The Screening Room

• Taken (B+)
• New in Town (C-)
• The Uninvited (B+)

Mea Culpa. The Univited DID in fact screen in advance for critics. Just not far enough in advance to get a review in the GuideDaily section. You can read the review now at the link above.

And color me shocked, but wow - a B+? I had a hard time keeping The Uninvited and The Unborn straight in my head. But it looks like maybe the Uninvited might be worth my time:

Some of us over the age of 30 remember when horror filmmakers made movies that didn't feature people getting their faces cut off by elaborate mechanical torture devices, or weird little girls who kill you by crawling out of your cellphone.

The Uninvited won't make anyone forget The Shining, but it's a nice throwback to the days when scary movies featured pretty good actors, a plot that held together and a couple of creepy-looking ghost kids.

HOUSTON (AP) -- A spokeswoman for actor Mickey Rourke says he won't be taking his role as a professional wrestler into a real-life ring after all.

Paula Woods told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that Rourke will not wrestle WWE superstar Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 25 in April at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

Woods wrote in an e-mail that the Oscar-nominated actor "will not be participating in Wrestlemania. He is focusing entirely on his acting career."

Rourke portrays professional wrestler Randy the Ram in the acclaimed movie "The Wrestler." He made a surprise announcement about the wrestling event Sunday night on the red carpet before the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

Rourke had said he was going to toss Jericho "around the ring like tossed salad."

From the Houston Chronicle, via the Associated Press:

HOUSTON (AP) -- Listen up wrestlin' fans: actor Mickey Rourke says he's ready to rumble with WWE superstar Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 25 in Reliant Stadium on April 5.

Rourke portrays professional wrestler Randy the Ram in the acclaimed movie "The Wrestler."

He's signed to wrestle Jericho, for real.

He made a surprise announcement Sunday night on the red carpet before the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

He said he was pleased by the acceptance of the movie by all the WWE wrestlers -- except Jericho.

Then Rourke said he was going to toss Jericho "around the ring like tossed salad."

Meanwhile, Jericho, appearing on WWE television, said, Rourke was out of line and that he was offended by Rourke's comments. He said Rourke made "a mistake."

Stay tuned.

From cnn.com:

History of the Oscars
The Academy Awards will be handed out for the 81st year. The first awards ceremony was held in 1929 at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. Click through the interactive to see other famous moments in Oscar history.

Blossom: Seasons One and Two - The NBC series that introduced "a very special" (insert show title here) gets the DVD treatment. "Whoa."
Cheers: The Final Season - Oh, Sam. Never waning, and with the Emmy wins to attest to that, the series' 11th season featured the return of Shelley Long as Diane Chambers and the breakup of Frasier and Lilith Crane's marriage. Of course, that breakup would spawn another longtime NBC hit, Frasier.
Fireproof - Kirk Cameron stars as a fireman in this "faith-based marriage drama."
Lakeview Terrace - All menace, all the time. Sam Jackson stars as a cop with some boundary issues when it comes to the interracial couple next door, Kerry Washington (Ray) and Patrick Wilson.
The Sidney Poitier Collection - Four movies, including the poetic A Patch of Blue, from the great movie idol. Sadly, you'll have to find Uptown Saturday Night elsewhere.
Vicky Christina Barcelona - Penelope Cruz received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for her portrayal of a hot and bothered ex-wife in this Woody Allen film.
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown - Poor Charlie Brown. This 1957 special won an Emmy. Of course, Charlie is saddled with the number 13 as he competes in motocross with the gang. The DVD also includes You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown and Dust Yourself Off and Pick Yourself Up, Charlie Brown.

P.S. Get your Bourne on as the series is released on Blu-Ray. The Bourne Trilogy includes Matt Damon as amnesiac-spy-on-the-run Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

Sometimes, the Internets are just too much fun to be believed. While conducting a random, movie-related Google search the other day, I stumbled across this:

Mygar, one of the galaxy's biggest movie experts, presents the top 8 most influential depictions of aliens in film.

Greetings and Salutations, sentients. This is your humble master of ceremonies, Mygar. Again it has fallen upon me to share my wealth of knowledge for the enlightenment of all things epicurean.

