"End" of the Week - Bear Grylls

Sure, I may have mentioned Bear Grylls' bottom in previous posts, but I believe the Discovery Channel star's backside is worthy of multiple discussions.

Anticipation!

Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta starts tonight!

Diane Keaton Moving to Television?

Story here. Diane Keaton, one of the geatest film actresses ever in my opinion, will move to the small screen, starring in a half hour HBO comedy series about a feminist icon starting a sexually explicit magazine for women. The series will be written by Marti Nixon, a producer/writer previously involved in a number good to great television series, including Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Point Pleasant. Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy, and Brother & Sisters. I think the series sounds promising, and hopefully it will provide great material for Diane Keaton. She's really only had two notable performances this decade - Something's Gotta Give and The Family Stone. With few great film roles for older actresses, it seems television is the place to go. Sally Field, Glenn Close, and Holly Hunter have already made the jump from big screen to small, and while they've been successful in their transitions, it's still a pity, since I feel their talent should be on display in theatres rather than just my television screen. Oh well, at least with Toni Collette, Edie Falco, and now Diane Keaton, the Emmy category for Best Actress in a Comedy should become very interesting.

Discovery Channel's The Colony

If you're not watching anything on Tuesday nights at 10 pm, you should definitely check out the Discovery Channel's new reality series The Colony. Essentially an "experiment" in which ten people try to survive in a post-apocalyptic America, the series features engaging participants from various professions trying to create a society without much of our modern conveniences, the most entertaining aspect being how quickly these participants adapt to their circumstances, as if the situation was real. They already have genuine fear and anger toward the fake bike gang/marauders who pretend to break into the colony to steal supplies. The show also benefits, like any other good reality series, from male eye candy. George, the doctor, and Joey, the contractor/ex-con are both worthy of some attention. Anyway, I really recommend the show. It's a hundred times better than Bravo's Tuesday night reality programs, Miami Social and NYC Prep. The casts of both of those series need to be put on a bus and driven over a cliff. Yeesh.

Screen God Top 5 - Ewan McGregor

1. Moulin Rouge! (Baz Luhrmann, 2001)

2. Velvet Goldmine (Todd Haynes, 1998)

3. Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996)

4. Down with Love (Peyton Reed, 2003)

5. Young Adam (David Mackenzie, 2003)

Sunday Blessings - Liev Schreiber

Today's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to actor Liev Schreiber, who starred most recently in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a film which I should have been excited for, considrering the combined hirsute goodness of Schreiber and Jackman, but failed to see because of the horrid reviews. Schreiber has been in the industry since the mid-ninties, first appearing in a number of indies including Party Girl, The Daytrippers, Denise Calls Up, and Big Night. Denise Calls Up, a so-so film, is worth a rental for any Schreiber fan, just for a scene in which he's wearing nothing but a strategically placed phone. Following his indie-film start, he did a number of horror features, some good (Scream, Scream 2) some bad (Phantoms, Sphere), but his career really took off after playing Orson Welles in the HBO televsion movie RKO 281, a role for which he received a Golden Globe nomination in 2000. This past decade has been good to Schreiber in general. He gave the best performance in the remake of The Manchurian Candidate, got to write and direct his first feature, Everything Is Illmuinated, won a Tony for his performance in Glengarry Glen Ross, had a successful guest run on CSI, and met his fiancee and mother of his child, Naomi Watts, on the set of The Painted Veil. Even though the film got panned, appearing in Wolverine was also a plus for him, as it gave Schreiber greater exposure, which will lead to more roles in bigger films. Hopefully some of those films require him to show a little skin. Amen.

Adrian Grenier's Fuzzy Coin Slot

Photo courtesy of Dlisted. I'll admit it - I'd go after that. It's just a pity he's not a better actor.

