And cutting to a commercial for Del Taco...

So this is going to be a hybrid PicSpam that will not only feature images from films nominated in tonight's Golden Globes Award show, but feature my thoughts on who should win...even if they weren't nominated for the award. I thought that the nominations this year were completely crap and so, at times (well most of the time to be honest), I have added people that I deem worthy. Also, it should be noted that I haven't actually seen all of these films or tellie programs and most likely won't watch the GG Award show tonigh. I mean, for the most part, the Golden Globes are simply a nationally televised popularity contest nominally based on acting merit. Why tune in when I can watch the highlights tomorrow on YouTube? (Hey that's a great idea for a VidSpam column!)

PicSpam Monday™: The "If I Ran the Golden Globes & they actually meant something" Winners List

Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Drama
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Sherrybaby
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Kate Winslet - Little Children

For once, I think the GG might get it right and give the award to Helen Mirren. The dame deserves it, even though I do hope that eventually Kate Winselt gets some awards.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland

Honestly, I'm not into any of these nominations and so I think I will go with Will Smith only because that scene with him holding the door shut with his foot while cradling his son in a BART bathroom make me tear up every time.



Best Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy/Musical
Sacha Baron Cohen - Borat
Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Aaron Eckhart - Thank Your For Smoking
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Kinky Boots
Will Ferrell - Stranger Than Fiction

I'm going to have to go with Aaron Eckhart for his performance as Nick Naylor in Thank You For Smoking. I thought it was a brillant film that not only entertained, but did have some thought provoking points. Sure Eckhart has not chance against Borat or Depp, but I thought someone should give him something!

Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy/Musical
Annette Bening - Running With Scissors
Toni Collette - Little Miss Sunshine
Beyonce Knowles - Dreamgirls
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Renee Zellweger - Miss Potter

I'm going to have to go with Streep on this one. Although I adore Toni Collette and really want Little Miss Sunshine to succeed, Streep was marvelous to watch! Besides, the only other film from the group that interests me, Miss Potter, hasn't even made it to the theatres yet.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Ben Affleck - Hollywoodland
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls
Jack Nicholson - The Departed
Brad Pitt - Babel
Mark Wahlberg - The Departed

I don't really like any of these choices and so I am going with Michael Caine in Children of Men. For the first time in quite a while, Caine was actually playing a role and not "Michael Caine". For that alone, I think he should get the award.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Adriana Barraza - Babel
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Emily Blunt - The Devil Wears Prada
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel

I'm going to have to nominate my own award recipient. This time, Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine.





Best Director - Motion Picture
Clint Eastwood - Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood - Letters from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears - The Queen
Alejandro González Iñárritu - Babel
Martin Scorsese - The Departed

Wow, this is becoming a trend. I once again know better than the Hollywood Foreign Press. I'm giving my vote to Alfonso Cuarón for the brillant Children of Men. If I did have to choose from the list, I would have gone with Stephen Frears...The Queen was an amazing movie that surprised me quite a bit.


Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Guillermo Arriaga - Babel
William Monahan - The Departed
Todd Field & Tom Perrotta - Little Children
Patrick Marber - Notes on a Scandal
Peter Morgan - The Queen

Ok...so sure I could choose one of the screenplays from the list - either Morgan or the team of Field and Perrotta - but instead I am going to make another plug for Little Miss Sunshine and go for the write in candidate

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Bobby - "Never Gonna Break My Faith"
Dreamgirls - "Listen"
Happy Feet - "The Song of the Heart"
Home of the Brave - "Try Not to Remember"
The Pursuit of Happyness - "A Father's Way"

Once again I march to my own drummer. I have to go with the latest new Bond song from Casino Royale, "You Know My Name". It totally rocks!!



Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Babel - Gustavo Santaolalla
The Da Vinci Code - Hans Zimmer
The Fountain - Clint Mansell
Nomad - Carlo Siliotto
The Painted Veil - Alexandre Desplat

I love Hans Zimmer, so I think I will go with Da Vinci - even if it wasn't a very good movie. The music wasn't half bad, though, considering.





Best Foreign Language Film
Apocalypto
El Laberinto del Fauno
Das Leben der Anderen
Letters from Iwo Jima
Volver

No clue and so I am not going to vote. I figured Fearless was going to be on the list, but since
I haven't seen it, I don' think I can add it in good conscience.

