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Nuggets: Rihanna's new album; Charlie Sheen to appear at Emmys?

Charlie Sheen, All My Children, Rihanna, Alicia Minshew, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Tyrannosaur, Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 17 2011 | 11:44 am

Embattled star Charlie Sheen may make a surprise appearance at this weekend's Emmys: "The pre-Emmy parties have been buzzing about a potential Emmy presenter stint for Sheen, whom the producers for this year’s ceremony identified early on as a dream get. The Emmy Awards air a day before the premiere of 'The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen,' and the actor has been doing a major PR blitz for the event over the past week, including appearances on 'The Tonight Show,' 'The Wendy Williams Show' and the 'Today' show." DEADLINE

What is the recipe for a successful Emmy show? "Good speeches, hot gowns, and a winning host are just a few of the ingredients EW’s Sandra Gonzalez hopes the Emmys will be cooking up for us on Sunday night. Watch her explain in the video below." EW.COM

Gift suites hit Hollywood just in time for the Emmys: "Gifting lounges have become important marketing tools for companies, and even in the recent gloomy economic climate, the suites open up as a way for established companies and upstarts to gain exposure for new products or reintroductions. In recent years, many have begun to give some proceeds to charities. By giving their products to celebrities as a 'gift,' marketers hope consumers will love it enough to use it, get photographed with it, or talk it up on Facebook or Twitter." REUTERS

Kris Tapley previews "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel": "John Madden’s latest, 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,' is set for release. Contrary to rumor, it will stay on its March 9, 2012 release date (especially now that Fox Searchlight has filled its awards boat), but it nevertheless looks like the sort of film that could be a lighthearted awards play next year if they wanted it to be. Maybe." IN CONTENTION

Daytime Emmy-nominee Alicia Minshew discusses the end of "All My Children's" ABC run and what will happen when it moves online: "They basically want to pick up where we left off… If they're completely capable of doing that, I don’t know. I mean, they seem like really smart guys, because we've met them. But, they've told us they're hoping to be on the air by January. They hope to be starting to tape by late November, and they will contact people on an individual basis and let them know what they wanted from them. And that is kind of where they sort of left us. So, again, this is what we've been told and it is kind of up in the air at this point." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Rihanna teases details of her upcoming sixth album: "Rihanna has started tweeting details about her upcoming sixth album, including a confirmation of when it will be released. In response to one fan's tweeted question about when the album is due, she responded, 'THIS FALL!!!!' The singer also hinted that the untitled project would include a lot of the dubstep influences heard on her 2009 release, 'Rated R.'" HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Paddy Considine's feature directing debut, "Tyrannosaur," gets a positive reception in Toronto: "'Tyrannosaur' is an arduous film, but it is an honest and intuitive probing of a heavy subject. Considine, [Peter Mullan], and [Olivia Colman] also do it justly through their unflinching portrayal. 'Tyrannosaur' was met with an enthusiastic standing ovation at last night’s screening: the standing-O one of the few I’ve seen at the festival this year and it’s well deserved." AWARDS DAILY

RELATED LINKS:

Sorry, Emmy nominees: You're doomed to lose

Handicapping all of the top Emmy races

Emmy cheat sheet: Who will win every category

Emmys: Order of category presentations revealed

Videos: Gold Derby editors debate races

Videos: Exclusive interviews with nominees

Prediction charts: Experts, Gold Derby Editors and Site Users

Nuggets: Emmy goes green; 'Drive' opens to rave reviews

Drive, Justin Bieber, Mad Men, Chuck, Community, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Mildred Pierce, Joel McHale, Zachary Levi, Cobie Smulders, Taraji P. Henson, Evan Rachel Wood, The Ides of March, George Clooney, Woody Allen, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 16 2011 | 11:20 am

"Drive" opens to rave reviews, but also some criticisms: "If it weren’t for a few critics writing less than favorable reviews for 'Drive,' you would be looking at the year’s best reviewed film so far. The thing about 'Drive’s' reception is that people either love it or hate it. This love/hate doesn’t seem to divide up the sexes, although I have to note I’ve yet to read one female critic who hated it. Who did hate it? AO Scott of the NY Times and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times – also David Edelstein of New York Magazine and JR Jones of the Chicago Reader (word has it Jonathan Rosenbaum gave it an F)." AWARDS DAILY

The political satire "Butter," starring Jennifer Garner, might divide audiences: "'I think comedy and satire are the best at a point of extremes,' said [director Jim Field Smith]. 'Everything has been pushed into this almost gladiator space and so I think that is something that the movie satirizes. It's become like a blood sport.' As for the lukewarm reviews, Field Smith said the proof is in the pudding -- or in this case, in the standing ovation the film received at its Toronto premiere. 'Comedy's a very subjective thing,' he said. 'Not everyone's going to like the movie, I think the majority will.'" REUTERS

