Coens and Europeans grab Oscar Gold!

Hello, everybody. Two weeks after the writers strike ended, producer Gil Cates and his staff were working round the clock to make sure the 80th Annual Academy Awards would proceed as planned. And last night for 3 hours and 21 minutes, they did that with host Jon Stewart keeping things in order again.

Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country for Old Men" as expected walked out of the Kodak Theatre victorious with four Oscars including Directing and Adapted Screenplay for the duo, Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem, and Best Picture of 2007. But the big story was that Europe has all the acting gold: The aforementioned Bardem from Spain; Ireland's Daniel Day-Lewis, his second Best Actor ("There Will Be Blood"); England's Tilda Swinton, Supporting Actress ("Michael Clayton"); and 11 years after Juliette Binoche's upset win over Lauren Bacall for Supporting Actress, it was fellow French Marion Cotillard's turn swiping Best Actress away from heavily favored Julie Christie for "La Vie en Rose." By the way...just like last year, I was 4-6 in my picks missing the mark on female acting.

"Ratatouille" took Animated Feature; "Taxi to the Dark Side" beat out Michael Moore's "Sicko" for Documentary Feature; Original Song went to "Falling Slowly" from "Once"; dancer-turned-writer Diablo Cody picks up Original Screenplay for "Juno"; and for poor Kevin O'Connell...his Sound Mixing loss to "The Bourne Ultimatum" has extended his win-loss record to 0-20.

Despite the rain over the weekend, the red carpet shone as always with Cameron Diaz in Dior; double winner Hilary Swank in Versace; Anne Hathaway looking much better in red than last year (as were Helen Mirren and Heidi Klum); Jessica Alba, Cate Blanchett, and Nicole Kidman really showing their baby bumps; and Miss "Hannah Montana" herself Miley Cyrus in Valentino.

So who gets the best-dressed honors? I'll have to say Katherine Heigl once again (yes, I've stuck with her at the Emmys and I'm sticking with her at the Oscars). Her new husband may be away for a while, but we wish her red Escada gown stopped the drizzle above the covered red carpet. As for worst-dressed? Definitely Tilda Swinton; she may have picked up Oscar gold, but her one-arm dress looked like it was crumpled up and bought at a thrift store for $72.98!

And now, as always, to the stories behind the wins: The last time the Coen brothers went on stage, it was for Original Screenplay for "Fargo." Eleven years and several films later, they've reaped their rewards once again claiming the top prize for "No Country for Old Men." As for Marion Cotillard? This is one name we're going to be hearing a lot about for years to come, and her surprise Best Actress win is only the beginning for this lovely French pastry.

By the way...the only major post-Oscar party to hit to after the Governor's Ball was by Elton John's AIDS Foundation, as the writers strike cost us the big one that was "Vanity Fair's" bash. And for the nominees, winners, and other big names hoping to show up for that? Well, they'll have to wait till next year.

Even though everything had to be in place after those tumultuous three months, the 80th Annual Academy Awards still had a show after all. And I'm certain Oscar's next 80 years will provide us with more memorable moments aplenty.

Now that it's out of the way for another year, some other ground to cover...

Before the Oscars on Sunday, there was the Independent Spirit Awards where the big news coming out from it was...yes, it's official: Angelina Jolie does have another bun in the oven! And just a few days ago, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony gave birth to twins. I'm telling you; with that, Christina Aguilera's baby boy, and Angelina, Kidman, Halle, and Alba all coming soon, 2008 before this year is over will be all about the Hollywood baby boom!

Now the other big entertainment story of last week to go along with final preparations for Sunday's Oscars and J-Lo's birth and Angelina's latest pregnancy belonged to Lindsay Lohan, whose recreation of Marilyn Monroe's "The Last Sitting" by photographer Bert Stern for "New York" magazine was not only worldwide news...but masturbation heaven for guys everywhere!

