Take a Look “Behind the Candelabra”

This year, the Emmy Awards are merging their Lead and Supporting Actor categories, so you will have some seriously difficult races among costars. You’ve got contenders Sigourney Weaver v. Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals), Hilary Swank v. Brenda Blethyn (Mary and Martha) and Jessica Lange v. Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story Asylum) along with all of the ladies from the Steel Magnolias remake (Alfre Woodard, Phylicia Rashad, Queen Latifah) competing against each other. Last week added more great performers from the fantastic Phil Spector biopic with Helen Mirren and an astoundingly good Al Pacino…. Now, Pacino is lucky he won’t have to contend with any of those amazing ladies. He will, however, have some seriously big shoes (and capes) to fill if he wants to fend off Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. The latter two Oscar winners will face off in the highly anticipated Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra directed by fellow Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic). Douglas plays the iconic musician while Damon takes on the role of his long time lover Scott Thorson and the film covers their very dramatic relationship. The first trailer just hit the web and it looks fantastic. Check it out below and see which Oscar winner has the better shot at an Emmy when the film premieres on HBO in May.. And head to film’s website for more on Candelabra which also stars Rob Lowe, Debbie Reynolds, Dan Aykroyd and Cheyenne Jackson.

Behind the Candelabra trailer

Homeland, Game Change and Modern Family Grab all the Emmy Love

Sorry for the delay in posting the winners of last night’s Emmy Awards, but I just got back into town from the Cinema Diverse Palm Springs International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival where my short Dirty Talk premiered! So, I just watched the show, but I have all the winners for you below. It was business as usual on the Comedy side with Modern Family three-peating as Comedy Series while its stars Eric Stonestreet and Julie Bowen both captured their second wins in the Supporting Categories. Lead Comedy honors went to Julia Louis Dreyfuss and in a bit of an upset Jon Cryer. On the drama front, Mad Men lost Drama Series after 4 years of dominating that category with Homeland pulling off a surprise win. Homeland also won Acting honors for Clare Danes and Damian Lewis (another shocker) while Mad Men went home empty-handed and broke the record for most losses in a year by a show as it went 0 for 17. Supporting Drama kudos went to Aaron Paul and Maggie Smith. In the TV Movie/Miniseries race, Julianne Moore and Game Change prevailed while Hatfields and McCoys landed two acting honors for Kevin Costner and Tom Berenger. Jessica Lange grabbed the only big win for American Horror Story of the night in the Supporting Actress race in that field. On the reality front, The Amazing Race won again (9 times out of 10 now!) while Tom Bergeron beat out the massively more deserving Cat Deeley for Host honors. For more on the show, analysis, records and interesting tidbits, head to Deadline Hollywood here and check out the winners list below.

2012 Primetime Emmy Winners~

Drama Series: Homeland
Lead Actor Drama: Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Lead Actress Drama: Clare Danes (Homeland)
Sup. Actor Drama: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Sup. Actress Drama: Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Writing Drama: Homeland
Directing Drama: Boardwalk Empire

Comedy Series: Modern Family
Lead Actor Comedy: Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)
Lead Actress Comedy: Julia Louis Dreyfuss (Veep)
Sup. Actor Comedy: Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Sup. Actress Comedy: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Comedy Writing: Louie
Comedy Directing: Modern Family

Reality Competition Show: The Amazing Race
Reality Host: Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars)

TV Movie/Miniseries: Game Change
TV Movie/Mini Actor: Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys)
TV Movie/Mini Actress: Juilanne Moore (Game Change)  
TV Movie/Mini Sup. Actor: Tom Berenger (Hatfields & McCoys)
TV Movie/Mini Sup Actress: Jessica Lange (American Horror Story)
Wriitng TV Movie/Mini: Game Change
Directing TV Movie/Mini: Game Change

Variety Series: The Daily Show

They’re Here… My Big Bold 2012 Emmy WINNER Predictions…

Sunday night is TV’s biggest night as the Emmy Awards are announced on ABC in a ceremony hosted by a nominee himself, the hilarious Jimmy Kimmel… If history is any indication, Mad Men and Modern Family will repeat as the Drama and Comedy winners. However, I have a feeling we are in for a shakeup this year, especially on the Drama side. It’s the most competitive year in ages with four drama series all boasting a strong shot to win while we should see some new comedy acting winners as well… With that said, take a look at my big bold Emmy winner predictions below and watch the big show Sunday night!