Fans will have to wait a little longer for the first new No Doubt album in a decade: "Earlier this summer, the members of No Doubt met up with Entertainment Weekly and pushed play on a handful of songs the group was working on for its first album in a decade. They said the still-untitled collection would be out before the end of the year. Unfortunately, fans may have to wait a little longer still. In a statement on their website, they told the world that work on the new songs has been more involved than once predicted. 'Ideally our new record would be coming out this year but it’s just not ready yet,' the statement said." EW.COM

Jonathan Goldman predicts a big night for "Mad Men" at the Emmys: "'Mad Men' will likely be the big winner of the night. The series had yet another strong season and has solidified its role as the darling of the Emmy voters." CNN

Emmy nominee and possible Oscar contender Evan Rachel Wood ("Mildred Pierce," "The Ides of March") discusses George Clooney, Justin Bieber, bisexuality: "At 24, Wood — who first made waves as a pubescent terror in 'Thirteen' — has already lived a pretty full life and garnered major fans along the way. In the last three years alone she's worked with Robert Redford, Woody Allen, and Darren Aronofsky. And in this month's political think piece 'Ides of March,' Wood finds herself not only being directed by but also sharing the screen with George Clooney." MARIE CLAIRE

Emmy producers are adding a touch of green to the red carpet this weekend: "Solar power and recycled carpet fibers will be in the Emmy spotlight on Sunday as part of Fox and the TV Acad's efforts to make the ceremony considerably more eco-friendly than it has been in the past. Fox and the TV Acad are using solar panels to provide the power used by all those screaming photogs and others who will line the entryway to the Nokia Theater." VARIETY

Despite their snubs, Joel McHale ("Community") and Zachary Levi ("Chuck") will lend Emmy their voices: "'Chuck' star Zachary Levi, 'Community's' Joel McHale, 'NCIS: Los Angeles's' LL Cool J, 'Person of Interest’s' Taraji P. Henson, 'Awake’s' Wilmer Valderrama, 'How I Met Your Mother's' Cobie Smulders and 'The Office's' Kate Flannery are among those slated to perform as part of the Emmingtons during the category introductions." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

RELATED:

Sorry, Emmy nominees: You're doomed to lose

Handicapping all of the top Emmy races

Emmy cheat sheet: Who will win every category

Emmhs: Order of category presentations revealed

Videos: Gold Derby editors debate races

Videos: Exclusive interviews with nominees

Prediction charts: Experts, Gold Derby Editors and Site Users

Nuggets: 'We Bought a Zoo' trailer; Jackman, Langella back to Broadway

Matt Damon, Clint Eastwood, Katy Perry, War Horse, Adele, Jane Lynch, Jersey Shore, J. Edgar, We Bought a Zoo, Michelle Yeoh, The Lady, David Thewlis, Jason Reitman, Cameron Crowe, Britney Spears, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 15 2011 | 13:09 pm

Sasha Stone warns of the potential Oscar contenders that skipped the festival circuit: "[Jason Reitman]’s decision not to put #'Young Adult#' through its film festival paces only to see it flatline come Oscar time seems to have been a good choice. Clint Eastwood’s decision to hold off on the festivals for 'J. Edgar' also seems like a good choice, and 'War Horse' and 'Extremely Loud' and 'We Bought a Zoo' and all of the other movies we’re all waiting to see. But it does put we Oscar predictors in an uncomfortable place: we’re now taking a wild guess as to which movies will advance to dominate the race. When it comes to picking movies no one has seen the game is at its most risky." AWARDS DAILY

Is Adele's "Someone Like You" really the first ballad to top the Billboard Hot 100 in three years? "Since the reign of '[Take a Bow],' 'turbo-pop,' so dubbed by Radio-info.com's Sean Ross (formerly of Billboard's editorial department), has clearly entrenched itself as the dominant sound at pop radio. From Taio Cruz, David Guetta and Usher to Ke$ha, Katy Perry and Britney Spears, mainstream top 40 now almost exclusively serves up songs that have a good beat (and that you can dance to)." BILLBOARD

Jane Lynch previews this weekend's Primetime Emmys: "Lynch teased that the 63rd annual Primetime Emmys would feature an appearance by such members of MTV's 'Jersey Shore' gang as Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, Paul 'DJ Pauly D' Delvecchio and Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino. She said the show will also star a chorus of singing TV actors who will introduce the award categories. They might melodically move the show along, too. 'If any of our winners go long, they'll be gently singing them off,' promised Lynch." BOSTON GLOBE

