Wonder if they'll be something on short socks too ;-) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3397149.stm The feedback is hysterical.

ROTF! Thank, Karen. White sports socks with trainers...they are ok. White socks of any kind with anything other than trainers.. bad, bad taste. Mark H, UK I've been saying it for years. And David Letterman looks ridiculous in his white socks and penny loafers with those double-breasted suits.

White sports socks with trainers...they are ok. White socks of any kind with anything other than trainers.. bad, bad taste. Mark H, UK (Moon) I've been saying it for years. Moon, that was the one I was going to use! White okay with (and only with) trainers. I'll go one more...no colored socks with trainers...so it's white or nothin' when it comes to tennies. ODB is guilty of the colored socks with trainers infraction...just doesn't work (IMO). Scroll halfway down http://www.firth.com/articles/ladailynews52202.html ...crikey! At least he matched sweater to socks (I'll give him that...) and the adorable half-smile will make up for a bit of it...just a bit ;-)

(Tress)I'll go one more... I'll raise you....white socks with sandals...Peeeeeoooowwwww. Now, I've seen those in summer in Europe. Always makes me think the person has athletes foot.

(Evelyn) I'll raise you....white socks with sandals...Peeeeeoooowwwww. Oh! Another good one! That one always perplexed me... Now, I've seen those in summer in Europe. I've seen it here! Thanks Karen...amusing article and the responses are hilarious....has got me thinking on some important matters! ;-D

I'm afraid these are my favorite answers: From a country where prostitution is legal and drugs are tolerated? (Glenn, St. Louis, USA) I have nothing but utter respect for the Dutch people and here again they prove their worth. Some might say that anyone with a sense of style knows when white socks look alright and when they don't. They're wrong. White socks 'never' look good unless you are deliberately trying to look like a clown. (Guy Thackeray, London, UK) People who wear white socks cannot be trusted. I once knew someone who wore white socks and he was very sneaky. The Dutch Finance Ministry is absolute right to instigate a witch-hunt against sartorial criminals of this kind. If we tolerate white sock wearing, where will it all end? The world will go to hell in a handbasket, you mark my words. (NK, UK)

(Tress)I'll go one more... (Evelyn)I'll raise you....white socks with sandals...Peeeeeoooowwwww. I believe I'll raise you both...dress socks with sandals! (seen on old fogies at the beach)

People who wear white socks cannot be trusted. I once knew someone who wore white socks and he was very sneaky. The Dutch Finance Ministry is absolute right to instigate a witch-hunt against sartorial criminals of this kind. If we tolerate white sock wearing, where will it all end? The world will go to hell in a handbasket, you mark my words. (NK, UK) Agree with Karen on this one. Although when I read his signature (NK, UK) I "heard" the Three Stooges going "Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk".

Karen . .too funny. My favorite response: One of the few publicly accepted hatreds is White sockism. I dream of a world where all socks are equal. Daniel, Chipping Sodbury Erp . .I have to admit . . Hello my name is Kimberly and I am a WSW . .a White Sock Wearer . .I've been wearing white socks for oh god to many years to count now . .and I admit, I have a problem . . .(**puts head down on desk and sobs**) I have not gotten to the socks with sandals stage . .and I never will . .I will nip this in the bud now . .I shall conquer this, I shall . . .

(ADA)I believe I'll raise you both...dress socks with sandals! (seen on old fogies at the beach) You beat me to that one. LOL. I've seen them on some young fogies, too. I used to live at the beach. Made me want to barf. The best is socks, dress or white with flip flops...and they force the sock around the toe thingie. Thanks Karen, I love it when we have such intellectual discourse on these cold, cold days;-) (Kimberly)Hello my name is Kimberly and I am a WSW Hello, Kimberly.

ROTF!! What a riot! In addition to the "hell in a handbasket" comment, these are my top picks.... ** Dress codes are just a conveniently superficial way for the stupid to make judgements about people ** The only reason that white socks are 'not done' in Britain, is that the Brits have milk white legs, which actually makes the socks invisible, and suggests that people go barefoot. **This is from the country that gave us...clogs. The runnners-up..... white socks (unless worn with shorts or for sport) are an affront to decently dressed people everywhere. The problem is people wearing trousers too short for their legs! Besides, you buy enough of the same type, you won't have to worry about having just one sock. [Would solve my problems ;-)] Without a doubt, the Dutch are the worst dressed nation within the EU! It's not entirely their fault though....over there the clothing quality is abominable - but the cost is exorbitant. Cut 'em a break. (Or else send in the Italians to teach them how to dress! It makes me sick seeing this! (So do ugly ties, but that is another war.) If you don't want to wear 'respectable clothes' find a job elsewhere. Don't try to bring the rest of the world down to your degenerate level.

(Kimberly) Hello my name is Kimberly and I am a WSW . .a White Sock Wearer . .I've been wearing white socks for oh god to many years to count now . . LOL! Good for you Kimberly! When I was a teen ...er..., over 20 years ago back in Hungary, knee length skirts with white socks and sandals were the rage and I loved it! I don't know who started it, some said it came from the French, but girls started wearing it and it spread like wildfire. It was pretty, comfortable, and good for our feet too. Enjoy your white socks, never mind if some find them unfashionable. If you like them then you are all right. :-)

(Tress)White okay with (and only with) trainers. I'll go one more...no colored socks with trainers...so it's white or nothin' when it comes to tennies. ODB is guilty of the colored socks with trainers infraction...just doesn't work (IMO)...crikey! At least he matched sweater to socks (I'll give him that...) and the adorable half-smile will make up for a bit of it...just a bit ;-) I'm sorry. I know I'm fashion impaired, but his trainers (what happened to calling them sneakers?) are gray and navy/black. Shouldn't they be worn with darker socks? (Of course, I thought the blue suit/brown shoes would have been OK if the shoes just weren't so scuffed up.) (Kimberly) Hello my name is Kimberly and I am a WSW . .a White Sock Wearer . .I've been wearing white socks for oh god to many years to count now . . . (Ildi)LOL! Good for you Kimberly! When I was a teen ...er..., over 20 years ago back in Hungary, knee length skirts with white socks and sandals were the rage and I loved it! Should I be ashamed to say that I still wear outfits like that? ;-) Anyway, if the pants are long enough and the boots high enough, then why not wear socks that are fun? I do have this pair of socks; actually, I wore them yesterday. They were given to me by a friend and are warm and fluffy. (Linda)Thanks Karen, I love it when we have such intellectual discourse on these cold, cold days;-) Hear hear!!!

Hmmm, doesn't look v.g. for Eduardo Serra... Epics are focus of ASC noms By Sheigh Crabtree According to their cameraman peers, the top lensing in the field of cinematography this year was seen in epic films of both historical and fantastical nature. The five contenders cited Tuesday by the American Society of Cinematographers for the feature film category of the 18th annual ASC Awards are Russell Boyd for 20th Century Fox's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," Andrew Lesnie for New Line's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," John Schwartzman for Universal Pictures' "Seabiscuit," John Seale for Miramax's "Cold Mountain" and John Toll for Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Last Samurai." "According to their peers, these five outstanding filmmakers have set the highest standards for artistic excellence in feature film cinematography during the past year," said Owen Roizman, chairman of the ASC's awards committee. Roizman noted that the nominees all demonstrated extraordinary abilities to create a sense of place and time and to visually punctuate moods and other emotional content. "There is no easy or precise way to judge artistic achievements in cinematography because it is a subjective and collaborative art form," Roizman said. "Many people equate strikingly beautiful pictures with artful cinematography, but that isn't necessarily true. Great motion pictures can also be dark, and the images can be ugly and menacing. It has more to do with the emotions they evoke than what the audience sees." Toll won the ASC outstanding achievement award for "Braveheart" (1996) and "The Thin Red Line" (1999) and was nominated for "Legends of the Fall" (1995). Seale took top ASC honors for "The English Patient" (1997), with additional nominations for "Rain Man" (1989) and "The Perfect Storm" (2001). Lesnie and Schwartzman each earned an ASC nomination in 2002 for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "Pearl Harbor," respectively. This year is Boyd's first nomination. There are 215 ASC members and another 135 associate members who work in ancillary businesses. The 18th annual ASC Awards will be preceded by an open house at the organization's historic Hollywood clubhouse and by an Internet chat, both set for Feb. 7. The winner will be named at the organization's awards gala Feb. 8 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City.

(Do's list)** The only reason that white socks are 'not done' in Britain, is that the Brits have milk white legs, which actually makes the socks invisible, and suggests that people go barefoot. This is my flat out favorite!:-)) (Do's list)** ***Besides, you buy enough of the same type, you won't have to worry about having just one sock. [Would solve my problems ;-)] This is my *real* reason for buying them! I agree with Tress about white socks and trainers! Only (mostly?) white will do. Am reminded of the trivia factoid that Gene Kelly used to wear white or light socks during his dance routines because they drew the eye to his feet and highlighted his foot work.:-)) Thanks Karen

None of the contenders are indies, are they? They all seem to be big movies, big budgets, sweeping cinematography. I guess that walk in the woods with Peter and Griet didn't count;-)

I see LOTR all the way. Seabiscuit? It seems to me that a scene that comes alive to match a famous painting is not easy to do and worth noting. That was a bad call on their part. Maybe most members didn't see GWAPE. They lose in credibility by just going for the big Hollywood budget pictures, IMO. I'm very interested in the IFC nom. I think they announce them today.