Over that week, "New York's" website which contained those ultra-steamy photos and additional outtakes crashed numerous times, receiving over 60 million hits and its traffic increased by a staggering 2000 percent (yes, 2000 PERCENT!!!) from last year. But right now it's all quiet on the magazine's front, as the cover story this week is about Chelsea Clinton finally speaking during mother Hillary's prematurely doomed presidential campaign trail.

But yeah, reaction was indeed mixed over those photos, especially as far as Lindsay's parents were concerned. Mother Dina said they were "very tastefully done", but estranged father Michael disagrees. And of course, the media and Internet community wasted no time weighing in; many of them saying the shoot could be Lindsay's way of getting her groove back after a trying two years marred by rehab and box office flops. Speaking of which, "I Know Who Killed Me" was the big "winner" at the Razzies taking eight dis-honors including Worst Actress and Picture.

I'll admit it...I've rubbed one out to better-quality versions of those photos, and I think that even for a prestigious publication like "New York" magazine, it was done in exquisite good taste by the same man behind Marilyn's last shoot. Four years will have passed this spring since "Mean Girls" put her on the map, but her not-that-excessive partying and nobody seeing her films took her off the radar for some time. She has indeed learned from her mistakes and accepted them, but you better believe that the new Lindsay Lohan in 2008 will be more bold, energetic, and yes, sexier than the old.

With my complete takes on the Oscars, pregnancies, and Lohan...so long and stay strong!

RATINGS UPDATE (2/26): Maybe it had something to do with either the aftermath of the writers' strike or Europe taking all the acting honors, but Sunday's Oscar show with 32 million viewers and an 18.7 rating was the lowest-rated ever.

Hello, everybody. It's almost all systems go for Sunday night and the 80th Annual Academy Awards, and Oscar Preview Week concludes with a look at who's up for Best Picture of 2007:

Best Picture
(producers' names are in parentheses)

"Atonement" (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Paul Webster): On a summer's day in 1935, a series of events and the ways in which they are misinterpreted change the lives of sisters Briony and Cecilia Tallis and their housekeeper's son, Robbie. An overseen interchange between Cecilia and Robbie, a careless mistake, and an act of violence provoke an escalating tragedy of misunderstandings that center on thirteen-year-old Briony and her imperfect grasp of the adult world.
"Juno" (Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick, and Russell Smith): When Juno, a smart, outspoken sixteen-year-old, finds herself pregnant, she decides to give the baby up for adoption. As her pregnancy progresses, she spends time with the baby's prospective adoptive parents, Mark and Vanessa Loring, until her growing bond with Mark begins to take a turn that could throw everyone's plans into chaos.
"Michael Clayton" (Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox, and Kerry Orent): When one of the star attorneys at a powerful corporate law firm suffers a guilt-fueled breakdown that threatens to derail a planned merger, the firm's fixer, Michael Clayton, is called in to take care of the situation. As he delves into the facts behind the multimillion dollar lawsuit at the center of the conflict, Michael finds himself making moral and ethical decisions that will place his life in danger. Pollack previously took Director and Best Picture honors in 1986 for "Out of Africa."
"No Country for Old Men" (Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen): When Llewellyn Moss comes upon a corpse-strewn drug-deal-gone-wrong in the middle of the barren West Texas range, he takes the bag of cash he finds at the scene and soon draws the attention of the county sheriff investigating the crime. Sheriff Bell will become Llewellyn's best hope for survival, however, when he finds himself the object of a relentless pursuit by hired killer Anton Chigurh, a murderous sociopath.
"There Will Be Blood" (JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Daniel Lupi): In his ruthless pursuit of wealth, misanthropic oilman Daniel Plainview tricks a local farmer into signing away his valuable drilling rights and rejects his own son, H.W., when the boy loses his hearing in an accident. As he becomes increasingly isolated and unstable, Daniel places his trust in a vagrant claiming to be his half-brother, and finds his position unsettled by H.W.'s return and the growing popularity of the farmer's son, now an evangelical preacher.

