Sheen - Queenan Mark Wahlberg - Dignam Ray Winstone - Mr. French DREAMGIRLS - Paramount Pictures Hinton Battle - Wayne Jamie Foxx - Curtis Taylor, Jr. Danny Glover - Marty Madison Jennifer Hudson - Effie White Beyoncé Knowles - Deena Jones Sharon Leal - Michelle Morris Eddie Murphy - James “Thunder” Early Keith Robinson - C.C. White Anika Noni Rose - Lorrell Robinson LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE - Fox Searchlight Pictures Alan Arkin - Grandpa Abigail Breslin - Olive Steve Carell - Frank Toni Collette - Sheryl Paul Dano - Dwayne Greg Kinnear - Richard PRIMETIME TELEVISION Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Thomas Haden Church / BROKEN TRAIL – Tom Harte - AMC Robert Duvall / BROKEN TRAIL – Print Ritter - AMC Jeremy Irons / ELIZABETH I – Earl of Leicester - HBO William H. Macy / NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES – Clyde Umney - TNT Matthew Perry / THE RON CLARK STORY – Ron Clark - TNT Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Annette Bening / MRS. HARRIS – Jean Harris - HBO Shirley Jones / HIDDEN PLACES – Aunt Batty - Hallmark Channel Cloris Leachman / MRS. HARRIS – Tarnower’s Sister - HBO Helen Mirren / ELIZABETH I – Elizabeth I - HBO Greta Scacchi / BROKEN TRAIL – Nola Johns - AMC Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series James Gandolfini / THE SOPRANOS – Tony Soprano - HBO Michael C. Hall / DEXTER – Dexter Morgan - Showtime Hugh Laurie / HOUSE – Dr. Gregory House - FOX James Spader / BOSTON LEGAL – Alan Shore - ABC Kiefer Sutherland / 24 – Jack Bauer - FOX Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Patricia Arquette / MEDIUM – Allison Dubois - NBC Edie Falco / THE SOPRANOS – Carmela Soprano - HBO Mariska Hargitay / LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT – Det. Olivia Benson - NBC Kyra Sedgwick / THE CLOSER – Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson - TNT Chandra Wilson / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Miranda Bailey - ABC Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Alec Baldwin / 30 ROCK – Jack Donaghy - NBC Steve Carell / THE OFFICE – Michael Scott - NBC Jason Lee / MY NAME IS EARL – Earl Hicke - NBC Jeremy Piven / ENTOURAGE – Ari Gold - HBO Tony Shalhoub / MONK – Adrian Monk - USA Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series America Ferrera / UGLY BETTY – Betty Suarez - ABC Felicity Huffman / DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES – Lynette - ABC Julia Louis-Dreyfus / THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE – Christine Campbell - CBS Megan Mullally / WILL & GRACE – Karen Walker - NBC Mary-Louise Parker / WEEDS – Nancy Botwin - Showtime Jaime Pressly / MY NAME IS EARL – Joy - NBC Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 24 - FOX Jayne Atkinson - Karen Hayes Jude Ciccolella - Mike Novic Roger Cross - Curtis Manning Gregory Itzin - Charles Logan Louis Lombardi - Edgar Stiles James Morrison - Bill Buchanan Glenn Morshower - Aaron Pierce Mary Lynn Rajskub - Chloe O’Brian Kim Raver - Audrey Raines Jean Smart - Martha Logan Kiefer Sutherland - Jack Bauer BOSTON LEGAL - ABC Rene Auberjonois - Paul Lewiston Candice Bergen - Shirley Schmidt Craig Bierko - Jeffrey Coho Julie Bowen - Denise Bauer William Shatner - Denny Crane James Spader - Alan Shore Mark Valley - Brad Chase DEADWOOD - HBO Jim Beaver - Ellsworth Powers Boothe - Cy Tolliver Sean Bridgers - Johnny Burns W. Earl Brown - Dan Dority Dayton Callie - Charlie Utter Brian Cox - Jack Langrishe Kim Dickens - Joanie Stubbs Brad Dourif - Doc Cochran Anna Gunn - Martha Bullock John Hawkes - Sol Starr Jeffrey Jones - A.W. Merrick Paula Malcomson - Trixie Gerald McRaney - George Hearst Ian McShane - Al Swearengen Timothy Olyphant - Seth Bullock Molly Parker - Alma Garret Leon Rippy - Tom Nuttall William Sanderson - E.B. Farnum Brent Sexton - Harry Young Bree Seanna Wall - Sofia Metz Robin Weigert - Calamity Jane Titus Welliver - Silas Adam GREY’S ANATOMY - ABC Justin Chambers - Alex Karev Eric Dane - Mark Sloan Patrick Dempsey - Derek Shepherd Katherine Heigl - Isobel “Izzie” Stevens T.R. Knight - George O’Malley Sandra Oh - Cristina Yang James Pickens, Jr. - Richard Webber Ellen Pompeo - Meredith Grey Sara Ramirez - Callie Torres Kate Walsh - Addison Montgomery Shepherd Isaiah Washington - Preston Burke Chandra Wilson - Miranda Bailey THE SOPRANOS - HBO Sharon Angela - Rosalie Aprile Lorraine Bracco - Dr. Jennifer Melfi Max Casella - Benny Fazio Dominic Chianese - Corrado “Junior” Soprano Edie Falco - CarmelaSoprano James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano Joseph R. Gannascoli - Vito Spatafore Dan Grimaldi - Patsy Parisi Robert Iler - Anthony Soprano, Jr. Michael Imperioli - Christopher Moltisanti Steven R. Schirripa - Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri Jamie Lynn Sigler - Meadow Soprano Tony Sirico - Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri Aida Turturro - Janice Soprano-Baccalieri Maureen Van Zandt - Gabriella Dante Steven Van Zandt - Silvio Dante Frank Vincent - Phil Leotardo Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - ABC Andrea Bowen - Julie Mayer Richard Burgi - Karl Mayer Mehcad Brooks - Matthew Applewhite Ricardo Antonio Chavira - Carlos Solis Marcia Cross - Bree Hodge James Denton - Mike Delfino Teri Hatcher - Susan Mayer Josh Henderson - Austin McCann Zane Huett - Parker Scavo Felicity Huffman - Lynette Scavo Kathryn Joosten - Mrs. McCluskey Nashawn Kearse - Caleb Applewhite Brent Kinsman - Preston Scavo Shane Kinsman - Porter Scavo Joy Lauren - Danielle Van De Kamp Eva Longoria - Gabrielle Solis Kyle MacLachlan - Orson Hodge Laurie Metcalf - Carolyn Bigsby Shawn Pyfrom - Andrew Van De Kamp Doug Savant - Tom Scavo Dougray Scott - Ian Hainsworth Nicollette Sheridan - Edie Britt Brenda Strong - Mary Alice Young Kiersten Warren - Nora Alfre Woodard - Betty Applewhite ENTOURAGE - HBO Kevin Connolly - Eric Murphy Kevin Dillon - Drama Jerry Ferrara - Turtle Adrian Grenier - Vincent Chase Rex Lee - Lloyd Debi Mazar - Shauna Jeremy Piven- Ari Gold Perrey Reeves - Mrs. Ari THE OFFICE - NBC Leslie David Baker - Stanley Hudson Brian Baumgartner - Kevin Malone Steve Carell - Michael Scott David Denman - Roy Anderson Jenna Fischer - Pam Beesly Kate Flannery - Meredith Palmer Melora Hardin - Jan Levinson Mindy Kaling - Kelly Kapoor Angela Kinsey - Angela Martin John Krasinski - Jim Halpert Paul Lieberstein - Toby Flenderson B.J. Novak - Ryan Howard Oscar Nunez - Oscar Martinez Phyllis Smith - Phyllis Lapin Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute UGLY BETTY - ABC Alan Dale - Bradford Meade America Ferrera - Betty Suarez Mark Indelicato - Justin Ashley Jensen - Christina Eric Mabius - Daniel Meade Becki Newton - Amanda Ana Ortiz - Hilda Tony Plana - Ignacio Kevin Sussman - Walter Michael Urie - Marc Vanessa Williams - Wilhelmina Slater WEEDS - SHOWTIME Martin Donovan - Peter Scottson Alexander Gould - Shane Botwin Allie Grant - Isabelle Hodes Indigo - Vaneeta Justin Kirk - Andy Botwin Romany Malco - Conrad Shepard Andy Milder - Dean Hodes Kevin Nealon - Doug Wilson Maulik Pancholy - Sanjay Mary-Louise Parker - Nancy Botwin Hunter Parrish - Silas Botwin Tonye Patano - Heylia Jones Elizabeth Perkins- Celia Hodes Eden Sher - Gretchen Screen Actors Guild Awards 43rd Annual Life Achievement Award Julie Andrews

Oscar Line Up

2006-03-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

78th Annual Academy Awards - List of Winners, Presenters, Performers As the Night Unfolded

Straight from my source at the Kodak Theater, here is the order of tonight's Academy Awards presentation, according to the official program. It will be updated with category presenters and winners throughout the evening as awards are announced.

1. Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role, presented by Nicole Kidman to George Clooney for "Syriana."

2. Achievement In Visual Effects, presented by "green screened" Ben Stiller to Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor for "King Kong"

3. Animated Feature Film of the Year, presented by Reese Witherspoon to Nick Park and Steve Box for "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit"

PERFORMANCE, introduced by Naomi Watts: Dolly Parton, "Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica"

4. Live Action Short Film, presented by Luke and Owen Wilson to Martin McDonagh for "Six Shooter"

5. Animated Short Film, presented by Luke & Owen Wilson and Chicken Little & Abbey Mallard (voiced by Joan Cusack) to John Canemaker and Peggy Stern for "The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation"

6. Achievement In Costume Design, presented by Jennifer Aniston to Colleen Atwood for "Memoirs of a Geisha"

MONTAGE, introduced by Russell Crowe, clips of biographical films

7. Achievement In Makeup, presented by cleverly made up Will Ferrell and Steve Carell to Howard Berger and Tami Lane for "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"

INTRODUCTION of Scientific and Technical Awards highlights, by it's host Rachel McAdams.

8. Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role, presented by Morgan Freeman to Rachel Weisz for "The Constant Gardener"

MONTAGE, introduced by previously unannounced presenter Lauren Bacall, in recognition of film noir.

COMEDIC MOMENT, parody of Best Actress Oscar campaigns, voiced by Steven Colbert

9. Documentary Short Subject, presented by Terrence Howard to Corinne Marrinan and Eric Simonson for "A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin"

10. Best Documentary Feature, presented by Charlize Theron to Luc Jacquet and Yves Darondeau for "March of the Penguins"

PERFORMANCE, introduced by Jennifer Lopez: Kathleen (Bird) York, "In the Deep" from "Crash"

11. Achievement In Art Direction, presented by Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves to John Myhre (art direction) and Gretchen Rau (set decoration) for "Memoirs of a Geisha"

MONTAGE, introduced by Samuel L. Jackson, in recognition of social issues addressed in films

BATHROOM BREAK, Academy President Sid Ganis touts the honor of the Academy, 6 major films being filmed right now in New Orleans employing 600 workers.

12. Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Score), scores PERFORMED by Itzhak Perlman; award presented by Salma Hayek to Gustavo Santaolalla for "Brokeback Mountain"

MONTAGE, introduced by Jake Gyllenhaal, in recognition of film epics.

13. Achievement In Sound Mixing, presented by Jessica Alba and Eric Bana to CHRISTOPHER BOYES, MICHAEL SEMANICK, MICHAEL HEDGES and HAMMOND PEEK for "King Kong"

TRIBUTE & presentation of HONORARY OSCAR, introduced by Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep to Robert Altman

PERFORMANCE, introduced by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Taraji Hanson and Three 6 Mafia - Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow"

14. Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Song), presented by Queen Latifah to Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow"!!!!

COMEDIC MOMENT, parody of Sound Editing Oscar campaign, voiced by Steven Colbert

15. Achievement In Sound Editing, presented by Jennifer Garner to Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn for "King Kong"

IN MEMORIAM TRIBUTE, introduced by George Clooney

16. Foreign Language Film, presented by Will Smith to Gavin Wood for "Tsotsi" (South Africa)

17. Achievement In Film Editing, presented by Ziyi Zhang to Hughes Winborne for "Crash"

18. Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role, presented by Hilary Swank to Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Capote"

19. Achievement In Cinematography, presented by John Travolta to Dion Beebe for "Memoirs of a Geisha"

20. Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role, presented by Jamie Foxx to Reese Witherspoon for "Walk the Line"

21. Adapted Screenplay, presented by Dustin Hoffman to Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana for "Brokeback Mountain"

22. Original Screenplay, presented by Uma Thurman to Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco for "Crash"

23. Achievement In Directing, presented by Tom Hanks to Ang Lee for "Brokeback Mountain"

24. Best Motion Picture of the Year, presented by Jack Nicholson to Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman for "Crash"

COMMENTS: What is the purpose of the music playing along while the nervous winners are trying to give their speech? (Update - winners I talked to said they did not notice the music in the background while they were on stage). Maybe it was for the enjoyment of the viewing audience (?)