The trailer for Cameron Crowe's anticipated "We Bought a Zoo" hits the web: "It’s got Matt Damon dramatically quitting his job and uprooting his family, at Thomas Haden Church’s suggestion, to a place with sunshine. 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' marvel J.B. Smoove shows Matt Damon a lovely house for sale, then informs him, 'It’s a zoo.' What? That’s almost never the case!" EW.COM

Cohen Media Group has acquired Luc Besson's "The Lady": "Everyone’s just been waiting to see who would pick up Luc Besson’s 'The Lady' out of Toronto, just for an excuse to go ahead and shuffle Michelle Yeoh over to the pile of likely Best Actress contenders. Yeoh stars in the film as Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi and David Thewlis has a meaty part as her husband." IN CONTENTION

Hugh Jackman brings his one-man show to the Great White Way: "Jackman will be accompanied at the Broadhurst Theatre by an 18-piece orchestra and will perform his favorite musical numbers. He's already fine-tuned the show in San Francisco and Toronto. Jackman was in Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma!' at the National Theatre in London and made his Broadway debut portraying the 1970s singer-songwriter Peter Allen in 'The Boy From Oz,' for which he received the 2004 Tony." CBS

Tony-winner Frank Langella returns to Broadway in "Man and Boy": "Three-time Tony Award winner Frank Langella returns to Broadway to play a ruthless businessman whose estranged grown son may hold the key to success, in Terence Rattigan's 'Man and Boy,' at the American Airlines Theatre. Roundabout Theatre Company is reviving the Depression-set 1963 drama, directed by Maria Aitken ('The 39 Steps'), in which Langella plays financier Gregor Antonescu, whose business 'is dangerously close to crumbling,' according to Roundabout notes. " PLAYBILL

Nuggets: Guinness Records for Lady Gaga, Adele, and 'Downton Abbey'

Lady Gaga, Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Modern Family, Adele, Downton Abbey, The Descendants, The Ides of March, Shame, Rampart, George Clooney, Michael Fassbender, Woody Harrelson, Steve McQueen, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 14 2011 | 10:47 am

George Clooney discusses varying response to his duelling Oscar contenders, "The Descendants" and "The Ides of March": "Holding an old-fashioned glass and encircled by admirers, young gorgeous women, and seasoned film journalists, he told me — and Baz Bamigboye of the Daily Mail, Roger Friedman of Showbiz411 and Manhattan salonista Peggy Siegel — that 'The Descendants' had received the warmer reception at Telluride the week before, but the pendulum had appeared to swing in Toronto. Here, 'March' was receiving the better buzz.  The mercurial element of audience response bemused him, bringing out the dimples and those crinkly laugh lines by his eyes — and a shrug." THELMA ADAMS

Sasha Stone would like the Academy to embrace a daring, boundary-pushing film like her festival fave, "Shame": "But films featuring extreme sexuality, as was depicted in last year’s 'Black Swan,' which won an Oscar for Natalie Portman and garnered 4 more nominations, are few and far between. Once a film crosses over into the blue zone, it ends up joining the ranks of movies that either aren’t take seriously or are too rough going for many of them. This is why I always love it when films that makes people blush, as Steve McQueen’s brilliant 'Shame' does, enter the Oscar race." AWARDS DAILY
 

Coldplay unveils a new single from their upcoming album: "The march toward the most unpronounceable album of 2011 continues. Coldplay’s fifth proper album is called 'Mylo Xyloto' and is set to hit store shelves on October 24 ... and the band just pulled the curtain back on another single called 'Paradise.'" EW.COM
 

PBS's Emmy-nominated "Downton Abbey" sets a Guiness World Record for critical acclaim: "Guinness World Records has awarded 'Downton Abbey' with the accolade of the 'Highest critical review ratings for a TV show,' which the record book says means the PBS Masterpiece series created and written by Julian Fellowes is the most 'critically well-received show in the world,' snatching the honor from previous record holders 'Mad Men,' 'Sons of Anarchy' and 'Modern Family.' 'Downton,' which has been nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, averaged a score of 92 out of 100 on Metacritic, which provided the date of compiled reviews." DEADLINE
 

Lady Gaga and Adele among new Guiness World Record holders in music: "Lady Gaga's social media predominance was rewarded, landing her the Most Followers on Twitter crown with 11,259,372 as of June 29 (she's currently at 13,469,754). In addition, 'Poker Face' was honored for Most Weeks on U.S. Digital Hot Songs chart at 83 weeks. Gaga made the book last year for having the most consecutive weeks on the U.K. chart and being the most searched-for woman on the Internet." MTV
 