It doesn't rule GWAPE out for an Oscar nom, as this was the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) and membership in the Academy branch for cinematographers is likely wider than that. Seabiscuit? Still haven't seen that one; may have to break down and rent it, but on Ebert & Roper's Memo to the Academy, it was singled out for the racing footage - best he'd ever seen. Whatever... The omission that surprises me is Northfork, one of those stylized ones (like the Man Who Wasn't There) that screams cinematography.

From THR: New firms hit Sundance By Ian Mohr and Chris Gardner PARK CITY -- For seasoned Sundancers, there are certain constants in Park City's snow-globe universe every January: the dressed-down auteurs, the black Mercedes-Benzes dotting wintry Deer Valley and star sightings at Zoom. But this year, the business landscape surrounding the festival also is displaying some significant changes, with familiar faces chartering unfamiliar ventures. And acquisitions aren't even at the top of all the participants' to-do lists. "Most of our business is set up to do production," indie vet Mark Gill said from a Paris movie set a couple of days before heading to Park City for the first time as head of Warner Independent Pictures, the new specialty arm of Warner Bros. Pictures. "If we find something, it would be great. It's certainly a lot easier than producing movies." Yet another seasoned vet of the scene who will hit the slopes -- this year, on the other side of the bargaining table -- will be Howard Cohen, who exited ICM last year to launch Roadside Pictures with "Lovely & Amazing" producer Eric d'Arbeloff. Their company will be looking to acquire films as part of IDP, joining Samuel Goldwyn Films in the hunt for new titles. Add to the list of familiar faces with new aims this year former USA senior vp acquisitions Steven Raphael and veteran entertainment attorney Ira Schreck, who have teamed to handle three films: competition entry "Book of Love," "Brother to Brother" from writer-director Rodney Evans and "Lbs." by Matthew Bonifacio. Because of the large number of films this year by relatively unknown directors, Sundance is expected to be something of a maze for acquisitions execs -- especially because, for fear of piracy, there have been fewer advance screeners to help chart the course. "In a general sense, people don't know a lot of the specifics of each film because the majority haven't seen the movies," CAA's Kevin Iwashina said. "There aren't a lot of tapes out there, which has led to a general optimism among the buyers." And that's a good thing, said Iwashina's colleague Jennifer Rawlings: "You can lose a lot of the audience (when tapes circulate), and you really have to be careful because you never know. You could send out a bad (quality) tape, and it influences the kinds of people that show up at your Sundance screening. And as a filmmaker, you want not just the potential buyers to show up but other actors, other filmmakers to be a part of it." Said Miramax Films acquisitions head Agnes Mentre: "For me, Sundance is the most difficult festival to judge on paper because there are always the most first-timers. In Cannes or Toronto, you know the filmmakers, you know the casts." Said Lions Gate Films Releasing president Tom Ortenberg: "There are certainly a number of films that are worth checking out very seriously. We'll find out soon enough if they live up to the hype." Said Samuel Goldwyn acquisitions vp Tom Quinn: "Looking at this year's slate, it's not the dot-com era, it's not the digital era. It's really back to basics." Even though the directors' names may be new, many of the stars at Sundance are not -- from Kevin Bacon ("The Woodsman") and Natalie Portman ("Garden State") to Naomi Watts ("We Don't Live Here Anymore") and Billy Bob Thornton ("Chrystal"). Myriad Pictures is bringing "Eulogy," which stars Ray Romano and Debra Winger. Myriad president Kirk D'Amico said of the current indie fascination with recognizable stars, "Really interesting material and cast with recognizable (names) helps pretty dramatically, in terms of our ability to sell the film and then the distributors' ability to market it, as (Fox Searchlight) did so well with 'The Good Girl.' " [Ed note: But he doesn't mention that he's bringing Trauma :-( ] But for all the optimism in the air, some lament the outbreaks of frenzied dealmaking that inevitably occur at the fest -- even when companies swear they're going to forego bidding wars. "We look as Sundance as a great place to launch movies," said Sony Pictures Classics co-topper Tom Bernard, whose company will have four films in the festival this year. "But it's the worst place on Earth to attempt to acquire a movie. I think it would be much easier if the festival set up some sort of virtual marketplace" like the one for Cannes. Said Shaun Redick of ICM's indie film department: "This year doesn't have the feel of a buyer's festival, but could be a showcase of exciting debut filmmakers with a plethora of original concepts and story lines. More than ever, it's difficult to get a sneak preview of a Sundance selection, so with what seems to be a Sundance record of first-time directors, there is a lot of anticipation from the distributors."

I liked Seabiscuit very much. Too bad it came out so early in the year. MAJOR surprises in the SAG Award noms, which were just announced. All the indies got in; hardly any big stuido fare. As Nelson on The Simpsons would say: "HA-ha." When the nominations were annonced this moring for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, it was the small that was rewarded. Small movies, like Miramax's "The Station Agent;" small stars, like its star Peter Dinklage, and small studios like Newmarket Films, United Artists, Fox Searchlight and Lions Gate, which all netted best female actor noms for movies like "Whale Rider," "Pieces of April", "Thirteen" and "The Cooler." Miramax and Warner Bros. tied with four noms apiece, with Miramax's "Station Agent" and WB's "Mystic River" each providing three of the four. In primetime television, NBC dominated with 13 nominations overall, followed closely on the heels by CBS and HBO, with 10 noms apiece. In the television movie or miniseries category, cable shut out network, with "Angels in America," performing especially well with six noms; "Everybody Loves Raymond" also earned six noms in three categories. The most lauded thesp was Patricia Clarkson, rewarded with three nominations, one for her supporting role in "Pieces of April," and two for "Station Agent" for the lead actress and as part of the cast. The 10th annual Screen Actors Guild awards will air Sunday, Feb. 22, on TNT at 5 p.m. Pacific. And the nominees are... Actor Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (BV) Peter Dinklage, The Station Agent (Miramax) Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog (Dreamworks) Bill Murray, Lost in Translation (Focus) Sean Penn, Mystic River (WB) Actress Patricia Clarkson, The Station Agent (Miramax) Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give (Columbia) Charlize Theron, Monster (Newmarket) Naomi Watts, 21 Grams (Focus) Evan Rachel Wood, Thirteen (Fox Searchlight) Supporting Actor Alec Baldwin, The Cooler (Lions Gate) Chris Cooper, Seabiscuit (Universal) Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams (Focus) Tim Robbins, Mystic River (WB) Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai (WB) Supporting Actress Maria Bello, The Cooler (Lions Gate) Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider (Newmarket) Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April (United) Holly Hunter, Thirteen (Fox Searchlight) Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain (Miramax) Cast In America Emma Bolger, Sarah Bolger, Paddy Considine, Djimon Hounsou, Samantha Morton (Fox Searchlight) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Elijah Wood (New Line) Mystic River Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins (WB) Seabiscuit Elizabeth Banks, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, William H. Macy, Tobey Maguire, Gary Stevens (U) The Station Agent Paul Benjamin, Bobby Cannavale, Patricia Clarkson, Peter Dinklage, Raven Goodwin, Michelle Williams (Miramax)

Best Actress: Naomi Watts, 21 Grams Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams Games playing. Sorry, I don't buy this structure. The three actors all had equal roles. Three leads. By putting BDT in this category, someone like Bobby Cannavale from The Station Agent, got bumped. BDT should've gotten Johnny Depp's slot. I can't believe they'd reward that kind of cartoonish performance. :-(

The three actors all had equal roles. Three leads Yep. But that's how they had their studios put their names forward. Happens all the itme.

I know, doesn't mean I have to like it. ;-) Don't you think Johnny Depp actually deserves the Cyril Ritchard Memorial Award?

the Cyril Ritchard Memorial Award Thanks. Now I'll be singing "Never smile at a croc-o-dile" all day.

Am v. glad to see In America nommed for Best Cast (SAG's equivalent of Best Picture). A really good film, but that reminds me...Djimon Hounsou deserved a slot for Best Supporting Actor.