 

My Big Bold 2012 Emmy Award Winner Predictions~

Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, Mad Men
Will win: Downton Abbey
Should win: Breaking Bad
~ spoiler: Homeland
* this category is fierce. I feel like Mad Men will finally lose the crown, but I won’t be surprised if it grabs one more victory. However, Abbey appeals to all demos of the voting group and should prevail over the classic but violent and dark Bad. If those three all split the vote, the very deserving Homeland or the big winner from the Creative Arts ceremony, Game of Thrones, could pull an upset.

Comedy Series:
30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Girls Louie, Modern Family, Veep
Will & Should win: Modern Family
~ spoiler: The Big Bang Theory
* where on Earth is Parks and Recreation in this lineup??!!

Lead Actor Drama:
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Steven Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Will & Should win: Bryan Cranston (you just can’t deny him)
~spoiler: Damian Lewis

Lead Actress Drama:
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law), Glenn Close (Damages), Clare Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockrey (Downton Abbey), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife), Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes (this is the night’s most obvious winner. She has it by a mile)
~ spoiler: if I have to pick one… Juliana Marguiles

Lead Actor Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Louie C.K. (Louie), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Will win: Jim Parsons
Should win: Garrett Dillahaunt (Raising Hope) or Adam Scott (Parks and Rec), but they weren’t nominated, blergh!
~spoiler: Jon Cryer (don’t underestimate this guy and he has a funny tape)

Lead Actress Comedy:
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Lena Dunham (Girls), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julia Louis Dreyfuss (Veep), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
Will win: Julia Louis Dreyfuss (and a very deserving winner at that)
Should win: Amy Poehler (it was her best season yet. She was hilarious and heartwarming but Dreyfuss may just slide by her in the tightest race of the night)
~spoiler: Zooey Deschanel

Supporting Actor Drama Series:
Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Jared Harris (Mad Men), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Will & Should win: Giancarlo Esposito
~spoiler: Peter Dinklage

Supporting Actress Drama:
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Archie Penjabi (The Good Wife), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Will win: Maggie Smith
Should win: Anna Gunn
~ spoiler: Christina Hendricks

Supporting Actor Comedy:
Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Ed O’Neil (Modern Family), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will & Should win: Max Greenfield (and he will likely split the Modern Family vote)
~spoiler: Ed O’Neil (he seems like the Modern Family choice this year even though Jesse Tyler Ferguson had the strongest season)

Supporting Actress Comedy:
Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Merritt Weaver (Nurse Jackie), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Will win: Sofia Vergara
Should win: Kristen Wiig
~spoiler: Kristen Wiig or Julie Bowen
* this one should be close with any of them having a shot at the win except for the delightful Weaver or the dearly departed Joosten whose nomination is the prize.

Reality Competition Series:
The Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, The Voice
Will win: The Amazing Race
Should win: So You Think You Can Dance
~spoiler: Top Chef

Reality Competition Host:
Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance), Phil Koeghan (The Amazing Race), Ryan Seacrest (American Idol), Betty White (Off Your Rockers)
Will & Should win: Cat Deeley
~spoiler: Ryan Seacreset

Made for TV Movie/Miniseries:
American Horror Story, Game Change, The Hatfields & the McCoys, Hemingway & Gelhorn, Luther, Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia
Will & Should win: Game Change
~ spoiler: American Horror Story

Lead Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys), Benedict Cumberpatch (Sherlock), Idris Elba (Luther), Woody Harrelson (Game Change), Clive Owen (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Bill Paxton (Hatfields & McCoys)
Will & Should win: Woody Harrelson
~ spoiler: Bill Paxton

Lead Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Connie Britton (American Horror Story), Ashley Judd (Missing), Nicole Kidman (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Julianne Moore (Game Change), Emma Thompson (The Song of Lunch)
Will & Should win: Julianne Moore
~ spoiler: Nicole Kidman

Supporting Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Tom Berenger (Hatfields & McCoys), Martin Freeman (Sherlock), Ed Harris (Game Change), Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story), David Strathairn (Hemingway & Gelhorn)
Will win: Ed Harris
Should win: Denis O’Hare
~spoiler: Tom Berenger

Supporting Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), Judy Davis (Page Eight), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story), Sarah Paulson (Game Change), Mare Winningham (Hatfields & McCoys)
Will win: Jessica Lange (she pretty much has it in the bag)
Should win: Sarah Paulson

And there you have it… my big bold Emmy winner predictions… Do you agree? Am I crazy? Let me know and watch the big show on Sunday night.

