Actor George Clooney was arrested today at a protest outside of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, DC.

Clooney and his father, Nick Clooney, joined other protesters accusing Sudanese President Omar of al-Bashir of provoking a humanitarian crisis and blocking food and aid.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass), Rep. John Olver (D-Mass), Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va), NAACP President Ben Jealous and Martin Luther King III were also arrested after crossing a police line.

Earlier this week, Clooney met with President Obama and testified in the Senate about the crisis in Sudan.

‘‘It’s such a silly thought to think you’re actually succeeding in any of this,’’ Clooney told “The Boston Globe.” ‘‘But if it’s loud enough and you keep making it loud enough at the very least people will know about it, and you can’t say we didn’t know. That’s the first step.’’

Source: The Boston Globe

The nominees for the 2012, 84th Annual Academy Awards have been released and the film industry is already buzzing with speculation on who will take home the Oscar on February 26th. Here’s my two cents about the nominees, who got snubbed, and an early (tentative and subject to change!) prediction about who could take home the gold. I only reviewed the nine most-talked about categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Cinematography, Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay. I will include every category in my official prediction post, which will come when the Oscars get closer.

Could "The Artist" be another "Slumdog Millionaire"-esque Oscar-sweeper?

Contenders: “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” “The Help,” “Hugo,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Moneyball,” “The Tree of Life,” “War Horse”

Didn’t Make the Cut: “Drive”, “The Ides of March”, “Young Adult”, “Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy”, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “My Week with Marilyn”, “Bridesmaids”

Thoughts: No surprises here. Five of the films tote big-name directors: “The Descendants” (George Clooney), “Hugo” (Martin Scorsese), “Midnight in Paris” (Woody Allen), “Tree of Life” (slightly lesser known Terrence Malick), and “War Horse” (Steven Spielberg). Three films were based on best-selling books: “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” “Moneyball,” and “The Help”. And the remaining film, “The Artist”, has always been seen as an awards contender ever since it’s release. The Academy remained predictable as ever this year for the Best Picture noms.

Every movie fan is bound to have at least a few films that they’re annoyed didn’t get picked, and this year mine were “Drive” and “The Ides of March.” “Drive”featured excellent cinematography, a catchy soundtrack, a unique story and a killer performance by Ryan Gosling (also ignored by the Academy this year, we’ll get to that later). “The Ides of March,” was easily my favorite film of the year. It was an edge-of-your-seat thriller that kept you guessing and featured another great Ryan Gosling performance, as well as excellent writing and supporting appearances by George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Early Prediction: I think Best Picture will come down to a fight between “The Artist” and “The Descendants.” “The Descendants” took home two Golden Globes (Best Picture and Best Actor – Drama) a few weeks ago, but “The Artist “boasts a whopping ten Oscar nominations to “The Descendants”‘ five. In the end, I see “The Artist” eventually going home with the gold. I’ve yet to see it, but the film is a classic case of the artsy, indie film that voters just love to throw awards at.

George Clooney in "The Descendants"

Contenders: Demián Bichir (“A Better Life”), George Clooney (“The Descendants”), Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”), Gary Oldman (“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”), Brad Pitt (“Moneyball”)

Didn’t Make the Cut: Ryan Gosling (“Drive “or “The Ides of March”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“J. Edgar”), Michael Fassbender (“Shame”), Michael Shannon (“Take Shelter”)

Thoughts: The only real surprise amongst the five nominees is Demián Bichir for his role in “A Better Life”. I vaguely remember seeing the trailer for this film, but that was the last time I had heard or thought about it until Bichir got this nomination. The performance must be a doozy for him to knock out the likes of DiCaprio and Fassbender. After leaving Ryan Gosling out of the race for the second year in a row (he wasn’t nominated for “Blue Valentine “last year, though Michelle Williams was), I’m beginning to wonder what the Academy has against the guy. As “The Hollywood Reporter” points out in it’s Oscar snubs article, it was a great year for Gosling, who had three really good films – “Drive, The Ides of March, “and “Crazy Stupid Love.” “THR” goes on to speculate that his lack of a nomination might have to do with him not making the rounds and doing the awards circuit to promote himself and lobby for a nomination. Which makes me mad, because the Academy should be voting on an actor’s performance, not the number of appearances he makes or parties he attends.

Early Prediction: Clooney and Pitt both gave the best performances of their careers this year, but again I think this category comes down to “The Descendants “vs. “The Artist. ” I’ve yet to see “The Artist “so I can’t say who I think deserves it, but at this point I’ll call Jean Dujardin the winner. We may have another “Slumdog Millionaire -”style Oscar-sweeper on our hands with “The Artist”, and it doesn’t help that Clooney already has an Academy Award under his belt (a Best Supporting Actor for 2005′s “Syriana”).

Side Note: How is this Gary Oldman’s first Oscar nomination, ever? That just seem so wrong…

Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier in "My Week with Marilyn"

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Contenders: Kenneth Branagh (“My Week with Marilyn”), Jonah Hill (“Moneyball”), Nick Nolte (“Warrior”), Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”), Max von Sydow (“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”)

Didn’t Make the Cut: Albert Brooks (“Drive”), Armie Hammer (“J. Edgar”), Andy Serkis (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), Patton Oswalt (“Young Adult”)

Thoughts: Who would’ve thought the pudgy kid from “Superbad “would be an Oscar contender? I certainly didn’t, and I’m still not sure he belongs up there with the likes of Kenneth Branagh and Christopher Plummer. Sure, Hill did a decent job in “Moneyball,” but I certainly didn’t leave the theater thinking it was an Oscar-nomination-worthy performance.

I actually would’ve preferred it if Andy Serkis had gotten the nom over Hill. This could have been the Oscars in which motion-capture performances were finally given their due. Say what you will about the goofy “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”, but if you see the work that goes into Serkis’ role as Caesar the ape it’s really impressive. This was a chance to right the wrong of Serkis never receiving a nomination for his landmark performance as Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings “trilogy.

Early Prediction: I’d say this category boils down to a Plummer vs. Branagh match-up. This is Plummer’s 2nd nomination and Branagh’s 5th, and neither has yet to win an Oscar. Plummer was good in “Beginners,” but Branagh was exceptional as Sir Laurence Olivier in “My Week with Marilyn.” Gold goes to Branagh.

Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Contenders: Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs”), Viola Davis (“The Help”), Rooney Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”), Michelle Williams (“My Week with Marilyn”)

Didn’t Make the Cut: Shailene Woodley (“The Descendents”), Charlize Theron (“Young Adult”), Tilda Swinton (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”), Kirsten Dunst (“Melancholia”), Elizabeth Olson (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”)

Thoughts: Tilda Swinton’s absence from the list of nominees seems to be on the list of everybody’s top “Oscar snubs” this year. This category could be a tight one, with all very transformational roles in the running – Streep portraying Margaret Thatcher, Williams playing the iconic Marilyn Monroe, Rooney Mara almost unrecognizable as hacker Lisbeth Salander, Davis as maid/nanny Aibileen Clark, and Glenn Close as woman pretending to be a man.

Early Prediction: This one should be Glenn Close‘s – this is her sixth Oscar nomination and she’s yet to win. Meryl Streep has been nominated a whopping 17 times but she’s also already won twice. This is Michelle William’s third nomination (no wins yet) and Viola Davis’ second (no wins yet either). Close seems overdue for a win, and her role seems to be the most challenging since she’s essentially playing a man. Plus, Williams and Davis are younger and have more of their careers ahead of them.

Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson in "The Help"

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Contenders: Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist”), Jessica Chastain (“The Help”), Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”), Octavia Spencer (“The Help”)

Didn’t Make the Cut: Shailene Woodley (“The Descendants”), Cary Mulligan (“Shame “or “Drive”), Marion Cotillard (“Midnight in Paris”), Melanie Laurent (“Beginners”)

Thoughts: What’s that, a surprising Oscar nomination?! I didn’t think such a thing existed. But wouldn’t you know, the Academy catches us napping and actually nominates Melissa McCarthy for “Bridesmaids.” I still haven’t seen the movie, but regardless of what I end up thinking of it, I still love this nomination.

