Etta James Condition Better, Removed Respirator

First Released: December 30, 2011 6:44 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Etta James works at home of Blues in Chicago, Illinois on April 30, 2009RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Etta James manager states the crictally ill blues singer is breathing by herself after being removed a respirator. Lupe P Leon states Friday the alternation in her condition is excellent news which the performers bloodstream pressure is common. P Leon states James was placed on a respirator when she was put in the hospital in Los Angeles on 12 ,. 21 because she was getting trouble breathing. James continues to be identified with terminal leukemia and it is struggling with dementia. She's been receiving mostly at-home care. Earlier this year, a judge put aside $350,000 on her health care. James is better noted for the hit Finally. Copyright 2011 through the Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2012 Oscars Poster Unveiled!

First Published: December 28, 2011 1:29 PM EST Credit: A.M.P.A.S. LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption The poster for the 84th Academy AwardsThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the poster for the 84th Academy Awards on Wednesday morning a poster which pays homage to several great Best Picture winners of the classic gold statue. Under the line, Life, Camera, Action, the poster created by graphic designer Anthony Goldschmidt and Mark and Karen Crawford of the design firm Blood & Chocolate features the Oscar statue next to posters from Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1943), Giant (1956), The Sound of Music (1965), The Godfather (1972), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Forrest Gump (1994) and Gladiator (2000). Seven of the films won Best Picture, except for Giant, which earned George Stevens a Best Director statue. The tagline on the poster is, Celebrate the movies in all of us. Whether its a first date or a holiday gathering with friends or family, movies are a big part of our memory, Tom Sherka, Academy President, said in a statement released on Wednesday morning. The Academy Awards not only honor the excellence of these movies, but also celebrate what they mean to us as a culture and to each of us individually. The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 AM PST in the Academys Samuel Goldwyn Theater.T he Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, will air on Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 7 PM EST/4 PM PST on ABC. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jay Pharoah Wants to be in the New 'Friday' Movie

It didn't work for Donald Glover in his efforts to become Spider-Man (and too bad, since that would have been awesome), but that isn't stopping Jay Pharoah from trying his Twitter luck at getting cast in a big Hollywood sequel. The 'Saturday Night Live' featured player -- best known for his impersonations of Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Kanye West -- took to Twitter on the slowest news day of 2011 with eyes on getting fans to support his attempts at starring in the next 'Friday' film. "Jay Pharoah for the new 'Friday' movie tweet #Pharoah4friday #TeamPharoah," he wrote. "Let's get it trending!!!" As you may have read, Ice Cube's production process of getting the entire original cast back together for another 'Friday.' (Apparently, perhaps, even Chris Tucker.) What role Pharoah would play remains to be seen, obviously, but his involvement could happen -- provided you Tweet your hearts out. Worldwide, the three 'Friday' films have earned $122 million. Pencil in number four -- perhaps with Pharoah -- for sometime in 2013. Or 2014. Stoners and all. [via @jaypharoah] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Scarlett Johansson hates her nickname

Inside a move that will likely ensure she will get known as it two times just as much, Scarlett Johansson has revealed she hates the most popular shortening of her title towards the contrived abbreviation "Scar-Jo"."It's idleness," she told USA Today. "People can't really the whole title? It is simply bizarre... Basically hear somebody state that, I understand I'm not sure them whatsoever."Typically, it's only been more youthful Hollywood starlets who've had their third and fourth names hyphened together, and Johansson continues to question why "serious stars" don't are available in for the similar treatment."So Cate Blanchett isn't, like, 'Ca-Bla'?" she queried. "Can you explain that? Why must i find yourself in trouble having a mangled moniker?" She continued to suggest Da-Day for Daniel Day-Lewis, which we should confess, we rather like.Anyway, we have received the warning noisy and obvious, and that's why poor Scarlett will be known to solely by her full title. Unless of course obviously she stars inside a film with Taylor Lautner and Billy Burke, by which situation the temptation may be an excessive amount of to face up to...

Critic's Guide to the Week in TV: Finales, Musical and Comedy Divas, and More!