My Predictions

Now that you're all set, there's only one more bit of business to take care of: Who do I think will exit stage left of the Kodak Theatre with the biggest prize in all of entertainment: Last year I got four out of six (missed the mark on Supporting Actor and Best Picture), here are my picks:

Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Supporting Actress: Ruby Dee
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress: Julie Christie
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen ("No Country for Old Men")
Best Picture: Well, "Atonement" took top honors at the Golden Globes (Motion Picture-Drama) and BAFTA awards, while "No Country for Old Men" picked up the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture...the very same award that led to "Crash" taking Best Picture two years ago! Of those two, when the dust is settled, it will be "No Country" that will rule Oscar night.

We'll see what happens when the Academy Awards will be handed out for the 80th time with Jon Stewart at host this Sunday night; and even though it'll be live at 5:00 on the West Coast, that doesn't pertain to Alaska as the big show will still be on good ol' tape delay at 7:00 (6:00 if you're in Hawaii), meaning we'll find out who already won while watching the awards.

And of course, I'll have my complete recap on Monday, so so long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody. We continue Oscar Preview Week tonight with the field for Director and Foreign Language and Animated Feature Films. First, Director.

Best Director
(names are in parentheses)

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Julian Schnabel): When fashion editor Jean-Dominique Bauby suffers a stroke at the age of forty-five, he is left almost completely paralyzed. As he attempts to reconcile himself to his devastating condition, Bauby draws on his imagination to create a vivid inner world without limitations, and--able to communicate only by blinking his left eye--begins the daunting task of dictating a book.
"Juno" (Jason Reitman)
"Michael Clayton" (Tony Gilroy; he's also up for Original Screenplay)
"No Country for Old Men" (Ethan and Joel Coen; the brothers are also up for Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing and already have Original Screenplay for "Fargo)
"There Will Be Blood" (Paul Thomas Anderson; also up for Adapted Screenplay)

Foreign Language Film

"Beaufort" (Israel): In the days leading up to Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, the soldiers stationed at the mountaintop outpost of Beaufort live under a barrage of constant attacks. Frustrated by the knowledge that they are risking--and often losing--their lives in defense of a fortress that will soon be abandoned, the men struggle to do their duty while grieving for their dead comrades and preparing for the evacuation.
"The Counterfeiters" (Austria): In the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, a group of prisoners with skills ranging from finance to forgery are put to work under the direction of a master counterfeiter manufacturing perfect replicas of foreign bank notes. As the Nazis plot to cause the collapse of the U.S. and British economies by flooding their markets with false bills, some of the prisoners use delaying tactics to forestall the plan.
"Katyn" (Poland): This account of the events surrounding the 1940 massacre of captured Polish army officers in the Katyn Forest focuses on the story of a captain and his wife, who refuses to believe he is dead. A gesture of friendship within the harsh confines of the prison camp where Andrzej and his fellow officers are held will result in the mistaken identification that helps keep his wife's hopes alive.
"Mongol" (Kazakhstan): In twelfth-century Mongolia, nine-year-old Temudgin, who will grow up to become the warrior known as Genghis Khan, must flee his home shortly after choosing the spirited Borte as his bride when his father is murdered and a rival seizes power. With the help of his blood brother, tribal prince Jamukha, the adult Temudgin battles his rivals and works to unite the region's warring clans under his authority.
"12" (Russia): Twelve Russian jurors deciding the fate of a young Chechen accused of murdering his adoptive Russian father go over the details of the case in the school gymnasium that is serving as their jury room. As they argue with each other while struggling to reach a verdict, illustrating their views with stories from their own lives, the case itself becomes a metaphor for the problems plaguing modern Russian society. Russia's fifth Foreign Language nomination with one win in 1995 ("Burnt By the Sun"), though when they were part of the Soviet Union they had nine nominations with three wins in 1969, 1976, and 1981.