"End" of the Week - Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig was willing to bare himself, in a number of his films. Sadly, now that he's become a bigger star since Casino Royale, I fear those days are over,

Congratulations Anna

Last night on the finale of The Fashion Show, it was revealed Anna won the competition based on voting from the viewers. Anna had been my favorite competitor during the course of the season, though I wasn't a big fan of her final collection, as it lacked cohesion and rehashed previous designs, but I'm still happy for her. I thought she had a good chance of winning, since her outfits had the most saleability, appealing to a broad demographic. She definitly could find success starting her own line of clothing, but based upon her collection, I don't believe she could be a great "designer," though I could be totally wrong - her "vagina dress" and the Swarovski evening gown both showed ingenuity. Anna's fellow finalist, Daniella, was chosen as the judges' favorite, receiving a much smaller check than Anna as a prize. Poor James-Paul went home empty handed. I did like his final collection best. During last night's finale we also got to see the rest of the contestants in a reunion situation. Jonny D was sporting a bizarre mohawk, though I still found him hot. I'm still annoyed that he was the first to be kicked off, particularly because Kristin quit the show right after his elimination, and that would have been reason enough to bring him back. Grrrr! The final collections by Johnny R and Merlin, which were used as decoys during the final runway, were also shown, and let me just say "Yowza," in regards to Merlin's collection. I actually sort of enjoyed the over-the-top theatrics of his collection, but it was most definitly a costume showcase rather than a fashion show.

What Are They Doing?

Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson seem to be having a fun time together. I guess they're wrestling in their bathing suits? It's an interesting photo to say the least. I honestly don't know whether I should be laughing or getting turned on. Eh... maybe I could do both.

Dan from HGTV's Design Star

The new season of HGTV's Design Star premiered last night, and already I'm having impure thoughts about contestant Dan. Each of the previous seasons has featured male eye-candy willing to design shirtless - David Bromstad, Todd Davis, Mikey Verdugo. Let's hope Dan follows in this wonderful tradition and starts decorating rooms sans shirt.

Screen God Top 5 - Cary Grant

1. His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940)

2. Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946)

3. The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940)

4. Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938)

5. North By Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959)

Sunday Blessings - Robby Ginepri

Today's edition of Sunday Blessings is going to be on the short side, as it's been a busy weekend for me. The focus of the post is American tennis player Robby Ginepri. Like with most other sports, I don't follow tennis. I know many people find it exciting, and I can actually understand why people could get excited for the sport, unlike say with baseball, where I still don't get how someone can be enthused by it at all, but tennis just doesn't interest me. Yet even with my lack of interest in the sport, there always seems to be a player who grabs my attention on sheer sex appeal. In the early nineties it was Andre Agassi, in the late nineties Pete Sampress, especially after he did the shirtless got milk? ad (yum), and now Robby Ginepri. Sure Andy Roddick is cute, but Robby is a sexy, hairy beast, and that always wins out for me. Amen.

The Fashion Show Finale & Andy Cohen's New Gig

Part 1 of The Fashion Show's finale aired this past Thursday night. After having followed the show for nearly three months, I was excited for the runway collections of the four finalists. Of course, I ended up being hugely dissapointed by the boring results. The whole season had been rather ho-hum, but I thought the final four were actually deserving, and given no limitations would create some exciting collections. Nope. My favorite designer from the season was Anne, having loved her detail work and use of patterns. Her final runway collection, however, wasn't an actual collection, but rather a hodge-podge of well made garments, and she recycled styles and techniques she used in previous challenges. Reco had proven to be alternately stylish and tacky throughout the season, but his tacky side seemed to win out with regards to his final collection. The outfits lacked cohesion and some were just plain ugly (the black dress with the upside-down v). Daniella's previous efforts were often worthy of appreciation - I thought her grey evening gown with the Swarovski crystals was gorgeous - and her final collection was actually a collection. I liked the idea behind her garments, but I thought most of the oufits seemed poorly made and rather cheap looking. The one collection I actually had some excitement for was James-Paul's, which is surprising, considering I thought he was the least of the four finalists. It was by no means a great collection, as he needs to learn how to edit his designs, use color and better cut and drape to fit the body, but there was thought behind his designs, some interesting use of fabrics, and enough theatricality to make me smile. The four finalists was cut down to three to be voted on by the public. Reco was the one eliminated, which I'm happy about, as he didn't deserve to win but would have just out of popularity.