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Oscar Picks

2006-03-05T15:39:00.000-08:00

78th Annual Academy Awards - Our Picks

I've received feedback from people asking what our Oscar ballot looks like. I don't profess to be an expert - I leave the prognosticating to the Tom O'Neil's of the world - but to satisfy those requests, here are my picks. Some are based on previous wins, some from newly felt momentum, a few are simply wishful thinking, the rest are based on nothing but gut instinct. We'll print the actual winners after they are revealed tonight.

Update 8:30 p.m. - "my winners" are noted in red. And I'm proud to have correctly predicted 16 of 24 categories : > )

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"Crash" Paul Haggis, Cathy Schulman, producers

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Matt Dillon, "Crash"
(award went to George Clooney for "Syriana")

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" Nick Park, Steve Box

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
"Memoirs of a Geisha" John Myhre (art direction); Gretchen Rau (set decoration)

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Good Night, and Good Luck" Robert Elswit
(award went to Dion Beebe for "Memoirs of a Geisha")

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
"Memoirs of a Geisha" Colleen Atwood

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"March of the Penguins" Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club" Dan Krauss
(winners Corinne Marrinan, Eric Simonson for "A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin")

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
"Crash" Hughes Winborne

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Joyeux Noël" (France)
(award went to Gavin Wood for "Tsotsi" (South Africa))

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" Howard Berger, Tami Lane

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (Original Score)
"Brokeback Mountain" Gustavo Santaolalla

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (Original Song)
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow," music and lyric by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"One Man Band" Andrew Jimenez, Mark Andrews
(winners John Canemaker, Peggy Stern for "The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation")

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"Ausreisser (The Runaway)" Ulrike Grote
(award went to Martin McDonagh for "Six Shooter")

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
"War of the Worlds" Richard King
(winners Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn for "King Kong")

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
"King Kong" Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
"King Kong" Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Capote" - screenplay by Dan Futterman
(winners Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana for "Brokeback Mountain")

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Crash" - screenplay by Paul Haggis, Bobby Moresco; story by Paul Haggis

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Oscar Red Carpet

2006-03-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Oscar Countdown 2006 Co-Hosts, Official Red Carpet Celebrity Greeter

Oscar® Countdown 2006 Co-Hosts

Billy Bush, Chris Connelly, Cynthia Garrett and Vanessa Minnillo have been set to co-host the Academy's hour-long red carpet arrivals show "Oscar Countdown 2006" preceding the 78th Academy Awards®. This is the seventh Oscar Night® association for Connelly, the third for Bush, and the first for Garrett and Minnillo. Each correspondent will be trying to capture the thoughts, nervousness and excitement of the nominees as they proceed down the red carpet to what may be one of the most exciting nights of their lives.

Bush is co-anchor of "Access Hollywood." He joined the program in December 2001 as the east coast correspondent and became the co-anchor in June of 2004.

Connelly is a correspondent for ESPN and a contributing correspondent for "20/20." Prior to ESPN, he was an on-air correspondent and editorial director of MTV News.

Garrett was most recently seen as co-host of "Life & Style" and can be seen regularly on HBO. Prior to joining "Life & Style," she spent four years with VH1, where she began her on camera career.

Minnillo is a recent addition to the Entertainment Tonight family as a New York-based correspondent. She also serves as a co-host for MTV's "Total Request Live" and has hosted several MTV specials.

The pre-show will be produced by Dennis Doty and executive produced by Gil Cates. It will air on ABC Television at 4 p.m. PST/ 7 p.m. EST and will segue directly into the 78th Academy Awards presentation at 5 p.m.

Robert Osborne to Serve as Academy's Red Carpet Celebrity Greeter

Film historian, television host and Hollywood Reporter columnist Robert Osborne has been selected as the Academy's 2006 red carpet celebrity greeter, Academy President Sid Ganis announced.

Osborne will step into the slot occupied for the past four decades by Daily Variety columnist Army Archerd, who has stepped down and this year will himself be a celebrity guest of the Academy at the 78th Academy Awards.

In addition to writing a column for the Hollywood Reporter, Osborne is the prime time host of Turner Classic Movies and a frequent host of Academy events, both in New York and Los Angeles. In addition, he is the author of the Academy's official history, "75 Years of the Oscar" and hosts Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival in Athens, Georgia.

"Robert Osborne's taking over this important Oscar night slot is perfect," Ganis said. "He' s a man personally familiar with today's stars, but with a historian's knowledge of the movies and the Oscar ceremonies."

"Army became an institution on our red carpet," Ganis added. "He had done it for so long that no one, including Army, is sure when he started or how long he has introduced celebrities to the bleacher crowds. We don't even have a name for it — it's always been 'the Army Archerd position.'

"But it's a vital position, very important to the creation of an atmosphere of excitement that pervades the Academy Awards red carpet experience. Each time another celebrity arrives and is introduced, a collective roar from the bleacher fans adds another visceral jolt to those arriving on the carpet. We think we've found just the person in Robert Osborne to continue that long tradition for us."

Osborne will be on the carpet for the duration of celebrity arrivals, which are expected to begin about 3 p.m. and conclude at the start of the Oscar telecast at 5 p.m.

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Oscar Stage Design

2006-03-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

2006 Oscar Stage Set

78th Academy Awards® Telecast producer Gil Cates and production designer Roy Christopher recently revealed the set design of the March 5 Oscar telecast.

"When designing the Oscars, I try to make the current show as different from the year before as possible," said Christopher. "Last year's show was distinguished by a hi-tech, 'cutting-edge' style. So this year, there's nothing hi-tech -- it's a no-holds-barred return to classic Hollywood glamour, paying homage to old movie theaters." "I wanted to celebrate the movies and to include great movie houses and screens," said Cates. "So Roy went back to the classic ornate movie houses for his inspiration, which, I think, is superbly reflected in the final design."

"I have always loved the movie theaters of the '30s, '40s and '50s," Christopher said. "The man who designed many of them was S. Charles Lee, who was remarkably imaginative and architecturally daring, making movie theaters in styles ranging from the ornate Hollywood baroque to the sleek art-moderne. His spaces were exciting places that upon entering made you feel that something extraordinary was going to happen."

That anticipation of what is about to happen is exactly what Christopher hopes the Academy Awards audience and the millions watching at home will experience on Oscar night. His homage to the world of movie theater design comes complete with a 65-foot-long giant "Oscar" marquee, a pair of 20-foot-tall frosted glass Oscars, an art deco box-office and several movie screens ranging from the elegant movie palace traditional to the gigantic wide-screen deco.

This is the 17th time that Christopher has designed the Oscar set, 11 with telecast producer Gil Cates. Christopher has received 35 Emmy nominations, 16 of them for his work on the Oscar telecast, for which he has won six Emmy Awards.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2005 will be presented on Sunday, March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PST. A one-hour red carpet arrivals show will precede the telecast at 4 p.m. Information about the 78th Annual Academy Awards can be accessed on line at www.oscar.com.

Oscar Presenters, Performers and Parties

2006-03-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

The Oscars

The day is finally here! The 78th Annual Academy Awards will be handed out at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart will host this year's grand ceremony (his invitation seems to have been widely embraced by the public, and might even help ol' Gil Cates finally achieve his goal of improving viewership!) Oscar nominations were announced January 31, 2006 (see below).

Following tradition, last year's Best Actress Hilary Swank, Best Actor Jamie Foxx, Best Supporting Actor Morgan Freeman and Best Director Clint Eastwood will be presenters at the 78th Oscars Presentation. Unfortunately, last year's Best Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett will be unable to fulfill the tradition this year because she's playing the title role in a stage production of "Hedda Gabler" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Bana, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Steve Carell, Gorgeous George Clooney, Will Ferrell, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Selma Hayek, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Rachel McAdams, Jack Nicholson, Queen Latifah, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, Meryl Streep, Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron, Lily Tomlin, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Naomi Watts, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon and Ziyi Zhang will also present the prestigious Academy Award.

Director / producer / writer Robert Altman will receive an honorary Oscar to commemorate "a career that has repeatedly reinvented the art form and inspired filmmakers and audiences alike."

Dolly Parton will perform her nominated original song, "Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica." Ms. Parton wrote both the music and lyrics for the song. Kathleen "Bird" York will perform "In the Deep" from the film "Crash," for which she is nominated for writing the music and lyrics (co-composer Michael Becker also is nominated for the music.) Jordon "Juicy J" Houston, Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard and Darnell "Crunchy Black" Carlton of the Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia will also perform at the 78th Academy Awards. Beauregard and Houston, who are nominated for writing the music and lyrics for "It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow," will perform their nominated song with group mate Carlton and actress Taraji Henson, who sang the hook in the film. Cedric "Frayser Boy" Coleman, who is nominated with Beauregard and Houston, will also perform. The song will be the first rap song ever performed on the telecast in the history of the Academy Awards.

The show will be broadcast on ABC at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET. It will be preceded by ABC's "official" red carpet coverage, as well as day long coverage on the E! Entertainment Television Network.

And while Gil Cates has said he won't be repeating last year's presentation fiasco, he isn't exactly planning to return the awards presentation back to it's traditional format. Once again, in the interest of saving time, Cates will be rounding up the nominees in the artistic (otherwise known as technical) categories to play a game of musical chairs with them during commercial breaks. The nominees will be temporarily placed in the first rows of the Kodak Theater, so that the winners can sprint to the stage to accept the award. Cates has already advised these nominees that, if they want their full 60 seconds of fame, they are not to bring out any paper to read from or even stumble during their speeches. Any fumbling will cause Bill Conti to cue up the orchestra and end the winner's moment in the spotlight. The Academy has taken every measure to make sure that this year's traditionally lengthy Oscar speeches go off without a hitch - along with the nominee's tickets to the Oscars, every nominee received a 15 minute DVD, narrated by Tom Hanks, featuring examples of "good" speeches vs. "bad speeches" from previous year's Academy Awards ceremonies.

Official websites: Oscar.com / Oscar.org / Oscar.org Academy Awards

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Oscar Nominations

2006-03-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

The 78th Annual Academy Award Nominees:

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"Brokeback Mountain" Diana Ossana, James Schamus, producers
"Capote" Caroline Baron, William Vince, Michael Ohoven, producers
"Crash" Paul Haggis, Cathy Schulman, producers
"Good Night, and Good Luck" Grant Heslov, producer
"Munich" Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, Barry Mendel, producers

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Paul Haggis, "Crash"
Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"
Bennett Miller, "Capote"
Steven Spielberg, "Munich"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"
Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"
Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"
David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"
Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"
Keira Knightley, "Pride & Prejudice"
Charlize Theron, "North Country"
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
George Clooney, "Syriana"
Matt Dillon, "Crash"
Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"
William Hurt, "A History of Violence"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, "Junebug"
Catherine Keener, "Capote"
Frances McDormand, "North Country"
Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain"

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
"Howl's Moving Castle" Hayao Miyazaki
"Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" Nick Park, Steve Box

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
"Good Night, and Good Luck" Jim Bissell (art direction); Jan Pascale (set decoration)
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" Stuart Craig (art direction); Stephenie McMillan (set decoration)
"King Kong" Grant Major (art direction); Dan Hennah and Simon Bright (set decoration)
"Memoirs of a Geisha" John Myhre (art direction); Gretchen Rau (set decoration)
"Pride & Prejudice" Sarah Greenwood (art direction); Katie Spencer (set decoration)

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Batman Begins" Wally Pfister
"Brokeback Mountain" Rodrigo Prieto
"Good Night, and Good Luck" Robert Elswit
"Memoirs of a Geisha" Dion Beebe
"The New World" Emmanuel Lubezki

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" Gabriella Pescucci
"Memoirs of a Geisha" Colleen Atwood
"Mrs. Henderson Presents" Sandy Powell
"Pride & Prejudice" Jacqueline Durran
"Walk the Line" Arianne Phillips

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Darwin's Nightmare" Hubert Sauper
"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot
"March of the Penguins" Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau
"Murderball" Henry-Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
"Street Fight" Marshall Curry

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club" Dan Krauss
"God Sleeps in Rwanda" Kimberlee Acquaro, Stacy Sherman
"The Mushroom Club" Steven Okazaki
"A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin" Corinne Marrinan, Eric Simonson

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
"Cinderella Man" Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
"The Constant Gardener" Claire Simpson
"Crash" Hughes Winborne
"Munich" Michael Kahn
"Walk the Line" Michael McCusker

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Don't Tell" (Italy)
"Joyeux Noël" (France)
"Paradise Now" (Palestine)
"Sophie Scholl - The Final Days" (Germany)
"Tsotsi" (South Africa)

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" Howard Berger, Tami Lane
"Cinderella Man" David Leroy Anderson, Lance Anderson
"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" Dave Elsey, Nikki Gooley

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (Original Score)
"Brokeback Mountain" Gustavo Santaolalla
"The Constant Gardener" Alberto Iglesias
"Memoirs of a Geisha" John Williams
"Munich" John Williams
"Pride & Prejudice" Dario Marianelli

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (Original Song)
"In the Deep" from "Crash," music by Kathleen (Bird) York, Michael Becker; lyric by York
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow," music and lyric by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard
"Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica," music and lyric by Dolly Parton

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"Badgered" Sharon Colman
"The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation" John Canemaker, Peggy Stern
"The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello" Anthony Lucas
"9" Shane Acker
"One Man Band" Andrew Jimenez, Mark Andrews

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"Ausreisser (The Runaway)" Ulrike Grote
"Cashback" Sean Ellis, Lene Bausager
"The Last Farm" Rúnar Rúnarsson, Thor S. Sigurjónsson
"Our Time Is Up" Rob Pearlstein, Pia Clemente
"Six Shooter" Martin McDonagh

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
"King Kong" Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn
"Memoirs of a Geisha" Wylie Stateman
"War of the Worlds" Richard King

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" Terry Porter, Dean A. Zupancic, Tony Johnson
"King Kong" Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek
"Memoirs of a Geisha" Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Rick Kline, John Pritchett
"Walk the Line" Paul Massey, D.M. Hemphill, Peter F. Kurland
"War of the Worlds" Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ronald Judkins

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" Dean Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney, Scott Farrar
"King Kong" Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor
"War of the Worlds" Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randy Dutra, Daniel Sudick

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Brokeback Mountain" - screenplay by Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
"Capote" - screenplay by Dan Futterman
"The Constant Gardener" - screenplay by Jeffrey Caine
"A History of Violence" - screenplay by Josh Olson
"Munich" - screenplay by Tony Kushner, Eric Roth

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Crash" - screenplay by Paul Haggis, Bobby Moresco; story by Paul Haggis
"Good Night, and Good Luck" - screenplay by George Clooney, Grant Heslov
"Match Point" - written by Woody Allen
"The Squid and the Whale" - written by Noah Baumbach
"Syriana" - written by Stephen Gaghan

TRIVIA:

This year's nominations represent the first time since 1981 that the Directing and Best Picture nominations have honored exactly the same five pictures.

