Oscar Index: Your Guess is As Good As Mine

The exhaustion levels are high and the confusion levels are even higher at Movieline’s Institute For the Advanced Study of Kudos Forensics, where the white-coated minions responsible for the Oscar Index have struggled to assay the state of the awards race through this week’s persistent turbulence. Read on for their results. [Click the graphs for full-size images.] The Leading 10: 1. The Artist 2. The Descendants 3. Hugo 4. The Help 5. Midnight in Paris 6. War Horse 7. The Tree of Life 8. Moneyball 9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 10. Drive Outsiders: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2; Bridesmaids; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn; My Week With Marilyn; Margin Call Remember the good old days when all the noise we had to parse was the faint, fuzzy signal coming from the National Board of Review and a handful of other awards bodies? Those days are over: Led by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, something like 400 critics groups selected their annual award-winners this week. The relatively incidental AFI 10-best list overlapped with those, and all were followed this morning by the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations — which, to be honest, felt like the equivalent of a bracket-busting day of upsets in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. On the one hand, I love that we’re facing an Oscar season of utterly unsure things. This is the awards culture we should have: more movies to see, more movies to discuss, and tough choices across the board. On the other hand, the only votes that matter are those cast by the Academy, and beyond a few irretrievably sunk also-rans (cough, J. Edgar, cough), what’s to say they aren’t just going to default to the historical groupthink that can prevent such wild variations like those in the SAG, BFCA and other critical showcases? Why shouldn’t we think that, say, War Horse has the competition right where it wants it? I can think of a few reasons, actually: · SAG and the Academy share members. And the actors’ branch is the largest in the Academy. Thus the natural inclination of studios, distributors and other awards campaigners to scan right past the individual categories to the Ensemble nominations — which is to say, in admittedly generalizing terms, the film as a whole. Finding The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, Midnight in Paris and Bridesmaids (!) in that class doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything come Oscar-nomination morning, and it certainly doesn’t mean that War Horse or Moneyball are in grave danger with a flexible number of Best Picture nominations. But it does illustrate what an very influential voting bloc is thinking in mid-December, and it underscores what specific work campaigners have cut out for themselves in the month ahead. · Heat rises. The Ides of March and J. Edgar fell off the pace not for lack of trying; in fact, neither Sony nor Warner Bros., respectively, have yet abandoned their sweeping awards campaigns for each. They fell off because neither film has even scratched the zeitgeist compared to films like The Artist, The Help, Midnight in Paris and — I can’t believe I’m about to write this — Drive. I mean, we knew it had art-house appeal, but what we didn’t know was the quality and volubility of its devotees. And I’m not even counting the BFCA’s Critics Choice Awards, which bestowed eight nominations on Nicolas Winding Refn’s violent, moody thriller; Oscar oracle Mark Harris also foresaw a comeback last week after an informal reader poll cited Drive — “by a landslide” — as the movie most deserving of a profile boost. SAG can snub Albert Brooks all it wants (and we’ll get to that in a bit), but it only galvanizes the faithful. That said, RuPaul “really loved” The Descendants, so maybe everyone just kind of broke even. · The variations aren’t that wild. Among all the winners and nominees remain the same high-functioning heavy-hitters we’ve seen populating the Index and every other Oscar barometer known to man. The most that you could say is that for every awards group that warmly embraces Hugo, another ignores it entirely. · We (still) look forward to the Daldry. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close remains under such an airtight embargo that even Scott Rudin can’t talk about it. This one has Academy groupthink in its DNA — Stephen Daldry has notoriously earned three Best Director nominations in three tries, screenwriter Eric Roth has hardware for Forrest Gump and remains as A-list as it gets, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock and Scott Rudin are… well, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock and Scott Rudin — yet early word from critics and insiders sworn to secrecy is that it will be precisely as polarizing as it looks. Whatever. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re still on the sideline this late in the game, you’re either coaching or you’re a back-up. We’ll see which ELAIC is soon enough. · The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is circling the drain. Steve Pond rounds up the awards-allergic consensus on David Fincher’s adaptation of the Swedish blockbuster — hardly a dismissal of the very, very good film so much as our reality check about a filmmaker who’s otherwise a perennial awards-darling. Unless… · Thursday’s Golden Globe nominations will shake things up yet again. I cant believe I spent more than even five minutes breaking all this down just so a roving gang of swag goblins can upend the whole thing tomorrow. Moving on! The Leading 5: 1. Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist 2. Alexander Payne, The Descendants 3. Martin Scorsese, Hugo 4. Steven Spielberg, War Horse 5. Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris Outsiders: Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; David Fincher, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive; Tate Taylor, The Help; Bennett Miller, Moneyball; Tomas Alfredson, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Did I mention the Golden Globes? Literally any of the directors cited above are fair game for nominations. But as things specifically pertain to the Oscar race… Enh, it’s pretty much the same. Scott Feinberg reminded us that despite zero membership overlap, the Best Picture nominations for both the Critics Choice and Academy Awards historically tend to coincide — which, as Academy history would have us believe, means that the top eight or nine directors here (give or take Fincher) are pretty much the ones we’ll see fighting for nominations of their own over the next five weeks. I know — I’m really going out on a limb here. Kudos forensics will only get us so far! Your guess is as good mine.