Allison Miller 'Twas the week before Christmas, and I can't remember when so much was stirring on TV this late into the year. Here are some highlights from an unusually busy pre-Christmas week.MONDAYDINO-MIGHT? The biggest cliffhanger regarding the two-hour finale of Fox's time-tripping family sci-fi drama Terra Nova (8/7c) isn't so much what happens on the show, which is fairly standard action-adventure mayhem, but whether it will return for a second season next year. (That decision should be made fairly early in 2012.) If you can accept the fact that this lavishly produced exercise in escapist corn has more of the feel of an old-fashioned comic book than a newfangled graphic novel, it's not that hard to enjoy the melodrama. The finale gets off to a strong start when an invading mercenary army from 2149, acting on orders of the greedily rapacious Phoenix Group, explosively interrupts the arrival of the 11th Pilgrimage. Sheriff Jim Shannon (Jason O'Mara) is violently sidelined in the skirmish, and wakes days later to a disorienting tableau of military occupation. With Commander Taylor (Stephen Lang) MIA in the wilderness, Jim plays resistance leader from the inside, but eventually the entire Shannon family has to go into hiding, resembling the Von Trapps at the end of The Sound of Music. And at times, it's just as schmaltzy. It's not much of a spoiler alert to report that the Shannon kids, who make Cindy Lou Who look edgy, are never in any real danger. Except perhaps of a saccharine OD.The villains, meanwhile, are cartoonishly garish, starting with Taylor's psychotically vengeful physicist son Lucas (Ashley Zuckerman). When Lucas boasts to a tool named Weaver, the most odious of the Phoenix leaders, that they could strip half of this unspoiled continent of its natural resources in six months, Weaver actually cackles, "That's what I like to hear. ... Be one hell of a barbecue down here." Oh, Weaver, you're asking for it. In the course of the action, the source of Lucas' patricidal enmity is revealed, and Jim executes a drastic plan to stop Phoenix that will change the colony's and the series' future, if there is one. And should Fox decide Terra Nova is too costly an enterprise with too little return to keep going, there's just enough closure in this finale to keep the fans from going too T-Rex.TAKING A FALL: Having had luck in past Christmas weeks with weeklong programming stunts introducing Deal Or No Deal and The Sing-Off to sizable audiences, NBC is hoping the spectacle of quiz-show contestants falling through trap doors will be similarly appealing. That's the flimsy gimmick of Who's Still Standing? (8/7c), airing through Thursday, but even host Ben Bailey (of Cash Cab) can't seem to get too worked up about it. The premise: A contestant - in the opener, a genial Arkansas volleyball coach - faces off against 10 strangers in head-to-head trivia rounds. If the player outlasts five of his loudly taunting rivals, he or she can keep the money they've earned (each opponent is assigned a different and random money value). Beat all 10, and the prize is $1 million. Not much to it, but who would have guessed that the stupid show with the briefcases would catch on? ... If the trap doors led to a snake pit, you'd be in Fear Factor territory, and in this week's episode (9/8c), that's exactly what happens, as one team member is covered with hundreds of snakes while the other moves the snakes with his or her mouth. And the winner of this show only gets $50,000. Hardly seems enough.SOUL SISTERS: A tribute to the late Amy Winehouse is one of the highlights of this year's VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul concert special (9/8c), with Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine teaming with Wanda Jackson and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Other headliners include Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott and Jessie J, each saluting the cities that inspired their soulful styles, including Chicago, Detroit, London, Memphis and Philadelphia.GUEST ALERT: On the next-to-last episode of The Closer's winter season (TNT, 9/8c), Major Crimes looks into the hit-and-run of a young female bicyclist, with Desperate Housewives' Mark Moses and Weeds' Elizabeth Perkins appearing as L.A.'s police commissioner and his wife, who may be covering up a scandal. ... On Rizzoli & Isles (10/9c), Lolita Davidovich returns as Korsak's ex-wife, when the sarge's stepson is accused of shooting a cop.TUESDAYKATHY THE TIRELESS: Comedy diva Kathy Griffin bestows another gift on her snark-hungry fans with her fourth Bravo comedy special this year: Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker (10/9c). It's not like she's ever lacking for material. Among her targets, skewered before a sold-out audience in Atlantic City: no-longer-newlyweds Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, and no-longer-wed Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, with a salvo aimed at Nancy Grace for her Dancing With the Stars wardrobe malfunction. Bravo, Kathy!SANTA'S MOST WANTED: Adopting a lighter touch than most of the recent batch of TNT Mystery Movies, Deck the Halls (9/8c) is based on the holiday mystery novels written by Mary Higgins Clark and daughter Carol. Which might explain the tight bond between the movie's heroine, gorgeous P.I. Regan Reilly (Scottie Thompson), and her mom, mystery writer Nora (Jane Alexander), who team up with amateur sleuth/lottery winner Alvirah Meegan (a very welcome Kathy Najimy) when Nora's husband (David Selby) is kidnapped by a thug in a Santa suit three days before Christmas. Is it wrong that as I watched Alexander and Selby together, I couldn't shake the memory of their graphic sex scenes in HBO's short-lived Tell Me You Love Me? Not to worry. This one's strictly PG.WEDNESDAYREALITY FINALES: It's going to be a Merry Christmas for someone this week, including the winner of Bravo's stimulating Work of Art: The Next Great Artist (9/8c), which gives the three finalists - Sara, Kymia and front-runner Young - a chance to display their collections to the judges, with the winner going on to a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. ... Top Chef: Texas (10/9c) is still a while away from crowning its winner, and in this week's episode, the Quickfire challenge forces the chefs to take instructions from tweets on Twitter, which is probably more annoying than it even sounds. Patti LaBelle is guest judge for the elimination round, in which the chefs prepare a "tribute dish" in honor of the person who taught them their way around a kitchen. Presumably not while tweeting.And then there's Fox's The X Factor (8/7c), with the final 90-minute performance show divvied up among the three finalists: Melanie Amaro (the favorite, or at least mine), dark horse Josh Krajkic and addict-turned-rapper Chris Rene, who has the most compelling personal story. Who will win? Who's left to care, considering that in an act of ultimate hubris, the $5 million winner won't be announced until Thursday, awfully close to Christmas for much of the real world to be focused on the winner of an overblown singing competition.SURREALITY FINALE: They've barely had time to mop up the bloody mess from last week's childbirth episode of FX's American Horror Story (10/9c), which was less horrific than horrible as Vivien predictably joined the ranks of the house's dense (in many ways) population of ghosts. In the season finale of this stupefyingly lurid hot mess, the fate of the surviving baby - and, presumably, the surviving Harmon (Dylan McDermott) - sets the stage for next season. Calling all exorcists!JUST IN (JUSTIN) TIME: If The X Factor strikes you as off-key, there are other options, including CBS's A Home for the Holidays With Martina McBride (8/7c), the 13th annual holiday special extolling the virtues of adoption. Among those joining McBride in musical performances: Mary J. Blige, Gavin DeGraw, OneRepublic and the ubiquitous Justin Beiber. ... Just how omnipresent is the Beeb? He also appears in NBC's A Michael Bublé Christmas (9/8c), getting a second airing after the crooner's successful Saturday Night Live appearance. ... And TLC weighs in with This Is Justin Bieber (9/8c), a holiday special featuring acoustic versions of songs from Bieber's Under the Mistletoe Christmas album, plus footage of Bieber in London, including a performance on The X Factor UK, which somehow brings everything dizzyingly full circle. Please don't let this be the start of a Bieber celeb-reality show. I wouldn't put anything past TLC.THURSDAYWINNING: The winner of The X Factor (8/7c) is revealed in what's sure to be a deafening two-hour live results show (and that's just the noise coming from the studio audience). ... And yet another reality competition comes to a blingy finish, as Lifetime's Project Accessory (10/9c) displays the three finalists' designs in front of NY fashionistas. Was anyone aware this was even still on?FRIDAYTHE OTHER BEEB: In a fun experiment of TV as radio, NPR's popular and Peabody-winning Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! quiz show-with-a-twist comes to BBC America for a year-end special, Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! A Royal Pain in the News (8/7c). With "everyone's favorite news uncle" Carl Kasell as announcer and scorekeeper, and the genially glib Peter Sagal as host, the stage is set for topical and comedic banter as a panel including Paula Poundstone, Last Comic Standing's Alonzo Bodden and British wit Nick Hancock field questions and commentary on subjects including Occupy Wall Street, the Murdochs and the year in politics. Here's Bodden on the coverage of the crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street protester, likening it to the civil rights movement: "Good luck with the pepper spray. We had fire hoses. Not as spicy, little more pressure." Fantasy writer Neil Gaiman is brought on for a special round of questions on the royal wedding of William and Kate. He does better than you might think.THE CHUCK WAGON: If you're looking for new network fare on the eve of Christmas Eve, NBC continues burning off the final season of Chuck (8/7c) with a new episode featuring comics legend Stan Lee, who once upon a time romanced the stone - by which we mean stone-faced but deep down warm-hearted General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy). Christmas is anything but peaceful at the Buy More, as a computer virus called "the Omen" takes aim at Carmichael Industries, but when it goes viral, ends up sending scores of customers to the store on Christmas Eve for some Nerd Herd maintenance.(On actual Christmas Eve, starting at 8/7c, things get back to normal, with NBC re-airing It's a Wonderful Life opposite ABC's perennial The Sound of Music, while TBS revs up its 24 Hours of A Christmas Story marathon, which continues through Christmas Day. This is more like it.)With that, a wish for happy viewing through the holidays.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Batman Star Bale Attempts To Visit China Activist

First Released: December 16, 2011 9:09 AM EST Credit: Getty Images BEIJING -- Caption Christian Bale gets to this year's La premiere of Public Opponents, June 23, 2009Batman star Christian Bale, at the time of marketing a movie he earned in China that some experts have known as propaganda, was physically stopped by government-backed pads from going to a blind activist living under house arrest having a CNN crew with you to record the scuffle. CNN published footage from the confrontation on its website Friday. The run-in and publicity will probably cause discomfort in Chinas government-backed film industry, which hopes Bales movie The Flowers of War is a creative success both at home and abroad. The heavens actions are certain to focus attention around the plight of Chen Guangcheng, guarded night and day by thugs who've blocked a large number of reporters and fellow activists attempting to see him previously. Bale ended up being to leave China on Friday and the reps couldn't immediately be arrived at for comment. Bale, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for last years The Fighter, traveled Thursday having a crew from CNN towards the village in eastern China where Chen, the blind lawyer, lives together with his family in complete isolation. These were stopped in the entrance to Dongshigu village in Shandong province by unknown males. The recording footage shows Bale asking to determine Chen, having a CNN producer supplying interpretation, when you are purchased by among the pads to depart. Then he requested why he was not able to feed. The pads responded by attempting to grab or punch a little camcorder Bale was transporting. Things I wanted to complete ended up being to satisfy the guy, shake his hands and say how much of an inspiration he's, Bale was cited as saying by CNN. Chens situation continues to be elevated openly by U.S. congress and diplomats, including Secretary of Condition Hillary Rodham Clinton, all to no response from China. CNN stated Bale first discovered Chen from news reviews when he is at China filming The Flowers of War, Chinas official submission this season for the best language film Oscar. Chen Guangcheng is really a newsworthy figure and therefore it is incorporated in the interest of CNNs global audiences to listen to from him, CNN stated inside a statement. Mr. Bale arrived at to CNN and asked us to become listed on him on his journey to go to Chen. Chen, a self-trained lawyer who had been blinded with a fever in infancy, angered government bodies after recording forced late-term abortions and sterilizations along with other abuses by overzealous government bodies attempting to meet population control goals in the rural community. He was jailed for allegedly instigating a panic attack on government offices and organizing someone to disrupt traffic, charges his supporters say were fabricated. Although now formally free underneath the law, he's been limited to his home within the village eight hrs drive from Beijing and exposed to periodic beatings along with other abuse, activists say. While Bales visit focuses new attention on Chens situation, CNNs role boosts questions regarding activism and advocacy among reporters, stated David Bandurski, editor from the China Media Project website in the College of Hong Kong. It helped me instantly uncomfortable, wondering the way it all joined together. It boosts questions regarding in which the line is attracted, Bandurski stated. The incident also came strong interest the majority of it highly positive on social networks for example Twitter and it is Chinese equivalent, Weibo. Getting their stars title pinging over the Internet regarding the this type of politically sensitive subject puts marketers from the Flowers of War inside a bind. The film opens in China on Friday and then week within the U . s . States. Directed through the famous Zhang Yimou, it's also probably the most costly Chinese movie available, at $94 million, most of which originated from the condition-possessed Bank of China. The film focuses on the 1937 sacking from the eastern town of Nanjing, a central event in Chinas pre-revolutionary century of humiliation and it has been referred to by some experts as hewing to official propaganda representing Chinese as heroic sufferers and Japanese as you-dimensional cartoon villains. While China has got the mobile phone industry's third-biggest film industry in box office and output it's made relatively little global impact. Story line is frequently heavily affected through the ruling Communist Party, whose culture commissars must approve scripts and also have final say over whether a movie will get launched. Copyright 2011 through the Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Giuliana Rancic Doing Really Well After Double Mastectomy

First Published: December 14, 2011 7:08 PM EST Credit: Getty Images LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Bill Rancic and Giuliana Rancic attend the 18th Annual QVC FFANY Shoes On Sale at The Waldorf Astoria, NYC, on October 13, 2011Giuliana Rancic underwent a successful double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery on Tuesday. G is doing really well, her husband, Bill Rancic, told E! News. Her surgery lasted about four hours and the doctors were very pleased with the result. Bill admitted the hours after surgery were certainly not a breeze for his brave wife. She had a little bit of pain through the night but is feeling much better this morning and was cracking jokes, he added. Giuliana herself, offered gratitude for the supportive words she has received from the public. I want to thank all the viewers and fans for their support and prayers, she told E! News. The tweets and notes have not gone unnoticed. I am very grateful. Earlier this month, the E! host revealed she was planning to undergo the double mastectomy after a previous lumpectomy was unable to rid her body of cancer. For me, it was important to get the cancer out, Giuliana explained on the Today show in early December. Thats what I wanted to do just get it out. The E! TV personality who first revealed she was battling breast cancer in October said her desire to have children was a big part of her decision-making process. That was actually a big part of it, not all of it, but a big part, she previously told Todays Ann Curry. But to be honest, at the end, all it came down to was just choosing to live, and not looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. Thats really what it came down to. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cheers & Jeers: NCIS' Very Jimmy Christmas