A change in the Original Song rules for 2005, imposing a minimum required scoring average for nomination, accounts for the nomination of just three songs in the category.

This is the first time since the Animated Feature category was inaugurated in 2001 that none of the nominees was produced primarily by CGI techniques.

Three pictures, one in each of the three categories for short films, won 2005 Student Academy Awards: "9" in Animated Shorts, "Ausreisser" (The Runaway) in Live Action Shorts and "The Death of Kevin Carter" in the Documentary Short Subject category.

This is the first time in Academy history that a nominee in the Directing category - George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck" - is also nominated in one of the acting categories for a different film ("Syriana").

John Williams' two nominations this year in the Original Score category (for "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Munich") are his 44th and 45th Academy Award nominations, putting him in first place in total nominations in the Music categories, breaking a previous tie with Alfred Newman. He also moves into second place in terms of nominations overall, his total individual nominations now second only to Walt Disney's 59.

Ang Lee, nominated this year in the Directing category for the English-language "Brokeback Mountain," received his first Directing nomination for the foreign language film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

14 of the 20 acting nominees are first-time nominees. Of the other six who previously received nominations, four are Oscar winners: William Hurt, Judi Dench, Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand.

Release Dates of Best Picture nominees:

"Brokeback Mountain" - December 9
"Capote" - September 30
"Crash" - May 6
"Good Night, and Good Luck". - October 7
"Munich" - December 23

Courtesy: AMPAS

Saturday Oscar Parties

2006-03-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

The Day Before the Oscars Big Party

Today marked the 13th Annual Oscar luncheon hosted by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg at their magnificent Coldwater Canyon home. Also taking place this afternoon, the after-party at Shutters in Santa Monica, celebrating the achievements of nominees and winners at today's Independent Spirit Awards. It's a good thing the Spirit Awards wrapped up early, because the Weinsteins are hosting an early evening cocktail party at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, allowing stars plenty of time to change into their designer duds before hitting Jeffrey Katzenberg's Fourth Annual Night Before Party at the Beverly Hills Hotel, with proceeds benefiting the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Focus Features is holding a nominee party at Eat on Sunset, and a special reception is being held for honorary Oscar recipient Robert Altman at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

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Independent Spirit Awards

2006-03-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Independent Spirit Celebrated in Santa Monica

The 21st Film Independent Spirit Awards will be celebrated Saturday, March 4th, on the beach in Santa Monica, California. Sarah Silverman.has been invited to host this year's event and Naomi Watts serves as honorary chair. The short list of celebrity presenters includes Terrence Howard, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Linney, Sandra Oh, Jeremy Piven and Rachel Weisz.

Films competing for Best Feature recognition are "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "The Squid and the Whale," and "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada." "Crash" competes in the Best First Feature category against "Lackawanna Blues," "Me and You and Everyone We Know," "Thumbsucker," and "Transamerica." Visit IMDb.com for the complete list of nominations for the 2006 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were announced by Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney on November 29, 2005.

The red carpet pre-show airs live on the WE Channel at 1:30 pm PT / 4:30 pm ET. The colorful awards ceremony will air live and uncensored on the Independent Film Channel at 2 pm PT / 5 pm ET. If you miss the live show, you can watch the edited rebroadcast on AMC tomorrow night at 10 pm ET/PT and on IFC Sunday.

Other award ceremonies taking place Saturday include the Motion Picture Sound Editors MPSE Golden Reel Awards, the Razzie Awards and the Soul Train Music Awards. Visit our awards calendar for more details about these events.

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Friday Oscar Parties

2006-03-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

The Day Before the Day Before the Oscars Big Party

Hollywood, Beverly Hills and all of Los Angeles will be blanketed with stars tonight, as celebs continue the round of pre-Oscar parties. In addition to the Global Green party, there will be a number of private parties throughout the city. Some of the biggest parties are thrown by agents at their homes, including CAA's Bryan Lourd, ICM's Ed Limato and Endeavor's Ariel Emanuel. Billy Crystal, Claire Danes, Mel Gibson, Steve Martin and Denzel Washington are just a few A-List guests expected at Limato's estate in Beverly Hills.

The studios will also be celebrating their Oscar nominees tonight. Universal Studios will once again hold their fete at Spago in Beverly Hills; newcomers Benderspink will hold court at the Reel Lounge in honor of "A History of Violence." The Warner Bros. party at the Bel-Air Hotel will host talent from "Syriana," "North Country," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Batman Begins," "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "March of the Penguins," "Paradise Now," and "Good Night and Good Luck." The New Zealand Film Council hosts their annual dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

These are just a few of the parties that have been publicized. Dozens more low key parties will be scattered throughout the city. Just follow the paparazzi to find them.

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Global Green Oscar Party

2006-03-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Hollywood Goes Green for Pre-Oscar Party

Celebrities make an environmental statement tonight by attending the annual Global Green USA Oscar Party at the Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre. The party benefits Global Green's global warming initiatives, including the green rebuilding of New Orleans. It kicks off at 8:00 pm at 6126 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood.

Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti will chauffeur Global Green supporter Kate Bosworth to the Green Carpet in his own electric car. Additional celebrity attendees will arrive in a variety of alternative fueled vehicles including Honda Civics powered by natural gas, Ford Hybrid Escapes, Toyota's electric RAV 4's and various biodiesel cars.

"I say we should all walk or rent bikes, but that would determine a new and interesting Oscar dress code," suggested Academy Award winner and current nominee Frances McDormand (Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe did just that a few years ago, when they rode bikes to attend the Independent Spirit Awards on the beach in Santa Monica!).

Oscar nominee David Strathairn offered, "I think we all should do whatever we can to use environmentally friendly products."

Those expected to walk the symbolic "green carpet" covered by a solar powered tent include Elizabeth Banks, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Aaron Carter, Nick Carter, Kristin Cavallari, Chevy Chase, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Clifton Collins Jr., James Cromwell, Julie Delpy, Stephen Dorff, Sara Foster, Walton Goggins, Daryl Hannah, Lukas Haas, Kelly Hu, Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Justin Kirk, Mila Kunis, Sharon Lawrence, Bai Ling, Jon Lovitz, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara, Radha Mitchell, Rhona Mitra, Shamar Moore, Mekhi Phifer, Kelly Rutherford, Jean Smart, Bahar Soomekh, George Stultz, Brian Tee, Paz Vega, Jenna Vewan, Ken Watanabe, Ray Wise, Alicia Witt and many others.

The celebrities join over 1,000 Global Green supporters for a sold-out concert emceed by Pras Michel of the Fugees, featuring performances by Liz Phair, Money Mark, Fishbone, Tracy Lyons, and DJs Senor Amor and Peanut Butter Wolf.

The party kicks-off Global Green's "Red Carpet, Green Cars" Oscar campaign, where celebrities arrive at the Academy Awards in environmentally friendly vehicles instead of gas-guzzling limousines. This year, Global Green's Red Carpet, Green Cars campaign will feature celebrities including Naomi Watts, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Felicity Huffman, Paul Giamatti, Will Ferrell, Paul Haggis, Frances McDormand and David Strathairn. In fact, there will be so many hybrids and alternative-fueled vehicles driving celebrities to the awards show Oscar valet services have had to dedicate a special area for parking them all at the Hollywood Bowl during the ceremony.

Global Green USA, the U.S. affiliate of Green Cross International led by Mikhail S. Gorbachev, works in cooperation with individuals, industry, and governments to create a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future. For more information, please visit www.globalgreen.org.

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LA Confidential Oscar Party

2006-03-01T22:56:00.000-08:00

LA's Confidential Oscar Party

Los Angeles Confidential Magazine will host their 4th Annual Academy Awards Party on Thursday, March 2nd at the SKYBAR at the Mondrian Hotel. The magazine is also celebrating its cover of Oscar nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman. The celebration will be attended by a host of A-List personalities from film, television, and music including "Crash" star and fellow Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon, Babyface, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Naomi Campbell, Ludacris, Dennis Hopper, Paris Hilton, Larry and Shawn King, Famke Janssen, Helena Christensen, John Salley, Darren Starr, Natalie Cole, Finola Hughes, Daisy Fuentes, Bai Ling, Byron Allen, and more.

The cocktail reception starts at 6:30 p.m. where guests will enjoy the hospitality of the Morgans Hotel Group as well as cocktails sponsored by Hendrix Electric while being entertained by world renowned DJ Johnny Knight and his special blend of hip hop, top 40, rap, and rock beats.

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Publicists Awards

2006-02-28T23:31:00.000-08:00

It's the PR Reps Turn

Jimmy Kimmel emcees the 43rd Annual ICG Publicists Awards luncheon on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The event kicks off with no host cocktails at 11:00 am, followed by the noon luncheon. The International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Awards honor excellence in publicity and promotion for motion pictures and television programs. Recipients are selected in several different categories and are voted on by their peers. According to the Camera Guild, no other event celebrates the publicists' contribution to the entertainment industry. With the current Oscar campaigns coming to a close following the last ballot cast on Tuesday, February 28, this is also the time for movie publicists to let their hair down and let off a little steam. Last year, more than 900 publicity and marketing executives, producers, studio and network executives, celebrities and press braved torrential rains to join Local 600 members for the ICG 42nd Annual Publicists Awards.

Nominees for this year's awards were announced January 9, 2006. The Guild will also hand out several honorary awards. Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO, and Alan Horn, President and COO of Warner Brothers, will be honored with the guild's Motion Picture Showmanship Award. Stephen McPherson, President of ABC Entertainment, will be named 2006 Television Showman of the Year. Variety columnist Army Archerd, who recently retired from his daily column but continues as one of the paper's reporters, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award; Bob Dowling, who just retired as Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, will receive a Special Award of Merit. Other awards to be presented are the Press Award; the International Media Award; the Maxwell Weinberg Awards, which recognizes outstanding accomplishment in the field of publicity; the Les Mason Award, given to a publicist for lifetime achievement; and the Bob Yeager Award, which recognizes significant community service.

Nominees for the Maxwell Weinberg Publicist Showmanship Award for Motion Pictures include the union publicists behind the Academy Award nominated films "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Walk the Line."

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Oscar Ballots Due

2006-02-24T01:23:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 28, 2006:

Oscar Ballot Alert

It's time for the 5,798 voting members of the Academy to make up their mind! Final ballots for the 78th Annual Academy Awards® are due to the accounting firm by 5:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, February 28, 2006. The 2006 Oscars - recognizing outstanding achievement in motion pictures released in 2005 - will be presented next Sunday, March 5, 2006. Watch for more details here as the biggest day in Hollywood draws near!

Photo: © A.M.P.A.S.®

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CAS Awards

2006-02-24T01:02:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 25, 2006:

Cinema Audio Awards

Sound professionals will take over the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles Saturday night for the 42nd Annual Cinema Audio Society Awards. The CAS nominations were announced January 26, 2006. CAS nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures are "Crash" - sound re-recording mixers Marc Fishman, Adam Jenkins, Rick Ash; production mixer Richard Van Dyke; "KING KONG" - sound re-recording mixers Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges; production mixer Hammond Peek; "Memoirs of a Geisha" - sound re-recording mixers Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Rick Kline; production mixer John Pritchett; "Walk the Line" - sound re-recording mixers Paul Massey, Doug Hemphill; production mixer Peter F. Kurland; and "War of the Worlds" - sound re-recording mixers Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer; production mixer Ron Judkins. The artistic teams behind "KING KONG," "Geisha," "Walk the Line" and "War of the Worlds" are also nominated for Best Achievement in Sound at the 78th Annual Academy Awards. "Narnia" took the fifth Oscar slot over "Crash."