For ODB... John Gress for The New York Times Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, whose EP is up against Radiohead, Sigur Ros, the White Stripes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for a Grammy. CHICAGO, Jan. 13 � Two hours before the White Stripes and the Flaming Lips ushered in 2004 with their double-bill New Year's Eve concert at the historic Aragon Ballroom here, the Flaming Lips were onstage blowing up oversize balloons, posing inflatable robots and setting up a giant video screen and confetti machine for their extravagant multimedia show. By contrast, Jack and Meg White, who make up the White Stripes, were mostly backstage until performance time, their roadies, in black suits and bowler hats, guarding their dressing suite. The White Stripes are rock stars, and stars are not supposed to do stagehand work. The same cannot be said of the members of the Flaming Lips: Wayne Coyne, Michael Ivins and Steven Drozd. A psychedelic pop band from Oklahoma City, the Flaming Lips have been toiling largely outside the notice of the mainstream for 20 years. But while most rock bands flare and disappear like Roman candles, the Flaming Lips have survived, steadily building a following, winning the praise of critics (ed note...and YKW) and selling ever more discs with each release. Now they find themselves in elite company, nominated for a major Grammy Award along with some of the biggest names in rock: Radiohead, Sigur Ros, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and, yes, the White Stripes. The nomination is for "Fight Test," an extended-play disc that Flaming Lips released in April on the Warner Brothers label. Even with just two new original songs (and five remixes and covers), it was nominated for best alternative album. Picture and the rest is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/14/arts/music/14LIPS.html?th

Supporting Actress- Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider (Newmarket) Now this is just silly. I understand the reason for shifting categories to increase nom chances..... but really. Though I'm thrilled to see her recognized. That movie cames out "eons" ago (in movie time). Thanks for posting that article, Linda. Read the print version yesterday and forgot to search online and post it when I got home.

#$*&^#! There.

Hmmm, hadn't noticed that one. Guess I didn't care about the category. Pathetic. :-( Interesting article about American films: http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/2004_01/nosex.php

Yet she has lead parts in French movies that have her characters' particular predicaments at the centre of their stories. Which no one goes to see in France. They go to see American movies. SOS. They just don't get it..Studios make movies that people want to see. And moreover *pay* to see them. Tell BFI: 1-800-Richard Curtis

The Art Directors Guild (ADG) today announced nominations in six categories of Production Design for motion pictures and television competing in the ADG's Eighth Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards for the year 2003...Deadline for final voting by the 1,000-members of ADG is February 11. Black-tie ceremonies announcing winners will take place Saturday, February 14, from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM IN 2003: Period or Fantasy Film Girl with a Pearl Earring, Production Designer: Ben Van Os The Last Samurai, Production Designer: Lilly Kilvert Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Production Designer: Grant Major Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Production Designer: Brian Morris Seabiscuit, Production Designer: Jeannine Oppewal Contemporary Film Kill Bill Vol. I, Production Designer: David Wasco and Yohei Taneda Lost in Translation, Production Designer: K.K. Barrett and Anne Ross Mystic River, Production Designer: Henry Bumstead Something's Gotta Give, Production Designer: Jon Hutman Under the Tuscan Sun, Production Designer: Stephen McCabe EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN IN TELEVISION FOR 2003: Single Camera Television Series 24, Production Designer: Joseph Hodges Alias, Production Designer: Scott Chambliss Carnivale, Production Designer: Bernt Capra C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation: Production Designer: Jon Hutman Las Vegas: Production Designer: Peter Politanoff Multi-Camera Television Series Arrested Development: In God We Trust, Production Designer: Dawn Snyder Coupling, Production Designer: Thomas E. Azzari King of Queens, Production Designer: Scott Heineman Life with Bonnie, Production Designer: Robert Strohmaier Will & Grace, Production Designer: Glenda Rovello Television Movie or Mini-Series Angels in America, Production Designer: Stuart Wurtzel Helen of Troy, Production Designer: James F. Allen and Miljen Kljakovic Hitler: The Rise of Evil, Production Designer: Marek Dobrowolski Napoleon, Production Designer: Richard Cunin The Reagans, Production Designer: Barbara Dunphy Variety or Awards Show, Music Special, or Documentary 37th Annual Country Music Awards, Production Designer: Rene Lagler 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Production Designer: Bob Keene 75th Annual Academy Awards, Production Designer: Roy Christopher Dinosaur Planet, Production Designer: Mark L. Walters Moments in Time: Valley Forge - The Crucible, Production Designer: John R. Mott

Change afoot on 'Six Feet Under' Fri Jan 16, 6:19 AM ET Add Entertainment - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo! William Keck, USA TODAY When Six Feet Under returns to HBO on June 6, the Fisher clan will be thrown into "life-altering experiences and sexual experimentation," promises executive producer Alan Poul. "Our intention is to return to the lighter, unpredictable tone of the first two seasons." Expect familiar faces in guest roles: � Mena Suvari (news), who worked with show creator Alan Ball in the movie American Beauty, joins the cast in the second episode as an art-school friend of Claire (Lauren Ambrose (news)). "Mena's character is a provocative performance artist and a strong feminist who doesn't care what anyone thinks," Poul says. � Ben Foster returns as Claire's bisexual boyfriend, Russell. � Claire's former boyfriend Gabriel (Eric Balfour) may not be as dead as viewers were led to believe, though this is unconfirmed by the producers. �Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle bad guy Justin Theroux returns as musician Joe, who will strike up a serious romance with Brenda (Rachel Griffiths (news)). Poul says to expect a love triangle with Nate (Peter Krause (news)) as the season evolves. Poul says David (Michael C. Hall (news)) and Keith (Mathew St. Patrick (news)) will try to save their rocky relationship by pursuing separate life paths. For Keith, that means bodyguarding a Britney Spears (news)-type pop princess, played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Michelle Trachtenberg (news). In the third episode, the pop star makes a "guest appearance" on The Ellen DeGeneres (news) Show, with DeGeneres playing herself. Ruth Fisher (Frances Conroy) will face a more complicated life with the return of sister Sarah (Patricia Clarkson) and mischievous friend Bettina (Kathy Bates (news)). She also will have to deal with new husband George (James Cromwell (news)). She will "realize she might not know this man as well as she thought she did," Poul says. As for the imaginative opening deaths, Poul says one will involve an interaction with a sex toy.

No prima donnas at the Morning Ray By Nancy Hobbs Special to The Salt Lake City Tribune Jabbing fun at the pomposity of some Sundance festivalgoers has brought Morning Ray Cafe owner Jason Sanford more than a little attention, not to mention customers and money. And yet he does it, he says, to maintain some sanity through the 10-day festival "zoo," when the streets of Park City are filled with "pushy people who want it yesterday" and take everything -- particularly themselves -- too seriously. He started posting a list of "rules" for festival patrons dining in his cafe several years ago, and though they are generally considered funny, Sanford says he does enforce them. Take, for example, his rule on general decorum: "If you are pushy, rude, abusive or otherwise obnoxious or unpleasant, you will be asked to leave immediately," it states. "Don't believe us? Try it -- we could use the space." Another reads, "Please bear with us: We are trying our best in the face of utter chaos. Whining will not help your cause, nor ours." Sanford refuses to tolerate boorish behavior and has booted more customers than he likes to count. "I don't buy that the customer is always right. They can meet me halfway," he says. "The customer is important, but respect is a two-way street." Apparently others agree. Last year, in a further display of cheekiness, Sanford and staff greeted patrons on the first day of the festival wearing black T-shirts with, "Do you have any idea who I am?" printed on the front. On the back: "Good. Then we're even." By 8 a.m. the following morning, all two dozen of the shirts he had made were sold off the staff's backs, and an order was placed for another 27 dozen -- with the Morning Ray logo, of course. They sold out in three days. No doubt lots of those customers will return to the Morning Ray during this festival, as they have in years past. Though he is best known for his attitude, Sanford says his food -- particularly the breakfast, vegan and vegetarian options -- are popular with the film crowd. "And I am thankful for that."

Need an Addled Old Rocker? Call for Bill Nighy Fri Jan 16, 8:58 AM ET By Paul Majendie LONDON (Reuters) - When it comes to drug-addled rock dinosaurs, no one does them better than Bill Nighy. Now Oscar glory beckons for Nighy who stole the hit comedy "Love Actually" with his riotous portrayal of the dilapidated rocker who said: "Wouldn't it be great if the number one hit this Christmas wasn't some smug teenager but an old heroin addict?" But at the ripe old age of 54, the self-deprecating Englishman is not getting carried away by Hollywood hype. "I handle it with a packet of salt," he told Reuters before flying out to Hollywood to receive his Best Supporting Actor award next week from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (news - web sites). "It is the capital of the movie world and for them to spell my name properly is a serious leap forward and I am very grateful." But what about the chances of an Oscar for the angular actor who built his career on the British stage but has now blossomed as a screen star from a vampire in "Underworld" to an eccentric writer in "I Capture The Castle" "I have great difficulty in imagining me getting an Oscar. The odds are so long that it is best to let other people think of it," he said. "They don't often give big prizes for comic performances." The raffishly thin Nighy may be endearingly apologetic about his acting ability but the smart money could be on him after the L.A. critics unusually gave him the Best Supporting Actor award for his body of work over the past year. In 1998's "Still Crazy," Nighy won plaudits playing the insecure and frightened leader of a British 1970s band on a comeback tour. In "Love Actually" he is on the comeback trail again as outrageous rocker Billy Mack. Nighy has a talent for looking as if he is having huge fun on screen but he confessed: "I have an averagely anxious disposition. I have difficulty persuading myself it is a good day to act." Still, the assignment was not that tough. "Posing by a fake mountain and fake snow flanked by seven models in four-inch heels and mini Santa Claus outfits does wonders at my time of life," he admitted. He has no hang-ups about being typecast. "It is what you get offered. People think of tired, knackered old rockers when they look at me. (Comedian) Billy Connolly (news) told me I had rock 'n' roll legs. You need them to get into tight velvet pants." Costumes have a lot to do with him never wanting to do Shakespeare. He has no burning desire to be the definitive Macbeth. "It is the clothes. I cannot relax in a pair of balloon trousers. And those tights are out of the question." Nighy is refreshingly frank talking about the intricacies of acting but it is always a struggle. "You have to deal with self-consciousness and fear," he said of his craft. "I just like good material and paying the rent," he concluded. "I have been luckier than most. I want to do things you feel good about and give you some dignity."

Now Oscar glory beckons for Nighy who stole the hit comedy "Love Actually" with his riotous portrayal of the dilapidated rocker I agree. Thanks for the articles, Dorine, Mari and Murph!

(BN)I just like good material and paying the rent," he concluded. "I have been luckier than most. I want to do things you feel good about and give you some dignity." Just another jobbing actor;-)

The Producers Guild of America is pleased to announce the nominated motion picture and television productions and honorees for the 2004 Producers Guild Awards, taking place on Saturday, January 17th at the Century Plaza Hotel. The nominees are: 15th Annual Event to be Held Saturday, January 17th Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures Cold Mountain (Miramax Films) Sydney Pollack William Horberg Albert Berger & Ron Yerxa The Last Samurai (Warner Bros.) Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick Tom Cruise & Paula Wagner The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (New Line Cinema) Barrie M. Osborne Peter Jackson Fran Walsh Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Twentieth Century Fox) Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Peter Weir Duncan Henderson Mystic River (Warner Bros.) Robert Lorenz Judie G. Hoyt Clint Eastwood Seabiscuit (Universal Pictures) Kathleen Kennedy Frank Marshall Gary Ross David L. Wolper Producer of the Year Award in Long-Form Television And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (HBO) Joshua D. Maurer Mark Gordon Larry Gelbart Hitler: The Rise of Evil (CBS) Peter Sussman Ed Gernon John Ryan My House in Umbria (HBO) Frank Doelger Robert Allan Ackerman Ann Wingate Normal (HBO) Cary Brokaw Lydia Dean Pilcher The Pentagon Papers (fX) Joshua D. Maurer Norman Felton Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television - Drama Alias (ABC) J.J. Abrams John Eisendrath Ken Olin Sarah Caplan C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) Jerry Bruckheimer Carol Mendelsohn Anthony E. Zuiker Ann M. Donahue Jonathan Littman Danny Cannon Cynthia Chvatal & William Petersen Louis Milito Six Feet Under (HBO) Alan Ball Alan Poul Robert Greenblatt & David Janollari 24 (FOX) Joel Surnow Robert Cochran Brian Grazer Howard Gordon Norman Powell The West Wing (NBC) Aaron Sorkin Thomas Schlamme John Wells Alex Graves Christopher Misiano Llewellyn Wells Neal Ahern, Jr. Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television - Comedy Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) Ray Romano Philip Rosenthal Lisa Helfrich Jackson Ken Ornstein Malcolm In the Middle (FOX) Linwood Boomer Jimmy S. Simons Matthew Carlson Gary Murphy & Neil Thompson Michael Glouberman & Andrew Orenstein Michael Borkow Alex Reid Rob Hanning Scrubs (NBC) Bill Lawrence Randall Winston Sex and the City (HBO) Michael Patrick King Cindy Chupack John P. Melfi Sarah Jessica Parker Jenny Bicks Jane Raab Will & Grace (NBC) Max Mutchnick & David Kohan James Burrows Jeff Greenstein Jhoni Marchinko Tim Kaiser Producer of the Year Award in Reality /Game/Informational Series The Amazing Race 4 (CBS) Jerry Bruckheimer Bertram van Munster Elise Doganieri (by Petition) Jonathan Littman Jon Kroll Hayma Screech Washington Anthony Dominici Rick Ringbakk Evan Weinstein (by Petition) Brady Connell Julian Grimmond Shannon McGinn Michael Norton Michael Noval Jym Buss (by Petition) Glenn Stickley (by Petition) Bill Pruitt (by Petition) Nancy Gunn (by Petition) Scott Owens (by Petition) American Idol (FOX) Simon Fuller Nigel Lythgoe Ken Warwick David Goffin Biography (A&E) (Various Independent Producers) Project Greenlight (HBO) Ben Affleck Matt Damon Chris Moore Sean Bailey Dan Cutforth & Jane Lipsitz Eli Holzman Tony Yates Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo) David Collins Michael Williams David Metzler Lynn Sadofsky Survivor: Pearl Islands (CBS) Mark Burnett Craig Armstrong Tom Shelly Vittoria Cacciatore Holly M. Wofford Douglas McCallie Maria Baltazzi Adam Briles Cathrine Nilsen Conrad Riggs HONOREES Milestone Award being presented to Warren Beatty David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures being presented to Dino De Laurentiis David Susskind Achievement Award in Television being presented to Lorne Michaels Vanguard Award Sponsored by Intel and United Airlines Recognizing outstanding achievement in new media and technology being presented to James Cameron Visonary Award Sponsored by Future Media Recognizing the producers whose work demonstrates a unique or uplifting vision or quality being presented to Mike Nichols and Cary Brokaw for ANGELS IN AMERICA Stanley Kramer Award Recognizing an achievement or contribution that illuminates provocative social issues in an accessible and elevating fashion being presented to Jim Sheridan and Arthur Lappin for IN AMERICA http://www.producersguild.org/pg/awards_a/

Tress here....Hello all! Dorine and I are in Sundance...have done a preliminary walkabout on Main Street. No Colin, but several others...within first five minutes we saw Tim Daly and Minnie Driver (who spotted Dorine and turned and ran into a tea shop...but not before I began to covet her really 'interesting' and personlized Uggs. Pink...with "Locals Only" on the back. Wearing cute white parka too...). Saw Mare Winningham (twice), the Nip/Tuck guy (Julian McMahon) and some blonde girl we can't remember the name of, being interviewed on the street. An assortment of REALLY attractive men with beautiful blue eyes (sorry for yelling, but they are REALLY good looking!). Dorine here!.... reporting live from the Park City Marriott..... Let me tell you, I'm beside myself at the thought of seeing Ashton and Demi tonight! I am all anticipation! ;-D Signing off for now!

Good to hear from our intrepid Sundance reporters.... LOL. Glad you could identify these glitzy folks... but hey, go hang out at the loo and look for the guy with the chocolate brown eyes...and dimples;-)

Hi to our Sundancers!! Glad to see that you got there safe and sound and am looking forward to your reports from the high country!

Godspeed Dorine and Tress..May the force be with you!

Dorine and Tress...glad you made it safely! Don't trip over all the uggs, take lots of pics and keep warm with some martinis (or Irish coffees..whichever is in style this year);-)!

