FROM LEGUIZAMO TO...LARRY THE CABLE GUY?!?!

Hello, everybody. Two weekends have already passed since John Leguizamo's visit to Fairbanks to promote "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (which opens this weekend); and if you thought we're done with star power, think again.

That's because after Leguizamo, the next major celebrity to hit the Golden Heart City in April will be one that I'm not a really big fan of: Larry The Cable Guy! Can't you believe we're going to segue from a talented actor whose credits include "The Pest", "House of Buggin'", and his Emmy-winning "Freak" to an untalented, redneck comedian (real name Dan Whitney) whose trademark catch phrase is "Git-R-Done"?

Anyway, his Fairbanks stop is one of many is his "Right to Bare Arms" tour; and trust me, I have had a couple fills with comedians myself. Bill Bellamy came by here in 1997 on the day after I turned 19; but I got kicked out of the after party at some club across town just moments after I went in because I was under 21. This happened while Bellamy was shooting pool; I don't know if I got a glimpse of him or not.

And then, there was summer 1999 when a few comedians from BET's "ComicView" did a show. I went with my mom and a couple of her friends, and boy, did I get burned or what?! I had on dark green jeans and was about to get a drink, and that's when...oh, boy.

One of the comics ribbed on me because of how tight my jeans were, and while I was walking to the mini-bar, he went "Squiggly, squiggly...", until I stopped and then he stopped. A few paces later..."Squiggly, squiggly, squiggly..." and so on. Then after I got my drink...that was when I decided to squiggly back at him. I ran back to my seat with the comedian was going..."squigglysquigglysquigglysquigglysquigglysquiggly!!!!" That was followed by wild cheering from the audience. Looking back, it was the most humiliating experience of my life because being black, I'm not used to this kind of humor before.

Now in a few weeks, we're going to have Larry the Cable Guy. After learning huge lessons from Bellamy and that other comedian, and knowing for the fact that I've already had my fill of star power with John Leguizamo, I'm going to pass this time.

By the way, a correction: Moving Images Video Production used KTUU's satellite truck "NewsStar 2" to feed their video of Leguizamo's visit to major media outlets; "Entertainment Tonight" took it of course as did ABC Alaska News.

But yes, Leguizamo was indeed the biggest celebrity we've ever had, and more flashbulbs were popping on him than President Reagan and Pope John Paul II when they briefly met here in 1984. Will Larry the Cable Guy equal or top him, as his new movie "Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector" is already in theaters right now (I know it's doing real bad in the box office)? Find out on April 12. I for sure know I won't. So long.

BREAKING NEWS: "KING" OF THE IDITAROD FOR A FOURTH TIME!

Good morning. After 9 days, 11 hours, 11 minutes, and 36 seconds, Jeff King has just won his fourth Iditarod in the 34th running of The Last Great Race as he crossed under the Burled Arch in Nome mere minutes ago at 1:11 am Alaska Time. His rewards? $69,000 and the keys to another Dodge Ram truck.

Now we may already have a champion, but the race is far from over. Doug Swingley will be next to head into the chute, followed by Paul Gephardt, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and Jeff Baker expecting to be there later today. King is now a four-time winner along with Swingley, Martin Buser, and Susan Butcher. Will he be joining Rick Swenson in the Five-Timers Club next year? We'll find out then.

And with that...good day!

...OR LACK OF IT: JOHN LEGUIZAMO'S FAIRBANKS VISIT

Good evening. Before I get started, a sad note: The ultimate Whammy came for Peter Tomarken, as he was killed in a small plane crash outside Los Angeles this afternoon. He was 63.

Tomarken was best known as host of the 1980s game show "Press Your Luck" as well as "Hit Man" and "Wipeout" during that decade. He and two other passengers were aboard a Beechcraft 36 when it crashed on the Pacific Ocean near the Santa Monica Pier. Of those three, Tomarken's and his wife's bodies were recovered from the crash site.

