It’s time to start predicting who will take top honors at the Oscars this year as The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence announced the nominees of the 84th Annual Academy Awards. Martin Scorsese’s whimsical homage to early film, Hugo, leads the pack with 11 nominations with The Artist not far behind with 10. There’s an diverse batch of films up the Best Picture award this year, including The Help, Moneyball, and War Horse just to name a few. Here are a few highlights from the nominees list:

Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight In Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Directing:
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terence Malick – The Tree of Life

Actor in a Leading Role:
Demián Bichir – A Better Life
George Clooney – The Descendants
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Actress in a Leading Role:
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn

Actor in a Supporting Role:
Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Actress in a Supporting Role:
Bérénice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help

For the full list of nominees, please visit Oscar.Go.com. .

Kate Beckinsale brought her fierce beauty to the silver screen and secured the top spot at the box office this weekend with her film Underworld Awakening. See what other movies made big money…

1 – Underworld Awakening: $25.4 M
2 – Red tails: $19.1 M
3 – Contraband: $12.2 M
4 – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: $10.5 M
5 – Haywire: $9 M
6 – Beauty and the Beast: $8.6 M
7 – Joyful Noise: $6.1 M
8 – Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol: $5.5 M
9 – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: $4.8 M
10 – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: $3.8 M

Taylor Swift has taken over the entertainment industry one heartfelt love song at a time. But it’s her sweet girly style that’s landed her the February cover of Vogue. In the fashionable pages, the country crooner opens up about feeling like an outsider in school and how her music dreams helped her to stop caring. “I think that happened as soon as I left school, when I was sixteen, because then all that mattered was music and this dream that I’d had my whole life,” she explained. “I remember straightening my hair because I wanted to be like everybody else, and now the fact that anybody would emulate what I do? It’s just funny. And wonderful.”

And don’t expect her to fall into the same habits that other stars have. The self-aware star is always trying to stay one step ahead. “I fret about the future,” she said. “What my next move should be. What the move after that should be. How am I going to sustain this. How do I evolve. I over-analyze myself into being a big bag of worries.”

See the full article HERE.

Photo Credits: Vogue/ Mario Testino

The brightest stars in Hollywood were all dolled up last night to attend to the 2012 Golden Globes. The elegant evening was mostly tame even with Ricky Gervais’s limited ribbing and the occasional swear word getting censored. There were a few surprise winners and endearing moments, including William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman’s adorable duet and Sidney Poitier and Helen Mirren’s tribute to Morgan Freeman. Here are the big winners of last night’s show:

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
The Descendants
War Horse

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
George Clooney – The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender – Shame
Ryan Gosling – The Ides of March
Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Jodie Foster – Carnage
Charlize Theron – Young Adult
Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet – Carnage

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Brendan Gleeson – The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – 50/50
Ryan Gosling – Crazy, Stupid, Love
Owen Wilson – Midnight in Paris

Best Performance by an Actress In a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help
Shailene Woodley – The Descendants

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn
Albert Brooks – Drive
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer – Beginners

To see the rest of last night’s winners, please visit GoldenGlobes.org.

One of our biggest dreams was to someday attend an awards show, and thanks to Post’s Honey Bunches of Oats, we got to fulfill it by going to the People’s Choice Awards. You can imagine our reaction to receiving the invitation. PJ Gach of Betty Confidential would also be a guest on the trip along with the awesome reps of the cereal brand. You didn’t have to tell us twice as we started immediately creating a mental packing list.

During the early morning flight from the Big Apple to the Sunshine State, we munched on some Honey Bunches of Oats with Cinnamon Bunches. We were given a guided tour of Southern California by our driver on the way to the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live located next to the Nokia Theater. One of the reps of Honey Bunches of Oats greeted us in the lobby and all of us went to lunch at the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grille where we had truffled potato chips and ricotta gnocchi with Italian sausage bolognese before we started snooping around the red carpet. Though we were early for all the action, we spotted seat fillers dressed to the nines milling about the venue.

We were then quickly whisked away to the Ritz-Carlton Spa for a Hollywood makeover. With voluminous waves and dramatic smoky eyes, we were set to stun. As we made our way inside the theater, we were in shock over where our seats were– only ten rows away from the stage! Honey Bunches of Oats sponsored the “Favorite New TV Comedy” and “Favorite New TV Drama” category through its Honey Bunches of Votes campaign. The brand had sweepstakes winners attend the event and even pulled some fans from the red carpet with tickets for the show! We couldn’t help but give everyone the play-by-play on Twitter after each award and performance. We spotted Gene Simmons’ family arriving after Demi Lovato’s performance of “Give Your Heart a Break” and leaving before the show ended while Busy Phillips chatted with Carrie Preston in the aisles. Ian Somerhalder mingled with rotating seat fillers during all of the commercial breaks. Maya Rudolph took time to snap a few photos with some young fans before Bridesmaids won “Favorite Comedy Movie.”

After the last bit of confetti was picked out of our hair, we headed back to PJ’s room to relax before dinner. We first ordered a tea service with bowls, milk and spoons for our pre-dinner snack: Honey Bunches of Oats Peach and Raspberry Fruit Blend cereal. Dinner reservations were made at Katsuya, which was only a small walk from the hotel where we sipped sake, sampled the sushi and sashimi and kept an eye out for any stars.

