Oscar Index: Ladies First

You know that when two of the most respected pundits in all of Oscardom argue (within days of each other!) for curtailing both the epic Academy Awards season race and the ceremony in which it culminates, patience for all this crap is wearing thin. With that in mind - and also considering that the "race" for most of these categories ended weeks or months ago - who's up for an Oscar Index lightning round? (The entire staff at Movieline's Institute for the Advanced Study of Kudos Forensics raises its hands.) OK, then - to the Index! The Final 9: 1. The Artist 2. The Help 3. The Descendants 4. Hugo 5. Moneyball 6. The Tree of Life 7. Midnight in Paris 8. The Daldry 9. War Horse Though we cannot rule out any of these underdogs' mounting a behind-the-scenes charm blitz before Academy polls close next Tuesday, or the implications of the reminder that no movie about movies has ever won Best Picture, The Artist's triumph at last weekend's BAFTA Awards only tightened its seeming lock on the Best Picture Oscar. Still, let's hear it for The Descendants, blazing the media afterburners for a desperately needed uptick. (The Help, by comparison, got a forlorn-looking electronic billboard.) Also, don't look now, but somebody actually dared to write thoughtfully about The Daldry. Not a minute too soon! Anyway, yes, Steve Pond, we're all with you: Let's just end this farce already. The Final 5: 1. Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist 2. Alexander Payne, The Descendants 3. Martin Scorsese, Hugo 4. Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life 5. Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris While the BAFTAs nudged Hazanavicius ever closer to Oscar glory and Sasha Stone contemplated the beneficiaries of a potential split vote - which is really the most that the pundits and campaigners engineering an anti-Artist backlash can hope for at this point - only Allen received a truly needle-moving endorsement this week. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Nick Jonas: "[F]or directing, I chose Midnight in Paris because Woody Allen is my favorite. Hes awesome.[... T]here would be a Woody Allen film on the tour bus every now and again. Theres always a Woody Allen movie on." Now you know. The Final 5: 1. [tie] Viola Davis, The Help 1. [tie] Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady 3. Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn 4. Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 5. Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs "I hope we can all agree that when the Oscar conversation involves actresses as massively gifted as Meryl and Viola we all win," wrote Nathaniel Rogers of the juiciest race going. "If only we could have a tie!" Haha, fine for now, but NO. Don't give the Academy any ideas; it'll totally screw up my Oscar-party ballot. That said, it's quite a conversation, with the BAFTAs and the Berlinale's gala tribute tilting momentum back Streep's way. But if we're to believe that the continued dissemination and discussion of these events among awards observers and the media cognoscenti are really the factors that persuade Oscar voters (and I guess we are to believe that, rightly or not - otherwise, what are we doing here?), then wouldn't it follow that the continued dissemination of Davis's boundless class, intellect and talent on the campaign trail would either match or supersede Streep's own carefully cultivated hype? Take this incredible appearance that Davis and Help co-star Octavia Spencer recently made on Tavis Smiley's show, an interview that's been covered here, there and everywhere [transcript via The Carpetbagger]: I want you to win, Mr. Smiley said, but Im ambivalent about what youre winning for. Ms. Davis was direct. That very mind-set that you have and that a lot of African-Americans have is absolutely destroying the black artist, she said. The black artist cannot live in a revisionist place, she added. The black artist can only tell the truth about humanity, and humanity is messy. People are messy. Caucasian actors know that. [...] We as African-American artists are more concerned with image and message and not execution, she said, which is why every time you see your images theyve been watered down to the point where they are not realistic at all. My whole thing is, do I always have be noble? she continued. As an artist, youve got to see the mess. The Academy has never really given any indication of having taste that would or could be moved by a case like that. But if its members in the actors branch in particular do have that taste, and they can hear her voice above the noise, then Davis may yet be the actress to beat. For now, meanwhile, it's just too close to call. In other brief news, Mara got another profile-boosting close-up while Close - who's facing such delightful headlines as "Glenn Close: Next Queen of Oscar losers? may as well ask to just be awoken when it's Feb. 27. Tough world. The Leading 5: 1. Jean Dujardin, The Artist 2. George Clooney, The Descendants 3. Brad Pitt, Moneyball 4. Demin Bichir, A Better Life 5. Gary Oldman, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Sure, Dujardin claimed the BAFTA and made more zeitgeist-y viral-video waves in 48 hours than than his competition combined has made all years, but Clooney and Oldman in particular keep working the circuit in search of hearts and minds. Watch out for the latter candidate, who may yet coax away those crucial "sentimental favorite" votes that Clooney never really deserved in the first place (not with three Oscar nods for acting in five years, anyway) and which have been known to split categories. Could be interesting, though I'm probably just hallucinating non-existent intrigues at this point. You tell me. The Leading 5: 1. Octavia Spencer, The Help 2. Brnice Bejo, The Artist 3. Jessica Chastain, The Help 4. Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids 5. Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs Bejo magically reappeared on the scene for about 20 seconds with an interview and a 15-year-old short film called Pregnant or Lesbian? And that should just about do it. The Leading 5: 1. Christopher Plummer, Beginners 2. Max von Sydow, The Daldry 3. Jonah Hill, Moneyball 4. Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn 5. Nick Nolte, Warrior "Enough about Max von Sydow's burst of applause, already!" admonished Kristpher Tapley. Got it! Just trying to stay awake over here. Anyway, see you next week with the conclusion of the 2011-12 Oscar index! Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