Best Animated Film
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

Again...I just can't be bothered to choose!

Best Television Series - Drama
"24"
"Big Love"
"Grey's Anatomy"
"Heroes"
"Lost"

LONG LIVE BATTLESTAR GALACTICA!!!! I can't they believe they overlooked the best show on tellie at the moment. So, I'm writing them in. Take that Hollywood Foreign Press!!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Patrick Dempsey - "Grey's Anatomy"
Michael C. Hall - "Dexter"
Hugh Laurie - "House M.D."
Bill Paxton - "Big Love"
Kiefer Sutherland - "24"

In keeping with my BSG write in initive, I'm going with Edward James Olmos for his portrayal as Admiral William Adama. If push came to shove and I had to go with someone from the list, Hugh Laurie would get my vote.


Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Patricia Arquette - "Medium"
Edie Falco - "The Sopranos"
Evangeline Lilly - "Lost"
Ellen Pompeo - "Grey's Anatomy"
Kyra Sedgwick - "The Closer"

So given the past 2 categories, my vote fo Mary McDonnell for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama should come as no suprise.


Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
"Desperate Housewives"
"Entourage"
"The Office"
"Ugly Betty"
"Weeds"

To be quite honest, I have no clue how "Desperate Housewives" is even considered a "comedy". Is that so it can stand a shot against "Grey's Anatomy"? I have no clue and since I don't really watch comedy - unless you count the slow downhill slide of Veronica Mars...but come to think of it, that isn't really funny. Anyway, long explanation short, I just don't care and so they can give the award to whoever they want. Perhaps "Weeds", since I like both Mary-Louise Parker and Kevin Nealon.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock"
Zach Braff - "Scrubs"
Steve Carell - "The Office"
Jason Lee - "My Name Is Earl"
Tony Shalhoub - "Monk"

I catch "My Name Is Earl" whenever I can and I have to say that I have absolutely fallen for Jason Lee's Earl. Who would have thought I would ever like his redneck character better than the preppy & geeky guys he played in Kevin Smith movies? But then again, stranger things have happened!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Marcia Cross - "Desperate Housewives"
America Ferrera - "Ugly Betty"
Felicity Huffman - "Desperate Housewives"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
Mary-Louise Parker - "Weeds"

As I stated earlier, "Desperate Housewives" isn't a comedy, therefore Mary-Louise Parker wins by default.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Bleak House
"Broken Trail"
Elizabeth I
Mrs. Harris
Prime Suspect: The Final Act

Okay...I choose one of the Helen Mirren projects. I really don't care which one. Although, it would be nifty if Mirren recieved the award for Best Actress in both the film and tellie categories for playing a "Queen Elizabeth". So perhaps I should save that vote for later. I'm goin with Prime Suspect!


Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Andre Braugher - "Thief"
Robert Duvall - "Broken Trail"
Michael Ealy - "Sleeper Cell"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Tsunami: The Aftermath
Ben Kingsley - Mrs. Harris
Bill Nighy - Gideon's Daughter
Matthew Perry - The Ron Clark Story

Didn't see any of these, but I like Chiwetel Ejiofor and Bill Nighy. One of them should win!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Gillian Anderson - "Bleak House"
Annette Bening - Mrs. Harris
Helen Mirren - Elizabeth I
Helen Mirren - Prime Suspect: The Final Act
Sophie Okonedo - Tsunami: The Aftermath

Helen Mirren since it would be totally awesome if she won for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I AND Queen Elizabeth II!



Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Thomas Haden Church - "Broken Trail"
Jeremy Irons - Elizabeth I
Justin Kirk - "Weeds"
Masi Oka - "Heroes"
Jeremy Piven - "Entourage"

I have a friend who loved Masi Oka, so hey...why not?

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Emily Blunt - Gideon's Daughter
Toni Collette - Tsunami: The Aftermath
Katherine Heigl - "Grey's Anatomy"
Sarah Paulson - "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"
Elizabeth Perkins - "Weeds"

Alrighty, we're nearing the end. Now I stopped watching "Grey's Anatomy" last year. However, I did catch the death of Denny. Now coupled with the nifty Hallmark movies she has done, I'm going with Katherine Heigl.