Today I shall be sharing eight of the greatest and most influential alien films to come from your planet.

It's the Weekly World News' Top 8 Most Influential Alien Movies. Complete with YouTube clips! So if you're trying to find some way to stay awake at work on this dreary Dallas day, may I suggest clicking the above photo to devote a few minutes of your time to this delightful time waster?

(Photo: Courtesy of Weekly World News)

Which one of five nominated fims (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire) will win a SAG award in the category Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture? Find out Sunday at a viewing party for the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The party, presented by the area branch of the Screen Actors Guild, will be at the Angelika Film Center. The awards ceremony will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS at 7 p.m. from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Visit the Web site to check out nominations in other categories. Reservations are recommended.

- Staff Writer Bindu Varghese

Entertainment Weekly reports that Dakota Fanning will star as Jane in the Twilight sequel, New Moon.

Dakota Fanning's reps confirmed [Thursday] that the child actress has in fact been offered the role of Jane, a member of Italy's evil Volturi, for the Twilight sequel New Moon. The news was first reported by E! Online. No deal has yet been made. In fact, Fanning and her reps have not met New Moon director Chris Weitz nor Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the franchise. Rumors of the offer were swirling before Fanning's camp even received the official one. They will now meet with Weitz and company next week. New Moon is scheduled to begin shooting in March in Toronto and Italy.

Read the whole scoop here.

So what do you think, Twilight fans? Personally, I find Dakota Fanning just creepy enough to pull it off. Not as creepy as young-Christina-Ricci, but definitely more creepy than young-Kirsten-Dunst and in the same sort of "Oh, isn't she pretty? OH MY GOD!" as she rips out your throat sort of way.

So if you're all caught up on your Oscar-nominee watching, you might enjoy one of these new releases this week. (Or if you're not caught up, maybe Waltz with Bashir is all you're waiting for.)

• Inkheart (B)
• Outlander (B-)
• Waltz With Bashir (A-)
• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (C)

The Underword prequel was not screened for critics, which is seldom a good sign for a film. Sometimes the strength of the director's reputation (see: Tyler Perry) can carry a film without a review; other times, we are oddly surprised with how good a film is and just why on Earth did Paramount not want to screen Aeon Flux.

So really, Underworld could go either a way. As a fan, I'm interested in another film. But as a fan, all I can think is "Didn't we see all of this in Michael's flashbacks? And where IS Scott Speedman? I know it's a prequel, but c'mon!"

But I digress. Also speaking as a fangirl, I am all about Outlander. It's science fiction! With Vikings! And Jesus, I mean, Jim Caviezel! And fangirl favorites Sophia Myles (Doctor Who, Moonlight), Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army) and John Hurt (of the "John Hurt Moment" in Aliens). Considering that it's Starman meets Beowulf, there was/is a LOT of room for badness. I was full prepared for disappointment. We'll see if Cary Darling's review holds up.

As the Morning News writer who reviewed both The Reader and Frozen River, I was thrilled to see that Kate Winslet and Melissa Leo both earned nominations for Best Actress. And believe me, "earned" is the operative verb. I don't envy Academy voters having to choose between those two. Initially, I was surprised to see that Clint Eastwood was shut out for Gran Torino (a fine film), but I, for one, can't think of anyone more deserving of Best Actor nominations than the five who earned them. I was surprised Bruce Springsteen didn't get a nod for Best Song (for The Wrestler). My biggest objection came in the documentary category, involving snubs for two films with Texas connections. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: David Kross and Kate Winslet in The Reader

Studios with multiple nominations for the 81st Academy Awards:

Paramount: 17

Fox Searchlight: 12

Universal: 11

Focus Features: 9

Warner Bros.: 8

Walt Disney: 7

Miramax: 6

Paramount Vantage: 6

The Weinstein Company: 5

Sony Pictures Classics: 3

(From the Associated Press. Totals are based on the studio of record for domestic distribution for each film.)

Oscars: 'Slumdog,' Benjamin Button' get best picture nominations; Heath Ledger receives supporting actor nomination

Complete nominee list for the 81st annual Academy Awards

81st annual Oscar nominees' photos and trailers

Batman & Bollywood? Oscars eye 'Knight,' 'Slumdog'

To regain populist footing, Oscar needs a hero

Oscar loves 'em, dead or alive

Official Oscars Web site

The nominations are in! (Well, at least the big ones. We'll fill in the gaps soon.) Here are the nominees for the top six awards:

Best supporting actress: Amy Adams (Doubt), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Viola Davis (Doubt), Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Marissa Tomei (The Wrestler)

Supporting actor: Josh Brolin (Milk), Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Milk), Heath Ledger (The Dark Night) and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married); Angelina Jolie (The Changeling), Melissa Leo (Frozen River), Meryl Streep (Doubt) and Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Actor: Richard Jenkins, Frank Langella, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Mickey Rourke

Best Director: David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Gus Van Sant (Milk), Stephen Daldry (The Reader) and Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Frost/Nixon; Milk; The Reader; Slumdog Millionaire

So tell us: Which actor, actress, director or film did the Academy overlook? Who should have gotten a nomination?

Good morning, movie fans! We'll be keeping you up to date with the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. The announcements begin at 7:30 on E!

7:44 a.m.: Well, that was fast.

7:38 a.m.: Best supporting actress: Amy Adams (Doubt), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Viola Davis (Doubt), Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Marissa Tomei (The Wrestler)

Supporting actor: Josh Brolin (Milk), Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Milk), Heath Ledger (The Dark Night) and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married); Angelina Jolie (The Changeling), Melissa Leo (Frozen River), Meryl Streep (Doubt) and Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Actor: Richard Jenkins, Frank Langella, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Mickey Rourke

Best Director: David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Gus Van Sant (Milk), Stephen Daldry (The Reader) and Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Animated feature: Bolt, Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E

Best picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Frost/Nixon; Milk; The Reader; Slumdog Millionaire

7:35 a.m. Hold tight. E! presenters are filling time until the announcements get under way.

Set your alarm clocks (and be glad you don't live on the West coast) -- nominations for the 81st annual Academy Awards will be announced beginning at 7:30 a.m. CST (that's 5:30 a.m. for our poor Californian brethren.)

Join us here starting at 7:30 to find out who got snubbed and who's getting a 5:45 wake up call from their agent.

And since the Golden Globes are often a good indicator of which way the Academy will vote, don't forget who has already taken home an award this year.

Do you wonder about the appropriateness of some recent or upcoming movies for kids? I'm working on a story about a site that helps parents become savvier media consumers -- would love to hear about movies or any form of media that gives you pause.

Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger - This HBO special was compiled from shows in South Africa, London and New York's
Apollo Theater. Rock proves, not that he has to, that he has the sharpest commentary about the times in which we live. Also available in a deluxe edition.
The Express: The Ernie Davis Story - The the first black Heisman Trophy winner gets the star treatment in this biopic starring Rob Brown (Finding Forrester). If you watch, tears might not be far behind.
Igor - One ambitious Igor trying his best to become a scientist makes for a fine animated film, with a good lesson to boot.
Max Payne - Mark Wahlberg shoots up, well, everything in this movie based on a video game.
Moonlight: The Complete Series - Dreamy Mick St. John, a sensitive vampire, lives forever, falls in love, solves crimes, hangs out with vampire friends. Forever Knight, anyone? Maybe it'll make the brilliant but cancelled category. I mean, it won the 2008 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. Why did CBS cancel it again?
Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition - Find the episode that's shown backward. Then you'll truly understand the genius that is the Powerpuff Girls. Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, made from sugar, spice and everything nice (along with Chemical X), saved the day for six seasons in a town overrun with super villains. Whee!
Repo! The Genetic Opera - A musical about a repo man who recovers organs from those who don't pay. Trust me. It's funny, bloody and it stars Anthony Stewart Head (Little Britain, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Saw V - If you're a completist, go for it. Just don't expect anything new. Fair warning: The twists are telegraphed so broadly that your interest will wane, well, a quarter of the way through.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

• My Bloody Valentine 3D (B)
  Non-3D showtimes
• Notorious (B+)
• Defiance (B)
• Che (B)
• Last Chance Harvey (B-)
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop (C-)
• Chandni Chowk to China (B)
• Hotel for Dogs (D)

If you ever wonder how Mickey Rourke went from sexy leading man in weird '80s films to weird leading man in '00 films, blame none other than the man himself:

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Mickey Rourke says there is only one person he blames for the spectacular implosion of his career the first time round -- himself.