Animated Feature Film

"Persepolis": For young Marjane and her family, the overthrow of the Shah of Iran at first seems to be the longed-for beginning of a free and democratic future for their country. With the election of a conservative Islamic government, however, the little girl finds her life changed dramatically as increasing political repression and the restriction of women's freedom lead her parents to the decision to send Marjane to Austria to complete her education.
"Ratatouille": Remy the rat longs to exercise his talents as a gourmet chef and gets the chance when he finds himself in a famous Parisian restaurant after becoming separated from his family during an escape through the sewers. When his secret improvements to the restaurant's food are mistakenly attributed to Linguini, the garbage boy, the two team up to form an unlikely culinary partnership that will benefit them both. Producer Brad Bird's last Animated Feature win was in 2005 for "The Incredibles."
"Surf's Up": As surfing penguins converge on the tropical isle of Pen Gu for a contest among the world's top competitors, television coverage of the event profiles the contestants and provides a history of the sport. For young Cody Maverick, who is preparing to take on his rival, Tank, the competition offers a chance to learn some valuable lessons about riding the waves from surfing legend, Big Z. The Academy must love penguins for some reason; they gave out Documentary Feature for "March of the Penguins" in 2006 followed by "Happy Feet" taking Animated Feature the following year.

Tomorrow night, Oscar Preview Week concludes with Best Picture and my predictions on who will take Oscar home. So long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody. As you all know by now, Cuban President Fidel Castro announced yesterday that he's finally stepping down after nearly 50 years of rule, and that his 76-year-old brother Raul may take the reins again next week, only this time it's permanent.

What does this mean to Cuba? Until Castro went to power in 1959, it used to be a haven for tourists alike just 90 minutes from Miami. But now, it's anything but. It'll be almost 20 years next year when the whole world watched the tearing down of the Berlin Wall on live television, and I have an instinct that within the next few years, there'll be a whole new revolution in Cuba and that the third-world country could become first-world once again. It ain't going to be easy, but it will happen.

Now...the final scene in Michael Moore's documentary "Sicko" had 9/11 workers getting quality healthcare in Havana. "Sicko" is up for an Oscar this year for Documentary Feature, and tonight as "Oscar Preview Week" continues, we take a look at the nominees for Best Actor/Actress.

Best Actor

The Best Actor field includes three winners, one of them a three-time Sexiest Man of the Year winner plus one of 2006's co-winners. Add in a veteran famous for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in the mix and it's going to be a great battle for the prize:

George Clooney, "Michael Clayton": As Michael Clayton, George Clooney portrays a fixer at a powerful law firm who finds himself in danger when he investigates his colleagues' actions in a controversial lawsuit. Two years ago, Clooney had three chances to take Oscar home; in the end, he took Supporting Actor. And, he was voted Sexiest Man of the Year in 2001, 2006, and last year.
Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood": As Daniel Plainview, Daniel Day-Lewis plays a ruthless California oilman who will stop at nothing to achieve wealth and power. His fourth nomination, but he has won Best Actor before in 1990 for "My Left Foot."
Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd (the Demon Barber of Fleet Street)": Johnny Depp plays Sweeney Todd, a barber in Victorian London who embarks on a murderous plan of revenge against the corrupt judge who ruined his life. Synopsis, since its other nods include Art Direction and Costume Design: In nineteenth-century London, barber Sweeney Todd seeks revenge on the corrupt judge who had him falsely arrested and sent to Australia in an attempt to steal Sweeney's wife. When his plan to kill the judge goes awry, Sweeney begins to murder his clients indiscriminately, with the help of his neighbor, Mrs. Lovett, who disposes of his victims by baking them into meat pies. A co-Sexiest Man of 2006 winner along with Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Depp's "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy co-star Orlando Bloom, this is his third chance at Oscar glory.
Tommy Lee Jones, "in the Valley of Elah": Tommy Lee Jones plays Hank Deerfield, a Vietnam veteran who searches for his missing son in the wake of the young man's return from a tour of duty in Iraq. Synopsis, since this is its only nomination and Charlize Theron was denied a Best Actress nod: Vietnam vet Hank Deerfield learns that his son, Mike, is missing from his army unit, recently returned from Iraq. When he travels to the unit's New Mexico base, however, he finds his son's fellow soldiers unwilling to answer his questions and the local police--with the exception of Detective Emily Sanders--uninterested in pursuing the case. After two Supporting Actor nods (he won for "The Fugitive" in his second try), this is Jones' first Best Actor nod.
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises": As Nikolai, Viggo Mortensen plays the ambitious driver and henchman of a Russian mobster, who favors him over his own son. Synopsis: Anna, a midwife at a London hospital, finds herself entangled in the dangerous world of the Russian mafia when she attempts to translate the diary of a young girl who has died in childbirth. At the center of the violent organization is Semyon, an older man of deceptive warmth and charm, Kirill, his unstable son, and Nikolai, Semyon's capable and self-assured driver who seems certain to rise within the gang's ranks. The last time we saw him at the Oscars, it was in support for "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", which literally swept the 2004 awards winning every one of the eleven they were up for including Best Picture of 2003.

