Who's The Very Best Onscreen Father Christmas?

Since it is Christmas, the growing season of a lot of holiday-designed snacks, dinners, music (aside from "Last Christmas," by Wham!, because that's the very best Christmas song ever.), etc. believe to invest some time alone at the computer from individuals crazy and noisy relatives compared to our excellent poll: Who Is The Greatest Onscreen Santa? In producing the candidates with this poll, I recognized that you will find a lot more awesome Santas in film than I figured. Well, I needed to be really picky and play faves because, well, this really is my poll. So without further ado, listed here are your five candidates... Edmund Gwenn, "Magic On 34th Street" From probably the most classic Christmas movies comes probably the most classic Santa about this list. Famous character actor Edmund Gwenn's performance am well-received he won a Best Supporting Actor for this. Billy Bob Thornton, "Bad Santa" The title of the film informs us everything we have to learn about Thornton's version of Kris Kringle. He lies, cheats, steals, womanizes, turns up drunk to operate, also would you request for within the most anti-heroic of Santa portrayals? Bonuses granted to Santa's little person little assistant, performed through the amusing Tony Cox. Erectile dysfunction Asner and Artie Lange in "Elf" Sure, Santa plays second fiddle towards the new-classic performance from Will Ferrell as Buddy the elf, but his presence(s) is an essential component regardless. First we now have real Father Christmas (Asner), who loves Buddy without any reason, eccentricities, over-enthusiasm and all sorts of. Then there's fake Santa (Lange), who works part-time at mall Gimbel's. The second of these two does not fair very well as he is faced by Buddy to be an imitation. He totally manages to lose his awesome before a lot of kids and the boss. Shaun Gillen, "A Christmas Story" Poor Ralphie was possessing one further shred of hope the one individual who would understand his want a Red-colored Ryder BB Gun could be Father Christmas. Regrettably for him, Santa shared exactly the same sentiments as the rest of the grown ups within the film: "You'll shoot your skills out, kid." Gillen as Santa states to some devastated Ralphie. "Anyway, Merry Christmas. Ho, ho ho." Jack Skellington, "A Nightmare Before Christmas" An unconventional choice, possibly, but this movie rocks !, specially the wholesome, well-intentioned character of Jack Skellington, who had been fed up with being the Pumpkin King and desired to go through the pleasure of gift-giving, even when he needed to borrow the actual Santa's hat to get it done. Honorable mentions: Serta Akroyd, "Buying and selling Places," James Belushi "Jingle Completely," Paul Giamatti, "Fred Claus"

Let's Rank the 10 Finest Screen Performances of 2011

If you’re both a movie fan and a consummate statistician, it’s easy to love and appreciate the Oscars for shoehorning the majority of film history into a manageable grading rubric. I’m an Oscar apologist myself, and I still have one bone to pick with the Academy — and all award-spewing organizations: the unnecessary reliance on gender-based categories. Is it not more thrilling to pit all actors against each other? Is there such an objective difference between Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock? Meryl Streep and Robert Downey Jr.? “Actor” is a gender-neutral term, and I think we’d all better off — and better entertained — without the meaningless siphoning. Thus, I’m stacking up the best performances of 2011 without categorical regard for gender or role size. It’s a winner-take-all affair, and this winner definitely wants it all. Here’s my top 10: 10. Albert Brooks, Drive Albert Brooks is Drive’s Oscar-friendliest component, and that’s for one reason: eerie, sustained dastardliness. As the Driver’s shady foe, Brooks’s lovable, aw-shucksy expression hardens into a papier-mache fright. Perhaps he benefits generously from his decision to counteract the lovable schmos he offered in Lost in America and Broadcast News, but his rancor is too real and evil to dismiss. While Ryan Gosling’s stoicism helps substantiate Drive’s reputation as an evocative mood piece, Brooks’s performance steers — or careens — the movie into horrifying reality. 9. Keira Knightley, A Dangerous Method Knightley’s performance in the part-fascinating, part-boring A Dangerous Method embodies the acting trope “big choices,” but it’s still a triumph: As Carl Jung’s histrionic patient Sabina Spielrein, she’s a quivering, questioning, repressed and entirely believable intellectual. Even when she’s jutting her jaw in spastic episodes like an unhinged Ruth Buzzi, her humanity is apparent and her insight is breathtaking. For playing such an uncomfortable character, I missed her whenever she wasn’t onscreen. 8. Jeremy Irons, Margin Call Irons’s very presence summons actorly gusto, so it’s easy to write off his commanding performance (or any of his performances) as a mere extension of his Shakespearean bravado. But Irons is no ham as CEO John Tuld in the bracing ensemble drama Margin Call; he’s the perfect picture of bureaucratic spinelessness. If you’re wondering what happened to the ungodly chill he once emanated as Claus von Bulow, look for it in his delivery of Margin Call’s spookiest insight into Wall Street politics: “If you’re first out the door, that’s not called panicking.” 7. Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus Stephanie Zacharek is on to something when she denounces the relatively ho-hum proceedings of Coriolanus’s original text, but let’s remember to commemorate Ralph Fiennes’s directorial debut for its greatest asset: crackling performances. As the titular veteran who wears his moral conflict like an Egyptian death mask, Fiennes’s rage transcends mugging, warps into agony, and projects thunderous depth. Thunderous, I say! He’s so thoroughly and bleakly numbed to the strife and fanfare he abandons in wartorn “Rome” that his grisly comeuppance in the movie’s final moments feels like something of a relief. You see, Fiennes’s performance is an internal bloodbath long before we’re confronted with a viciously Technicolor one — and if there’s any justice, he’ll be rewarded with the Best Actor nomination that he was snubbed for after Quiz Show. 6. Shailene Woodley, The Descendants The most revered teenage performances seem to share the same dichotomies: childlike overreaction and burgeoning maturity, self-assurance and bubbling insecurity, sensibility and selfishness. Woodley is no iconoclast in these departments, but she gives Alexander Payne’s drippy, but poignant The Descendants its handfuls of urgency and momentum. While I’d hate to whittle her fabulous — and subtle — work down to one scene, the most memorable sequence I’ve seen all year is Woodley’s underwater breakdown in her family’s pool. It’s a heartbreaking and startling shot, but moreover, it’s an expression of unadulterated fear that confronts the viewer and challenges him to disbelieve her.

