Mega Buzz: Glee's Cliff-Hanger, Castle's Reckoning and Housewives' Seduction

Revenge Two weeks ago, the question on the mind of every Revenge fan was, "Will Daniel (Josh Bowman) bite the bullet?" Now that Daniel has been spared by the grim reaper, everyone wants to know: Did he pull the trigger? Luckily, fans won't have to wait half a season for an answer. "We're not going to leave the audience hanging for very long as to what happened on the beach that night," creator and executive producer Mike Kelley tells TVGuide.com. "By the end of the episode, the audience will know exactly what happened and exactly the extent of Daniel's guilt." In advance of Wednesday's episode (10/9c, ABC), Kelley also talked about Daniel's upcoming "dark turns," Victoria's romantic and "dangerous" blast from the past and the series' upcoming time jump. Plus: Who is going to die next?! Watch full episodes of Revenge A lot of people think Takeda did it. Will he be back? Mike Kelley: He definitely has Amanda. So yes, Takeda is somebody that will return. He's a big part of Emily's transformation into Emily Thorne, so she'll continue to need to rely on him as we move forward for help and guidance and it's not always going to be a smooth ride. How will Emily's plan change in the wake of the Fire & Ice Ball? Kelley: New pieces of information are going to rise in the next couple of episodes that re-focus her on Conrad and Victoria, and set her feet really firmly back on the path for revenge. It's a big surprise to her just how deep the rabbit hole goes with Victoria and Conrad in regards to David Clarke. What will her relationship with Daniel look like after everything that's happened? Kelley: Daniel is no longer going to be the dupe in the middle of the tug of war between Emily and his mother. He's going to man-up and he's going to start making a few dark turns. He is, after all, a Grayson so his DNA is going to start to win out over his better side. ... Daniel's hands are not clean right now. Literally, they are covered in blood. You're going to learn things about Daniel that I think are going to surprise and he's learning things about himself that are surprising. Revenge Fire & Ice Ball postmortem: Who died? Who lived? Cast and producers tease what's next What does that mean for the love triangle between Daniel, Emily and Jack? Kelley: The triangle will definitely heat up. Emily and Jack are going to forge a bond. There's going to be some increased tension between Daniel and Jack because Jack was there on the beach that night and Jack has Daniel's phone. Jack is going to clue in a little bit more to Daniel. He's going to get drawn in a little bit deeper and he's going to go into protection mode where Emily is concerned. That will be both alluring for Emily and a new challenge for her. Her heart's actually going to be torn. How will Victoria's new love interest enter the picture? Kelley: This guy is somebody that's hooked into her deep past from before Conrad and David Clarke, somebody with intimate knowledge of the young Victoria and who she was before she started making all of these very dark choices. He's part of one of her very first dark choices. There's a lot of passion, a lot of danger and a lot of honesty that is going to surface with this guy. How will his return affect Victoria going forward and her feelings about the family and about Emily? Kelley: The relationship pops up as more of a secret for Victoria to keep. It's something that will - when it comes to light - become a problem. She will meet her former lover again in Episode 17 and then we will jump forward several months into the winter in Episode 18 and they will have continued on this affair and have become quite close. Is there going to be someone new coming into Conrad's love life? Kelley: There will be a resurgent love interest in Conrad's love life, but not necessarily someone new. Rome's James Purefoy heads to Revenge to woo Victoria Will Charlotte continue on her spiral? How far down that path will she go? Kelley: Pretty far. You'll see that she's going to have good reason to want to numb the pain. It's going to be really hard. The darker we go with Charlotte, the more kindred Emily feels with her. The same way that Daniel is a Grayson and Declan is a Porter, Charlotte is a Clarke. So the darkness that is surfacing in Charlotte has connective tissue between Emily and her and is going to provide a lot of story. Will Charlotte try to learn more about her real father? Will that threaten Emily's secret? Kelley: Absolutely, that's part of what fuels her darkness and her isolation. It's also part of the reason why Emily will want to stay closer to her, to make sure that whatever she discovers or needs to know, that Emily has control over that. You said in an earlier interview that there will be another death on the show. How will that death impact the show? Kelley: It will have a deep impact. It's not an extra that's getting killed. [The person] is part of our cast so it will have a big impact. The first half of the season was building toward the Fire & Ice Ball. What is the rest of the season building towards? Kelley: I like that show is without a net. I think the audience is going to really find it librating to feel like they're on an adventure that is uncharted for them. ... I think the audience is going to be more surprised than they were before and that the guessing game is going to get a little bit harder. By the time we get to episode 22, everything about Season 1 will all come back to the murder on the beach and then that drives the last seven episodes. At the end of it, I think people will feel that a very significant book of Revenge has been written and it will free us up to do another book next season.