Now like most of you, I grew up watching Tomarken host "PYL" from 1983-86 both originally and in reruns. Of course the biggest highlight from the show was when contestant Michael Larson literally cracked the code when he discovered the game board's pattern and broke the $110,237 bank in 1984. As a result, random patterns were reprogrammed on the board. Larson died himself in 1999 from throat cancer. Another was from 1985, when Jim Hess mouthed off after hitting a Whammy that cost him the game. Since it was audible and the foghorn sound effect sort of half-censored it, you could barely hear him spew those obscenities on national television.

Peter Tomarken will be missed by many game show nuts like myself who thought "Press Your Luck" was a cult classic. It's too bad that he has stopped at a Whammy himself.

Now...the news of Tomarken's untimely death came 24 hours after John Leguizamo's grand visit in Fairbanks to promote "Ice Age: The Meltdown" by opening the ice park named after the upcoming movie. But today, as far as press coverage was concerned...it was more like a letdown than a meltdown.

In print, the "Fairbanks Daily News-Miner" ran a story on the Local section, "'Ice Age' star gets warm reception"; there was also a handful of photos at Wire Image. There weren't any radio reports, but on TV? Nothing but soundbites from Leguizamo on the KATN, KTVF, and KXD evening newscasts, but KTVF also included Governor Frank Murkowski's while KXD had longer footage including a clip from "Ice Age 2."

That's on the local side, but as for the entertainment news shows? Of all of them, only "Entertainment Tonight" ran a few seconds of video with Mark Steines saying "Meanwhile in Alaska, John Leguizamo was promoting his new movie 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' which opens March 31" over it. Their footage was provided by 20th Century Fox according to the end credits, and the studio was hired by local video production company Moving Images of Fairbanks to cover it. By the way, the other shows -- "Access Hollywood", "Extra", and the new "E! News" with Ryan Seacrest as Giuliana Depandi's co-host -- completely ignored it.

So in the end, it was the "News-Miner" as always that provided the best coverage...proving that once again, when it comes to a big-name celebrity like John Leguizamo coming to town, the TV news seem to go into "Who cares?" mode.

And last but not least tonight...Jeff King's final push to Nome continues; he checked in in Koyuk at 11:24 am and out 3:51 pm. Doug Swingley still follows him, leaving Koyuk at 7:16 while Paul Gephardt, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and John Baker round out the top five. With just four more stops to go before the big finish on Front Street in Nome, King may well be on his way to a fourth Iditarod win as he expects to reach the Burled Arch sometime around tomorrow evening.

With all that said...nighty-night!

LEGUIZAMO "MELTS" FAIRBANKS

Hello again. It was another memorable night here in Fairbanks last night, where Governor Frank Murkowski and actor John Leguizamo opened the "Ice Age: The Meltdown" ice park in a big way at the Ice Alaska ice park!

Now, there was plenty of time to kill before the big moment came at 7:00 pm (I arrived at 4:00), so there were ice sculptures to gawk at from all over the world in both single-block and multi-block. The best of the bunch has to be the "Balto's Charge" followed by "Time for Tea", both multi-block. The Ice Park by the way is open until March 26, meaning you've got all the time in the world to check out these masterpieces and more.

Anyway, back to Murkowski and Leguizamo: The two arrived on dog sleds and addressed the packed crowd. And knowing that they brought their flag with them, a group of fans flew all the way from Puerto Rico for this occasion. There were also a couple of young ladies -- fans of Leguizamo for years, probably since "House Of Buggin'" -- who were the only ones with homemade signs proclaiming their love for him (one of them said to the "News-Miner" that he's hot...not knowing for the fact that he's married with two children). After he and Murkowski used blow torches to cut the "ice ribbon" open, the two gave interviews to the press and Leguizamo stayed around for a few minutes to sign autographs.

I dunno about you, but from close-up, the guy looks more like 28 than 41 (he was born in 1964). At that age, I think he looks like a Latino George Clooney...only that he has darker hair.

