Satellite Award Nominations announced

They're certainly better than the Independent Spirit Award nominees...

ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Julie Christie, "Away From Her" (Lionsgate)
Angelina Jolie, "A Mighty Heart" (Paramount Vantage)
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie En Rose" (Picturehouse Entertainment)
Tilda Swinton, "Stephanie Daley" (Regent Releasing)
Keira Knightly, "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Laura Linney, "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)

Thank goodness this set of awards got Marion Cotillard put in the right category. Nice to see that Laura Linney got in too.

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Denzel Washington, "American Gangster" (Universal Pictures)
Josh Brolin, "No Country For Old Men" (Miramax Films)
Christian Bale, "Rescue Dawn" (MGM)
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
Frank Langella, "Starting Out in the Evening" (Roadside Attractions)
Tommy Lee Jones, "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent Pictures)

Langella, Bale, and Brolin are all surprises here. Glad that Mortensen and Jones got in. I have no idea who this will go to though...


ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Katherine Heigl, "Knocked Up" (Universal Pictures)
Amy Adams, "Enchanted" (Walt Disney Pictures)
Ellen Page, "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)
Emily Mortimer, "Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM)
Nicole Kidman, "Margot at the Wedding" (Paramount Vantage)
Cate Blanchett, "Im Not There" (The Weinstein Company)

*sigh* I'm glad Kidman is nominated, but couldn't they just kick out Jolie and stick Kidman in drama? Also surprising is the placement of Cate Blanchett in lead (same goes for Emily Mortimer). Ellen Page and Amy Adams are great choices, but Katherine Heigl's slot should've gone to Keri Russell (this is a first class example of how box office can help someone get nominated).

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Richard Gere, "The Hoax" (Miramax Films)
Seth Rogen, "Knocked Up" (Universal Pictures)
Ben Kingsley, "You Kill Me" (IFC Films)
Ryan Gosling, "Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM)
Clive Owen, "Shoot 'Em Up" (New Line Cinema)
Don Cheadle, "Talk to Me" (Focus Features)

Yay for Gosling, but what the hell is Clive Owen doing in there for "Shoot Em Up" (a movie described as "gleefully trashy")?

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Emmanuelle Seigner, "La Vie En Rose" (Picturehouse Entertainment)
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax Films)
Taraji P. Henson, "Talk to Me" (Focus Features)
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster" (Universal Pictures)

Yay for Tilda Swinton and Saoirse Ronan! However, unlike many, I don't understand all the love for Ruby Dee's performance in American Gangster. Emmanuelle Seigner is also really surprising, seeing as all the acting buzz was so wholly dedicated to Her Majesty Marion Cotillard.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jeff Daniels, "The Lookout" (Miramax Films)
Brian Cox, "Zodiac" (Paramount Pictures)
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Ben Foster, "3:10 To Yuma" (Lionsgate)
Javier Bardem, "No Country For Old Men" (Miramax Films)
Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jessie James" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Amazing. My top three personal Supp. Actor noms (Affleck, Bardem, Wilkinson) are ALL HERE! The inclusion of Ben Foster is great as well, but Brian Cox for Zodiac is puzzling. He was brought in for roughly...2 scenes, and then he was gone.....

MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
"The Lookout" (Miramax Films)
"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (ThinkFilm)
"Away From Her" (Lionsgate)
"Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
"No Country For Old Men" (Miramax Films)
"3:10 To Yuma" (Lionsgate)

Hopefully No Country For Old Men will take the award, but "Devil" could surprise. Interesting choice in 3:10 to Yuma...

MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"Hairspray" (New Line Cinema)
"Juno"(Fox Searchlight)
"Shoot 'Em Up" (New Line Cinema)
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM)
"Knocked Up" (Universal Pictures)

Again, what the hell is with Shoot 'Em Up and Knocked up? Waitress and Once should be in there.

MOTION PICTURE, FOREIGN LANGUAGE
"Ten Canoes" Australia (Palm Pictures)
"Offside Iran" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"La Vie En Rose" France (Picturehouse Entertainment)
"Lust, Caution" China (Focus Features)
"4 Months 3 Weeks & 2 Days" Romania (IFC Films)
"The Orphanage" Spain (Picturehouse Entertainment)
"Margot at the Wedding" (Paramount Vantage)

Margot at the Wedding is foreign language (the awards are American based so...)? This has to be a typo of some sort.

MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED OR MIXED MEDIA
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"The Simpsons Movie" (Twentieth Century Fox)
"The Golden" Compass (New Line Cinema)
""Ratatouille"" (Buena Vista Pictures)
"300" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
"Beowulf" (Paramount Pictures)

Very interesting in that it's not just "animated" but also mixed media. Ratatouille and Persepolis have plenty of critical support, while "Simpsons" has sentimentality going for it. Beowulf was a big step forward but it's box office hasn't been as big as "300" and with "The Golden Compass" arriving in Dec and fresh on everyone's minds (not to mention that it features a huge amount of near seamless human-cgi interaction), could knock Beowulf down.