The Actors Love “The Help” at tonight’s SAG Awards

Dominating the SAG Awards with a definitive 3 wins, The Help got some more Oscar juice. The wonderful film took home awards for Best Ensemble, Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer) and, in a little bit of an upset, Best Actress (Viola Davis). With her win, Davis is making a serious bid for the Oscar and now has to be considered the front-runner to her dear friend Meryl Streep (who I think should have won, but that’s bygones, because Davis is extraordinary regardless)… The other big surprise was Jean Dujardin taking out George Clooney in the Best Actor race. The Oscars look like they will have some serious battles ahead… Winning Supporting Actor was Christopher Plummer for Beginners... The TV races saw some really boring repeats with Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi and Boardwalk Empire, but at least Jessica Lange was a new winner in the Drama Actress category defeating last year’s victor Juliana Marguiles. For more on the show, head to TNT and check out all the winners below.
(Oh and props to everyone for stepping it up with some great fashion tonight~ much better than the Golden Globes.)

2012 SAG AWARD WINNERS:

Movies~
Best Ensemble: The Help
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Stunt Ensemble: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

TV~

Drama Ensemble: Boardwalk Empire
Drama Actor: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Drama Actress: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Comedy Ensemble: Modern Family
Comedy Actress: Betty White, Hot in Clevleand
Comedy Actor: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
TV Movie/Miniseries Actress: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
TV Movie/Miniseries Actor: Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Stunt Ensemble: Game of Thrones

Weekend Wins Big with the LGBT Critics!

The brilliant gay relationship drama Weekend won big with the national Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association today as it was named both the best film of the year and the best LGBT film of 2011. The group made up of over 50 gay and lesbian critics also named Meryl Streep the performance of the year for The Iron Lady and 50/50 as the most unsung film of the year. The documentary, We Were Here, about the origins and the ongoing battle with the AIDS crisis won two awards as well….Check out all the winners, including TV faces like Glee, below.

 

2012 GALECA Winners~

Film of the Year: Weekend
LGBT Film: Weekend
Performance of the Year: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
We’re Wilde about you Rising Star of the Year: Michael Fassbender (Shame, X Men: First Class, Jane Eyre, A Dangerous Method)
Unsung Film of the Year: 50/50
Best Documentary: We Were Here
Best LGBT Documentary: We Were Here
Campiest Film: The Muppets

TV~
Drama of the Year: American Horror Story
Comedy of the Year: Glee
TV Performance of the Year: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
TV Musical Program of the Year: TIE~ Glee and Lady Gaga Presents The Monsters Ball Tour
Unsung TV Show: Suburgatory
Wilde Wit of the Year: Kathy Griffin
Timeless Star: Betty White
Campiest TV Show: Revenge

Now this is a “Horror” Story I can Get Behind

As any of my friends can tell you, I am no fan of horror movies. Because, well, they scare me! lol … And unless they’re brilliant ala The Silence of the Lambs (which was really more a thriller, let’s be honest) or funny scary ala Scream, I have no interest in them… However, there is one upcoming “Horror” project that I will take a peek at.
It’s the new FX series American Horror Story from Glee and Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy. The dramatic thriller chronicles the lives of a therapist (Emmy nominee Dylan McDermott of The Practice) and his wife (Emmy nominee Connie Britton from Friday Night Lights) as they move to a new town and a possibly haunted new house following his affair. The show also stars Emmy nominee & Golden Globe winner Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under), Tony winner Denis O’ Hare (recently seen as a dastardly vampire ripping out spleens on True Blood) and two-time Oscar winner Jessica Lange and it looks spooky good. For more on the show, click here and check out the first trailer for the series which premieres on FX in October.

American Horror Story