Tomorrow's the big day for Trauma. Crossing my fingers for you two and our third representative, Sandi! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looks like there's one member of the Hollywood Foreign Press fighting back; interesting bit about Richard Curtis too: How the world warmed to the Globes The once maligned Golden Globe awards are now second only to the Oscars in importance. Voter John Hiscock explains why I have marked my ballot, sealed it in an envelope and dropped it in a Federal Express collection box for delivery to Ernst and Young, the Los Angeles accountants who tally the votes for the Golden Globe awards. Whether or not my choices coincide with those of my 89 fellow voters in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, I won't know until the winners are announced at the awards ceremony on January 25. The Golden Globes evening has long been known as a giant party: a star-filled, champagne and cocktail-fuelled orgy of back-patting and table-hopping where the world's leading actors, actresses and directors relish the informality of an event where there is always a feeling that anything can happen. In previous years Jack Nicholson mooned the audience, Ren�e Zellweger was in the ladies' room when she should have been picking up her Golden Globe and Ving Rhames insisted on passing his trophy on to Jack Lemmon because, he said, he was more deserving of it. The star turnout far surpasses that for the Oscars, partly because of its reputation as a zany, let-your-hair-down evening and partly because the Globes ceremony hands out more awards � there are separate categories for best drama and best comedy or musical � and embraces television, too. But in recent years the Globes have also come to be viewed as a vital part of the film industry, second in importance only to the Oscars and having a great impact on a film's financial success. As Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein says: "A successful awards season can mean the difference between a movie grossing $5 million and grossing $20 million." Veteran publicist Tony Angellotti believes the Golden Globes have become a major force over the past decade. "The Golden Globes are one big, huge promotion for the motion picture industry," he said. "Also, the Globes act as a benchmark and launching pad for the awards season and bring to the attention of a whole lot of people who vote for other awards films that they did not see." In the past the Globes have proved to be a fairly reliable forecaster for the Oscars, and only once in the past decade has there been a best picture Globe winner that did not win the Oscar: 1996, when Babe and Sense and Sensibility won Golden Globes but Braveheart took home the Oscar. The ceremony will be of particular significance this year because, due to a calendar shuffle, the Globes will be handed out only two days before the Oscar nominations are announced and will certainly influence the 6,000 Academy voters' final choices. This year's Golden Globes ceremony will be the 61st hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of journalists � of which, for the past seven years I have been one � who were fortunate that their predecessors who founded the organisation doggedly persevered with the Globes despite setbacks, derision and accusations of corruption. Although everybody now knows of the Golden Globes, not many are familiar with the background and the organisation behind it. There is no mystery. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association was founded in the early 1940s by a group of Los Angeles-based foreign journalists in an attempt to gain more clout with the studios and make it easier to get access to stars. Today it has 90 members from 55 countries, most of whom are working journalists, with the odd retired schoolteacher and engineer left over from the days when conditions of entry were not so strict. Now only bona fide journalists are admitted. In the early years of the Golden Globes, few nominees bothered to attend the ceremony and the association had to fend off charges of "selling" Globes to those who provided the best gifts or laid on the best parties. The association gained a reputation as being freeloaders who, as one journalist put it, "would sell their votes for a vodka and tonic and cross the Alps for a hot dog". Although it happened more than 20 years ago, the association is still dogged by the Pia Zadora fiasco, when she was voted most promising newcomer after members had been flown to Las Vegas and wined and dined by her casino-owner husband Meshulam Riklis. And it was rumoured to be no coincidence that Sharon Stone won the best actress award in 1995 for Casino shortly after she sent every member of the association an expensive money clip and a hand-written note. But since NBC began televising the Globes in 1996, the rules have tightened up. Members must now sign an agreement that they will not receive valuable gifts, and, four years ago when Sharon Stone drew attention to her performance in The Muse by sending everyone a �250 watch, the gifts were immediately returned. Even invitations to parties are strictly vetted, and if they are seen to be aimed at influencing Golden Globe votes, they are declined. To avoid any accusations of collusion or corruption, voting is done under the aegis of Ernst and Young, which this year mailed out the nomination ballots to every member on December 5. Each member listed his or her top five nominees in every category and the ballots were then returned by Ernst and Young by December 15. The nominees were announced on December 18 to a packed ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. There were no big surprises this year apart from welcome recognition for The Office and Ricky Gervais and a slew of nominations for the turgid two-part television series Angels in America. During the year, like all entertainment journalists, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association members are deluged with T-shirts, baseball caps and promotional items which usually end up in car boot sales or as gifts to the children of friends; but the real benefit of being a Golden Globe voter comes from the willingness with which studios and publicists offer up their stars for interviews. In the weeks leading up to the nominations, stars who would never be available the rest of the year are suddenly sitting down for interviews to promote their new film, and screenings of the films become lavish affairs. In early December Christmas cards started arriving from Sophia Loren, Rob Lowe and other celebrities I had never met who had a film or television show eligible for Globe consideration. This year some of us received telephone calls from Harvey Weinstein who was not, he assured us, promoting his own films but was calling on behalf of his brother Bob's production Bad Santa. The film was not nominated. Some filmmakers are more subtle. Writer-director Richard Curtis, whose Love Actually has received two nominations � for best comedy and best screenplay � adopted the reverse strategy of praising the merits of another. In a letter to every member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, he thanked them for the nominations and took a jab at his British critics. "Over here in England I've had some sternly cynical reviews and therefore got very used to the idea that this film was for crowds not critics," he wrote. He added in a PS: "Also so thrilled about Ricky Gervais and The Office � if it's a choice between him and me on the night, definitely pick him � he'll make a much funnier speech." For that, both Curtis and Gervais got my vote. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/01/17/bfglobes17.xml&sSheet=/arts/2004/01/17/ixartright.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=29860

Tress and Dorine best of luck. Keep your eyes open, hang out at the loos, and have a grand old time. Hope Trauma keeps you rivited to your seats. Can't wait to hear more.

Dorine here!.... reporting live from the Park City Marriott..... Let me tell you, I'm beside myself at the thought of seeing Ashton and Demi tonight! I am all anticipation! ;-D Hello Tress and Dorine, watch out you're not PUNK'D! Will be awaiting your reports.

Hi all! Intrepid Sundance reporters here!! Dorine speaking.... First off, Ashton sends his love and Demi sent her regrets.....seems she wasn't in the mood to walk the red carpet....or maybe she heard what we were told from the security guard at the front door of the theater, "You don't want to see this (The Butterfly Effect), it sucks!" Other red carpeters.....Paris Hilton, who seemed camera shy and not wanting to pose for any of the 200 pictures we were able to get. A very shy girl ;-). Also graced with the presence of Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster), Amy Smart, and a big guy who was in Remember the Titans....and presumably this one. Last night sightings on Main St....Hank Azaria, and Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys standing in line at ICM party....he's rather short, like a hand puppet according to Tress. Mariott sightings yesterday....Mario Van Peebles and dad, and everyones's favorite critic, Richard Roeper, and the guy from The Guardian (help me out on the name ;-)). This mornings, literally had just set foot our of the taxi and saw Mark Ruffalo (Tress loved his hair) then Danny Glover (who wears Dansko clogs). Shared taxi to Marriott with Jeff from Canadian consulate (Johnny Depp lookalike), who invited us to the Canadian hospitality suite for happy hour. We're so there! Drinks and (hopefully) food before we try for rush tix for Robert Redford's flick, The Clearing and The Machinist with Christian Bale. Saw a *fabulous* film today called Maria, Full of Grace with rush tix. Was World Premiere, cast and director did Q&A. American director, in Spanish, with subtitles. It's about drug trafficking using mules. Are off to search for pic of Marc Evans, but feel free to help us out. :-)

Here you go:

Good to hear from DDs on the scene!!! Am very jealous of the excitement, and wish you the best! Hopefully, this might help the hunt. ;-)

I'm on a roll...

And one more for good measure;-) Enjoy the party!!!

WOO-HOO for the Sundance Kids!

Talk about Witness Protection Program photos... Dark Marc ain't v. purdy.

Nothing wrong with him. Besides, he's on the other side of the camera.

On this day in history... posted by bean January 17 1820: (Birthday) Anne Bront�, author of Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848) and Agness Gray (1847), and sister of Emily and Charlotte Bront�, born at Thornton in West Yorkshire. (BTW, according to one website, the Bront� birthplace is (or was recently) for sale -- just for those of you house hunting right now).

BAFTA nominations are out... 10 for GWAPE! And even some for LA Best film Big Fish Cold Mountain Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Lost in Translation Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Best British film (Alexander Korda award for the outstanding British film of the year) Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring In This World Love Actually Touching the Void Best director (David Lean award for achievement in direction) Tim Burton - Big Fish Anthony Minghella - Cold Mountain Peter Jackson - The Return of the King Sofia Coppola - Lost in Translation Peter Weir - Master and Commander Best actor in a leading role Benicio Del Toro - 21 Grams Bill Murray - Lost in Translation Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Jude Law - Cold Mountain Sean Penn - Mystic River Sean Penn - 21 Grams Best actress in a leading role Anne Reid - The Mother Naomi Watts - 21 Grams Scarlett Johansson - Girl with a Pearl Earring Scarlett Johansson - Lost in Translation Uma Thurman - Kill Bill Vol. 1 Best actor in a supporting role Albert Finney - Big Fish Bill Nighy - Love Actually Sir Ian McKellen - The Return of the King Paul Bettany - Master and Commander Tim Robbins - Cold Mountain Best actress in a supporting role Emma Thompson - Love Actually Holly Hunter - Thirteen Judy Parfitt - Girl with a Pearl Earring Laura Linney - Mystic River Renee Zellweger - Cold Mountain Best film not in the English language The Barbarian Invasions Belleville Rendez-vous Etre et Avoir Good Bye Lenin! In This World Spirited Away Original screenplay 21 Grams The Barbarian Invasions Finding Nemo Lost in Translation The Station Agent Adapted screenplay Big Fish Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring The Return of the King Mystic River Carl Foreman Award (for special achievement by a British director/producer/writer in their first feature film) Sergio Casci - American Cousins Jenny Mayhew - To Kill A King Peter Webber - Girl with a Pearl Earring Emily Young - Kiss of Life Short animation Dads Dead Dear Sweet Emma Jojo in the Stars Nibbles Plumber Short film Brown Paper Bag Bye Child Nits Sea Monsters Talking with Angels Make Up & Hair Big Fish Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring The Return of the King Pirates of the Caribbean Visual Effects Big Fish Kill Bill The Return of the King Master and Commander Pirates of the Caribbean Sound Cold Mountain Kill Bill The Return of the King Master and Commander Pirates of the Caribbean Editing 21 Grams Cold Mountain Kill Bill Return of the King Lost in Translation Costume design Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring The Return of the King Master and Commander Pirates of the Caribbean Production design Big Fish Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring The Return of the King Master and Commander Cinematography Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring The Return of the King Lost in Translation Master and Commander Music (Anthony Asquith award for achievement in film music) Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring Kill Bill The Return of the King Lost in Translation

Thanks for posting the list, Emma. From Empire: "Given his credentials, Richard Curtis was conspicuous by his absence in both directing and writing categories. 'I can't, apart from my own film, see any huge omissions in the list.' said Love Actually's producer Duncan Kenworthy who as Chair of the BAFTA's Film Committee attended the press conference."