'Breaking Dawn' Before 'Hunger Games': Five Other Large Trailer Debuts

Perhaps the greatest news during the day was Lionsgate's announcement the studio could be premiering the "Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning Part 2" trailer before "The Hunger Games" in theaters on March 23. Though this really is certainly a match produced in youthful-adult paradise, it's not even close to the very first time trailers for long awaited films have opened before similarly large new releases. We have made the decision to return and pick our five favorite good examples of large trailer premieres in the past couple decades. The films havent always matched up the hype (we are searching to you, "Phantom Menace"), however they certainly gave us valid reason to obtain excited. "The Exorcist: Episode I The Phantom Menace" before "Meet Joe Black" Include me to a period lengthy, sometime ago (1998) inside a universe far, far (where Kaira Pitt was still being playing romantic leads). "Meet Joe Black" only agreed to be striking theaters, but fans were not always scrambling to theaters opening evening to trap Pitt playing the Dying. Rather, many fans were anxiously waiting for the very first trailer of George Lucas's long awaited "The Exorcist" prequel, "The Phantom Menace." Thinking about the public's transformed opinion around the movie as "The Phantom Menace" launches its 3-D rerelease today, it's difficult to think everyone was once so looking forward to the film. However they were seriously. "The Dark Dark night" before "I'm Legend" At that time, a viral-advertising campaign had possibly never produced quite the fervor for any movie that Warner Bros' had for "The Dark Dark night." Between your "Why So Serious?" campaign and Empire's slow reveal of Heath Ledger's Joker, fans were eager for an initial-consider the much-over-blown film. A trailer finally arrived 2007 before non-IMAX tests of "I'm Legend." But the majority of us were prepared to shill the extra dough and catch the "The Dark Knight's" opening sequence and sizzle reel before IMAX tests of Will Smith's publish-apocalyptic film. "Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows" before "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" Say what you should about evaluating "Harry Potter" to "The Twilight Saga," but both Warner Bros and Summit Entertainment understood their audiences overlapped when one studio paired its highly-anticipated trailer for that final two "Harry Potter" films using the similarly-anticipated discharge of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" this year. Not just was the "Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows" teaser the most popular trailer of the season, "Eclipse" also continued being the greatest-grossing "Twilight" film in those days. Friendship! "The Avengers" after "Captain America: The Very First Avenger" Ah-hah! A general change in a clip-before-a-movie plan! Marvel switched some misconception a little once they had "The Avengers" teaser trailer premiere after tests of "Captain America: The Very First Avenger." It had been much more of a cliffhanger sizzle-reel than a real trailer, however it still got fans pumped for that movie. Iron Guy, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow on this page?! Heck, we are still looking towards that at MTV News. "The Hunger Games" before "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning Part 1" Similar to "Harry Potter" before it, the very first full-length "The Hunger Games" trailer opened before 2011's "Twilight Saga" installment, "Breaking Beginning Part 1." "But wait!" you say. "Is not the 'Breaking Beginning Part 2' trailer now being released before 'The Hunger Games'?" Very intuitive individuals, faceless, nameless MTV Movies Blog readers. It appears as if Lionsgate (that has lately absorbed Summit) has made the decision to reciprocate the hype that "The Hunger Games" gave "Breaking Beginning" using a little switcheroo. When the "Breaking Beginning Part 2" trailer is even half just like that first full "Hunger Games" trailer, I'm going to be thrilled. What are a few of your preferred trailer premieres before movies? Inform us within the comments section below or on Twitter!

