Gawker: defamer, spirit awards

Steve Coogan Smells Like Indie Spirit

STV — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:12:50 EST

The British comic who vied with Rainn Wilson for August's Worst Flop honors today took Wilson's old job hosting the Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 21.

Not quite what we'd call a huge step up for the organizers, but, said Spirit Awards executive producer Diana Zahn-Storey in a statement, "He's a brilliant actor and comedian whose style and accent will bring an international flair to the event." In other words, Ricky Gervais turned them down. [The Envelope]

Writerless Talk Show Host Carson Daly Ready To Try And Survive On Charm Alone

Mark — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:30:00 EST

· A brave Carson Daly will be the first late-night talk show host to cross the picket line and attempt to return to work without a writing staff; upon his arrival at the studio, Daly will be awkwardly reminded by a security guard that his show was canceled two years ago. [THR]
· I'm Not There, expected to duke it out in every Oscar category you got with similarly ambitious music biopic Walk Hard, leads the Independent Spirit Award nominations with four. Angelina Jolie flop A Mighty Heart and Ang Lee's artsy, NC-17 fuckfest Lust, Caution received three nods each. [Variety]

· Warner Bros.' Jeff Robinov gets a promotion or a new title or something. Get excited! [Variety]
· The first installment of the two-part Dancing with the Stars finale is Monday night's top-rated show, an impressive Nielsen performance no doubt boosted by Marie Osmond's terrifying dramatization of a demon-possessed doll trying to murder her unsuspecting playmate. [THR]
· Mark Ruffalo is invited to the Leonardo DiCaprio/Martin Scorcese reteaming party Shutter Island. [THR]

Trade Round-Up: Spirit Awards Recognize Ryan Gosling's Fine, Crack-Related Work

Mark — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:37:35 EST

Nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, the annual celebration of films largely released by the somewhat less corporate-seeming arms of huge multimedia conglomerates, have been announced, with Little Miss Sunshine and Half Nelson both receiving five nods. [Variety]
Anna Faris will take a break from being bopped in the head in Scary Movie sequels by starring in the "farcical sci-fi comedy" Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel. [THR]
Heroes and Deal or No Deal win the 18-49 demographic for NBC Monday night, while Studio 60's uplifting episode about how tragic murder-suicides can interfere with the production of a live sketch comedy show (which anonymous internet poster Dilbert27 called "a heavy-handed treatment of already ill-chosen subject matter") fails to draw the expected droves of new viewers to the series. [Variety]
The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers lead negotiator is "shocked and dismayed" that the WGA refuses to surrender their strike leverage by entering negotiations on the studios' timetable. [THR]
The Hollywood Foreign Press puts Apocalypto and Letters From Iwo Jima on the Golden Globes shortlist for Best Foreign Language film, even though neither is eligible for an Oscar in that category. Oh, conflicting awards show rules, why must you be so confusing? [Variety]