First off, it’s a nomination for a woman in “a comedy film”. That’s almost unheard of at the Oscars, and to see a comedy get two nominations (“Bridesmaids “also got a nom for Best Original Screenplay) is really refreshing. Even if the movie loses both categories, I still hope that their inclusion marks a new era in which comedies will be given more credit and eventually, maybe even a few awards. I’m not saying that “The Hangover “should have been up for Oscars, I’m just saying that I feel there are some really exceptional comedies of late that it wouldn’t hurt to recognize with a few nominations.

Secondly, Melissa McCarthy has been nominated for being a “funny” woman. I’m not sure when the last time was that a Supporting Actress nominee came from a comedy film (if it ever has happened, that is). This nomination carries on the message that “Bridesmaids “has carried from the start: that women can be just as funny as men and just as successful in the comedy genre.

Early Prediction: It was big enough for the Academy to nominate Melissa McCarthy in the first place, so I don’t see her then taking home the Oscar as well (as cool as that would be). Due to the recent “Artist “blitz this awards season, I think Bérénice Bejo might have this one in the bag. Plus, critics weren’t big fans of “The Help “or “Albert Nobbs” (which scored 62/100 and 55/100, respectively, on Metacritic).

Woody Allen directs Owen Wilson and Carla Bruni on the set of "Midnight in Paris"

BEST DIRECTOR

Contenders: Martin Scorsese (“Hugo”), Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”), Alexander Payne (“The Descendants”), Woody Allen (“Midnight in Paris”), Terrence Malick (“The Tree of Life”)

Didn’t Make the Cut: Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”), George Clooney (“The Ides of March”), David Fincher (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), Bennett Miller (“Moneyball”), Clint Eastwood (“J. Edgar”), Steve McQueen (“Shame”), Jason Reitman (“Young Adult”)

Thoughts: God I hope Terrence Malick doesn’t win. Much to the anger of pretentious/artsy-film-lovers everywhere, I heartily disliked “The Tree of Life”. To be honest, I’m pretty disappointed with the nominees this year. Looking at the rather long list of directors who missed out, I’d prefer most of them over those who have been nominated. Again, it’s a damn tragedy that Winding Refn and Clooney were left out. But it’s no use crying over spilled milk, so if I have to pull for one of the nominees, it would be Alexander Payne. “The Descendants “is the best film that received nominations this year (besides “Ides of March”), so I’d like to see Payne take home the statue.

Early Prediction: Besides “The Artist “having a recent hot-streak and touting the 2nd-most nominations this year with 10 (just behind “Hugo”‘s 11), I think the Academy might vote for the newcomer this year and go with Hazanavicius. Payne already has an Oscar, which he won for the last film he was nominated for – 2004′s “Sideways”. Scorsese is in the same boat, with an Oscar for “The Departed”, and Malick has been nominated twice before. So at this point, I’m calling this another victory for “The Artist”.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Contenders: “The Artist,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Hugo,” “The Tree of Life,” “War Horse”

Thoughts: To be honest, I’ve only seen one of these nominees – “Tree of Life. “As much as I disliked the film, the one thing I appreciated was that it truly was beautifully shot. It’s not an exaggeration at all to say that you could pause the film at any point, and the frame you froze on could hold its own as an incredible still photo hung on the wall of a photography exhibit somewhere. I’d have to see the other movies to be sure, but my guess is that “The Tree of Life “has this year’s best cinematography.

Early Prediction: A fight between “The Artist” and “The Tree of Life,” with “The Artist” winning out. A more informed prediction is still-to-come.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Contenders: “The Descendants,” “Hugo,” “The Ides of March,” “Moneyball,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Thoughts: I’d love “The Ides of March” to win the one category it’s up for, particularly because I think it is the most worthy amongst the fellow nominees. But it’s doubtful that’s going to happen, so if “Ides “can’t win, I’m rooting for “The Descendants”. It was an excellent script, and it would be really awesome to see one of the co-writers, Jim Rash, to win an Oscar. Some people may be more familiar with Rash as the character Dean Pelton on NBC’s “Community”, which is my favorite current TV show.

Early Prediction: With the film sitting well on it’s other four Oscar nominations, I think “The Descendants” is the one to beat in this category. “Tinker” could give it a run for it’s money though.

Could "Bridesmaids" be an Oscar winner?

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Contenders: “The Artist,” “Bridesmaids,” “Margin Call,” “Midnight in Paris,” “A Separation”

Thoughts: Go “Bridesmaids!” It feels odd to be cheering for a film that I’ve yet to see and could possibly even dislike once I see it. But in rooting for “Bridesmaids,” I’m rooting for the comedy genre in general, which I think is an important cause. Plus, wouldn’t it be refreshing to see an upset (gasp!) at the Oscars this year? Down with predictability!

Early Prediction: Like Melissa McCarthy’s nomination for her performance in “Bridesmaids”, I have a feeling a nomination is as far as this film is going to go. “The Artist” is certainly the talk of the town right now and far more prominent than “Midnight in Paris” and the indies “Margin Call” and “A Separation”. I’m chalking this one up to another one for “The Artist.”

Here is the complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations announced on Tuesday morning:

1. Best Picture: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Descendants,’’ ‘’Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,’’ ‘’The Help,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Midnight in Paris,’’ ‘’Moneyball,’’ ‘’The Tree of Life,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

2. Actor: Demian Bichir, ‘‘A Better Life”; George Clooney, ‘‘The Descendants”; Jean Dujardin, ‘‘The Artist”; Gary Oldman, ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”; Brad Pitt, ‘‘Moneyball.’’

3. Actress: Glenn Close, ‘‘Albert Nobbs”; Viola Davis, ‘‘The Help”; Rooney Mara, ‘‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Meryl Streep, ‘‘The Iron Lady”; Michelle Williams, ‘‘My Week With Marilyn.’’

4. Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, ‘‘My Week With Marilyn”; Jonah Hill, ‘‘Moneyball”; Nick Nolte, ‘‘Warrior”; Christopher Plummer, ‘‘Beginners”; Max von Sydow, ‘‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.’’

5. Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, ‘‘The Artist”; Jessica Chastain, ‘‘The Help”; Melissa McCarthy, ‘‘Bridesmaids”; Janet McTeer, ‘‘Albert Nobbs”; Octavia Spencer, ‘‘The Help.’’

6. Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, ‘‘The Artist”; Alexander Payne, ‘‘The Descendants”; Martin Scorsese, ‘‘Hugo”; Woody Allen, ‘‘Midnight in Paris”; Terrence Malick, ‘‘The Tree of Life.’’

7. Foreign Language Film: ‘‘Bullhead,’’ Belgium; ‘‘Footnote,’’ Israel; ‘‘In Darkness,’’ Poland; ‘‘Monsieur Lazhar,’’ Canada; ‘‘A Separation,’’ Iran.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, ‘‘The Descendants”; John Logan, ‘‘Hugo”; George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, ‘‘The Ides of March”; Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, ‘‘Moneyball”; Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.’’

9. Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, ‘‘The Artist”; Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, ‘‘Bridesmaids”; J.C. Chandor, ‘‘Margin Call”; Woody Allen, ‘‘Midnight in Paris”; Asghar Farhadi, ‘‘A Separation.’’

10. Animated Feature Film: ‘‘A Cat in Paris”; ‘‘Chico & Rita”; ‘‘Kung Fu Panda 2”; ‘‘Puss in Boots”; ‘‘Rango.’’

11. Art Direction: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Midnight in Paris,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

12. Cinematography: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’The Tree of Life,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

13. Sound Mixing: ‘‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Moneyball,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

14. Sound Editing: ‘‘Drive,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

15. Original Score: ‘‘The Adventures of Tintin,’’ John Williams; ‘‘The Artist,’’ Ludovic Bource; ‘‘Hugo,’’ Howard Shore; ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,’’ Alberto Iglesias; ‘‘War Horse,’’ John Williams.

16. Original Song: ‘‘Man or Muppet’’ from ‘‘The Muppets,’’ Bret McKenzie; ‘‘Real in Rio’’ from ‘‘Rio,’’ Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett.

17. Costume: ‘‘Anonymous,’’ ‘’The Artist,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Jane Eyre,’’ ‘’W.E.’’

18. Documentary Feature: ‘‘Hell and Back Again,’’ ‘’If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,’’ ‘’Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,’’ ‘’Pina,’’ ‘’Undefeated.’’

19. Documentary (short subject): ‘‘The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement,’’ ‘’God Is the Bigger Elvis,’’ ‘’Incident in New Baghdad,’’ ‘’Saving Face,’’ ‘’The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.’’