If you stuck with Bravo later into Thursday night, you got to watch the hot mess that is What What Happens, Live, a chat/promo show hosted by Bravo executive Andy Cohen. I find humor in the fact Cohen wants to be a celebrity in his own right, rather than just a man behind the scenes. It's one thing for him to write a blog on the network's website and act as moderator for various cast reunions, but hosting his own talk show puts him right out in front. Mr. Cohen is definitely nice to look at, so I really can't complain about it too much. The show itself was an odd mess, containing an interview with habitual liar Danielle from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, a brief chat with Fashion Show castoff Reco via satellite, and a phone call from Sarah Jessica Parker, which was essentially a plug for her upcoming Bravo competition series. Cohen himself was the most interesting aspect of the show, as he seemed to get more inebriated as it went on and gayer than he usually comes across in the reunion shows. The topper was him gushing over how hot 19 year-old Levi Johnston is. While I hate to admit it, I actually agree with Cohen, especially after seeing the photospread Levi did for GQ, but there was still that moment where I was thinking, "Oh my God. Is he actually saying this." Even though it's completely accepted for an older guy (ie Leno, Letterman, O'Brien) to objectify 18/19-year-old (sometimes even younger) girls, it's still a huge taboo to objectify a younger guy. There was something refreshing about Cohen's gushing, if still a little creepy.

"End" of the Week - Christopher Meloni

Meloni was willing to show off his assets in a number of episodes of Oz. It's a pity network television doesn't show any sort of nudity, otherwise Law & Order: Special Victims Unit could be a lot more interesting.

Emmy Nomination Reactions

The Emmy nominations were announced yesterday morning, and there were a number of surprises, but also a good deal of disappointments - it is the Emmys afterall. In their last chance to award Battlestar Galactica, the Emmy voters decided to ignore it once again, with its only major nomination being for direction. I actually thought the show had a chance of picking up a surprise Drama Series nod, as Star Trek: The Next Generation had received a nomination for it's last season, but alas that was not the case. The really surprising shutout, however, belongs to True Blood, which didn't receive any major nominations. HBO had really been pushing the series, but as I had suspected, it had a problem connecting with the voters, being both a genre show and very, very gay. It didn't even get a writing or direction nom, which is where I thought it would make an appearance, since the Emmys seemed to like Alan Ball. Oh well, better luck next year. Even though I love both series, Mad Men and 30 Rock dominating the writing categories, each getting four out of the five nods, is kind of ridiculous. They're we're a number of other series that deserved at least one writing nod. Anyway, a run through of the major categories:

Best Drama Series:
Big Love
Breaking Bad
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

This year they expanded the categories to six nominees, which of course means we wind up with seven nominees. They seriously need to rewrite the rules to prevent ties. Anyway, cable doninated the category with five of the seven nominees. The networks are probably grumbling, but hey, maybe they should do better quality work. Fox should feel lucky it even got the House nod, since it clearly shouldn't be a part of this lineup. Mad Men will win this in a landslide, since I can't figure out what could challenge it, and the series easily deserves the win. A Breaking Bad win would also make me happy, but I don't think it has the same support in the industry.

Lead Actor - Drama:
Simon Baker - The Mentalist
Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House

I'm almost shocked by the James Spader snub, seeing as it was the final season of Boston Legal and the Emmys have loved the performance for some unknown reason. As for the men who did receive nods, I think all but Michael C. Hall as a chance of winning. If I had to, I'd put my money on Jon Hamm, but then I think that if they wanted to award him, they'd have done it last year. Maybe he's just too pretty for them to reward. My second guess would be Baker, in a surprise similar to Patricia Arquette's bizarre win for the first season of Medium.

Lead Actress - Drama:
Glenn Close - Damages
Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order: SVU
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

As expected they ignored the two best leading lady performances - Mary McDonnell and January Jones. Damn you Emmy voters! I'm happy for Elisabeth Moss's nod, I just wish they had room for both Mad Men ladies. Did Hargitay need another nomination for a character who hasn't really grown in a while? Expect Close to win again, though I wish it was Moss, just for the scene in the finale where she tells Pete she had his baby.

Supporting Actror - Drama:

Christian Clemenson - Boston Legal

Michael Emerson - Lost

William Hurt - Damages

Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad

William Shatner - Boston Legal
John Slattery - Mad Men

Yippee! Aaron Paul got a well deserved nomination. Of course, the Emmys had to ruin it by giving two nods to the men of Boston Legal. I know, I know - I like to rag on that show, but I find it overly awarded. Paul deserves the win, but I'd be happy with a Emerson, Slattery or Hurt win as well, but since this is the Emmys, expect Shatner to take the prize.