Winners will also be announced in categories for Television Movies, Series and Mini-Series, and Television Non-Fiction, Variety or Music Series or Specials. A new category this year, DVD Original Programming, is for programs released straight to DVD. For the second year in a row, C.A.S. will present the Technical Achievement Award honoring technical innovation in the area of sound recording. Director, writer and producer Quentin Tarantino will be the first recipient of the C.A.S. Filmmaker Award. Sound re-recording Mixer Michael Minkler will receive the Cinema Audio Society's Career Achievement Award. Visit the Cinema Audio Society website for more information.

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ASC Awards

2006-02-24T00:45:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 25, 2006 & Sunday, February 26, 2006:

Cinematographers Celebrations

The American Society of Cinematographers will hold an Open House and Internet Chat this Saturday at the ASC Clubhouse, 1782 N. Orange Drive, Hollywood. Colleagues, fans, students and the media can interact with the 2006 ASC Awards honorees and nominees from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Participants will include producer-director-actor Sydney Pollack, cinematographers Richard Kline and Woody Omens and documentary director Frederick Wiseman. The chat will take place on the ASC website, www.theasc.com, at 12:00 p.m. PT. For more information about the open house or chat, call 323-969-4333.

On Sunday, ASC will host the 20th Annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. ASC theatrical nominations for films released in 2005 were announced on January 11, 2006; nominees in the narrative television competition were published the following week. The cast of presenters includes Emily Deschanel, Curtis Hanson, Leonard Maltin, Edward James Olmos and Bill Paxton. Actress Nicole Kidman will present Sydney Pollack with the 2006 American Society of Cinematographers Board of Governors Award. Gilbert Taylor, BSC will receive the 2006 ASC International Achievement Award. Taylor's work extends to such classics as "Dr. Strangelove," "A Hard Day's Night," "The Omen" and "Star Wars." Sherwood "Woody" Omens, ASC will receive the Presidents Award, reserved for individuals who have made exceptional contributions to advancing the art and craft of filmmaking. Richard H. Kline, ASC will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented annually to an individual who has made exceptional and enduring contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. Frederick Wiseman will receive an Award of Distinction. Wiseman is only the second documentary filmmaker honored by the ASC (Albert Maysles was feted in 1998).

Nominees in the American Society of Cinematographers' feature film competition are: Dion Beebe, ASC, ACS for "Memoirs Of A Geisha"; Robert Elswit, ASC for "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Andrew Lesnie, ASC, ACS for "King Kong"; Wally Pfister, ASC for "Batman Begins"; and Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC for "Brokeback Mountain." Beebe, Elswit, Pfister, and Prieto are also nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography at the 78th Annual Academy Awards®. Strangely, Emmanuel Lubezki took the fifth Oscar slot for "The New World" over the talented Lesnie's work on "King Kong."

ASC was chartered in 1919. The first ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards were held in 1987 for the purpose of recognizing and inspiring artistic achievement in cinematography. There are currently some 290 members from many countries around the world, and another 145 associates in allied fields. Visit the ASC Awards website for more information.

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Olivier Awards

2006-02-23T23:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 26, 2006:

Laurence Olivier Awards

Theater buffs will appreciate the 2006 Laurence Olivier Awards, presented annually by the Society of London Theatre. This year's award winners will be announced Sunday night at the London Hilton on Park Lane, London. Nominations were announced January 18, 2006 and include such film and theater notables as Brian Dennehy for "Death of a Salesman", Ewan McGregor and Jane Krakowski for "Guys and Dolls", and Stephen Daldry for "Billy Elliot - The Musical". According to it's website, the Laurence Olivier Awards are the UK's most prestigious theatre awards and the highlight of the West End calendar. The Awards were established in 1976 to recognize excellence in London theatre; Lord Olivier agreed to have his name associated with them in 1984. Visit the official website for exclusive, live, interactive coverage of the event as the drama unfolds on the big night.

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Image Awards

2006-02-23T23:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 25, 2006:

NAACP Image Awards

Celebrities including presenters Toni Braxton, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Nick Cannon, Vin Diesel, Kimberly Elise, Donald Faison, Omar Gooding, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Star Jones-Reynolds, Kerry Washington and Lynn Whitfield will join host Cuba Gooding, Jr. at the 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles this weekend. Nominations for this year's Image Awards were announced January 10, 2006. The evening's special honorees include Carlos Santana, who will receive the Hall of Fame Award, and The Neville Brothers, receiving the Chairman's Award. All of the Image Award nominees will celebrate at a pre-show gala at 7:30 p.m. Friday evening and a pre-show brunch Saturday morning, before re-grouping at the Shrine that afternoon for the network taping, to be broadcast March 3 on FOX. A post show gala will also be held immediately after the main event. For more info and tickets, visit the NAACP Image Awards website.

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CDG Awards

2006-02-23T23:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 25, 2006:

Costume Designers Awards

Costume designers and other theatrical professionals will gather at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills Saturday night for the 8th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards, hosted by actress Angelica Huston. The Guild announced its' nominees on January 11, 2006. In addition to the usual slate of awards, the guild has lined up several special honorees. Actress Joan Allen will be honored with CDG's Distinguished Actor designation. Acclaimed costume designer Colleen Atwood has been selected to receive the Lacoste Spotlight in Film Award. Other honorees include Thomas C. Short, who is to receive the Swarovski President's Award, and Star Trek designer Robert Blackman, who will get the Spotlight in Television Award. Anna Hill Johnstone will be inducted into the Edith Head Hall of Fame, and the guild will present Michael Woulfe, Grady Hunt and Moss Mabry with a Gold Card for their years of service to Local 892. This year's ceremony will be topped off with a tribute to the work of legendary 1950's designers Bill Thomas, (William) Travilla and Renie (Conley), who each created hundreds of the glamorous gowns and wardrobes seen in the classic movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

The Costume Designers Guild was founded in 1953 by a group of 30 motion picture costume designers. As of 1999, its membership includes motion picture, television, commercial, and stage costume designers throughout the world and totals some 470 members. The award given by the Costume Designers Guild is made by renowned Italian jeweler Bvlgari and was created by costume designer David Le Vey. The Bvlgari award stands 37 centimeters high and is made from sterling silver. A total of seven artisans are involved in the making of the statuette including the sculptor, the artisan, the silversmith, the shiner, the goldsmith, the engraver and the casemaker. Each of the seven statuettes entail about 50 hours of work and are flown in from directly from Italy (information courtesy CDG).

Films are recognized for Excellence in Costume Design by the CDG in three genres: Contemporary, Period and Fantasy. Nominees in the Contemporary category are "Hustle & Flow," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Shopgirl," "Syriana," and "Transamerica." The Period category includes "Capote," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Rent," "Walk the Line," while the Fantasy film category includes "Batman Begins," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Chronicles of Narnia," and "Stars Wars, Episode III."

For comparison, the five films competing for Best Achievement in Costume Design at the 78th Annual Academy Awards® are "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Mrs. Henderson Presents," "Pride & Prejudice," and "Walk the Line."

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Cesar Awards

2006-02-23T23:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 25, 2006:

French Film Awards

The 2006 César Awards, sponsored by L'Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, the Gallic equivalent of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will be presented at the Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris this Saturday night. The gala evening will be hosted by Carole Bouquet, president of the French Academy for Cinema Arts and Techniques, and French actress Valérie Lemercier. The nominations for Best Foreign Film, announced January 27, 2006, include "A History of Violence," "Match Point," "Million Dollar Baby," "Mar adentro", and "Walk on Water."

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Elton Wows, Paris Parties, Vegas Rocks

2006-02-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

Wild Weekend In Las Vegas

We took a break from the parade of celebrity award shows to accept a few invites in Las Vegas this past weekend. The entertainment started with Sir Elton John's raucous Red Piano performance Friday night at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace. On Saturday night, we were treated to the Wayne Newton Show at The Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Then it was back over to Caesars, where Paris Hilton was celebrating her 25th birthday at PURE nightclub. Few celebrities attended the Paris Party; it was just her parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton, sister Nicky Hilton, and a few friends. Paris' current underage beau, 19 year old Stavros Niarchos, wasn't able to attend. Security staff told us there was no way he would be allowed in the 21 and over hot spot.

Monday night was the big benefit at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace. "HEART: Harrah's Entertainment Artists Rally Together to Aid Hurricane-Affected Families" was headlined by Sir Elton John, Celine Dion and Jerry Seinfeld. The show raised $2.1 million for approximately 9,000 Harrah's employees who are still in need of help after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.

The ladies of ABC's "The View" set up to tape a week's worth of shows on Monday and Tuesday in the front courtyard of Caesars Palace. Scheduled guests included James Denton (ABC's "Desperate Housewives"), Maurice Benard (ABC's "General Hospital"), Jaime Pressly ("My Name is Earl"), Marg Helgenberger ("CSI"), actress Jennifer Tilly, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, magicians Penn & Teller, comedian Carrot Top, musical guests the Pussycat Dolls, a performance by the Aussie "Thunder From Down Under" all-male revue dancers, and music superstar Celine Dion. We didn't stick around to watch all of the tapings, but it seems like everyone had a great time, despite the chilly temperatures.

That's our long weekend in a nutshell. We'll be getting some rest tonight and be back to blogging our usual beat tomorrow.

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BRIT Awards

2006-02-14T20:03:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, February 15, 2006:

2006 BRIT AWARDS & SWAG

The BRIT AWARDS 2006 will be presented at Earls Court 2 in London, England. The musical event will be hosted by Chris Evans. Presenters include Madonna, Blondie's Deborah Harry, Thandie Newton, and Jamelia. It's been rumored that Oscar nominee Reese Witherspoon will also be presenting an award. Miss Paris Hilton has been signed to present pre-show coverage live from the Brit's Red Carpet. Performers include Coldplay, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, The Kaiser Chiefs, James Blunt, Kt Tunstall, Gorillaz, Jack Johnson and honoree Paul Weller, who will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award. The show will be televised in the UK February 16 on the ITV Network with international air dates will follow. The BRIT Awards advise that this the only UK show from which all the proceeds are donated to charity through the British Recording Industry Trust. Official website / Official Blog / BRIT nominations announced 1/10/06.

Winners at this year's Brit Awards will receive a gift bag worth over 4,500 pounds. Registered users were invited to enter to win the same goody bag through the Brits' website. This collection includes a sumptuous array of decadent luxuries and some of the year's most sought after labels. Sponsors and items procured for the Brit Awards SWAG Bag include a stay in the Caribbean at the secluded Ambergris Caye in Belize; a weekend break featuring massages, facials and relaxation at Champney's Health Resorts; a cashmere hot water bottle; a hand-crafted Globe Trotter case; a Yuroll face massager, made from solid jade; Godiva truffles; Danziger Gold Leaf Liqueur; a Lucia Cowan limited edition clutch bag; Timberland boots; Joules pyjamas (that's pajamas in the U.S.) and a Motorola ROKR with I-Tunes.

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VES Awards

2006-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 15, 2006:

VES Awards

The 4th Annual VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY AWARDS will be handed out at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood. Awards are given in 20 categories. In addition, John Lasseter will be honored with the Georges Méliès Award for Artistic Excellence and Jim Morris will be presented the Board of Directors Award at the sold out event.

VES Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture include the visual effects artists behind "Jarhead", "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Memoirs of a Geisha". VES Nominees for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture are "Chronicles of Narnia", "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", "King Kong" and "Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith". "Narnia", "King Kong" and "War of the Worlds" are this year's nominees for the 78th Annual Academy Awards® Achievement in Visual Affects.

Bonnie Hunt, Katherine Helmond, Cheech Marin, Edie McLurg, Craig T. Nelson and John Ratzenberger will be part of the VES tribute to Pixar's John Lasseter. Hunt, McLurg, Nelson and Ratzenberger have worked previously with Lasseter on movies from famed Pixar Animation Studios. Helmond and Marin join Hunt and Ratzenberger in Pixar's upcoming release, the Lasseter-directed "Cars." Lasseter also produced this year's Oscar nominated animated short film, "One Man Band," which will be released in theaters with "Cars" this summer.

More information: VES Awards website / Visual Effects Society / VES nominations (announced 1/9/06).

Juno Nominations

2006-02-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 15, 2006:

Nominations for the 2006 JUNO AWARDS will be announced Wednesday, February 15. Tickets to the 2006 Juno Awards go on sale this Saturday, February 18. These tickets always sell incredibly fast - the show is often sold out in minutes. For more information, about the Juno Awards, see the calendar entry on April 2.