"You lose your house, your wife, your career, your everything at one time," he says, "You've got to look in the mirror and go 'It's your fault.'"

For a long time it looked like Rourke was destined for obscurity. But, amazingly, he has battled his way back to the top.

It has taken him 15 years, but his critically-acclaimed role in Darren Aronofsky's latest film, "The Wrestler" might finally allow the actor to shake off the notoriety and grab on to the career that should have been his all along.

Continue reading.

Everybody loves a successful comeback, so I for one am cheering Rourke along. I mean, if Britney gets a second chance... Of course, here's hoping there's no Angel Heart sequel in the making.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Indiana Jones and "The Mummy" slayer are teaming up on the big screen - to battle not ancient, otherworldly baddies, but a big medical dilemma.

Brendan Fraser will join Harrison Ford for a medical drama set to begin filming in April, CBS Films announced Wednesday. The untitled movie will be the first production for CBS Films, a feature film division established in 2007.

Fraser will play a father who recruits the help of a medical researcher portrayed by Ford. CBS Films said the film's screenplay is inspired by "The Cure," a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Geeta Anand about John F. Crowley, a former Bristol Myers Squibb executive who started his own biotech company to save his two children from a rare muscular disorder

AFI Dallas announced that its third film festival will go from March 26-April 2 and announced a new presenting sponsor, NorthPark Center.

NorthPark Center has hosted several central films in the first two years of the festival. Now, as a presenting sponsor, they will hold more screenings and it's also where you will find the the AFI DALLAS box office, a film festival lounge, galas. NorthPark will also host some red-carpet and other events.

Victory Park will again serve as the "epicenter" of the festival, with some screenings shown on its big screens.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Days after checking himself into a Los Angeles hospital for pneumonia, Patrick Swayze says his condition is improving. The 56-year-old actor, who is battling pancreatic cancer, tells People magazine: "I am alive and plan on continuing to stay that way. ... I am almost in the clear."

Swayze says he checked into the hospital Jan. 9 because of a cough that he suspected was the result of an infection.

Swayze says: "I wanted to jump on it before it turned into a problem. As soon as I got home, I called my doctor and then went straight to the hospital and was immediately put on antibiotics."

Swayze's representatives did not respond to messages seeking comment on his health.

Last week, Swayze told ABC's Barbara Walters that his yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer put him "through hell" while he pushed ahead on his new TV series on A&E, "The Beast," which premieres Thursday.

In stores:

Swing Vote: Thank Goodness that this is a fantasy. Kevin Costner is the regular Joe (not to be confused with the plumber) who has the fate of the country in his hands when voting irregularities leave him with the decisive vote in the presidential election.
Appaloosa: A moody-looking Viggo Mortensen (is there another kind?) plays to form in a good old Western. Ed Harris and Renee Zellweger co-star. And, look, there's Jeremy Irons!
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys - When will the multi-hyphenate take his name off the title of his movies? No matter, he pulled in some big-name stars for this one, namely Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard as two friendly matriarchs with some not-so-friend family problems. The tagline: "Follow your heart. But watch your back."
Little Britain USA - You know how some things can make you laugh so much you hurt? Try the other way around when you watch this HBO version of a British import. I can't even write about it without giggling.
Dallas: The Complete 10th Season: I don't really need to sell you on this, do I? It's the next-to-last season for J.R. and his homies. Relive the big 80s, why don't you?
Mirrors: One more reason to fear a mirror. First, there was Bloody Mary. Then there was Candyman. And now, some evil force is using mirrors as a gateway into our world. Good thing Jack Bauer, I mean Kiefer Sutherland, is there to help.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Jackie Chan soon could be mentoring a karate kid.
The martial arts star is in negotiations to star in Columbia's remake of "The Karate Kid." He would take on the role of mentor Mr. Miyagi, made famous by Pat Morita in the original.
The studio also has signed Harald Zwart to helm the picture, which could begin shooting this year in Beijing.
Jaden Smith is set to star as the boy to be mentored by Chan's character. Like the original, which starred Morita and Ralph Macchio, the movie will examine the relationship between a martial arts expert and a boy who is picked on by bullies.
The setting will be relocated from the U.S. to China. Chris Murphy has been attached to pen the screenplay.
Chan next appears in Relativity's action-comedy "The Spy Next Door."
Zwart directed the hit "Agent Cody Banks" and Columbia's upcoming "The Pink Panther 2."