20. Film Editing: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Descendants,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Moneyball.’’

21. Makeup: ‘‘Albert Nobbs,’’ ‘’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’The Iron Lady.’’

22. Animated Short Film: ‘‘Dimanche/Sunday,’’ ‘’The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,’’ ‘’La Luna,’’ ‘’A Morning Stroll,’’ ‘’Wild Life.’’

23. Live Action Short Film: ‘‘Pentecost,’’ ‘’Raju,’’ ‘’The Shore,’’ ‘’Time Freak,’’ ‘’Tuba Atlantic.’’

24. Visual Effects: ‘‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Real Steel,’’ ‘’Rise of the Planet of the Apes,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon.’’

Nominees for the Golden Globes were announced on Thursday. The 69th award ceremony will take place on January 15.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

• The Descendants – Ad Hominem Enterprises; Fox Searchlight Pictures
• The Help – DreamWorks Pictures, Participant Media; Touchstone Pictures
• Hugo – Paramount Pictures presents a GK Films Production; Paramount Pictures
• The Ides of March – Columbia Pictures, Cross Creek Pictures, Exclusive Media Group, Crystal City Entertainment; Sony Pictures
• Moneyball – Columbia Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing International
• War Horse – DreamWorks Pictures; Touchstone Pictures

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

• Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
• Viola Davis – The Help
• Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Meryl Streep – Iron Lady
• Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

• George Clooney – The Descendants
• Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar
• Michael Fassbender – Shame
• Ryan Gosling – The Ides of March
• Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

• 50/50 – Summit Entertainment and Mandate Pictures; Summit Entertainment
• The Artist – a La Petite Reine-Studio 37-La Classe Americaine-JD Prod-France3 Cinema-Jouror Production-uFilms coproduction-The Weinstein Company
• Bridesmaids – Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Apatow Productions; Universal Pictures
• Midnight in Paris – A Mediapro, Versatil Cinema & Gravier Production; Sony Pictures Classics
• My Week with Marilyn – The Weinstein Company; The Weinstein Company

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

• Jodie Foster – Carnage
• Charlize Theron – Young Adult
• Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids
• Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn
• Kate Winslet – Carnage

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

• Jean Dujardin – The Artist
• Brendan Gleeson – The Guard
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt – 50/50
• Ryan Gosling – Crazy, Stupid, Love.
• Owen Wilson – Midnight in Paris

Best Animated Feature Film

• The Adventures of Tintin – Paramount Pictures/Columbia Pictures/ Hemisphere Capital/Amblin Entertainment/Wingnut Films Production/ Kennedy/Marshall Production A Steven Spielberg Film; Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures
• Arthur Christmas – Columbia Pictures & Sony Pictures Animation; Sony Pictures Releasing International
• Cars 2 – Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Pictures
• Puss In Boots – DreamWorks Animation; Paramount Pictures
• Rango – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink / GK Films Production;  Paramount Pictures

Best Foreign Language Film

• The Flowers of War (China) – (Jing Ling Shi San Chai) New Pictures Film Company; Wrekin Hill Entertainment
• In the Land of Blood and Honey (United States) – GK Films; FilmDistrict
• The Kid with a Bike (Belgium) – (Le Gamin au Velo) Les Films du Fleuve; Sundance Selects
• A Separation (Iran) – (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) Asghar Farhadi; Sony Pictures Classics
• The Skin I Live In (Spain) – (La piel que habito) El Deseo D.A., S.L.U.; Sony Pictures Classics

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Berenice Bejo – The Artist
• Jessica Chastain – The Help
• Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
• Octavia Spencer – The Help
• Shailene Woodley – The Descendants

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
• Albert Brooks – Drive
• Jonah Hill – Moneyball
• Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method
• Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Best Director – Motion Picture

• Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
• George Clooney – The Ides of March
• Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
• Alexander Payne – The Descendants
• Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

• Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
• Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne, Jim Rash – The Descendants
• George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon – The Ides of March
• Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
• Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian – Moneyball

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

• Ludovic Bource – The Artist
• Abel Korzeniowski – W.E.
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Howard Shore – Hugo
• John Williams – War Horse

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

• “Hello Hello” – Gnomeo & Juliet (Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin)
• “Keeper, The” – Machine Gun Preacher (Music and Lyrics by Chris Cornell)
• “Lay Your Head Down” – Albert Nobbs (Music by Brian Byrne, Lyrics by Glenn Close)
• “Living Proof, The” – The Help (Music by Thomas Newman, Mary J. Blige and Harvey Mason, Jr., Lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas)
• “Masterpiece” – W.E. (Music and Lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry)

Best Television Series – Drama

• American Horror Story (FX) – Twentieth Century Fox Television
• Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions, HBO Entertainment
• Boss (STARZ) – Lionsgate Television in association with Grammnet NH Productions, Roya Productions and Old Friends Productions
• Game of Thrones (HBO) – Bighead, Littlehead, 360 Television, Grok and Generator Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
• Homeland (SHOWTIME) – SHOWTIME Presents, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet, Fox 21

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

• Claire Danes – Homeland (SHOWTIME)
• Mireille Enos – The Killing
• Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife (CBS)
• Madeleine Stowe – Revenge
• Callie Thorne – Necessary Roughness

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

• Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
• Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad
• Kelsey Grammer – Boss (STARZ)
• Jeremy Irons – The Borgias
• Damian Lewis – Homeland (SHOWTIME)

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• Enlightened (HBO) – Ripcord Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
• Episodes (SHOWTIME) – SHOWTIME Presents, Hat Trick Productions, Crane Karik Productions
• Glee (FOX) – Ryan Murphy Television, Twentieth Century Fox Television
• Modern Family (ABC) – Twentieth Century Fox Television
• New Girl (FOX) – Chernin Entertainment in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• Laura Dern – Enlightened (HBO)
• Zooey Deschanel – New Girl (FOX)
• Tina Fey – 30 Rock (NBC)
• Laura Linney – The Big C (SHOWTIME)
• Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC)
• David Duchovny – Californication (SHOWTIME)
• Johnny Galecki – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Thomas Jane – Hung (HBO)
• Matt LeBlanc – Episodes (SHOWTIME) 

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Cinema Verite (HBO) – A Pariah Production in association with HBO Films
• Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) – A Carnival/Masterpiece Co-production
• The Hour (BBC AMERIC) – Kudo Film and Television/BBC America co-production
• Mildred Pierce (HBO) – A Killer Films/John Wells Production in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and HBO Miniseries
• Too Big to Fail (HBO) – A Spring Creek and a Deuce Three Production in association with HBO Films

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Romola Garai – The Hour (BBC AMERIC)
• Diane Lane – Cinema Verite (HBO)
• Elizabeth McGovern – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)
• Emily Watston – Appropriate Adult
• Kate Winslet – Mildred Pierce (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Hugh Bonneville – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)
• Idris Elba – Luther
• William Hurt – Too Big to Fail (HBO)
• Bill Nighy – Page Eight (Masterpiece)
• Dominic West – The Hour (BBC AMERIC)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Jessica Lange – American Horror Story (FX)
• Kelly MacDonald – Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
• Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)
• Sofia Vergara – Modern Family (ABC)
• Evan Rachel Wood – Mildred Pierce (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones (HBO)
• Paul Giamatti – Too Big to Fail (HBO)
• Guy Pearce – Mildred Pierce (HBO)
• Tim Robbins – Cinema Verite (HBO)
• Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family (ABC)

I have to believe that we are not working in a dying industry. The world will always have a need for professional journalists — edited, ethical, and responsible, etc. etc. etc.

This is an exciting field to work in, and there are actually some great movies out there made about our vocation. Here are my top 10:

10. Citizen Kane

“Citizen Kane” portrays newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in the yellow journalism era. This is an oldie, but it is widely considered the best movie ever made. If you haven’t seen it, get off your ass and pick it up. It’s an American treasure.

“You provide the prose. I’ll provide the war.”

9. Thank You for Smoking

OK so this isn’t a movie about journalism. It’s a movie about public relations, but I had to throw a bone to our PR friends.

“Thank You for Smoking” is a raw, sometimes dark comedy, but it is one of the best films I’ve ever seen that deals with public relations head-on. Sure “Wag the Dog” is a better movie, but “Thank You for Smoking” is an effective comedy that deeply delves into the science of selling and spinning.

8. Shattered Glass

Eeep. The true story of the rise and fall of Stephen Glass is the working journalist’s equivalent of a dude watching a real douchebag get kicked in the nuts. It’s hard to watch, but oddly satisfying.

Two reasons: First, we watch this 25-year-old kid make ridiculous sums of money — more money than most of us. Then we see that his stories were lies and fabrications. Cue the hatred.

But seriously, if you’re looking for a movie about journalism, sometimes the best stories are the true ones.

7. The Front Page

A lot of people overlook this 1974 Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau drama. “The Front Page” chronicles the relationship between editor and reporter, reporter and source, journalist and crook, journalist and family, and journalism and public relations all in one funny/dramatic swoop. Lemmon and Matthau play off each other like … well, like Lemmon and Matthau.

“The Front Page” is as hilarious as it is tragic, as a reporter tries to balance his desire for a normal family life as a lucrative public relations job offer looms. Journalists may be the only ones that get the tragedy.

6. The Year of Living Dangerously

You know Linda Hunt as the diminutive boss on “Law and Order: Los Angeles,” but you should know her from her Oscar-winning, gender-bending performance in “The Year of Living Dangerously.”

This stacked early 80s drama also stars Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, and it will make you want to be a foreign correspondent. Gibson plays an Australian reporter named Guy Hamilton, sent to Jakarta in 1965 during a time of political strife and upheaval.

5. Good Night, and Good Luck

A lot of people are going to say that I ranked “Good Night, and Good Luck” too highly on my list, but the truth is that this film contributed to my wanting to be a journalist. David Strathairn’s amazing portrayal of Edward R. Murrow as he takes on Joe McCarthy during the peak of red fear in this country is brilliant.

The film also demonstrates television’s rise to power in the home. The ensemble cast also features Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., and Frank Langella.

4. Deadline U.S.A

This was Caitlin Kelly’s top pick on her J-movie list, and I can’t blame her. “Deadline U.S.A. stars Humphrey Bogart as an editor who tells his newsroom staff that they’ll all be laid off in two weeks. Boy that rings true. In 1952, when the film was released, journalism was in its heyday, but today anyone who works in a newsroom has probably seen people lose their jobs or take a buyout.

Kelly also points out a line from the paper’s star female reporter reflecting on her career: “I’ve got $81 in the bank, two dead husbands and two or three kids I never had.”

3. All the President’s Men

You wanna see some really ballsy journalism? How about the kind of reporting that brought down a president?

“All the President’s Men” stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman who portray Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward as they uncovered the Watergate scandal that ended the presidency of Richard Nixon.

This journalism’s sex tape. “All the President’s Men” shows how awesome it is to be a journalist and how much of an impact we can have on the world. For Christ’s sake — they brought down Nixon!

2. The Paper

“The Paper” is a comedy, but I’ve shown it to journalism students before. It shows the inner-workings of a metropolitan newsroom better than most films, and even though it was made in the mid-90s, the newsrooms still look pretty much the same as they did 15 years ago, except for a few more empty seats.

The film has another ridiculous cast that includes Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid, and a small but memorable appearance by Jason Alexander (George from “Seinfeld”)

“The Paper” deals with the pressures of a New York metro editor trying to get not only a true story, but the best possible story that beats the competition. All the while, he is watching the clock for deadlines — both business and personal, as his pregnant wife and fellow journalist (Tomei) ponders her post-child life.

1. Absence of Malice

This 1981 Paul Newman/Sally Field flick is not necessarily my favorite movie, but it is a dramatic portrayal of what happens when a reporter gets too close to a source and when a publication over-pursues a story.

Newman plays Michael Gallagher, the son of a dead Mafia boss who finds himself on the front page of a Miami newspaper in a story indicating he is under investigation for the murder of a longshoreman.

Field plays the reporter behind the story. I won’t give it all away, but there is some romance, a lot of betrayal, a question of ethics, and a surprise ending.

The film begs the question: What’s the difference between accurate and truthful?

With $27.3 million, “Real Steal” had the best opening weekend of any boxing-themed film. It beat “Rocky IV,” which opened with $20 million in 1985.

The $110 million robot fighting film from Dreamworks stars Hugh Jackman (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) and attracted a primarily male audience, according to Disney. Also, 44 percent of the filmgoers were under 25 years old.

George Clooney’s film, “The Ideas of March,” featuring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei, came in second with 10.4 million.

The other films comprising the top five films of the weekend carried over audiences from last week.

1. “Real Steel” — $27.3 mil
2. “The Ides of March” — $10.4 mil
3. “Dolphin Tale” — $9.2 mil
4. “Moneyball” — $7.5 mil
5.” 50/50″ — $5.5 mil

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Chaz Bono was the biggest name of all when ABC announced the new cast for “Dancing with the Stars.”

The child of Cher and Sonny Bono, Chaz, 42, famously underwent a sex change in 2008. Chaz is a female-to-male transsexual, born Chastity Sun Bono. He will compete with one of the female dancers on “DWTS”

Other cast members include talk show host Ricki Lake, 42, Lakers player Ron Artest, 31, former “Laguna Beach” and “Hills” star Kristin Cavallari, 24, singer Chynna Phillips, 42, actor David Arquette, 39, TV personality Carson Kressley, 41, HLN commentator Nancy Grace, 51, “All My Children” star J.R. Martinez, 28, US soccer goalie Hope Solo, Rob Kardashian, and Italian actress recently dumped by George Clooney, Elisabetta Canalis, 32.

George Clooney broke up with his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis after a two-year relationship.

ABC News speculates that the beauty’s public desire for marriage may have doomed their love.

“After his four year long marriage to Talia Balsam, the Oscar-winning actor famously told ABC News’ Barbara Walters in 1995 that he’ll never marry again. He reiterated that sentiment in January of this year, telling CNN’s Piers Morgan ‘I was married, so I gave it a shot,’” ABC reported.

But the 32-year-old now ex-girlfriend told the Italian magazine Chi she was “a firm believer in marriage.”

Either way, both are single now.

Ryan Reynolds was named as this year’s sexiest man alive by People magazine, a title George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp have been named in the past.

The actor told People, “My body naturally wants to look like Dick Van Dyke. When I stop training, I turn into a skin-colored whisper.”

Regarding the title that he got, he commented, “You just have to go with the flow. This gives my family entre into teasing me for the rest of my life.”

He also mentioned his wife Scarlett Johansson, “Now it’s going to be, ‘Sexiest man, take out the garbage.’ That does sound better. The most difficult part is going to be organically working this title into a conversation with random strangers.”

MTV also talks about that he played some sexiest roles in several movies, such as “Definitely, Maybe” “Van Wilder” “The Proposal” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and “Green Lantern.”

There’s not too much action, but certainly an abundance of beauty, ranging from the erotic to the picturesque, in photographer-turned-director Anton Corbijn’s "The American."

Based upon the novel "A Very Private Gentleman" by Martin Booth, who also penned the screenplay, this film is not about the life of an assassin—the moral equivocation, the tangled web of shifting allegiance, the thrill of the hunt, the skill of the precise and furtive kill—rather, it’s about the aftermath of such a life. It’s about loneliness.

As such, this is a quiet film, light on words and dominated by images of wide-open negative spaces—a Swedish snowscape, burning white; an Italian village carved into a mountainside; an open field by a stream in that village. The film’s few gunshots crack and echo. Its love scenes smolder in a spacious bedroom awash in hot red light.

George Clooney plays the film’s thinly drawn subject, a lithe figure with a mysterious butterfly tattoo burned between his shoulder blades, his hair and beard more salt than pepper. We know that he’s quick and sharp with a gun. We know that no one who discovers his work survives. We know that it involves guns—both using them and selling them. That’s about all we know.

On a job in a remote, Italian locale, he struggles to keep a low profile. While, we are led to believe, his discipline in this regard was once suburb, now he seems to be slipping. A pushy, slightly-too-perceptive priest (Paulo Bonecelli) muscles him into a kind of friendship. A hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold (Violante Placido) draws him in a bit too close. Both seem to be pursuing what is left of his soul, not knowing that shadowy predators are closing in on his body.