After Leguizamo gave a behind closed doors interview at the warm-up room, it was security that had a meltdown of their own, pushing people out of the way --including me -- and grabbing them by their jackets so that they would clear the path for him to get to his limo. And believe me...that security guy played more naughty than nice; and I'm not used to this here in Fairbanks. But if you're a big-name celebrity like John Leguizamo, you had to take chances.

Despite that at the end, it was yet quite a night...and that he got way more camera time than John O'Hurley when I captured him at the 2002 Iditarod start in Anchorage. And yes, I did film it, but you WON'T -- I mean WON'T! -- see my video on any of the entertainment news shows tonight; they're for my own personal viewing...well, unless I feel like making a DVD copy. And you can tell that Leguizamo's visit was the best video I've ever took in six years: He noticed my camera and my camera noticed him.

Of course I will keep an eye on those major entertainment news shows later tonight to see if they'll have a little something on Leguizamo's visit; KTVF, KXD, and ABC Alaska News on KATN will no doubt have it as well on the local side. And yes, I'll rate them all tomorrow in another old feature from the Allen Report, "Covering the Coverage."

Now that all that's over, the attention is refocused on the Iditarod. Jeff King remains in the lead; he arrived in Shaktoolik earlier this morning at 2:00 am and left at 5:22, followed by Doug Swingley, Paul Gephardt, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and Bjornar Anderson in the top five. Dave Tresino, Matt Hayashida, and John Barron are the latest scratches. Something tells me that if King holds on in the final stretch, we might expect him in Nome sometime around early Tuesday morning or evening.

But like I said, what an incredible and another historic night I've been a part of last night, because it was John Leguizamo and all of Fairbanks turning out for him just one week after the Oscars. Screw the "Sopranos" season premiere we've been waiting 800 years for; this was a real-life moment! Oh, before I forget..."Ice Age: The Meltdown" -- in which Leguizamo reprises his role as the voice of Sid the Sloth -- hits theaters March 31. From the Golden Leguizamo -- I mean, Heart -- City, so long!

GEPHARDT TAKES LEAD IN IDITAROD AND HOLLYWOOD MEETS FAIRBANKS THIS WEEKEND

Good evening. Well, with temperatures hovering somewhere between the zeros and the teens, we've got a major star from an upcoming movie coming up here to Fairbanks this weekend to help turn up the heat. More on that in a bit, but first...

The latest on the Iditarod, as Paul Gephardt has zoomed past Doug Swingley in the last couple of days to take the lead. Earlier this morning, he reached Ruby on the Yukon River, earning him $3,500 in $1 bills and most importantly, a luscious seven-course meal; both provided by the Millennium Alaska Hotel. And knowing that I'm taking culinary arts classes in college, here's what the dinner consisted of:
Gorgonzola, Goat Cheese, and Candied Pecan Terrine
Portobello Bruschetta with Saffron Aioli
Alaskan Cioppino
Rosemary Lamb with Cranberry Balsamic Sauce
Brochettes of Melon, Proscuitto, and Fresh Mozzarella
Brandied Peach Crepes (final course)

Boy, what I've typed up is making me hungry. By the way, each course included wine and other beverages.

After replenishing from that meal, Gephardt went on to Galena, where he checked in at 3:34 pm. He's followed by Jeff King -- leaving Ruby at after 4:00 -- while Doug Swingley, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and Aliy Zirkle all remain in Ruby. Terry Adkins, Jim Warren, Richard Hurn, and Rick Larson are the latest to be scratched.

This is the first time Gephardt is maintaining a sole lead in this race since Robert Sorlie took it from him after a brief time last year. If things hold up for him, we may expect him in Nome sometime between late Monday evening and early Tuesday morning. We'll see what happens as the Iditarod heads into week two.

Now...on Sunday, the same night of the long-awaited season premiere of "The Sopranos", TiVos and VCRs all over Fairbanks will be busier than ever because we're going to have a bit of star power coming up here.