NEW YORK (AP) -- Critics loved a love-struck robot and a tightrope-walking Frenchman in 2008. The sci-fi romance "WALL-E" and the documentary "Man on Wire" took top honors from the 10th annual Golden Tomato Awards.

The awards honor the best-reviewed films of the year as determined by the Web site RottenTomatoes.com, which compiles reviews from critics to measure the percentage of favorable critiques.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Guess who's coming to the Oscars this year?

Leslie Unger, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, says none of the superstar presenters will be announced before the February 22 telecast.

Awards shows, including the Academy Awards, typically tout celebrity presenters to generate interest. But Oscar producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon are breaking tradition. They're hoping to lure TV viewers by keeping the star power a secret until showtime.

Unger said Wednesday: "There will be fantastic movie stars that appeal to a whole range of movie lovers and fans of our show. We're just not going to tell you who they all are."

The Oscars will air live from the Kodak Theatre.

Thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press for wrapping up tonight's show in just two minutes over 10 p.m. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? Take a lesson.

So Slumdog Millionaire score Best Motion Picture. Well played, Danny Boyle. Does this signal Oscar gold in the future? Time will tell.

I don't know whether to love or hate his outfit, but, man, I sure do respect it. Parts Johnny Cash, parts Elvis, parts Plastic Man (or Elongated Man, you pick), parts Waylon Jennings ... I could go on.

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) says it's been a long way back for him, this winner of tonight's best-actor award. He would be right. Let's see if that face gets him some more real, meaty roles. Judging from the wild applause and cries when his name was announced, I'd say there's hope. Plus, he talked about his dog ... Wow, if anyone deserved to ramble, it's Mickey.

While I would have been happy to see any of these shows win (Dexter; House; In Treatment; True Blood), I'm glad to see the AMC show's sophomore season was just as strong as its first.

Kate Winslet was shocked when she was named for her second acting award of the night. After receiving the best supporting actress award for her turn in The Reader, she took Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for Revolutionary Road.

Oh, SNAP. The audience seemed to be less than underwhelmed at Cohen's jokes this evening. Personally, I thought the comment that "Victoria Beckham hasn't eaten in three weeks" deserved a chuckle or two. But Charlie Sheen not paying for sex? Madonna firing personal assistant Guy Ritchie? C'mon! I didn't get the feeling he was being particularly vitriolic. It makes me wonder if another comedian could have gotten away with the same comments.

Slumdog Millionaire earns its second award of the night (the first was for Best Original Score) as Danny Boyle wins Best Director - Motion Picture.

Then Colin Farrell beats In Bruges co-star Brendon Gleeson and three others for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy.

I loved the walk down cinematic memory lane that Steven Spielberg's clip show just provided.

the best part: I had completely forgotten that Spielberg direction one of my all time favorite TV episodes: The Night Gallery pilot, "Eyes," starring none other than Joan Crawford. So while you're thanking Cecile B. DeMille for starting your film career, Steven Spielberg, thank you for helping create the science fiction/horror fan I have become.

First, Ricky Gervais turns his introduction into a stand-up routine and then Tracy does a role reversal with Tina Fey and turns an acceptance speech into a bit of impromptu performance art. A hilarious sequel to his and Tina's back-and-forth on SNL when she appeared on Weekend Update, with her "Bitch is the new Black" endorsement of Hillary Clinton and Tracy followed up the next week with his "Black is the new president, bitch" retort.

Explaining that "Tina and I agreed that if Obama won I would speak for the show from now on," Mr. Morgan went on a freeform riff that demonstrated that if you abuse substances long enough, at some point it ceases to matter if you're technically sober.

Hilarious. Another Only at the Golden Globes.moment.