Cinematographers Capture Final Ballots

2006-02-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

February 14, 2006:

ASC Feature Film Ballots Due

Nominees in the American Society of Cinematographers' feature film competition are: Dion Beebe, ASC, ACS for "Memoirs Of A Geisha"; Robert Elswit, ASC for "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Andrew Lesnie, ASC, ACS for "King Kong"; Wally Pfister, ASC for "Batman Begins"; and Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC for "Brokeback Mountain." The awards will be presented February 26, 2006. Recipients of honorary ASC Awards and other information is available on our February awards show calendar (see ASC).

Beebe, Elswit, Pfister, and Prieto are also nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography at the 78th Annual Academy Awards®. Strangely, Emmanuel Lubezki took the fifth Oscar slot for "The New World" over the talented Lesnie's work on "King Kong."

Oscar Nominee Official Class Picture

2006-02-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Academy's Class of 2006

Here they are, the nominees of the 78th Annual Academy Awards®:

Unfortunately, Oscar nominees Ang Lee, Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz were unable to attend today's luncheon as they were caught in the blizzard that blanketed New York and much of the East Coast. In all, about 111 (according to Entertainment Tonight's Leonard Maltin) to 116 (according to The Insider's Pat O'Brien) talented nominees came together for the power lunch.

For more information, see yesterday's blog: Oscar Nominee Luncheon.

Gift Ideas for Your Valentine

2006-02-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

Set the Mood and Glow

There is a scene in David Spade's "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" that depicts how NOT TO set the mood with your sweetheart. Dickie's ex-girlfriend, played by Alyssa Milano, shows up at his "childhood" home and is invited to stay the night. The couple goes through the motions to create a romantic atmosphere - they turn down the glaring white lights, light a few candles, sip some sour bubbly. Dickie doesn't really want her there and at one point "accidentally" pours candle wax on her back, causing her to scream "You burned me!" Well, if Dickie and Cyndi really wanted to be romantic, they would have gone about this a lot differently.

We would recommend they start with lighting from Mood-Lites and candles from Lotion Glow : > )

Lotion Glow candles are made from all natural pure soy, which has a melting temperature of 100 degrees - just above your normal body temperature - and they create a subtly scented atmosphere that provides the perfect setting for romance and relaxation. Cyndi would have welcomed the warm, silky, clear liquid as it was applied to her back and massaged into her skin. Rather than scream at Dickie, she would whisper a breathy command to him, "don't stop, don't stop!."

Yes, that is how great these candles are. They come in 10 amazing scents: Mango Passion (Harmony), Sex on the Beach (Life Force), Pina Colada (Energy), Cucumber Melon (Balance), Lavender Fields (Relaxation), Calm Waters (Serenity), Soft Rain (Tranquillity), Tuberose (Romance), Hawaiian Gardenia (Spirituality), and Plumeria (Love). Each is available individually or in a Rainbow Collection that provides a pleasing palate of colors and fragrances that help facilitate relaxation.

To compliment this great gift for your sweetheart, combine an assortment of Lotion Glow candles with a variety of Mood-Lites - the affordable Light Bulbs for Your Lifestyle - in a gift basket. Mood-Lites also come in a relaxing array of colors - Happy, Tranquility, Renewal, Energy, Passion, Serenity and Creativity. At an ambient 25 watts, they are the perfect companion to Lotion Glow candles to set any mood.

Photos: Amber Tamblyn with Mood Lites at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards Celebrity Gift Lounge; Terrence Howard at the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where he received an introduction to Lotion Glow. Both licensed images © Wire Image.

Oscar Nominee Luncheon

2006-02-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 13. 2006:

OSCAR NOMINEE LUNCHEON

The stars will be out in force today for the annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. This will be the 25th time that the Academy has hosted the Nominees Luncheon. The first was held on March 9, 1982.

Seventeen of the 20 nominees in the acting categories will be among the more than 100 nominees from 24 categories who will get together at noon for the traditional pre-Academy Awards gathering. This is the time when the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) personally honors this year's Oscar contenders with the luncheon, presentation of a certificate, and some nice take home gifts. Previous luncheon gifts have included a commemorative Oscar sweatshirt, event posters, and a ball cap!

The event is especially sweet for the majority of talent who aren't household names (even though they'll forever have the distinction of being known as "Oscar nominee ..."). When drawing up the table arrangements, AMPAS planners go to great lengths to ensure that each table has an equal balance of guests from all categories, meaning that a Best Actress nominee and her guest might be seated with nominees from the Best Foreign Film, Adapted Screenplay and Visual Effects categories. A nominated director from the Best Motion Picture category might also be at her table, as long as he did not direct her nominated movie. Or, for another example, Best Supporting Actress Michelle Williams will likely be seated away from husband and fellow nominee (for Best Lead Actor) Heath Ledger and neither of them will sit with nominee Ang Lee who directed their movie "Brokeback Mountain." The arrangement is always a success as it allows for new introductions and encourages the shared camaraderie of this special time.

From the 78th Annual Academy Awards® Leading Actor and Actress categories Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote"), Terrence Howard ("Hustle & Flow"), Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain"), Joaquin Phoenix ("Walk the Line"), Felicity Huffman ("Transamerica"), Keira Knightley ("Pride & Prejudice"), Charlize Theron ("North Country") and Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line") have RSVP'd to attend. Amy Adams ("Junebug"), Catherine Keener ("Capote"), Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener"), Michelle Williams ("Brokeback Mountain"), George Clooney ("Syriana"), Matt Dillon ("Crash"), Paul Giamatti ("Cinderella Man"), Jake Gyllenhaal ("Brokeback Mountain") and William Hurt ("A History of Violence") are set to represent the supporting categories. All five nominees from the Directing category - Clooney ("Good Night, and Good Luck"), Paul Haggis ("Crash"), Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain"), Bennett Miller ("Capote"), Steven Spielberg ("Munich") - are also scheduled to attend. The only nominees in these categories that indicated they won't be there are Lead Actor nominee David Strathairn ("Good Night, And Good Luck"), Lead Actress nominee Judi Dench ("Mrs. Henderson Presents"), and Supporting Actress nominee Frances McDormand ("North Country").

Hotel guests, and perhaps a few door crashers, may be welcome to gather behind a velvet rope in a small area near the hotel lobby's entrance to watch the celebrities arrive for the luncheon. The celebs will also gather for the traditional Oscar Nominee Class Photo, and be the subject of dozens of interviews. Watch for clips on this week's entertainment news shows like Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight, which are usually taped poolside in the beautiful Southern California sunshine.

Photos: Oscar nominee Nicole Kidman with our teen editor at the 2002 Oscar Luncheon. Copyright LAStarz.com. Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger at 2006 Oscar Luncheon. Copyright Reuters.

Art Directors' Beverly Hills Gala

2006-02-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

February 11, 2006:

The 10th Annual ART DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on Saturday, February 11. Reception begins at 6:30 p.m.; dinner followed by awards presentation 7:30 p.m. The Art Directors nominations were announced on January 17, 2006.

The Art Directors Guild (ADG) will announce winners in seven categories of Production Design for motion pictures, television and commercials competing in ADG's Tenth Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards for 2005. Black-tie ceremonies will take place from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The event will be hosted by six-time Emmy® nominee Jeffrey Tambor. Presiding over the occasion will be ADG Council President Tom Walsh assisted by Awards Co-Chairs Robert Strohmaier and Tom Wilkins. Scheduled celebrity presenters include Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon ("NYPD Blue"), Production Designer Robert Boyle, Executive Roy Disney, Director Paul Haggis ("Crash"), Jill Hennessy ("Crossing Jordan"), Laura Herring ("Law & Order"), Producer Kathleen Kennedy, Ian McShane ("Deadwood"), Production Designer J. Michael Riva, Kelly Rutherford ("E-Ring"), Doug Savant ("Desperate Housewives"), Jane Seymour ("Wedding Crashers") and Jean Smart ("24").

ADG's Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award will go to three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, who has his imprimatur on four major films this year: "War of the Worlds," (director); "Munich" (producer/director); "The Legend of Zorro" (executive producer) and "Memoirs of a Geisha" (producer), whose production designer John Myhre is an ADG nominee. Spielberg was also executive producer of the TNT mini-series "Into the West," whose production designer, Marek Dobrowolski, is also an ADG nominee this year.

Other highlights of the evening will be the first live public performance of the Academy Award®-nominated song, "In The Deep" from "Crash" by its co-composer / performer Kathleen "Bird" York (actress as well on "The West Wing" and "The O.C."), as well as the presentation of the ADG's Hall of Fame inductees, ADG's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Career Achievement Award for Scenic Arts. Production designer John B. Mansbridge will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Ronald V. Strang will be presented with the Career Achievement Award for Scenic Arts. Production designers John Box, Hans Dreier, Cedric Gibbons, Jan Scott and Alexander Trauner will be inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame (an honor bestowed only posthumously).

USC Scripter To Honor Capote Scribes

2006-02-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

February 11, 2006:

The 18th Annual USC SCRIPTER AWARDS ceremony and live webcast originates at 7:30 p.m. from the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the University of Southern California. Henry Winkler will serve as master of ceremonies; Hal Kanter returns as grand emcee. The Scripter Award is given annually to honor writers for the best achievement in adaptation among English-language films based on a book or short story that were released the previous year. The writers of Brokeback Mountain, Capote, The Constant Gardener, A History of Violence and Syriana were nominated for this year's Scripter XVIII award. The winner was set to be unveiled 1/13/06 but due to a tie between Capote and Syriana, a run off vote delayed the final announcement to 1/18/06, at which time it was announced that author Gerald Clarke and screenwriter Dan Futterman would be honored with the 18th Scripter Award for Capote. USC Scripter official website.

Art Directors Guild Final Ballots Due

2006-02-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

February 9, 2006

ART DIRECTORS GUILD - final ballots due to CPA by 5:00 p.m. The 10th Annual ART DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS will be held this Friday, January 11 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. More details about the event will be posted tomorrow.

Official Grammy Party

2006-02-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

GRAMMY Night Never Ends

Los Angeles - The 2006 GRAMMY® Celebration Party, an exclusive invitation-only, star-studded event, takes place for the second consecutive year at the Los Angeles Convention Center following the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The gala - the largest produced by The Academy - attracts GRAMMY winners and nominees, music industry executives and a number of celebrities.

The GRAMMY Celebration Party is one of the entertainment industry's biggest, most lavish events and a post-GRAMMY telecast highlight, with an all-star lineup of live entertainment, including current GRAMMY nominee Earth, Wind & Fire with special guests Sleepy Brown, GRAMMY nominee Floetry, Brian McKnight, GRAMMY nominee Kelly Rowland, Raphael Saadiq and GRAMMY nominee Will.I.Am (The Black Eyed Peas); GRAMMY nominee Big & Rich, featuring Cowboy Troy; contemporary rock group String Theory (playing 60-foot-long harp strings suspended from the ceiling); and DJ Splyce. Additionally, the GRAMMY Celebration Jazz Lounge will feature Kermit Ruffins And The Barbeque Swingers; Dave Koz and special guests Patti Austin, Jonathan Butler, Wayman Tisdale and Kirk Whalum; and the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles.

"Music's Biggest Night is an international extravaganza that celebrates the year in music, but the festivities don't end there," said Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy. "The evening continues with winners, nominees, VIPs, Academy members and enthusiastic music lovers at our GRAMMY Celebration, an elegant soiree where contemporary cuisine, distinctive design and top-notch entertainment are the best way to top off a spectacular day. We never want GRAMMY night to end."

The Recording Academy once again will partner with highly regarded event producers Along Came Mary (ACM) to produce the post-telecast GRAMMY Celebration Party, overseeing all of the event entertainment, decor, menu and other logistics. ACM and its design and lighting team will take the vast convention space and transform it into a modernist Midsummer Night's Dream theme, complete with an eclectic mix of live exotic flora and performance art. A mainstay in the entertainment industry, ACM has masterfully orchestrated many of Hollywood's most distinguished events and has been named top caterer in the nation by numerous publications. The Recording Academy has hired ACM to co-produce the GRAMMY Celebration Party seven times, as well as both the 1st, 3rd and 5th Annual Latin GRAMMY post-parties.

The event's menu will feature more than 70 buffets with fare that includes American bistro (with roasted sirloin, onion rings and a steakhouse chopped salad), Caribbean (Jamaican jerk chicken ceviche shooters and cornbread-yam pudding), Asian (mirin-lacquered salmon, potstickers and spring rolls), French (lamb bourguignon, mascarpone polenta cakes and a roasted Provencal ratatouille) and Italian (Tuscan vegetable lasagna and an assortment of antipasti). And desserts will feature ACM's signature miniatures, including turtle bars, mini-banana cream pies, apple galette, winter sundaes, crispy rice pudding and an assortment of ACM's famous cookies.

The 2006 GRAMMY Celebration Party, presented by Heineken, also will feature wines and spirits provided by Patron Tequila, Belvedere Vodka, Pyrat Rum, Forest Glen Wines and Domaine Laurier Champagne.