Players in freeville

"Farmville" is Zynga's extremely popular game performed through Facebook. The ranks of casual players keeps growing in a rapid rate, with the amount of people playing videogames within the U.S. rising 141% since 2008. According to a different study by researching the market firm Parks Affiliates, 135 million people play a videogame a minumum of one hour monthly in comparison to 56 million 4 years ago. While that's an optimistic sign for that $16 billion annually games industry, there is a catch: 80% of players prefer free game titles like "Angry Wild birds" and "FarmVille" on sites like Facebook along with other platforms, choosing to prevent subscription costs and only pay for add-ons and upgrades. Still, they are investing normally $21 per month on virtual goods or any other perks, Parks Affiliates stated, which added that periodic players with videogame consoles spend as much as $27 monthly. Hasbro is searching to make the most of individuals digital dollars by pairing track of social gaming giant Zynga to show its toys into mobile games. Deal, introduced Thursday, also includes co-top quality retailing which will intermingle Hasbro and Zynga brands. First items ought to be obtainable in the autumn. "It's exciting to partner with Hasbro once we share a typical vision for play along with a pursuit to connect the planet through games," stated Mark Pincus, founder, Boss and chief product officer of Zynga. Consequently from the proceed to play more games online, marketers are focusing more attention on building online towns for his or her top game titles to lure gamers to spread out their purses for additional content, much like "Cod Elite" that Activision Blizzard released around its "CodInch franchise. "Rather than ending support of clients once they buy individual game game titles, game companies now concentrate on building gamer towns and developing ongoing associations using their clients," stated Parks research analyst and focus author Pietro Macchiarella. "The positive effect of the approach is the fact that game money making could be extended beyond the purpose of purchase. Unlike traditional offline games, the internet enables the to earn revenue even if people take part in the same game frequently." In the newest questionnaire, Activision, industry's biggest vidgame writer, produced 26% of their sales from digital platforms, while 60% originated from traditional channels. With increased people transporting mobile phones, 17% of customers downloaded a game title on their own mobile products, up from 7% in 2008. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Syfy films circle 'Day 38'

Syfy Films is developing "Day 38" and it is at the begining of talks with Micrograms and Mary Viola to create, and Richard Player to direct the found-footage thriller. Project, scripted by Chris Rossi and Gabe Scott, was created in-house at McG's Wonderland Seem and Vision with Player -- a noted commercial director whose latest campaigns include Sim cards, Activision and Manufacturers. It's Wonderland's/McG's first partnership with Syfy. Story is told from the purpose of look at several stormchasers who face a Category 5 tornado and discover themselves battling a pressure even more than Nature. Year-old SyFy Films, produced like a venture between Universal and SyFy Endeavors, made its first offer October if this bought feature privileges to George R.R. Martin's super hero anthology "Wild Cards" and drawn on Melinda Snodgrass to pen the script. Variety reported Friday that SyFy Films senior Vice president Gregory Noveck made the offer for "Day 38" with APA, which repped the writing team. Micrograms directed "What This Means Is War," which Fox opens February. 17. Scott authored and directed "The Sentient," a nine-minute film using more than 80 vfx shots which was placed in November with Quincy Pictures using the goal of creating a complete-length feature. Crew incorporated Oscar nominees Randy Kerber as composer, Scott E. Anderson on VFX and Ron Kline as seem mixer. Scott is handled by Dork Brown of Artist Worldwide. Rossi's handled by Jennifer Levine at Untitled Entertainment. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Keck's Exclusives: A Kristen Wiig Variety Show?

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Evening Live I like Kristen Wiig's zany figures on Saturday Evening Live. Would she ever consider doing her Carol Burnett-type variety show? - Jill, Colorado I like that idea, too, but Kristen notifies me, "I have not really considered it. You're the initial person to request me that, although Carol Burnett will be a huge, huge impact on me." Otherwise a variety show, then what about spinning off among her many colorful figures in to a feature film? "I am unsure if anybody want two several hours of these,In . she states. While that's certainly the situation using the prospective Lady, Kristen did bite within my suggestion from the film chronicling the glamorous backstory of stage star-switched-game show flubber Mindy Grayson: "A Mindy Grayson movie," she states. "Oh, that's advisable!Inch Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!