Supporting Actress - Drama:
Rose Byrne - Damages
Hope Davis - In Treatment
Cherry Jones - 24
Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest - In Treatment
Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy

There were some serious surprises in this category, as they ignored previous favorites rachel Griffiths, Candice Bergen, and Katherine Heigl. Unfortunately they also ignored the best supporting actress turn by Marcia Gay Harden, but they voted for Rose Byrne. I like, not love, Byrne on Damages, but in no way is she a supporting character. She is most definitley the lead, as the series centers around her and her relationship with Close's Patty Hewes. Oy. I don't think there's a single front-runner in the category, as any of them could take the prize, but since she won last year, I'll guess Wiest.

Best Comedy Series:
30 Rock
Enourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
Weeds

Again with the seven nominees, but hey, at least they threw out Two and a Half Men. Poor Pushing Daisies - no nod again, even though it was the best comedy series on television. The Emmys also seem to seriously dislike Desperate Housewives. Seven nominees and still no room for the ladies of Wisteria Lane. I actually think that if the show was submitted in the drama categories it would get some nods. Yay for How I Met Your Mother, but boo to Family Guy. I'm a casual viewer of the series, but even I admit this past season sucked, and the fact it has a Best Comedy Series nod while The Simpsons doesn't is a travesty. The Weeds nod I just find weird, as it finally received a nomination for its least successful season. 30 Rock will win, duh!

Best Actor - Comedy:
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Jermaine Clement - Flight of the Conchords
Tony Shaloub - Monk
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory
Steve Carrell - The Office
Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men

They ignored his show in the Best Comedy Series category, but they still had to nominate Charlie Sheen, and over Lee Pace no less. Argh. I find it funny they nominated one of the guys from Flight of the Conchords over the other, when it seems a both or neither type situation. Baldwin will win this again, though I think Carrell deserves it this season for the Michael Scott Paper Company plotline.

Lead Actress - Comedy:
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
Toni Collette - The United States of Tara
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds
Sarah Silverman - The Sarah Silverman Program

This is a pretty good line up, and I have no real complaints. I just wish they'd found room for Amy Poehler for Parks & Recreation. The Sarah Silverman nomination still has me chuckling. The fact they can appreciate her brand of humor, gives me some hope in the Emmy voters. I'd say Fey easily walks away with this again, seeing as how Emmy voters haven't yet got their love for her out of their systems. I think she may one day be the winningest female actress.

Supporting Actor - Comedy:
Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillion - Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock
Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
Rainn Wilson - The Office

They really seemed to go gangbusters for 30 Rock this year, with two nominations in this category, but the true shock is Jeremy Piven's omission. I guess the whole fiasco over leaving Speed the Plow because of "food-poisoning" from sushi, actually affected peoples' views of him. This clearly puts the win up for grabs, but I'm leaning towards Harris, as love for him seems to be growing. Plus it would be cool to see the host win an award.

Supporting Actress - Comedy:
Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds
Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live
Kristin Wiig - Saturday Night Live
Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty

Hands down, this is the best set of nominees this year, even without a nod for Jenna Fischer. I'm excited that they finally nominated Krakowski, and that they nominated Wiig and not just Poehler. Since last year's winner, Jean Smart, wasn't even nominated, the trophy can go to anyone. I'd give it to one of the singing ladies, Chenoweth or Krakowksi, but I'm guessing the actual winner will be Poehler for her last season on Saturday Night Live.

Kathy Griffin to Host the Schmemmys

Story at ETOnline. Funny lady Kathy Griffin was chosen to host this year's Primetime Creative Arts Emmys, or as Kathy as has famously called them the "Schmemmys." It's actually a brave decision to choose her as host, particularly considering her "Suck on it Jesus" acceptance speech from two years ago. I can't wait to see how this turns outs, but I'm just hoping she doesn't turn down her brand of humor too much. I understand she doesn't want to anger the voters and award's body, but as proven by her two Emmy wins, they can actually appreciate her jokes. In realted news, Griffin was nominated, again, for two Emmys - one for her reality series My Life on the D-List and one for her special She'll Cut a Bitch. I wonder if Kathy can win three years in a row for Best Reality Series. Her biggest competitor Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, wasn't even nominated this year. However, Mythbusters, which is such a guilty pleasure for me, did finally receive a nomination in the category, after several years of being snubbed, so yay! I'll further discuss this years' Emmy noms either later tonight or tomorrow. There we're actually several wtf omissions and inclusions, both good and bad.

