• Mike Ausiello reports at EW.com that Amy Ryan, the Oscar-nominated star of "Gone Baby Gone," "will be reprising her spectacularly popular role as Holly Flax, soul mate to Steve Carell's Michael" on "The Office," winner of best comedy series at the Emmys in 2006. She appeared in a special one-hour episode, "Goodbye, Toby," that was so impressive that it was the sample episode Carell submitted to Emmy judges. He lost to Alec Baldwin, who submitted the 30-minute "Rosemary's Baby" episode of "30 Rock," but it was a close call. Considering the tender emotional sensitivity of Ryan's role in "Goodbye, Toby," she could be up for an Emmy nomination in the guest category next year. EW.COM

• Secrets no more: See how director David Fincher's team of tech wizards created the dazzling special effects in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Internet pirates have been creating sites like this about other films in the past, so "Button's" visual-effects team decided to do a legit version. You need to know the special user name ("sfx") and password ("buttonsbuttons") to log in. 'CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON'

• The foreign releases of "Slumdog Millionaire," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk" and other Oscar hopefuls are being timed closely to the Oscars race. VARIETY

• The same is true with Yankee rollouts, notes Variety: "On Jan. 23, Universal's 'Frost/Nixon,' DreamWorks / Paramount's 'Revolutionary Road' and Fox Searchlight's 'Slumdog Millionaire' transform from limited releases into nationwide theaters. Focus Features' 'Milk' expands the following weekend." VARIETY

• "Kate Winslet being double-nominated by BAFTA has me worried," sighs Jeff Wells of Hollywood-Elsewhere.com. "I understand Kate's people pushing her in both categories in order to build a storm of acclamation and critical mass, but I really think it's time to nip this one in the bud. She'll probably win the Best Actress trophy for Rev Road -- highly deserved -- but that's enough." HOLLYWOOD-ELSEWHERE

• The Stooges and War didn't make it, but Little Anthony, Run-DMC, Bobby Womack and Jeff Beck are among the inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. VARIETY

• The Oscar-nominated shorts will be released to theaters on Feb. 6 and on iTunes Feb. 17. SCREEN DAILY

Read related posts:

Steve Carell reveals Michael's tender heart in his Emmy episode submission "Goodbye, Toby."

Is Alec Baldwin's Emmy episode submission of "30 Rock" ("Rosemary's Baby") racially offensive?

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Photo of Steve Carell and Amy Ryan in "The Office" courtesy of NBC / Photo of Kate Winslet in "The Reader" courtesy of Weinstein Co. /"Curious Case of Benjamin Button" photo courtesy of Paramount

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