I see they didn't nominate RC for Best Actor;-))))) Big night for SJ , Peter Weir & Sofia... Glad for GWAPE even if....:-(((

I see they didn't nominate RC for Best Actor;-))))) They couldn't guarantee that his acceptance speech wouldn't be cut.;-) I see a big omission: Ben Kingsley for House of Sand and Fog. Not sure why Cold Mountain is a British film.

So this is where he was yesterday;-))))) AP COSTNER BIG ARSENAL FAN "Actor Kevin Costner celebrated his 49th birthday Sunday by cheering for Arsenal during its 2-0 victory over Aston Villa in an English Premier League game. When Costner arrived in London on Saturday, he immediately asked where Arsenal was playing. He made arrangements to fly by helicopter to the game. "My first introductioin to English football was in 1990, when I was over here making Robin Hood," Costner said.. "Having watched sports all my life in America, there was no comparison in terms of the emotion that was in the stadium that day."

I tend to agree with much of the below. Why didn't any of the Best British Films make into the Best Film category? Makes the former appear to be a second-rate category. Brits miss out as Bafta hopefuls By Neil Smith British talent has been largely passed over by this year's Bafta film awards. Jude Law and director Anthony Minghella have been recognised for Cold Mountain, and there is a strong showing in the supporting acting categories. But there are some notable absentees that suggest Britain's traditional dominance at this event may be on the wane. The mood was defiantly upbeat at Monday's nominations announcement, with host Stephen Fry trumpeting the British nominees. "The shortlist demonstrates the depth of British talent," said Fry. "There's a diverse talent in Britain still, which any other nation apart from America must envy." But a closer look at the nominations reveals that UK films have been largely sidelined in favour of big-budget blockbusters from the US and Australasia. Working Title production Love Actually, the most successful British film of 2003, gets two best supporting actor nominations and a nod for best screenplay. [Ed note: Huh?] But while it is up for the Alexander Korda award for outstanding British feature, it failed to make the shortlist for best film. Neither did UK-Luxembourg co-production Girl with a Pearl Earring, despite being recognised in 10 categories - the highest number of nominations after Cold Mountain and The Return of the King. British comedy Calendar Girls is a surprise omission, with both Helen Mirren and Julie Walters overlooked for acting honours. So are Hugh Grant for Love Actually and Colin Firth for Girl with a Pearl Earring. And there is no nomination for Sir Ben Kingsley, despite his Golden Globe recognition for House of Sand and Fog. Dinner Ladies star Anne Reid can be proud of her best actress nomination for BBC-funded The Mother. But she is an outsider to win as Scarlett Johansson's two nominations make her the clear favourite in this category. Best actor nominee Law is also unlikely to triumph over stiff competition from Bill Murray and Sean Penn - who, like Johansson, is nominated twice in the same category. Britain's best hope for a gong lies in the supporting actor field, where four out of the five nominees - Sir Ian McKellen, Albert Finney, Paul Bettany and Bill Nighy - hail from these shores. Love Actually's Emma Thompson and Girl with a Pearl Earring's Judy Parfitt make up the British contingent in the best supporting actress category. Perhaps the most interesting British nominee is In This World, nominated for both British film of the year and best film not in the English language. But the recognition given to this low-budget asylum seeker drama is the exception to the rule in a year where Bafta voters have largely snubbed homegrown fare. "Bafta voters have shown themselves over the years to be very independent and have a global outlook," Bafta chairman Michael Atwell told BBC News Online. "We are quite prepared to be critical of homegrown British talent." The Baftas have traditionally been seen as a partisan event and for many years took place after the Academy Awards. But the decision to move the ceremony to a date before the Oscars means the awards are now taken increasingly seriously by Hollywood. The tastes of Bafta and Academy voters often differ though. Last year's best film at the Baftas - Roman Polanski's holocaust drama The Pianist - failed to repeat its success at the Oscars, as did Bafta best actor Daniel Day-Lewis. Moreover, distributors' fears over piracy have made it increasingly difficult for Bafta voters to see films that later figure on the Oscar shortlist. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3409241.stm

"The Baftas have traditionally been seen as a partisan event..." I applaud the change. "Best is Best" in the Enlish-speaking category. Don't they already have a "Best in Britain" category? So all is not lost. ...besides, they get the Hollywood stars to attend ; one year the best they could do was Andie Mac Dowell.

(Evelyn) I applaud the change. I only see the change as they're being star-struck or brain-washed. Big Fish gets a Best Film nomination? I see it as a total lack of integrity and run the risk of becoming the next Hollywood Foreign Press. ;-)

From someone perhaps slightly less influential, a Top 10 list from WDET Detroit/Wayne State University. I'm not even quite sure how I found this one. ;-) Martin Bandyke's Top 10 Films | 2003 1. 21 Grams 2. American Splendor 3. Capturing The Friedmans 4. Girl With a Pearl Earring 5. The Barbarian Invasions 6. Tom Dowd & The Language of Music 7. Lost In Translation 8. Mystic River 9. The Fog Of War 10. To Be And To Have

Thank you, Emma. British comedy Calendar Girls is a surprise omission, with both Helen Mirren and Julie Walters overlooked for acting honours. So are Hugh Grant for Love Actually and Colin Firth for Girl with a Pearl Earring. And there is no nomination for Sir Ben Kingsley, despite his Golden Globe recognition for House of Sand and Fog. Well if YKW had to be omitted at least he was omitted in good company;-( (Mari)Not sure why Cold Mountain is a British film. Raised my eyebrows, too. Various movie sites have it listed as US so what criteria makes a film eligible in the British film category?

Not Russell's year for awards -- but he doesn't need them - he's got little Charlie. Variety: BAFTA favors 'Cold Mountain' with 13 noms while the 'Lord of the Rings' grabs 12 By ADAM DAWTREY LONDON -- "Cold Mountain" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" lead the race for this year's British Academy Film Awards, with 13 nominations for Anthony Minghella's Civil War drama and 12 for the final part of Peter Jackson's Tolkien trilogy. All that separates the two movies is a nomination for "Cold Mountain" in the best British film category, for which "Return of the King" is not eligible. These two pics are competing in for the best film prize with Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" (eight noms), Peter Weir's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (also eight) and Tim Burton's "Big Fish" (seven). Peter Webber's "Girl With a Pearl Earring" won 10 nods, despite missing out in the best film and best director categories. Scarlett Johansson was nominated twice in the best actress race, for "Girl With a Pearl Earring" and "Lost in Translation." Sean Penn had the same honor in the best actor category, where he was nominated for "Mystic River" and "21 Grams." Johansson is running against local veteran Anne Reid ("The Mother"), Naomi Watts ("21 Grams") and Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill: Vol. 1). Penn is up against Benicio Del Toro ("21 Grams), Bill Murray ("Lost in Translation"), Johnny Depp ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl") and Jude Law ("Cold Mountain"). Shock omissions included "Cold Mountain's" Nicole Kidman, winner last year for "The Hours," but not nominated this year in the actress race, despite the virtual clean sweep of the film in the other sections. Also missing is Russell Crowe, another recent BAFTA winner, whose performance in "Master and Commander" clearly didn't find favor with Brit voters this year. And there were no nominations at all for "Calendar Girls" on its home turf. Its failure to make a mark even in the actress or supporting actress category, where British thesps are usually heavily favored, was particularly unexpected. The strong showing for "Big Fish," which has yet to open in Blighty, was perhaps the biggest surprise. It was the only movie from a major studio to be sent out to voters on tape. Testifying to Quentin Tarantino's perennial popularity in Britain, "Kill Bill Vol. 1" picked up five nods, as did "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "21 Grams." "Mystic River" and "Love Actually" managed three apiece. The BAFTA film awards ceremony takes place Feb. 15 at the Odeon Leicester Square.

(Variety) Testifying to Quentin Tarantino's perennial popularity in Britain, "Kill Bill Vol. 1" picked up five nods,... *snort* Look who's saying *America* likes violence. *rolling eyes* ...."as did 'Pirates of the Caribbean'" Puh-leeze.

