Good evening. We continue "Oscar Countdown Week" with the Lead Acting nominees. Everybody in Best Actor are one-timers, while in Best Actress...well, it may be a "Desperate Housewife" vs. a "Legally Blonde" beauty in a battle to the death (unless there's a tie), but we've got two past winners and another newcomer hoping to put a stop and score the biggest upset in Oscar history. Here are the fields:

Best Actor

Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote": Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays author Truman Capote in the years leading up to the writing of his best-known book, "In Cold Blood."

Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain": As Ennis Del Mar, Heath Ledger portrays a cowboy in the 1960s whose love for another man has a profound effect on his life.

Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow": As DJay, Terrence Howard portrays a drug dealer and pimp seeking a way out of his violent life through music.

Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk The Line": Joaquin Phoenix portrays country western singer Johnny Cash, who overcame drug use and personal struggles in the course of his legendary career.

David Straihaim, "Good Night, and Good Luck.": David Strathairn plays Edward R. Murrow, the revered television journalist who launched an investigation into the witch-hunting tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Best Actress

Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents": Judi Dench portrays Laura Henderson, a widow who breaks with convention when she purchases a vaudeville theater and begins staging risqué revues. Synposis: Following her husband's death in 1937, Laura Henderson resolves to break free from her placid life by embarking on a career as a theater owner. With the help of veteran manager Vivian Van Damm, she astonishes staid London society by opening a vaudeville house.



Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica": Felicity Huffman plays Bree, a pre-operative transsexual who embarks on a cross-country road trip with her troubled teenage son.



Keira Knightley, "Pride and Prejudice": As Elizabeth Bennet, Keira Knightley plays a young woman whose lively, intelligent manner captivates the wealthy Mr. Darcy despite her lack of prominent family connections. Synposis: When Elizabeth Bennet meets the wealthy and eligible Mr. Darcy, she is at first put off by his proud manner and his disdain for the ill-judged behavior of her mother and younger sisters. The growing attraction between them, however, will cause both Elizabeth and Darcy to reassess their initial impressions as they discover each other's true character.



Charlize Theron, "North Country": Charlize Theron plays Josey Aimes, a single mother who is subjected to humiliating sexual harassment after she takes a job at a coal mine. Synposis: When Josey Aimes leaves her abusive boyfriend and returns to her home town, she seeks work at the mining company where her father has long been employed. As one of the few women working for the company, Josey finds herself the object of continual, degrading sexual harassment. Theron won that very same award two years ago for "Monster."



Reese Witherspoon, "Walk The Line": Reese Witherspoon plays country singer June Carter, whose strength and compassion guide her through the early days of her relationship with Johnny Cash. Synposis: The career of legendary country singer Johnny Cash is chronicled in this musical biography. Following a difficult early life, Cash establishes himself as a rising star in the country music world and falls in love with singer June Carter. Both are married, however, and Cash is struggling with serious personal difficulties.

Tomorrow as "Oscar Countdown Week" continues...Director and Screenplay nominees.

FROM OLYMPIC GOLD TO OSCAR GOLD

After two weeks, another Olympic Winter Games for the 20th time has come and gone. Sweden ousted Finland 3-2 to take the men's hockey gold, while Apolo Anton Ohno took gold and bronze in the men's 500-meter and 5000-meter short track speed skating relay respectively. And Bode Miller? Well, he leaves Turin with NOTHING! No medals whatsoever! I guess all this hype about him leading up to the games bit him in the ass.

I think in the end, Miller has become the New Coke (or Edsel or XFL) of the Olympics. I wouldn't be surprised if the next time we see him will be on "Hollywood Squares" as the next Paul Lynde.

Germany takes the most medals out of these games with 29 (11 of them gold), followed by the United States (25; tying Austria with nine golds), Canada (24), Austria (23), and Russia (22). The stage is now set for the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, meaning it could be Advantage: Canada as far as taking the most medals are concerned.

But I guess the real ratings winner -- at least here in Fairbanks -- has to be Bill St. Pierre at Tanana Valley Television. His KFXF Fox 7 and KXD CBS 13 with powerhouses "American Idol", "Survivor", "House", and "CSI" have literally taken a chunk of KTVF's audience these last two weeks, though the final February numbers may say otherwise.

The Olympics may be over, but there's one more piece of gold yet to be handed out: Oscar gold! Next Sunday is the 78th Annual Academy Awards, and as I've been doing on the old "Allen Report" site from 2000 to 2004, all this week I get you ready for entertainment's night of nights with a look at who's up for Hollywood's biggest prize in:

(Please ignore the "NewsBeat" on the top; this came straight out of the graphics archives. As always, film synposes and role information courtesy of Oscar.com)

Supporting Actor

George Clooney, "Syriana": As Bob Barnes, George Clooney portrays a CIA agent who finds himself at the center of a conspiracy to guarantee U.S. access to foreign oil.

Matt Dillon, "Crash": Matt Dillon portrays Ryan, a racist cop whose humiliation of an African-American couple will come back to haunt him during an unexpected encounter.

Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man": As Joe Gould, Paul Giamatti plays a boxing manager who works with a down-on-his-luck fighter struggling to make a comeback. Film synopsis: Based on the life of boxer James Braddock, this Depression-era drama follows Braddock's fortunes as his promising career and early successes give way to hard times and despair. As he struggles to provide for his wife and children, Braddock embarks on a comeback in the ring under the guidance of his manager, Joe Gould. Giamatti's nomination is the film's only major one after being snubbed for Best Picture and Actor (Russell Crowe).

Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain": Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jack Twist, a cowboy who falls in love with another man over the course of a summer in the Wyoming mountains.

William Hurt, "A History of Violence": As Richie Cusack, William Hurt portrays a brutal mobster who finds the man who disappeared after betraying him years earlier. A three-time Best Actor nominee in the 1980's (he won in 1985 for "Kiss of the Spider Woman"), this is his fourth nomination.

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, "Junebug": Amy Adams plays Ashley, an open-hearted girl from a small town who is entranced by her sophisticated new sister-in-law. Film synposis: Six months after her impulsive marriage, Chicago-based art dealer Madeleine has yet to meet her husband's family. A dual-purpose visit to their North Carolina town--Madeleine hopes to sign a contract with an artist living nearby--leads to an uneasy stay with her new in-laws, whose small-town manners are worlds apart from Madeleine's more sophisticated lifestyle.

Catherine Keener, "Capote": Catherine Keener plays writer Harper Lee, who accompanies her childhood friend, Truman Capote, to Kansas as he prepares to write about a terrible crime. A first-timer, she was last seen in a much more light-hearted fare, Steve Carell's "The 40-Year Old Virgin."



Frances McDormand, "North Country": As Glory, Frances McDormand plays a coal mine employee who must battle both sexual harassment and a crippling illness. Her fourth nomination; her only win was for Best Actress in "Fargo."

Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener": As Tessa Quayle, Rachel Weisz portrays a passionate activist whose investigation into the dealings of an international pharmaceutical company leads to her murder.

Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain": Michelle Williams plays Alma, a cowboy's young wife who learns that her husband's heart belongs to another man. Her co-star and fiance Heath Ledger is up for Best Actor...

And we'll have him and the other Lead Acting nominees as (not "NewsBeat's") Oscar Countdown Week continues. Good night!

THRILL OF VICTORY FOR ROSEY FLETCHER (sort of); AGONY OF DEFEAT FOR SASHA COHEN

Good evening. Well, finally, an Alaskan did medal at the Winter Olympics in Turin today. More on that in a bit, but first...

What started out to be the night for Sasha Cohen hoping to get the figure skating gold medal turned into disaster. In the women's free skate today, she and Russia's Irina Slutskaya all fell down during their make-it-or-break-it showings, clearing the way for 24-year-old Shizuka Arakawa from Japan to come from behind and grab the gold in the end; this was her country's first medal since Midori Ito's silver in 1992. Cohen and Slutskaya settled for silver and bronze respectively while Emily Hughes couldn't match big sister Sarah's success in Salt Lake City four years ago; she ended up in seventh place.

I was hoping for Cohen to pick up where Michelle Kwan left off after she dropped out of these games, but just like Kwan in 2002, one fall did cost it all...well, at least for now. This was her first Olympics, so the next time she'll try to take a stab at that gold will be in 2010 in Vancouver, when the games return to North America. Emily Hughes will be waiting in the wings as well.

Meanwhile, an Alaskan finally stands on the medal podium as Rosey Fletcher of Girdwood gets a bronze in women's parallel giant slalom snowboarding, becoming the first U.S. woman to medal in that discipline. Fletcher is now the fifth Alaskan Olympic medalist, joining Kris Thorsness (Los Angeles 1984), Hilary Lindh (Albertville 1992), two-timer Tommy Moe (Lillehammer 1994), and most recently, former University of Alaska Fairbanks student Matt Emmons at Athens. Switzerland's Daniela Meuli claimed gold with Germany's Ameile Kober following her up with silver.

It was about time an Alaskan medaled in Turin as our athletes there performed poorly, fueled by Jay Hakkinen's dissapointing 80th place showing in the men's biathlon last week (Anchorage's Kikkan Randall did way, way better than him; she came in ninth in the women's ski sprint) as well as Scott Gomez and his U.S. men's hockey team eliminated in the quarterfinals along with Canada on Wednesday.

By the way...given the 10-hour time difference between Turin and Alaska and knowing that I love spoiling myself when it comes to results from the games...not to mention ratings for NBC's coverage being down the shitter (I wish I knew somebody in this area with a Canadian satellite dish so they can enjoy the 100% LIVE, crap-free coverage from CBC), I got the news on the figure skating from my cell phone.

Anyway, the 20th Olympic Winter Games will all come to an end on Sunday, meaning NBC afterwards will return to its fourth place standing and here, "Friends" and "Frasier" reruns will be back to their regular times at the 7:00 pm hour following the news. But in the end, it'll be the viewers grabbing gold ourselves -- by tuning out these games! Good night.

CHENEY'S GOT A GUN, AND AN ALASKAN FALTERS IN TURIN

Lots of ground to cover, so on with it!

First up...I'm sure many of you have dusted off your old Nintendo Entertainment Systems and relived your childhood by playing "Duck Hunt" again. Yes, as we already know by now, Vice President Dick Cheney opened some "friendly fire" on Texas lawyer Harry Whittington during a quail hunting jaunt over the weekend. As a result, Whittington suffered a minor heart attack

And with the Winter Olympics still going on in Turin (which I'll get to in a bit), the late nighters went for the comedy gold on that one. All of them...except Conan O'Brien, who has yet to crack a joke or two on this while he's in Finland (he's there because his show is preempted for the Olympics; so is "Saturday Night Live", who'll have to wait till March 4 to play catch-up

Whittington is the first person to be shot by a sitting Vice President since Alexander Hamilton when Aaron Burr dueled him to the death in 1804. Who knew that over 200 years later we would have that similar fate...only this time, it's not that fatal!

To comment, it looks we've finally found some weapons of mass destruction...and it's Dick Cheney packing heat!

Now, the 20th Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy; and with Michelle Kwan out, it looks like it'll be Emily Hughes and Sasha Cohen in a duel for the gold.

As for our Alaskan athletes are concerned? Jay Hakkinen of Kasilof fell to 80th place in the 10-kilometer biathlon, while Anchorage's Kikkan Randall and teammate Wendy Wagner advanced to the women's cross-country skiing finals for the first time ever.

Meanwhile, Australia gets their first gold in the games thanks to Dale Begg-Smith in the moguls; American Toby Dawson took bronze. In speed skating, China's Meng Wang took gold in the women's 500-meter. And on the men's hockey side, the U.S. survived a 3-3 tie against Latvia while Canada ousted Italy 7-2.

In the medals count, the United States take the most golds so far with five, followed by Russia and Germany with four apiece. Norway still leads overall with 11 (one gold, five silvers, five bronzes), followed by Russia at nine and the U.S. and Germany both at eight, while Canada and host country Italy have four.

Before I go, an early notice: The next major event after these games is of course the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5; and as most of you who used to visit my old site know, I get you ready a week prior with a look at the main categories.

From February 27-March 3, I'll be doing it again with my "Oscar Preview Week." Here's a rundown of what will be covered:

February 27: Supporting Acting Nominees

February 28: Lead Acting Nominees

March 1: Screenplay/Director

March 2: Animated Feature/Foreign Language Film

March 3: Best Picture/My Predictions

That's another inheritance from the "Allen Report", Oscar Preview Week, February 27-March 3.

With that out of the way...see you next time!

BREAKING NEWS: IT'S OVER FOR MICHELLE KWAN

We've just received word that Michelle Kwan's third and final attempt at a gold medal in Turin has come to an end.

Kwan has announced early Sunday morning that due to a groin injury she suffered on Saturday, she has withdrew from the Winter Olympics and therefore ending her chances at a gold medal after her silver and bronze victories in 1998 and 2002 respectively. Emily Hughes, younger sister of 2002 gold medalist Sarah Hughes, is expected to take her place.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada get their first golds in the games; Texas' Chad Henrick was dominant in the 5,000 meter speed skating, while Jennifer Heil of Alberta copped the women's moguls gold. And both countries' women's hockey teams started out strong in huge shutouts; U.S. 6-0 against Switzerland while Canada dethroned host country Italy 16-0!!! Norway leads the medals count with four (two silver, two bronze) followed by Germany with their first two golds.

But once again, the main story right now is Michelle Kwan withdraws from these games. More on this as it develops.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN...THAT IS, IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO TUNE IN!

Good evening. Well, the 20th Olympic Winter Games have already started in Turin, Italy, and this is probably going to be one Olympics that may be a turn-off for television viewers. Why? In the thick of February sweeps, the other shows on other networks have pulled out all the stops to make sure NBC doesn't get any ratings gold.

On ABC, you've got the Sunday night one-two punch of "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy", "Lost", and "Dancing with the Stars." CBS has "CSI", "Survivor: Exile Island", and "The Amazing Race." And over at Fox, there's "House", "24", and the biggest weapon of them all: "American Idol." Here in Fairbanks, with the Fox and CBS stations both run by Tanana Valley Television and based in a small building on a dirt road off Van Horn just a few miles from KTVF (the NBC station), they're pulling no punches whatsoever.

Now I may be watching little or no coverage of the games (well, except to see whether or not Michelle Kwan will finally get that gold), and for good reason: Back in 2000 on the "Allen Report" site, I've talked up a storm about how super-crappy the NBC coverage of the Sydney games were because they were all on tape due to the huge 19-hour time difference between Sydney and Alaska...and that how many, many Americans have screw all that hugely by tuning to the CBC in Canada, where most of the coverage -- including the marquee events like track and field and basketball -- were 100% LIVE!!! It has been the case for Nagano (when CBS broadcast the games in the States), Sydney, Salt Lake City, Athens, and will be again for Turin.

However, if you have a "grey market" Canadian satellite dish or live in either Seattle (where they're still healing the wounds from the Seahawks' Super Bowl loss), Detroit, or Buffalo where CBC is accessible via cable or over-the-air, you're in true luck. I'm pretty sure SOMEBODY in the Fairbanks area, maybe in North Pole or Nenana or Salcha or Delta Junction, has a Canadian satellite mounted somewhere in their home so that they would enjoy the quality, straightforward, no bullshit coverage from the CBC -- as well as "Hockey Night in Canada" and "The National" -- without suffering from Bob Costas and the gang at NBC.

I just wish someday, somehow, ABC with the support of ESPN can get the Olympics back from NBC. Sure, they may have lost Al "Do you believe in miracles? YES!!!!!!!" Michaels to NBC so he could re-team with John Madden for "Sunday Night Football", but since Jim McKay is too old, they could get Chris Berman or John Saunders to anchor for ABC. And oh yeah...we do remember the days when ABC's coverage were far more superior and less crappy than NBC, especially McKay's "They're all gone" while reporting on the horrors in Munich.

Anyway, five Alaskans are competing in these games; we'll find out if one or some or all of them will be arriving back at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport from Turin with a little gold around their necks as the ultimate souvenir.

While we wait for the first gold from Turin to be handed out, the 48th Annual Grammy Awards were on Wednesday. U2 were the big winners with five including Song and Album of the Year, bringing their overall total to 21. Green Day received Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" while John Legend got New Artist. Mariah Carey's comeback did pay off with three awards, but they were all given out during the pre-telecast ceremony where Chris Rock and Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) got Comedy and Spoken Word Album honors for "Never Scared" and "Dreams From My Father" respectively.

Kelly Clarkson went from "American Idol" to Grammy Idol when she beat out some heavy competition (including Gwen Stefani, who left the Staples Center empty-handed) by claiming Best Pop Vocal Performance and Pop Vocal Album. By the way, "Idol" clobbered the Grammys in the ratings because of the awards' return to Wednesday; it would've been better if they followed the Golden Globes' lead by holding them on Monday.

As for the fashions on the green carpet, green because Heineken was one of the Grammys' proud sponsors? Alicia Keys in amazing Armani, pregnant Stefani, and Jennifer Love Hewitt in wonderful white hit high notes with me, while Teri Hatcher was ultimately off-key with her Jean Paul Gautier getup. I mean, you could see right through her 41-year-old legs in that one! Then again, it is the Grammys, so she was, oh, desperate to outdo her Golden Globes gown.

Lastly, there were the standout performances. Madonna as the opener showed she still has the body at 47, while Paul McCartney took the Grammy stage for the first time in his life. Mariah Carey with a choir as backup, Herbie Hancock and Christina Aguilera, the salute to Sly and Family Stone with Sly Stone's surprise appearance (and wearing a MOHAWK?!?!), Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, and the show closer with the tribute to New Orleans had everybody abuzz all over...except in Malaysia, where Madonna's peformance was edited out of the Grammy show when it was broadcast there.

Well, although they faced stiff competition from "American Idol" and "Lost", the 48th Annual Grammy Awards was not really a dissapointment, but had a share of hits and misses. And that's "The Plain Truth"...oh, sorry, this isn't the "Allen Report" anymore. Have a good weekend.

DETROIT STEEL CITY

Well, as you probably know by now, the Motor City became the Steel City during Super Bowl XL tonight...Steel, as in the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the final score 21-10, they dethroned the Seattle Seahawks to clinch their fifth title, their sixth since their last win at Super Bowl XIV in 1980. Hines Ward was the game's MVP while hometown boy Jerome Bettis announced that "the Bus" stops there; he's calling it a career after 13 seasons.

With the game taping at home, I was watching it this time at the Blue Loon club a few miles outside Fairbanks. And believe me, the scene there was pro-Seahawks all the way, knowing that they're our regional team. One sign that it was a Super Bowl party to remember: My good friends Glen "Glenner" Anderson and Jerry Evans were there with their sons.

I don't need to explain the atmosphere, but they were really into what were believed to be some missed calls that cost the Seahawks the game. Well, that and the COMMERCIALS!!!

Speaking of which, the favorites according to reaction from the Blue Loon crowd were the Budweiser "streaker", Burger King's "Whopperettes", Bud Light's "Magic Fridge", the two Diet Pepsi spots, and as far as movie ads, "Mission: Impossible 3." GoDaddy.com, with the return of the WWE's Candice Michelle, was not a hit with everybody.

And then, there was halftime starring the Rolling Stones; before all that, it was Aaron Neville and Aretha Franklin belting out the national anthem. Immediately after the halftime show, there were door prizes to be given away, one of them a huge Seahawks carpet mat. Maybe I guess they couldn't find a Steelers mat.

Anyway, we'll find out later tomorrow how many of you tuned in to all this. But for Bill Cowher's Pittsburgh Steelers, 26 years was good enough. And for the Seahawks? Mike Holmgren may already have the Vince Lombardi Trophy from when Green Bay last won, but it's tough trying to win a Super Bowl on their first time. There will always be a next season for Seattle...or one after that, or another after that, and so on.

With another memorable -- and perhaps, controversial -- Super Bowl in the books, have a good night.

WHO'S UP FOR THE OSCAR?

Good evening. I'll get to the Oscar nominations in a bit, but first...

Earlier tonight, President Bush gave his fifth State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The main topic was prying America from its long dependence of Middle East oil, but a bigger story before the speech involved Cindy Sheehan yet again. Minutes prior, she was arrested by Capitol Police after she caused a disruption.

Calling for more money for science and math education as well as tax benefits for health saving accounts were also on the agenda tonight. The Democratic response was by new Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, who stated that Bush ignored the national debt, Medicaid cuts, and trying to rebuild the hurricane-wounded Gulf Coast during his speech.

While all that was going on, there were a bunch of protests in many parts of the country in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco all orchestrated by World Can't Wait, an organization whose mission is to see the Bush Admimistration throw in the towel without waiting till 2008. I don't know about any Alaskan protests in Anchorage or Fairbanks, but if there were they probably had them indoors because of the continuing frigid weather here in the latter.

Now, the L.A. protest started at the Hollywood and Highland complex where the Kodak Theater is. And speaking of the Kodak Theater...it will be where a month from now we could be seeing a Gunfight at the Oscar Corral as far as "Brokeback Mountain's" chances at some booty are concerned!

That's right! Nominations for the 78th Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning, and the main stories were "Brokeback" ponying up eight nods including Supporting Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal), Actor and Supporting Actress (Real-life couple Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams), Director (Ang Lee), and Best Picture of 2005, and George Clooney's triple threat: Supporting Actor for "Syriana," and Original Screenplay and Director for "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Meanwhile, it will be a showdown between Felicity Huffman and Reese Witherspoon for Best Actress while Keira Knightley and past winners Judi Dench and Charlize Theron will sit it out. Terrence Howard surprisingly competes again Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and David Strathaim in the Best Actor prize; and in Best Picture, along with "Brokeback", there's also "Capote", "Crash", "Good Night, and Good Luck", and "Munich." Oh yeah, and "March of the Penguins" is easily up for Documentary Feature, a prize "Super Size Me" almost won last year.

And then there are those whose bubbles were burst, like "Walk The Line" for Best Picture, "Cinderella Man" deprived of any main nods (except for Paul Giamatti's Supporting Actor), and Ziyi Zhang on the Best Actress side. "King Kong" received some recognition from the Academy...but only with four meaningless categories.

The 78th Annual Academy Awards, with Jon Stewart guiding us through the most unpredictable 3 1/2-to-I-don't-know-how-long-they'll-go-to hours in entertainment, will be handed out on Sunday, March 5. Why March? They don't want the Winter Olympics to get in Oscar's way, that's why.

So, will Reese walk the line to Oscar gold, or will "Crash" crash the gay cowboys' party? There are plenty of anwers to these questions and more on that date. Good night, world!