Survivor: South Pacific Winner Sophie Clarke: "I'm Trying to Be a Little Sunnier"

Sophie Clarke, Jeff Probst If anyone understands the importance of an immunity challenge it would have to be Sophie Clarke. As one of the final contestants left on Survivor: South Pacific, the 22-year-old medical student from Willsboro, NY, was no frontrunner. But after winning the last immunity challenge of the season and ousting fan favorite and Survivor veteran Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth at the 11th hour, the game was suddenly Clarke's to win. We caught up with Clarke right after she beat out Benjamin "Coach" Wade and baseball coach Albert Destrade for the grand prize of $1 million to find out what she was thought her chances of winning were after the final tribal council, how the show changed her life and why she would return to Survivor in a heartbeat.TV Guide Magazine: How did you feel going into the finale?Clarke: I was so nervous. I was watching the show backstage and I started crying watching myself cry. I thought I would break down.TV Guide Magazine: Did you think you were going to win?Clarke: I had a good feeling. You never know, right? You never know if at the last second these people that you're getting a good read on write down Albert's name, or something. So, I felt like I was going to win, but it was a close vote.TV Guide Magazine: That last tribal council was kind of gnarly. Clarke: I don't think you saw all the gnarl that was there! Everyone was lighting into everyone. I think the only comfort... well, there were two things that were comforting. One was that Coach was getting it much worse than I was. Albert was getting it much worse than both of us. And I had champagne in my water bottle from the breakfast, so that was calming my nerves as well.TV Guide Magazine: Your personality came under a lot of scrutiny during the season. What did you take away from all that criticism?Clarke: I've always considered my confidence to be an attribute, and I've always kind of been proud of how blunt I was. I just felt like it was me. I haven't changed that but I'm just more aware of how it comes off to people initially. I'm more aware of my first impressions. I'm trying to be a little more like Dawn [Meehan], a little sunnier.TV Guide Magazine: There seemed to be no love lost between you and some of the other contestants on the show, but now you all seem chummy again. Clarke: It is a game, and part of my game was just to be a hard-ass and observing people and staying the course and being serious and calm. I didn't want to align with the Savaii [tribe]. I didn't want to be friends with them. I wanted them out. So it's very different in the game and out of the game. Also, I really felt like I, more than anyone, had my personality stripped of me because of the [lack of] food. I didn't feel like myself out there. I'm usually a very funny, joyful person, and I felt the whole time like I was Mrs. Potato Head - expressionless. It was really awful.TV Guide Magazine: What happened?Clarke: We were starving. Physically I looked different, I lost so much weight. But emotionally, it's overwhelming.TV Guide Magazine: I've been told you feel emotions like you've never felt before?Clarke: Oh, exactly! I was saying to Dawn, I'm terrified that I'm never going to feel such extreme emotions again in my life. I participated in this charity event, fasting for a day for health clinic, and I was so excited by it because I thought, maybe by the end of the day I'll feel the same kind of joy about eating a banana that I felt on the island. And of course, I didn't. You can never recapture it. I think that's why all these Survivors keep going back. When we were out there we thought they were crazy. This is sadistic! Why would you ever want to do this to your body again? And now I understand. It's really the emotions. I can't describe them and they can't come across on TV. Watching the show and being on the show are two different experiences. It's life-changing.TV Guide Magazine: You mentioned that on TV. What is the greatest change?Clarke: I think you're at your weakest, you're at your most vulnerable. You learn so much about what you can do physically and emotionally - what you can handle. It gives you so much confidence in your everyday life. It's hard to say anything else is a challenge.TV Guide Magazine: Would you do Survivor again?Clarke: I would do it again in a heartbeat. It sounds so ridiculous to say. I have nothing to prove, it's more about recapturing the emotions and meeting a whole group of new people.TV Guide Magazine: What are you going to do with $1 million?Clarke: I'm in medical school right now, so I have a lot of loans. Well, I'm not going to have a lot of loans. It eases my mind a lot.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Japan's tv stations draft anti-gang contract