John Dietzen, Ray Burns Cheers to NCIS for giving fans a holiday gift: a Jimmy Palmer narrative! Want more Cheers & Jeers? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine. In addition to-beloved morgue underling, endearingly carried out by John Dietzen, figured plainly inside the top-rated drama's Christmas episode. To ensure that they are able to impress his future father-in-law, Jimmy introduced the Scrooge-like funeral-house owner (bone-dry standup Ray Burns) looking for a Christmas Eve tour in the office. They ended up trading the evening there, as Jimmy aided they safeguard an endangered pregnant Marine - and finally was around his dismissive father-in-law-to-be, telling him to "sit lower and shut up!" Gibbs (Mark Harmon) shipped the newborn - within a snow storm, surprisingly - together with a lesson in family values to DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) inside the episode's bittersweet conclusion. "You should not be at all like me,In . Papa Bear advised Tony, who'd chickened from likely to his now-divorced ex-fianceé. But as with every NCIS fan knows, nobody round the team occasion to truly do with no household as extended simply because they have one another. Whoever else consider NCIS' Christmas episode? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Pay cablers reach out to the gray zone

HBOs one-on-one chat Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again celebrates Hollywoods senior class. HBO's programming-quilt philosophy means individual programs needn't attract a particularly wide audience. As long as passionate subsets keep subscribing for components as disparate as boxing, movies, documentaries, and original series from "True Blood" to "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the channel's model yields dividends.Perhaps that's why pay TV appears to represent one of those few bastions in the youth-obsessed media where the quilt reserves swatches -- quietly, without much fanfare, over there in the corner -- for grandma and grandpa.It's a little early to call gray the new black. But there are more signs pay TV is recognizing senior citizens' cash is as green as anybody else's. Besides, for those not reliant on beer advertisers, appealing to a demographic much of the media has left behind in the snow, metaphorically speaking, has its advantages.HBO's documentaries have long demonstrated this tendency, including recent profiles of Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte. This isn't to say those projects don't have relevance today, only that the themes speak more to those who were sentient during their early contributions to feminism and civil rights.The channel has also found other ways to celebrate Hollywood's emeritus class, such as the delightful one-on-one chat featuring Mel Brooks, Dick Cavett and a cameo by Carl Reiner -- a trio that totals nearly a quarter-millennium of mirth.Seemingly extracting a page from that playbook, Encore will devote some of its original-programming budget this week to "Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis," a documentary tribute to the octogenarian who, like Brooks and Reiner, demonstrates comedy is a powerful preserving agent.Even HBO's scripted fare has gotten into the act. The network just offered a preview of its horseracing drama "Luck," where most of the marquee names -- including Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, Nick Nolte and Michael Gambon, along with director Michael Mann and writer supreme David Milch -- are over 65.Then again, look at the Oscars, which after its youth-movement hosting experiment with Anne Hathaway and James Franco found itself in a public-relations jam and retreated to the comfort and safety of Billy Crystal, who's older than the two of them combined.Perhaps it's no accident the movie "RED" is in pay TV rotation on TMC, proving it really is possible, financially speaking, to be old enough to retire and be extremely dangerous.Granted, this assortment of examples hardly qualifies as a reversal of tides pulling in the opposite direction. If anything, as their demographic profiles migrate upward broadcasters are even more eager to corral younger viewers, which explains the giddiness surrounding CBS' "2 Broke Girls" and Fox's "New Girl," which have performed disproportionately well among those under 35. Oddly, one seldom hears similar crowing about the strong 50-plus pull of "Harry's Law" and "Blue Bloods."There's no denying an element of condescension has crept into depictions of seniors, but perhaps eclipsing that is the novelty factor: So much has been done to expunge older characters from certain media quadrants, seeing them provides something of an unexpected kick, which partially explains the Betty White craze that suddenly had her cropping up everywhere.Incorporating such projects on pay TV also reflects a shrewd realization about the transactional nature of media, where people increasingly pay directly for what's consumed without an advertising middle man.Under those terms, it's possible to program to an older audience, whose money isn't discounted in the way the value of their patronage is among media buyers. And since many seniors are actually faring better than their progeny in the current economy, they're prime candidates to pay the toll to access programs targeting them.The media preoccupation with youth is too deeply ingrained to result in a wholesale shift -- even in the minds of older baby boomers, frankly, who have a hard time thinking of themselves as their parents' age. As the animation great Chuck Jones, then 84, once told an interviewer, "I just feel like a young man who has something the matter with him."Nevertheless, if pay channels fine-tune their mix to capitalize on these demographic patterns -- unearthing a silver lining, to quote the Grateful Dead, in a touch of gray -- it won't be just dumb luck. Contact Brian Lowry at brian.lowry@variety.com