Governor Frank Murkowski will be opening the "Ice Age: The Meltdown" Ice Park, but he won't be doing it alone. Joining alongside him is one of the stars of the upcoming sequel to the movie...JOHN LEGUIZAMO!!!!! That's right, in a mixture of showbiz and politics, the two will be melting an ice ribbon with hand-held torches to open the park.

This is a big thing happening to us since we hosted the Iditarod restart three years ago, and you know it's big news with both the Fairbanks and Anchorage TV stations on hand, who'll cover this not only for their newscasts, but for the major entertainment news shows as well.

And of course...yours truly, Jonathan Allen, will be there as well, and I will have all the details for you about Leguizamo's visit on Monday! Have a good weekend.

DEATH OF SUPERMAN'S SUPERWOMAN AND THE LATEST ON THE IDITAROD

Good evening. The aftermath of Sunday's Oscars was short-lived, as Hollywood returned to normal today by waking up to the news of the death of Dana Reeve. The widow of Christopher Reeve passed away late Monday night at the age of 44 from lung cancer.

Reeve was diagnosed with the disease last summer, though she has never smoked. Dana has been right at Chris' side from when he was paralyzed in 1995 till his death in October 2004. Her last public appearance was just several weeks ago singing at a retirement celebration for hockey star Mark Messier.

Lung cancer deaths among non-smokers is uncommon and at a small percentage; according to "Inside Edition", the two main causes are secondhand smoke and radon. We're not sure how Reeve got the disease, but I'm sure it was probably secondhand smoke.

With Dana about to join her husband in heaven, her son will have to carry the burden. And the Reeve legacy will continue on with him.

Now, as promised...on to The Last Great Race, the Iditarod. For the 34th time, it's 83 of the best mushers from all over the world -- actually, it's 80 now; we've got the first three scratches -- versus 1,150 miles of the most treacherous terrain that even the "Brokeback Mountain" cowboys can't handle, as they face frozen rivers, frigid weather, and whatever else comes their way.

With defending champion Robert Sorlie not running and climates getting warmer, this year's race may be less challenging than previous years. And with a nice check of $69,000 and the keys to a new Dodge truck awaiting who crosses under the famed burled arch in Nome first, this is definitely one amazing race worth keeping an eye on...well, minus the fast forwards, road blocks, detours, and yields from that other "Amazing Race."

As to who's leading right now? It's Doug Swingley, on the hunt for a record-tying fifth win; he left Nikolai at 7:09 pm Alaska Time, followed by Jeff King (6:15 pm), Ally Zirkle (6:45 pm), and just moments ago at 9:15, Hugh Neff. Lori Townsend, Sandy McKee, and Gary Paulsen are the first three out of the race.

Of course, you can follow the race from checkpoint to checkpoint by heading to Iditarod.com; they now have the Iditarod Insiders site for deeper coverage with daily video reports from the trail. But the catch is this: You're gonna have to fork over $19.95 (annual individual price) for all this; the stuff's ain't for free, pal! Well, unless you feel like paying up, stick with the main site.

Anyway, we'll see what happens from now till who reaches Front Street in Nome first. Will Swingley hold onto his lead, or will somebody be like when "Crash" took the Best Picture Oscar and score the biggest upset in Iditarod history? Find out in the next several days, and good night.

'"CRASH"ING THE GAY COWBOYS' PARTY AT THE OSCARS

Before I get to my annual Oscar recap, some sad news: We've learned that baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who led the Minnesota Twins to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and later ending up winning the title for his team, died tonight at the age of 44 from suffering a stroke and undergoing neosurgery.

Well...I dunno about you, but while I was watching -- and taping -- the 78th Annual Academy Awards on my TV (which was tape delayed here in Alaska while it was live in the Lower 48), I usually spoil myself with the E! post-show on another TV. And lo and behold, when I looked at who took Best Picture, I was in shock and awe mode.