Tokyo, japan -- Japan's National Assn. of business Tv stations, covering all of the commercial systems, has sent its people new talent contract targeted at getting rid of the influence of Japan's well known yakuza (gangsters) in the TV biz. Based on the contract, which NAB people are obliged to make use of, when the contracting individual, company or org is located to possess gang ties, the member has the authority to terminate anything without warning. Pubcaster NHK, which isn't a NAB member, drafted an identical policy in November. Japan biz continues to be around the warpath from the ubiquitous gangs since comedian-MC Shinsuke Shimada abruptly upon the market in August after acknowledging to gang ties. The influence from the gangs is deep-rooted and extensive, going beyond people to production companies, talent shops along with other facets of the biz. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Trailer: The Rock, Channing Tatum and Bruce Willis Save the World

.post-content img {display:none;} You probably didn't think much of 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' despite its $300 million worldwide gross. After all, the film -- from noted hack director Stephen Sommers -- was savaged by critics, and audiences didn't seem too pleased either -- at least judging by 'G.I. Joe's' heinous IMDb user rating. Fortunately, 'The Rise of Cobra' came out at a time when ticket buyers were spending money like the 1%; put out 'The Rise of Cobra' now, and it would be lucky to hit $200 million worldwide -- even in 3D. So! How did Paramount change 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' in an effort to prevent the sequel from paying for the sins of the original? By casting Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Bruce Willis and Tyra from 'Friday Night Lights,' of course! Directed by the increasingly interesting Jon M. Chu, 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' plays like a sweatier version of 'Mission: Impossible.' The 'Joe' team is wrongfully accused of being a threat to national security and all are killed -- except for Roadblock (Johnson), Duke (Channing Tatum) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki; TYRA!). Together they team with original G.I. Joe, Joe Colton (Bruce Willis), to stop Cobra from taking over the White House. "The world ain't saving itself," says Roadblock before a techno version of 'Seven Nation Army' kicks in on the soundtrack. Hey, why not? 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' hits theaters on June 29, 2012. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

CBS's 'Face the Nation' Will Expand to at least one Hour to Rival 'Meet the Press' and 'This Week'

our editor recommends'Saturday Evening Live': Katy Perry Hosts, Alec Baldwin Will get Last Laugh on American Air carriers (Video)SNL: Even Satan Upset by Penn Condition Scandal (VIDEO)Where Alec Baldwin Was Before He Boarded His American Air carriers Flight (Video) Alec Baldwin returned to 30 Rock Saturday evening for any special appearance on Saturday Evening Live. But he wasn't acting like his usual self. After Baldwin was began a united states Air carriers flight a week ago for declining to energy lower his mobile phone while playing Words With Buddies, the actor released a sarcastic apology towards the air travel with an article released within the Huffington Publish. STORY: 'Words With Buddies' Defends Alec Baldwin After He Was Began American Air carriers Flight In order an answer, the captain from the flight-who suspiciously looks nearly the same as the 30 Rock actor-turned up on Weekend Update with Seth Meyers. Having a thick southern drawl, American Air carriers' "Captain Steve Rogers" released an apology towards the actor, who he calls "a united states treasure." "I'm ashamed in the way he was treated," the "pilot" stated. "I am talking about, what harm wouldn't it do in order to allow him to keep playing his game? Not only any game actually, but a thing game for wise people." Meyers ongoing to whisper to Baldwin through the apology, "Alec, are you certain this really is the proper way to handle this?" That Baldwin would break from character and say, "Yeah, carry on.Inch "Okay Alex, this really is an excessive amount of, I'd rather not take part in this any longer," Meyers stated, stifling Captain Rogers because he empathized with Baldwin for slamming the restroom door from the plane lavatory. "Seth I am not Alec," Captain Rogers responded. "But If only I had been-that man's quite the hero! A wise hero!" Related Subjects Alec Baldwin Seth Meyers Saturday Evening Live