Channing Tatum in GQ

The shirtless photo of actor Channing Tatum comes from Auugst's issue of GQ magazine. I'm happy that even on the cusp of stardom (G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra might make him a full blown Hollywood leading man, depending on its success), Tatum continues to do beefcake photo shoots. If only Chris Evans would follow his lead, dammit! Now, I can admire Tatum's ripped look in the spread, but I have to admit preferring him when he carried a a few extra pounds. I'm probably alone in that regards.

A less ripped Tatum, which I prefer

Emmy Nomination Predictions

The nominations for the Emmy Awards are announced this Thursday morning (July 16th), so I though I'd give a try as guessing the nominees in the major series and acting categories. This year the categories have expanded to fit six nominees, which would suggest some surprises, but it's the Emmys, so the nominees will ultimately remain boring.

Drama Series:
24
Boston Legal
Damages
House
Lost
Mad Men

Essentially the same line-up as last year, except switching out Dexter for 24, which wasn't eligible last year. Most people are predicting True Blood to make the cut, but I have my doubts, seeing as it would have to jump the hurdles of being both a genre series and extremely gay. I consider both Breaking Bad and In Treatment as runners-up, which might take the place of either 24 or Lost.

Lead Actor, Drama:
Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Hugh Laurie - House
James Spader - Boston Legal

I simply guessed the same group of men as last year, but of those men, I consider only Hamm and Hall to be locks. Michael Chiklis, Kiefer Sutherland and Simon Baker have just as much chance at getting nods as the other four men. I also wouldn't be completely shocked by a surprise sympathy nomination for Patrick Swayze.

Least Actress, Drama:
Patricia Arquette - Medium
Glenn Close - Damages
Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order: SVU
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

Look, I'm happy for the fact television is providing middle-aged actresses with prominent roles, and the Emmys are willing to notice them, but can we get a better group of nominees. The two best leading lady performances were given by Mary McDonnell and January Jones, yet I fear both will go unrecognized. McDonnell's snub will sting the most, seeing as it will be the fifth year in a row she'll go unnominated for one of the best performances on television ever.

Supporting Actor, Drama:
Jeremy Davies - Lost
Michael Emerson - Lost
William Hurt - Damages
John Mahoney - In Treatment
William Shatner - Boston Legal
John Slattery - Mad Men

Rather than going for more interesting performances by lesser known actors - Aaron Paul, Lucian Msamati, Ryan Kwanten, Michael Cudlitz - the Emmy voters will likely go for bigger named stars. I'm pretty sure about all my guesses, except for Davies, who could just as easily be replaced with John Larroquette or Josh Holloway.

Supporting Actress, Drama:
Candice Bergen - Boston Legal
Marcia Gay Harden - Damages
Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy
Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest - In Treatment
Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy

For the most part, this is a boring line-up, and as much as I like Oh and Wilson, I don't feel they should be nominated year after year. If one of these actresses were to be passed over, I fear it would be Harden, who actually gave the best supporting performance this past television season, but then, who would replace her - Hope Davis, Rachel Griffiths, Alison Bill, Cherry Jones, Jane Kaczmarek?

Comedy Series:
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Entourage
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
Two and a Half Men

I highly doubt CBS will garner three nods in this category, but what are the other options? Pushing Daisies was ignored last year, despite a slew of other nominations, so I'm guessing it won't get a nod this year. The only other serious choices would be Flight of the Concords or a Desperate Housewives return, though it would be a total kick if the Emmy voters went outside the box and gave a nomination to something like Chuck or Parks & Recreation.

Lead Actor, Comedy:
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carrell - The Office
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory
Lee Pace - Pushing Daisies
Tony Shaloub - Monk
Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men

This category should to be a lot more fun than it is. Sheen and Shaloub again? I'm just hopin Pace can hold on to that nomination, and not be replaced by Johnny Galecki, which I believe might happen. I usually like Galecki, and loved him on Roseanne, but he seems to just get steam-rolled by the rest of the Big Bang cast. My biggest fear is one of the Entourage leading men making it into this category. That's scary just thinking about it.

Lead Actress, Comedy:
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
America Ferrara - Ugly Betty
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The Old Adventures of New Christine
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds
Amy Poehler - Parks & Recreation

A typical group of ladies, with the addition of Poehler for her first starring role. I wonder if Toni Collette might make an appearance, replacing Applegate or Ferrara. What about the Desperate Housewives? With a rejuvenated season (though, really only the first half seemed fresh) might one of them get a nod. If so, expect it to be Felicity Huffman, though Eva Longoria Parker was the real best-in-show. Plus, there's always Debra Messing waiting in the wings.