Music performer Mike Melvoin dies at 74

Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, former Recording Academy leader and prolific studio music performer Mike Melvoin died on February. 23 in Burbank. He was 74. Sporting a recording resume that incorporated the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" in addition to key tracks from Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, the Jackson 5 and Tom Waits, Melvoin seemed to be active like a film and television composer and launched numerous respected jazz tracks under their own title. Born in Oshkosh, Wisc., Melvoin started singing at 2 and playing piano at 3. He told William Grimm inside a 2003 interview, "(I figured) the alphabet ended with G." He attended Dartmouth College within the late nineteen fifties as well as in 1961 gone to live in La, where he grew to become a fixture within the city's jazz scene, having fun with the kind of Joe Williams and Peggy Lee. Melvoin launched his first album like a bandleader, "Secrets for your Mind," around the Liberty label in 1966, annually which saw him notch studio time around the Beach Boys' "Good Oscillations" single and "Pet Sounds" LP, in addition to Sinatra's "That's Existence." Studio focus on Lennon's "Uphold Me," Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen," the Jackson 5's "ABC" and Waits' live album "Nighthawks in the Diner" would follow. Melvoin started creating for TV and film in early '70s and led scores to skeins "Fame" and "MacGyver." He'd a little role within the Robert P Niro-directed "The Great Shepherd" in 2006. Melvoin was the very first active music performer for everyone as topper from the Recording Academy. He received a Grammy nomination in 2003 for his recording of "Any Nothing whatsoever," in addition to lifetime achievement honours in the Buddies of Jazz at UCLA and La Jazz Society. Ongoing the household tradition, Melvoin's twin kids Wendy and Susannah performed and recorded with Prince within the eighties (using the former developing 1 / 2 of the Wendy & Lisa duo), and the boy Jonathan would be a touring person in the Smashing Pumpkins until his dying in 1996. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Paula Deen Won't Change On-Air Cooking Style Much After Diabetes Reveal

On Friday's Spartacus: Vengeance, Gannicus has came back! But what havoc does the prior Champion of Capua wreak within the old gladiator stomping grounds? Don't have a look at Gannicus. Calculates it's Spartacus' males that are behind the finest, baddest arena bloodbath so far. Spartacus and Co. find new digs within an abandoned structure and learn that Rhaskos, Crixus and Oenomaus ought to be carried out. Spartacus surrender to trying in order to save them, even if this means entering an arena full of Romans who had been hunting him. Meanwhile, Gannicus has returned to Capua too as with his mind, becoming Oenomaus' executioner can provide the prior Doctore the glorious, noble gladiator's dying he warrants. That will totally replace sleeping along with his wife before she died! No awkward reunion whatsoever. Discover More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Spartacus