Marrakech Film Festival Winners Announced

Jennifer Aniston has been named the sexiest woman of all-time -- at least according to Men's Health magazine.our editor recommends'Wanderlust' Trailer: Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd Stumble Into a Hippie Community (Video)Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Aniston Among People's Choice Nominees With a top five consisting of Raquel Welch, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna and Britney Spears, Aniston trumped them all and the reasoning was simple: "Funny is sexy and Jennifer Aniston is funny -- she was invited to join Saturday Night Live before her big break with Friends." PHOTOS: Teflon Actor Awards: 6 Stars Immune to Bad Reviews It's been an eventful year for Aniston, who had box office success with Horrible Bosses, but Aniston said that her pick for sexiest woman is a tie betweenBridgette Bardot and Gloria Steinem. "But if I had to choose one, I'd say Gloria because, well, she's the full package," Aniston said. "That's sexy." VIDEO: Jennifer Aniston's 6 Best and Worst Movie Moments When asked which of the characters she's played was the least sexy, Aniston went back a few decades. "The least sexy character was Jeannie Bueller on the TV version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off," she said. Rounding out the top 10 on the sexiest list are Pamela Anderson, Bettie Page, Ursula Andress, Jane Fonda and Angelina Jolie. Aniston next stars in Wanderlust opposite Paul Rudd, to be released Feb. 24, 2012. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Jennifer Aniston's Lifetime Project 'Five' Screens in Washington, D.C. Related Topics Jennifer Aniston

11 Women to Watch for Next Year's Power 100 List

Joseph Farrell, a pioneering executive in the field of box-office forecasting and one of the most influential behind-the-scenes Hollywood players in his heyday, died Wednesday of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 76.Related Topics•Obituaries As chairman and CEO of the National Research Group -- the market planning and research firm that serviced all of the film studios and major producers in Hollywood for 25 years until 2003 -- Farrell introduced such services now taken for granted by the film industry as tracking, test screenings, trailers and TV-spot testing as well as norms by "quadrants" and other socio-demographics analyses. All led to early warning forecasting of a movie's box-office potential. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths In 2003, he and partner Catherine Paura sold NRG to Nielsen and started Farrell Paura Productions with a first-look deal at Disney.Farrell also continued as a marketing consultant to top executives at several studios and investment banking groups. In 2009, FP Productions went independent and has just completed with Alcon Entertainment the feature Joyful Noise, a comedy starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton that will be released in January by Warner Bros.The company also has The Leonardo Job, to be directed by David Twohy, in development with Alcon. Farrell also served as an executive and consultant to the Carnegie Corporation of NY, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. He developed the U.S. Arts and Cultural Trend Data System for Congress and authored Americans and the Arts, Museums: USA and the Cultural Consumer. Farrell is survived by his wife, Italian actress Jo Champa, and son Sean. Plans for a memorial service are pending. Related Topics Obituaries

Ken Russell Was Hoping to Remake 1976 X-Rated Alice Musical... with Lady Gaga

When the late filmmaker Ken Russell passed away last week at the age of 84, he’d been planning to remake the infamous 1976 X-rated Alice in Wonderland musical in which Alice is taken on a tour of Wonderland by a randy White Rabbit. Ahem. And who had Russell hoped to bring along on his naughty trip down the rabbit hole? Lady Gaga, of course! Well, kinda; The Guardian reports that Russell, according to producers who are still moving forward with the project, had hoped to bring Gaga and Rihanna aboard to contribute songs to the musical, penned by composer Simon Boswell. Roger Daltry, who starred in Russell’s film adaptation of The Who’s Tommy, had been asked to play the Mad Hatter; is it much of a stretch to envision Lady Gaga as the White Rabbit, guiding young Alice along in an erotic romp through Wonderland? The producers are currently seeking a new director to take over from Russell, who left behind a near-complete script. More details over at The Guardian, but in the meantime, check out a peek at the infamous 1976 Alice (Sample ditty: “What’s a nice girl like you doing/on a knight like me?”) for a taste of the raunchy fantasy that inspired the project: Raunchy Alice musical could be Ken Russell’s final legacy [Guardian]