Keck's Exclusives: Glee's Matthew Morrison Discusses Directing Tonight's Christmas Episode

Matthew Morrison Tonight's Glee is the musical comedy's second Christmas outing, but it marks several firsts. It's the first time the series has presented black and white sequences. It's the first time a laugh track will be used to hammer home the jokes. And it's star Matthew Morrison's first time in the director's chair. During a break in shooting January's Michael Jackson tribute episode, TV's Mr. Schuester sat down with me in the New Directions rehearsal hall to discuss his big debut.TV Guide Magazine: What did you find to be your biggest challenge?Morrison: Just putting on a different hat. It's a big unspoken spoke rule that actors don't give other actors notes, but as a director you kind of have to. I was worried how people were going to react. The whole crew and the cast were on board. Of course, the first time I was going to give Jane [Lynch] some direction, she raised a finger and said, 'I just want to remind you I have an Emmy Award and was just nominated for a People's Choice Award.' It was really funny.TV Guide Magazine: When you got your first look at the script, what scene got you really excited to get behind the camera?Morrison: It had to have been the two acts of the episode that are done in black and white. It's an old school Christmas special a la the Judy Garland Christmas special. It's done with kind of affected voices with a laugh track simulating a live studio audience.TV Guide Magazine: Did you go back and watch any old holiday specials?Morrison: Oh yeah. I watched the Judy one and the Star Wars Christmas special. We have Chewbacca in the episode.TV Guide Magazine: What was it like directing Chewy?Morrison: Well, there's only one guy who is sanctioned by Lucasfilm to do Chewbacca. He's been doing it for 12 years. He lives in Northern California, but his handler lives in Texas, so we had to fly both in.TV Guide Magazine: So is this the beginning of a Spielbergian career?Morrison: You know, for now it's just the one. I don't know if I'd direct Glee again because it's such a monster. And I think if I were to direct again, I would just want to be the director. At least while I'm still learning the ropes.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine today!

Five Good Reasons To See 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'

