It’s as if Tim Allen has the Midas touch when it comes to picking TV shows of which to star in. ABC’s Last Man Standing, only in its first season, has already solidified Allen as a twice-successful leading man in the world of the network sitcom. In regards to his hugely successful run with Home Improvement, he says of this second go-round, “It doesn’t take a genius to see the similarities here. Instead of Tool Time, I have a VLOG, and on this show I have three girls instead of boys.”

Yes, the formula is familiar, but hey, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? In Last Man Standing, Allen’s Mike Baxter is a traditional man’s man, a lover of all things adventurous and outdoors. A pick-up truck-driving sportsman, Mike is constantly fighting to salvage his idea of a man’s world. He works at an iconic outdoor sporting goods store where he is the king of the hill, and then he returns to his female-dominated home front where he is the odd man out save for his toddler grandson, Boyd.

Among his wife, Vanessa (Nancy Travis), who has recently returned to the work world where she was quickly promoted, and his three daughter’s, he is caught juggling his mission to get men back to their rightful place in society in conjunction with his roles as husband, father and grandfather.

The main outlet for his woes proves to be the VLOG he speaks of. His longtime friend and boss, Ed (Hector Elizondo), puts him in charge of the company’s webpage and Mike soon discovers the cathartic platform which gives him a voice in which to appeal to those who also agree that manliness as a whole is under assault in this new woman’s world that he finds himself trapped in.

Currently filming the episode entitled "This Bud's For You", they bring on Robert Forster (The Descendants) to play Mike’s dad, Bud. There is a certain magic to the set as it is the old Seinfeld soundstage. The laughter is palpable as we watch some takes with Forster before they break and answer a few questions.

One of the most critically acclaimed films of 2011 was director Alexander Payne’s Oscar-winning movie The Descendants, which is available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 13^th. The movie earned Payne his second Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, after his win in 2004 for his previous film Sideways. The Descendants, which is based on the popular 2007 novel by author Kaui Hart Hemmings, also earned a Best Editing nomination for Kevin Tent, a Best Actor nomination for George Clooney, and a Best Director nomination for Payne, as well as a Best Picture nomination for the film.

The Descendants stars Clooney as Matt King, a real estate lawyer from Hawaii put in charge of his family’s land deal while he is dealing with his wife’s terminal coma, and two young daughters. Soon after finding out that his wife is going to die, Matt is struck with more bad news … she’s been cheating on him. Along with his children, and his oldest daughter’s (Shailene Woodley) friend Sid (Nick Krause), Matt goes on a quest to confront the man his wife was having an affair with. But when Matt finally comes face to face with the man she loves, he discovers that they have a connection even he couldn’t have imagined, one that could threaten his family’s cherished land deal.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kaui Hart Hemmings about her novel and the process of making it into the hit film that it has become. The author discussed the movie, how pleased she was when Alexander Payne agreed to direct it, her involvement in the process of adapting the book into the screenplay; differences between the two, George Clooney’s performance, observing on set, Hawaii, Payne’s unique filmmaking style, and her surprise to the film’s overwhelming positive critical response.

Opening in theaters on March 16th is the latest comedy from directors Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus) called Jeff, Who Lives at Home. The film stars an impressive cast of comedic and veteran actors including Jason Segel (The Muppets), Ed Helms (The Lorax), Judy Greer (The Descendants), Rae Dawn Chong (The Color Purple), and Academy Award-winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down and speak with the delightfully funny Judy Greer about her work in Jeff, Who Lives at Home, as well as the upcoming Arrested Development mini-series and film. The hilarious actress discussed the new film, her character, the directors unique filmmaking style, Ed Helms commitment to acting, why Jason Segel is the only actor who could play the film's title role, and what she would like to see her Arrested Development character - Kitty Sanchez - do in the upcoming mini-series and film. 