Best Actress

In Best Actress, you have the usual international cast of characters: An Australian with a past win, a Briton also with a past win, an American with a past nomination, and a French and a Canadian both first-timers:

Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age": As Queen Elizabeth I, Cate Blanchett portrays the English monarch during the crucial years of her long reign. Synopsis, since its other nomination includes Costume Design and I already covered Blanchett's field last night: In late sixteenth-century England, Queen Elizabeth I, now a monarch at the height of her power, finds herself drawn to the dashing Sir Walter Raleigh, recently returned from his voyage to the New World. Closer to home, Elizabeth also faces challenges to her reign from King Philip II of Spain and Catholic plotters who hope to place her cousin, Mary Stuart, on the throne.
Julie Christie, "Away From Her": As Fiona, Julie Christie plays a woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease who begins to slip farther and farther away from the husband who loves her. Synopsis: As Fiona Anderson suffers the progressive effects of Alzheimer's, her husband Grant fights to maintain their relationship in spite of Fiona's increasing emotional distance. A month-long "no visitors" stay at a rest home leaves Fiona uncertain and confused in Grant's company, and he is dismayed to learn that she has formed a close bond with another man who is also a patient at the facility. 43 years after receiving her first Oscar in her first try for "Darling" (though two other Best Actress nods would follow), it's a good chance that Britain with the help of Christie will get back-to-back wins after Helen Mirren last year.
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose": Marion Cotillard plays Edith Piaf, the legendary French singer who rose to international fame from her beginnings on the streets of Paris. Synopsis: In a life marked by personal tragedy and artistic triumph, Edith Piaf grows from a child born in poverty to an internationally acclaimed singer. Raised primarily by her grandmother, a brothel keeper, young Edith is discovered singing on the streets of Paris and begins a remarkable career that cannot save her from a life haunted by drugs, alcohol, and a succession of unhappy love affairs.
Laura Linney, "The Savages": Laura Linney portrays Wendy Savage, a struggling playwright whose uneasy relationship with her brother erupts into anger when they must care for their elderly father. Synopsis: When encroaching dementia makes it impossible for Lenny Savage to live independently, his children, Wendy and John, move him from Arizona to Buffalo, where John is a writer and college professor. As Wendy begins to criticize the nursing home John has chosen, the stress of dealing with their elderly father wears on the already tentative relationship between brother and sister. Linney's third nomination.
Ellen Page, "Juno": As Juno MacGuff, Ellen Page plays a teenage girl who decides to proceed with her unplanned pregnancy and begins a search for a suitable couple to adopt the baby. Page turns 21 tomorrow, and if she wins in an upset on Sunday, it would not only be the best birthday present she'll ever get, but she'll also be the youngest ever Best Actress winner surpassing Marlee Matlin who got hers in 1986 at 21 years, seven months! Oh yeah, speaking of Matlin, she's joining the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" which will start in March.

Tomorrow, it's Director, Foreign Language Film, and Animated Feature as "Oscar Preview Week" continues. So long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody. Even at the last minute, I've been wrestling with what topic to bring up first in this blog: Hillary Clinton clinging on to dear life in the battle for the Democratic Presidential nomination while Barack Obama's been cleaning house left and right, or Lindsay Lohan steaming up the pages of "New York" magazine in a nude photo spread lensed by the same person who did Marilyn Monroe's last nude shoot in that very same fashion.