Sen. Barbara Boxer Backs Online Anti-Piracy Legislation

Looks like the conservative Christian group Florida Family Association has finally succeeded in making a name for itself: first by convincing Lowe's it should pull ads from TLC's All-American Muslim, then through the good fortune of Lowe's admitting it had done so.our editor recommendsRussell Simmons Calls for Lowe's Boycott, Personally Buys Ad Time on 'All-American Muslim'Lowe's Issues Problematic Apologies After Pulling Ads From TLC's 'All-American Muslim'Lowe's Under Fire for Pulling 'All-American Muslim' AdsLawsuit Claims TLC's 'All-American Muslim' Was Stolen From TV Production Company (Exclusive)'All-American Muslim': The Football Team Finds a Way Around Ramadan (Exclusive Video)All-American Muslim: TV Review Until recently, FFA had been flying beneath the radar as a sort of poor-man's version of the better-known Parents Television Council. Not that it craved its relative anonymity, it's just that its campaigns weren't generating a lot of press, and the victories it had claimed were suspect because advertisers usually didn't acknowledge that they were dropping support of a TV show due to FFA's efforts. PHOTOS: 10 of TV's Biggest Television Show Controversies The FFA, for example, claims that 107 companies stopped advertising on Modern Family after FFA supporters sent e-mails complaining that the agenda of ABC's hit show was to normalize same-sex relationships while characterizing heterosexual couples as abnormal. Good luck, though, getting any of the show's former advertisers to admit that FFA had anything to do with their decision to stop buying ad time on Modern Family. More likely they'll say the ads ran their course and that was the end of it. While the general public may not have been familiar with FFA, it has been known to entertainment public-relations executives who have had to deal with e-mails stemming from its campaigns. For a few years, for example, FFA supporters have been e-mailing Disney and CEO Bob Iger their displeasure over Gay Day at Disney World being held during regular operating hours, as opposed to Grad Night and Night of Joy (a Christian celebration), events that are held after-hours. STORY:Lowe's Pulls Ads from TLC Show 'All-American Muslim' "Please stop this offensive event from occurring in the midst of thousands of children by requiring that it be held after regular operating hours when thousands of children will not be in the park," says an e-mail at the FFA site that visitors are encouraged to send to Disney and Iger. Targets of the FFA also have includedDegrassi, Glenn Martin DDS, RuPaul's Drag Race, The Girls Next Door andE!True Hollywood Story: Jenna Jameson. In each case, advertisers were contacted and the FFA claimed at least partial victory when many of them stopped buying ad time on the allegedly offending shows. As for the All-American Muslim campaign, FFA says that 65 companies pulled their commercials after its supporters sent thousands of emails, though it's Lowe's that generated controversy with its admission. "We understand the program raised concerns, complaints or issues from multiple sides of the viewer spectrum, which we found after doing research of news articles and blogs covering the show," a Lowe's spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday. On Monday, civil-rights entities and liberal politicians were denouncing the decision made by the giant home-improvement retailer, as were some celebrities. Mia Farrow, Russell Simmons and Kal Penn, for example, are urging boycotts of Lowe's. STORY:Lowe's Under Fire for Pulling 'All-American Muslim' Ads "I will sic evry civil rights agency on @lowes until they straighten this out," Simmons tweeted, while Farrow and Penn pointed followers to an online petition that denounces the retailer. FFA's problem with All-American Muslim stems from the work of a couple of conservative writers: Robert Spencer, author of The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran, and Pamela Geller, author of Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance. "The main danger of All-American Muslim is that it's misleading," writes Geller in an article reprinted by FFA. "The Muslims portrayed in the show are free to choose their path. That is the beauty of living in a free society. But so many aren't. ... Who speaks for Jessica Mokdad, who lived not far from where this show is taping, in Dearborn, Michigan? Mokdad was honor murdered by her stepfather, Rahim Alfetlawi, for 'not following Islam.'" And Spencer writes: "All that All-American Muslim gives us is a denunciation of 'Islamophobia' featuring Muslims who could never have conceivably inspired any suspicion of Islam in the first place. The show is a bait-and-switch." Natrually, liberal bloggers are incensed over such criticisms of the show. "It should come as no shock to you that the FFA is associated with evangelical Christians," says an item at Jezebel.com. "The organization's goal is to 'defend, protect and promote traditional, biblical values.' Ah yes, the Bible. The book that declares you may not wear a garment made of wool and linen." PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery PTC vs. TV: 10 Television Show Controversies Related Topics Bob Iger RuPaul The Walt Disney Company TLC All-American Muslim

