ScottFeinberg.com

By Joey Magidson
Film Contributor

***

As 2012 was wrapping up, I took a look at some of the older members of the industry that were top-tier contenders for citation by the Academy. Today I’m back with the other side of the coin: A list of the top 10 performances by pre-teens that Oscar wound up nominating. Unlike the subjects of that older piece (no pun intended), they didn’t have much experience, but like many of those highlighted in the aforementioned article, they still managed to capture the hearts of many voters.

It’s much harder for younger contenders to get noticed than their older counterparts. Academy members seem to loathe nominating pre-teens unless the work is a real standout and they’re head-over-heels for the film of which the performance is a part. They also prefer to sort of ghettoize younger candidates into the Supporting categories as opposed to the Lead ones, something senior actors and actresses know about all too well.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

***

Happy Valentine’s Day, ScottFeinberg.com readers!

On this day of love, I thought it only right to talk about TV’s most romantic show: The Bachelor.

Really, what’s more enchanting than watching two attractive people lock eyes with each another, discuss their hopes and fears, and then overcome the struggles of reality TV (including hot tubs, exotic vacations and 15 minutes of fame) to stay together?

Not much, if you ask me!

Believe it or not, the ABC reality series passed out its first rose in 2002, as bachelor Alex Michel fulfilled the fantasies of many men by meeting 25 women vying for his affection. Alas, true love was not meant to be had that season — or several others, including seasons of spinoffs The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad.

Of 24 The Bachelor and The Bachelorette installments, just three couples have stayed together: Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter (The Bachelorette, season one), Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney (The Bachelor, season 13) and J.P. Rosenbaum and Ashley Hebert (The Bachelorette, season seven).

“I think that’s one heck of a batting average,” says The Bachelor creator and executive producer Mike Fleiss.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Carson Blackwelder
Television Contributor

***

In the world of TV, love dictates all.

All viewers have their favorite couples from past and present: From Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) to Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), on-screen romances fill fan blogs and magazines.

But what about those secondary characters and their budding relationships that fly under the radar? Some of the best TV relationships have been those of sidekick characters or best friends, and it’s often their relationships that are more endearing than those of primary characters.

Here’s my list of the top 10 secondary TV couples and the adorable moments that make them so great:

Read the rest of this entry »

By Joey Magidson
Film Contributor

***

It’s common belief that the Academy Awards are steeped in tradition, but that distinction doesn’t apply to all Oscars categories. There are some exceptions, the most notable of which is in regard to animation. The Best Animated Feature category is among the newest at the Oscars, having been added just at the 74th Academy Awards ceremony.

With this being only the 12th year in which a Best Animated Feature is being crowned, I thought it was about time to see if there’s a formula that Oscar hopefuls should follow in order to maximize their chances of being nominated. Over the years a blueprint has emerged, even if it’s not an altogether clear one at this point. There are storylines, themes and trends that successful nominees take heed of when campaigning for a citation by the Academy, and the devil in the details is just being able to recognize them.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Rachel Bennett & Carson Blackwelder
Television Editor & Columnist, Television Contributor

***

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s only appropriate to talk about one topic: “Will They/Won’t They?” TV couples.

They’ve been the staple of TV for years, and just when we think we’ve seen them all, another pair sweeps us off of our feet.

From Sam and Diane (Ted Danson and Shelley Long of NBC’s Cheers) to Ross and Rachel (David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston of NBC’s Friends), we’re constantly enraptured by people looking for love.

So who will be the next great “Will They/Won’t They?” couple to join these ranks? Here are our favorite duos of the moment — maybe we’ll talk about them, too, for years to come.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter

***

During The Hollywood Reporter’s recent Nominees Night at Spago, I pulled aside Argo director/producer/star Ben Affleck — a best picture (if not best director) Oscar nominee this year and winner of the DGA, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe awards for best director — for a brief chat about his amazing journey with the film. Thus far, it has taken him from the film’s world premiere at last September’s Telluride Film Festival to the Oscar nominees luncheon last Monday, with many other memorable stops in-between. The 40-year-old husband of Jennifer Garner and father of three young children calls it “one of the most meaningful experiences of my whole life” and says he is savoring every minute of it because it is “probably a once in a lifetime experience for me.” (Check out the video at the top of this post for the full conversation.)

