It appears that a math lesson is in order to update everyone on what could happen at the Oscars. The subject at hand is multiple nominations for the same movie in the same category. For example Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for “Up in the Air”. Historical data suggests that neither of them stand a chance of taking home the golden statue.

Statistically speaking, of a total of 65 occurrences, co-stars competing in the same category have gone home without the Oscar for a total of 45 times. Mathematically, as two actors nominated from the same movie, Farmiga and Kendrick have a 40 % chance of winning the award. However, historically the number falls to 32 % as only 19 actors have succeeded out of 60 nominations. The numbers are worse when three actors are involved.

Even though the math suggests only a 40 % chance of success for one of them, history says otherwise. Out of the five occurrences of this circumstance only one actor, Robert De Niro, has succeeded in winning. He did this for his role in the 1974 epic flick “Godfather II” and won in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Multiple actors being nominated in a category situation is not a new thing while its first occurrence happened in 1935 when Franchot Tone, Charles Laughton and Clark Gable were nominated for “Mutiny on the Bounty.” The last successful winner when two actors were nominated was Catherine Zeta-Jones when she won against her co-star Queen Latifah in 2002 for “Chicago”.
Whether Farmiga and Kendrick can break the eight year hoodoo remains to be seen.

Could it be that the Oscar nominated war drama “Hurt Locker” was plagiarized? That’s the claim 38 year old Master Sergeant Jeffrey S. Sarver is making. He says that the movie clearly draws from his experiences in Iraq.

In 2005, an article was written about Sarver in Playboy magazine. The article was written by Mark Boal who observed the Master Sergeant and his squad in Iraq when he served as an embedded reporter. Later on, Boal turned out the script for the movie which attracted nine Oscar nominations. Sarver says the movie is a clear representation of him and his life in Iraq and even points out that the chief character in the movie has the same call signal he had, “Blaster One”.

Sarver has filed suit against Summit Entertainment, the movie’s distributor, a few days ago. The lawsuit is a result of failed communications between Sarvers’s lawyer and the people behind the movie. Producer Nicholas Chartier denied any wrongdoing and said he had never heard of the Master Sergeant.

For Chartier, this is yet another controversy to get over as he is already embroiled in the email campaigning issue. He is guilty of canvassing for the movie by emailing Oscar voters and therefore has been banned from attending the Oscar Awards ceremony.

Sarver said he would have been more than happy to serve as a consultant to the scriptwriter and director, but he was never even approached. As the evidence mounts against the moviemakers, the hurt caused by plagiarism could prove to be very painful.

There have been numerous Superman movies and TV series over the years and it seems like the trend is set to continue. Yes, the man who wears his briefs over his tights is set to return in the near future.

However, the good news is that this time he might turn out to be a Superman that you have never seen before. Writer David Goyer has been sought out to breathe new life into an old character. If you are not familiar with the name Goyer, think back to “Batman Begins” and to the more recent “The Dark Knight”. Goyer was instrumental in revamping Batman and Warner Bros. and hopes to do the same for “The Man of Steel”, which is currently the title for the upcoming movie.

The possibility of the movie is more or less assured as the studio is required to begin production by next year due to a deal with Jerry Siegel’s (Co-creator of Superman) heirs. The good news is further boosted by the rumors that director Christopher Nolan (responsible for the previous two Batman Movies) will be taking on a consultant role in the movie and subsequent releases. Brandon Routh is not expected to reprise his role as the Man of Steel in the new movie; as yet no actors have been mentioned as possible candidates.

Although no deals have been made yet between the studio and Goyer, collaboration seems to be the only logical way for the studio to salvage the Superman franchise and turn it into a successful money spinner like Batman.

Just when all the hype about “Avatar” begins to fade, here comes another 3D movie which could just possibly be bigger than James Cameron’s epic blockbuster. Tim Burton has always been a director who delivered the surreal in a sumptuous package. His new venture “Alice in Wonderland” is expected to be nothing less.

Although it was expected that the director would put a twist on the way the story was presented, the 3D part is really a twist-on-a-twist. Giving a director like Burton the green light to go ahead with 3D for this movie is like taking a pit-bull off its leash.