Tomorrow is the deadline to submit documentary features for consideration to the Motion Picture Academy: "To be eligible, the documentaries must complete seven-day commercial runs in both Los Angeles County and the Borough of Manhattan in New York between September 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011. (The September 1 to December 31 period is one-time only; in future years, eligibility will follow only the calendar year.) For films completing their qualifying runs by August 15, all paperwork must be completed and received by the Academy no later than 30 days after the end of the qualifying runs." DEADLINE
 

Woody Harrelson delivers a "tour de force" in Oren Moverman's "Rampart," according to Kris Tapley: "This is a firehouse performance of subtle strokes and vivid internalizations. I was reminded of Michael Fassbender’s work in 'Shame' if only because both performances so wonderfully offer a master class in clenched but emotive power. It’s Harrelson’s best work in a good long while, including his Oscar-nominated performance in 'The Messenger' two years ago." IN CONTENTION

Nuggets: Sex in Toronto; Stephen Fry to host BAFTAs

Paul Giamatti, Michelle Williams, Hugh Laurie, All My Children, Jon Hamm, Steve Carell, Lea Michele, Ian Somerhalder, Rob Lowe, Kaley Cuoco, Melissa McCarthy, My Week with Marilyn, Killer Joe, Win Win, Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, Thomas McCarthy, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 13 2011 | 10:27 am

Frazier Moore wonders if stars Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, and Steve Carell will join the ranks of perpetual Emmy bridesmaids: "Mind you, there's no disgrace in a series star being stuck with a bridesmaid streak. Among actor nominees, the beloved Angela Lansbury wears the crown as all-time Emmy loser. She was rebuffed a dozen times for 'Murder, She Wrote' and has lodged six more losses for other nominated TV performances." ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mark Harris launches a Save-a-Seat campaign for four worthy Best Actor contenders, including Paul Giamatti in "Win Win": "As the flawed but decent wrestling coach and small-town lawyer in Thomas McCarthy’s excellent 'Win Win,' he makes the most of a too-rare chance to play an ordinary-guy leading role. The part might not be flashy, but neither was Richard Jenkins’ nominated role in McCarthy’s 'The Visitor.' Sometimes the actors’ branch just appreciates the opportunity to watch a hard-working pro get a chance to do his thing impeccably." GRANTLAND
 

Emmy-winning "All My Children" star Mary Fickett has died: "Mary Fickett — best known for playing Nurse Ruth Martin on 'All My Children' — has died. Born in New York, the actress won an Emmy in 1972 for her work on the ABC drama. She was one of the sudser’s original cast members." EW.COM
 

Steve Pond notices a trend of frank sexuality at the Toronto Film Festival: "Then came William Friedkin's brutal, twisted and intermittently hilarious rural noir 'Killer Joe,' in which Emile Hirsch's stepmother, played by Gina Gershon, opens the door to their trailer clad only in a short t-shirt. Then 'Alps,' from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, who was responsible for the Oscar-nominated 'Dogtooth,' and whose new film is as weird and transgressive as that earlier film, and more sexually explicit to boot." THE WRAP
 

New names have been added to the list of presenters for this weekend's Primetime Emmy telecast: "Primetime Emmy® Award nominee Melissa McCarthy along with Don Cheadle, Kaley Cuoco, Rob Lowe, Lea Michele and Ian Somerhalder are additional presenters announced for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards.  The telecast will air live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 18th, (8:00 PM EDT live / 5:00 PM PDT live) on FOX."
 

Adam Green interviews two-time Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams about "My Week with Marilyn": "On-screen, Williams often exudes a bruised, wary fragility, whether as a betrayed wife in 'Brokeback Mountain' or a young mother watching her marriage crumble in 'Blue Valentine.' Here, though one can still detect a faint undercurrent of melancholy, she is bright and animated, quick to laugh." VOGUE
 

Stephen Fry will host the next BAFTA Awards: "Amanda Berry, CEO of BAFTA, says, 'I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Stephen back to host the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2012. Since he stepped down from hosting in 2006, Stephen has continued to build an enviable broadcast repertoire, making a string of BAFTA-nominated documentaries and entertainment programmes as well as lending his voice to BAFTA-winning video games, and we will be seeing him shortly in upcoming films ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ and ‘The Hobbit.''" BAFTA.ORG

Nuggets: George Clooney vs. himself; disappointing box office for 'Warrior'

