Return of the "King"?

Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings films, is returning to the next Rings film, only, not as director. The next film, The Hobbit, is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings and was the first of the series that J. R. R. Tolkein. The book will be split into two films, which will be executive produced by Jackson. The films will be directed by Guilmermo del Torro, who has directed by Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy. The film is slated for release in 2011.

The Road to Gold: The Oscars!

The Oscars are famous for being prestigious, glamorous, and star studded. However, they're notorious for being long, boring, and dull. You can't really blame' em, it's an awards show, and awards shows all have those tenancies. This year, Jon Stewart hosted, what would normally be a predictable year, and brought spice, wit, and humor to the Oscars. His jokes are hilarious (After the montage on the voting process, Stewart beams and says, "And I thought it was up to the super-delegates!"). The show was much more engrossing than last year. Though, this year's show had the lowest rating in history: only 32 million viewers. The last time it was that low, it was the 2003 show and Chicago won Best Picture. This year's winners were exceptionally predictable. Best Picture went to No Country for Old Men. Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor were very predictable and they went to Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) as a greedy oil miner in the west and Javier Bardem (No Country), as a hit man, respectively. Best Actress was a little surprising. French actress Marion Cotillard won Best Actress for her portrayal of French chanteus Edith Piaf and Tilda Swinton won for the court drama Michael Clayton. The Coen brothers won for No Country, and, unsurprisingly, Ratatouille won Best Animated Feature. "Falling Slowly" from Once won Best Original Song, trumping Enchanted's three nominated songs. The one surprise for me was that The Golden Compass won Best Visual Effects, and not Transformers. It was a pretty good show, other than it was 3 1/2 hours (which is actually an improvement from last year, it being 4 1/2 hours).

Grade: B+

Best of the 2008 Oscars

Best Picture
No Country for Old Men

Best Director
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Best Supporting Actress
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Animated Feature
Ratatouille

Winners Circle:The Winners of the 80th Annual Academy Awards

Best Costume Design
Alexandra Byrne, Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Best Animated Feature
Ratatouille, Brad Bird

Best Makeup
La Vie en Rose, Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald

Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass, Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Moriss, Trevor Wood

Best Art Direction
Sweeney Todd, Art Direction: Dante Feretti, Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Best Live Action Short Film
Le Mozart de Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets), Philippe Pollet-Villard

Best Animated Short Film
Peter & the Wolf, Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best Supporting Actress
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country for Old Men, Joel & Ethan Coen

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum, Karen Baker & Per Hallberg

Best Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum, Scott Millan, David Parker, Kirk Francis

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Best Film Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum, Christopher Rouse

Best Foreign Language Film
The Counterfeiters, Austria

Best Original Song
"Falling Slowly" from Once, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

Best Cinematography
There Will Be Blood, Robert Elswit

Best Original Score
Atonement, Dario Marianelli

Best Documentary Short Subject
Freeheld, Cynthia Wade & Venessa Roth

Best Documantary Feature
Taxi to the Dark Side, Alex Gibney & Eva Orner

Best Original Screenplay
Juno, Diablo Cody

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Director
Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Best Picture of the Year
No Country for Old Men

The Bets: Who I Think Will Win

Best Actor will definately go to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood. He's a brilliant actor and he's given a great performance. But I think Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd deserves it. He's scary and he slashes and he sings. Best Actress is a tough one, with the brilliant Julie Christie as an Alzheimers patient in a heartbreaking performance in Away From Her, Marion Cotillard in an outstandingly realistic portraylal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, Ellen Page may also take it as witty Juno. But if I know the critics, I think it will be Christie. Best Supporting Actor is a no contest for Javier Bardem, who has gained many critics awards for his role as a hit man in No Country for Old Men. Best Supporting Actress is a little trickier, but young Soairse Ronan from Atonement has no chance. Gone Baby Gone's Amy Ryam gave a tremendous performance as well as Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton, Cate Blanchett as a Bob Dylan-esqe character in I'm Not There, and a short but sweet performance by Ruby Dee in American Gangster. Best Director may go to Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country or Paul Thomas Andreson for Blood and even Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Best Picture I think may go to No Country, which has been well received by critics. We'll have to see the winners Sunday night at 8/9 p.m. est LIVE from the Kodak Theater on ABC.

Pencil Pushers: News on the Strike

The Writers Strike may be coming to a close. The WGA will vote Saturday. If they vote to end it, that will mean that in a couple of weeks, we may see Betty, Grey, those Desparate Housewives, Samantha and even Oscar could be in the lime light. Cross your finges for the whiny brats to vote to end it all!

"Quantum" Physics?: News About the 22nd Bond Film

The title of the 22nd Bond film has been released. It will be called Quantum of Solace. The title originates from an original Ian Fleming short story in his collection called For Your Eyes Only. The movie continues about 20 minutes after Casino Royale, Bond has shot Mr. White. The phrase actually means "a measure of comfort". Solace will be released in theater on November 7, 2008.

The SAG Award Winners

Here is the list of Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Male Actor in a Drama Series

James Gandolfini, The Sopranos

Female Actor in a Drama Series

Edie Falco, The Sopranos

Ensemble in a Drama Series

The Cast of The Sopranos

Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Ensemble in a Comedy Series

The Cast of The Office

Life Acheivement Award

Charles Durning

Male Actor in a TV Movie or Mini Series

Kevin Kline, As You Like It

Female Actor in a TV Movie or Mini Series

Queen Latifah, Life Support

Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Ruby Dee, American Gangster

Male Actor in a Leading Role

Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Female Actor in a Leading Role

Julie Christie, Away From Her

Cast in a Motion Picture

The Cast of No Country for Old Men

Oscar Fight: The Academy Awards Nominations

Here is the complete list of nominees for this year's Oscars.


Best Actor

George Clooney, Michael Clayton

Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah

Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

Best Supporting Actor

Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War

Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild

Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Julie Christie, Away from Her

Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Laura Linney, The Savages

Ellen Page, Juno

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There

Ruby Dee, American Gangster

Saoirse Ronan, Atonement

Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone

Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Animated Feature

Persepolis
Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

Ratatouille
Brad Bird

Surf's Up
Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Best Art Direction

American Gangster
Art Direction: Arthur Max
Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino

Atonement
Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

The Golden Compass
Art Direction: Dennis Gassner
Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock

Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Art Direction: Dante Ferretti
Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

There Will Be Blood
Art Direction: Jack Fisk
Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Best Cinematography

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Roger Deakins

Atonement
Seamus McGarvey

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Janusz Kaminski

No Country for Old Men
Roger Deakins

There Will Be Blood
Robert Elswit

Best Costume Design

Across the Universe
Albert Wolsky

Atonement
Jacqueline Durran

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Alexandra Byrne

La Vie en Rose
Marit Allen

Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Colleen Atwood

Best Director

Julian Shnabel
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Jason Reitman
Juno

Tony Gilroy
Michael Clayton

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men

Paul Thomas Anderson
There Will Be Blood

Best Documentary Feature

No End in Sight
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Richard E. Robbins

Sicko
Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara

Taxi to the Dark Side
Alex Gibney and Eva Orner

War/Dance
Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best Documentary Short Subject

Freeheld
Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth

La Corona (The Crown)
Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega

Salim Baba
Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello

Sari’s Mother
James Longley

Best Film Editing

The Bourne Ultimatum
Christopher Rouse

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Juliette Welfling

Into the Wild
Jay Cassidy

No Country for Old Men
Roderick Jaynes

There Will Be Blood
Dylan Tichenor

Best Foreign Film

Beaufort
Israel

The Counterfeiters
Austria

Katyń
Poland

Mongol
Kazakhstan

12
Russia

Best Makeup

La Vie en Rose
Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald

Norbit
Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Best Original Score

Atonement
Dario Marianelli

The Kite Runner
Alberto Iglesias

Michael Clayton
James Newton Howard

Ratatouille
Michael Giacchino

3:10 to Yuma
Marco Beltrami

Best Original Song

“Falling Slowly” from Once
Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

“Happy Working Song” from Enchanted
Music by Alan Menken
Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

“Raise It Up” from August Rush
Nominees to be determined

“So Close” from Enchanted
Music by Alan Menken
Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

“That’s How You Know” from Enchanted
Music by Alan Menken
Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Best Picture

Atonement
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers

Juno
Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers

Michael Clayton
Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers

No Country for Old Men
Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers

There Will Be Blood
JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Best Animated Short Film

I Met the Walrus
Josh Raskin

Madame Tutli-Putli
Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)
Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse

My Love (Moya Lyubov)
Alexander Petrov

Peter & the Wolf
Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best Live Action Short Film

At Night
Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth

Il Supplente (The Substitute)
Andrea Jublin

Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)
Philippe Pollet-Villard

Tanghi Argentini
Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans

The Tonto Woman
Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

Best Sound Editing

The Bourne Ultimatum
Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg

No Country for Old Men
Skip Lievsay

Ratatouille
Randy Thom and Michael Silvers

There Will Be Blood
Matthew Wood

Transformers
Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Best Sound Mixing

The Bourne Ultimatum
Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis

No Country for Old Men
Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland

Ratatouille
Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane

3:10 to Yuma
Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe

Transformers
Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Best Visual Effects

The Golden Compass
Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier

Transformers
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Best Adapted Screenplay

Atonement
Screenplay by Christopher Hampton

Away from Her
Written by Sarah Polley

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Screenplay by Ronald Harwood

No Country for Old Men
Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

There Will Be Blood
Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Original Screenplay

Juno
Written by Diablo Cody

Lars and the Real Girl
Written by Nancy Oliver

Michael Clayton
Written by Tony Gilroy

Ratatouille
Screenplay by Brad Bird
Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird

The Savages
Written by Tamara Jenkins

For more on Oscar, click here

And the Winners Are...: The Golden Globe Winners

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There

Best Supporting TV Actor
Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Best Actress in a TV Drama Series
Glenn Close, Damages

Best Supporting TV Actress
Samantha Morton, Longford

Best Actor in a TV Drama Series
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Best Animated Feature
Ratatouille

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Marion Cotilliard, La Vie en Rose

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Best Actress in a Mini Series or TV Movie
Queen Latifah, Life Support

Best Actor in a TV Comedy
David Duchovny, Californication

Best Comedy Series
Extras

Best Actress in a TV Comedy Series
Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Best Director
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical Motion Picture
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best TV Drama Series
Mad Men

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama
Julie Christie, Away From Her

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Motion Picture Drama
Atonement

There are the winners for the 65th Golden Globe Awards.

Statuette Risks: News on the Golden Globes

The Golden Globes have been cancelled, though there is a conference on tonight to announce the winners, but the worry is: if you took down one award, what about the most important one. The Oscars are in danger of being cancelled. ABC may lose billions of dollars in ad revenue. All fingers are crossed that the Writers Strike will not knock over Oscar. The Academy Awards have never been cancelled, not even during the 1980's strike. The Oscars are scheduled for February 24 on ABC. The nominations, whether or not a ceremony will air, will be announced January 22. The Globe winners will be announced tonight 9/8 c on NBC.

Golden Globes CANCELED!

The Golden Globes were scheduled for Sunday, January 13, 2008. Unfortunately, the ceremony has been canceled because the actors are refusing to cross the picket line. Instead, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will be holding a meeting to announce the winners. Hopefully, this strike will not interfere with the Oscars.

Strike and You're Out!: News About Writer's Strike

The Writer's Guild of America have gone on strike. Why? Because of, what else, but money. The writers last striked in 1988 because of the sucsess of VHS video tapes. They only got $.04 for each tape, while the producers rolled in cash. They walked out on November 5.This time, it's streaming and downloading videos on the Internet. While you can watch CSI: for free on the CBS website, the producers are getting ad revenue for the banners on the page. The writers are getting...nada!! You can download streaming video while writers are working hard to create these shows and movies. So they've had enough and they want some of the profit. Right now, writers earn less than $100 thousand while producers earn about $20 million. No one knows how to get rich on the Internet right now, but the writers want to be prepared when someone really rakes in the cash. Who's side are you on: the Writers', the Executives and producers, don't know, or don't care? Please leave a comment and give your thoughts on the strike.