This year's GRAMMY Celebration will again approach the traditional "gifting" of party guests in a whole new way. The Recording Academy has partnered once again with gifting company Distinctive Assets to create a specially designed area where guests will be able to preview luxury products such as a Privia digital piano package provided by Casio; his and her Oceanus and G-Shock watches; a nine.com gift certificate; a his and her set of Lancel luggage; free Lasik surgery from Dr. Kerry Assil; a spring purse collection from Elliott Lucca; two tickets to the PAC 10 basketball finals in March, courtesy of Dr Pepper; Hilton "Competitive Advantage" (including a bed, a hotel stay, an alarm clock and other items); a House of Blues Gold Membership; a U.S. Racing School package; Lukie jewelry; ski accessories featuring Fendi goggles, a Samora cashmere scarf and hat, a women's Escada ski jacket and a men's Napapijiri jacket; and a Verizon package, including a Gateway laptop computer and an Olympus Stylus 800 digital camera and P-11 photo printer pack. These companies will be showcasing special surprises that will delight party guests while redefining the traditional celebrity party gift bag. Additionally, every guest in attendance will receive a parting gift courtesy of S Factor.

Source: The Recording Academy®

Oscar®-Nominated "Shorts" to Screen in NYC

2006-02-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

Beverly Hills - On Saturday, February 25, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present two public screenings of the ten Oscar-nominated films in the Animated Short and Live Action Short categories. The screenings will feature the five films from each category, providing a rare opportunity for New York moviegoers to see the nominees prior to the 78th Academy Awards® telecast on Sunday, March 5.

The screenings will be held at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City. Film historian and television host Robert Osborne will serve as the host for both screenings.

The following ten Oscar-nominated short films will be shown at the New York screenings:

Short Film (Animated)
"Badgered," Sharon Colman, director
"The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation," John Canemaker, director; Peggy Stern, producer
"The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello," Anthony Lucas, director
"9," Shane Acker, director
"One Man Band," Andrew Jimenez and Mark Andrews, directors

Short Film (Live Action)
"Ausreisser" (The Runaway), Ulrike Grote, director
"Cashback," Sean Ellis, director; Lene Bausager, producer
"The Last Farm," Rúnar Rúnarsson, director; Thor S. Sigurjónsson, producer
"Our Time Is Up," Rob Pearlstein, director; Pia Clemente, producer
"Six Shooter," Martin McDonagh, director

Tickets for the screenings are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Advanced tickets may be reserved by calling 888-778-7575. The Academy's Theater at Lighthouse International is located at 111 East 59th Street between Park and Lexington avenues. All orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To be added to the Academy Foundation mailing list, please visit the Academy's website at www.oscars.org/events.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements for 2005 will be presented on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PST. A one-hour red carpet arrivals show will precede the telecast at 4 p.m. PST.

©A.M.P.A.S.®

Sexy Star Fiennes Suddenly Single

2006-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

We don't know if we feel happy or sad about this bit of celebrity news. Handsome actor Ralph Fiennes has split from his partner of 11 years, Francesca Annis. According to Britains' Mail on Sunday tabloid, Fiennes admitted to having a fling with 31 year old Romanian singer Cornelia Crisan, after they met at a party two years ago. However, other reports state that Fiennes, 43, denies ever being unfaithful to 62 year old Annis.

Fiennes and Annis' relationship began in 1995 when they co-starred in the stage production of Hamlet. Fiennes played the title role and Annis played his mother. He previously exchanged wedding vows with ER star Alex Kingston in September 1993. Their divorce was finalized October 28, 1997. Annis left her long time love of more than 20 years, photographer Patrick Wiseman, with whom she had three children, to be with Fiennes.

Fiennes is nominated for a BAFTA Award in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for The Constant Gardener, which received a total of 10 BAFTA nominations. The awards will be presented in London on February 19. He has already earned the British Independent Film Award for his performance as Justin Quayle in the film.

Fiennes was also nominated for an Annie Award this year for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production in the Academy Award nominated animated feature Wallace & Gromit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit. He was overlooked by the Academy Awards for his role in The Constant Gardener, which garnered 4 nods, including one for best supporting actress Rachel Weisz. Fiennes previously received Academy Award nominations for his roles in Schindler's List and The English Patient.

Fiennes and Constant Gardener co-star Rachel Weisz made a long term commitment to the people who inhabit the Kenyan locations where the movie was filmed.

Final Oscar Ballots Mailed to Voting Members

2006-02-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Final ballots for the 78th Annual Academy Awards will be mailed today to the 5,798 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Completed ballots must be in the hands of Pricewaterhouse-Coopers by 5:00 p.m. PT, Tuesday, February 28. Any ballot received after the deadline will not be counted.

Listed on the ballots are nominees in 19 Oscar® categories. Separate ballots for 5 award categories (foreign language film, short and feature-length documentaries and animated and live-action short films) will be distributed after verification of mandatory member attendance at screenings.

Once the auditing firm has tabulated the votes, the winners’ names are placed in sealed envelopes to be opened on Oscar Night®. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements for 2005 will be presented on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST. A one-hour red carpet arrivals show will precede the telecast at 4:00 p.m. PST.

Trivia question: final ballots for the 77th Academy Awards were mailed last year to 5,808 voting members. Why the decrease in voting members?

London Critics Circle Film Awards

2006-02-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

The 26th Annual LONDON CRITICS' CIRCLE AWARDS will be presented at the Dorchester Hotel in London. The event will be hosted by broadcaster Mariella Frostrup and Critics' Circle Film Section chairman John Marriott. The London Critics Circle Film Awards recognize the best in British and International film talent. They are also the only UK film awards which raise money for charity, contributing to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Nominations were announced December 14, 2005, with Pride & Prejudice garnering the most nods, followed closely by The Constant Gardener. Johnny Depp is nominated in the Actor of the Year category for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He is competing against Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Bruno Ganz (Downfall), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda) and Viggo Mortensen (A History of Violence). Juliette Binoche (Hidden), Naomi Watts (King Kong), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), Laura Linney (Kinsey) and Maria Bello (A History of Violence) were recognized in the Actress of the Year category. The org also bestows awards to the British Actor and Actress of the Year, which includes nominees Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener. That movie is competing against Crash, A History of Violence, Brokeback Mountain and King Kong for the Film of the Year award. Nominations for Director of the Year went to Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener), Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain), Paul Haggis (Crash), Peter Jackson (King Kong) and David Cronenberg (A History of Violence).

Daytime Stars Announce Daytime Emmy Noms

2006-02-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Nominations Announcement for 33rd Annual DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS®

DAVID CANARY, MICHAEL EASTON, KIMBERLY McCULLOUGH AND SCOTT CLIFTON ARE AMONG THE SCHEDULED PRESENTERS FOR THE 33rd ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY® AWARD NOMINATIONS, LIVE, FEB. 8, ON ABC DAYTIME'S THE VIEW

Plus a Surprise Appearance by One of Daytime Television's Biggest and Brightest Stars

One of Daytime television’s biggest and brightest stars joins five-time Emmy® Award winner David Canary (Stuart/Adam Chandler), along with fellow All My Children co-stars Alexa Havins (Babe Chandler) and Emmy Award winner Jacob Young (JR Chandler); Emmy Award winner Robin Strasser (Dorian Lord), Michael Easton (John McBain) and Renée Goldsberry (Evangeline Williamson) of One Life to Live; Scott Clifton (Dillon Quartermaine) and Emmy Award winner Kimberly McCullough (Robin Scorpio) of General Hospital; Austin Peck (Austin Reed) of Days of our Lives; Heidi Meuller (Kay Bennett) of Passions; Bradley Cole (Jeffrey O’Neill) of Guiding Light and Terri Colombino (Katie Peretti) of As the World Turns, as ABC Daytime’s popular talk show, The View, hosts the live nomination ceremony for The 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Wednesday, February 8 on the ABC Television Network (check local listings for times).

The View co-hosts Barbara Walters, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones Reynolds, Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck will also partake in the announcement of nominees in all the major categories.

The 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will air live on the ABC Television Network from Hollywood’s Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards®, on Friday, April 28, 2006. This will mark the first time the Daytime Emmys will be broadcast from Hollywood in the 33-year history of the Awards ceremonies.

GRAMMY Parties, Performers & Presenters

2006-02-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

The 48th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS will be presented at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Award nominations were announced December 8, 2005. The 2006 Grammy Awards will be broadcast on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Grammy official website / 48th Annual Awards.

Trivia: Even though the 2005 Grammy broadcast boasted 24 live performances - and only 11 actual awards were presented during the telecast - it drew only 18.8 million viewers, a 28% decrease from the 2004 Grammys, and the lowest ratings since 1995, according to Nielsen Media Research. Of course, they were on the Sunday night line up against Desperate Housewives.

GRAMMY PRESENTERS:

Scheduled GRAMMY presenters include Fiona Apple, ~~Lance Armstrong~~, Big & Rich, Chris Brown, Michael Buble, Dave Chappelle, Common, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Destiny's Child, Matt Dillon, Jenna Elfman, Teri Hatcher, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Terrence Howard, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Queen Latifah, Bonnie Raitt, Anoushka Shankar, Sting and James Taylor. Celebrity cyclist Lance Armstrong cancelled his appearance after news of his break up with Sheryl Crow was announced over the weekend - ironically Sheryl Crow herself just signed on as a presenter.

GRAMMY PERFORMERS:

The Grammy Awards opening performance will feature Madonna and the Gorillaz with additional performances by Mariah Carey with Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Kelly Clarkson, Coldplay, Herbie Hancock & Christina Aguilera, Faith Hill & Keith Urban, Jay-Z & Linkin Park, Paul McCartney, SugarLand, U2 & Mary J. Blige, Kanye West & Jamie Foxx. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am, Ciara, John Legend, Devin Lima, Maroon 5, Robert Randolph, Joss Stone and Sly Stone will perform during a Tribute to Sly and the Family Stone. Participants in GRAMMY's Tribute to New Orleans include Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Sam Moore, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, and U2's The Edge.

GRAMMY PARTIES:

Grammy parties kicked off Monday night, when Kanye West performed at the Rolling Stone / Verizon Wireless party, honoring the this year's nominees, at the Avalon Hollywood. The action continues tonight with Clive Davis' traditional pre-Grammy celebration, which moved this year to the larger ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The guest list includes Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, the Dixie Chicks, Usher, Green Day and Willie Nelson. The long list of performers is rumored to include Kelly Clarkson, Jamie Foxx, Rod Stewart, Fantasia Barino, Mary J. Blige, Carlos Santana, Rob Thomas, Chris Brown, Heather Headley and Barry Manilow. Real Networks will be streaming the party live through their online music service, at rhapsody.com/grammys. The party will also be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio's Grammy Radio station (XM200).

GRAMMY after parties will be happening throughout Hollywood, though most are non-publicized private parties. However, LG Mobile Phones is proud to announce the Mariah Carey and Jermaine Dupri Post Grammy Celebration. According to LG's press release, all of Hollywood's finest including, Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Ashton Kutcher, Hugh Hefner, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, Pharell and many more will be on hand for a night of celebration and glamour with a star-studded guest list at a luxurious and exclusive location in Beverly Hills. "I'm very excited to be able to celebrate the things I hold dear - life, art, music - on the most important night in music," said Jermaine Dupri, "I'd like to thank LG Mobile Phones for the opportunity to show all my friends what's sure to be a great time!"

Mariah Carey and Jermaine Dupri plan to share with their guests a celebration of life with an old-Hollywood setting reminiscent of the days of the Rat Pack. The fun begins with the totally unique invitation: a video message from the two hosts, displayed on the ultra-cool, incredibly functional 'V' by LG. This exclusive event will have the myriad of luxuries that have come to be associated will LG Mobile Phones events, everything from an incredibly unique setting to ultra swanky celebrity goodie bags. This chic gift bag will include a personal massage chair, stylish co-branded Red Engine Jeans and a scratch-to-win gift card with high end prizes not limited to 60" plasma screen televisions and portable DVD players!

As for other parties, you might get some clues by reviewing where they were held last year. EMI threw it's post-Grammy shindig at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Usher held a private party at the Geisha House in L.A., Kanye West held a super secret party somewhere in Hollywood, and even Prince hosted a private party at his Hollywood Hills home. Guitarist D'Wayne Wiggins hosted a party for multiple winner Alicia Keys at the Day After Club, which filled up so fast that hundreds were left standing outside most of the night. Warner Brothers held court at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood where invitees included Green Day, Linkin Park, Kid Rock, Amy Lee, Twista, Rob Zombie, Rob Thomas, Jimmy Page, and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. There was also a musical jam at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip.

Michelle Rodriguez Lost In the Crowd

2006-02-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

The last highlight for tonight from the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® backstage press room:

And then there was Ms. Michelle Rodriguez of the SAG Award winning Best Dramatic TV Ensemble, Lost. The same reporter who put Sandra Bullock on the spot also singled out Rodriguez for the "what are you wearing" red carpet question. Her reply made many laugh, though I swear more than a few people cringed when she answered, "I'm wearing Diane von Furstenberg. Did I say that right? She's been in the business since the '60s, and I love old people." I don't think her royal purple gown was vintage, but apparently she thought the designer was.