Read the rest of this entry/view video…

By Hollywood News Team
Hollywood News

***

Academy Award winners Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones will join their Chicago castmates Richard Gere and Queen Latifah to present together on-stage at the Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

“We are very excited to reunite the stars of Chicago to present on the Oscars, on the 10th anniversary of the movie’s win for Best Picture,” said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Read the rest of this entry… 

By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

***

Every Monday, Rachel will pick a TV show you need to watch out for that week and/or in the near future.

* * *

The third season of Masterpiece Theatre’s Downton Abbey only just arrived, but believe it or not, it’s already time to say goodbye to our favorite upstairs and downstairs drama.

This season, as is typical Downton Abbey fashion, has seen several gasp-worthy and tear-inducing moments, from weddings, jilted brides and flirtations to deaths, births and the guest appearance of legend Shirley MacLaine.

It’s been a fun ride that’s often the talk of country clubs and Twitter alike, and this Sunday’s Christmas Special (aka season finale) will no doubt leave us wanting more.

Luckily, we have at least one more season ahead of us (it’s been renewed for a fourth year, and the cast has signed on through a possible fifth installment), but the third season finale is the only new episode in our near future. Whether you’re old pals with the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) or have yet to be introduced to her charms, here’s why you should keep any eye on Downton Abbey this week:

Read the rest of this entry »

By Joey Magidson
Film Contributor

***

Whenever Steven Spielberg decides to take up a new directorial endeavor, he doesn’t do it alone. He gets his stock company of talent on the phone, and once he has the gang together, they go off and make a movie. It’s certainly not the same as when Spielberg was making little films in his backyard as a kid, but in a way the spirit is still the same. One big difference, though, is that when these movies get made, Oscar often takes notice.

Spielberg films almost always receive Academy Awards attention. On his own, he has 15 nominations (one of which came for just producing Letters from Iwo Jima, which he didn’t direct), while his crew has gotten dozens of nods. The last film of his not to get at least a nom was The Terminal, and before that it was Always. Believe it or not, only one other flick he directed went without a citation, and that was his early movie The Sugarland Express. That’s a stunningly good run of nominated work, and while he deserves lots of credit, his stock company deserves just as much.

Spielberg’s newest film, Lincoln, has gotten the attention of the Academy, and that extends to his crew as well. The movie itself is nominated for 12 Oscars, and while Spielberg has a solo citation for directing to go along with a trio of acting nods, the rest of the dozen go to the Beard’s crew members (though he shares a Best Picture credit, too).

Read the rest of this entry »

By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

***

After a fantastic fall that moved it from fourth to first place among the major networks, NBC is hitting yet another rough patch this spring.

The premieres of new shows Deception, 1600 Penn and Do No Harm failed (NBC is pulling the plug on Do No Harm after two episodes), and promising rookies Go On and The New Normal are tumbling without lead-in The Voice. Aside from this, Smash saw its second season premiere down 39 percent from its May season finale, attracting 4.5 million viewers and just a 1.1 adults rating.

On top of it all, NBC’s Up All Night star Christina Applegate is leaving the comedy as it’s in the middle of a major creative overhaul, saying, “It’s been a great experience working on Up All Night, but the show has taken a different creative direction and I decided it was best for me to move on to other endeavors.”

We’ve written a lot about NBC’s struggles, but it’s time to look ahead at how it can change for the better. And why not learn from example? Here are lessons NBC would be wise to pick up from its more successful network companions:

Read the rest of this entry »