TVSquad

Do you remember what film won the Oscar for Best Picture last year? (No Country for Old Men). What about Best Actor and Actress? (Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard). If you didn't remember, don't feel bad. You're probably like most people. Most of us weren't watching in 2008. Even though they were celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Academy Awards, it was the lowest rated and least watched telecast ever.

As I perused the Academy Award nominations yesterday, I couldn't help but think that this year's broadcast is going to have a hard time drawing a huge TV audience. And considering that the only thing you can usually count on with the Oscars is that they'll run over three hours long, the show will probably leave something to be desired, too.

In fact, here's six reasons the Oscars -- which will be broadcast live on February 22 on ABC -- will probably stink.

The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their latest musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:

• So, if in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt starts off as a tiny old-man, why wouldn't he end up as a giant baby? Cinematical has the answer.
• When we were in high school, my friends and I got together with a VHS camcorder and made Scream 4. It was pretty amazing. What's weird is that even though we didn't get a film deal, Scream 4 is heading to theaters. Neve Campbell needs a job, people.
• Granted, I've missed a lot of movies in the theaters this year, but I still think The Dark Knight is one of the best films of the year. What do you think? Check out Cinematical's top 10 list.
• Hey, want to see something really creepy? Jerry O'Connell and his wife, Rebecca Romijn, are putting her maternity leave to good use by making Mystique and Me, a new Funny or Die video. It's quite funny and quite disturbing.
• As much as I enjoyed The Dark Knight, I don't think Maggie Gyllenhaal and Christian Bale had a ton of chemistry -- at least not enough to make it onto the Cinematical Seven's Best On-Screen Chemistry of 2008 list.

The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their latest musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:

• Watch the first ten minutes of Sex Drive: I had initially written this movie off as another low-budget, 10-years-too-late American Pie ripoff, but people have had good things to say about it. Watch the beginning and decide if it's worth shelling out the big bucks for this weekend.
• Cinematical asks the burning question: Can you believe Angelina Jolie in a role, or is she just too damn pretty?
• What about her paramour, Brad Pitt? Will you spend the entire time you watch Inglorious Basterds just staring into his eyes? Check out Cinematical's first look at the awkwardly-spelled Inglourious Basterds.
• Didn't Matt Damon say that the the third Bourne movie would be his last? Because it looks like the guy who wrote The Bourne Ultimatum is writing Bourne 4 as well.
• Watch the Dear Zachary trailer and have a good cry. No, really. I literally cried.

(S07E29) Well, this is what you've all been waiting for, right? What's that? Finale? Yeah, I guess that'll be cool, too. But if you've listened to Ryan all season then you know TONIGHT is really what it's all about! If you're looking to find out who got eliminated by vote last night you're going to have to wait until tomorrow. But if you're looking for two-and-a-half hours of entertainment chock full of celebrities and song and charity, then you're looking for "Idol Gives Back."

Last year's inaugural edition was very good, and Kristin's report of the Idol Gives Back taping from this past Sunday was also very positive. We don't have any pesky (non) eliminations to deal with like last year, so just kick back, donate and enjoy. And, if you want, join us online and chat about it in real-time with other giving Idol fans.

You can join the chat starting just before 7:30/6:30pm CDT by following this link. Look for the full episode review right here later tonight.

ABC had garnered a fair amount of press over this one because of the obvious tie-in to the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie movie. The big news is that the creators of the movie are back for the TV show. Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Swingers) and Simon Kinberg (X-Men: The Last Stand) have signed on to try and transform their movie to the small screen.

Sometimes the wheels of TV production turn mighty slowly. In August of '05 Adam posted about Doug Liman signing a deal with NBC. Then, last January there was talk about his first project being a series adaptation of the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

A year later, and the show is finally getting the go ahead for a pilot, but not at NBC. Somehow the show has now ended up at ABC. Liman, who directed the big screen version, will direct the pilot. It will be written by Simon Kinberg, who wrote the movie. Kinberg says of the series, ""It's essentially Married With Children with guns." Casting is under way with nobody officially attached to replace Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at this time.

I'll be curious to get a look at it, just because it's Doug Liman, but my real hope for the show is that it will somehow lead to a DVD set of the completely unrelated CBS show, also called Mr. & Mrs. Smith. You might remember that from the fall of '96, starring Scott Bakula and Maria Bello.

The E! television network is in big trouble with Brad Pitt. He is seeking trespassing charges against an E! producer and cameraman who allegedly strolled right onto his Hollywood Hills property last week. A rep for Pitt says he is exploring other legal options against the television network. Here's the weird thing: apparently TMZ.com originally reported on the producer and cameraman entering Pitt's property. So now the gossipers are blowing the whistle on each other? Maybe the entire business will self-destruct (yeah, right).

E! says it's investigating the claim and has since fired the two employees in question. It's surprising news about E!, really, since it seems to kiss celebrities' asses, while TMZ likes to stalk them.

Brad Pitt will lend his voice to a PBS series about architecture. The series, called Design: e2, is about environmentally friendly architecture, which is a passion of his. The producers of the program are over the moon about Pitt coming on board, saying, "His involvement will allow us to educate more viewers than we had ever hoped about the importance of green building."

Brad's Fight Club buddy, Edward Norton, narrated and even appeared in a PBS series last year called National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth. While it had nothing to do with architecture, it was along the same environmental awareness lines as Pitt's gig.

Hey, Walter, it's been awhile, hasn't it? In fact, I think it's been longer than a fortnight since I led you on a wild toboggan ride through the crazy world of celebrities and infotainment. If you'll strap yourself in, we'll careen down that hill yet again. The ride is brief, but the memories last a lifetime.*

 

So, who got the first television interview with Jennifer Aniston since the whole Brad and Angelina mess? Good Morning, America's Diane Sawyer won the interview, according to Cindy Adams over at The New York Post.

The article doesn't really say when the interview will air, it just says "GMA trumpets that interview in the next few weeks," which sounds to me like they are going to promote it in a few weeks but air it later? Someone help me with that sentence. 

OK, so I was actually going to watch the hour long PrimeTime Live interview with Brad Pitt last night, but I had laundry to do. Hey, I don't mind Brad Pitt. He seems like a cool enough guy, but I just don't know if I could take an hour long interview (an hour) with Diane Sawyer giving him that half flirtatious/half "tell us the real story" expression. Luckily, Slate's Dana Stevens gives us a blow by blow of the show at the link below.