MOTION PICTURE, DOCUMENTARY
"The King Of Kong" (Picturehouse Entertainment)
"The 11th Hour Warner" (Independent Pictures)
"Sicko" (Lionsgate)
"No End In Sight" (Magnolia Pictures)
"Darfur Now Warner" (Independent Pictures)
"Lake Of Fire" (ThinkFilm)

DIRECTOR
Ang Lee, "Lust, Caution" (Focus Features)
Olivier Dahan, "La Vie En Rose" (Picture House Entertainment)
David Cronenberg, "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, "No Country For Old Men" (Miramax Films)
Sidney Lumet, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (ThinkFilm)
Sarah Polley, "Away From Her" (Lionsgate)

Dahan is a surprise, considering direction was the weakest aspect of LVER. Hopefully it'll go to the Coens.

SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL
Scott Frank, "The Lookout" (Miramax Films)
Diablo Cody, "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)
Kelly Masterson, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (ThinkFilm)
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Nancy Oliver,"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM)
Steven Knight, "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Diablo Cody is a almost a lock, and if not her, the other first time writer: Tony Gilroy.

SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED
James Vanderbilt, "Zodiac" (Paramount Pictures)
Christopher Hampton, "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, "No Country For Old Men" (Miramax Films)
David Benioff, "The Kite Runner" (Paramount Vantage)
Sarah Polley, "Away From Her" (Lionsgate)
Wang Hui Ling, James Schamus, "Lust, Caution" (Focus Features)

probably between "No Country" and Atonement.

ORIGINAL SCORE
Dario Marianelli, "Atonement" (Focus Features)
James Newton Howard, "The Lookout" (Miramax Films)
Michael Giacchino, "Ratatouille" (Buena Vista Pictures)
Alberto Iglesias, "The Kite Runner" (Paramount Vantage)
Howard Shore, "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
Nick Cave, "The Assassination of Jesse James" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

glad to see Howard Shore and Nick Cave in their along with Marianelli (who will probably win with no trouble).

ORIGINAL SONG
"Do You Feel Me"/Diane Warren, "American Gangster" (Universal Pictures)
"If You Want Me"/Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, "Once" (Fox Searchlight)
"Come So Far"/Marc Shaiman, "Hairspray" (New Line Cinema)
"Rise"/Eddie Vedder, "Into The Wild" (Paramount Vantage)
"Grace Is Gone"/Clint Eastwood & Carole Bayer Sager, "Grace Is Gone" (The Weinstein Company)
"Lyra"/Kate Bush, "The Golden Compass" (New Line Cinema)

I'm glad Once is nominated, but they picked the wrong song. Come So Far would be a good choice though. As much as I can't wait to see "Compass" I've listened to the original song, and it's pretty "blah".

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Harris Savides, "Zodiac" (Paramount Pictures)
Robert Elswit, "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage)
Bruno Delbonnel, "Across The Universe" (Revolution Studios)
Janusz Kaminski, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax Films)
Roger Deakins, "The Assassination Of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Henry Braham, "The Golden Compass" (New Line Cinema)

Talk about a tough category. All of these are so different and so striking. I'd be happy with anyone them.

VISUAL EFFECTS
Scott Farrar, "Transformers" (Paramount Pictures)
Michael Fink, "The Golden Compass" (New Line Cinema)
Chris Watts, Grant Freckelton, Derek Wentworth, Daniel Leduc, "300" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Peter Chiang, Charlie Noble, David Vickery, Mattias Lindahl, "The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal Pictures)
Thomas Schelesny, Matt Jacobs, Tom Gibbons, "Enchanted" (Walt Disney Pictures)
Jerome Chen, Sean Phillips, Kenn McDonald, Michael Lantieri, "Beowulf" (Paramount Pictures)

Enchanted won't win, and neither will "Bourne". Transformers is probably still in the lead, but with "Golden Compass" arriving, the complexity of the effects could win over voters.

FILM EDITING
Pietro Scalia, "American Gangster" (Universal Pictures)
Jill Savitt, "The Lookout" (Miramax)
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, "No Country For Old Men" (Miramax)
Richard Marizy, "La Vie En Rose" (Picturehouse Entertainment)
Christopher Rouse, "The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal Pictures)
Ronald Sanders, "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Again, the choice of La Vie En Rose is suprising. American Gangster and No Country are both plenty deserving.

SOUND (EDITING & MIXING)
Mike Prestwood-Smith, Mark Taylor, Glenn Freemantle, "The Golden Compass" (New Line Cinema)
Nikolas Javelle, Jean-Paul Hurier, "La Vie En Rose" (Picturehouse Entertainment)
Christopher Boyes, Paul Massey, Lee Orloff, George Watters II, "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End" (Buena Vista Pictures)
Scott Heckler, Eric Norris, Derek Vanderhorst, "300" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Karen Baker Landers, Kirk Francis, Per Hallberg, "The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal Pictures)
Tod Maitland, Skip Lievsay, Rick Kline, Jeremy Peirson, "I Am Legend" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION DESIGN
Guy Dyas, David Allday, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal Pictures)
Patricia Norris, Martin Gendron, Troy Sizemore, "The Assassination Of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Dennis Davenport, David Gropman, "Hairspray" (New Line Cinema)
Mark Tildesley, "Sunshine" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Gary Freeman, Stephen Morahan, Denis Schnegg, David Allday, Matthew Gray, Charles Wood, "Amazing Grace" (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Mark Friedberg, Peter Rogness, "Across the Universe" (Revolution Studios)

What the...Amazing Grace? Harry Potter 5, Pirates 3, and Golden Compass would all be better picks.