Yes, instead of the heavily favored -- and lampooned -- "Brokeback Mountain", the 3 hour, 33 minute ceremony on Sunday ended with quite possibly the upset of all Oscar upsets as "Crash" claimed that prize along with two others for Original Screenplay and Film Editing. "Brokeback" also took three honors for Director (Ang Lee), Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score.

On the acting side, it was a huge night for two major favorites: George Clooney copping Supporting Actor for "Syriana" and Reese Witherspoon, Lead Actress for "Walk The Line." Oh yeah, Philip Seymour Hoffman got Lead Actor ("Capote") while Supporting Actress went to a pregnant Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener").

By the way...I was sure glad I changed my Best Picture pick from "Brokeback Mountain" to "Crash", because after five tries...I FINALLY GOT ALL SIX PICKS RIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!!!

As expected, "March of the Penguins" received Documentary Feature, while Original Song went to..."It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp?" This is the second time the Academy gave that award to a rap song; the first was Eminem's "Lose Yourself" three years ago.

But it was not a good night for sound mixer Kevin O'Connell. His 18th chance at bringing Oscar home for "Memoirs of a Geisha" wasn't to be; he lost to "King Kong." But both films walked out of the Kodak Theater with three statuettes along with "Brokeback" and "Crash." Guess the old "Schoolhouse Rock" song said it best: Three was a magic number.

However, as far as the ratings were concerned despite host Jon Stewart and producer Gil Cates and orchestra conductor Bill Conti trying to keep things under control, 30 million -- the number of people who tuned in for all this -- wasn't all that magical. Viewership was down 10% from last year when Chris Rock hosted.

Despite that, the best moments belonged to the fake attack ads for the nominees, as well as Will Ferrell and Steve Carell presenting the Makeup award with...well, makeup on their faces.

But before the stars took their seats, they've got a lot of press to meet...and a lot of posing for them. Dazzling Brit Keira Knightley may have lost to Witherspoon, but she was already a winner in her one-shouldered, purple-hued Vera Wang number. Charlize Theron was amazing in her Christian Dior, while Jennifer Lopez glammed in green. Jessica Alba looked like Oscar herself thanks to her gold-colored gown by Versace, and Jennifer Garner's Michael Kors almost had her causing a near slip-up when she went onstage. Unfortunately, Dolly Parton and Helena Bonham Carter were more like misses than hits; did Carter's hair dresser stop halfway or something?

So...what next now? For George Clooney, he has come a long way since his first television stints on "The Facts of Life" and "E/R" with Elliott Gould in the mid-'80s before the "ER" we know made him a household name and a worldwide sex symbol, with "Sexiest Man Alive 1997" and "Sexiest Man of 2001" titles. The next film we'll be seeing with "Academy Award Winner" below his name will be "Ocean's Thirteen", reuniting him with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.

Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, after short but sweet roles in "Election", "Twilight" (alongside Paul Newman), "Pleasantville", and "Cruel Intentions" (where she would co-star with future husband Ryan Phillippe), knew that something big and better were coming her way thanks to "Legally Blonde", which made her millions. And now, the Southerner with what we thought to be $29 million added to her huge bank account but reports were later denied is now the belle of Hollywood's ball. Even though she won't be the highest-paid actress ever, her next film will eventually lure new fans to the slowly deserted theaters...given the theme to this year's awards was "Let's Go to the Movies."

The 78th Annual Academy Awards was quite a night of surprises aplenty. But in the end, it was one film that "Crash"-ed "Brokeback Mountain's" party.

Tomorrow, we segue from the end of Oscar's Amazing Race to Alaska's Amazing Race that's already underway: The Iditarod. Good night!

Well, considering that no one cares about Animated Feature and Foreign Language Film, I'm going to bypass those and head straight to the conclusion of "Oscar Countdown Week" with Best Picture and my predictions.