L.A. Shooter Tyler Brehm: Recent Breakup, Drugs May Have Led to Gunman's Rampage

Directorial novice Angelina Jolie(In the Land of Blood and Honey) and her Kung Fu Panda 2 director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, the highest-grossing female director of all time, were shot by Peggy Sirota for the cover of the currentHollywood Reporter. Recently, they sat down with THRsenior film writer Pamela McClintock for a frank discussion on the lack of female directors in Hollywood, their own directorial mentors, feelings on awards nominations (Panda 2 leads the Annie noms with 12 and Blood and Honey could get a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign language film) and the status of a Kung Fu Panda 3. Jolie also opens up about being a first-time director, explaining how she got a "famously unsuccessful" topic (war) funded, when she found the time to write and what really happened to shut down the Bosnia set ofBlood and Honey, which opens in limited release Dec. 23.our editor recommendsAngelina Jolie's 'In the Land of Blood and Honey': 4 New Clips Depict the Bosnian War (Video)Angelina Jolie Explains Choosing 'Blood and Honey' for Directorial Debut (Video)'Kung Fu Panda 2' Leads Annie Award Nominations'Kung Fu Panda 2' Crosses $300 Million OffshoreFEINBERG FORECAST: 'War Horse,' 'Extremely Loud,' 'Dragon Tattoo,' 'Iron Lady' and 'Blood and Honey' Remain Question Marks Their interview ran as a part of THR's larger female directors package, highlighting Vera Farmiga (Higher Ground), Dee Rees (Pariah), Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady), Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) and Patty Jenkins (Monster). PHOTOS: 5 of Hollywood's Female Directors To Know WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HOLLYWOOD'S DEARTH OF FEMALE DIRECTORS Although neither would label herself an activist for female causes per se, the duo are mystified as to why there aren't more women directors -- only 13.4 percent of the DGA's director members are female. To boot,Kung Fu Panda 2is only the second animated studio pic solely directed by a woman, afterThe Tigger Movie. Angelina Jolie:"Isn't that crazy? Animated films are so family-oriented, you'd think that there would be women." Jennifer Yuh Nelson:I don't think about the gender thing very much. But when I speak at schools, I've had female students say to me afterwards, "I never envisioned myself being a director, since I've never seen women do it." But after seeing me, they can picture themselves directing, so maybe we'll see more female directors. And half of these kids in art and animation schools are girls. PHOTOS: The Kung Fu Panda 2 Premiere ON MAKING THE SECONDKUNG FU PANDA AND WHY IT TOOK THREE YEARS Nelson:It's a long process, and you have to know exactly what's going to happen next. You can't do coverage. Everything has to be planned ahead of time. And you have to make sure that people are still motivated and happy and creatively challenged so that it can all be stitched together. The voice acting starts after a lot of the storyboards are done. With Angie, things would change when we got into the booth and played with her lines. We would discover things in the moment and rewrite the script on the spot. She really knows the character, so when she would say, "A tiger wouldn't say that," she was absolutely right. She gives Tigress that extra level, and that's why people like the character so much. Sometimes, Angie's kids would be in the booth with me. [Jolie's son] Maddox would say, "That take was good," and I'd think, OK, he likes it, let's take that one. Jolie:On the firstKung Fu Panda, I would fight a line. With Jen, she would politely say, "Can we just try it?" And you kind of melt and say, "OK." She is a genuine artist who can see the bigger picture. And, fortunately, I've scored some points at home because of Kung Fu Panda. They love Tigress, who is my alternate personality. Otherwise, they think Brad [Pitt] and I are just so not cool. PHOTOS: Angelina Jolie's Top 10 Red Carpet Looks THEIR DIRECTORIAL ROLE MODELS Jolie:I've had the fortunate experience of working with so many interesting directors, from Michael Winterbottom to Clint Eastwood. I tried to remember the experiences that were my best as an actor, and what a director did to give me comfort and confidence. And I tried to keep a happy crew, which I learned a lot about from Clint and Jen. Nelson:I remember being in the middle ofKung Fu Panda, which took three years, and everyone was upset and tired and wondering if we were ever going to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and Guillermo del Toro stopped by and gave me the "man" speech. He said, "You've gotta man up and take this, and don't be scared of making bold choices." He was such a great supporter. PHOTOS: 'The Tourist's' Style JOLIE PERSONALLY FUNDED LARGE CHUNK OF IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY'S $15 MILLION BUDGET;GRAHAM KING PUT UP THE REST Jolie:I worked with him onThe Tourist, and one day I asked him if he'd read my script. I didn't know how he'd react, since on many levels, this was a big risk. I wasn't going to star in it, and I wanted to cast all local actors. It wasn't a pile of good news for him. But he was great, and he took the chance. PHOTOS: Hollywood's 10 Highest-Paid Actresses WHEN SHE FOUND THE TIME TO WRITE THE SCRIPT Jolie:I wrote whenever I could, when the kids were asleep or in their classes. Halfway through some of the most horrific scenes, I'd hear, "Mommy, I need another story, I can't go to sleep," and so I'd pause what I was doing and go tell happy stories about bunny villages. I studied a lot about the war, and watched a lot of documentaries.They won't see this movie. They know that mommy, on occasion, goes off to Libya or other places. I make them very conscious of the fact that there are a lot of people struggling through different things, and I don't protect them from the fact that war isn't a video game, it's a very, very horrible thing. THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE BOSNIAN WOMAN WHO PROTESTED HER MOVIE Before reading her script, the Bosnian government temporarily suspended Jolie's filming permit when the Association of Women Victims of War in Bosnia objected to a Muslim woman falling in love with her Serb captor. But, that wasn't the case -- the two fall in love before the war starts -- so the film's permit was reissued. Jolie:There was one woman who hadn't read the script, and who didn't want to meet with me. This is a very sensitive subject for someone who lived through these things. It's only been 15 years since the war and it's a painful memory. In my heart, the film was done on behalf of all people who suffered through this. A lot of women's groups have seen it, and the NY premiere of the movie was co-sponsored by Women for Women International, another group founded after the war in Bosnia. They felt it was the right thing to support it. Nelson:It's definitely not a passive movie and it makes you think. VIDEOS: 4 Clips From 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' THE STATUS OF KUNG FU PANDA 3 Nelson:There's plenty left to tell. Jolie:We can say we are in discussions. Tigress is my alternate personality, especially with children. I love animation because you get to do things you don't normally get to. For one, I could bring my kids and wear my pajamas, and hang out with Jen. And my character is just so badass. Nelson:And the stunts are safe. Jolie:Yes, eating pizza is the hardest stunt we did. To read THR's full cover story, click here>> FEMALE DIRECTORS AT THE WORLD BOX OFFICE 1.Kung Fu Panda 2: $663 million DAW/Paramount (2011) Jennifer Yuh Nelson's sequel narrowly bested the $631.7 million earned by the originalKung Fu Panda. 2.Mamma Mia!:$609.8 million Universal (2008) Phyllida Lloyd's film adaptation grossed an astounding $465.7 million overseas. 3.Alvin and the Chipmunks: The SqueakQuel: $443.1 million Fox (2009) Director Betty Thomas' other credits includeDoctor Dolittleand28 Days. 4.Twilight: $392.6 million Summit (2008) Catherine Hardwicke's pic proved that women and girls are as fervent as fanboys. 4.What Women Want: $374.1 million Paramount (2000) Like Nora Ephron and Penny Marshall, director Nancy Meyers has cracked the studio system, primarily with romantic comedies. Anne Fletcher is another to watch, withThe Proposalearning $443.1 million. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 'Hangover II' & 'Kung Fu Panda 2' Premieres Related Topics Annie Awards Golden Globes Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Clint Eastwood Kung Fu Panda 2 Kung Fu Panda In the Land of Blood and Honey Awards Season Preview

Gary Oldman on The Dark Knight Rises and Tinker, Tailor's Master Spy Smiley: He's 'Like Jazz'