At these backstage press fests, only a few minutes can be allocated to grill each winner, or ensemble of winners, so not every reporter gets a chance to voice their own burning question. And of course, there's the right time, right place rule. This being the venue to ask winners "how does it feel ...?" or "what was it like ...?", some questions just have to be held back. Thus, no one asked Michelle Rodriguez about her recent DUI, movie flop (BloodRayne) or how soon her character, Anna Lucia, would be written out of the show. She might have been expecting to receive such pointed questions, because as the cast of Lost filed out of the press room, Rodriguez made a back handed comment. "Thank you for being respectful," she murmured to no one in particular. Was she expecting us to be anything less?

By the way, Designer Diane von Furstenberg just opened her first West Coast boutique, located at 8407 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

Sandra Bullock's Dress Was Pretty, But Come On...

2006-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

Later the cast of Crash crowded onto the small stage in the press room of the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®.

While Crash has a few high profile cast members, including Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock, the majority of it's 74 cast members aren't exactly household names (Terrence Howard moved up to the A-List with his Oscar nomination two days after this kudo fest). So it was nice to see the biggest star, Sandra Bullock, standing off to the side, more than likely to give this moment in the spotlight to lesser known cast members. Everything was going great, with Matt Dillon and others fielding questions. Then the mood changed.

Although Sandra Bullock didn't snort, she wasn't exactly Miss Congenialty when singled out by a reporter who chose this opportunity to ask her that all important question: "who are you wearing?" Apparently Sandra felt this was a question better left on the Red Carpet. She replied somewhat snarkily, "I can't believe you just asked that!" Another reporter than asked Bullock another question about her dress. Though it was pretty clear Bullock felt these questions were out of place, a third reporter pushed on, asking something like "what are you going for?," prompting Bullock to respond "What was I going for? What were you going for? What were you thinking when you put that on? I don't know how to answer that." For the record, Sandra was in a creamy-beige / light pastel cocktail dress designed by Angel Sanchez, who also created her wedding dress.

Speaking of weddings, we all know first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby ... . Now I'm not saying Sandra and husband Jesse James are expecting, but when she begrudgingly approached the microphone to answer the above fashion questions, I thought, for just the slightest moment, we saw a new baby bump under her pretty little dress. Or maybe my eyes were just playing tricks on me.

Don Cheadle, the Ultimate Team Player

2006-02-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

More from the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®:

I love Don Cheadle's attitude. He is someone who has totally embraced the concept of "ensemble," as he demonstrated when receiving The Actor® trophy with fellow cast members at this year's SAG Awards and also back at the 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. In accepting the award this month on behalf of the outstanding ensemble cast of Crash, Cheadle said, " Thank you very much, on behalf of the entire cast. I'd like to thank our peers, the Screen Actors Guild. We definitely appreciate it, thank you for acknowledging our film. We believe that it really celebrates the definition of what an ensemble is all about. I mean, there's 74 of us, so it... [laughter] has to be...".

Back in 2000, Cheadle also spoke up for the SAG award winning cast of Traffic: "I was asked to speak for our cast - I don't know why. But in this film there were 135 speaking roles, actually. [applause] And I would like to read every single name now. [laughter]. No, but I will hit some highlights: Michael (Douglas), Catherine (Zeta-Jones), Benicio (Del Toro), Luis (Guzman), Dennis Quaid, Erika Christensen, Topher Grace, Amy Irving, Jacob Vargas, Cliff Collins, Miguel Ferrer, Steven Bauer, Ben Bratt, D.W. Moffett, Peter Riegert, Tomas Milian, Marisol Sanchez, James Brolin, Albert Finney, Steven Gaghan for giving us the wonderful words. [applause] And of course, the captain of our ship, Steven Soderbergh for shepherding this whole thing."

Weisz, Fiennes Commit to Constant Gardener Trust

2006-02-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

There are not any events or deadlines on our radar for Tuesday, February 7, 2006. A lot of celebrities are in Los Angeles for tonight's MusicCares Tribute to James Taylor or rehearsing for the Grammy Awards and gearing up for the after parties the following day (more about them tomorrow). Other stars may be clearing out of Detroit following Super Bowl Sunday, perhaps heading to New York City for Olympus Fashion Week or the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which continues through February 12.

So tonight I'll just share you with some anecdotes from the press room at last week's Screen Actors Guild Awards:

Beautiful Rachel Weisz quietly confided that she is committed to continue her support of the Constant Gardener Trust (constantgardenertrust.org) for at least the next five years. The org was established by Constant Gardener producer Simon Channing Williams. With the continued patronage of Weisz, co-star Ralph Fiennes, director Fernando Meirelles and author John le Carré, the people of Loiyangalani and Kibera - the largest slum in SubSaharan Africa, located in the center of Nairobi, Kenya - will benefit from the trust's core aims to improve education, water and sanitation conditions. You can learn more about the Constant Gardener Trust's goals and objectives in the Projects section of their website.

2/6/06: MusicCares Honors James Taylor

2006-02-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

16th Annual MUSIC CARES PERSON OF THE YEAR TRIBUTE honoring multi-GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter James Taylor at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles. This annual benefit is MusiCares' signature event to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of music, as well as remarkable commitments to philanthropic and humanitarian causes. The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a special cocktail reception and silent auction sponsored by AEG that offers an unparalleled range of luxury and one-of-a-kind items, including an Ebony Gibson JR-200 Acoustic Electric Guitar signed by Paul Simon; a Precision Fender Bass autographed by Sting; an AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am VIP package; "France's Finest - The Grand Tour of France" with Viking River Cruises; a Peter Max personal portrait and VIP meet and greet at Max's New York studio; three days and two nights aboard the world-famous Onassis yacht "Christina O" for 10 guests; a ladies 18 carat ruby and diamond ring by Johnathon Arndt Gallery of Jewels; Tesoro diamond cufflinks by Jason of Beverly Hills; and a 2007 Limited Edition Cadillac Escalade. Proceeds provide essential support for MusiCares' Financial Assistance Program, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

The evening is further highlighted by a gala dinner, the awards presentation and a tribute concert featuring a line up of all stars including the Dixie Chicks, Carole King, Alison Krauss, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Sting, India.Arie, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Dr. John, Taj Mahal, Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor himself. Funds raised help support MusiCares' health and human service programs. Other corporate sponsors include Gibson, General Motors, Dr Pepper, Heineken, Verizon, People, Westwood One, XM Satellite Radio, JBL, Hilton, Continental Airlines, Jewels and Pinstripes, and Yahoo! Music. For ticket information, please call 310.392.3777. Black Tie Preferred.

You might also be interested in the current eBay GRAMMY Online Charity Auctions to raise funds for the GRAMMY charities MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation.

2/6/06: BAFTA Ballots Due

2006-02-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

BAFTA AWARDS - final round voting closes (18:00 GMT). The Orange British Academy Film Awards nominations were announced January 19, 2006. The BAFTA Awards gala will be held at Odeon Leicester Square in London, England on February 19, 2006.

Rachel McAdams, Will Ferrell Take Oscar Vows

2006-02-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

Originally posted Friday 2/3/06:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continues to slowly reveal celebrity presenters for next month's Oscars. Today we learned funnyman Will Ferrell became the latest star added to the talent roster. AMPAS also announced the starlet du jour selected to host the Scientific and Technical Awards on Saturday, February 18. Rachel McAdams has accepted the role, and she will also appear at the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5 to introduce taped highlights from the Sci-Tech dinner. McAdams played Owen Wilson's love interest in Wedding Crashers, in which Ferrell had a small role. Both Owen Wilson and his brother Luke are also set to present Oscars this year. Makes us wonder if fellow Frat Pack studs, Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, frequent collaborators with Ferrell and the Wilson brothers, will be the next actors Gil Cates invites to the show.

2/4/06: Writers, Animators Draft Event Details

2006-02-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Originally posted Friday 2/3/06:

The 58th Annual WRITERS GUILD AWARDS will be held simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York Saturday night. Jon Favreau hosts the west coast Writers Guild gala at the Hollywood Palladium. Award presenters include Oscar nominees Matt Dillon and Terrence Howard, Geena Davis, Dan Rather, Steve Carell, Jason Lee, James Denton, George Lopez, Marg Helgenberger, Jenna Elfman, Sandra Oh, Craig Ferguson, Ellen Pompeo, James Garner, Tyler James Williams and Lauralee Bell. Frank Pierson will receive the Morgan Cox Honorary Service Award, George Clooney and Grant Heslov will receive the Paul Selvin Award for their screenplay Good Night, and Good Luck, screenwriter/ director/ producer Lawrence Kasdan will be honored with the Screen Laurel Award and television writer /producer Stephen J. Cannell will receive the Writers Guild of America, West's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television.

Alan Cumming presides over the east coast Writer's Guild gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Award presenters include Stanley Donen, Susan Zirinsky, John Auerbach, Tim Fontana, John Waters, Rosie Perez, Dan Futterman, S. Epatha Merkerson, Paul Rudd, Paul Shaffer, Susie Essman and Sara Vowell. The Writers Guild of America East selected James L. Brooks for its inaugural Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence, to honor a scribe who has shown excellence in comedy writing and who has inspired others through leadership and mentoring. WGA East chose Warren Leight to receive its Richard B. Jablow Award for service to the guild. They will also honor Marshall Brickman with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for lifetime achievement in writing. WGA tv nominees announced 12/8/05; motion pictures nominees 1/4/06. Official websites: WGA-W / WGA- E.

The 33rd Annual ANNIE AWARDS, presented by ASIFA-Hollywood, the International Animated Film Society, will be held at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA, and hosted by the talent behind Spongebob Squarepants, Tom Kenny. Celebrity presenters include William Shatner, Jason Alexander, Brad Bird, Seth MacFarlane, Craig T. Nelson, Nick Park and Lee Unkrich. The 2005 Annie Award nominations were announced 12/5/05. Chicken Little, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Howl's Moving Castle, Madagascar and Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit are competing for Annie's Best Animated Feature title. Three of these films, Corpse Bride, Howl's Moving Castle and the Wallace & Gromit movie, were nominated for Academy Awards earlier this week. Mark Kausler will receive the June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride will be honored with the Ub Iwerks Award. Cornelius Cole, Tyrus Wong and Fred Crippen will be recognized for their contributions to the art of animation.

2/3/06: Film Editors Cut to the Chase

2006-02-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

ACE EDDIE AWARDS - final ballots due. The ACE Eddie nominations were announced 1/13/06. The 16th Annual American Cinema Editors Awards will be presented February 19, 2006 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The group selected Ron Howard for its ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award. They will also honor film editors Ed Abroms and Terry Rawlings with Lifetime Career Achievement Awards. Official website: Ace Eddie Awards

2/2/06: Don't Lag on SAG Charity Auctions

2006-02-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS - online auctions to benefit BookPALS and The SAG Foundation end today! Go to sagawards.org/auction to place your bid on collectible items from the SAG Awards before they're gone!

2/1/06: Sound Editors Sound Off; WGA Honors Docs

2006-01-31T21:27:00.000-08:00

MPSE GOLDEN REEL AWARDS - final ballots distributed. Ballots due by February 22. The MPSE Awards will be presented March 4 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

2nd Annual WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY AWARDS, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood. Nominees were announced 1/3/06. Visit February 2006 calendar to learn about the winner of this award.

1/29/06: Screen Actors Guild Awards!

2006-01-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

12th Annual SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. SAG nominations announced 1/5/06. Shirley Temple Black, who captivated the world as a child star, then served her country as an eminent diplomat over more than three decades, will receive SAG's most prestigious honor - the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. The award will be presented to her by Jamie Lee Curtis. The roster of actors who will honor their colleagues at the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards® also includes Naveen Andrews, Amy Adams, Patricia Arquette, Barbara Bain, Angela Bassett, Benjamin Bratt, Pierce Brosnan, Sandra Bullock, Chris Cooper, Ted Danson, Peter Graves Jake Gyllenhaal, Sean Hayes, Marg Helgenberger, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Terrence Howard, Felicity Huffman, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine Keener, Heath Ledger, Eva Longoria, William H. Macy, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo, William Shatner, David Strathairn, Hilary Swank and Ziyi Zhang. Isaiah Washington will open the Red Carpet with a Champagne Taittinger toast that will air live on E! Entertainment Television's Live from the Red Carpet: Screen Actors Guild Awards® pre-awards special. The SAG Awards will be simulcast live on both the TNT and TBS networks at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, 7:00 p.m. Central and 6:00 p.m. MT. SAG Awards official website. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR OUR UPCOMING SPECIAL FEATURE ON THE 2006 SCREEN ACTORS GUILD GIFT BASKETS AND EXCLUSIVE VIP LOUNGE!!

1/31/06: Oscar Nominations Announced

2006-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

ACADEMY AWARDS - Oscar nominations announced at 5:30 a.m. PT from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 78th Annual Academy Awards will be presented 3/5/06.

1/30/06: CAS Sounds Best; Razzies For the Rest

2006-01-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

CINEMA AUDIO SOCIETY AWARDS - final ballots mailed.