Miscast Roles: The Case For Mark Ruffalo in Rise of the Planet of the Apes

You know this movie, and chances are that you loved this movie -- except for that one role that almost ruined it all. Miscast Roles is where Movieline and its readers swap out those roles to make it right. One of last years surprise critical and commercial darlings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, wowed audiences, stoked many an awards-season debate and revitalized an important science fiction franchise - all while still managing to appeal to moviegoers unfamiliar with the original 1968 film (or that film's 1963 source novel). As chief chimp Caesar, Andy Serkiss performative collaboration with the motion capture geniuses from WETA was a great spectacle, presenting viewers with a gorgeously rendered CGI-animated character. Yet one consistent flaw in Rise left me scratching my head: James Francos weirdly aloof performance as scientist Will Rodman. The film presents Rodman as an Alzheimers disease researcher who claims to have found a cure that necessitates extensive animal testing and, subsequently, brings about a race of intelligent, self-aware chimpanzees, as well as the titular rise of the primate-centered culture in which the rest of the series is based. Imagining Franco as a brilliant researcher even in the best of performances would be, lets face it, a bit of stretch. But add the fact that this character is motivated by a desire to cure his own father of the debilitating effects of the disease in question - not to mention Rodman's somewhat unhealthy attachment to the first subject of his animal tests - and youve got a complex emotional palette that seemed to flat-out confuse Franco. A much better choice for this role would have been the expressive Mark Ruffalo, an actor capable of communicating exactly what was needed of the Rodman character in this story. This is not to say that Franco is a bad actor, far from it. His talents are just misplaced here: Franco is best at lengthening the emotional distance between character and audience, arresting viewers attention through enigma and idiosyncrasy, rather than connecting through direct emotional appeal. He rarely lets the viewer into his head space, and this role really needed someone with whom the audience could immediately connect. Ruffalo, meanwhile, has acted powerfully in two films in particular - You Can Count on Me and Shutter Island - that required exactly the two traits most vital to the Rodman character: a palpable sense of sympathy and an ability to play a straight-man to a more eye-catching lead. Rodmans psychology, hovering between helplessness and an ambitious determination to set things right, was meant to parallel the emotional instability of his primate pal Caesar, as the latter scales from animal behavior up the rungs of human cognitive development. Franco consistently hit the wrong notes in his interaction with Serkiss Caesar, and often left John Lithgow, who played the dementia-stricken father, adrift in scenery chewing overtures. The scenes between father and son didnt work like they couldve, and the potential to cast the conflicting motivations vying for Rodmans attention in terms of Caesars own dual nature went unrealized. In Ruffalos breakthrough role in You Can Count On Me, he showed huge emotional range as the wayward brother to Laura Linneys maternally protective big sister character. You Can Count On Me highlights a young mans floundering crisis of identity, as played out within a family drama. [Clip NSFW] The film is one long assurance by Ruffalos character that, wherever he might wander in the greater world, the bonds of family holding him and his sister together still remain. Sound familiar? Rise of the Planet of the Apes features a strikingly similar theme, though its identity crisis and negotiation of familial loyalty covers an inter-species bond. In You Can Count On Me, Ruffalo plays the Caesar role to Linneys big sister; he is the one breaking out into new territory of self-determination, while its Linney who plays the concerned, yet ultimately quiescent guardian. But Ruffalo reverses that relationship in his mentorship of Linneys young son, played by Kieran Culkin, and there he shows some very strong Rodman-type characteristics. Meanwhile, Ruffalos pensive second fiddle to Leonardo DiCaprios go-for-broke investigator in Shutter Island also fulfills the required qualifications for stepping into the Rodman part. Ruffalo stays in the background of the drama for most of Shutter Island, allowing DiCaprio to serve as a fixed center to the films horrifically shifting sense of reality. The fact that the audience isnt supposed to be looking too closely at Ruffalo ends up being important, given plot developments. Yet when all is revealed, and Ruffalo is finally able to communicate what his watchful, subdued presence in the film actually entails, he shines. Watch Ruffalos eyes in the final scene of Shutter Island in the clip below, and imagine how applying that level of character layering to Will Rodman in Rise of the Planet of the Apes would have benefited the whole production. Nathan Pensky is an associate editor at PopMatters and a contributor at Forbes, among various other outlets. He can be found on Tumblr and Twitter as well.

Greg Grunberg To Co-Star In CBS Greg Malins/Greg Berlanti Comedy Pilot

EXCLUSIVE: It’s The Greg Show! Heroes alum Greg Grunberg remains cast in CBS’ untitled comedy pilot from Greg Berlanti and Greg Malins. The Warner Bros./Berlanti Prods. project, also known as Oh Fuck It’s You, concentrates on Nick, a common womanizer who, after which makes it through any adverse health scare, recognizes that The Primary One he's never found is actually his nearest friend of 15 years, Wendy (JoAnna Garcia). But Wendy is engaged with a guy Nick likes she and Nick own a business together in addition to their work for balance dating attending college will be a disaster. Grunberg may have Wendy’s brother Charlie, beaten lower by existence, insanely acerbic and during the time of the bitter divorce. He visited college with both Wendy and Nick which is Nick’s best guy friend. He was there after they dated, knows just what a horrible couple they were, and alerts Nick in regards to the dangers his confession could bring. The casting stems fro the talent holding deal Grunberg signed with Warner Bros. TV in October. This marks an infrequent entering half-hour comedy for Grunberg, repped by ICM and Variety, who got his break round the WB’s Felicity. His only regular comedy series gig so far was round the 2006 sitcom The Mike Effect.