I'll start with Clinton and Obama first up. Obama has just extended his primaries winning streak to nine with Wisconsin tonight, and it started with Super Tuesday and super wins for him especially in the West including Alaska. According to the Associated Press, the delegate count right now is Obama still leading with 1,294 with Clinton not far behind at 1,218. The magic number to look out for is 2,025, and that's what's needed to nominate.

March 4 is next for the two, and in the case of Hillary, an funeral for her campaign may be imminent...unless if she wins Texas and Ohio; otherwise, it's all over. Both states have a total of 370 delegates, and Clinton's doing everything in her power to stay alive in this race. The final chapter for Hillary's chances to pick up where husband Bill left off may not be written in Denver after all; she better get on the ball because Obama's really on the move!

Now...I know many of you guys wasted no time breaking out the lube and Kleenex when we heard about Lindsay Lohan paying a photo tribute to Marilyn Monroe in a nude photo shoot for "New York" magazine. In fact, the pics were taken by Bert Stern, the same person behind Monroe's last shoot just six weeks before her death and both were done at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Oh by the way, like I've did to Janet Jackson's exposed breast at Super Bowl XXXVIII four years ago for the "Allen Report", I've censored the naughty bits of these photos.

In the issue, available now, Lohan also spoke about the death of Heath Ledger last month, saying it was the film industry to blame for it.

I think after many steps down for her in the past year (rehab as well as two box office bombs), this move is a step up in the right direction for Lindsay whose 2008 so far is starting on a high note. Now if we can convince Jennifer Love Hewitt to finally unleash the goods as well before she gets married.

Anyway...this Sunday is the 80th Annual Academy Awards, and as promised, I'm getting you set with a look at the main nominees with "Oscar Preview Week" starting with Supporting Acting. And as always, thanks to Oscar.com for nominated role info/film synopses.

Supporting Actor

Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford": Casey Affleck plays Robert Ford, a young outlaw and the brother of a member of the James Gang, whose obsessive idolatry of Jesse James turns to violence. Film synopsis: With his exploits already immortalized in popular dime novels, the outlaw Jesse James has come to represent a romanticized vision of the renegade spirit of the West when he first meets nineteen-year-old Robert Ford. The younger brother of one of the members of James's gang, Ford harbors an obsessive idolatry toward James that will take a deadly turn as their relationship progresses. This may be Casey Affleck's first nomination, but remember...big brother Ben already has Oscar gold along with Matt Damon for writing "Good Will Hunting."
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men": As Anton Chigurh, Javier Bardem portrays a sociopathic killer on the trail of a young man who has stolen a bag of drug money. Bardem's second nod; he was up before for Best Actor in 2001 but lost to Russell Crowe but he's heavily favored to take it this time.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War": Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays Gust Avrakotos, a CIA agent at odds with his superiors who assists a politician in his efforts to aid Afghanistan's rebel forces. Synopsis: Although his career is under threat from an investigation into his possible drug use, Representative Charlie Wilson manages to use his influence to gain congressional funding for the Mujahideen rebel forces during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Working with CIA agent Gust Avrakotos and Texas socialite Joanne Herring, Wilson dramatically increases U.S. covert support for the rebels and changes the outcome of the war. The last time he smelled Oscar, it was for Best Actor ("Capote") and he won.
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild": As Ron Franz, Hal Holbrook portrays a lonely retired soldier who forms a grandfatherly bond with a young drifter. Synopsis: After graduating from college, Christopher McCandless breaks with his parents and drops out of a society he has come to regard as hollow and inauthentic. Changing his name, he leads a nomadic existence that brings him eventually to the Alaskan wilderness, where he hopes to test himself against nature by living for several months alone in the Yukon.
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton": Tom Wilkinson portrays Arthur Edens, a mentally ill attorney whose public breakdown threatens his firm's reputation on the eve of an important merger.

Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There": Cate Blanchett plays Jude, a Bob Dylan-like figure whose experimentation with new musical styles alienates many of his old fans during a concert tour of England. Her chances double this year with an additional Best Actress nomination ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age"); and oh yeah, she already won that very same Supporting Actress prize three years ago for "The Aviator." Synopsis: The lives of several characters, all of whom resemble signer-songwriter Bob Dylan, are interwoven to create a collage of the enigmatic artist's life. As their stories unfold a portrait emerges of one of the music world's most influential figures.
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster": Ruby Dee portrays Mama Lucas, a poor Southern woman whose son becomes a wealthy New York drug dealer. Synopsis: Ambitious Harlem drug dealer Frank Lucas reaches the pinnacle of the criminal underworld with a scheme to smuggle heroin directly from Thailand to the streets of New York City; a plan made easier by the extensive corruption within the city's police department. Threatening his operation, however, is Richie Roberts, a pugnacious cop unafraid to take on both Lucas and his own dishonest colleagues.
Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement": Saoirse Ronan plays thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis, an aspiring writer whose misunderstanding of her older sister's actions leads to a series of tragedies.
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone": As Helene McCready, Amy Ryan portrays a substance-abusing single mother whose small daughter disappears. Synopsis: When four-year-old Amanda McCready, the child of a neglectful, substance-abusing single mother, disappears, her distraught aunt and uncle ask private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro to help the police find the little girl. As they team up with the detectives assigned to the case and follow a trail that appears to lead to a local drug dealer, it slowly becomes clear that the truth behind Amanda's disappearance may be more disturbing than it seems.
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton": As Karen Crowder, Tilda Swinton plays a ruthless corporate attorney acting on behalf of a company engaged in a multimillion dollar lawsuit.

Tomorrow, Oscar Preview Week continues with Best Actor/Actress, followed by Director/Foreign Language Film/Animated Feature Film on Thursday, and then Best Picture and my predictions on Friday. Till then, so long and stay strong.

Grammy Glory!

Hello, everybody. Last night at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, not even a denied visa -- well, actually, the decision was reversed, but not in time for her to make it to Los Angeles -- could prevent Amy Winehouse from attending music's biggest night and collecting the most bounty while across the Atlantic in London: Five, including New Artist and Record and Song of the Year for "Rehab." Among the people to thank in her speech included her jailed husband Blake, who's in custody for spousal abuse. But as for Album of the Year? In a shocker, it went to Herbie Hancock for "Herbie: The Joni Letters", a musical tribute to Joni Mitchell.

Kanye West also won big with four including Rap Album ("Graduation"), but not before he once again paid tribute to his mother Donda, who died last fall from plastic surgery. He even forced the cut-the-speech-short music to be stopped so he could finish. And after claiming New Artist last year, Carrie Underwood added Female Country Vocal Peformance ("Before He Cheats") to her mantle this time.

Oh yeah, other winners included Jimmy Shurr and his Orchestra (Polka Album, "Come Share The Wine"), Flight of the Conchords (Comedy Album, "The Distant Future"; they beat out George Lopez and Harry Shearer), and Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama (Spoken Word Album, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming the American Dream").

Since this was the Grammys' 50th anniversary, Alicia Keys kicked things off with a duet of "Learnin' The Blues" with the late Frank Sinatra. But it was 68-year-old Tina Turner and 26-year-old Beyonce who literally got the Staples Center -- and 17 million viewers watching -- on their feet with their rendition of "Proud Mary." Even though there was a 42-year age difference between the two, they knew how to burn up the stage their way.

The fashions of course burned up the red carpet, with Alicia Keys in Giorgio Armani Prive, Underwood in a V-neck gown, Fergie in yellow Calvin Klein, and Rihanna in a nice cocktail dress that showed off her legs quite nicely. But it was Beyonce who takes my best-dressed honors in an ice blue gown reminiscent of Cinderella. As for who hit the sour note (aka worst dressed)? Well, bombard me with complaints all you want, but I'll have to say it was Cher.

