As we continue to trudge through the sparkly, ostentatious muck and mire of awards season, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is once again reminding us that the longest season is almost over.  This the Academy has done by releasing it weekly Oscar promo inserting this year's host, Seth MacFarlane, into a recognizable film scene. 

It's The Matrix this time, and don't worry, there's a boner joke.

Did you know that in just twenty-four short days, the Academy Awards will shower pomp and circumstance on fabulously attired movie stars and bigshots?  Of course you knew that.  Nonetheless, ABC has dropped another quick promotional spot for the 85th Annual Oscars.

Because folks just aren't cognizant enough of movie awards this time of year, ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have unveiled a new TV spot promoting the 85th Annual Academy Awards.

The American Cinema Editors announced the full roster of nominations for the 63rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards, the professional awards meant to acknowledge excellence in editing specifically.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download beginning December 11th is Ted, which marks Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane’s directorial debut. Not only was the film hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of the funniest films of the year, it is also one of the highest-grossing and in fact, is the highest grossing R-rated film of the year, and the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time.

Ted stars Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg as John Bennett, a Boston resident who as a child made a special wish for his teddy bear, Ted (voiced by MacFarlane), to come to life. The wish came true and Ted has been by John’s side as his best friend ever since. Ted, who became a national celebrity in the ‘80s, spends his days smoking pot, watching the Red Sox, and having sex with as many women as possible. However, John and Ted’s friendship is tested when John’s girlfriend of four years, Lori (Academy Award nominee Mila Kunis), wants their relationship to go to the next level. Actress Jessica Barth, best known for voicing Sookie Stackhouse on Family Guy, plays Ted’s trashy Boston girlfriend Tami-Lynn.

I recently had a chance to speak with Jessica Barth about her work on Ted. The talented actress discussed the new movie, first reading the script, what didn’t make it to the screen, making out with Ted, working with Seth MacFarlane, creating her character, shooting on location in Boston, and how the local community reacted to the return of their prodigal son, Mark Wahlberg. 

Win: Win Seth MacFarlane's TED Prize Pack Sweepstakes

From: RogueLife LLC

Enter by: November 20, 2012

It sounds more like Mad Libs than awards season news, but it's true: Seth MacFarlane is hosting the 85th Annual Academy Awards.

For decades, conventional franchise wisdom upheld a rule of diminishing returns with each new installment in a series.  Nowadays, that doesn't hold quite the same, particularly in the case of summer blockbusters.  The Bourne movies starring Matt Damon as an amnesiac assassin, for example, got bigger every time out.  The Bourne Legacy, an attempt to continue the franchise without several seemingly indispensable element, has opened down from its predecessors, but respectably enough that we might see more of Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross.

Let's add another person, place, or thing to the ever-expanding list labelled "Stuff Batman Can Beat Up."  In this instance, though, the Caped Crusader isn't brutalizing a mobster, his latest movie is outpacing stiff competition from a big sci-fi remake and a kid-oriented sequel about a wimpy youngster. 

The Dark Knight Rises ended up in first place at the American box office for the third consecutive weekend, earning considerably more than the new Total Recall remake and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.

Last weekend, Warner Bros. and the other studios sensibly opted not to report box office estimates in deference to the senseless violence perpetrated at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado on Friday morning.  Those affected by the tragedy are doubtless still grappling with the profound impact of such horrific acts, and culturally, the ripple is very much evident in countless reactionary opinion pieces based on naught but connotations.  Apparently, though, the nation demands weekend estimates, so the box office non-news is here.