Burton claims the author Lewis Carroll created a story which had so much “trippyness” it screamed out for 3D treatment. Going by the weird and wonderful worlds he has created for “Corpse Bride”, “Batman,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” and “Edward Scissorhands”, we can only imagine what visually-pleasing treats await the moviegoer. This version of “Alice” will certainly not be a typical run-of-the-mill offering as Burton has already acknowledged that it will contain the elements of the first and second books as well as an older (19 year old) Alice.

The 3D onslaught will not end by any means with Burton’s movie; many more are in line waiting to be released including the much-awaited “Clash of the Titans” and “How to train your Dragon”. There are also many previously released movies awaiting 3D conversion. In view of this, thousands of movie theaters are being upgraded to support the future releases. The future of movies from now on looks to be very three dimensional.

“The Ghost Writer”, a Roman Polanski movie, opens in the U.S. this week bringing the turbulent life of the director back into the public eye. Polanski is currently under house arrest in a Swiss chalet.

The director had to flee the United States 32 years ago after he pleaded guilty to the horrific charges of sexual intercourse with a minor. Last year in September, Polanski was arrested in Switzerland and is currently awaiting a decision from the Swiss on whether he should be extradited. In January, an L.A. judge ruled that the 76 year old director must appear in court in order for the case to be resolved.

It is with this background that Polanski’s new movie comes to the public. The movie is based on a novel written by Robert Harris. Pierce Brosnan plays en embattled ex-Prime Minister of Britain who hires Ewan McGregor as a ghost writer. Brosnan’s character is remarkable in that it echoes the lives of Tony Blair and Polanski.

The ex-Prime Minister has to flee the island nation because he is hounded by the public on how he handled the war on terror and also because he fears possible legal action against him in his home country. Eventually he ends up in a New England-Martha’s Vineyard type of island away from his country.

While Polanski is a genius when it comes to directing, it must be remembered that he is a man accused of giving champagne and drugs to a 13 year old girl before he raped her - charges he has pleaded guilty to. Unfortunately, this is something that most people have chosen to overlook in their calls to set him free.

This year, as with any year, the Oscar for Best Actress will be tightly contested. What is interesting to note is that of the two front runners, one is Sandra Bullock. Never before nominated Bullock is a surprise entrant and threat to two-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep.
“Julia & Julia” has Streep giving us a truly memorable performance as chef Julia Childs.

Her performance was naturally considered a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination. Bullock in “The Blind Side” was considered good, but was not really considered to be a candidate for nominations until the movie became a box office smash. Bullock has always been a well-liked person in Hollywood circles and many now feel that she has a good chance to grab one of the little gold men. She is viewed as a person who tirelessly works to promote her movies unlike other leading ladies who prefer to take a backseat whenever they can. Although Streep remains the likely winner Bullock with her recent SAG award cannot be counted out.

The other contenders in the category are Carey Mulligan (”An Education”), Helen Mirren (”The Last Station”) and Gabourey Sidibe (”Precious”). In the Best Supporting Actress category, the nominees are Penélope Cruz (”Nine”), Vera Farmiga (”Up in the Air”), Maggie Gyllenhaal (”Crazy Heart”), Anna Kendrick (”Up in the Air”) and Mo’Nique (”Precious”).
Bullock’s movie is about an uneducated and overweight African-American teenager with a horrible home life who is taken in by a rich Republican couple. The story chronicles his success in football and his changing fortune. “The Blind Side” has also been nominated for Best Picture.

The character of Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is perhaps the most famous or infamous non-nomination at the Oscars to date. Although there is nothing in the rules that prohibits “performance capture” roles from being nominated, so far no role featuring this technology has been featured in the nominations for the Academy Awards.

The newest controversy is of course the box office juggernaut “Avatar”. None of the actors have been mentioned in any categories. Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver, the stars of the movie, have earned plenty of praise but no nominations. Über director James Cameron attributes this to the general feeling in Hollywood that these performances are a result of the technology used rather than the actors’ efforts and talent. He feels that the acting community needs to understand exactly what goes into the process of motion capture.

“Avatar” used extremely advanced techniques in motion capture which helped capture almost all of the actors’ movement and emotions. Although “LOTR” wasn’t so far ahead, it still used a combination of motion capture and live acting to bring the character of Gollum to life.

Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, actually had to act twice for every scene, once in a location and once in the motion capture studio, recreating identical movements and expressions. This in itself was considered an amazing commitment to the movie and yet it controversially earned him no nominations.
Whether Hollywood will change its opinion in the years to come is something that we all will have to wait and see. With the innovations that appear everyday, it is obvious that at some point a performance aided by technology will finally get its just rewards.

Well, he may not look like Robert De Niro but Leonardo DiCaprio is in the same groove De Niro was when he hit it big.

Back in the day, “Raging Bull” and “Taxi Driver” catapulted a good actor into greatness and this was thanks to the Martin Scorsese-De Niro combination. There is no doubt that having Scorsese favor you will only bring about good things and DiCaprio is currently enjoying being Scorsese’s favorite. The two have created great films like “Gangs of New York” and “The Aviator” which were critically acclaimed. Now the latest offering from the duo also seems to be destined for greatness.

“Shutter Island” is based on a book by the same name and features DiCaprio as a detective who has to investigate murder on a remote island located near Massachusetts. What makes the whole thing creepier is the fact that the murder took place in a mental asylum. The movie is being compared to Scorsese’s “Cape Fear” which starred (surprise, surprise) Robert De Niro.

Scorsese sees working with DiCaprio as a natural process. He said that as with Harvey Keitel and De Niro, his previous favorites, he had developed a rhythm with DiCaprio which made the task of directing much easier. The relationship is working well for both men and the collaboration looks like it will not stop here. DiCaprio is rumored to be called up for a couple of upcoming Scorsese flicks, one of which is the life story of Frank Sinatra. Although nothing is confirmed at this point, it is unlikely that DiCaprio will turn down the offers made by his mentor.

The James Cameron juggernaut “Avatar” could be unseated from its throne in the coming weeks as challengers begin to emerge. Although an eighth week on top seems to be a certainty, the following weeks are uncertain especially as a Valentine’s Day targeted movie is set to hit the screens next week. The movie that will have millions of boyfriends, husbands and James Cameron groaning will be “Dear John” and hot on its heels will be “From Paris with love”.

“Dear John” is a romantic drama about a Special Forces soldier named John, played by Channing Tatum, and his girlfriend Savannah, played by Amanda Siegfried, and their relationship post 9/11. The subsequent overseas posting that John receives complicates their lives and forces him to decide between his country and his love. “From Paris with love” is a John Travolta crime thriller featuring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The former movie is anticipated to be the commercial powerhouse and is expected to hit around $20 million in box office earnings while the Travolta flick, targeted at an older market segment, is expected to end up around the $12 million mark.

A few Oscar nominated movies will also be opening in a few days, among those is “Crazy Heart” starring Jeff Bridges who was nominated Best Actor for his role in the movie. Maggie Gyllenhaal is nominated for best actress in a supporting role as well. Best Picture nominees “An Education” and “Precious” will also be opening. “Valentine’s Day”, another groaner for men, will hit the screens next week and is expected to give “Dear John” more than a run for its money.

Some people will shudder at the thought but most of us will be jumping for joy and that is because “Happy Feet 2″ is in production. Director George Miller tap-danced away in happiness as production commenced in Sydney, Australia.

The move to Australia is an effort by the director to boost the local film industry in much the same way as many New Zealanders have done for their own country with the most notable of these, being the creator of many movie juggernauts, James Cameron. Upgraded motion capture studios have enabled Miller to shoot the movie in Sydney while Robin Williams, Elijah Wood and Hank Azaria arrived there recently to begin their voicing work.

Miller is keeping more or less tight lipped about the sequel refusing to reveal anything more than “there will be some old characters, some new characters and it will have a different story”. Cryptic as that maybe, the go ahead for the movie has delighted more than the fans; it will create about 500 jobs in New South Wales and give the local economy a shot in the arm as well, great news indeed in times of recession. “Happy Feet” is not the only one contributing to the economy, 34 other projects in 2009 turned in AUS $62 million for the state reflecting a massive return on the AUS $5.7 million investment.

The involvement of two premiere Australian actors, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman who played the lead character’s parents in the first movie is currently unknown. Brad Pitt and Matt Damon are new additions to the cast and are expected to begin voicing in the near future.