Now that the Grammy Awards are set for the next 50 years, the attention will shift to the 80th Annual Academy Awards on February 24. And all next week, the AllenBlog will be previewing this year's Oscars with the main acting nominees, Foreign Language and Animated Feature Films, Director, and Best Picture.

It is something I've been doing since 2000 when this was the Allen Report...which was launched on August 24, 1998, almost ten years ago! And there'll be lots of digging through the archives as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Allen Report/AllenBlog this year; I'll tell you much more about all this in the months to come. Till next time...so long and stay strong.

Gigantic upset = Record Ratings!

Hello, everybody. As you already know by now, it was indeed the upset of all upsets as the New York Giants ended the New England Patriots' chances of a perfect season by towering over them 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday with another Manning --Eli this time -- earning MVP honors. But you do have to give credit to the Patriots; they gave all they got to go out undefeated, but if you're Tom Brady whose girlfriend is supermodel Gisele Bundchen...well, she dumped Leonardo DiCaprio after losing the Oscar to Jamie Foxx, and I won't be surprised if she dumps Brady after losing the Super Bowl.

And here's what's perhaps even super news: The game was seen by over 97.5 million people, making it not only the most-watched Super Bowl ever...but if that number holds up, it will have eclipsed the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of "Dallas" to become the second most-watched television program of all-time behind the "M*A*S*H" finale almost 25 years ago!!!

On the entertainment side of things...Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers during halftime still proved to the world they still have the stuff; Alicia Keys warmed us up in the pregame performance; "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks did our national anthem...but of course, the commercials remained the talk. There are so much, I've decided to count down...

My Top Ten Favorite Commercials from Super Bowl XLII

10. Will Ferrell as Jackie Moon for Bud Light (We love you Will, but please...don't go into character doing commercials ever again!)

9. Danica Patrick for GoDaddy.com (I watched the extended version hoping she would pull down her jacket more to expose her bra. Boy, was I gypped!)

8. The E*Trade talking baby ads, especially the puking one (Crude humor is not my forte, but if I want talking babies I would see "Look Who's Talking")

7. Bridgestone "Unexpected Obstacles" (It would've ranked higher if that car actually ran over Richard Simmons!)

6. TIE: Carmen Electra for IceBreakers Ice Cubes (Just imagine me popping one of those into her mouth without getting tackled by security afterwards)/Shaquille O'Neal for Vitaminwater (Where was the pain after that jockey pat Shaq in the crotch?)

5. SoBe Life Water with the lizards dancing alongside Naomi Campbell (And sixteen years after appearing in Michael Jackson's "In The Closet" music video, she still has the moves...and the body)

4. Bud Light's "Wine and Cheese" Party (Was alright, but I thought "Magic Fridge" was better)

3. Diet Pepsi Max (Also would've ranked higher if they reunited Ferrell, Jim Breuer, and Chris Kattan for this one)

2. ANOTHER TIE: FedEx's "Carrier Pigeons" (By far the funniest ad ever done for FedEx since the cavemen)/Coca-Cola's "It's Mine" (Underdog and Stewie floats vying for the Coke with Charlie Brown grabbing it at the end? Pure magic)

And my #1 favorite commercial from Super Bowl XLII which was also a major hit with everybody...

1. Budweiser Clydesdale Team
(Just proves to show that like the New York Giants, an underdog can come from behind and go all the way)

Now that the Super Bowl is over for another year, the attention immediately shifts back to Super-Duper-Mega-Ultra-Giga-Uber Tuesday tomorrow, in which 24 states including Alaska have primaries or caucuses; and for the remaining Democratic and Republican candidates, they're criss-crossing the country non-stop to get out the vote. In the case of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, what's at stake is a one-way ticket to Denver and the Democratic National Convention this summer. As for John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee...it may be another step on the road to the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, but only one of them after tomorrow will be rejected a ride (Ron Paul maybe?).

Who will come out on top? Find out tomorrow when you vote or caucus in one of the Super Tuesday states. So long and stay strong.