COSTUME DESIGN
Alexandra Byrne, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal Pictures)
Yvonne Blake, "Goya's Ghosts" (Samuel Goldwyn Pictures)
Marit Allen, "La Vie En Rose" (Picturehouse Entertainment)
Rita Ryack, "Hairspray" (New Line Cinema)
Jenny Beavan, "Amazing Grace" (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Jacqueline Durran, "Antonement" (Focus Features)

Again, Amazing Grace is an odd choice, as is La Vie En Rose. Goya's Ghosts is perhaps the strangest seeing as it flopped. "Elizabeth" should swipe this award and if not that, then Atonement.

TELEVISION MINISERIES
"Jane Eyre" (BBC/WGBH)
"The Starter Wife" (USA Network)
"The Company" (TNT)
"Five Days" (HBO)
"The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard" (BBC/Kudos Productions)

MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
"The Wind And The Willows, Masterpiece Theater" (PBS/BBC)
"Mitch Alboms For One More Day"(ABC)
"Longford" (HBO/Channel 4)
"Life Support" (HBO)
"The Trial Of Tony Blair" (Channel 4)
"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" (HBO)

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ruth Wilson, "Jane Eyre" (PBS/WGBH)
Ellen Burstyn, "Mitch Alboms For One More Day" (ABC)
Samantha Morton, "Longford" (HBO/Channel 4)
Queen Latifah, "Life Support" (HBO)
Debra Messing, "The Starter Wife" (USA Network)
Sharon Small, "Inspector Lynley Mysteries" (PBS/BBC)

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Toby Stephens, "Jane Eyre" (BBC)
Jim Broadbent, "Longford" (HBO/Channel 4)
Robert Lindsay, "The Trial Of Tony Blair" (Channel 4)
Aidan Quinn, "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" (HBO)
David Oyelowo, "Five Days" (HBO)
Tom Selleck, "Jesse Stone: Sea Change" (CBS)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Vanessa Williams, "Ugly Betty" (ABC)
Judy Davis, "The Starter Wife" (USA Network)
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Jamie Pressly, "My Name Is Earl" (NBC)
Polly Bergen, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers and Sisters" (ABC)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Andy Serkis, "Longford" (HBO/Channel 4)
Michael Emerson, "Lost" (ABC)
Masi Oka, "Heroes" (NBC)
Justin Kirk, "Weeds" (Showtime)
T.R. Knight, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Harry Dean Stanton, "Big Love" (HBO)
G. David Zayas, "Dexter" (Showtime)

TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
"The Riches" (FX Network)
"Dexter" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
"Friday Night Lights" (NBC)
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"Brothers and Sisters" (ABC)

ACTRESS IN A SERIES, DRAMA
Minnie Driver, "The Riches" (FX Network)
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer" (TNT)
Ellen Pompeo, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Sally Field, "Brothers and Sisters" (ABC)
Jeanne Tripplehorn, "Big Love" (HBO)
Glenn Close, "Damages" (FX Network)

ACTOR IN A SERIES, DRAMA
Eddie Izzard, "The Riches" (FX Network)
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter" (Showtime)
James Woods, "Shark" (NBC)
Hugh Laurie, "House" (Fox)
Bill Paxton, "Big Love" (HBO)
Denis Leary, "Rescue Me" (FX Network)

TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"Ugly Betty" (ABC)
"Flight Of The Concords" (HBO)
"Extras" (HBO)
"Chuck" (NBC)
"Weeds" (Showtime)
"Pushing Daisies" (ABC)

ACTRESS IN A SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty" (ABC)
Tina Fey, "30 Rock" (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures Of Old Christine" (CBS)
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
Anna Friel, "Pushing Daisies" (ABC)
Patricia Heaton, "Back to You" (Fox)

ACTOR IN A SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies" (ABC)
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" (NBC)
Steve Carell, "The Office" (NBC)
Stephen Colbert, "The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
Ricky Gervais, "Extras" (HBO)
Zachary Levi, "Chuck" (NBC)

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

BEST ENSEMBLE,TELEVISION
"Mad Men"

BEST ENSEMBLE, MOTION PICTURE

"Before The Devil Knows You're Dead"

MARY PICKFORD AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Kathy Bates

NIKOLA TESLA AWARD IN RECOGNITION FOR VISIONARY ACHIEVEMENTS IN FILMMAKING TECHNOLOGY
Dennis Muren

AUTEUR AWARD
Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"