Hi all! Dorine here, with my trusty sidekick, Tress! Just a quick blurb on spottings..... Yesterday Willem Defoe and yes, that's right.....Mr. Sundance himself....Robert Redford!!! He dissed us fans, but still has awesome hair (those of you who know me well, know I wanted my hands through it :-P). He's also not so craggy as he appears on the big screen. Looks quite good actually. Also saw Christian Bale at his new movie, The Machinist, last night. He lost 63 lbs for the role, looked like he was anorexic. Was in much better shape last night, having gained the weight back and then some. Today we saw Simon West (The Guardian guy again) being interviewed in the street, and Kyle McLachlan walked by us. Got our Trauma premiere tix for tonight!! Woo Hoo!!! Will post more on Spoilers tomorrow sometime later, and hopefully have something to report on CF topic.

Howdy Dorine and Tress! Have a great time this evening and keep warm! I have my fingers, toes, etc. crossed that the jammy git will show. ;-)

(Mari)Not sure why Cold Mountain is a British film. While the criteria defy nailing down, it probably has something to do with Mirage, the production company set up by Minghella and Sydney Pollack.

Bafta pledge on movie preview ban Some Bafta voters were affected by the ban on preview tapes A leading Bafta official has promised action to try to combat the impact of any future Hollywood ban on film preview tapes going to awards judges. Duncan Kenworthy, who chairs Bafta's film committee, said the anti-piracy ban on distribution of "screener" tapes by US studios had been "ill conceived". He told BBC News Online UK-based Bafta voters had been penalised by the move. It was later overturned by a judge after some producers said it would hurt their chances to win awards. Mr Kenworthy said: "It hasn't proved to be a catastrophe - we have survived. But it's hard to say whether that's because the ban was overturned on time, or because our members have somehow managed to find their way to these films." He said Bafta members who lived outside London had been penalised because they had not been able to get to screenings of some shortlisted films. A number of people didn't see enough films this year to vote. That's not a good situation Duncan Kenworthy, Bafta "Members of Bafta in Scotland, the Midlands, East Anglia, Cornwall find it particularly hard to see all those films, particularly ones that qualify at the last minute. "I know from my e-mails that a number of people didn't see enough films this year to vote. That's not a good situation and I hope it will be overturned next year." He said Bafta had already made "strenuous representations" to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) which enforced the ban. The MPAA relaxed the rules for the Oscars - as long as voters signed an agreement to keep their copies safe. "Obviously we are all opposed to copyright piracy but I hope that some way can be found to protect the system of sending out screeners to our members," he said. Mr Kenworthy, producer of the hit romantic comedy Love Actually, hailed the film's inclusion in Bafta's best British film category. There are also mentions in supporting roles for two of the film's co-stars, Bill Nighy and Emma Thompson. "I'm thrilled," said Mr Kenworthy. "Normally comedies aren't thought to be award fodder, and I'm delighted for Richard Curtis who wrote and directed the film. "It's strange to say that at the age of 52 Bill Nighy has made a career-making performance. Suddenly he's on the list of every casting director in Hollywood." Love Actually had experienced "an extraordinary run in the UK" and was loved by British audiences, he said. "I would much rather have audiences love it than critics or audience review boards I must say, so I am happy." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3409783.stm

Update from the Sundancers: Just got a call from Tress, Dorine, and Sandi...they were in a hurry getting ready to go in and see Trauma. They spoke to ME and asked why the date was pushed back in the UK. He said because there wasn't enough time...Dorine said he was a bit vague as to what that actually meant. MS there taking pictures with everyone. Colin is definitely not there. The ladies are having a blast in spite of that and will post on Spoilers tomorrow.

Thanks for the update, Linda. I'm so glad you got to talk to the front-line troops. I've been glancing at the clock trying to calculate when the first Trauma would be over and when they could possibly post. This little tidbit will allow me to get some sleep while I wait to hear the news.

Hi all, We were told by ME at the introduction that Colin is busy filming Mr. Darcy in TEOR, and was there in spirit. I have posted some small info on Spoilers, and will be up for a bit, but will await Dorine's post in the morning as well. Sandi

Sun Jan 18 ADAM DAWTREY (Variety) "Pride and Prejudice" is looking good to go in 2004 for Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner's Working Title Films, now that the Universal-owned company has signed up rookie helmer Joe Wright to direct its version of Jane Austen's classic 19th century romance. Wright previously directed two acclaimed BBC mini-series --- the historical biog "Charles II" and contempo drama "Nature Boy." Novelist Deborah Moggach ("Tulip Fever") wrote the first draft of the "Pride and Prejudice" script, and "Billy Elliot" scribe Lee Hall is now buffing it up. "We're trying to do something that pleases the enthusiasts and the Austen fans, that's a faithful adaptation but with a bit more muscle," says one WT insider. Pic is not yet greenlit, but is expected to shoot this summer. Working Title's confirmed production slate for 2004 includes Sydney Pollack's "The Interpreter," currently shooting with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn; and "Nanny McPhee," set to start in April with Emma Thompson starring as a magical nanny, directed by Kirk Jones ("Waking Ned Devine"). Stephen Daldry's "Everest," Paul Greengrass's "Birdsong" and Shekhar Kapur's sequel to "Elizabeth" are all pencilled for 2005.

Karen- Thanks for the blurb on the new adaptation of P&P to be directed by Joe Wright. However... Historically, and on rare occaisions, there are some dramatic interpretations that are so beloved by the theater going public that they almost become the actor's 'property' in a manner of speaking. Curently we see this occuring in New York with "The Producers"...NL and MB have become Bialystock and Bloom...so much so that it's hard to fill the theater in their absence. IMHO...ODB is Darcy. It would be very hard to buy into anyone else filling those shoes.

Keen Eddie debuts tonight on Bravo aft Queer Eye.

Stella at the BBC's report on Day 3 - Ouch for I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. Hope for better for Trauma: http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/sundance/sundance_diary_3.shtml

(Leslie) NL and MB have become Bialystock and Bloom... Funny you should mention this. Just last night I mentioned to the DH I was looking forward to the screen version of this since the stage version got such raves. He said (and I agreed) it will take some getting used to since Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder *are* Bialystock and Bloom for us but maybe it will not take all that much getting used to after all.

Ev: Here's the TV GuideInfo on KE: 1:00 AM Channel 44 BRAVO Wednesday, 21 Keen Eddie Pilot Episode 60 mins. NYPD detective Eddie Arlette (Mark Valley) is sent to London, where he looks for a woman and a chemist who ruined a drug bust in Manhattan. Rudy Alexander: Alexei Sayle. DA Jonah Rosenthal: Yul Vazquez. Marylyn: Lisa Barbuscia. Fishy: Martin Hancock. Bernard: Simon Startin. Cheap Trick: Nick Malinowski. Fiona: Sienna Miller. Monty Pippin: Julian Rhind-Tutt. Superintendent Johnson: Colin Salmon. Cast: Mark Valley, Sienna Miller, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Colin Salmon, Alexei Sayle, Yul Vazquez, Lisa Barbuscia, Martin Hancock, Simon Startin, Nick Malinowski Rating: TV-PG Content: Suggestive Dialog, Strong, Coarse Language, Explicit Sexual Situations, Violence Release Year: 2003 ******************************* Anyone watch the L Word? I enjoyed it, though it was more voyeur than anything else. I kept picturing all those men out there drooling at their TV's and "tivoing" away.

Cathing up . .(damn broken computer at home) Thanks as always for all the articles . . Tress, Dorine & Sandi . .top notch Sundance reporting and star sighting info! Sorry ODB is not there Have a friend from Showtime that was also at the Trauma premiere last night @ Sundance. .just missed him when he called into the office . .very eager to hear his take, from what I heard, he enjoyed it very much . . .hope to hear from him again to day to get more details. Off to check spoilers;)

Eugene Hernandez from IndieWire wrote: "What are you doing later," I asked the star of a big Sundance film during a brief morning conversation this weekend here in Park City. "Getting over this major hangover," the young star said in a low, gravely voice. That must account for Dorine and Tress' absence. ;-)

"Getting over this major hangover," the young star said in a low, gravely voice. .......(Karen)That must account for Dorine and Tress' absence. ;-) That would be my guess..;-)

ok ok, I have a HUGE spoiler posted! Sandi

Hi all! Quick note here.... Yesterday's sightings.....at dinner last night... Came "this close" to Peter Krause (Six Feet Under - pretty hot!) and Laura Dern while I was trying to get to bathroom downstairs through a crowded private party. Today's sightings..... Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard sitting next to us at breakfast, Kyle McLachlan again getting coffee in lobby Starbucks counter (rather graying). That's it for here. :-)

(Dorine)Came "this close" to Peter Krause (Six Feet Under - pretty hot!) and Laura Dern while I was trying to get to bathroom downstairs through a crowded private party. It's all about the loos . . .that and the potted plants . .;) . .So that's the secret . . .

