Billy Crystal
February's Big Event Scorecard: The Grammys had Adele. The Super Bowl had Eli Manning. The Oscars, the last and least of these annual TV spectacles, had ... Cirque du Soleil? And endless pointless montages of movie stars gushing about how wonderful the movies are. And Billy Crystal recycling age-old shtick, including the "What are they thinking?" gag that had us squirming along with the celebs in their seats, making for a night that was (to borrow from a nominated title) Extremely Long and Incredibly Dull.
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Nick Nolte
Cheers to Nick Nolte for racing back to the front of the pack with Luck.
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The veteran actor — who first became a star in the '70s miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man — had become a stumbling punchline after his notorious arrest a decade ago. Now he's at the top of his game again thanks to his knockout work as a pair of very different trainers: an alcoholic MMA coach in his Oscar-nominated performance in Warrior and an old stable hand in HBO's new horseracing drama. You can't help but feel like Nolte identifies with his Luck role as Walter Smith, aka the Old Man, a seemingly over-the-hill geezer who's enlivened to make one last run for glory.
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Dustin Hoffman
Pick Six. Furlong. Backstretch. Quinella. Trifecta. Daily Double.
These are just a few of the racetrack terms that may be thrown around in HBO's new horse-racing series Luck, which premieres Sunday at 9/8c. From executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, the gritty show looks at the owners, jockeys and the degenerate gamblers in the horse-racing world.
While the lingo, the setting and the overall story line may feel alien to those who don't frequent one of the more than 100 racetracks around the United States, Milch, the man behind Deadwood and NYPD Blue, says that shouldn't deter viewers from watching. "It's...
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Julianna Margulies and Josh Charles
There really is no better or more satisfying drama on Sunday nights than CBS' delicious The Good Wife — and yes, I'm counting cable (even pay) in that equation, at least for now, while we're in between seasons of such dynamic signature shows as Homeland, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, etc. (Although PBS' Downton Abbey comes close as the quintessential TV great escape.) This is especially true this Sunday, as Good Wife delivers a pivotal and sensationally entertaining episode (9/8c) firing on all burners. There's suspense, humor, memorable and electrifying showdowns between many of the major characters, pretty much everything you want from a show at the top of its game.
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Asa Butterfield and Ben Kingsley
The Artist and Hugo, two films that pay homage to the early days of moviemaking, led Tuesday's Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations with 11 each.
They were followed by The Help and Drive, both of which scored eight nods, and The Descendants and War Horse, each with seven. All six are up for Best Picture against Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball and The Tree of Life.
The Best Actor race features ...
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Sue Mengers
Sue Mengers, one of the most influential Hollywood agents during the 1960s, '70s and '80s, died following several small strokes, Vanity Fair reports. She claimed to be 78 years old, but some sources said she was 81.
According to Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter, Mengers died Saturday at her Beverly Hills home surrounded by close friends, Ali MacGraw, Joanna Poitier (wife of Sidney) and Boaty Boatwright.
Remember other celebrities we lost this year
Mengers was born in Germany and...
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Dustin Hoffman
HBO is teasing its upcoming horse-racing drama Luck with the in-production trailer below. In addition to scenes from the forthcoming show starring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, executive producer/director Michael Mann and executive producer/writer David Milch (Deadwood) discuss what to expect from the series...
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Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges returned to host Saturday Night Live, noting it was the first time since 1983. Bridges, who received a SAG nomination for his performance in the latest Coen brothers movie, True Grit, used the monologue to poke fun at his role in an earlier Coen brothers film: The Dude, from The Big Lebowski.
Though Bridges denied any similarities, even the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street joined him on stage and called him The Dude. Bridges and the Cookie Monster — who had...
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Joan Allen
Joan Allen has signed on to HBO's forthcoming drama Luck, Deadline reports.
The multi-episode arc will be Allen's first TV series gig. Luck, produced by Michael Mann and David Milch, examines the horse racing world through...
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Dustin Hoffman
HBO has picked up the gritty drama Luck.
From executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, the show looks at denizens of the horse-racing world such as...
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