Spies have experienced it bad lately. When they aren't the hollow centers of the week's generic action movie, they are half of the on-screen couple inside a shallow quadrant-striking action comedy. Mission Impossible might be the only real redeeming representative left in the shadowy profession, as well as he is able to err along the side of dumb on the bad day. Just if this appears such as the glory times of shadowy figures in trench jackets, listening in on drawn on phone conversations are lengthy gone, "Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" arrives. It is a slow, nuanced and complex film that many people wouldn't classify like a thriller, but don't allow that to fool you. Gary Oldman and the legion of brilliant supporting British stars, together with the Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, have created a brilliant, suspense-filled tale worth your hard earned money and attention. Listed here are five reasons to look at "Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy." The Storyline In line with the classic book by spymaster John le Carré, "Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" weaves an intricate search for any Soviet mole in British Intelligence, or "The Circus," as it is contacted the film. Gary Oldman plays le Carré's most legendary character, George Smiley, who's assigned with finding which from the Circus' top four males continues to be seeping apple towards the Communists and sabotaging British procedures. It might seem like standard espionage fare, but le Carré completes the boilerplate spy plot with textured and sad figures that place the legend of Mission Impossible super-spy to mattress. "Give Consideration!" Just when was the final time you felt truly confused throughout a film? Usually when some uncertainty concerning the story, its figures as well as their motivations arises, individuals will scream "bad film making." It is a mistake too regularly made, however in the best hands, within this situation individuals of Alfredson and also the screenwriters Peter Straughan and also the late Bridget O'Connor, confusion is really a storytelling element. They will use it intentionally to fresh paint a far more vivid, realistic landscape. There's an extremely obvious, straightforward story here, but simply like Smiley, it requires concentration and time for you to sort the red-colored herrings in the solutions. The Setting All this unravels currently which has been mostly left out through the genre. "Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" happens in the height from the Cold War, and also the locale becomes a lot more than yet another detail from the film. Production designer Maria Djurkovic warrants an Academy Award for that beautiful, detailed and cold world she designed for the spies of British Intelligence. It might appear just like a minor contribution to praise, but the feel of this film is really a character on its own, contributing to the suspense and overall effect from the film. Gary Oldman Noted for his over-the-top villains and much more lately, kindly magicians and police commissioners, Gary Oldman turns inside a staggeringly understated performance as George Smiley. He's competitive with ever, but uses a completely different tools to obtain his character across. This is actually the type of performance which should earn an Oscar, but will not because its achievements so effortlessly blend using the quiet from the role and also the character. Everybody Else There's not really a weak link within the bunch: Colin Firth, Tom Sturdy, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Toby Johnson, Ciarán Hinds. This really is British acting royalty, and every one of them turns inside a controlled, menacing performance which will keep your audience on edge and questioning through the entire film. "Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" features among the best performances by an ensemble of the and then any year. The acting meets the overall excellence of the filmmaking here, and also the result is among the year's best films. Are you currently likely to see "Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" a few days ago? Tell us within the comments section as well as on Twitter!

'New Year's Eve': What the Critics Are Saying

ABC Wednesday belonged to CBS for the first time all season. The network pulled in the night's highest rating among the 18-49 set, earning a 3.1 and outpacing ABC and Fox, which were both tied for second. The net topped in total viewers, per usual, with an audience of 11.6 million over the course of the night. CBS didn't boast any particularly strong showings, either. Survivor: South Pacific was up just two tenths from the previous week (to a 3.3 rating in the key demo), with Criminal Minds actually down from its last original broadcast for a 3.4 among adults 18-49. CSI fared better than the Grammy Nominations Concert, which held its timeslot the week earlier, grabbing a 2.5 rating and CBS' only solo victory for an hour that night. PHOTOS: Fall TV Death Pool: Which New Show Will Be Axed? ABC earned a 3.0 among adults 18-49 for the night, starting out with steady showings of The Middle (a 2.8 rating) and Suburgatory (2.8), but falling behind with lower-than-usual performances from Modern Family (5.0), Happy Endings (2.9) and Revenge (2.3). It should be noted that all of the series were technically up from their last original broadcasts (Nov. 23), but that night was down quite a bit on account of Thanksgiving eve. Fox also brought in a 3.0 for adults 18-49 with a 90-minute X-Factor and a new episode of I Hate My Teenage Daughter. The singing competition sunk 11 percent to a 3.3 rating among 18-49-ers, while the second outing of the new comedy dropped 25 percent to a 2.1 in the same group. On fourth place NBC, Up All Night (1.8 rating among adults 18-49), an encore (1.4), Harry's Law (1.2) and Law & Order: SVU (1.9) gave the network a 1.6 for the night. SVU dropped 14 percent from it's last episode, matching its series low. America's Next Top Model rose 25 percent for its season finale, pulling in a 1.0 among adults 18-49. Coupled with a repeat, it gave the network a 0.8 rating for the night. Wednesday, Dec. 7, Overnight Ratings: 8 p.m. CBS: Survivor: South Pacific (11.5 million viewers, 3.3 rating among adults 18-49) Fox: The X Factor (10.4 million, 3.3) ABC: The Middle (8.8 million, 2.8) NBC: Up All Night (4.95 million, 1.8) The CW: America's Next Top Model (R) (1.3 million, 0.6) 8:30 p.m. ABC: Suburgatory (8.0 million, 2.8) NBC: Up All Night (R) (3.8 million, 1.4) 9 p.m. ABC: Modern Family (12.1 million, 5.0) FOX: The X Factor (10.8 million, 3.4) CBS: Criminal Minds (12.3 million, 3.4) NBC: Harry's Law (7.0 million, 1.2) The CW: America's Next Top Model (2.35 million, 1.0) 9:30 p.m. ABC: Happy Endings (6.5 million, 2.9) Fox: I Hate My Teenage Daughter (5.4 million, 2.1) 10 p.m. CBS: CSI (11.1 million, 2.5) ABC: Revenge (7.3 million, 2.4) NBC: Law & Order: SVU (6.9 million, 1.9) TV Ratings

Cinemax close to 'Viagra' order

HawnWhile the sale isn't formally closed, Cinemax is positioned to start production on its Goldie Hawn comedy pilot "The Nowhere pill Journals" as soon as it might land a director. Project, that's been in development for many days, arises from Hawn and Darren Star, who developed the cabler's extended-running "Sex as well as the City." The Two will professional produce with Aaron Kaplan and Wendy, Peter and Alan Riche. Original material arises from the novel by Barbara Rose Brooker about passion for people over 60. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Sheens Ex-wife: Goal Is To Have Charges Dropped

First Published: December 7, 2011 2:00 PM EST Credit: Getty Premium ASPEN, Colo. -- Caption Brooke Mueller, estranged wife of actor Charlie Sheen, arrives at family court in downtown Los Angeles on April 19, 2011Charlie Sheens ex-wife, Brooke Mueller, says shell fight Colorado assault and cocaine possession accusations with the goal of having the case dropped once the facts come to light. Through a spokesman, Mueller says she is home in Los Angeles spending quiet time with her children. Longtime attorney Yale Galanter is in Aspen investigating the case and is defending Mueller. Officers arrested Mueller Saturday at a nightclub after a woman reported being assaulted by Mueller. Authorities released Mueller after she posted $11,000 bond. She is due back in court Dec. 19. Sheen and Mueller divorced earlier this year, citing Christmas Day 2009 as the day of their breakup. Charlie Sheen was arrested in Aspen that day on suspicion of assaulting Mueller. He completed his probation in November 2010. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comedy Central Development Slate: New Shows from Jeff Ross, 'Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac (Exclusive)

NY - Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia founder Martha Stewart made a surprise appearance at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference here Wednesday during an investor presentation and Q&A featuring president and COO Lisa Gersh who touted the company's outlook.our editor recommendsMartha Stewart to Return to Board of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Martha Stewart Living CEO Lisa Gersh to Start Reporting to Board on Sept. 15 On the day of her six-month anniversary with the company, Gersh told the Wall Street crowd "I had a very busy six months" and vowed to continue to work hard, so the branded lifestyle company can "return to profitability and get the most out of our brands." She said: "This is a company that should be profitable and growing," and all units should come to make a profit over the coming years. MSLO "has not performed at acceptable levels," Gersh emphasized. "I just want to say hi," Stewart said after she walked into the room at the end of the session and was asked if she had any thoughts. Highlighting that this was her first time back on the business side of the company since she recently rejoined the company's board, she said she wanted to congratulate Gersh and her team on doing "a spectacular job" and being aggressive in a nice way, which she said was "very pleasing" to her. Asked by The Hollywood Reporter after the UBS session if she could become chairman of the MSLO board again, she said that was "TBD." The appearances came after MSLO earlier in the day had unveiled a strategic alliance with J.C. Penney that will see the retailer take a 16.6 percent stake in the lifestyle media company. Emphasizing that MSLO believes in personalities and brands, Gersh said that corporate overhead costs associated with those factors must be part of the firm's cost structure. But she said that her team can take out some cost in support functions, facilities and T&E. Gersh said that MSLO continues to see its Hallmark Channel programming block as a five-hour block of "valuable real estate" that helps the company "further popularize our brands." Without mentioning any specific plans, she also said that Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse "can easily attract great audiences on broadcast" - a signal that MSLO, following the end of the run of Stewart's syndicated TV show and the Hallmark deal, could be eyeing broadcast opportunities. Stewart later told THR that she and MSLO were "happy with the growth that's occurring at Hallmark" and that MSLO's block was "doing ok." She also said the firm is working with Hallmark "to do new and different things." She didn't elaborate. Stewart's unaided awareness is 53 percent when people are asked for the name of a person who provides lifestyle and home ideas, Gersh said in citing data. The closest competitor with 6 percent is Rachael Ray, she said. She also argued that Lagasse and other company talent has been "under-exploited." Gersh in her presentation also said that MSLO would save $5.5 million from the end of a studio lease that it is exiting next year. And she said that the company could bring TV production in-house, but she didn't share further details. MSLO currently has two photo studios, according to a spokeswoman. Gersh further told the UBS crowd that MSLO has a "tremendous library" that can be used digitally and that digital advertising is a key opportunity. While digital requires investment, MSLO will be prudent, she said. Meanwhile, merchandising is the fastest-growing and most profitable part of the company's business, she highlighted. Better terms for merchandising deals should be available in the marketplace, she added. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia UBS

Once: Theater Review

Add Alec Baldwin's name to the ever-growing list of Hollywood players who have been removed from planes.our editor recommendsBig & Rich's John Rich Kicked Off Southwest Flight for Alleged IntoxicationSouthwest Airlines CEO Defends Leisha Hailey Removal; Company Touts GLBT OutreachSouthwest Airlines Sparks Outcry After Kicking 'L Word' Actress Off Flight for Kissing GirlfriendAmerican Airlines Files for Bankruptcy Protection On Tuesday, the actor took to Twitter to announce he'd gotten in trouble on an American Airlines flight while sitting at the gate at Los Angeles International Airport. PHOTOS: Busted! 12 Hollywood Stars Who Got in Trouble on Airlines "Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt," he tweeted, before following up with "But, oddly, 30 Rock plays inflight on American. #theresalwaysunited." Former MTV COO Michael J. Wolf was also on the flight, and tweeted that the actor had actually been kicked off of the plane, indicating he may have been at fault. STORY: Southwest Airlines CEO Defends Leisha Hailey Removal; Company Touts GLBT Outreach "On an AA flight at LAX. Alec Baldwin removed from the plane We had to go back to the gate. Terrible that everyone had to wait," Wolf wrote. But, the airline didn't seem to have hard feelings. American Airlines' Twitter account wrote to Baldwin, saying, "@AlecBaldwin Mr. Baldwin, we are looking into this. Please DM us contact information," and the actor latertweeted he'd been put on a 3 p.m. flight. STORY: American Airlines Files for Bankruptcy "The flight attendants already look.....smarter," he said before tweeting "#theresalwaysunitied Last flight w American. Where retired Catholic school gym teachers from the 1950's find jobs as flight attendants." His rep Matthew Hiltzik later tweeted a response to the situation: "Statement:@AlecBaldwinloves WWF so much, he was willing to leave a plane for it, but he has boarded another AA flight.#alecbaldwin." Country star John Rich, L-Word actress Leisha Hailey, Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong and director Kevin Smith have all also recently been removed from flights. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery '30 Rock': Behind the Scenes Related Topics Alec Baldwin Twitter