CBS names new mind of daytime programming

McDanielCBS has promoted Angelica McDaniel to senior veep of daytime, filling the vacancy left by Barbara Bloom's departure within the Eye a year ago. McDaniel will oversee all daytime programming, including soaps "The Youthful as well as the Restless" and "Bold as well as the Beautiful," gameshows "The Price is appropriateInch and "Let's Produce a Deal" and yakker "The Talk." McDaniel remains controlling day-to-day creative matters for "Talk" since joining the interest in August 2010. She reviews to CBS Entertainment prexy Nina Tassler. "Angelica makes invaluable contributions for the launch and success of 'The Talk,' " mentioned Tassler. "Her proper and artistic vision and understanding from the daytime landscape is constantly on the maneuver CBS Daytime inside the right direction as this effective and lucrative day part is constantly evolve." Before CBS, McDaniel will be a creative professional at Telepictures Prods., concentrating on "The Tyra Banks Show" together with other syndie skeins. Blossom left the interest noisy . 2011 after an eight-year run. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Damsels In Distress Trailer Arrives

Deadpan drollery from Whit StillmanWhit Stillman only has made four films within the last 21 years he's such as the Terrence Malick of mannerist comedy. Here though, 14 years on in the Last Times Of Disco, we finally possess a trailer for Damsels In Distress, a college-set saga starring Greta Gerwig, Adam Brody and Analeigh Tipton.The film is nominally about several it-women who set to take their happy stamp on college existence, most famously by arranging tap classes for that potentially suicidal. As with every Stillman's films though, there is a healthy dose of snarky American class satire hiding a little way underneath the surface.When he introduced production, Stillman stated the small budget precluded any 'names' within the cast, consider her stand-out turns such as Greenberg, Nsa, The Dish And Also The Spoon as well as Arthur, that's now sounding a little unfair to Gerwig, who appears like she is the owner of this.Damsels In Distress performed in the BFI London Film Festival last fall, and will get its full United kingdom release on April 27.

eOne's new int'l sales arm can get busy

The Berlinale may be too early for eOne's new London-based worldwide film sales division to unveil a slate of photos within the European Film Market, nonetheless its professionals will be in town to speak with customers in regards to the new direction of the growing sales, financing and distribution activities. Its foreign sales division is quietly marketing a completely new Atom Egoyan pic, "Captive," therefore it expects to unveil at Cannes in May. Pic can be a thriller of a guy looking for his daughter but other plot particulars they're under systems. The business has furthermore hired former Protagonist Pictures sales professional Charlotte now now Van Weede as mind of worldwide sales. Van Weede has furthermore labored at Summit Intl. and Intermedia. In November, eOne introduced it absolutely was shifting its sales division to London in the Toronto base in the move prone to herald a considerable expansion in eOne's sales. Former Icon prexy and Polygram senior V . p . of purchases and biz matters Sally Caplan was hired controlling director. The Toronto team remains headed by professional V . p . Charlotte now now Mickie, who'll still handle sales and distribution of Canadian features including "Wants a Existence," "Keyhole" and "13 Eeri" within the EFM. The business, that's trying to find bigger plus much more mainstream photos, is predicted to bow its slate at Cannes in May. Mickie's team is constantly on the give consideration to Canadian specialist photos, it known. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

Simon Pegg Hates 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace'

I enjoy "The Phantom Menace." I know I'm in a small club of people who don't think the first entry in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy is wholesale trash. And I know it's an unpopular group to be a part of, but I stand by my membership. Sure, the first two hours are pretty much garbage, but then you get duel of the fates! Darth Maul with a double-edged lightsaber! It's so wonderful! But Simon Pegg disagrees. He thinks there's nothing whatsoever to enjoy about "Phantom Menace." In the latest episode of After Hours, he does his best Red Letter Media impression and tears the 1999 "Star Wars" movie to shreds in a quick two-minute assault. It's hard to disagree with him on any of his points, really. But no amount of sense or logic will ever convince me that duel of the fates isn't awesome. Hear all about Pegg's "Phantom Menace" vendetta in this week's After Hours.