At the center of Tomas Alfredson’s marvelously taut espionage thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (based on the John Le Carr novel previously adapted into a celebrated 1979 British miniseries) is an unusually understated turn by Gary Oldman as George Smiley, a recently retired career spy of few words quietly trying to uncover a mole within British intelligence. Oldman acknowledges a departure of sorts from the wild, often manic characters he built much of his career on — Sid Vicious, Count Dracula, Beethoven, DEA agent Stansfield of Leon, to name a few. Some of Oldman’s best-known roles are, as he described to Movieline this week in Los Angeles, more rock ‘n’ roll. “Smiley,” he explained, “is jazz.” It’s that precise quality that lends such an indelible reverberation to Oldman’s Smiley, the hero of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Among a cast that includes excellent British stars and character thesps including Colin Firth, Toby Jones, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Hardy — the deepest bench of the year, one could argue — Oldman moves quietly and deliberately with the deceptively difficult task of conveying emotion, cognizance, and menace in a character who betrays nothing to those around him. Oldman’s Smiley is, in effect, the most discreetly badass spy in the history of spy movies. Movieline sat down with Oldman to talk Tinker, his instant adoration of director Alfredson, listening to raconteur/co-star John Hurt’s great on-set stories, growing mellow with age, the joys of being part of The Dark Knight Rises, and the lure of returning to George Smiley in a Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy sequel. How much familiarity did you have with the book and the previous dramatic adaptations before Tomas Alfredson’s film project came to you, and how much did that familiarity affect your decision to take on the part? Well, I knew of the books, I’d read the books and watched the TV series back when in ‘79. I remembered them. It was a big thing, a big deal back then; it was the real beginnings of long form TV, which we’re so used to now, but it was a unique thing back then. So I knew Smiley and thought, ‘This is a great opportunity.’ And then I met with Tomas very briefly for breakfast and he was describing one of the scenes that I think just speaks of the character of Smiley: When they’re in the car and he lets the bee out of the car. It’s a little vignette, a little silent scene, but it says a great deal about who he is. What gave you confidence in Tomas’s vision for the film? Tomas’s take on the material… he’s an original piece, Tomas. He’s unique; he talks about color in terms of smell. How so? He wanted to capture the smell of damp tweed in the color palette. He’s an unusual guy, and I liked him instantly, really. As Tomas has said, it was kind of love at first sight. We met and we talked for an hour and then I got on the phone to my agent who’d set the meeting up and he said, ‘How’d it go?’ I said ‘I adore him!’ I could easily spend 12 weeks in this guy’s company. Have you met him? No, I haven’t! But I loved Let the Right One In. There’s a scene in Tinker that moves so exquisitely: Smiley is piecing the puzzle together in his mind, in his memory, and Tomas intercuts that with a visual of train tracks clicking into place. Yes, where it all kind of connects. And even in the safe house at the end, when we’re zeroing in on the mole, there’s a scene where I’m listening. I’m eating the mint and just listening. I said to him, ‘But you’ll shoot the usual feet going up the steps, the hand ringing the door, the guy arriving, all of that…’ And he said, ‘No. I’m just going to shoot it on a close up of you, and I’ll use sound effects.’ I said, ‘Surely you’ll shoot some of that and cut back and forth…’ and he said, ‘No.’ He was very clear in his vision. Is that unusual, while you’re shooting a scene, to have such a specific idea of what the finished, edited scene will look like? Yeah, and it helps. I can’t think of any other director that would have used “La Mer,” by Julio Iglesias, a very rare recording of him singing. It was his idea of opening up a window, that we’ve been in this rather stuffy, claustrophobic world, and it was almost as if you opened a window at the end. But he played that for the actors so that Colin [Firth] and Mark [Strong] had the soundtrack when they were playing the scene. I loved their storyline; the element of the love between those two characters was beautiful. And we don’t really know the nature of their relationship. It could have easily been sexual, it could have been just a crush. It’s never really explained. Have you read the book? I haven’t, but I suppose it all goes back to Le Carr’s original work. How much did you find the book helped you, or having seen the miniseries? The book’s fantastic. The miniseries is the book, seven hours, and it’s line for line, word for word. Pretty much the entire book. But it’s lovely, the way it’s structured. At the end Smiley reminisces about [character name redacted] in the last third of the book, after he’s gone and he’s gone to see the girlfriend and gives her money. As he’s walking away, you’re with him in his head and he’s thinking about him and there are beautiful passages in it. It’s a beautifully-written book. I’d recommend reading the book, and then if you can be bothered then see the series which is very, very well done. So you found Le Carr’s book essential. For everything. And even when scenes are reduced to a composition, and four lines and a look or something, you always came in with the book, your life. It was the subtext that you brought into the room. So if a scene started in the middle, the book always sort of supported you. This is a very quiet film, in that there are so many scenes with very little dialogue or it’s all in a look, a glance. And here you had such a great, deep cast. Could you feel that energy in the room, with each person bringing in their character’s history, in the room while a scene is happening? [Smiles] Yeah. You could feel that. It was a very present, very focused, quiet set in that respect. [Pauses] We had some laughs, though. The lovely John Hurt is a great storyteller. What kinds of stories did he have? He’s just lived a life! He’s lived such a sort of interesting life, and has worked with so many wonderful people, so he would just start to tell stories about other actors or people that he’s met over the years. We were once hanging out and we had about an hour to kill so he came to my trailer and we had lunch, and he was telling me what it was like to work with Richard Burton. Just a great raconteur and a nice man, John. Do you find you’re like that yourself, on set with younger actors? Well, the more life you’ve lived the more you have, I guess. The memories and experiences to share. Especially with younger actors who are coming up and it’s all happening for them, in that respect. I look at Tom Hardy and I remember being there, in that moment.

Red Flag Releasing Acquires U.S. Rights to Ryan Gosling's 'ReGeneration' (Exclusive)

Comedy Central Stephen Colbert has proven his affection for blurring the line between satire and sincerity, so in the wake of Tuesday's Colbert Report, it seems fair to wonder if he'll go through with his proposed plans to moderate a debate between the Republican presidential candidates.our editor recommendsJon Stewart on Donald Trump Moderating a GOP Presidential Debate: 'Thank You, Jesus!' (Video)Donald Trump's GOP Debate: Mitt Romney Becomes Third Candidate Who Won't Participate Donald Trump Defends G.O.P. Debate Moderation, Slams 'Joke' Candidates on 'Today' (Video) And the inspiration for "Stephen Colbert's South Carolina Serious, Classy Republican Debate?" Donald Trump's own G.O.P stand-off on Newsmax and his promise to endorse whoever wins. PHOTOS: 10 Hollywood Players That Will Make a Difference in the 2012 Elections "The G.O.P. wants a serious debate, they deserve it," Colbert said. "Bar none, they're the best party in the world, that includes space." Colbert went on to skewer Trump's famous hyperbole. "Everyone arrives in a limo... the limos get taken away by helicopter," he said. "It's going to be the highest rated debate in the history of television. Why? Because whoever wins, I'm going to marry them." There's no shortage of sarcasm, but the following morning, Colbert sent a follow up email to his Super PAC email list with more details on the event. PHOTOS: The Movies and Stars Democrats and Republicans Love (and Love to Hate) "It's going to be a classy affair," the release said. "Shrimp cocktail, the works." It could still be part of the gag, but many thought the same of Colbert's 2007 announcement he'd run in the South Carolina primary as both a Republican and a Democrat. His was denied a spot on the ballot, but he always maintained he was serious. Watch the video from Tuesday's Colbert Report below: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Michele Bachmann: The Politics of Fashion Donald Trump Stephen Colbert The Colbert Report Politics