Betraying a quiet longing with his clenched jaw, his voice a bristled a growl, Clooney is a formidable presence in this film. He has to be. Because while it has elements of suspense and the threat of danger, "The American" is far from an action thriller, and while its subjects sometimes follow their lust and dream of something more, it’s not quite a romance.

One brief scene in the film finds Clooney temporarily distracted by a spaghetti western blaring from a caf©’s TV. This is a genre whose themes seem complimentary. A man alone, quick with a gun, living outside of the law, weary of standoffs and pursuits, yearns for the chance to get paid, get out, and settle down someplace far from the trouble. But it’s never that easy.

Ultimately though, while it nods to several, "The American" is less a genre film than simply a moody, often visually beautiful, study of loniliness.

Wow Elizabeth Banks…funny and gorgeous. What was that, the 8th James Cameron joke? She hosted the Sci Tech awards show apparently. Not that I am much of a dress expert, but hers might be my favorite so far.

Cool to get John Travolta to introduce Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds.” Although Travolta might need Tarantino’s help with another comeback role after the double crap whammy that was “Old Dogs” and “From Paris With Love.” He has slipped so far from the heights he reached with his turn as Vincent Vega in 1994′s awesome “Pulp Fiction.”

And we have Sandra Bullock out to present Cinematography. Not a make-up expert either, but Sandra Bullock’s lipstick might be a bit much. Wow, are those lips red. And “Avatar” rebounds with a win. Ah, Mauro Fiore, thanks for keeping your speech short. I loved “Avatar” but I was rooting for Bruno Delbonnel from “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Thought it was the most gorgeously shot movie of the year.

A really nice thing — Demi Moore introduces James Taylor to play a song commemorating the stars who died this year. Taylor absolutely killed with an acoustic version of “In My Life.” Nice simple way to remember the deceased.

Another curious duo, pairing Jennifer Lopez and Sam Worthington. And of course we get our completely unneeded dance montage. I would have much rather had the best song nominees performed than an interpretive dance number. Though the version of the robot they did during the “Up” portion was pretty cool. It is a bit suprising “Avatar” got nominated for best score. James Horner has been coasting since his win for “Titanic” and the score was one of the weakest aspects of the film. And Horner shouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near the Oscars after that horrendous Leona Lewis song over the end credits.

Sweet, Micheal Giacchino won for “Up.” Giacchino is probably the most inventive composer working right now. Not only did he score “Up” but he also composed the really cool score for “Star Trek” and has done the music for every season of “Lost.” The guy is the go-to pop culture composer.

“Avatar” picks up its third award of the night for visual effects…didn’t see that one coming. Right now “Avatar” and “Hurt Locker are tied at three awards a piece.

And by the way, what’s George Clooney’s problem? He’s shot a few pretty nasty glances at the camera this evening.

As men we yearn for meaning. War, art, sex, religion, sport all seem to be born of this elusive desire to impose order, and meaning, on a nonsensical world. It rarely works. But every once in a while we as men glimpse, way off in the distance, a simple truth so deep and moving that we redouble our manic efforts to grab hold of the inexplicable and Devine.

In 2009 America, the economy has put gas on this flame of the male need to chase his tail. Us guys are defined by what we do. It’s our armor, our hide out. A guy behind a desk shuffling papers is a sad but stable creature. But if forced to undress all hell breaks loose. He is a turtle without a shell. And it isn’t pretty.

“Up In The Air,” whose tagline is "The story of a man ready to make a connection," is about that moment of exfoliation and the impact it has on the psyche, particularly of men. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) travels the country firing people. We see men and women react to the news, and Bingham’s attempts to comfort them, as he "sets them adrift." But, of course, the real story isn’t so much about the real people who the film gives voice to as they stare into the void but the cumulative impact on Clooney’s character.

Bingham prides himself on emptying his backpack, traveling light, never allowing himself to get weighed down by the baggage—wife, kids, mortgage—of the rest of us American men. He is a guy’s escape fantasy on steroids.

The plot gets rolling when women appear on the scene. Every guy knows that women are our collective conscious. They tell us what we know to be true but just can’t stand to hear. The finger nails on chalk board kind of truth that just ruins a beer and a ball game every time because it cannot be ignored. And at some deep-reptile-level we know our escapist fantasy isn’t the answer. We just can’t admit it until directly confronted by female intuition (and it doesn’t hurt if the tough love is being spoken by a woman who is smart and hot).

The crack in Bingham’s life plan comes in the form of two women (with a guy of his stature and momentum you need a tag team to slap him around and wise him up), one a precocious young women threatening to steal his livelihood and the other a mirror image of his nomad life style ("think of me as you with a vagina," she cues to him on the phone) threatening to steal his heart.

As an audience we are rooting for the well-oiled clich© of boy meets girl and girl changes boy and boy lives happily ever after despite the fact that we know damn well that it’s bullshit. We just love the comfort of yet another escape fantasy in the form of romantic perfection. What sets “Up In The Air” apart is its willingness to divert from the superficial and go inside to the uncomfortable truth of life.

The central moment of the film isn’t the happy ending. There is no such thing and we all know better. But it comes when Clooney, in all his glamorous beauty, decides to invite his sometimes girlfriend Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) to his sister’s modest wedding in Milwaukee. There is nothing glamorous about the sister or her fianc© or Milwaukee. But for once Bingham(Clooney) makes an effort to show up for his family to whom he has thus far been a ghost.

Bingham’s soon-to-be brother-in-law Jim Miller (Danny McBride), a bearded real estate developer down on his luck who designed a quarter karat engagement ring himself, gets cold feet at the church. And it’s up to Bingham to try to convince Miller to go through with the wedding.

"What does it all mean?" Miller asks Bingham in the church nursery school with The Velveteen Rabbit in his hands. He reports lying in bed the night before and thinking about the rights of passage for guys: marriage, kids, jobs, kids’ college, weddings, retirement, and death. And asking himself whether it all made sense, whether he could in fact sign up for everything that getting married implied.

At that moment the movie goes from clich© to universal truth. I have certainly asked that question a million times. My college friends and I have a running joke when things get bad. We tell each other, "I am just going to go in the back yard and dig a big old hole and climb in," we tell each other. The point isn’t that we want to kill ourselves. It’s just that we have run out of answers and desperately to laugh with an old friend to soothe the pain.

In the last year, my own manic search for meaning has led me to publish a book on the topic (The Good Men Project), produce a film, create an elaborate social media platform to promote discussion among men, and travel from Sing Sing, where I met with lifetime inmates, to Hollywood, where we had a screening for our film complete with paparazzi. By the end of my airport to airport dash, like Miller’s question, I began to ask, "why?"

Nasty emails from Hollywood lawyers over my supposed misuse of their client’s images at our charitable event and letters of criticism from academic experts on the male psyche didn’t help my mood as I lay around my bed looking for a barf bag these last few days. I wasn’t sure if it was the stomach flu or just over-exposure to life.

But then I went and saw “Up In The Air” and heard Bingham searching his soul to explain the "why" of manhood, not just to groom-to-be, but to himself. The answer he gives isn’t about meaning in any big sense. The rights of passage are what they are. Some are wonderful, many are drudgery. But if there is any meaning it is found in not being alone, in reaching out to another living soul at a time of need, in having a co-pilot in life.

I thought about that when I got home last night after the movie. My wife was rightly furious with me for losing wallet, and all our credit cards, for the second time in a month. I really wanted to kill her and tell her how unfair her anger was. I wanted a break from all the attention I seem to be getting—I made the mistake of appearing on the Tyra’s Christmas show to help a widow and her two kids which has brought every such family out of the woodwork.

But then I thought of the wedding scene in the film, after Bingham has convinced Miller that getting married is the best thing he could do with his life. “Up In The Air” went from highly stylized images of planes and clouds to home movies of highly imperfect people enjoying real life even just for this moment. All of the sudden Clooney’s movie star good looks became invisible because in that one scene we see into his heart. The fact that there is no happy ending doesn’t matter. It’s just that glimpse of meaning—of truth—that counts in life. And that is what we as guys so often miss.

I remembered a particular inmate in Sing Sing who had told me how hard it was to go to his mother’s death bed in shackles. I remembered how he had cried telling me the story and how I had cried with him for his loss. Then I hugged my wife, spooning in bed. And thought how no matter how much we fight I would trade all the money in the world for just the sensation of lying in bed with her, silently holding her tight in my arms.