Best Picture
(Producers' names are in parentheses)

"Brokeback Mountain" (Diana Ossana and James Schamus): Two young cowboys in the 1960s develop a strong bond that turns to love over the course of a summer in the Wyoming mountains. As they share herding duties in an isolated setting, Ennis and Jack find themselves drawn into a relationship--made impossible by the time and circumstances in which they live--that will color the rest of their lives.

"Capote" (Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven): When the murder of a family in Kansas captures the interest of celebrated writer Truman Capote, he travels to their small hometown to research what will become his best-known book. As the details of the crime unfold and the two killers are captured and tried, Capote's involvement with the case becomes both morally ambivalent and deeply personal.

"Crash" (Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman): The lives of a diverse group of people living in Los Angeles connect and clash over the course of two days. As a series of events unfolds that will heighten already-existing racial and cultural tensions, individuals are brought face to face with complexities that their prejudices have prevented them from seeing.

"Good Night, And Good Luck." (Grant Heslov): In the paranoia-ridden 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy pursues a grandstanding witch hunt for suspected Communists that destroys the lives of those he accuses. Appalled by the resulting climate of persecution and fear, veteran CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer, Fred Friendly, decide to confront McCarthy with an investigation into his tactics.

"Munich" (Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg and Barry Mendel): In the aftermath of the tragic slaying of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a secret band of highly trained agents is formed to track down and kill the men responsible for the murders. As their mission unfolds, its repercussions begin to take a psychic toll on Avner, the group's leader.

My Predictions
We've now come to the biggest question of all: Who will walk out of the Kodak Theater with Oscar gold on Sunday? To recap how I did last time in 2004 when the last of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy swept the night, I was right on everybody but Supporting Actor.

Supporting Actor: George Clooney
Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz or Catherine Keener
Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (no contest)
Actress: With South Africa's Charlize Theron and Brits Judi Dench and Keira Knightley all sitting this one out, this will be an all-American battle between one of the "Desperate Housewives" (Felicity Huffman) against the now $29 million woman (Reese Witherspoon). Many "Housewives" fans are rooting for Huffman while the rest of us are favoring for Witherspoon. So, unless there is a tie and that she has come a long way from "Cruel Intentions" and the two "Legally Blonde" films that made her millions...I should say that it'll be The $29 Million Woman, aka Reese Witherspoon, when the smoke clears.
Director: Ang Lee
Best Picture: Just like most of you, I'm getting tired of all those "Brokeback Mountain" jokes and parodies myself. Fedullo and I brought up my picks today and I told him that "Brokeback" will take the big prize. But since this is the Academy Awards, upsets do sometimes happen, so I will not stick with my original pick. In the end, we could be seeing party, uh, "Crash"ers on the stage instead of the gay cowboys. Then again, I could be wrong.

We'll see how I fare on Sunday. And Monday, I'll have my complete take on all this as only I can. Have a good weekend.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: COULD IT HAPPEN? PLUS DAY THREE OF "OSCAR COUNTDOWN WEEK"

Good evening. Now, for years on the newsgroups I've been bashing and bantering about the various entertainment news shows pilferating the airwaves and that I've done a special commentary -- "Safe Route, Sleazy Route" -- about them. Of all those on the air, the best and most serious one of the bunch has to be "Showbiz Tonight" on CNN Headline News live at 3:00 here in Alaska (7:00 on the East Coast). The reason why they're better than "Entertainment Tonight" (a show I still watch occasionally after 20-odd years), "Access Hollywood" (a show I can't stand because of lots of graphics and Billy Bush) and others is for good reason: They actually report on entertainment NEWS, not gossip like the latest on Brad and Angelina!

One such example was their lead story on tonight's show. It may be two years away, but the New York State Independence Party wants Donald Trump -- yes, Donald Trump -- to make the move from Trump Towers to the White House! That's right; a website has been put up by the party to help draft Trump so that he could be hired for the top job of all top jobs: President of the United States.

