The Oscars are coming right up! ABC’s live telecast from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre will air this Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009 at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET.
I’ve been scouring the Web to see who’s got the best coverage, and The Hollywood Reporter has some excellent videos of filmmakers and actors up for awards on Sunday. Read on to see what Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Hugh Jackman, Amy Adams and others have to say about their projects.
In this clip, Ron Howard talks about making "Frost/Nixon," while Clint Eastwood gives his take on leading lady, Angelina Jolie:
 

My friend, Vicki Powers, who blogs at Houston on the Cheap, tipped me off about this cool offer. Thanks, Vicki!
If you haven’t seen the 2009 Oscar Nominees for Best Picture, now’s your chance – if you have an AMC Theatre in your town, that is. The details:
Date: Feb. 21, 2009
Cost: $30 for all 5 Best Picture Nominees; come and go with your all-day pass. Also includes a large popcorn with free unlimited refills all day.
Schedule:

Milk – 10:30 a.m.
The Reader – 1:05 p.m.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – 3:45 p.m.
Slumdog Millionaire – 7:15 p.m.
Frost/Nixon – 9:45 …read more

Inkheart. Brendan Fraser plays a dad who has the ability to bring characters from books to life. Rated PG. Preview & Trailer
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their one-time slaves, the Lycans. Rated R. Official Site
Slumdog Millionaire (wide). Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” Rated R. Preview & Trailer
Frost/Nixon (wide). In 1977, three years after …read more

I’m not surprised that "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Slumdog Millionaire" were top dogs in Oscar noms, announced earlier today. Both films are up for Best Picture, as well as director and screenplay.
Honestly? I think they should just give everything to "Slumdog Millionaire" now, because that’s going to walk away with most awards.
I’m bummed but not surprised that "The Dark Knight" was shut out of the major categories, except for an expected Best Supporting Actor nod for Heath Ledger. The movie did get eight nominations, mostly in technical categories.
The Academy Awards will be handed out …read more

This time of year, most of us look back to what we did right, what we could have done better, and just life, in general. The American Film Institute has compiled their own list; specifically, their Top 10 Movies of 2008. Here it is below. I’ll be posting my own list shortly, and I definitely agree with "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," and "Wall*E." Any thoughts on the AFI list?
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Frozen River"
"Gran Torino"
"Iron Man"
"Milk"
"Wall*E"
"Wendy and Lucy"
"The Wrestler"
After the jump, a little compilation video from AFI:

Punisher: War Zone. Continuing his one-man war against organized crime, Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher (Ray Stevenson), takes aim at mob boss Billy Russoti (Dominic West). An encounter with Castle leaves Russoti horribly disfigured, so the mobster changes his name to Jigsaw and sets out for revenge. Rated R for pervasive strong brutal violence, language and some drug use.[Gecko Preview] [Movie Stills] [Official Site]
Cadillac Records. It’s the 1950’s in Chicago, and Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) starts his own recording company, launching the careers of Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles), Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright) and others. Rated R for pervasive language …read more

Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and the stars of their new film, “Frost/Nixon” talk up the movie on the red carpet. I can’t say I’m all that thrilled about seeing the movie, but I’m usually on-board for anything Ron Howard does. I’ll be checking it out. AMCTV.com’s Jacob Soboroff caught up with everyone:

Maxim caught up with Ron Howard at a recent press junket for the upcoming movie “Frost/Nixon,” which follows a series of interviews that took place in the late ’70s between British journalist David Frost and President Richard Nixon.
For all you Bluth fans out there, Howard said an “Arrested Development” movie is definitely in a go mode! And they’ve got “a narrator who just can’t wait to get to the microphone,” giving a nod to himself, of course. And I, for one, can’t wait to see it in a theater. Check it out: