• Jeff Wells of Hollywood-Elsewhere.com reports the response of two chums who saw the 20-minute preview of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (photo, right) at the Telluride Film Festival: "Their reactions to the 'Button' footage, and, frankly, the reactions of others they spoke to as they left the theatre (including a couple of journo-critics and a respected director of an '07 political documentary), were not all that good." Cinematical echoes that report, saying the 20-minute preview "wasn't so compelling."

• At Telluride, Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business blog notes: "Fox Searchlight will try to mount another derby ambush like it did over the previous two years with those crowd-cheering indies "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Juno." Based upon wild audience huzzahs to "Slumdog Millionaire" at Telluride, the studio is excited about this tale of a contestant on India's TV version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and it is planning "an elaborate campaign for the smart but feelgood dramedy (which, incidentally, was shot in India and features an all-Indian cast)."

• Upping the best-actress hopes of Kristin Scott Thomas at Telluride Film Festival, Cinematical swoons over "I've Loved You So Long," (photo, left) hailing the first feature of French novelist-turned-director Phillipe Claudel "art at the level that makes independent cinema worthwhile." It's a drama about a woman caring for her sister (Kristin Scott Thomas) who has just been released from prison after serving a 15-year sentence for murder. "Thomas's performance here has been generating Oscar buzz for a while now, and deservedly so," says the site. "She will almost certainly garner a Best Actress Oscar nod for this film."

• Ever since the split-up of writer Guillermo Arriaga and director Alejandro González Iñárritu ("Amores Perros," "21 Grams," "Babel"), Arriaga's debut as the director of his own next script has been highly anticipated. So far verdict on "The Burning Plain," which debuted at the Venice Film Festival, is split. Screen International loves it, calling it "a powerful contemporary melodrama, more restrained but also much cleaner, in dramatic focus and emotional thrust, than the three films Arriaga penned for Inarritu."

However, Variety blasts "The Burning Plain": "Multicharacter head-scratcher, yo-yoing between New Mexico and Oregon, and back and forth in time, doesn't finally reveal much beneath the emperor's clothes to repay viewers' concentration during the first half. Despite an OK-to-good cast led by Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger, plus a handsome tech package, this remains an elaborate writing exercise with few emotional hooks." READ MORE So does the Hollywood Reporter, calling it "an ambitious, visually handsome production which fails to ignite. The star power of Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger may attract initial business for the directing bow of Guillermo Arriaga . . . but the two actresses' sensitive performances don’t make the emotional connection to audiences that the story yearns for."

(Photos: Paramount, Sony Pictures Classics)

To see the answer, click on the "Continue Reading" link below the photo box.

Keira Knightley is unhappy that images of the late Princess Diana are being used to promote the upcoming English release of her costume drama "The Duchess."

That film genre is a fave of Oscar voters, of course, so this might put Keira Knightley back in the derby. Keira Knightley picked up her first Academy Award nod in 2005 for her role as the 19th century heroine of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" And last year she starred in the best picture Oscar nominee "Atonement," a tale of love and lies set against the backdrop of WW II London.

The film tells the compelling story of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, an 18th century socialite who was Diana's great-great-great-great aunt. Their lives were eerily similar — teenage brides of powerful men who were more interested in their mistresses than them. In the English trailer, a voiceover says, "Two women related by ancestry and united by destiny" as pictures of Diana appear. And the print ad tag line — "There were three people in her marriage" — is a play on a famous phrase uttered by Diana.

Yet, as Knightley tells the UK Daily Mail, "I was only 11 when Diana died, so I don't really know much about her story. It didn't even occur to me to portray Georgiana as Diana, as I wasn't conscious of the similarities, and nobody suggested I should. I was always Georgiana, never Diana."

With his new TV series "Raising the Bar" debuting Monday night on TNT, Steven Bochco makes one more attempt for a big Emmy comeback.

"Raising the Bar" sure looks like the classic Steven Bochco vehicle for Emmy success. Starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar as a crusading public defender and Jane Kaczmarek as corrupt judge, it's a drama about the American justice system like Steven Bochco's previous Emmy sweepers "L.A. Law," "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue." (READ MORE about the series in Lynn Smith's L.A. Times article.)

Steven Bochco holds the record for winning the second-most Emmys as the producer of programs claiming a best-series award. He's won seven times: "Hill Street Blues" (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984), "L.A. Law" (1987, 1989) and "NYPD Blue" (1995). Only David E. Kelley has triumphed more (eight).

Steven Bochco's first hit the Emmy jackpot in 1981. Despite the fact that "Hill Street Blues" was merely ranked 87th out of the 96 shows in prime-time TV, it received the most Emmy nominations in history: 21. Then, on Emmy night, it set a record for most wins in one year: eight. That record would be tied by "ER" in 1995, but wouldn't be broken till "The West Wing" won nine in 2000. Today only three TV series have surpassed its overall tally of 26 wins: "Cheers" (28), "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (29) and "Frasier" (37). "Hill Street Blues" is tied with "L.A. Law" and "The West Wing" for winning the most Emmys as best drama series (four). (Bochco only participated in two of those two of those best-series wins for "L.A. Law.")

In 1994, another Steven Bochco show with "Blue" in the title set a record for most Emmy nominations — "NYPD Blue" (26). The super-hit was widely presumed to sweep on awards night. "No question about it," crowed USA Today. "An 'NYPD Blue' coup!" However, it lost (as I had predicted, writing the L.A. Times Emmy predix in those days — hooray for me!) to "Picket Fences."

Finally, in 1995, when that year's hot new drama series "E.R." came roaring into the Emmys with the most nominations, did "NYPD Blue" rally and finally win best series.

I think that our two music kudos prophets — David "Guru" Schnelwar and Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch — have correctly forecast the winner of this MTV Video Music Awards category.

What's strange about the nominees for video of the year is that, because MTV let fans pick the lineup on line, there are no options with artistic cred for the voters (who are a hodgepodge of media hipsters chosen scattershot by the network) to choose.

Past winners usually have that: Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (2005) and Outkast's "Hey Ya!" (2004). I would argue that even Panic at the Disco's "I Write Sins not Tragedies" (2006) was artistically valid, even great, but music critics would disagree furiously and they got nasty with MTV when that won, blaming its victory on the fact that it was the only time fans got to choose that winner on line. Afterward, MTV went back to its old system having winners chosen by its mysterious gang of industry hipsters. Usually, nominees are too. It'll be interesting to see if MTV has the hipsters take over the nominating list again next year. As of now, Internet fans are only picking the winner in the race for best new artist.

I think we learned a lot about voting trends last year when Rihanna / Jay-Z — deservedly — won for "Umbrella." Rihanna has a bit of cred in the industry as a "serious" artist, so the win wasn't lambasted. Her overt sexuality probably helped.

This year, absent of any nominees having cred, the Pussycat Dolls at least gyrate, grind and wink like Rihanna, giving them the Cool Factor.

Now let's hear the views of our two music sages:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR: DOUBLED'S PREDIX
1) Pussycat Dolls, "When I Grow Up"
2) Chris Brown, "Forever"
3) Jonas Brothers, "Burnin' Up"
4) Britney Spears, "Piece of Me"
5) The Ting Tings, "Shut Up and Let Me Go"

Firstly, can I just say that these have to be the worst group of nominees I have ever seen? Many agree that the Ting Tings have the best video here, but that's irrelevant. The "best" video never wins this category. Plus, the Ting Tings are too low-key to win the big prize.

I think the other four are definitely in this race. Brown has had a huge year; he’s had the kind of year that probably warrants a win here. It only helps that "Forever" is currently the No. 2 song in the country. The Jonas Brothers are also having a tremendous year. Currently, they have THREE albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and that includes a No. 1 album. Britney is way overdue to win a VMA, but if she didn't win for her bigger (and better) videos then she probably won't win now. The Pussycat Dolls (and Chris Brown) are heavily nominated this year. The Dolls are the most nominated act and I think they're the slight front-runners here. Plus, "When I Grow Up" is still growing at radio. The Dolls will win. I’m fully prepared to be proved wrong, though.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR: GURU'S PREDIX
1) Pussycat Dolls, "When I Grown Up"
2) Chris Brown, "Forever"
3) Britney Spears, "Piece of Me"
4) The Ting Tings, "Shut Up and Let Me Go"
5) Jonas Brothers, "Burnin' Up"

MTV has finally spoken and gave the Pussycat Dolls four additional nominations in addition to the two fan-selected nominations.

I think the Pussycat Dolls will win.

If Justin Timberlake and Usher could not win in this category previously, I doubt Chris Brown can.

MTV might want to award Britney for last year's fiasco and to get themselves headlines and ratings.

Again our two top Emmy gurus are clashing over who'll win a top race!

Chris "Boomer" Beachum believes the champ will be Steve Carell ("The Office") and he may be right. Steve Carell is arguably America's biggest comedy star, and it's shocking that he's lost this category twice for a show that won best comedy series (2006).

This year Carell has a secret edge: a special, one-hour episode he submitted to judges ("Goodbye, Toby"). Because the comedy acting categories are usually dominated by half-hour sitcoms, having twice the face time of your rivals often pays off. Over the last eight years, five champs prevailed in one-hour episodes. Curiously, three of the five nominees this year have that advantage: Carell, Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies") and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk"). To be brutally frank, Shalhoub probably owes a few of his three past victories to the fact that he plays a colorful oddball on a one-hour show.

I totally agree with Boomer's evaluation of Carell's amazing performance in "Toby." "He gets to be over-the-top funny, sentimental, romantic and just about everything else," Boomer notes. "If he doesn't win this time, I don't think he ever will." Read my full examination of Carell's episode HERE.

But Carell has a problem: he portrays a boss from hell who's so creepy that he's hard to embrace — and Emmys are all about TV industry insiders passing out hugs, of course. Yes, Carell has many redeeming, even sympathetic moments here, but he had a doozy of a heart-tugging scene at the end of last year's episode ("Business School") that suddenly redeemed his character, and he still lost — to someone portraying a creep, no less (Ricky Gervais, "Extras")!

I agree completely with the ranking in this category made by our other forums moderator: Robert "Rob L" Licuria (AwardsHeaven.net). Alec Baldwin only stars in a half-hour show ("30 Rock"), but his performance in the "Rosemary's Baby" episode has the most powerful impact of all five nominees, even though it's just one scene.

The usual Emmy formula for winning is this: The actor must show off a broad emotional range and have at least one big-impact scene in an empathetic role. Baldwin displays a dazzling array of emotions when he breaks into his outrageous jive riff during the therapy session with Tracy, which has the impact of a nuclear bomb. Empathy? Sure, Baldwin, like Carell, portrays a creepy boss from hell, but admit it — I do — he's so hilariously devilish that you can't help but root for him. Read my full examination of Baldwin's episode HERE.

This race is neck and neck, a total toss-up. Boomer may be right and, if so, Carell would totally deserve the victory. But I have a hunch Rob's correct. However, I don't pick Baldwin with enormous confidence.

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Following a successful Gotham screening, "The Reader" will now unspool in December, thus giving the Weinstein company a potentially strong Academy Awards entry.

The move also gives the film's star Kate Winslet an Oscar-sized headache: which of her two horses to ride in this year's awards derby?

Winslet made Oscar history by racking up five nominations before she was 32 years old, but she has yet to win. She already has one prestige picture, "Revolutionary Road", due out in December. In that domestic drama, she is reunited with her "Titanic" leading man Leonardo DiCaprio under the direction of her Oscar-winning husband Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"). Set in the 1950s, it's a lush-looking production.

Certainly on paper, "The Reader" is just the kind of film that gets showered with Oscar nominations. Adapted by David Hare from the bestselling novel (and Oprah book club pick) by Bernard Schlink, the film is directed by Stephen Daldry ("The Hours") and co-stars Ralph Fiennes. The role of Hannah Schmitz allows Winslet to age from a sexy thirtysomething who seduces a teenager to an elderly woman on trial for her part in the Holocaust.

Oscar voters love to see that aging process on screen, if not in real life. That preference probably helped last year's champ Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose") prevail as aging chanteuse Edith Piaf. And Winslet also gets to use an accent, thereby demonstrating an acting skill that has proved irresistible to Oscar voters in the past (think Meryl Streep in just about any movie).

Now Winslet needs to decide which of these roles is the one she wants to push hardest for awards consideration. She could slip down to supporting for one, leaving the leading field open for a nod for the other. To date, this English beauty has had no luck in either race with two losing nods in supporting — "Sense and Sensibility" (1996) and "Iris" (2002) — and three losing bids in lead: "Titanic" (1998), "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2005) and "Little Children" (2007).

With 10 Emmy nominations and two Oscar-caliber stars in the lead roles  (Susan Sarandon won for "Dead Man Walking," Ralph Fiennes was nominated for "The English Patient" and "Schindler's List"), "Bernard and Doris" looks like an artsy prestige project as pricey as the life story it tells: tobacco heiress Doris Duke.

But it was produced, initially at least, for less than a million dollars thanks to the tenacity and inspiration of its Emmy-nominated director-producer Bob Balaban and two other producers who consider showbiz a family affair: the Kassen brothers. Mark and Adam Kassen struggled for years to get the project made and then sold it to HBO Films President Colin Callender, who took "Bernard and Doris" through one more round of creative development before it reached its final, Emmy-worthy stage.

In this podcast chat, Mark Kassen tells us the tale of that journey. CLICK HERE to download the MP3 file and listen. (NOTE: You may need to hold down your computer's control key while clicking.)

"My brother and I had been working with Bob Balaban on some other TV projects and he said that there was this thing he always wanted to do — this 'Bernard and Doris' piece," Mark recalls. "At the time there was talk of it being done at Warner Independent for like 10 million bucks, but that was never going to happen. It's not a big blockbuster movie."

The Kassen brothers had a production company with partners Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti, who aimed "to make a handful of independent movies for under a million bucks and most of which were under a half a million bucks," Mark adds. "This was somewhere in between. We went to Jonathan Cavendish, who had been developing the script in London, and said, 'We think we can do this movie this other way with Bob directing, if you let us rework the script a bit and you give us the rights for nothing.'

"As Jonathan tells us, 'I looked at these two crazy young American kids who looked like they just graduated college maybe and said they've got to be out of their minds. And then they kept talking till I just gave it to them.'

"Bob was friends with Susan [Sarandon]. They worked together on 'The Exonerated' and they thought that this is something they really wanted to do."

Cavendish stayed on as an executive producer, but Hugh Costello took over the script, retooling it to become a smaller, more intimate film. The team signed up Ralph Fiennes next and then the rest of cast and crew, who believed in the project strongly enough that everybody took reduced pay plus points in the pic.

"We shot the film in 21 days," Mark says. "We didn't have trailers. They stayed in rooms in the mansion where we shot it on Long Island — the Westbury Gardens, which gave us the mansion for very little money plus a point in the movie."

The Kassens edited the footage in-house, then, "We looked at the film and thought we really had something special, but we didn't think that distributing it to theaters would be the best way to go. So we showed it to a handful of people."

One of them was HBO's Callender.

"Colin saw it and said, 'I love what you have and there's more to be done with this. If you come with us, basically, I will guide you to make this gem into something really, really special.' He gave us more resources to flush it out a bit and make it a little larger, but not much. What HBO does is they allow your film to be what it is if it works for their world and then gives you material to stoke that."

What made the movie special from the start was the set-up of its controversial story. In the past when the tale of the last days of Doris Duke were dramatized, it was presented as the ultimate real-life mystery: Did the butler do it?

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Now that we've carefully examined the episodes submitted to Emmy judges in the race for lead actor in a comedy by Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Steve Carell ("The Office"), Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies") and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk"), it's time to scrutinize the entry of poor, oft-neglected Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men"). To read our analysis of the other episodes, click on the nominees' names above.

Weighing the five Emmy nominees for best comedy actor, Charlie Sheen already rules with the highest Nielsens thanks to headlining TV's highest-rated laffer. Now many Emmywatchers believe he's submitted his best performance ever to judges. And they're right. The problem with it, however, is the stuff of "Two and a Half Men," a zany, knee-slapping sitcom that doesn't give Sheen a dark, soulful moment to offset his deft comic fireworks — and, surprisingly, OK singing chops.

The premise of "Is There a Mrs. Waffles?" is outrageous: Charlie (Charlie Sheen) becomes the "King of Kid Songs" when he assumes the identity of "Charlie Waffles" and appears in TV commercials selling silly ditties to kiddies with titles like "Who Cut the Cheese?" "Grandma May Smell Funny" and "Bye Bye Boobies."

His brother Alan (Jon Cryer, who really shines here too) becomes horrified, gasping, "I just don't understand what kind of spiteful god could allow my drunken whoremonger of a brother to become a children's singing star while I toil away in poverty-stricken anonymity!"

Worse, Charlie uses his success to pick up the single moms of his wee fans when he encounters the ladies at the supermarket and CD signings. But Charlie suddenly becomes humbled — and panics — when he learns from his manager that he must perform a live concert before 1,200 kids. As he and Alan drive in the car, Charlie confesses, "I have stage fright — severe, debilitating wet-your-pants stage fright."

Later, as Charlie and Alan chat on the sofa at home, Charlie continues his piteous confession: "The last time I was in front of an audience (was) seventh grade talent show. I started shaking, sweating, felt like I wanted to throw up."

But Charlie agrees to do the concert when his manager threatens to sue him for violation of contract.

However, he shows up drunk, boasting, "I figured out what happened in seventh grade! I hadn't started drinking yet!"

He goes out on stage, tries to sit down on the piano bench and falls backward to the floor. The kids howl with laughter. When he burps, the kids cackle more. "That one's not on the CD!" he tells 'em.

The concert is a huge success and soon the DVD footage is being sold on TV too.

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