And I realized, like George Clooney’s character, I too may continue to take flight after flight in search of some bigger truth. But it’s that smaller momentary dose of beauty, that real connection, which sustains me and is the point of it all.

Tom Matlack is the Co-Founder of THE GOOD MEN PROJECT (www.goodmenproject.org). He is also the managing partner of Megunticook Management, a Boston-based venture firm. He is the former Chief Financial Officer of The Providence Journal Company. He lives in Brookline with his hot wife and three kids ages 15, 13, and 4.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

“Up in the Air” has been one of the most talked-about and anticipated movies of the year, and for good reason. This charming, timely character-driven film is “a story about real people,” said supporting actress Anna Kendrick recently to MTV. “And everybody likes that.”

“How much does your life weigh?” This is the question Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) asks. “Up in the Air” follows Bingham, who makes a living out of traveling the country firing people. We quickly learn Ryan thrives in his solitary existence, racking up frequent flier miles and spending less than 50 days a year at home in Omaha. Bingham’s life is very light, which supports his philosophy that “moving is living.” His flow is interrupted by Natalie Keener, a Cornell grad and his company’s newest hire. Natalie bursts onto the scene chock full of bright new ideas for the company’s technological advancement that would put Bingham exactly where he doesn’t want to be — grounded. Bingham decides to take Keener on a trip to show her the ropes, and on the course of their journey, they both learn something about love, ending a career and each other.

During the first part of the film, it’d be easy to think this movie was a comedy — and a good one. We all know Clooney is a pro at the adorable head-dip and boyish smile, but we get a chance to see his funny side in Bingham’s consistent frustrated jabs toward Keener. When her boyfriend breaks up with her via text message, Bingham doesn’t miss a beat, replying, “Yeah, it’s kinda like firing someone over the internet.”

The most charming, hilarious scene in the movie is the first meeting between Bingham’s foxy fellow traveller Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). They bond over their mutual obsession with “elite status,” comparing notes on the best car companies to use (Hertz, apparently) and what membership cards they share. They end up in bed together and start a loose relationship, shacking up in hotels across the country. When Bingham expresses initial discomfort at the idea of getting into a relationship, Goran lays his fears to rest: “Thing of me as yourself, but with a vagina.”

However, about 3/4 of the way through, the movie takes a drastic, bleak turn. Keener’s plucky optimism about her “firing over the internet” idea is effectively shut down when she actually has to look into the eyes of hopeless Americans and tell them they are no longer needed. Bingham opens his mind to the possibility of a relationship with Goran only to be crushed when he finds that she is married. The movie ends where it started with Keener off to a different job and with Bingham back up in the air.

The cast in this film deliver a pitch-perfect performance. Newcomer Anna Kendrick has been receiving praise for months, due in part for her acting but also undoubtedly to the amazing fact that she’s so young. Clooney is great, as always, and we see a new side of him as heartbroken and deserted. But the best performance comes from Farmiga. Unless you read this review beforehand, you won’t anticipate that she’s married until the last minute. A veritable newcomer to the big screen, she handles Clooney expertly while also bringing something of her own to the table. Anna Kendrick will doubtless receive an Oscar nomination.

It must also be mentioned that there are some great cameos by Blast favorite Zach Galifianakis and Director Jason Reitman favorite, J.K. Simmons. The only forced part of the movie is its documentary-style conversations with people who have been laid off. Reason number one why you stick with professional actors. Despite that, it’s great to say that for once, the movie lives up to the hype, if not surpassing it.

News travels fast, but in case you haven’t already heard, Johnny Depp was named “sexiest man alive” by People magazine for the second time.

People descibed the 46-year-old (I know, wow) actor as “the king of cool with killer cheekbones.”

Depp last won the honor in 2003, and this year, he joins the likes of Brad Pitt and George Clooney in winning twice. After Depp, the rest of the top five are Ryan Reynolds at number two, Jake Gyllanhaal at number three, Bradley Cooper at number four, and Robert Downey Jr. at number five.

Rabid Twilight fans might be disappointed to know that Robert Pattinson ranked 15th, but the rest of us will wonder how he ranked so high.

Pick up People magazine to check out the full list.

"The Men Who Stare at Goats" plays like a collection of scenes without a central thread uniting them. Perhaps worse than the film’s lack of cohesion is its smugness- the movie practically shouts at the audience, "Laugh already! This is really funny!" Unfortunately, more often that not, the movie simply doesn’t deliver.

The film tells the story of the Pentagon’s attempts during the Reagan administration to create an army of psychic soldiers. "The New Earth Army" is founded by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges, in full on "Dude" mode), an army officer who searches for alternative means to wage war after being wounded in Vietnam.

After years spent in the counter-culture scene, Django comes back with all kinds of new ways to fight America’s enemies (psychedelics are heavily involved) and with the help of the intensely zealous Brig. Gen. Dean Hopgood (Stephen Lang), gets funding for his unit of "American Jedis."

Ewan McGregor gets his meatiest role in years as Bob Wilton, the journalist looking for a story about the New Earth Army. McGregor drives the film. Unfortunately the character feels completely misconceived. Instead of focusing on Wilton’s journalistic quest for a story, the script is more concerned with his desperate search for meaning in his life. This makes Wilton become an active participant in the craziness he is encounters instead of a lens through which the audience can enter such a bizarre and zany world.

Wilton turns to Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) — a former New Earth Army member who he encounters in Iraq — to act as his source and life coach. Clooney dives into the part with relish. With his mustache, sun-baked skin, and movie star good looks, Clooney resembles an enthusiastic and crazed Clark Gable. He clearly has a ball playing off-type. Clooney’s enthusiasm and pure star power almost make the whole thing work.

By having Wilton embrace Cassady’s crazy lifestyle, the audience is left without a levelheaded perspective with which to counter Cassady’s eccentric ways (The guy thinks he can cause clouds to disappear with his mind).

Maybe a stronger director could have wrangled all of this together and turned it into something that worked. Simply put, Grant Heslov seems completely overwhelmed here on his first feature. Heslov, Clooney’s producing partner, seems to have given the actors free reign to play their characters however they wanted- whether it serves the narrative or not. The comedic beats are poorly timed and Heslov does a tremendously awkward job of integrating the more dramatic scenes throughout the film. The worst thing a comedy can do is make you question whether or not you should be laughing.

Walking out of the theater I couldn’t help but think that "The Men Who Stare at Goats" comes off as a lazy and self-congratulatory film. While it’s clear the actors are having a lot of fun, there seems to be little attempt at engaging the audience. I’m glad they all enjoyed it, because I sure didn’t.

“The Men Who Stare at Goats” is now in theaters.

It’s that time of the month again. Where we get all happy and perky and start giving you all kinds of free gifts for no apparent reason.

It’s like Blast’s reverse PMS.

This time we’re giving yous guys 50 — FIFTY — passes to “The Men Who Stare At Goats” staring George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, and Kevin Spacey.

And there’s more. Each of the FIFTY passes we’re giving away admit you and a guest. That’s 100 people in Boston who are going to see a movie exclusively because you read Blast.

You know the drill by now. Register an account or log-in and post a comment saying you want tix.

The screening is November 5 at 7 p.m. at the Boston Common AMC theater.

Three Paramount announcements today:

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures announced that “The Lovely Bones,” from director Peter Jackson for release on December 11 in limited release with an expansion on December 25 and a wide release on January 15, 2010.

Paramount Pictures’ “Paranormal Activity will be released on September 25 in limited release.

Paramount Pictures’ “Up in the Air” from Director Jason Reitman and starring George Clooney will be released on November 13 in limited release and expanding on November 25.

We don’t have the Boston release dates yet, however.

If you were George Clooney, you’d probably joke about marriage too.

Most likely tired of being asked about potential engagements, the 48-year-old bachelor announced at a press conference for his latest movie, “Men Who Stare at Goats,” that he is getting married to the director, Gary Heslov.

“Grant and I are actually announcing our wedding while we are here,” Clooney said. “I don’t quite know how to answer that question, but I can read your mind again and I know what you’re thinking.”

According to People magazine, he was seen out and about with Italian TV presenter, Elisabetta Canalis. They also arrived to the Venice Film Festival together on Monday.

Despite the jokes and public dates, people just can’t resist throwing themselves at the stud. One reporter at the press conference stripped down and proclaimed, “I’m gay, George. I want you, George! Come with me, George!”

Taking it all in stride, Clooney said that some people take “a big chance, only it doesn’t really work.”

Ladies, time to dismantle the shrine.

Research from security firm McAfee shows that some celebrities are just dangerous to Google and search for around the web because of the litany of fake websites out there that try to infect your computer with viruses and malicious code as you innocently seek out wallpaper and screensavers of your favs.

Brad Pitt leads the pack on a list that includes Jessica Alba and‚ Katherine Heigl.

“Fans searching for “Brad Pitt,” “Brad Pitt downloads,” and Brad Pitt wallpaper, screen savers and pictures have an 18% chance of having their PCs infected with online threats, such as spyware, spam, phishing, adware, viruses and other malware,” McAfee said. “Cybercriminals are using A-listers’ names and images, like Beyoncƒ© and Justin Timberlake, to lure Internet users who surf the Web for the latest gossip, screen savers and ringtones to “fake” Web sites that look legitimate.”

The list includes:

1. Brad Pitt – When “Brad Pitt screensavers” was searched, more than half of the resulting Web sites were identified as containing malicious downloads with spyware, adware and potential viruses.

2. Beyoncƒ© – Inputting “Beyoncƒ© ringtones” into a search engine yields risky Web sites that promote misleading offers to gather consumers’ personal information.

3. Justin Timberlake – Interest in his high-profile relationships makes him an easy target for spammers and hackers. When searching for “Justin Timberlake downloads” one Web site advertised free music downloads that were flagged as directly leading to spam, spyware and adware.

4. Heidi Montag – “The Hills” star is a popular search term when it comes to searching for wallpaper. A host of wallpaper Web sites contained hundreds of malware-laden downloads.

5. Mariah Carey – Spammers and hackers are using Mariah Carey screen saver Web sites to link to other sites proven to contain spyware, adware and other threatening downloads.

6. Jessica Alba – Red-ranked risky sites were identified when searching for “Jessica Alba” and “Jessica Alba downloads.” The sites contained hundreds of malicious downloads, links to other bad sites, misleading offers to gather information, and a high number of spam emails when an email address was provided.

7. Lindsay Lohan – This young Hollywood starlet is as dangerous to search online as she is famous. Searching for “Lindsay Lohan downloads” resulted in several dangerous Web sites laden with hidden adware.

8. Cameron Diaz – Cybercriminals use download Web sites related to Cameron Diaz’s image to link to other harmful sites containing spyware.

9. George Clooney, Rihanna – The technology found one Web site embedded with hundreds of dangerous wallpaper and photo downloads after inputting “George Clooney downloads.” “Rihanna pictures” was also a risky search term, as McAfee identified a site that spammed its test email address.

11. Angelina Jolie – When “Angelina Jolie downloads” was searched, the software highlighted a risky site with 978 hidden malware-infected wallpaper and photo downloads, as well as links to other potentially dangerous URLs.

12. Fergie – A Fergie screen saver site was flagged as offering 111 risky downloads that could seriously compromise a PC’s privacy with unwanted spyware and adware.

13. David Beckham, Katie Holmes – The “David Beckham” search term generated a great deal of wallpaper and screen saver downloads veiled with malware. Consumers should also exercise caution when searching for “Katie Holmes” online – one download site advertised free screen savers that, if downloaded, would infect your computer with malicious programs like spyware.

15. Katherine Heigl – Hollywood’s big headliner in recent years is now susceptible to Internet lurkers too. “Katherine Heigl” was searched and a site was identified containing hundreds of malware-infected pictures.

‚ ”Cybercriminals employ numerous methods, yet one of the simplest but most effective ways is to trick consumers into infecting themselves by capitalizing on Americans’ interest in celebrity gossip,” said Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee’s Product Development and Avert Labs. “Tapping into current events, pop culture or commonly browsed sites is an easy way to achieve this. And because of Americans’ obsession with following celebrities’ lifestyles, they are an obvious target. We have to take precautions in casually navigating the Web since many subtle sites may be rife with malware for consumers’ computers.”

The list was compiled using McAfee SiteAdvisor, which can be downloaded for free at‚ www.mcafee.com/siteadvisor.

These are the movies Blast is excited about seeing in the month of September:

The Women

Who: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Candice Bergen, Carrie Fisher

What: Ryan plays a clothing designer who finds out that her husband is cheating on her with another woman (Mendes) and then, with the help of her friends, all hell breaks loose.

When: September 12

Why: Meg Ryan hasn’t had a good chick flick since “Kate & Leopold” in 2001, but this movie looks like it could be her big comeback. The cast is fantastic and looks to have great chemistry. Plus, the whole “Sex and the City” vibe it is channeling is so in this year.

Burn After Reading

This is a redband trailer and not suitable for all audiences

Who: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons

What: The Coen brothers’ latest flick about two gym employees (Pitt and McDormand) who get their hands on the memoir of an ex-CIA official (Malkovich) and plan to take advantage of their discovery.

When: September 12

Why: The Coen brothers look like they’re going more for “O Brother, Where Art Thou” than “No Country For Old Men” in this one, but the change of pace is nice.. The cast is beyond A-list; this is Clooney and Pitt’s first movie together since “Ocean’s Thirteen,” and Swinton and Clooney are reunited after last year’s “Michael Clayton.” Plus, when have the Coen brothers ever failed to deliver?

Righteous Kill

Who: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino, 50 Cent, Donnie Wahlberg

What: Two veteran detectives (De Niro and Pacino) work to identify whether there is a connection between their current murder case and one they put to rest years before.

When: September 12

Why: This is De Niro and Pacino’s second movie together, but unlike “Heat” where they only had about five minutes of mutual face time; “Righteous Kill” looks like it will really show of their chemistry. Plus the good cop/bad copy storyline has “Oscar” written all over it.

The Duchess

Who: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Rampling

What: Knightly plays Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire, the head of high society who proved she could out-gamble, out-drink, and outwit most of the men she surrounded herself with. However, when she tries to follow an illicit love, she brings upon the wrath of her husband (Fiennes) and all of London.

When: September 19

Why: Keira Knightly looks fascinating and ravishing as the Duchess. Plus, the “it-girl” vibe has been a bit outdone this year when taking place in modern times, so why not watch the same story take place in regency era England?

Choke

Who: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly MacDonald, Brad Henke, Clark Gregg

What: An adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Choke is the story of a sex-addicted colonial theme park worker (Rockwell) who creates an elaborate scheme to pay for his mother’s hospital bills.

When: September 26

Why: It’s based on a Chuck Palahniuk book. Remember “Fight Club”? Yeah, it’s enough to make me go see it too.

Igor

Who: John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Eddie Izzard, Arsenio Hall, Sean Hayes

What: A hunchbacked lab assistant, or Igor (Cusack), breaks away from his traditional role in society and tries to win Malaria’s annual science fair.

When: September 19

Why: Sure it won’t beat “WALL-E”, but the voice talents are funny in real life, so why not in a movie too?

Miracle at St. Anna

Who: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Matteo Sciabordi, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valentina Cervi

What: Spike Lee’s story of four black American soldiers find themselves separated from their unit and trapped behind enemy lines in Italy during World War II. Working with a village of Italian rebels, they try to avoid the Nazis and save the life of an Italian boy.

When: September 26

Why: The trailer is really intriguing in a kind of skip-to-the-last-scene kind of way. Spike Lee has a good track record too.

Eagle Eye

Who: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Chiklis

What:  Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are two strangers being manipulated by a mysterious woman via cell phone who controls their every move. Together they must outwit the woman and outrun the FBI who thinks that they are responsible for crimes they did not commit.

When:  September 26

Why: Apparently this has been Steven Spielberg’s brain child for years, and the trailers look promising. It could end up being a total flop, but LaBeouf has been having good (on screen) luck this year.

Continued coverage

8:28 p.m. Regis Philbin appears to be teetering on the edge of senility. He just said hello to “Xavier Bardem,” sitting in the front row of the Kodak. Let the show begin!

8:23 p.m. Recently-turned-21-year-old Ellen Page is adorable and gracious. She seems truly thrilled and honored to be at the ceremony. Or maybe she’s just happy the Barbara Walters interview is over.

8:20 p.m. Psycho alert! The AP has a story up with the headline “Gary Busey harasses stars on red carpet.” He is totally going to be the talk of tinseltown tomorrow. I’m surprised if they even let him into the ceremony.

8:15 p.m. Helen Mirren looks GREAT (another red dress). I’m always amazed at how softspoken and shy Daniel Day-Lewis is in real life. ABC just reminded Amy Adams that she’ll be singing in front of a billion people; she momentarily looked like she was about to vomit. And good God, Regis Philbin is now interviewing 84-year-old “bleacher fan”/starwatcher Sarah Golden. She and Gary Busey would make a good couple.

8:05 p.m. I’m not sure if it’s because English isn’t her first language, but Marion Cotillard seems to me to be sort of vapid in every interview she does. ABC is going through a revolving door of nominees (and Miley Cyrus, ugh) now in the final half hour before the show starts. Laura Linney looks great; Javier Bardem is there with his mother.

7:59 p.m.: Low point of the evening: Ryan Seacrest just gave Katherine Heigl a plate emblazoned with his mug as a housewarming gift.

7:55 p.m.: Aww! “Enchanted” co-stars Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams just had a brief reunion on the carpet. “How nervous are you?” Dempsey asked Adams, who will be singing one of the nominated songs from the film. Moments later, Dempsey’s wife strangely described their infant twins as “juicy and delicious.”

7:51 p.m.: Casey Affleck and his wife look duly unimpressed with Ryan Seacrest, who eventually shooed them away in favor of Hillary Swank. The former Oscar winner also looks like she wants to die talking to him. Katherine Heigl is the latest actress to be wearing red and looks stunning. She’s definitely destined to play Marilyn Monroe in a biopic one of these days.

7:49 p.m.: It seems like red is the “in” color this year. Anne Hathaway, Ruby Dee, Julie Christie and Miley Cyrus all match the carpet. Mmm, Johnny Depp just arrived with glasses and short hair. And Ellen Page, in a dress! She looks uncomfortable. Colin Farrell’s date is his mother.

7:39 p.m.: Ryan Seacrest continues to make an ass of himself, first making fun of Marion Cotillard’s French accent and then forcing her to do an American one. But compared to Joey Fatone, who inexplicably breaks into high-octave song every few minutes (example: “Here’s another one of the nomin-EEEESSS!”), he looks like Brian Williams. Tilda Swinton just admitted she’s never seen the ceremony, even on TV. Interesting.

7:36 p.m.: Breaking: Cameron Diaz did not get Drew Barrymore a birthday present. (Why is she here?)

7:30 p.m.: Barbara Walters is talking to Ellen Page like the actress is 5 years old. Page is giving a great, articulate interview and Walters looks confused (her comment on the Moldy Peaches’ performance on The View: “I don’t get it.”) Walters lobbed a softball sexuality question at Page, who managed to dodge the bullet. Now Walters is forcing Page to sing and play guitar while she looks on like a scary grandmother. And now she’s singing along. God help us all. Back to the carpet.

7:25 p.m.: EVERYONE is talking about Gary Busey. He’s like the drunk guy who does embarassing karaoke and hits on interns at your office party. Ryan Seacrest just admitted he had never met Busey before and commented on Jennifer Garner’s look of sheer terror.

7:17 p.m.: Ryan Seacrest literally just cornered Jennifer Garner and Laura Linney to awkwardly interrupt what looked like a very pleasant conversation. Now Gary Busey (?!?!) just barged in and mauled both of them. They both look horrified and are running away, much to the dismay of Seacrest, who’s still getting jostled by Busey. (“I have no idea how to explain what’s happening on the red carpet right now … Jennifer Garner’s never coming back to red carpet again.”)

7:10 p.m.: Amy Adams is the first celebrity who looks genuinely excited to see Ryan Seacrest. But not anymore … he just took her tiny, empty purse and began modeling it.

7:06 p.m.: There’s been a lot of commentary that tonight is the first public appearance George Clooney has made with girlfriend Sarah Larson. She looks bored, and slightly miffed at Lisa Rinna’s unabashed fawning over her man. Apparently it’s pouring in L.A., but of course the red carpet is under a tent. Jennifer Garner just ran in under an umbrella.

7:02 p.m.: Good lord, Patrick Dempsey is GORGEOUS. I’m glad Barbara is doing some sort of Hannah Montana nonsense so I can pay attention to McDreamy on E! Ryan Seacrest apparently agrees with me, by the way. (“Wow, your eyes are so blue. They’re magical.” Seriously.)

7 p.m.: Barbara Walters’ Oscar pre-show special is starting on ABC, competing with red carpet coverage on E! and TV Guide. Henceforth, witness channel flipping become an art.

6:56 p.m.: Teen nominee Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement”) is being escorted by her father, who incidentally is only about three inches taller than she is. She seems like an Irish Dakota Fanning.

6:53 p.m.: Presenter Anne Hathaway talking about trying not to fall down the stairs. She’s definnitely one of the fashion “hits” of the night so far, as is Patrick Dempsy – yowza. Ryan Seacrest unfortunately balked at Hathaway’s date’s foreign-sounding name. Ruby Dee looks classy as well.

6:50 p.m.: ABC just teased an interview with “Best Actress nominee Laura Linley.” Hmm, never heard of her.

6:47 p.m.: “Juno” star Jason Bateman on George Clooney’s hair: “It’s amazing how real it looks, isn’t it?” And now he’s talking about a possible “Arrested Development” movie!!!! That’s it. For me, the rest of the night is inconsequential.

6:30 p.m.: Thank God things are finally getting interesting. Amy Ryan and George Clooney just arrived and both look great. (Not together). Ryan appears genuinely excited and overwhelmed, but seems appalled that Ryan Seacrest just forced her to fake-punch him so E! could try out sound effects (sigh). Anybody else find it jarring to hear her speak without a Dawchestah accent after nailing it in “Gone Baby Gone”?

6:21 p.m.: “I drink your soy shake?” Lisa and Joey’s parodies of the Best Picture nominees are getting old FAST. E! is doing a Britney Spears update. Lisa Rinna is talking to two Italian men nominated for Best Live Action short and has about as much of an idea who they are as I do.

6:16 p.m.: I have to admit, one of my favorite parts of award show pre-shows is watching the cable anchors fumble their way through questions, especially when they’re talking to celebrities (or about movies) they clearly know nothing about. Like, for instance, Lisa Rinna blanking on “MPAA” when talking to President Dan Glickman just now. Whoops.

6:01 p.m.: Jon Stewart looks fairly relaxed and not at all nervous, talking to E! in a t-shirt during show rehearsals. Also, the “Most Unbearable” Award is a toss-up between Ryan Seacrest and TVGuide’s Joey Fatone and Lisa Rinna, trying to kill time while they wait for the A-, B- and C-listers to start showing up.

5:33 p.m.: E! = class. Quote of the night so far, during a discussion about knocked-up celebs: “Jessica Alba, of course, uh, pregnant and not married. But this is Hollywood, so it’s okay!”

5:15 p.m.: Okay, E!’s “True Hollywood Story” of Leah, the “Real Girl” (a.k.a. Blow-up doll) from “Lars and the Real Girl” is pretty amusing. Meanwhile, over at TVGuide, you can practically hear crickets chirping as the anchors try to fill airtime in between infomercials.

5:01 p.m.: Hello, Blast readers! Tonight I’ll be taking you through Hollywood’s annual love-fest to itself, the Academy Awards. The TV Guide channel has been doing coverage since 2:30 this afternoon and let me tell you, as I type this three-and-a-half hours before the show begins, the coverage of the empty tents and vacant red carpet is absolutely riveting.

I’ll be flitting between TVGuide, E! and ABC for pre-Oscar coverage, so stick around!

You can watch the whole CES keynote address here. Also Gizmodo has a better quality video than most.

Bill Gates put together a funny, fitting farewell video starring Matthew McConaughey, Brian Williams, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jay-Z, Bono, George Clooney, Al Gore and more.

In one scene, Gates cell phones Bono during a show and tries to get in the band. Bono says to Gates,”Yeah, I know, I know, but I can’t just replace The Edge because you got a high score in Guitar Hero.

The video and keynote were given in front of 4,000 people Sunday night at the Venetian Hotel’s Palazzo Ballroom in Las Vegas.

Not a bad start to CES this year.