Supporting Actor, Comedy:
Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon - Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Rainn Wilson - The Office

It would be nice if John Krasinski finally got nominated, but I doubt it will ever happen, since he's the cute guy on the series. Actually do we even need this category, considering we all know Piven will win for the fourth time in a row? Piven can pretty much guarantee winning the award until either he takes his name out of submission (the respectable thing) or the show ends.

Supporting Actress, Comedy:
Judy Davis - The Starter Wife
Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies
Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live
Jean Smart - Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor - Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty

This is probably the most wide open category with several serious contenders. Besides these women, you also have Conchata Ferrell, Jenna Fischer, Kristin Wiig, Dana Delaney, Swoozie Kurtz, Jaime Pressly, Elizabeth Perkins, Tracey Ullman (her category placement is weird) and Jane Krakowski. Krakowski definitely deserves a nod, but I fear she'll be passed over again, even though she had more screen time this season. Judy Davis is my completely-out-there guess, but I figure since she won last year for the same role in the mini-series/tv movie category, she has a decent shot at a nod this year.

Screen God Top 5 - Ralph Fiennes

1. Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg, 1993)

2. Quiz Show (Robert Redford, 1994)

3. The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)

4. The Constant Gardener (Fernando Meirelles, 2005)

5. Strange Days (Kathryn Bigelow, 1995)

Sunday Blessings - Jeremy Renner

This week's Sunday Blessings is devoted to actor Jeremy Renner, currently starring in the Kathryn Bigelow directed, Iraq war film, The Hurt Locker. Renner may seem an odd choice; he's doesn't fit the standard of beauty - his face is kind of short, the eyes set wide apart -but it works on him, and I find the man rather sexy. He's also a few years older than he looks. While looking for info on Renner, I found he was 38 years of age, yet I would have sworn he wasn't a day over 30/31. I'm guessing it's the babyface that makes him seem younger. Anyway, the actor first made an impact in the film industry playing serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Dahmer, a film which I have yet to see, though everyone keeps telling me to do so. Following the performance he garnered supporting roles in S.W.A.T., North Country, The Assassination of Jesse James..., and 28 Weeks Later, and while I always seemed to notice him - "oh, hey it's that guy" - it wasn't until the "zombie" movie that he truly grabbed my attention. In the film Renner gave a better performance than required (true of most of the cast), and he came off far sexier than before. I'm guessing it was the short-cropped hair and military uniform that did it for me. Plus, I love a man who can handle a large weapon. Renner also recently starred in the ABC drama series The Unusuals, about a group of New York City cops, giving a great performance. It would be nice if Emmy voters gave him an Emmy nomination, but I can pretty much guarantee that won't happen, considering the series' lack of success. As for The Hurt Locker, the film is gathering much accolades and awards buzz, but it's still early in the year, so whether or not that translates into actual Oscar nods remains to be seen. At least the film's critical success will provide Renner with more opportunities in the industry. Well, one hopes as much. Amen.

Hardy from Miami Social

Everytime I saw a commercial for the upcoming Bravo reality series Miami Social, I grew more and more convinced cast member Hardy seemed familiar, especially with that name. Then I remembered he was on the second season of Big Brother (yes, I actually watched the program when it first started). He was sexy, in a himbo sort of way, almost always appearing shirtless. I also remembered after appearing on the show, it came out he had appeared in a softcore film. I don't know why, but that makes me chuckle. As for Miami Social, I don't know if I'm going to watch it. Just from the commercials, I can already tell I'd have the urge to push these people off a cliff. Yeesh. Anyway, here are some images of Hardy from his "film." Ha.

Ryan Reynolds Is the Green Lantern

from Variety: Ryan Reynolds has landed the role of Hal Jordan in the upcoming Green Lantern film. It's not an inspiring choice for the role. I'd actually prefer Bradley Cooper who was also in the running or Nathan Fillion. I also don't understand why Reynolds needs to carry two superhero franchises simultaneously - Deadpool being the other. There seems to be this need by every upcoming actor to appear in as many franchises as possible - Christian Bale, Shia Labeouf, and now Reynolds. Spread the wealth! I'm now more interested in who the producers cast for the rest of the Green Lantern Corps, and there better be a Green Lantern Corp, since it's the best part of the series.

Bradley's crying because he didn't get the part.