Glee, Cloris Leachman, Chelsea Lately, The Descendants, The Ides of March, The Artist, We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Skin I Live In, Warrior, George Clooney, Nick Nolte, Alexander Payne, Pedro Almodovar, Foo Fighters, Helen Mirren, Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Albert Nobbs, Melancholia, Judi Dench, Michel Hazanavicius, Lars von Trier, Rodrigo Garcia, Shame, Michael Fassbender, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 12 2011 | 09:47 am

Sophia Savage reports the forty-five films selected for consideration at this year's European Film Awards: "The European Film Academy and EFA Productions announce forty-five films recommended for nominations into the 2011 European Film Awards, from Michel Hazanavicius’ 'The Artist,' the Dardenne Brothers’ 'The Kid with A Bike' and Lars von Trier’s 'Melancholia' to Susanne Bier’s 'In A Better World' (Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language film, 2010), Aki Kaurismäki’s Le Havre and Pedro Almodovar’s 'The Skin I Live In.'" INDIEWIRE

"Gossip Girl" producers will bring Candace Bushnell's "Sex and the City" prequel to the CW: "A month ago we reported that 'The Carrie Diaries,' a TV series project based on 'Sex and the City' author Candace Bushnell’s recent book about Carrie Bradshaw’s high school years, was headed to the CW. That has now become a reality after the project was pitched to the network on Friday and bought in the room. Under the deal, which is being finalized, Warner Bros. TV is producing with 'Gossip Girl' executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s studio-based Fake Empire banner." DEADLINE

It could be George Clooney vs. George Clooney at the box office and the Oscars: "At a Saturday press conference for family drama 'The Descendants,' which Fox Searchlight will release Nov. 18, Clooney was asked about the timing of that Alexander Payne film and his own helming/acting effort, Sony's political drama 'The Ides of March' (Oct. 7), also screening at Toronto. 'I find that it's a very odd thing to think of competition when talking about what I still think of as art. I never think of competing with actors or filmmakers,' he said. 'You still compete at the box office, (but) we're far enough apart that I'm not concerned with that, either. At the end of the day I don't really think about competition. I don't want to think of it as a race with anyone.'" VARIETY
 

Kris Tapley warns that tepid box office for "Warrior" could spell the end of its Oscar chances: "I don’t pretend to be a box office expert, but I have to think five million for 'Warrior' on opening weekend is a disaster for that film. What’s the ceiling when you start out there? It has to be low. Money was always going to be the difference for its Oscar chances. If it hit, there would have been a lot of potential. But now it’ll be lucky to eek out that nod for Nick Nolte." IN CONTENTION
 

Scott Feinberg attended a dinner for "Albert Nobbs" in Toronto: "When asked about [Glenn Close], whom he had directed twice before 'Nobbs,' [Rodrigo Garcia] noted that she is one of only a small handful of actresses over the age of 60 who can basically get a film made, the others being Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, and perhaps Jane Fonda and Susan Sarandon. As they say, getting older ain't fun... even -- or perhaps especially -- in Hollywood." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
 

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl admits he's not a fan of "Glee" on "Chelsea Lately": "Grohl hit on a bunch of topics, including his band’s win at the VMAs (he joked that had Cloris Leachman not been present, he would have been the oldest person at the show), the dearth of 'real' rock bands, his group's approach live ('We don’t sound like the record, we sound like five dudes beating the s— out of our instruments'), and his stance on 'Glee' ('As a rock musician, why should you have to say ‘OK 'Glee,' take my song and turn it into a f—ing musical?')." EW.COM
 

Adam Hetrick announces casting news for the Public Theater's "King Lear," premiering this fall off-Broadway: "Tony Award winners Frank Wood and Bill Irwin, as well as Kristen Connolly have joined the Public Theater production of King Lear, starring Academy Award nominee Sam Waterston in the title role. Previews will begin Oct. 18 Off-Broadway." PLAYBILL
 

Owen Gleiberman is less than impressed with "Shame," which won Michael Fassbender Best Actor honors at the Venice Film Festival: "Of course, if 'Shame' were a well-made lugubrious, moralistic sex-addict drama, I might be tempted to cut it a little more slack. The movie, though, is overstated yet slipshod — and, to be honest, often solemnly preposterous." EW.COM

Will gender-bending 'Albert Nobbs' win Glenn Close an Oscar at last?

Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Tilda Swinton, Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Felicity Huffman, Albert Nobbs, Ben Kingsley, Linda Hunt, Film, Oscars, Oscars 2011 Nominations - Best Actress, Oscars 2011 Nominations - Best Supp. Actress

By Adam Waldowski
Sep 11 2011 | 21:27 pm

Glenn Close and Janet McTeer are both generating Oscar buzz for their gender-bending performances in "Albert Nobbs," currently screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Based on George Moore's 19th Century short story "The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs," the Rodrigo Garcia-directed film follows a soft-spoken woman who lives her life as a man in Victorian-era Dublin. As the title character, Close is receiving positive notices that suggest if distributor Roadside Attractions plays its cards right, Close could be nominated for Best Actress. To date she has earned five Oscar nominations without a win.