Week in Review: The Americanization of Uggie

The masses have spoken, and their cry is clear: “Consider Uggie!” Yes, The Artist’s unbelievably moving doggie is tearing up news outlets and Facebook with his Oscar potential, and I emit a silent woof in approval! Enjoy this first weekend in December (and Advent, if you still celebrate your repressed Catholic upbringing like I do), and check out this week’s highlights. · Our massive “Consider” campaign for The Artist’s spectacular pooch Uggie is in full swing. He’s made serious progress in the past week. · Please don’t read these unless you enjoy incredible discussions with talented people. This week’s Movieline Interview designees are Ralph Fiennes (fanning myself), Emily Browning, Tilda Swinton, Eddie Redmayne, and Dane Cook. Secret: I believe Tilda and Eddie should play each other in a TV movie. · For added interview-y goodness, check out our coverage of Fox Searchlight’s Oscar fete. Martha Marcy May Marlene’s Sarah Paulson, Shame costar Nicole Beharie, and Win Win’s writer/director Thomas McCarthy chip in. · Speaking of The Artist, its Best Picture chances jumped considerably this week. Descendants, hit the showers. · If you watch the trailer to Camp Hell again, Jesse Eisenberg may subpoena you. · Oh no. Drive’s award season prowess is decelerating. Hard. · If Coriolanus is too gritty for you, please consider watching O, this week’s Bad Movie We Love. Pout, Julia Stiles! Pout! · Most importantly, please remember to watch the new Verbal Vogueing over 750 times. I’m like YouTube’s Madonna for hoarse LGBT youth!

Box Office Preview: 'Shame,' Oscar Contenders Jockey for Position as Awards Season Heats Up

In a lull before the Christmas storm, there are no wide releases opening at the domestic box office this weekend. Instead, the focus will be on awards contenders.our editor recommends'Shame' Red Band Trailer: Michael Fassbender Brings Sex to the Subway (Video)Why 'Shame' Could 'Legitimize' the NC-17 Rating'Midnight in Paris' Becomes Woody Allen's Top Film of All Time in North America'Midnight in Paris' Getting a Late-Summer ExpansionNational Board of Review Backs Oscar Contenders Needing a Big Boost (Analysis)'Hugo' Named Best Film of the Year by the National Board of Review The weekend after Thanksgiving is famous for being one of the quietest sessions of the year for new studio fare. Conversely, the specialty box office usually lights up as award hopefuls enter the marketplace, or expand their runs. There's an added twist this year: Sony Pictures Classics is re-releasing Woody Allen's box office hit Midnight in Paris this weekend in 305 theaters. The film is Allen's highest grossing movie to date, earning $55.7 million domestically and $79.6 million internationally. PHOTOS: The Making of 'The Artist' "We wanted to make one last play before the movie comes out on DVD on Dec. 20. We felt that a lot of people would like to see it one more time," says Sony Pictures Classics co-president Tom Bernard. Fox Searchlight will test the limits of the NC-17 rating both at the box office and among awards voters when openingSteve McQueen's Shame -- featuring Michael Fassbender as a desolate sex addict--in nine theaters in Los Angeles, NY, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Searchlight insiders say only one exhibitor, Cinemark, is refusing to play Shame, also starring Carey Mulligan. That's not a surprise, since Cinemark likewise refused to carry Ang Lee's 2007 Lust, Caution, also rated NC-17. PHOTOS: The Making of 'The Descendants' Shame has ambitious awards aspirations, with Fassbender winning the top acting prize at the Venice Film Festival in September. And on Thursday, Shame was listed among the year's top 10 independent films by the National Board of Review. This week, awards season began to take shape in earnest as the season's first key awards and nominations were announced, capped by the NBR, which named Martin Scorsese's Hugo best film of the year. Scorsese also won best director. Paramount, which is distributing Hugo for GK Films, hopes to parlay the top honors into increased interest at the box office. This weekend, Hugo makes a major push when upping its theater count from roughly 1,200 to 1,800. Paramount intentionally held back when opening Hugo on Nov. 23 so as to take advantage of awards attention throughout December. PHOTOS: 'J. Edgar' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals Through Wednesday, Hugo's domestic gross was $17 million. Box office observers believe the pic will gross $6 million to $8 million this weekend, which could put it at No. 3 behind The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and The Muppets. Fox Searchlight's George Clooney starrer The Descendants, which also scored top NBR honors in addition to key Independent Spirit Award nominations, moves into an additional 141 theaters this weekend for a total theater count of 574. The film, directed by Alexander Payne, has grossed a stellar $12.4 million since opening Nov. 16 in select theaters. Two other specialty films to watch: The Artist and Michelle Williams starrer My Week with Marilyn, both from the Weinstein Co. The Artist, debuting last Friday in four theaters in NY and Los Angeles, moves into two theaters in San Francisco. The black-and-white silent film nabbed one of the top openings of the year for a limited release, and also garnered top Independent Spirit Award nominations. The Artist also scored big this week with the NY Film Critics Circle, which named it best picture, as well as naming French helmer Michel Hazanavicius best director. In terms of which film will win the box office race overall, Disney's Muppets and Summit's Breaking Dawn could potentially find themselves in a contest for the No. 1 spot, with weekend grosses in the $13 million to $15 million range. Muppets, already considered a victory for Disney, opened on Nov. 23 and has grossed $44.4 million through Wednesday domestically. Breaking Dawn's domestic gross through Wednesday was $228.2 million. The fate of Sony's Arthur Christmas, which opened opposite Muppets on Nov. 23, is less certain, although the studio believes the pic will have strong legs because of its holiday theme. Through Wednesday, the movie's domestic gross was $17.6 million. For the weekend, conservative estimates show it grossing $5 million to $6 million. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery It's a Zoo This Season: 23 Awards Contenders Featuring Animals Related Topics Oscars Box Office Oscars 2012 Midnight in Paris The Artist The Descendants The Muppets Shame Hugo

Sara Gilbert Confirms She's Dating Linda Perry

Sarah Gilbert The Talk co-host Sara Gilbert opened up about her new relationship with musician/songwriter Linda Perry on the daytime talk show - but not by choice."The other day I was just out, and the paparazzi were there," she said, referring to photos that were taken of the couple over Thanksgiving weekend."All these articles are out that I'm in a new relationship... I do want to share [the news] with you ... but I want to do it on my terms, in full hair and makeup," she joked to the audience Wednesday.Check out the rest of today's newsThe 36-year old actress, who played Darlene Conner on Roseanne, split from her longtime girlfriend, TV producer Allison Adler, in August. The couple dated for 10 years and has two children together.Watch Gilbert discuss it with her Talk co-hosts: