But lameness is obviously an advantage for the best picture Oscar competition. Now that "Little Miss Sunshine" has won the Screen Actors Guild best ensemble prize, it's more than likely to repeat last year's "Crash" phenomenon, when the weakest intellectually and aesthetically of the five top Academy Award nominees won the Big O.
Not that LMS isn't a funny, ever-so-meekly subversive little entertainment ("Crash" was a nice little gimmick movie, too). It's just not about real people or anything truly meaningful, and its smidgen of formal ambition amounts to a couple of frames' worth of "Babel," "The Departed" or "Iwo Jima." Hell, even "The Queen" was exponentially better shot and staged - with writing and acting and, yes, comedy that left the SAG winner in the dust like a broken-down van on a desert road.
Now the big question is, when LMS conquers the Kodak on February 25, are people finally going to stop taking this whole ridiculously capricious Oscar business seriously? Probably not, even though, if this does come to pass, the lame-os who actually vote for the things will have proven for the umpteenth time that they don't take movies seriously at all.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So the Screen Actors Guild gave its best film ensemble prize to a movie that was sent out on DVD to all its members... for the second year in a row. Did that influence the win for "Little Miss Sunshine"? Hard to say. Guess you'd have to poll a significant sampling of the 110,000 SAG members, including those who may be unusually grateful for a free copy of a movie.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The announcer backstage introduced Helen Mirren's second appearance. Instead of the grand dame of the evening, in walks milquetoast publicist Stan Rosenfield, carrying her two Actor statuettes and setting them down on the podium. Later, Steve Carell, the dual winner for "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Office," swabbed his brow as he toted two beefy bronze figures.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Little Miss Sunshine" beat the casts of "Bobby," "Dreamgirls" "The Departed" and "Babel" to win the evening's top prize. Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin and Abigail Breslin were on hand to accept and Kinnear lifted Breslin up to the microphone to say a few words. Very cute.
Kinnear thanked the movie's co-directors who were shut out of the Oscar race. But "Sunshine" should be considered the Oscar favorite since it won the Producers Guild of America prize a few weeks ago. Last year, "Brokeback Mountain" was the front-runner until "Crash" ensemble upset it to win top ensemble.
So, "Sunshine" could win best picture and Martin Scorsese can finally get his Oscar for "The Departed." I think that's how it might go.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In another category identical to the Oscar race, Forest Whitaker takes home leading actor prize for his performance as Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland." He gave a nearly incoherent speech at the Golden Globes but was far better this time around after a shaky start.
"I want to thank you for allowing me to have a moment like this...to help me be able to continue to express myself as an artist. Thank yoiu from the bottom of my heart."

Mirren won for "The Queen" and said it was "an incredible night for me personally."
The actress said that when she first walked into wardrobe and saw "all those sensible shoes and tweed skirts, I cried. I can't playt anyone who chooses to wear those clothes. I just can't do it."
The audience laughs then Mirren adds that she "learned to love that person" and paid tribute to the Queen of England for her discipline and dedication to duty.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Somebody from the cast of "The Office" mentioned backstage that they spend 60 hours a wek together in an office. That brought on the first "Duh" question of the night: "What do you do in those 60 hours on the clock?" Rainn Wilson calmly explained the process of making a TV series. Whoever asked that question must have been completely lost in the Mirren/Irons discussions about acting.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 6:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a category identical to the Oscar field, "Dreamgirls" star Jennifer Hudson took home the best supporting actress award and said: "What a welcome! (It is her FIRST movie!) I'd like to thank God for this moment." She thanked her castmates and said "I was able to work with and learn from the best." She thanked director Bill Condon: "Thank you for believing in me when I did not believe in myself."
And to her fellow SAG members she said: "Thank you for noticing little ol' me and accepting me."
Next stop: Oscar night!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Isaiah Washington mess did not hurt 'em. But Ellen Pompeo is a pretty sucky award accepter. Next time, let Dempsey speak!
"We love this category more than you know," she began.
OK, so far, so good.
But instead of mentioning the 10 cast members present and behind her on stage, Pompeo chooses to focus on those who are not.
" I think because this category is ensemble, it is worth mentioning the members of our cast who arent here. Kate Burton. Um, um, um help me! Isaiah Washington...Um..."
Good job Ellen...NOT!!!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

He beat Sutherland and Michael C. Hall among others. Tough category!
Laurie, the star of Fox's "House" was a popular winner and said that being a successful actor and winning awards "It's not so much about whether you do good work, it's about whether you get a chance to do good work."
"It's a phenomenal honor...I know it will pass quickly, it might have already passed while I'm standing here."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Everyone looks shocked!
"It's about those 10 actors sitting over there (points to Grey's Anatomy cast) and the other one in rehab!" (Isaiah Washington, in gayhab)
She is all over the place. Thanks family. Agent. Friends.
"Look with this skin and this nose and these arms and this height! I'm here! Thank you Screen actors Guild for taking me as I am!"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just kidding! Julie is dressed like a big star and at 71, looks like time started standing still right around "Victor/Victoria" about 25 years ago. Her "Mary Poppins" co-star Dick Van Dyke is here to take part in the presentation of a lifetime achievement award for Julie as is Anne Hathaway, with whom she appeared in the two "Princess Diairies" flicks.

Says Hathaway: "She's not only a dear friend and colleague...she was also a patient, generous and wise mentor, and I might add, a helluva lot of fun." Julie blows her a kiss from her seat and the audience stands up and goes into a standing ovation that threatens to go on a long time.
Hathaway, showing all the pluck of her character in "The Devil Wears Prada" says: "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for honoring Julie Andrews, but there IS more."
Now they are showing all the clips of Julie singing in "Camelot" and "My Fair Lady." She got robbed of those movie roles after nailing them on Broadway.
Now "Poppins" clips are on. Think about it. Was Mary Poppins really such a good nanny? She had those kids do some dodgy things. But whatever. Now "The Sound of Music" clips are on and "The Hiiilllls are aliiiive" and I feel sad that she can't sing like that anymore after that botched throat operation.
I didn't know she was an advocate for the UN. She really is a saint! And she is a Dame! Queen Elizabeth II gave her that honor. I think it's kind of like being a Knight?
Now out comes the ageless Dick Van Dyke. Cool!
"I never got over being toingue tied...thaqt beauty and elegange was always a little daunting to me." "They didn't break any mold with Julie, there was no mold. She is the one and only."

Now Julie is taking the stage to the "Hills Are Alive" music and everyone is standing again. I have a lump in my throat. Gulp.
Julie says: "I am so grateful to be part of a guld that reaches out and goes one step beyond its tremendous responsiblities." my career has just been filled with good fortune. amazing mentors...and what about those delicious leading men? (Paul Newman, Omar Sharif, Rock Hudson etc). Pays tribute to hubby Blake Edwards.
"I have so much joy in my work...and you, ladies and gentlemen have just given me an evening that I will cherish all my life."

What a lady!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eddie is REALLY the Oscar front-runner now.
He took the stage and said: "What a tremendous honors to be regonzied for ones peers. I've been acting for 25 years now," he said in a faux British accent. Then he started laughing. Eddie said when the Brits (like Mirren and Jeremy Irons) accept their trophies, "they are so smooth. I feel goofy up here. Thank you Bill Condon for directing and putting me in your wonderful movie."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jeremy Irons and Helen Mirren held forth backstage on the differences between British actors and Americans, that being the Brits' solid background in stage work and American actors' gifts for playing to the camera, and the often confusing distinctions between lead and supporting roles. Can I get college credit for this?
Mirren does sound more than a tad bitter, though, about the fact that all the awards recognition for "The Queen" has come from this side of the pond, not her home turf. Is the wrath of the real Elizabeth that frightening that BAFTA fears retribution for supporting a film that does not entirely flatter the queen?
Seems she would prefer to win "the mother of all film awards," the Oscar, than accept an invitation to tea at Buckingham Palace anyway.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Who cares about the winner? The presenters are MTM, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Ed Asner, Gavin Mcleod, Betty White and Gorgia Engel. Wow! Mary said, "The gang's all here!" They got a prolonged and heartfelt standing ovation. I love Mary. I could cry.
Steve Carell said as he got the trophy from Mary:"This is quite an honor having these people present this to us. I was craining my neck,'Oh my God! Oh there she is!'"
"It's truly a great honor and we will treasure this."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alec Baldwin won for "30 Rock" as he did a few weeks ago at the Globe. He said: "This is a real honor. I'm really proud to be a member of this union."

America Ferrera, who won for "Ugly Betty," was far more composed than at the Globes when she cried a lot. This time she said to the star-studded audience: "I look out and see faces that have moved me and inspired me my entire life."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Ugly Betty" star America Ferrara is getting the statues to go with all the critical kudos and ratings. She was every bit as classy in her acceptance speech as Betty is unpolished. "We share a common knowledge of struggle and rejection and success," she said of her fellow SAG members. Sweet and on point.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can't believe Jeremy Irons claims he feels like "a plumber" whenever he arrives on a set. Even though he blew his opening joke (and will never be cast as a New Yorker because of his accent skills), he can show the room a thing or two about genuine race in an acceptance speech.
If you're keeping score, that's Brits 2, USA 0.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mirren has just scored her first award of the night for HBO's "Elizabeth I." And she's the odds-on favorite for her performance as Elizabeth II in the feature "The Queen." If (or when) she wins her second award of the night, it'll be the first dual win for playing British monarchs named Elizabeth. It's the kind of record baseball statisticians just love.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The show has started and the audio is not working. We're left to read lips. Aaaaggghhhh...

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

She's gonna need a new room in her house just for her trophies won this year alone. She has won for "Elizabeth I." Said tis means more to her than any other coming from actors (pul-eeze, the Oscar won't b e chopped liver!). She looks stunning tonight, totaql babe, especially for a 61 year old woman. Poor Annette Benning, so good in "Mrs. Harris," loses to Mirren. First category also featured nominee Shirley Jones who was among those who opened the telling early actor stories. She has had her SAG card for 53 years! Cloris Leachman, 80, was also nominated in a stellar category. Both Jones and Leachman may have lost, but they have Oscars on their shelves at home to make cheer them up!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh, what I've been through. Total techical nightmare that required me to dictate my red carpet ramblings to a very patient Armando Hernandez who I work with. He was great! Now I'm in a dimly lit deadline room (cannot see a bloody thing!) getting ready for this thing to get going!
Before leaving the red carpet, in one eyeful, I saw Mary Tyler Moore getting ohotgraphed by te throngs of photogs, Megan Mullally standing nearby beaming. Maybe she didn't want to do that damned talk show anymore anyway! And Julie Andrews is a few feet away from Mary. It's a a "Thoroughly Modern Millie" reunion! All they need is Carol Channing!
Some Grey's Anatomy stars like Sara Ramirez and Katherine Heigl did interviews but Ellen Pompeo just posed for pics as far as I could see and Sandra Oh and Patrick Depmsey sailed by fan and press. T.R. Knight is here tho! Good for him. No sign of Isaiah Washington, he's still in "gayhab."
OK, show is starting!!!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

... or to pick up the awards-season hardware that leads to more $. We're told that some studios were inspired by the success of "Crash" last year to follow its lead and send out DVD screeners of "Little Miss Sunshine," "The Departed" and "Venus" to all 110,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild to encourage their support on the ballot. If one of these three wins the ensemble or lead prizes tonight, it might just be worth the $500,000 investment for DVDs and shipping. We'll leave it to the accountants and lawyers to decide whether such a move is worth the high risk of piracy.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: When "My Name is Earl," star Jason Lee arrived looking a little shaggy the announcer said "This guy hasn't shaved since the season started!"

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher just walked in, sending the bleacher crowd in to a frenzy. But that was nothing compared to the reception for nominee Jennifer Hudson of "Dreamgirls." Hudson is wearing a vintage plum-colored gown and showing lots of cleavage, she waves to the fans and just missed runnning into Mirren at the ET boot by a fraction of a second...also causing excitment was super couple Warren Beatty - and his nominee wife, Annette Bening....
But for some, the reception is so-so: Sopranos star Lorraine Bracco is looking lovely but virtually ignored by the major news outlets...Tim Olyphant of Deadwood got a lukewark reception to fit the lukewarm response to his new movie "Catch and Release" which opened Friday. To his credit, Tim smiled and appeard upbeat anyway...

Just arriving are Eddie Murphy, Leo DiCaprio, Helen Mirren, all oscar-nominees....Marsha Gay Harden just walked by me, teetering on gold pumps. I hope she doesn't fall when she walks on the red carpet...

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oooh, a goodie bag! For us? How exciting!
I opened this little zippered purse (with a silver lining, the better to keep your Lean Cuisine cold at your desk until lunchtime), and found two candy bars and a rather hefty bottle of Listerine rinse. Next to the coffee urns, more Listerine pocket packs than anybody could ever need. Are they a major sponsor? Or is this just because it's flu season?

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrera - who's is looking more like "Gorgeous Betty" in an Emerald-green gown...fans in the bleachers go nuts

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: Non-ignored are red carpet super-couple Kevin Bacon Kyra Sedgwick , who is nominated tonight....

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: Screen Actors Guild President Alen Rosenberg walked in and was not even announced. Everyone was paying attention to his wife, CSI star Marg Helgenberger ...'24' star Jean Smart arrived to loud cheers that virtually ignored her husband Richard who co-starred with her in "Designing Women"...

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: There's plenty of younger stars here...there's Will Smith! His wife Jada is wearing a stunning pink gown..she always looks perfect.

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: Alec Baldwin is being interviewd by ET. Helen Hunt just walked by looking great and Michael C. Hall has just arrived...great cheers, he's got a new hair style that I don't quite understand. More in a bit...

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Hernandez on the Red Carpet: Here's my best sighting so far: Mary Tyler Moore! Mary looks great...she's getting more cheers from the audience than those younger stars.

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've just decided I would never want the job of the guy who announces the celebrities as they (clear security and) step out on the red carpet. The poor schnook must have fumbled his cheat sheet because he called "Numb3rs" star David Krumholtz "Josh Krumholtz." Anybody's capable of screwing up a name, but this guy just did it in a very loud, drawn-out, "tah dah!' voice. If he made a correction, it was very quiet.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gregg Kinnear and Steve Correll just walked right by me...virtually 2 feet away from me...didn't even bother to say "hello"

Posted by Armando Hernandez at 4:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

T.R. Knight of "Grey's Anatomy" just arrived outside, and he was greeted by a roar that one hopes did not include any slurs about his sexual orientation. Still waiting to hear whether co-star Isaiah Washington was allowed one night's liberty from his in-patient treatment for -- what? -- a mouth that works much faster than his brain?

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

... because you need to be damn near starving to really enjoy the food they serve backstage at most awards shows. Yeah, I know we shouldn't complain too much because it is free. On the other hand, we're pretty much captive inside the Shrine Auditorium for hours on end, so feeding us keeps us civilized. Can anyone explain,though, why a catering company that heaps so many sandwiches in a basket that they end up about a quarter inch thick bothers to place business cards on the buffet? Oh yeah, that's just what I want to treat my guests to at my next catered affair.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Women of a certain age (whatever that is) say there's a shortage of good roles for their age group, but check out the vintage of many of the ladies up for Screen Actors Guild Awards: Shirley Jones, Cloris Leachman, Helen Mirren (of course) and Meryl Streep all are on the downhill side of 50 and still making fine contributions to their craft.
And Meryl is in such demand that she's a no show, even though her Oscar nomination last week for "The Devil Wears Prada" increases her odds of winning here. But she has a good excuse. Seems she accepted an invitation about a year ago to cohost tonight's 10th annual benefit for Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment. She's sharing the stage with former Vice President Al Gore, with whom she'll hand the Global Citizen Award to Prince Charles. Said she would have enjoyed celebrating with her fellow SAG members but she felt she should not renege on the other commitment. Let's see... British royalty or Hollywood royalty?

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While the million-and-one theories as to why the academy didn't nominate sure bet best picture winner "Dreamgirls" for best picture have been amusing, my favorite is the "voters were just sick of being told what to think" theory.
The premise is that too much promotion by the distributor and unrelenting certainty from the people who waste too much of their lives trying to predict how 6,000 or so quirky, not-all-that-into-it-or-with-it academy members are going to think just made the voters say a collective "Oh yeah? Well, we'll show you!"
I don't know if this was a major factor in "Dreamgirls'" top category shutout, and I care even less. I thought the movie was fantastically crafted, slam-bang entertainment without an active brain cell to its name, so whether or not it competes for best picture means absolutely nothing to me.
What I like about this theory, though, is that the people floating it seem to think it's a perfectly legitimate argument; which, true or not, it's anything but. When Oscar voters want to express their - oh, let's call it intellectual independence - over a mixed bag like "Dreamgirls," no harm no foul. But let's apply this line of reasoning to last year, which commentators are also using as an example without acknowledging its critical implications. Practically every quality-judging body in the movie universe agreed that "Brokeback Mountain" was the best film of 2005, but not the folks who gave the top Oscar to "Crash."
Academy members may have been dancing to their own individualistic drummers then, too, but by doing so they stomped on any notion that their awards were a reliable measure of true artistic excellence.
Which, of course, ain't news. But it's also something that ought to be remembered whenever we take the term "Oscar worthy" more seriously than we should - which is just about any time it's mistaken as the ultimate mark of cinematic accomplishment.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Even if they win the Academy Award for their feature documentary "Jesus Camp," it would be hard to top the excitement of learning about its nomination. Heidi Ewing says she and co-director Rachel Grady were boarding a flight in New York for the West Coast to screen their film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, and she asked the flight attendant how long they could keep their cell phones on because they were waiting for word about a possible Oscar nomination. The flight attendant passed the word to the cabin, and not long after the plane hit the air, Ewing and Grady got the good news.
"The captain made an announcement on the flight," she said. "We were laughing and crying. We drank an entire bottle of wine. We took all these photographs (with the cabin crew) like we've been friends for years.
"It was the perfect way to find out the news.... but honestly, it's shocking."

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael Sheen, as "The Queen's" Prime Minister Tony Blair, was better than any of the actors who got nominated for supporting - except maybe Mark Wahlberg, who had much less screentime in "The Departed."
In fact, Sheen was arguably Helen Mirren's co-lead. His ability to parry with her intelectually and performance-wise, while gradually revealing both the tactical savvy and fatal tendency to bow before power that history will remember Blair for, places his work right up there with Peter O'Toole's and Forest Whitaker's in the lead actor category.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Oscar night last year, Paul Haggis was celebrating a best picture win for his movie "Crash." So what does he do for an encore? He got himself nominated again this year in the adapted screenplay category. He co-wrote the story of "Letters of Iwo Jima" which is also a best picture nominee.
"II'm just a greedy pig," he joked from the New Mexico set of his next movie. "It's just really thrilling. Im especially happy for [director] Clint [Eastwood]. It was his passion from the beginning. He had a real passion to tell both sides of the story so I'm glad I could help him do that."
Haggis is currently directing "In the Valley of Ella" which, ironically, stars three Oscar winners: Charlize Theron, Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The failure of "Dreamgirls," the longtime presumptive front-runner for the best picture Oscar, to even be nominated in that category may seem to prove the argument - also floated in the last couple of months - that the movie's Achilles heel could be the fact that no African-American production has ever won the top Academy Award.
Maybe. Who knows how some academy voters' minds work (I know that their choices usually baffle me). But, considering other aspects of Tuesday's nominations, it's logical to conclude that racism was a minor factor in the "Dreamgirls" snub, if it was even a factor at all.
For one thing, if the overwhelmingly white academy preferred their own, it's unlikely that seven of the 20 acting slots would have gone to non-Europen people of color - the largest minority representation ever, by many reports.
Then there's the fact that the top two cumulative nomination-getters are "Dreamgirls" (with eight) and the multi-ethnic "Babel" (seven). The Mexican production "Pan's Labyrinth" clocked an impressive six nominations. And the film that displaced "Dreamgirls" from the best picture race, "Letters from Iwo Jima," features an essentially all-Asian cast, speaking in Japanese and empathetically portraying enemies American films virulently dehumanized during World War II and for quite some time afterward.
If you've got to make a prejudice case for the "Dreamgirls" snub, perhaps homophobia sticks a little better. We all know that some academy voters were adamantly against giving best picture to "Brokeback Mountain" last year solely because of its sexual politics. And while there's nothing overtly queer in "Dreamgirls," it's a well-known favorite of gay men.
Perhaps most damning, "Dreamgirls'" white, gay writer-director, Bill Condon, was also shut out of the two categories he qualified for. So, as Nathan Lane once said, you do the math.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tom Perrota, a nominee for best adpated screenplay for "Little Children," got the news in Boston where he lives. He wasn't watching the television because he said the tension of the Golden Globes got the best of him: "There's an aspect of a bad dream, waiting for someone to say your name on television. I told my agent to call me if the news was good."
It was. He got a call.
“It’s more the feeling of relief and then real pleasure. I expect the worst. Now I can continue my Zelig-like appearances at places I don't belong."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tuesday marked the first time that George Miller, a resident of Sydney, Australia, was actually in Los Angeles when the nominations were announced. (He’s received three previous nominations). Miller, nominated for “Happy Feet� in the animated film category, arrived last week to attend the Golden Globes.
“In the past I was in Australia and getting a call at 1 or 2 in the morning,� he says. “This is much more civilized. But I’m heading home tonight. I can’t wait to see my wife and kids and we’ll have a celebration.�

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When 30-year-old Gil Keenan was a student at Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, he never thought he'd be going to the Oscars. But he's up for an Oscar for directing the film “Monster House� which is competing with “Cars� and “Happy Feet� in the Best Animated Film category.
“It’s all very strange and silly and great. I didn’t expect to get nominated and definitely don’t expect to win. I get to play pretend and put on a tuxedo and go to a free show. I’m kind of taking it all with a grain of salt and just enjoying it. No one knows who I am. It’s gonna be ridiculous.I’m honored to be a part of it.�

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Patrick Marber was home in London when the Academy Award nominations were announced. Apparently a realist more than an optimist ("It's my first nomination, maybe my only"), he did not have great expectations that his name would come up in the adapted screenplay category for "Notes on a Scandal."
"I turned my phone off. I didn't want to know. And if, 15 minutes' time after the nominations announcement, it looked busy, that was good news. And it was very busy.
"I remember this day two years ago when I didn't get nominated for 'Closer.' And the difference between the silence of no nomination and the noise of a nomination is dramatic. This, I have to say, is a bit more fun."

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If the look of any film this year is clearly the product of many individuals, it is "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." Art director Rick Heinrichs already is thinking about how to recognize everyone who had a hand in creating everything from the ships and the menacing sea serpent to the cages of human bones and a runaway water wheel -- without whipping out a list a mile long -- should he win the Oscar. "They tell you not to go up there with a laundry list, which I did the first time ('Sleepy Hollow'). And I learned a year later that they used my acceptance speech (at the Oscar nominees' luncheon) as an example of what not to do," he said.
"And I was nominated again for 'Lemony Snicket.' That was the year they were playing around with it and they had all five nominees up there on the stage at the same time. That was not good because you're standing there and you're the loser."

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RYAN GOSLING, Best Actor nominee for “Half Nelson� -- "I have tremendous respect for all the actors in this category and it's a great honor to be in their company. It's extremely encouraging to see a small film be recognized at this level. By recognizing me I feel that it honors everyone I love and for that I am truly grateful.�

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MARTIN SCORSESE, Best Director nominee for “The Departed� said in a statement Tuesday:
“I am very pleased that ‘The Departed’ has been honored with five nominations for this year’s Academy Awards. I am particularly happy that the hard work of the entire cast and crew has been rewarded with a Best Picture nomination and that the specific contributions of Mark Wahlberg, our screenwriter William Monahan, and my longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker have been recognized with nominations as well.�

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" was pretty much a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination, except in the eyes of director Davis Guggenheim. "I was a hundred percent certain we would not get nominated," he says. "I had the whole argument down pat: We're a slide show, the academy really takes very seriously what it takes to be a documentary, we didn't get a DGA nomination. It had all that against it."
What's in its favor, and definitely distinguishes it from its four rivals for the award, is the -- dare I say it? -- star power of former Vice President Al Gore.
"The thought of Al Gore on the red carpet at the Academy Awards -- that's a real victory march for him," Guggenheim said. "For ages he has been trying to get his message across about global warming, and people are really hearing it."
OK, so the ex-Veep and Tipper will be mingling with the stars on Feb 25. What's the most relevant way to make an entrance at an event for which celebs pull up in hybrid cars even when their films have nothing to do with environmental issues?
"At Cannes, we walked to the premiere," Guggenheim said.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adriana Barraza was home in Miami with her husband with the television on waiting for the Academy Award nominations to be announced. "I was prepared for this amazing ocassion." When her name was stated in the supporting actress category for "Babel," she said she "I jumped! I cried! I screamed like crazy! I kissed my husband many times. My husband cried. We were a mess."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The best sports this Oscar morning have got to be “Little Miss Sunshine� directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton who were surprisingly not nominated even though their film got a best picture nod. But the pair still did interviews and were in surprisingly good humor.
“We’re in good company,� Dayton said, referring to the omission of “Dreamgirls� director Bill Condon from the category. “Of course we’re disappointed but to be disappointed after all that has happened to this film would be ridiculous. We’ve been directing together for 20 years but this is our first feature and we have to say, it’s been fantastic.�
Joked Faris: “Our film is a little bit about losers so we’re comfortable in the loser spot...It’s hard when you only have five spots. We’re just so happy the film has done so well.
One major consolation prize: the pair have been nominated for the prestigious Director’s Guild of America award.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“The main impression were the calls from old friends who were genuinely excited for my good fortune and it touches me deeply.�
- Alan Arkin, Academy Award Nominee, Best Supporting actor, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Leonardo DiCaprio, nominated for Best Actor for "Blood Diamond," is in London for the premiere of the film there. He said in a statement: "I'm honored to receive this nomination from the Academy -- especially in a year full of such worthy nominees. I'm grateful to everyone who has supported 'Blood Diamond.' Being nominated is a tribute to everyone who worked on this film especially Ed Zwick. I am also thrilled for Djimon, Mark and Marty who are all so deserving of this recognition."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peter O’Toole was nominated for his 8th BEST ACTOR Oscar today for his performance in VENUS. Upon learning of his nomination he said:

“If you fail the first time, try, try try, try, try, try, try again. Yoicks!�

O’Toole was given an honorary Oscar in 2002 but has never won the award outright.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Best supporting actress nominee for "Babel," Rinko Kikuchi was in Paris doing a photo shoot when she got word of her first Academy Award nomination.
“A lot of people so far had been telling me they are sure I would be nominated and it was the best acting I had done but now that I got it, it’s more exciting than I thought it would be,� she said through an interpreter. I knew when I was filming the movie was going to get a lot a lot of recognition and people would love it. I believed in the energy and the strength of the film. But when it came to myself, to get this recognized, I never thought I would ever get it.�

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The man who won last year's best score Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain," including that memorable theme, is up again for the music of "Babel." In a giddy phone conversation a couple of hours after hearing about his nomination, Gustavo Santaolalla admitted something rather surprising: "I'm not an academically trained musician. I don't know how to read or write music."
Santaolalla, who first attracted Hollywood's attention with the score to "Amores Perros," has been a songwriter, performer, record producer and label executive for alternative Latin artists before settling into his current niche writing for movies. He believes the sort of training one picks up in a conservatory is only one aspect of a successful composing career. "Music really has to do with your heart, your soul, your mind and your ears."
While he's basking in the glow of his "Babel" nomination, he's working on his next project: "Things We Lost in the Fire," starring Halle Berry.
"Maybe we’ll talk again next winter," I said.
"You don't know how much I want to hear your voice again," he replied.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Best Actress nominee and front-runner Helen Mirren's statement:

"I would like to thank the Academy, it is a great honour to be nominated. When the idea of making THE QUEEN was first mooted we had no idea that the result would have quite the impact it has had. It is astounding the way that audiences have responded by taking the film to their hearts.

It is one of the hardest roles to play not just a living person but one who is part of our everyday lives in Britain. Whilst her presence is with us from her image on the letters that come through our door and on the money we spend, we know so little of the woman behind the image. I hope that my performance has conveyed a sense of Elizabeth the woman as well as the Queen.

I am indebted to Peter Morgan for his tremendous screenplay and to director Stephen Frears who was a joy to work with and was sensitive to the nuance of the role.

I am so proud to be a part of this incredible film-making team and the recipient of this nomination.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eight-time nominee “Dreamgirls� was left out of best picture and best directors so had to be content with acting nominations for Hudson and Murphy as well as three nods for best original song with the tunes “Listen,� “Love You I Do� and “Patience� as well as nominations for art direction, costume design and sound mixing.
After “Dreamgirls� and “The Queen,� the most nominations went to Mexico’s foreign film nominee “Pan’s Labyrinth� and “The Queen� with six apiece. They were followed by “Blood Diamond� and “The Departed� with five nominations each.
Movies with four nominations are "Little Miss Sunshine," "Letters From Iwo Jima," Notes on a Scandal" and box office behemoth "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto� was ignored in the major categories but got three nods for make-up, sound editing and sound mixing. Also with three are "Children of Men" and "Little Children."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The acting categories are more ethnically diverse than in most years. Five African-American performers received nods in major acting categories, three of whom are considered the front-runners: best actor nominee Forest Whitaker for “The Last King of Scotland� and “Dreamgirls� co-stars Eddie Murphy (best supporting actor) and Jennifer Hudson (best supporting actress).
Box office titan Will Smith received his second best actor nod for “The Pursuit of Happyness.� He was last up for the award for “Ali� in 2001. Nominated for best supporting actor for “Blood Diamond� is Djimon Hounsou who also competed for the award in 2003 for “In America.�
Spanish actress Penelope Cruz earned her first Oscar nomination for her role in the Spanish-language film “Volver,� Adriana Barazza, an actress of Hispanic orgin, was nominated for supporting actress in “Babel� as was Asian actress Rinko Kikuchi.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“Babel� nabbed seven nominations overall including nods for director Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu. He competes against a pair of directing legends: two-time best director Oscar winner Clint Eastwood for “Iwo Jima� and “Departed� director Martin Scorsese earned his eighth Oscar nomination but has famously never won.
Eastwood beat Scorsese two years ago for "Million Dollar Baby." Scorsese was nominated that year for "The Aviator."
Rounding out the directing category are Stephen Frears for “The Queen� and Paul Greengrass for “United 93.�
Left off the list was “Dreamgirls� director Bill Condon and “Sunshine� co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. All were nominated for the Directors Guild of America prize earlier this month which typically mirrors Oscar nods. Eastwood was not nominated for the DGA prize.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“Dreamgirls� may have earned Academy Award nominations (eight) than any other film Tuesday morning, but the musical was snubbed in a best picture category comprised of “Babel,� “Letters From Iwo Jima,� “Little Miss Sunshine,� “The Departed� and “The Queen.�
The best picture race appears to be wide-open at this point, especially since the Producer’s Guild of America awarded its top prize to “Sunshine� on Saturday night. The best picture prizes at the Golden Globe Awards last week went to “Babel� (drama) and “Dreamgirls� (musical or comedy).

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

She's been nominated six times for an Oscar and won once but Judi Dench was still thrilled to be included form her juicy role in "Notes on a Scandal."
“I’m very pleased. I’m in frighteningly good company. It is very nice of the Queen to allow me in for a minute. It was one of the harder parts I have played. At the end of the day I was quite glad to get back to the person I am. I had the power to do it because of Richard Eyre. He steered me through the rougher waters of it.�

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"The Pursuit of Happyness" has turned out to not only be a major box office hit, but it has earned its star Will Smith his second Oscar nod. Smith is in New York working on his next movie but his publicist was quick to send out a statement from the actor:
“Congratulations to all of the nominees. It is a great honor to be considered among this calibre of performers. No competition, all celebration. Let the parties begin.�
He must know Forst Whitaker has this thing sewn up so why not party?

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep earned her 14th nomination overall for “The Devil Wears Prada.� Streep won her sixth Golden Globe last week and already held the record for the most nominations of any performer in history. Jack Nicholson and Katharine Hepburn each have 12 nominations.
“I am thrilled in a way that no one can possibly imagine,� Streep said in a statement. “It’s extraordinary that anyone in the actor’s branch is even speaking to me, never mind nominating me yet again. I’m very, very grateful.�

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Go to the Daily News' Who Are You Wearing, where the features department's own Semhar Debessai has great pictures -- and she knows what she's looking at.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First of all, is it Nicollette or Nicolette? One "l" or two? I feel as if I can't move on until I solve this dilemma.

Who am I kidding? Anyway, Michael Bolton has hurt us all in the past, but here he's doing his best James Caan impression. I'm surprised Jimmy Caan didn't find MB and either kiss him on the mouth ... or punch him in said orifice. And did I mention that his pants are too damn long. At least Nicollette's not dating Kenny G.

As for Ms. Sheridan, the black bow thing is not working. Can she even walk? Is he pushing her on a platform, Spike Lee style? Ah ... even I don't care.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What worked so well for Jennifer Love Hewitt works ... not at all ... for ex-"Friend" and current "Dirt"-y girl Courteney Cox. Have you seen "Dirt"? I have. Do not cross this woman. She will RUIN you. Watch out, Brangelina.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salma Hayek ... her hotness speaks for itself, but the dress is a bit too Helen of Troy. Ditto for the shoes.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Penelope Cruz knows how to rock it. Love the classic black. Nice lines, nice flow. The only negative: the hair. Not loving the hair.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's a certain elegance to Sandra Oh's gown. If the shimmery hangs right, it works, and the shimmery is definitely hanging right.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I don't know if you can see Eddie Murphy's all-black ensemble, but it's enough to get him my No. 2 best-dressed male award. And he won a Golden Globe too. I know that because he's holding one in this picture. That's why I'm a professional journalist.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Best-dressed man at the Golden Globes? How could it not be Sean "Puffy" "Puff Daddy" "P Diddy" "Diddy" "Doo Wah Diddy Wah Diddy Wah Doo" Combs? That blue textured tux totally, completely rocks.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man ... Fabio is lookin' good these days.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cher called. One of the costumes from "The Sonny and Cher Show," circa 1971, is missing. And no, she doesn't want it back.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cameron Diaz is living on the edge of fashion. It's a scary edge. The jewelry is great. Handbag, great. But that bow? And the single shoulder strap? Again, it seems a bit see-through. That's the upside.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jennifer Love Hewitt. Is this gown see-through? From far away there's a certain "championship wrestling belt" quality to the outfit, but that fades away up close. It's medieval, but in a good way. And asset appropriate.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know Ali Larter is in "Heroes," in which her superpower is ... having a split personality. Hope that's working for her, and for the viewers of "Heroes." All I'm saying is she's absolutely smokin' hot. Not that hotness was in short supply on the Globes' red carpet, but the whole package, dress included, just exudes classic movie-star hotness ... and she is my best-dressed for this year's Golden Globes.

There, I've got that out of my system. Now where's my coffee?

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How can you argue with the glamour, style and nonchalance of Brangelina? If there is American royalty, it's these two. But remember, Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith of our Celebrities column know: BRAD PITT IS BOX OFFICE POISON. He can't buy a hit (in movies that don't also feature Clooney, that is).

Tell me, in your heart -- deep within your cold, dark heart -- would you really want to traipse around the developing world with Angelina Jolie, adopting children willy nilly and all that? Well, you know your answer. Keep it to yourself, chippie.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just wanted to use that headline, but really, doesn't America Ferrera look great? She's so good and so in character as the lead in "Ugly Betty" that I don't know what she "really" looks like. Well, here she is.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The shortened Oscar season has neutered the “influence� of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to the point of irrelevancy.

Still ... the search for MEANING continues.

Category by category ...

BEST PICTURE

Long the presumed frontrunner, “Dreamgirls� has been taking its hits lately. That’s the way it works when you’re in the lead – unless you’re Helen Mirren. Or Jennifer Hudson. Then everyone else is “just happy to be nominated.�

Tonight’s win solidifies “Dreamgirls’ �place at the table. Certainly, if “Little Miss Sunshine� had taken the comedy/musical category, you would have been reading scores of “little-engine-that-could� stories and more about the perceived flaws of Bill Condon’s musical. (As if “Sunshine,� itself an arty spin on “National Lampoon’s Vacation,� is a work of art.)

As it stands – and has stood since it became apparent that Academy members aren’t bothering to watch Clint Eastwood’s “Letters From Iwo Jima� – it’s a wide-open race between “Dreamgirls,� “Sunshine,� “The Departed,� “The Queen� and the HFPA’s drama winner “Babel.� (I don’t think much of “Babel� – its chances or its storytelling, for that matter.)

BEST ACTOR

Forrest Whitaker remains the front-runner. Sacha Baron Cohen maybe gets a nomination. (He should. His is the most artistically daring work in the category.) But don’t discount Will Smith, whose “Pursuit of Happyness� is the most widely-seen – and politically inoffensive (provided you’re not offended by the film’s bland inoffensiveness) – of the presumed nominees.

BEST ACTRESS

Helen Mirren.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Eddie Murphy’s win for his energetic Jackie Wilson / James Brown soul man in “Dreamgirls� confirms him as the man to beat. And if an Oscar is what it takes to remind Murphy that he can entertain without debasing his considerable talent, then, by all means, give the man the statue.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Hudson.

BEST DIRECTOR

God, it’s going to feel like a punch in the gut if Martin Scorsese loses again. Can he? Sure. But with Eastwood out of the picture, who’s going to beat him? Stephen Frears? Bill Condon? Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the least of “The Three Amigos�? The “Sunshine� newcomers?

No, this is shaping up to be Marty’s year – at least, until they read first-timer Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ names for “Little Miss Sunshine� and the world spins off its axis, hurls itself toward the sun and God repays the Academy for all those times Scorsese got ripped off.

Posted by Glenn Whipp at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Damn! I was so hoping that "Bobby" would be the lame movie that wins the best picture Oscar this year.
Oh well, maybe "Little Miss Sunshine" still has a shot.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Babel" managed to beat out "The Departed," "Bobby," "Little Children" and "The Queen." I'm not surprised since the movie had the most nominations and was clearly embraced by the Hollywood Foreign Press. Assn. It will be interesting to see how this effects its Oscar chances. I think "Dreamgirls" might have the edge come Oscar time. I was in the interview room when "Babel" won and it was a surreal expeirence. I rushed in and leaned against a wall and noticed that standing three feet away were Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson! I'm wondering what the heck they were doing there as the 'Grey's Anatomy" cast was on stage. Then I notice Eddie Murphy right behind me. He's so small! But he's cool. Very cool. When the producer Larry Marks and director Bill Condon show up, I realize they are there to talk about winning for best picture-musical or comedy.
Jennifer looks a little tired. Beyonce is energized calling it "a beautiful night."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Poor Forest Whitaker. He was so nervous that much of his speech for best actor in a drama for "The Last King of Scotland" was nearly inarticulate until he got himself together at the end and said "thank you to my ancestors for letting me stand on your shoulders."

Here is part of what he said: "This is great. Wow. Wow. OK. Thank you. Thank you for this award, for the best actor award. Um. I'm really happy to be in the company of Leo and Will"
Then it got painful before he was able to gathe himself. Just a bit overcome by the moment. He's the Oscar front-runner so I hope he will handle that occasion better...for his sake!!!

Backstage he was so much more relaxed and impressive as he talked about his craft and about how he feels like his best acting is still ahead of him: "There's so many places to go, so many things to do. I just figured out, I think, how to do my work."
Congrats to Forest!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Helen Mirren is the queen tonight and the thing is, you feel like she deserves it! She tells the audience how Queen EIizabeth II stepped into "the role of a lifetime" in 1952 when her father died and left her as monarch.
Mirren told the audience: "I honestly feel this award belongs to her because I think you fell in love with her not with me. i tried to make her as truthful to herself as possible."

Get that Oscar speech ready Helen!!!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hooray! "Dreamgirls" wins in a category that also had one of my other favorite movies of 2006, "Little Miss Sunshine." Producer Larry Marks was giving a nice speech but since the show is running overtime, they started playing music to get him the heck off. He said: "I should tell you I'm not goinjg," he said to big laughs. He called the film's director Bill Condon "our hero. He knew how to crack this code. We appreciate this honor and I'm sure we'll be advertising it in about 10 seconds."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a popular win. Martin Scorsese wins for "The Departed." Finally wins one over Eastwood who beat him a few years back...he said:"What a time we had," working with Nicholson. Leo, our third picture together, I hope there are many more. I wanted to make a picture in the tradition pf old gangster films...thank you all, this is quite something." I'd have more but Scorsese was talking too damned fast!

Sacha Baron Cohen took the best actor in a comedy film prize for "Borat" and gave an acceptance speech that had the audience in serious stitches. It was very well-spoken and articulate which sort of obscured the gross things he was talking about such as his co-stars genitals.
"This movie was a life changing experience. i saw some amazing invigorating parts of America but i saw some dark parts of America...a side of America that rarely sees the time of day. I refer of course to the anus and testicles ofmy co-star...."
Refered to them as "two wrinkled Golden Globes...I thought to myself, I better win a bloody award for this...If it were not for that rancid bubble, I would not be here today..."
He concluded with saying: "Thank you to every American who has not sued me so far."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not only has "Ugly Betty" won best comedy series, but its star America Ferrera just won best actress in a comedy series over some heavy-hitters. She was so emotional and natural, choking back tears: "Oh my God! I'm so sorry I'm such a mess right now."
It is lovely to see. she said she is proud "to bring a new face to television...such a beautiful message about beauty being beyond what you see."
She then thanked her her "mommy" who she credits for "everything I've ever accomplished in this life."
Backstage, she said winning "was a very out of body experience...I was amazed to look out and see a roomful of people who I've been so inspired by. To be on that stage and be welcomed by that community...it was really, really wonderful."
She's emotional again and now surrounded backstage by the show's cast including Vanessa Williams with her big Diana Ross hair.
"There are millions and millkions of ugly bettys in our own lives that we love and cherish and we need to stop using that word.," Fererra said. "What we need to be tellihg our future generations is to expore their talents and to explore their intelligence....and truly make this world a better place."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Clint Eastwood is on stage right now: Add another award to his very crowded shelf. He is still up for best director for this film AND "Flags of Our Fathers." For a man in his mid-70s, for a man of any age, I find Eastwood's continued creativity and productivity inspiring. In the last five years he has brought us "Flags," "Iwo Jima," "Mystic River" AND "Million Dollar Baby."
"I've been trying to take a vacation," Eastwood said backstage.

Warren Beatty is being honored with the Cecil B. DeMille award for life achievement. Since, unlike Eastwood, he rarely makes movies these days, it is astonishing to realize all that he has done as an actor, director, writer and producer: "Reds," "Bugsy," "Heaven Can Wait," "Shampoo." "Bonnie and Clyde," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," "Dick Tracy," "Bullworth" and "Splendor in the Grass." My favorite of all is "Reds" in which he and Diane Keaton were at their best. We'll forgive him "Ishatar and "Love Affair."
"The truth is I haven't made a lot of movies. Someone once said of me that every single movie is a comeback. This is enough to make you want to go out and make another movie," Beatty said as he accepted his award.

"Of course I'm going to makie another movie," said the actor who won his first Golden Globe in 1962 when he was named most promsing newcomer.
But when he finally makes another movie, he wants to be the first person in the history of movies to win promising newcomer twice.
Yuk yuk.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm shameless.
Meryl Streep walked right by me in the interview room after taking questions and I couldn't help but say, "Congratulations." She stopped, turned, smiled and said, "Thank you."
I'd say we had a moment.
Here is some of what Meryl had to say backstage before our little moment:
On being emotional after winning: "I usually have a few drinks before my category comes up - so I was not really settled."
On her speech: "Did I speak for FOUR minutes? I hate people who do that!"
On landing the lead in "Mamma Mia" : "Vocally I'm not afraid but physically, there's a lot of dancing."
On post-show parties: "I hav e a 15 year old with me and I'm going to be watching everything she does."
A suck-up reporter, not me, tells Meryl how young and beautiful she looks. She says: You're so far in the back though!"

Odd couple on-stage: Tim Allen and Vanessa Williams with very, very wild hair. They have just presented best actor in a comedy to Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" which Allen had called "Third Rock." Baldwin says he just had hernia surgery Dec. 21. Thanks for sharing! He has just made Tina Fey stand up. I'm sure she is moritfied. Alec has just thought his daughter "for her artistic inspiration.' He didn't thank ex-wife Kim Basinger, who he has been battling in court for years now over custody arrangements.

Hillary Swank (and her flower) presented with Jake Gyllenhaal who is no longer in drag (he did Jennifer Hudson parody on SNL). They have just presented the best screenplay to "The Queen."

Emily Blunt has come backstage without her Golden Globe. "Do I need it? Does anhyone have one I can borrow?" Some idiot has just asked her what she is carrying in her little purse! Sheesh, they'll let any moron back here. What's next? "Emily, what is your favorite flavor of chewing gum?"
Sheesh...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eddie Murphy's return from family films is complete. He has won the Globe for supporting actor in "Dreamgirls." He's backstage right now. From "Nutty Professor" and "Dr. Doollittle" an d "Daddy Day Care" he can do it all it seems.
"I do different stuff. If you look at my movies from '48 Hours' to now, it's pretty diverse."
Murphy says despite his win, he doesn't plan to revive his recording career: "Party All the Time 2" will not be happening.
It's nice to see him getting some respect.
Mirrem says "I had an incredible role" she says of the first Queen Elizabeth. We know that she will win later tonight for playing the other Queen Elizabeth in "The Queen." She was nominated three times tonight and just beat herself in the television category where she was also nominated for "Prime Suspect."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Great night! Meryl Streep wins for best actress-musical or comedy for "The Devil Wears Prada." "I'm realy thrilled. I think I've worked with everyone in the room." She takes out a written speech and the audience groans and she says, "Oh shut up! It's not that long."
Meryl paid tribute to all the other actresses who have made it "a fun year" for movies. "It makes you want to cry...until next year."
Streep says wardrobe was like special effects for their movie. She thanked her co-stars for "working so hard to make me seem like a monster." Ha!
Meryl encouraged people to ask their theater owners to run more of the movies like "Notes on a Scandal" and Oscar-caliber films. "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you ask calmly and authoritatively."
She then ended the speech by saying, "That's all."
She's so funny, so perfect. This is Streep's sixth Golden Globe Award. The Holywood Foreign Press Assn. has more appreciation for her than the Academy which has given her a mere two Oscars over such an unprecedented body of work dating back 30 years.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has just pointed out that Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep were all nominated in the same categories 13 years ago as they are tonight. He made a refrence to Norma Desmond but it kinda fell flat. Streep and Nicholson, who must have 40 nominations between them, look like they don't know what the hell he's talking about. I'm figuring Eastwood was up for "The Unforgiven," Nicholson for supporting actor in "A Few Good Men" and Streep for "Death Becomes Her." I'll check the answers later.

Best actor in a drama: Hugh Laurie in "House" has won. He had stiff competition in Keifer Sutherland, Michael C. Hall, Bill Paxton and one more dude (I'm blank!) Laurie is funny in his speech saying that since everyone wants to give nominees everything for free in the weeks leading up to the Globes, he wonders why they don't offer a free acceptance speech.

Emily Blunt won for best suporting actress in a TV movie. She won for "Gideon's Trumpet" but is also nominated for "The Devil Wears Prada" as Emily, Meryl Streep's panicked first-assistant.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Security is intense. I coukdn't even bring a brownie back to the deadline room from the dining room where, I'm not one to name drop, but I was chatting with Harry Smith of the CBS Morning Show. Al Rokker walked by but he was in a big rush. Didn;t even have time to say, "Hey Al, howz the weather." Anyway, i stuck the brownie in my pocket and am snacking on it now.
So...back to the show...
Jeremy Irons won best supporting actor in a TV movie for "Elizabeth I" to go along with the Emmy he won last fall for the role. "This is a nightmare," he says. Says he can't remember anyone's name He is thanking Helen Mirren. Says the movies was ignored in England and didn't get any attention until it was shown in the U.S.
God Bless America...

Best TV Actress drama: KRYA SEDGWICK!!!!! At last. Well-deserved for "The Closer." "It means so much for me. This show has been such an amazing gift....I'm just so grateful for all of it." She thanks "my one and only, my only one, Kevin (Bacon) and my kids."
She's got Kevin Bacon AND a Golden Globe.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

She wins supporting actress for "Dreamgirls." She said: "I've always dreamed, but never, ever this big." She's crying now. "You don't know what this does for my confidence." Says she feels like an actress now and part of the community. She thanks director Bill Condon who without "I couild not have created Effie.'
"I cannot believe this moment right now!"

And a wonderfull touch: Hudson dedicates her award "to a lady who never really got a fair chance. this award is for Florence Ballard. You will never, ever be forgotten."
Ballard is the former member of the Supremes on whom Effie is based. Ballard died in 1976 in poverty.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I’ve been “encouraged� to file some impressions from last night’s Los Angeles Film Critics soire, a simple enough task, one would think, until you factor in the amount of alcohol consumed by many at my table, which was comprised of the fun-loving folks behind the doomsday doc “An Inconvenient Truth.� (Al Gore was a no-show. Apparently he’s somewhere in Japan, promoting the movie or holed up at the Park Hyatt Tokyo with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.)

The imbibing had less to do with drowning awareness of those melting ice caps as it did with the length of awards segment of the evening. As the speeches went on and on (and, in some cases, on), it became apparent that “Truth� director Davis Guggenheim and his lovely wife Elisabeth Shue would not have to worry about potty training their infant daughter. She’d be old enough to go to the bathroom by herself by the time the ceremony ground to a close.

Still, the evening had its moments. Helen Mirren thanking her husband for still wanting to have sex with her while playing Queen Elizabeth II was a good line, topped only by her perfectly timed add that maybe the whole thing fulfilled some kind of sordid little fantasy on his part.

My wife found her fave – Sacha Baron Cohen – and made his fiancé, Isla Fisher, laugh with a joke that I’m forbidden to repeat here. I enjoyed a bit of cocktail hour time with Clint Eastwood. (Did I mention that the event featured alcohol?) And, as previously mentioned, the “Truth�-tellers were a good bunch, even as their numbers thinned out due to illness (producer Lawrence Bender), attention-deficit disorder (Paramount Vantage president John Lesher) or just plain boredom (producer Scott Z. Burns).

They missed the dry brilliance of Mirren, a very funny Cohen and Reese Witherspoon popping in to present the career achievement award to Robert Mulligan with a speech that somehow managed to call attention to the vast sums of money that Witherspoon makes as an A-lister and the fact that she has a very good lawyer.

Witherspoon then left via the kitchen, either to avoid the paparazzi or get her hands on a second helping of polenta. Check back for updates.

Posted by Glenn Whipp at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now it's time for the big stars to show up. I see Sean Combs, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, Naomi Watts. There's Courtney Cox and David Arquette, awe....Cate Blanchett looks stunning. Will Farrell's hair is very big and curly, not unlike the woman from "Extra." OK. Jack Nicholson has just arrived with a really young blonde. I'd think he was a perv buit it's his 16-year-old daughter who is this year's Miss Golden Globe. She is the one who will hand the trophies to the winner. As usual, Jada Pinkett Smith is one of the best-dressed women on the red carpet. Emilio Estevez has arrived. He looks three feet tall. Salma Hayek is causing a rukus because she is gorgeous... BRAD and ANGIE!!! They just walked in. They look like perfection. He's all blonde and moviestar like and she is beyond gorgeous. When they are not in Africa, they clean up goooooooood.
Brad is nominated tonight for "Babel" and actually won a Globe ages ago for "12 Monkeys" I think. Jolie, of course, has won a few incluidng one for "Girl...Interrupted."
OK, now it's Warren and Annette. Beatty is taking the Cecil B. Demille so we know they are winning something since Annette will likely lose in both her categories. Hillary Swank is here. She's got a flower in her hair. It looks kinds stupid. Joan Rivers is gonna make fun of her as soon as she turns her back.
Beyonce arrives behind Swank, they hug and air kiss. Renee Zellweger was here a minute ago doing her red carpet posing and preening. She's put on a few pounds though, looks better.
Jamie Foxx is here and justgave Sharon Stone a kiss. Sharon looks like an old-fashioned movie star tonight. But why is she hear with Dominick Dunne? I thought she was dating Christian Slater. Those tabloids...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just saw Marty Scorsese! He's gonna win tonight for "The Departed." I know it....Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon are here with one of their kids I think. They are going on 20 years of marriage and seem as tight as ever....Speaking of couples, I spotted Nicollete Sheridan and Michael Bolton getting interviewed. When the HELL are they gonna get married? They've been engaged for about three decades now. Time to get hitched! I also spotted Robert Duvall getting interviewed standing next to Patricia Arquette who is quite beautiful...
So, I got hurried along out of the lobby. They leave you alone as long as you keep moving but sheesh, I kept stopping to scribble down a note or two and they busted me!
I'm backstage now and they are inrterviewing Donald Trump! Arrrrrrrg! He is SO overexposed. I'm not sure if he got his hair done or if a squirrell died on his head. Watching on a monitor and eating a piece of cheese now. I see Forrest Whitaker on the monitor looking like a winner...Spielberg is here and oh, there is Jason Lee. I'll bet he wants to shave off that stinkin mustache. McDreamy is now in the house. I just spotted Patrick Dempsey. Women and gay men are fainting as he makes his way by. There's nominee Mark Walhberg whose come a long ways from being on a billboard in his underwear.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's getting to be like the "Minority Report" at the hotel. Every time you go into a secure area, they scan your badge and your face pops up on their screen. It's like Tom Cruise's eyeballs in "Minority." So, Alec Baldwin just walked by me in the lobby. He looks very red. I don't know if he is sunburnt or if he is mad at someone. Ya never know...You can tell that "Lost" star Josh Holloway used to be a model. He is perfect in posing for the camera and very gracious and friendly in his interviews. His long flowing hair is perfect and he's got the ideal stubble. Who know rhat sulky Sawyer was such a ham!...I spotted the always friendly James Denton who is one of the more down-to-Earth TV stars around...I'm most excited about seeing Aaron Eckhart, a nominee for "Thank You for Smoking." He's always overlooked but he's here tonight and he looks like a real movie star...David Spade walked past real fast with people around him. I feel like saying to him, "and you are?????"...Peter Horton is here as one of the producers of "Grey's Anatomy" but he'll always be Gary from "Thirtysomething" to me! Remember when he died on the show? My roomate at the time was a wreck over it. He kept saying, "Gary died."
So, they have finally fed us! I may just watch the arrivals on the TV now because the lobby is getting awfully security-heavy.
Back in a bit....

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm not credentiaed to be on the red carpet but from the lobby of the hotel, I have a pretty good view of who is coming and going so far. Zach Braff is the only nominee here so far. When ya show up early like that, EVERYONE interviews you so Zach iks very in-demand right now....There's Josh the intern from "The Tonight Show"! I'll bet he's gonna giggle his way through the night. He's a hoot!...Mark McGrath, I thought was co-hosting the "Extra" pre-show but now Mario Lopez is in the booth playing co-hist with the woman with the really big hair...I mean BIG hair....OK, Nancy O'Dell is walking to her booth. The queen has arrived. She looks regal in a black dress...she looks hot!...And there is the lovely Deborah Norville hosting for "Inside Edition." She looks great, kinda like Felicity Huffman. I chatted with her last year when I was doing the red carpet interviews. I sided with Jane Pauley all those years ago in the "Today Show" flap but now, I feel like Norville was in a no-win.
I'm hungry now. I wonder if they are serving food yet. All the press peeps are getting grumpy back here in the deadline room.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been strolling around seeing what I can see. No stars on the red carpet yet but I spotted some of the TV hosts. The great Joan Rivers and her annoying daughter/sidekick Mellissa Rivers made a grand entrance wearing mermaid-like dresses. Joan has a pretty good figure for a 70-something woman. Mellissa was walking behind Joan on their way to the TV Giide booth...forever in her mother's shadow...
...Vanessa Minello just walked by me in the lobby of the hotel. Wow! She's a stunner and I think her boyfriend Nick Lachey came out on the winning end of that Jessica Simpson split. He's upgraded for sure! Spotted Lara Spencer of "The Insider" wearing a red gown, she always looks reliably good but never knockout like Vanessa....Saw some of the infotainment guys including Mark Steines of "Entertainment Tonight" who is so used to these things it's like a day at the park.And there was Mark McGrath in his tuxedo getting ready to go on for "Estra." He's a long ways from his days on Sugar Ray. What a transformation. I'd rather be a rock star tho...Pat O'Brien still looks rail-thin, as I noted last week from the People's Choice Awards. Somebody take this man to In-N-Out Burger before the show! He's gotta keep up his strength!
...I know that Matt Lauer and Al Roker are here from "The Today Shoiw" but they were not in their red carpet booth when I swung by...
That's all for now. Will write more in a bit although I think my access might get more limited.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These picks are based on what I know about a show, what the pundits say, my own wishful thinking and gut feeling.So here we go:

Drama series: "24" I'd rather see it go to "Big Love" but "24" has all kinds of momentum. It would be ironic though since Fox is airing part 2 of its season premiere of "24" opposite the Globes and is likely to cut into the ratings of the kudofest. On second thought, maybe they'll give it to "Grey's Anatomy."

Actress in Drama: Kyra Sedgwick in "The Closer." If she doesn't win, I'll be ticked. Hers is THE best performance by an actress in any series. Compeition is solid with the wonderful Patricia Arquette and Edie Falco. I don't give Evangiline Lilly much chance and what the heck is Ellem Pompeo doing in this category? There are many terrific female performances on "Grey's Anatomy" but her's is just so-so.

Actor in Drama: I'm thinking Michael C. Hall for "Dexter" is most deserving in a tough category. But Hugh Laurie (House) or Kiefer Sutherland (24) could easily win.

Best Comedy: I think it will go to "Ugly Betty" for some reason. And I wouldn't mind one bit since "Scrubs" isn't even on the list. I am also quite fond of "Weeds."

Comedy Actress: You can't lose with whoever wins here, all are great. I'm giving the edge to America Ferrera for "Ugly Betty" but Julia Louis-Dreyfus" won the Emmy for "Old Christine." Marcia Cross is always overlooked for "Desperate Housewives" for what is, week-after-week, a terrific comic performance.

Comedy Actor: Zach Braff!!! He kills me. They gotta give it to the star of "Scrubs." Tony Shalhoub wins too many of these things for "Monk" and I have had it with that! Steve Carell could very well win for "The Office" but Braff is my pick.

TV Movie or Miniseries: Dunno. Only saw "Mrs. Harris" and it was fine but not the best I'm sure. I'll pick Elizabeth 1" because anything Helen Mirren touches this year will turn to gold.

Actress/Movie: Helen Mirren is up against herself for "Elizabeth" and "Prime Suspect: The Final Act." I think she wins for "Elizabeth" because, after all, she IS the queen.

Actor/Movie: This is one of those real 'I have noooooooooooo idea' things so I will pick Ben Kingsley for "Mrs. Harris" because I saw it and he was quite good. Robert Duvall is said to be terrific in "Broken Trail" so if noit Kingsley, maybe Duvall.

Supporting actor in TV (they absurdly mix the series, miniseries and TV movie nominees all in one category): I'll say Jeremy Piven in "Entourage" but I want to see Justin Kirk win for "Weeds."