McTeer – a 2000 Best Actress nominee for "Tumbleweeds" – is also getting raves as the confident, married Hubert Page, who discovers Nobbs' secret before revealing she too is a cross-dressing woman. Several reviewers insist McTeer is a serious contender for Best Supporting Actress. And there's plenty of precedent for Close and McTeer to earn nominations for their unique performances.

The Academy has responded to gender-bending roles for decades, starting with Marlene Dietrich in "Morocco" (1930). Dietrich made an iconic impression as singer Amy Jolly, who meets and beguiles Tom Brown (Gary Cooper) while dressed in drag. In a top hat and coattails, she plants a kiss on a beautiful woman in the audience while warbling "Quand L'Amour Meurt."

Jack Lemmon spent most of "Some Like It Hot" (1959) wearing a dress and heels and earned a Best Actor nomination in the process. Lemmon and his snubbed co-star Tony Curtis played musicians who hide from the mob by joining a girl band under the names Daphne and Josephine. Though Billy Wilder directed several actors to Oscar wins in his career, the Academy in this case favored Charlton Heston's machismo in "Ben-Hur."

In one of his best remembered roles, Dustin Hoffman donned a dress and glasses as Dorothy Michaels in "Tootsie" (1982), for which he was nominated for Best Actor. Dorothy is actually Michael Dorsey, an out-of-work actor who takes desperate measures to land a job on a soap opera. His deceit outrages co-star Julie Nichols (Jessica Lange, who won Best Supporting Actress), but he wins her back in the end when he says, "I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man." Oscar voters, however, picked Ben Kingsley ("Gandhi").

That same year, Blake Edwards directed his wife Julie Andrews to a Best Actress nomination for "Victor/Victoria." Like Hoffman in "Tootsie," Andrews also portrays a starving artist who blurs gender lines to find work. Singer Victoria Grant becomes Count Victor Grazinski, a male drag performer who sings with a suspiciously beautiful soprano. Grant herself doubts that the scheme will work when it's proposed by her friend Carroll Toddy (Robert Preston). Andrews plays the comic scenario for all its worth, hilariously exclaiming, "A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman? It's preposterous!" The premise may have proved too outlandish for the Academy, which chose Meryl Streep for "Sophie's Choice," but Andrews already had a win for "Mary Poppins" (1964) under her belt. Preston earned his only career nomination for his supporting turn. He ends the film with a hilarious, intentionally unconvincing drag performance.

The drag act also worked for Gwyneth Paltrow, who took home Best Actress in 1998 for "Shakespeare in Love." In Elizabethan England, where women were banned from performing on stage, Viola de Lesseps (Paltrow) masquerades as Thomas Kent to win a role in "Romeo and Juliet." When she joins the cast, she wins the heart of William Shakespeare and inspires him to complete his famous romantic tragedy. "Romeo and Juliet" may not have had a happy ending, but "Shakespeare in Love" rode off into the sunset with seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

The following year, Hilary Swank won Best Actress as Brandon Teena, a real-life transgender man, in "Boys Don't Cry" (1999). Teena was a Nebraskan female-to-male non-operative transgender who was raped and murdered in 1993. Kimberly Peirce's film traces the events that led to Teena's death, including his romance with Lana Tisdel (Oscar-nominated Chloe Sevigny). "Boys Don't Cry" was released a year following the death of Matthew Shepard, adding to its relevance and starting a serious movement for hate crime legislation in the United States.

Chris Sarandon was the first to be nominated for playing a pre-operative transsexual, in "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975). Sarandon plays Leon Schermer, who describes himself as the wife of bank robber Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino); one reason Wortzik holds up a bank is to pay for Leon's sex reassignment surgery. Sarandon competed for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to George Burns for "The Sunshine Boys."

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Jaye Davidson was next for his jaw-dropping turn in "The Crying Game" (1992). Davidson shocked audiences, and earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination, as the lovely Dil, who begins dating Fergus (Stephen Rea), a member of the Irish Republican Army who – unbeknownst to Dil – was responsible for the death of her boyfriend. When Fergus and Dil are about to consummate their relationship, he's shocked to discover Dil is actually a man. Considered one of the most shocking twists in cinema history, it helped writer-director Neil Jordan win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

The most recent performance of a transsexual role to wow the Academy was by Felicity Huffman, nominated for her work in "Transamerica" (2005). Huffman played Bree Osbourne, originally a man, who discovers that she fathered a now-teenaged child before she began her gender transition. Although the film earned good reviews and a Golden Globe for Huffman, the Oscar went to Reese Witherspoon for "Walk the Line."