"End" of the Week - Seann William Scott

From the straight-to-DVD movie Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach. They should have at released it in theatres for a limited time. That behind deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Adrien Brody's Man Cleavage

Oh Mr. Brody, we all know you're hot (in an offbeat sort of way) and you have a rocking body, but that doesn't excuse unappealing fashion choices. If you want to show off some skin and make a statement, go shirtless or just wear a wifebeater. You'd get the same point across without looking like a gay Japanese teenager.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Having missed it in theatres last year, I watched Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day last night on Tivo. It's an entertaining, if slight, film, and it reminded me how much I adored Frances McDormand, Lee Pace (oh God how I miss Pushing Daisies!), and Amy Adams. I don't believe Adams actually gets enough credit as an actress. She's often criticized for playing the same naive type in every film, but I wouldn't consider her character Delysia as naive, since she knows exactly how to sleep her way to success. In reality, it's a very Marilyn Monroe type performance. The true stand out of the film, however, is Scottish character actress Shirley Henderson, playing the manipulative Edythe, her usual babydoll voice coming off quite sinister. It's too bad she didn't gain any awards buzz for the performance.

Who Needs Sleeves?

A photo of actor Christopher Meloni on the set of Law & Order: SVU. I'm guessing the dress shirt lacks sleeves so his suit jacket has a better fit on camera, or maybe it's just too hot. I don't know, but anytime Meloni shows skin, it's a good thing. If it were up to me, the man would be half-naked on every episode of SVU. That was the one great aspect of Oz.

Really? An Indy 5?

story: So apparently a new Indiana Jones film is in the works. Even though Kingdom of the Crystal Skull turned out soooo wrong, the prospect of making a lot more money is tantalizing enough for Lucas and Spielberg to team up again. Sigh. Really?

"Thank You for Being a Friend"

I'm still chuckling from Monday night's episode of My Life on the D-List, featuring Kathy's mother Maggie's bucket list. Betty White was, as always, a pistol, The Griffin Girls was a good laugh, and Maggie's genuine emotion at the end was touching. I guess we can all assume the episode will be Kathy's submission tape for next year's Emmys, and she'll probably get another win. In general, I like how this season has turned out so far, and how Kathy has been "honoring" female entertainment legends, who aren't currently grabbing all the headlines - Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Stevie Nicks, Liza, Jane Fonda, Betty White...

Screen God Top 5 - Warren Beatty

1. Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967)

2. Reds (Warren Beatty, 1981)

3. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Robert Altman, 1971)

4. Shampoo (Hal Ashby and Warren Beatty, 1975)

5. Splendor in the Grass (Elia Kazan, 1961)

Sunday Blessings - Chris Messina

This week's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to character actor Chris Messina. Now, you're probably wondering who the hell Chris Messina is. Well, damn it I'll you. He might be familiar to you after popping up in a number of indie features including Towelhead, Ira and Abby, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and the recently released Away We Go. He will also be featured next month in the Meryl Streep film Julie & Julia, playing Amy Adams' husband. I, however, will always think of him as Claire's boyfirend Ted, from the final season of HBO's Six Feet Under. How could you not fall in love with that character? Sigh... I miss that show. So why exactly did Chris Messina all of a sudden come to mind when deciding whom to center this post on? Yesterday, I watched the Patrick Dempsey rom-com Made of Honor, which is such a irritatingly crappy film, and in the film Messina has the thankless role of Dempsey's jerky friend (though really all the roles in the film are thankless). While sitting though the horror, I had to focus on something positive, and, of course, male eye candy won out. Since I had previously posted about co-star Kevin McKidd, and Patrick Dempsey takes some hits from me for being the star of the picture, though I did appreciate the scene in which he wore a way-too-short kilt, Messina gets the post devoted to him. Let's just hope he never appears in a film this bad again. Amen.

KA-BOOM!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

I'm actually not a big fan of fireworks. The noise irritates me.

"End" of the Week - Ryan Reynolds

I thought I'd start a new weekly posting, entitled "End" of the Week, essentially showing the "end" of a male celebrity worthy of objectification. The post is on Friday, which is the end of the work week, sooooo... there's the joke. We'll start things off this week with Ryan Reynolds, currently staring the hit rom-com The Proposal. The pics come from a previous film of his entitled Buying the Cow. I have not seen the film, since it sounds like crap, but the images make me think twice.