Oh, Tracy Morgan. Way to sweep away with "Best Acceptance Speech of the Night," speaking for 30 Rock as "the face of post-racial America."

"Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for 30 Rock from now on," he said.

I wonder then: If McCain/Palin had won, would Tina Fey have accepted the award with a heartfelt "you betcha!"?

Not taking home the award tonight: Showtime's Californication and Weeds, HBO's Entourage or NBC's The Office.

OK, so I'm a little late with this, but ...

Paul Giamatti won best actor for miniseries or made-for-TV movie for you know what. Maybe the Globes could just play back the acceptance speeches from awards shows past when a cast member from HBO's John Adams wins an award tonight.

I'm just saying.

Uh, I meant Renee Zellweger. What is she wearing?! My grandmother would say she dyed a croaker sack black. For those of you not versed in the old Southern ways, that's the rough bag they used to put flour in. Emphasis on the rough.

If you think you've heard it all before, well, you have. John Adams swept the SAG Awards and the Emmys last year (!) and now we get to watch them win all the awards again. "My," you say, "that must be some miniseries. I've got to see that." Well, you'd have to rely on HBO's programmers to run it back for you. And if they're worth any of the salary that they're making, they'll do a John Adams marathon. Or at least make a big DVD push.

I mean, people want to see what all the fuss is about. Right? I'm just saying that two years of honoring this could be quite enough. The Thorn Birds didn't get this type of hype. And I'll bet your grandmother saw that one.

The award goes to... Waltz With Bashir, the animated war film from Isreal, which opens here in Dallas on Jan. 23.

Director Christopher Nolan accepted the drama award for late actor Heath Ledger. The Globes had enough foresight to prepare a scene of the character's winning work as the Joker in The Dark Knight, since we all knew the well-liked and talented actor would win.

I don't know about a "hole ripped in the future of cinema" that Nolan mentioned opening upon Ledger's death, but his acceptance speech was respectfully brief. I thought Ledger's performance in the film was fearless, edgy and just what the Batman series of films needed. I mourn the passing of the once and future Joker (sorry, Jack and Cesar).

A bit out of sequence, but I hate to leave out the award for my favorite film of the year, WALL-E, which beat out Bolt and Kung Fu Panda for best animated feature film. True love meets technology: what's not to love?

There's two wonderful reasons to love the Globes over the Oscars:

1. Efficiency. The organizers of this show know to just plow through the awards. Yes, by all means, let the winners have their moment or 10 to shine and be gracious. But otherwise, get on with it. So far, so good.

2. Booze. No really. The attendees seem a lot more comfortable, chatting around a table of their co-stars and friends, noshing and drinking. And can you really imagine (1) the audience talking over the first Oscar presenter or (2) said presenter announcing "Hey! Mama's talkin'!" to get their attention? And how cute was Demi Moore mouthing "Hey baby!" to her daughter, Miss Golden Globe Rumer Willis, or Emma Thompson laughingly encouraging Happy-Go-Lucky's Sally Hawkins?

Why was Johnny Depp speaking that way? Is it his Dillinger voice? He's set to play the folk hero bank robber in a movie later this year. Or is it more Method nonsense?

It almost brought the show to a crashing halt, subduing it beyond recognition. I love you, Johnny, but really?

Of course, it was followed by a teary acceptance speech from Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky), who won actress in a film/comedy or musical. Is she still talking?

I didn't know they gave a Globe for "Worst Southern Accent in a TV Show." Oh, Anna, I kid. Well, not really. But as a fan of True Blood, I'll be the first to admit that her accent takes more suspension of disbelief than the vampires.

Ms. Paquin beat out Sally Field, Mariska Hargitay, January Jones and Kyra Sedgwick for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama.

Anna Paquin of True Blood takes home the statuette for actress/TV drama. She must have been as surprised as I was, since her speech lasted all of a two seconds. I was hoping she wouldn't win so we wouldn't get more of that awful accent that she uses on the show.

I'm a child of the South, and we don't all talk alike. And I watch and listen to that show. That's a lot of different dialects for what's supposed to be a small, vampire-ridden town. Ah, well.