Cate Blanchett also won a Golden Globe and picked up an Oscar nomination for her gender-bending turn in "I'm Not There" (2007). Blanchett simply plays a man, and not a character in gender-transition; she was Jude Quinn, an incarnation of Bob Dylan circa 1966, one of six Dylan-inspired characters in Todd Haynes's experimental biopic. Best Supporting Actress that year went to Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton"), who herself received acclaimed for playing a man who wakes up one day as a woman in the Oscar-nominated "Orlando" (1993).

Linda Hunt is the only performer to win an Oscar for cross-gender acting. Hunt's won Best Supporting Actress for "The Year of Living Dangerously" (1983), in which she played Chinese-Australian photographer Billy Kwan. The American actress is also known for her roles in "The Bostonians" (1984) and "She-Devil" (1989) and was seen most recently in "Stranger Than Fiction" (2006). She currently stars on the CBS drama "NCIS: Los Angeles."

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Nuggets: Plummer channels Barrymore; Gervais to 'live-snark' the Golden Globes?

Ryan Gosling, Tilda Swinton, Ricky Gervais, Larry David, Louis C.K., A Dangerous Method, Take Shelter, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Christopher Plummer, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Nichols, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 11 2011 | 08:09 am

Oscar-winner Cliff Robertson has passed away: "Cliff Robertson, who was 88 when he died Saturday at his Stony Brook, N.Y., home of natural causes, had not been a force in the film industry for years, and had not been in the top ranks of leading men even at his prime. But he made a difference nonetheless in his 50-plus-year career." USA TODAY

Alexandr Sokurov's "Faust" bests Oscar hopefuls for top honors at the Venice Film Festival: "Aleksandr Sokurov‘s 'Faust,' a retelling of Goethe’s tragedy ... was awarded the Golden Lion by [lead juror Darren] Aronofsky a few minutes ago. We had to miss the film ourselves, but word was wildly divergent, with European critics raving, but British and American ones left distinctly cooler by the project." INDIEWIRE
 

Patrick Mullen praises "We Need to Talk About Kevin" at the Toronto Film Festival: "'We Need to Talk About Kevin' set an awfully high bar for the next week of the festival. The film truly lives up to the raves that Sasha [Stone] and many others have heaped upon it already ... [Tilda Swinton’s] laudably understated performance ranks among her best." AWARDS DAILY
 

Breakout star Jessica Chastain won the "New Hollywood" award along with Ryan Gosling at the Deauville Film Festival: "Top honors went to Jeff Nichols’s 'Take Shelter,' a film of which I’m a big proponent. To start the festival, though, one of the film’s stars, Jessica Chastain, shared the 'New Hollywood' award with Ryan Gosling. It’s notable as the second festival notice for the actress, following the Gucci Award for Women in Film at the Venice fest." IN CONTENTION
 

Nikki Finke reports that Ricky Gervais is interested in "live-snarking" the next Golden Globe Awards with a little help from his friends: "From Ricky Gervais’ blog: What do you think of this? A live 3 hour podcast during The Golden Globes. Me and a few chums (like Louis C.K., Chris Rock, Karl Pilkington, Jon Stewart, Larry David popping in and out) doing our own alternative commentary. People at home can have the telly on with the sound down listening to us online say things that no broadcaster could get away with." DEADLINE
 

Owen Gleiberman raves aboout the performances of Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender in "A Dangerous Method" in Toronto: "Fassbender brings Jung the tormented angelic mind-bender to life. He and Mortensen turn Jung and Freud into X-men of the unconscious. They know they’re freaks, and that’s their liberation." EW.COM
 

Dan Snierson offers a look at HBO's "Englightened," starring Emmy- and Oscar-nominated actress Laura Dern: "Interested in seeing Laura Dern as 'an agent of change' — not to mention, a woman who can create a rather disturbing elevator scene? Empower yourself by watching the first trailer for the new HBO drama 'Enlightened.' Dern plays Amy Jellicoe, a troubled corporate exec who suffers a nervous breakdown, receives treatment at a mental health facility in Hawaii, and then returns to work as a new person." EW.COM
 