Amongst the O&E found in a Sundance column... BITTER BYSTANDERS: As a small crowd gathered to watch actress Mena Suvari doing a photo shoot, one young man muttered, "She's mean." What, did he date her or something? We don't think so.

Nothing on Trauma. Ebert's column from Sundance: http://www.suntimes.com/output/eb-feature/cst-ftr-ebert20.html and for those who know me, column is rather relevant. ;-) Roeper's has a funny bit toward the end about fake titles: http://www.suntimes.com/output/roeper/cst-nws-roep21.html

Speaking of Seinfield, We saw the actor who played "BABU" the restaurant owner who has a bad run-in with Jerry Seinfeld. We wanted to say "Sienfeld, veddy, veddy bad man" but just couldn't do it.

Sandi: Did you see "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead?"

No, Trauma was it for me, but I am a new fan of the festival and will return next year for sure! Sandi

Karen, please excuse me for using the board this way. ;-) As the grad school interview season warms up, I get to (hopefully) travel all over the country, and I thought it might be a good way to also meet more DDs. I will be at Temple University in Philadelphia February 8 and 9 and should have some free sightseeing time on Sunday. Anyway, if anyone would like to talk more, please email me. Now back to your regularly scheduled Odds and Ends.

From CF topic... (Karen) Question for the Sundance Droolers: How do they determine what gets the audience awards? Is there balloting (which is actually counted) or do they use ticket sales? When we saw Maria, Full of Grace, they handed us a ballot as we went in as it was in Dramatic Competition and returned it a box when we left. We rated 1 to 5 (Bad to Best). We didn't get any for the other 2. Other than that, I'll have to look in the book we got, or the website.

If anyone missed Keen Eddy's debut on Bravo Tuesday night (like, moi)it repeats tonight at 8 pm.

And next week's show apparently is one of the episodes that never aired. Was going to say that "we haven't seen" but reworded. See how easy it is? ;-)

Well, I watched it, based on the reco's from this board, but I must say that I couldn't get into it. Eddy's UK sidekick detective with the long hair looked interesting, until the scene in the sex bar stripped down to black leather undies. I may give the show one more episode or two, but I dunno, Ladies.

Now I find this interesting...I found The Machinist (or my reaction to it) very similar to Trauma, but this reviewer seems to like The Machinist more. I found the set up very similar in that you're never sure what is real or not, it was very interestingly shot, had a similar style and tone, and the puzzle pieces were put together in the end. And he likes this more. I liked them both, but Trauma is definitely the more commercial of the 2. I'd be surprised to see it released, frankly, unless the Christian Bale association is somehow a selling point.

Oops, forgot the review.... Jan. 20, 2004 The Machinist Christian Bale is a haggard machine shop worker who hasn't slept in a year in "The Machinist." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Duane Byrge Sundance Film Festival PARK CITY -- Director Brad Anderson has forged an expert horror-of-personality tale in "The Machinist." It's a brilliantly honed tale of dementia, starring a skeletal Christian Bale as a tormented insomniac wasting away and terrorized by his irreal existence. In the Premiere segment of Sundance, "The Machinist" notched strong and appreciative audience recognition in its world premiere here. In this unnerving saga, Trevor Reznick (Bale) toils away at a machine shop, performing a drudge-like function but a dangerous one. The machinery is steely and scary, and Trevor is losing his grip, physically and emotionally. Freaking his co-workers with his sunken frame, he's out-of-whack in his conversation also. When he causes a harrowing accident -- a co-worker loses his arm -- Trevor is completely ostracized and threatened. He realizes he's losing it, and his condition keeps getting worse. He hasn't slept in a year. Haggard, bug-eyed and prone to hallucinations, Trevor can't tell up from down, reality from delusion. In its very calibrations, from Scott Alan Kosar's edgy, spooky script to Anderson's provocative visualizations of Trevor's disintegrating mind-set, "The Machinist" is a gem. In particular, the film's look -- a combination of stark Germanic-style Expressionism and gritty film noir -- musters up an unsettling, paranoid atmosphere. It's a perfect depiction of Trevor's chaotic, frightening world. Under Anderson's shrewd hand, the technical contributions are masterful, including cinematographer Xavi Gimenez's nervy compositions and chiaroscuro shadings and Roque Banos' Bernard Herrmann-like score, lush with foreboding strings and an eerie bass clarinet undercurrent. Bale's performance, including his startling weight loss, is a brilliant meld of dysfunction, paranoia and fear. Jennifer Jason Leigh brings an apt tranquility to a portrayal of Trevor's Rock of Gibraltar, a generally addled hooker who soothes his demons. The supporting cast is well-selected, including most aptly some frightening-looking individuals seemingly just stepped out of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." THE MACHINIST Filmax Entertainment A Julio Fernandez production for Castelao Prods. Credits: Director: Brad Anderson; Screenwriter: Scott Alan Kosar; Producer: Julio Fernandez; Executive producers: Carlos Fernandez, Antonio Nava; Director of photography: Xavi Gimenez; Line producer: Teresa Gefaell; Art director: Alain Bainee; Sound: Albert Manera; Editor: Luis de la Madrid; Music: Roque Banos. Cast: Trevor: Christian Bale; Stevie: Jennifer Jason Leigh; Marie: Aitana Sanchez-Gijon; Ivan: John Sharian; Miller: Michael Ironside; Jackson: Larry Gilliard; Jones: Reg E. Cathey: Mrs. Shike: Anna Massey. No MPAA rating, running time 98 minutes.

Tress and I thought we'd give you a sneak peek at our Sundance Diary to give you a little more insight into some of the silly things we saw, heard, and did. Cigarettes smoked: 0 (v.v. good!). Cigarettes smoked second hand: about 8 packs (v. bad!) Kyle MacLachlan sightings: about 8. Number of times we thought we should file a restraining order against Kyle M for stalking us: 2. Number of times Tress was too afraid to go to Starbucks counter to order latte: 1 (Kyle MacLachlan was standing close by waiting for his own latte). Number of times Tress asked Dorine how to spell MacLachlan/MacLachlin/McLaughlin: about 8 . Number of times Dorine fell asleep at a restaurant: 1 (it was late and our first night there!) Number of times there was spillage on the cobbles: 1 (Dorine landed squarely on her ass on the ice getting out of Sundance van). Number of times Tress tripped over "Patagucci" (actually Patagonia) bag: at least 15. Number of times we witnessed Marc Evans tripping over his bag: 1 . Number of free tickets to films: 7. Number of times Dorine got shot in the eye with lime by bartender: 2. Number of free drinks for Dorine after lime shot in eye: 1, a Manhattan! Number of hats lost: 1 (Dorine's). Number of lost hats recovered: 1. Number of gloves lost: 1 (Dorine's). Number of lost gloves recovered: 0 (seems silly little glove wanted to stay and party in Utah!) Number of seconds people look each other in the eye at Sundance walking on street or in restaurant to ascertain celebrity status: 3-4, Number of seconds people look each other in the eye in NYC: 1 millisecond. Items stolen by us: one Dr. Dolittle tape (but it was for a good cause) Number of times we eavesdropped: at least 20 (v. v. bad!) Times we had to chew our food in front of celebrities: at least 3 Number of ODB sightings: 0. Minutes spent mourning lack of ODB sightings: about 1 (we had too much fun and too much to do to lament him not being there)! Bottles of Chardonnay consumed: ooooooohhhhhh thousands! Number of regrets: 0 (v.v .good!!!) ;-D Best quotes from Sundance (those said to us or overheard): "It's cold here....not a NYC cold, but a moor cold! "(overheard on Main Street) "Oh! Main Street is great! Between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. it's a celebrity petting zoo!" (told to us by Suzanne. A Tommy Flannagan fan [who knew there were any ;-)] waiting for 10 p.m. showing of Trauma at Sundance) "We call the lesser celebrities, the below par ones.....sub-lebrities" (again, Suzanne in her 'Tommy Flannagan Celtic Rock Confessions' to us) Best rumor that turned out to be untrue (v.disappointing): Orlando Bloom is at Sundance! **this rumor was obtained when eavesdropping on cell call made to 12 or 13 year old girl** Best bit about being at Sundance: Getting better acquainted with each other and meeting other Droolers.......and then.....Trauma and fireside chat with Marc Evans! Most frequently asked question of us: Who are you with? **next year we tell them "Horse and Hound"** Most frequent question we asked each other: Isn't that _____ ?? (fill in the blank)

(Dorine)Number of ODB sightings: 0. Minutes spent mourning lack of ODB sightings: about 1 (we had too much fun and too much to do to lament him not being there)! Bottles of Chardonnay consumed: ooooooohhhhhh thousands! Number of regrets: 0 (v.v .good!!!) ;-D ROTFLMAO! Thanks for the early morning belly laugh Dorine and Tress! What a fun way to start my day.

Can I second Bee's ROTFLMAO? V. v. funny Tress and Dorine!!!