Supporting actress in TV: They must, must, MUST give this to Elizabeth Perkins for her scary/funny performance on "Weeds." She is brilliant week after week.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Trust me, it's a big pain in the rear just getting to the Globes with street closures then having to be shuttled from Century City to the Beverly Hilton to pick up my press pass by 1 p.m. So now that I'm here and in a tux, there is about three hours until showtime. So what to do?
I got it, I'll give you my predictions before I start to wander around and see what I can see.
Best Picture/Drama: Babel
Best Picture/Musical or Comedy: Dreamgirls
Best Director: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
Best Actress/Drama: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Best Actress/Musical or Comedy: Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
Best Actor/Drama: Forrest Whittaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Best Actor/Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Foreign Film: "Letters from Iwo Jima"
Screenplay: Peter Morgan ("The Queen")
Original Score: "Babel"
Original Song: "Listen" from "Dreamgirls"

We'll see how I fare! Coming soon: Greg's television predictions...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"The Queen" reigned as the only multiple award-winning movie at the LAFCA dinner this year. Deservedly so for doing such a wonderful job of humanizing Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair. But the sensitive artists who made it, it turns out, are really just a bunch of jesters.
Take director Stephen Freaers, who accepted for supporting actor winner Michael Sheen, who was stuck doing a play back in Britain and couldn't be honored for his portrayal of Blair in person.
"I'm sorry," Freaers started, "Michael is in what he calls rainswept Wales, which means he's probably a lot warmer than I've been this weekend in L.A. He sent me a speech but I'll edit it, because he's Welsh and he goes on a bit.
" 'Thanks so much to the critics of Los Angeles for this great honor, for showing such taste and sophistication. I'm so sorry I can't be with you, I'm running the country. Many thanks to the wonderful producers [names listed, we won't bore you] and distributors [ditto], Dylan Thomas, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins . . .'
". . . And then there's 'arch druids'," Frears sniffed.
Not to be outdone, best actress winner Helen Mirren concluded her thank yous with a heartfelt shout-out to her spouse, "Ray" director Taylor Hackford: "Last of all, thank you to my husband for still wanting to sleep with me even though he's seen me dressed as the queen . . . Or, maybe, because!"
And best screenwriter Peter Morgan, who also adapted "Last King of Scotland," noted that "In an industry that seems obsessed by sequels, I'm somewhat depressed that nobody's approached me for 'Idi Amin and The Queen.' They met on a number of occasions . . . you can imagine.
"He started writing letters to her, and it's probably one of the great letter-exchanging romances of history. If any producers are noticing, this is a pitch."

Posted by Bob Strauss at 1:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Favorite line in a critic's speech at the LAFCA awards dinner:
"If I ever have to live in hell, I want it to be shot by this man."
- John Powers, presenting the cinematography award to "Children of Men's" Emmanuel Lubezki.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 1:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Got to sit with Sacha Baron Cohen and his fiancee, "Wedding Crashers'" Isla Fisher, at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's awards dinner. A very fun, thoughtful and sweet couple - she was open and chatty from the get-go, he warmed up after he realized that I was the guy who kept asking off-the-wall questions at his Borat press conference a couple of months ago (seems he liked the idea of having someone to play off of at that highly pre-scripted affair, so I guess I can proudly say I was part of a spontaneous Borat routine).
Cordial table conversation was an off-the-record deal (nothing juicy said anyway). But of course, Baron's acceptance speech - he shared LAFCA's best actor award with "Last King of Scotland's" Forest Whitaker - was a scream.
Choice excerpt:
"I would say it is an incredible honor receiving this award," Cambridge-educated Englishman Cohen said in his rarely heard natural voice. "Various actors who've received this in the past have shown incredible commitment to their roles. De Niro put on, I think, 40 pounds for 'Raging Bull.' Other actors have pretended to be blind, other actors have shed weight. Tom Cruise even pretended to have sex with Nicole Kidman.
"However, none of them have had to sit under a 300-pound naked man. It was during that time that I thought to myself: I'd better bloody win an award for this!"

Posted by Bob Strauss at 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Favorite image from Sunday night's Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards dinner: Clint Eastwood's wife Dina shooting him making his "Letters from Iwo Jima" best picture acceptance speech with a slick little cameraphone, like he was a kid in his first high school play.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 1:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love the CBS sitcom "The Class" and how cool that it won the award for favorite new comedy series. The entire cast was there. I earlier had noted that Neil Patrick Harris was absent. Of COURSE he was! He's on "How I Met Your Mother" after all. They air back-to-back so cut me some slack, mmmkay?
So, Jason Ritter who had threatened to sing the nominated songs when he waq presenting, was asked to sing his acceptance speech backstage. He didn't hesitate. Jason grabbed the microphone and sang a silly song of thanks. The song was silly but the voice, not bad.
I asked the actress, whose name I do not know, but she plays the girl with two casts on her legs on the show, how it felt to be able to show the world on this night that she does have some great gams!
"I have felt restricted," she said. "It's nice to have mobility and energy!"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I thin k the technical glitches have been solved. Check DailyNews.com home page for some postings you might have missed. Anyway, the cast of "Two and a HalfMen" was just back here, the whole cast. Charlie Sheen looks clean and sober and was quite funny in whispering an answer into his young co-stars ear when he was asked what he had learned from Sheen and Jon Cryer who play his undle and father, respectively.
"Cryer Everything I know," he said."Every brilliant moment I've had came directly from Jon or Charlie."
Cryer was informed that the show is enormously popular in Argentina: "I met the guy who dubs my voice into Spanish and he looks like me!"
I was happy to see Conchata Farrell who is one of the funniest actresses on television. She plays the very sassy housekeeper on the show.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Halle Berry won for favorite female action star and was handed her
trophy by David Duchovny. She high-fived audience members seated
right below the microphone: "Wow! Thank God I wore underwear tonight!"
She then told fans that if they want another "X-Men" movie, "write
letters! Write a letter to Tom Rothman at Fox and tell him so."
Backstage, Bwrry was asked what advice she had for getting through
the hectic awards season: "You get through the craziness with a good
publicist to lead you through. That's your must-have item of the
season."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Backstage, favorite talk show host and funniest female star winner
Ellen DeGeneres refused to weigh into the fracas involving Rosie
O'Donnell and Donald Trump: "I have no comment, I'm not getting
involved with that. I'm not diving into that pool."
Then she was asked if she had any advice for troubled Britney Spears:
"Me? Help Britney? I'm still trying to help myself. She's gonna do
what she's gonna do until she's ready to do something else."
DeGeneres, who will be hosting the Academy Awards, had praise for
Queen Latifah's performance as host so far: "Queen's doing a great
job. She's so natural at everything she does...I love her." Then she
added: "What if I said I didn't [like her]? That would be terrible,
wouldn't it?"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The show just came on backstage. Queen Latifah has just walked up to Dempsey: "Oh my God! It's McDreamy and the cast from Grey's Anatomy! My doctor don't look like that." Now Latifah is asking Eva Longoria to see her engagement ring.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It went from D-list to A-list in about 10 minutes with EVERYONE showing up including just about the entire cast of Grey's Anatomy. McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey, is the real superstar of the group: EVERYONE wanted to talk to him, fans were screaming for him. He took it all in stride, seemed very relaxed and happy. McSteamy (Eric Dane) was here too and it kinda shows how he's got a ways to go before he reaches McDreamy status.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It pays to show up early to the People's Choice Awards. The cast of "How I Met Your Mother" (minus Neil Patrick Harris) are being treated like the Beatles right now. "Jason! Jason! This way!" Jason Ritter is sort of the Paul McCartney of the group. His hair is terrific, he's wearing a black tux, black tux and black tie. I'm sure his socks are also black but I'm just not gonna ask. If you watch the show, the girl who has two broken legs and has been in a wheelchair with two giant casts on since the show debuted, has great LEGS! I've seen 'em.
About the or four members of the cast of "Heroes" are here but since I never watch it, I've got no idea who they are! Sorry.
But Rob Morrow, star of CBS' "Numbers" is here and I remember HIM from "Northern Exposure." And a group called Rascall Flats is here too. People are going crazy. I've drawn a blank.
And, I gotta be a little catty: Cojo from "Entertainment Tonight" is sipping a Diet Coke and having make-up applied. The hair. It's very Meg Ryan when she did that movie with Andy Garcia, when she was a big drunk.
back in a bit!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think if you're ANYONE who has a tuxedo or an evening gown, you can actually be announced on the red carpet and have a buncha pictures taken because so far, the first three performers are people I have never heard of! Very well-dressed people, yes. But, neverheardofem.
The first is a singer named JP. Huh? Then one named Bettina. Don't ring a bell. And finally, Joanna. I guess no one here is famous enoiugh to have a last name!
The fourth person is someone I've actually HEARD of: Alan Dale of "Ugly Betty." He plays the father of the hapless magazine editor who is Betty's boss.
As for the TV infotainment personalities, I vaguely recognize some but the only really household name here is...Pat O'Brien!!! Pat looks very tan and very thin. Actually a little too thin.
I'm gonna go take him a cookie or something. Will check back in a bit.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)