RAZZIE AWARDS - nominations announced. Razzie awards presented 3/4/06.

WRITERS GUILD AWARDS - deadline to return final WGA awards ballots.

1/29/06: Goya to the SAG Awards

2006-01-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

12th Annual SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. See above post for further details.

20th Annual GOYA AWARDS, Municipal Palace of Congresses, Madrid, Spain. Presented by Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España (Spanish Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences) Producer/director/screenwriter Pedro Maso will receive an honorary Goya for Lifetime Achievement. los Premios Goya official website.

1/28/06: Busy Day for Directors, Editors, Make Up Artists

2006-01-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

ACADEMY AWARDS - MakeUp Bake Off. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the seven films in consideration for Achievement in Makeup for the 78th Academy Awards: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Cinderella Man, A History of Violence, The Libertine, Mrs. Henderson Presents, The New World and Stars Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Ten-minute clip reels from each film will be screened for nominating committee then members will vote to nominate three of the seven films for Oscar® consideration. All nominations for the 78th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 31, 2006.

ACE EDDIE AWARDS - blue ribbon screenings (through 1/29)

DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS - DGA Meet the Nominees: Feature Films

58th Annual DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS, Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles. Hosted by Carl Reiner. Presenters include Peter Bergman, Eric Braeden, Patricia Clarkson, Matt Dillon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Patricia Heaton, Cheryl Hines, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ron Howard, Angelica Huston, Catherine Keener, Heath Ledger, John Leguizamo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Thandie Newton, Jaime Pressly, Randy Quaid, Emmy Rossum, Geoffrey Rush, David Strathairn and Ziyi Zhang. Clint Eastwood will receive the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his distinguished career in motion picture directing. Donald Jacob will receive the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award for an Associate Director or Stage Manager and Jerry H. Ziesmer will receive the Frank Capra Achievement Award which is given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager, both in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America, while Joseph R. Aceti will receive the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Direction.

1/27/06: Actors, Directors Bottom Line

2006-01-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS - today is the deadline for returning all feature film final ballots.

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS - final SAG ballots are due at the elections firm today by 12 Noon PT

More Rare Items Added to SAG Benefit Auctions!

2006-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

A visit to the set of Desperate Housewives, Shannon's last shirt from Lost and autographed collectibles from the SAG Awards™ nominated casts of Boston Legal, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Everybody Loves Raymond, Good Night, And Good Luck, My Name Is Earl, Six Feet Under, The Closer and The West Wing have been added to the eBay auctions to benefit the Screen Actors Guild Foundation at sagawards.org/auction! Bidding on these and more rare items opens today and ends next Thursday, February 2.

SAG Awards Luxury Collections Now Open for Bidding!

2006-01-26T02:15:00.000-08:00

The Screen Actors Guild Awards online benefit auctions have now kicked into high gear! The weekly auctions traditionally feature SAG Awards luxury gift collections, one-of-a-kind autographed show memorabilia and red-carpet bleacher seats for the ceremonies. The proceeds from these auctions benefit two great causes: the SAG Foundation and BookPALS.

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation provides a meaningful way for SAG members to contribute to the literacy of children in their communities through BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools) and its online component, Storyline. The SAG Foundation programs provide emergency relief to actors in economic distress, video and audio preservation of the creative legacy of industry members, scholarships for performers and their children and emergency funds for members with catastrophic illnesses.

The SAG Awards Celebrity Gift and Memorabilia auctions began Thursday, January 5, with the SAG Awards Nominee Gift Collection (presented to the actors nominated for this year's SAG Awards in the individual and ensemble categories) and red carpet bleacher seats at this year's SAG Awards.

The eBay bidding will culminate today, January 26 and run through February 2nd with the Presenter and Talent Retreat Gift Collections. These luxury gifts and services are given as a thank you to the presenters at the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®. Among them are resort getaways to the Adara Hotel in Whistler, B.C.; South Carolina's Inn at Palmetto Bluff and the Salish Lodge & Spa in Washington State. Also available is jewelry from AireHart by Sidney, Berchet, Tateossian and the Natural Color Diamond Association; a Swarovski crystal-coated electronic sudoku from Techno Source; an IOGEAR Bluetooth Wireless Headset; timepieces from Youngblood and EnterTrainer; menswear from Ike Behar; Fendi scarves; White + Warren sweaters; eyewear by Michael Kors; fragrances from Amouvage and 06130; gourmet dining and confections from davidburke & donatella, Debauve et Gallais and Sing Praises; a keepsake box from the Silver Gallery; and for the presenters' families, a children's teepee from Jen Klair Kids and a pet bed from Le Pettee Settee. You can go to sagawards.org/auction to place your bid on these fantastics items today!

The Talent Retreat Collection features the getaways and gifts that celebrities will personally select in the SAG Awards uniquely furnished backstage talent oasis. Karen Wood's Backstage Creations has obtained sponsor participation for the SAG Awards Gift Collections for the fifth year in a row and is creating the Talent Retreat for the sixth consecutive year.

The 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® will be simulcast live nationally from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center by TNT and TBS this Sunday, January 29, at 8 p.m. ET/ PT, 7 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. MT.

1/26/06: CAS Top 5; DGA Goes Commercial

2006-01-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

CINEMA AUDIO SOCIETY AWARDS - final five nominees announced. The CAS awards will be presented 2/25/06.

DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS - Meet the Nominees: Commercials.

Two More Oscar Presenters Announced

2006-01-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Luke Wilson joins his brother, Owen Wilson, in the Oscar presenter line up. Jennifer Aniston will also be making her first Oscar appearance as a presenter.

Academy Expands Oscar Pre-Show To One Hour

2006-01-25T10:34:00.000-08:00

The official Academy red carpet arrivals show preceding the annual Academy Award® telecast will be expanded this year to a full hour, starting at 4:00 p.m. PST, 7:00 p.m. EST, according to Academy President Sid Ganis.

"We're starting the Oscar telecast this year straight up at 5:00 p.m. on the west coast," Ganis said, "and that gives us an opportunity to expand the pre-show to an hour. Right now we're in the design phase, with Dennis Doty producing."

Doty produced the first official pre-show in 1999 and has produced three additional shows, in 2001, 2003 and 2005.

"We want to make it different from the half-hour shows we've had over the past seven years," Ganis said, "but we won't lose sight of the fact that people want to see the glitz and glamour - they want to see fashions on the red carpet!

"But an hour also will give us time to acquaint our viewers with some of the films and nominees they may not know so well. There will be terrific little stories to tell here, and we'll use this extra time to tell them."

Doty agreed. "The show has evolved to a full hour and this gives us the opportunity to do it bigger and better," he said. "The heart of this show is all about the stars, the fashion, the emotions and the films. That's the core of the story we are there to cover. This hour format will give us the ability to provide a greater insight and feeling about the motion pictures and the stars and the filmmakers who have made this all possible."

"It's our show," Ganis added. "We can go where we want to go ... take the cameras into places other lead-up shows don't go."

"Absolutely right!" Doty said. "Our audience will have the best seat in the stands and the best place on the red carpet to experience all of it. And we'll bring in some exciting new elements this year that will give the audience of the official Oscar pre-show an exclusive up-close-and-personal look at all of the excitement of the Oscars®."

The Oscar telecast was moved up half-an-hour so that it would start on the hour, the start time most familiar to viewers. "That will make it easier for viewers to find the show, get tuned in and get settled so they'll be more likely to stick with it," Ganis said. "It also has the additional attraction of guaranteeing that the Oscar telecast will end before midnight on the east coast.

"This change has significant advantages on both ends for us and our viewers."

No word yet on who will host the official pre-show - we'll let you know!

Rest in Peace, Chris Penn

2006-01-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

Actor Christopher Penn, Sean Penn's younger brother, was found dead in a Los Angeles condominium yesterday. During his long career, Penn appeared in over 70 movies and television programs. His latest movie was Finn Taylor's The Darwin Awards, which debuts at this year's Sundance Film Festival. He played Kevin Bacon's best friend and Sarah Jessica Parker's boyfriend in Footloose and was most recently seen in the remake of Starsky and Hutch with Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. No cause of death was immediately determined but there were no signs of foul play, according to police sources. Penn was only 40 years old.

1/25/06: AMPAS Gets Visual; VES Votes; DGA VIPs View TV

2006-01-24T23:15:00.000-08:00

ACADEMY AWARDS - Visual Effects Bake Off. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on 12/16/05 the seven films in consideration for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 78th Academy Awards: Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, King Kong, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and War of the Worlds. Fifteen-minute clips from each film will be screened for the nominating committee tonight, then members will vote to nominate three of the seven films for Oscar consideration. All Academy Award nominations will be announced Tuesday, January 31, 2006.

DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS - Meet the Nominees: Movies for Television, Los Angeles. Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted announced the DGA nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television for the year 2005 on January 9, 2006. The winner will be announced at the 58th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The nominees in this category are: Darnell Martin for Their Eyes Were Watching God, James Sadwith for Elvis, Joseph Sargent for Warm Springs, Fred Schepisi for Empire Falls, and George C. Wolfe for Lackawanna Blues.

VES AWARDS - online voting opens (through 2/10/06). Visit the Visual Effects Society website for details. The 4th Annual VES Awards will be presented 2/15/06 in Hollywood.

DGA Casts Host and Presenters

2006-01-24T23:11:00.000-08:00

Carl Reiner will return to host the 58th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards, DGA President Michael Apted announced today. This will be the twentieth time Reiner has hosted the DGA Awards, which take place on Saturday, January 28 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Apted also announced the slate of presenters for the DGA Awards: Peter Bergman, Eric Braeden, Patricia Clarkson, Matt Dillon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Patricia Heaton, Cheryl Hines, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ron Howard, Angelica Huston, Catherine Keener, Heath Ledger, John Leguizamo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Thandie Newton, Jaime Pressly, Randy Quaid, Emmy Rossum, Geoffrey Rush, David Strathairn and Ziyi Zhang.

1/24/06: Sound Guys Crank It Up

2006-01-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

MPSE GOLDEN REEL AWARDS - according to the MPSE calendar, nominees would be published at or by 9:00 a.m. January 24. Fortunately, this group is ahead of their game and the noms were posted on the org's website by 9:00 pm. January 23. Visit MPSE to check out all the nominees. The Motion Picture Sound Editors will present their awards on March 4, 2006.

ACADEMY AWARDS Sound Editing Bake Off - Seven films made the Oscar short list for Best Achievement in Sound Editing for the 78th Academy Awards: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, King Kong, Memoirs of a Geisha, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Walk the Line and War of the Worlds. Ten-minute clips from each film will be screened for the nominating committee tonight, then members will vote to nominate three of the seven films for Oscar® consideration. All nominations for the 78th Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday, January 31, 2006.

Owen Wilson Crashes Oscarcast

2006-01-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

AMPAS announced this morning that Owen Wilson, star of Wedding Crashers and the upcoming Cars, has been invited to present at the 78th Annual Academy Awards. He joins Jessica Alba and last year's Best Actress Hilary Swank, Best Actor Jamie Foxx, and Best Supporting Actor Morgan Freeman, as well as host Jon Stewart, on the Oscar stage. Additional celebrity presenters will be added here and on our March 2006 calendar as they are announced.

Meet the Oscars®

2006-01-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

Oscar Statuettes for the 78th Academy Awards® to be Displayed in Hollywood February 10 - March 3, 2006.

Prior to being placed in the excited hands of Oscar winners at the 78th Academy Awards, this year's crop of coveted Oscar statuettes will be showcased in a public display at the Hollywood & Highland Center® beginning on Friday, February 10.

The exhibition, "Meet the Oscars: The 50 Golden Statuettes," will be free and open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday on the third level of Hollywood & Highland.

Featuring 50 statuettes as well as other Academy Award-related displays, guests will have the opportunity to hold an Oscar as well as visit a gallery of photographs featuring winners from previous ceremonies. This year's limited edition, vintage commemorative posters, "Black Tuxedo," and "White Gloves," also will be available for purchase.

After the close of the exhibition on March 3, the Oscars, under heavy security, will march down the red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard to the Kodak Theatre where they will be handed out during the Awards Presentation on Sunday, March 5.

The Academy will not know how many statuettes will be awarded until the envelopes are opened on Oscar Night® because there can be ties as well as variable numbers of winners in some categories.

Weighing in at eight-and-a-half pounds, each statuette is thirteen-and-a-half inches tall and is made of gold-plated britannium, a metal alloy. The statuettes, a new crop handmade each year by R.S. Owens and Company in Chicago, will arrive in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 2, on "Oscar 1," the special United Airlines "Flight of the Oscars."

"Meet the Oscars," will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in cooperation with Hollywood & Highland Center, home of the Kodak Theatre. For more information about the exhibition, call 310-247-3600.

1/23/06: GLAAD To Play You a Tune

2006-01-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

ACADEMY AWARDS - Original Song Bake Off (Day 2).

GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS - nominations announced. GLAAD Awards ceremonies will be held 3/27/06 in New York, 4/8/06 in Los Angeles, 5/25/06 in Miami, and 6/10/06 in San Francisco.