Let's hear it for Gabriel Byrne of In Treatment, who won actor/TV drama and Laura Dern (Recount), who won supporting actress/TV series, miniseries or movie.

A voice just introduced us to what happens during a commercial break at the Golden Globes. He says they find old friends and make deals. Really?! Make deals? Come on ... the Globes' reputation as a freewheeling drink-a-thon belies that.

Maybe it's just a lot of "I'll call you" and "Let's do lunch" and "I haven't seen you since Surfer Dude!"

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or TV movie (enough categories woven into one?!) went to Tom Wilkinson for John Adams, in probably the first of more than a few awards for that miniseries.

So glad it went to him. One can only hope he sweeps his categories. He's such a wonderful presence in anything he decides to act in. He's also nominated for best actor in a miniseries or made-for-TV movie.

It was nice to see Blair Underwood nominated, though. He should get some sort of longevity award ...

Of course, Globes voters couldn't resist giving Bruce Springsteen the song award for "The Wrestler" from The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke. Even he remarked on the fact that he was against Clint Eastwood (!) for the award. I'm torn between whether I want the Globes to start getting the nominees to sing the songs. Or not.

I mean, sometimes it's a welcome respite from all the star- and navel-gazing. And other times, it's some sort of random torture tactic dreamed up in a madman's world.

And in a category that I hoped would give us a surprise, we get Kate Winslet as Supporting Actress/Drama. She looks really good in the black dress, even if her present form makes me wish for Kate past. (Hold on, Viola, who also looked remarkably happy and relaxed. Remember, this isn't the Oscars.)

They're all so shiny. Jennifer Lopez, who always looks good in gold, presented the award.

The often-nominated actress takes the Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a German woman with a secret past in The Reader.

We'll be talking about the awards and the clothes, the winners and the losers tonight when the show starts at 7 p.m.

For now, check out David Ninh's take on the red carpet at the Shopping blog.

• The Wrestler (B)
• Bride Wars (D)
• Not Easily Broken (C-)
• The Unborn (D+)

Anyone remember that Madonna (right) directed a movie last year? Well, I'm not the only one who remembered Filth and Wisdom. She was honored (poked fun at?) with a Razzie nomination. You know the Razzies, for "the worst of the worst in entertainment." Other nominees included Tom Cruise, The Hottie and the Nottie, High School Musical 3 and a surprise nomination for Reese Witherspoon for Worst Actress for her work in Four Christmases and other 2008 films.

But Kate Hudson seemed to take it on the chin when she was nominated twice in the same category: Worst Screen Couple. This, on top of the dismal reviews her new movie, Bride Wars, is getting. Some people just can't get a break.

(Photo by Evan Agostini/Associated Press)

Twilight fans, rejoice! Your favorite werewolf is definitely back for the sequel:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Taylor Lautner will be back to morph into the monstrous Jacob Black in the Twilight sequel New Moon.

There had been talk that a bigger, buffer, more menacing actor might play the role when the second of Stephenie Meyer's hugely successful vampire novels hits movie screens come Nov. 20. Lautner, by comparison, appears lean and sweet-faced in part one. But distributor Summit Entertainment and director Chris Weitz confirmed Wednesday that Lautner would be returning.

Stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson will also be returning as the saga's doomed young lovers, high schooler Bella Swan and brooding vampire Edward Cullen.

Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight opened at No. 1 with a whopping $69.6 million at the box office in November, the biggest opening ever for a female director. It has since grossed about $177 million domestically.

Fresh on the heels of its nomination for Best Picture from the Producers Guild, The Dark Knight received a nomination for best adapted screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.

The film was snubbed by the Golden Globes for any type of non-actor nomination, though Heath Ledger received a well-deserved supporting nod. And the movie did receive a nod for the stunts from the Screen Actors Guild. A note to the Academy: Just because a film has ears, a cape and a Joker doesn't mean it's not worthy of flying high.

(Photo by Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Pictures)

It's all in the timing. Just a few minutes ago, we movie geeks here at the Morning News were discussing Darren Aronofsky's upcoming The Wrestler, comeback vehicle extraordinaire for Mickey Rourke.

But, as Media Critic Tom Maurstad pointed out, to truly stage a comeback, you have to actually follow it up with more roles. So we got to wondering: What kinds of roles could Mr. Rourke expect to come his way? His shot at leading man roles went out with 9-1/2 Weeks and Angel Heart (and don't get me started on Another 9-1/2 Weeks).

Well it looks like he landed it: According to slashfilm.com, Mickey Rourke will join the cast of Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables.

The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke will join Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Forest Whitaker and Ben Kingsley in a story about story an "expendable" team, hired to do jobs that no one else can or will.... According to Variety, Rourke will play "an unscrupulous arms dealer who becomes the go-to guy for the group of mercenaries". Principal photography is set to begin in Brazil and Louisiana in March.

(Pictured: Mickey Rourke in 9-1/2 Weeks, Sin City and The Wrestler)

From The Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- One of the digital wizards behind such cartoon smashes as WALL-E, Ratatouille" and Finding Nemo is getting an Academy Award.

Pixar Animation co-founder Ed Catmull is receiving the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, an honorary Oscar statuette, for lifetime achievement in computer graphics for filmmaking.

Catmull is receiving the prize at the academy's Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony Feb. 7, which precedes the Feb. 22 Oscars.

It's the second honorary Oscar for Catmull. He's a previous recipient in 2000 for developing Pixar's RenderMan software, which has been used in digital imagery for 45 of the last 50 films nominated for the visual-effects Oscar.

Catmull also has three past scientific and technical awards from the academy.

The documentary Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life will screen at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26 at the Lakewood Theater in Dallas. All proceeds of this movie and t-shirt sales will be donated to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research in hopes of finding treatment or a cure for this disease.

Plot synopsis from IMDb.com:

Darius Weems, a 15-year-old with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, had never left his hometown of Athens, Georgia. In the summer of 2005, he and a group of young college students traveled across the country in a wheelchair-accessible RV to test accessibility in the United States. Their ultimate goal was to reach Los Angeles and convince MTV's hit show, Pimp My Ride, to customize Darius's wheelchair. Along the way, they found joy, brotherhood, and the knowledge that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride.

In stores today:

An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong -- The books and cafes move to the screen again as Chrissa deals with bullies in American Girl fashion.
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0 -- This comes out just in time for viewers to catch up; the second part of the series' last season begins Jan. 16 on SciFi. The set also includes the unrated, extended version and the broadcast version of the Battlestar movie, Razor.
Bangkok Dangerous -- If you must add to your Nicolas Cage collection (he gets a pass in my book for taking his stage name from Marvel Comics' Luke Cage, aka Power Man), well, try this. If your collection stopped at Con Air, well, don't. Mr. Cage is a tough assassin (natch) who lets down his guard.
Mamma Mia! -- Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan warble their way through the movie version of the hit musical.
Mannix: Season 2 -- Back when our TV detectives had less angst and, well, detected, Joe Mannix was the man.
Pineapple Express -- Seth Rogen and James Franco star in an action-stoner film, if there can be such a thing, for the aughts. Judd Apatow, of course, produces.
Righteous Kill -- Al Pacino and Robert De Niro star as a pair of New York cops. Donnie Wahlberg and 50 Cent co-star.
The Tudors: Season 2 -- Anne Boleyn becomes King Henry VIII's new queen in Showtime's royal steamer. Yes, we know how it ends. The fun is watching actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers get there as Henry. The set includes the first two episodes of new Showtime drama The United States of Tara.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

A lot more people are going to get to know Big Tex. A documentary by local filmmakers Allen Mondell and Cynthia Salzman Mondell has been selected by the U.S. State Department for its 2009 American Documentary Showcase. A Fair to Remember captures the traditions and history of the State Fair of Texas.

According to program director Betsy A. McLane, the showcase is "is intended to offer a broad and diversified look at American life, and the values of a democratic society, as seen by American documentary filmmakers." The Mondells' film was the only Texas project chosen.

Slow week at the multiplex, but better than usual. Typically, the first week of January is a barren wasteland of "You Best Go See Something That Came Out Last Week." Of course, January itself is typically a barren wasteland "No, Really. Go Catch Up on the Movies That Might Win an Award. Because None of These Will." It's where movie go to die. And with that happy thought:

• Revolutionary Road (C-)