Temple, Bentley in 'Lovelace'

Temple"The Dark Knight Rises" thesp Juno Temple, "American Beauty" star Wes Bentley and Sharon Stone are set to join Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's drama "Lovelace."Set between the birth of the sexual revolution and the culmination of the feminist movement, "Lovelace" depicts the life of Linda Boreman, who as 'Linda Lovelace' became the world's first erotic superstar.Seyfried toplines as Lovelace, while Sarsgaard plays her pornographer husband, Chuck Traynor. Stone will play Dorothy Boreman, Linda's mother, while Temple will play Linda's best friend. Bentley will play Lovelace's second husband, Larry Marchiano.Andy Bellin ("Trust") wrote the script. Eclectic Pictures' Heidi Jo Markel will produce with Untitled Entertainment's Laura Rister and Jason Weinberg, as well as Jim Young of Animus Films. Exec producers include Boaz Davidson, Danny Dimbort, Mark Gill, W. Merritt Johnson, Avi Lerner, Trevor Short and John Thompson. Production will start at the end of the month in Los Angeles. While Temple just starred as Queen Anne in Summit's "The Three Musketeers," she's coming off a string of upcoming indie pics including "Little Birds," "Jack and Diane," "The Brass Teapot," "Small Apartments" and William Friedkin's "Killer Joe." Brit thesp, who's part of the star-studded ensemble of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises," is also attached to star opposite Michael Cera in Sebastian Silva's Chilean thriller "Magic, Magic."Bentley, who will soon be seen opposite Seyfried in Summit's thriller "Gone," recently wrapped the role of Seneca Crane in Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games."Stone, who's last major role was in Emilio Estevez's 2006 pic "Bobby," recently wrapped Marc Turtletaub's indie "Gods Behaving Badly."Temple is repped by UTA, Troika and attorney James Feldman. Bentley is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment, while Paradigm reps Stone with Binder & Associates. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

FilmDistrict sets Open Road distrib'n deal

FilmDistrict has agreed to a three-film distribution deal with Open Road.FilmDistrict topper Peter Schlessel confirmed the deal Tuesday to Variety.Move comes a month after Bob and Jeanne Berney announced their exit as the top distribution and marketing execs at FilmDistrict, a sudden shift for the fledgling distrib that's packing up its NY office and moving all operations to Los Angeles.The Berneys will continue handling FilmDistrict releases until March 1.FilmDistrict saw success earlier this year with "Insidious" and "Soul Surfer," both of which were acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. (Sony's TriStar Pictures distribbed the latter pic, with FilmDistrict co-marketing.)Summer releases "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" and "Drive" saw modest-to-OK results.Under the deal between Open Road and FilmDistrict, Open Road will release scifier "Escape From M.S. One," starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, on April 20, and the "Red Dawn" remake on Nov. 2. The third film hasn't been selected. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

ITV Art galleries America Pacts With M3 Creative For Series Development

EXCLUSIVE: ITV Art galleries America has signed a preliminary-look development deal with M3 Creative, Andy Meyers’ creative agency that's branching out into series production. The pact covers rights on original non-scripted projects from M3, which is experienced in high quality content, marketing and advertising across all platforms and contains clients including Disney, NBCUniversal as well as the Academy of motion Picture Arts And Sciences. ITV Art galleries America acquires, evolves and produces reality and scripted fare for your U.S. market its slate includes Prime Suspect, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Bad dreams or nightmares, First 48 and Steven Seagal: Lawman.

Christie Brinkley Owes IRS $500,000, Court Public Record Information Show

Christie Brinkley Christie Brinkley owes $531,000 with the spine taxes for the Irs, the NY Daily News reviews. The Federal Government filed a lien in the one of the characteristics the "Uptown Girl" has on NY's New You are able to November. 21, according to records acquired with the newspaper. Brinkley, 57, looks like it's worth $80 million, mainly from characteristics she has inside the Hamptons. Have a look at photos of Christie Brinkley "Christie Brinkley was surprised to hear today the tax lien happen to be filed, and contains instructed her team to resolve the issue immediately," Brinkley's repetition, Claire Mercuri, told the NY Daily News. The prior supermodel, who was simply once married to Billy Joel, made her Broadway debut taken playing Roxie Hart inside the musical Chicago. She recently reprised her role for your London production.