We awoke the next day wondering if the night before had all been a dream. During breakfast, PJ noted that the trip felt like camp – bonding for such a small time only to go our separate ways. My one night in L.A. with Honey Bunches of Oats was one I’ll never forget; and after snacking on that peach and raspberry cereal, we now have a new go-to snack we’ll be sharing with everyone…as long as I can still grab a handful before the box is empty.

Who can resist a good exorcism movie? The spine-twisting new film The Devil Inside came in top at the box office this past weekend. See what other movies made big money…

1 – The Devil Inside: $34.5 M
2 – Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol: $20.5 M
3 – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: $14.1 M
4 – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: $11.3 M
5 – Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: $9.5 M
6 – War Horse: $8.6 M
7 – We Bought a Zoo: $8.5 M
8 – The Adventures of Tintin: $6.6 M
9 – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: $5.8 M
10 – New Year’s Eve: $3.3 M

Ewan McGregor has kept himself incredibly busy since his debut sixteen years ago in Trainspotting by starring in over thirty films. The father of four girls has a slew of movies hitting theaters this year, beginning with Haywire, starring alongside UFC fighter Gina Carano. The former Jedi was shocked to learn that The Phantom Menace would be released in 3D later this year, telling GQ’s January issue: “They’re actually going to rerelease it into the cinema? Well, that’s interesting.” With a non-stop work and home life, one would think it would wear him down but no, “I never feel battered by it. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says. See the full article HERE.

Photo: Peggy Sirota/GQ

The Golden Globe nominations came out this past week and they said what everyone was thinking: The Artist, The Descendants or The Help is coming out with the most wins this awards season. Here are nominations from Best Drama and Comedy motion pictures:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
1.50/50
2. The Artist
3. Bridesmaids
4. Midnight in Paris
5. My Week with Marilyn

But the Golden Globes doesn’t award just movies. The television nominations proved to be just as surprising (and maybe even more so) than the movie nods. Here are the shows up for Best Drama and Best Comedy series:

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
1. Enlightened (HBO)
2. Episodes (SHOWTIME)
3. Glee (FOX)
4. Modern Family (ABC)
5. New Girl (FOX)

So who else should have (or should not have) made the list? Don’t forget to tune in to the Globes on January 15th on NBC.

1. Harry Potter 8-Film DVD Set- Best Buy: DVD $49.99, Blu-ray $79.99

• This is clearly an obvious choice. With the Harry Potter series now completely over (tear!), those waiting out on purchasing the franchise need not wait longer! The 8-film set comes as a regular DVD set or in Blu-Ray.  Only downside to getting this version is the lack of extra features. But getting the full collection after a whole decade is present enough.

2. The Ten Commandments: Limited Edition- Best Buy $69.99

• An iconic box set for an iconic movie. This Ten Commandments collection is a must-have for all epic story lovers, movie lovers and Charleton Heston lovers (See also a Ben Hur limited edition set for those with a little too much love for Heston).

3. Citizen Kane: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition- Amazon.com $59.99

• Arguably the best film ever made, this collector’s edition has everything a film lover could ask for- documentaries, interviews with famous directors and critics, still photography, bonus films, and a look into the world premiere of the famous film.

4. The Scorpion Jacket from Drive-

• Arguably one of the most stylish films of this year, Drive makes a lasting statement not just because of the winning direction or the charisma of its star Ryan Gosling (though more Gosling never hurts), but from this iconic piece of clothing worn in all of the major action scenes of the movie.

5. Panasonic DMP-B15 Portable Blu-ray Player- Amazon.com $749.87

• Sure this gift may cause obsessed movie watchers to carry on their problem outdoors and on the road, but it this case enabling would be understandable. The player plays back not just Blu-rays, but regular DVDs, CDs and media files.

1. Kindle Fire- Amazon.com $199

• Amazon’s answer to the iPad, this upgrade on the original book reading tablet is the perfect way for book lovers to still read their favorite literature while also keeping track of social networking, listening to music, playing games and much more.

2. The Phantom Tollbooth: 50th Anniversary- Amazon.com $16.39

• Best for kids or the young at heart, introduce or relive this classic with the 50th Anniversary edition. Telling a beautiful story of Milo and his adventures in the land beyond, it’s timeless and the 50th Anniversary edition is a fantastic keepsake.

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy- Amazon.com $31.57

• This had to be included. With the film releasing in March and the hype for the books growing exponentially, now’s the time for those in your life who aren’t familiar to jump on the bandwagon. Normally, we wouldn’t encourage this kind of subtle peer pressure, but these books are just too good to keep to oneself.

4. Books by Fictional Characters- Amazon.com: Various Prices (Sterling’s Gold $6.87, Heat Wave $9.99, Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America $13.57, The Bro Code $10.48)

• The big trend for the past few years has been books released by fictional characters from TV and film. While it’s been going on for quite a while (i.e. the Twin Peaks literature), characters like Richard Castle from ABC’s Castle, Barney Stinson from CBS’ How I Met Your Mother and Leslie Knope from NBC’s Parks and Recreation make this a trend no one should miss out on. Heat Wave is a legitimate crime thriller with some real potential while The Bro Code and Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America are hilarious.

5. Lightwedge Original LED Book Light- Amazon.com $23.99

• This is a no-brainer. For those who love to read and don’t care if it’s daytime or nighttime, get this futuristic looking and stylish LED book light. See kids? Reading really is FUNdamental!