The 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards took place on Saturday, February 25th in Santa Monica. Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, handed out awards to such films as The Artist, The Descendants, Margin Call, My Week With Marilyn, Beginners, 50/50, Pariah, A Seperation, and The Interrupters. The event aired on IFC and was hosted by Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), with the evening's announcer John Waters (Pink Flamingos), and musical performances from My Morning Jacket, K'Naan, Kate Micucci, and Garfunkel & Oats.

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick attended the 27th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards and was on the red carpet (it was actually purple) talking with many of the stars as they entered the ceremony. He had a chance to speak with actor Bryan Cranston about working with director Nicolas Winding Refn on Drive, and asked young actress Amara Miller about her experience working with director Alexander Payne on The Descendants, as well as speaking with Pariah director Dee Rees and producer Nekisa Cooper, Natural Selection director Robbie Pickering and actress Rachel Harris, actress Kelly Lynch (Drugstore Cowboy), actor Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher), actor Giancarlo Esposito (The Usual Suspects), and former Connecticut Senator turned President of the MPAA Chris Dodd about the importance of independent film and the Independent Spirit Awards.

Los Angelinos may have noticed the Gooodyear Blimp and a bunch of media helicopters circling around the Kodak Theater in Hollywood today.  These aerial vehicles were, oddly, covering an event that that takes place entirely indoors: the 84th Annual Academy Awards.  Hosted for the ninth non-consecutive time by Billy Crystal after Eddie Murphy bowed out months ago, the Oscars went down almost exactly as you'd expect: Harvey Weinstein once again proved his ability to win awards with The Artist, which took home awards for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture, amongst others.

There are just over twenty-four hours until the Academy Awards ceremony begins, and naturally, awards fever has descended on Los Angeles. Symptoms of Awards Fever include, but are not limited to: hives, fancy dressing, red carpet-walking, seizures, limo-riding, hemorrhagic bleeding, speechifying, and general hyperbole. On the eve of the Oscars, those most susceptible to Awards Fever are quarantined in a series of tents on the beach in Santa Monica, mere yards from the Pacific Ocean. 

This quarantine is, in fact, the Independent Spirit Awards, celebrating the very best in independent cinema from the past year. The 27th Annual Spirit Awards are hosted by Seth Rogen. This year, the nominees for Best Picture are 50/50, The Descendants, Drive, The Artist, Beginners,  and Take Shelter, while recognizable faces like Jessica Chastain, Ryan Gosling, Elizabeth Olsen, Corey Stoll, Michelle Williams, John Hawkes, Lauren Ambrose, and Jean Dujardin are nominees in other categories.

IAR is on the ground at the event itself, ready to share the winners at an awards show that is inarguably cooler and younger than those staid old Oscars. Check back for up to the minute news as we update with each and every new winner.

With Oscar ballots due earlier this week, and only a few days to go until the Oscars on Sunday, February 26th, here is how things stand in the race for the gold... 

Unlike the seasons that pass annually in nature thanks to the tilt of Earth's axis and its course through the solar system, awards season culminates in a climactic event that epitomizes nearly everything associated with the yearly handing out of statuettes and accolades.  The 84th annual Academy Awards ceremony takes place this Sunday at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, where Billy Crystal will host the proceedings for the ninth time in a telecast produced by Brian Grazer.

It seems like just yesterday that the American Cinema Editors announced the nominees who might go on to win at the 62nd annual Eddie Awards.  Seem that way though it may, the nominations were, in fact, promulgated throughout the land well over a month ago.  We now know which of those lucky nominees went on to win these adorably-named awards (don't call them Edwards, it's too formal), as The Descendants, The Artist, and Rango all took home Eddies of their own.

As the nation recovered from last weekend's Super Bowl festivities, it sought entertainment through the movies, resulting in a very busy weekend, resulting in a few minor records being broken.  So far in this young year, the box office has been surprisingly robust, particularly considering the often feeble showings throughout 2011.  This particular weekend, no less than four major movies opened to well over $20 million, quite an accomplishment on a seemingly unremarkable February frame.  Strong showings all around meant that, overall, there was a 30% increase from the comparable weekend last year.