In 2000, Trump seriously considered running for President under the Reform Party -- the same one that had Ross Perot as their candidate in 1992 and 1996. But now, with the Bush Administration continuing to seep into trouble and the Democrats still working on a master plan to take back Capitol Hill in November's mid-terms, the time could be right for a major change in Washington, and The Donald could be leading the charge.

But...could it really happen? Sure, he's sold more real estate than any realtor in the world (especially the lady who sold us our house); his "Apprentice" is now in its fifth season; he's got a hot daughter (Ivanka) and wife (Melania)...but could it mean a change of tune from "For the Love of Money" (The Apprentice's theme song) to "Hail To the Chief" come 2008? I don't know, but look what happened to Arnold Schwarzenegger when California elected him as their next Governor in 2003.

If Trump does happen to make the official word that he's running for the most powerful CEO in the world, then you know it'll be front page news. And the voters at the polls could be sending a huge message to the Republicans: "You're fired!"

Now, before we head to day three of my Oscar Countdown Week, you probably know that Best Actress nominee Reese Witherspoon, win or lose on Sunday, will be getting a huge paycheck: $29 million for "Our Family Trouble", eclipsing Julia Roberts as the highest-paid actress of all time by $4 million when Roberts got $25 million for her Oscar-winning role as "Erin Brockvich." And if she happens to win on Sunday, it could mean fatter paychecks...not to mention a possible cover spot on People's "50 Most Beautiful People" issue this spring. We'll see what happens; and with that said, on to...

Tonight, the Directing and Screenplay nominees:

Directing
(Directors' names are in parentheses)

"Brokeback Mountain" (Ang Lee)
"Capote" (Bennett Miller)
"Crash" (Paul Haggis)
"Good Night, And Good Luck." (George Clooney)
"Munich" (Steven Speilberg; he got that very same honor for "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" in 1994 and 1999 respectively)

Adapted Screenplay

"Brokeback Mountain" (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana)
"Capote" (Dan Futterman)
"The Constant Gardener" (Jeffrey Caine): A British diplomat in Africa is drawn into a dark world of corruption and danger following his wife's murder. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of activist Tessa Quayle and the crime's possible ties to the international pharmaceutical market spur her grief-stricken husband Justin to search for answers that may put his own life at risk.
"A History of Violence" (Josh Olson): Tom and Edie Stall and their two children are living a quiet and seemingly ordinary small-town life when an encounter with two violent criminals disrupts their world. The quick-thinking ease with which Tom dispatches the pair leads to admiring news stories...and the arrival in town of the menacing Carl Fogarty, who insists that Tom is not what he seems.
"Munich" (Tony Kushner and Eric Roth)

Original Screenplay

"Crash" (Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (Screenplay); Paul Haggis (Story))
"Good Night, And Good Luck." (George Clooney and Grant Heslov)
"Match Point" (Woody Allen; his 21st nomination with three wins): When tennis pro Chris Wilton is befriended by the wealthy Tom Hewett, he finds himself drawn into the circle of Tom's family and friends and is soon engaged to Tom's sister, Chloe. His seemingly assured future is jeopardized, however, by his attraction to Tom's fiancée, aspiring actress Nola Rice.
"The Squid and The Whale" (Noah Baumbach): When writers Bernard and Joan Berkman enter into an acrimonious divorce, the emotional lives of their two sons suffer. Fourteen-year-old Walt sides with the father he adores, failing to see the self-centered pomposity that has alienated Joan, while their younger son, Frank, begins acting out at school as he becomes increasingly lost within his new, fractured family life.
"Syriana" (Stephen Gaghan, won Adapted Screenplay for "Traffic"): A CIA agent, an Arab prince, a Texas oil man, and a corporate attorney are among those caught up in a web of international conspiracies that reaches from Washington to the oil fields of the Middle East. As powerful oil interests and corrupt governments jockey for power and wealth, the lives of those who stand in their way are placed in jeopardy.

That's all from me tonight; tomorrow, Animated Feature and Foreign Language Film as Oscar Countdown Week continues. Good night!