Scott Feinberg thinks Christopher Plummer could win an Oscar for upcoming "Barrymore": "It features a performance by veteran thespian Christopher Plummer that is so good that it could feasibly bring the 81-year-old the Oscar that has eluded him for so long if the film is picked up and promoted by a capable distributor. What's so special about the film, which was adapted from a 1996 Broadway production for which Plummer won the Tony for best performance by a leading actor? It's a one-man show – literally." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Nuggets: 'Shame' in Oscar race; Venice falls for 'Faust'; Globes on NBC Jan. 15

Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Artist, Christian Bale, David Fincher, Tom Hooper, Clint Eastwood, John Hawkes, The Tree of Life, A Dangerous Method, Carnage, J. Edgar, The Descendants, Shame, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, George Clooney, Elizabeth Olsen, Michael Fassbender, Steve McQueen, Film, Music, Theater, TV

By Gold Derby News Desk
Sep 10 2011 | 10:27 am

Sasha Stone reports that Fox Searchlight has picked up "Shame" for distribution: "Fox Searchlight continues its commitment to back daring and brilliant work with its acquisition of Steve McQueen’s 'Shame,' one of the best films to play Telluride, and I’m going to bet, the entire year.  They’ve already got 'The Tree of Life' and 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' – and to add 'Shame' to that list is a marvel." AWARDS DAILY

Opening weekend at the Toronto Film Festival is chock full of studio acquisitions and an extended preview of a new film by director Zhang Yimou: "Meanwhile every distributor in town turned up Friday for a screening of 20 minutes of gorgeous, horrifying footage of master auteur Zhang Yimou’s once-titled 'Heroes of Nanking,' starring Christian Bale as mortician in wartorn 1937 Nanking who steps up to protect a group of schoolgirls and prostitutes taking shelter at the Winchester Cathedral. The movie, which is adapted by Liu Heng from the novel by Geling Yan, is inspired by true events during the Rape of Nanking, and now has a new, if not better title, 'The Flowers of War.'" INDIEWIRE
 

Scott Feinberg believes the stars the low-budget indie "Martha Marcy May Marlene" are Oscar-bound: "My sense is that 22-year-old [Elizabeth Olsen] -- Mary-Kate and Ashley's younger and fuller-figured sister -- has a decent shot at scoring a best actress Oscar nod, but that an even safer bet for awards attention is the great character actor John Hawkes, who plays the charismatic but deranged leader of the cult." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
 

Alexander Sokurov's "Faust" won the top prize, the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival Saturday, edging out films such as "Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy" and "Carnage." "Shame" star Michael Fassbender won Best Actor while Deanie Ip ("A Simple Life") claimed Best Actress. The Silver Lion for directing went to Cai Shangjun ("People Mountain People Sea"). THE AUTEURS
 

Susan Wloszczyna finds it difficult to identify a clear Oscar frontrunner at the Toronto Film Fest: "Unlike 2010, when 'The King's Speech' pulled out of the pack quickly and became the one to beat -- signaled by taking the People's Choice award as the Toronto voting public's favorite -- there is no front-runner yet in the best picture race. Complicating matters is that some expected contenders, such as Clint Eastwood's 'J. Edgar' and David Fincher's 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' will be kept under wraps for a while." USA TODAY
 

Kyle Buchanan thinks George Clooney's Oscar chances for "The Descendants" are climbing: "The most popular man in Telluride had a performance that impressed many. 'George Clooney's performance as a beleagured, soon-to-be-widowed dad is touching, real, honest. He's immediately in Best Actor contention,' tweeted Jeff Wells." VULTURE
 

Despite a battle over television rights, the Golden Globes show must go on: "On Friday morning, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., creator and owner of the high-profile event; Dick Clark Productions, which produces the show; and broadcaster NBC plan to announce that they have cobbled together a one-year agreement to jointly stage the annual awards fest at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 15." LA TIMES
 

Roger Ebert joins the chorus of critical raves for the modern silent film "The Artist": "I had great admiration for the film as a whole, and so did the audience in the big Elgin Theater, which was possibly the warmest crowd I've been in at Toronto since the premiere of 'Juno.' This would not seem a likely time for a silent movie, but 'The Artist' ignores that and goes about its business. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's a significant box office success." CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
 

Kenneth Jones reports that Tony-winner Hugh Jackman will join Russell Crowe in the film adaptation of the musical "Les Miserables": "The stage musical's producer, Cameron Mackintosh, who is also the film's producing partner, confirmed the news in a Sept. 8 statement: 'Even though I have dreamt about making the film of 'Les Miserables' for over 25 years, I could never have imagined that we would end up with the dream director Tom Hooper, and the dream cast of Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe as the two great protagonists Jean Valjean and Javert." PLAYBILL
 

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