VIDEO: Jimmy Fallon Urges Late Night Viewers to Stay Up After Super Bowl

Jimmy Fallon Madonna's halftime performance may have left some viewers cold, but Jimmy Fallon kicked off his late-night show with a rocking number set to Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." Accompanied by Butler University cheerleaders and students, the mayor of Indianapolis , and Colts cheerleaders, Fallon urged viewers not to go to sleep and that the party had only just begun. "Time to start the show, Late Night in Indy ... Let's go, Let's go," he sang. The performance ended with the Roots rapping live on stage where the show was just getting started. Cheers & Jeers: Jimmy Fallon rocks Indy Watch below:

'The Raid' to obtain follow up treatment

Indonesian actioner "The Raid" is returning like a follow up.Producers take presctiption track to start production for the finish of the year in Jakarta with Iko Uwais coming back to star and Gareth Huw Evans to direct. The film is going to be created by Evans through his PT Merantau Films and La-based Abc Films.Producers stated the sequel's tentatively entitled "Berendal" for that Indonesian market along with a "considerably bigger" budget compared to original."The Raid" follows a top-notch SWAT team assigned with raiding an impenetrable safe house deep in the middle of Jakarta's slums. Because the mission rapidly falls apart, the squad finds themselves stranded within the building and playing no choice but to accomplish the mission by fighting their way to avoid it.Piece particulars from the follow up are now being stored under systems. Shooting's likely to take 100 days."The Raid" had its U.S. premiere at Sundance and won the Night time Madness Award following its world premiere in the Toronto Intl. Film Festival in September. It will likewise be playing in the South by Southwest Festival in Austin in March.The new sony Pictures Classics is delivering "The Raid" within the Uniited States on March 23 and Screen Gems is developing an British-language remake which Abc Films can also be creating.Worldwide sales for that follow up are now being handled by Celluloid Bad dreams, the foreign sales partnership between Abc Films and Celluloid Dreams. Pre-sales happen to be going ahead with The new sony Pictures Worldwide Purchases Group obtaining distribution privileges for that U . s . States, Latin America and The country. Alliance/Momentum has pre-bought for that Uk and Canada Koch Media has acquired the film for German speaking areas Korea Screen has pre-bought Korea and HGC has pre-bought China.Follow up is available in the Berlin Film Festival. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

HFPA, DCP dangled kudocast rights to CBS

BerkMoonves The trial inside the rights for the Golden Globes remains by mentioning interpretation from the clause in the contract, but details in the extent that rights for the kudocast were dangled before CBS shown a highlight on Thursday.Neither the HFPA nor its longtime producer, Dick Clark Prods., could formally negotiate with another network until NBC was presented with a use the show after its contract expired carrying out a 2011 show. But on Thursday, former HFPA prexy Philip Berk, wearing a pin in the Globe statuette on his lapel, stated he met CBS Corp. Boss Leslie Moonves for supper within the Four Seasons Hotel about this summer time 14, 2010. Berk mentioned he prefaced their conversation by telling Moonves he was "not at liberty" to go over the certification in the show because of theNBC contract, but he did request Moonves for just about any "ballpark figure" from the products the show was worth. Moonves, Berk mentioned, clarified $25 million-$Thirty Dollars million every year, and "he thought a five-year deal is what CBS may wish to consider.InchBerk mentioned he was asking Moonves "hypothetically" in regards to the cost from the show but mentioned then he thought that it may be "inappropriate to own anymore conversations."Moonves did indeed want the Globes, in excerpts from the video adding carried out in the courtroom, his version of occasions differed in places from that recounted by Berk. Berk mentioned Moonves began the meeting, while Moonves mentioned it came at Berk's request.Moonves also mentioned that whenever Berk asked for him for just about any "ballpark number," he mentioned he'd go back to him. Berk, Moonves mentioned, referred to as a couple of days later to acquire a number and handled to obtain apparent that there's "time pressure" to acquire one. A Couple Of days next, "I gave him several that individuals needed to cover this, and there's probably room to see,In . he mentioned.While Moonves mentioned he considered it an "opening offer," "I wouldn't think of it as funds. He was asking me exactly what it was worth."HFPA punished Dick Clark Prods., its longtime producer, in November 2010, proclaiming it restored a rights agreement with NBC without first getting its approval. But DCP states it absolutely was allowed to get this done because of an "extensions" clause in the 1993 pact creating options to create the show as extended as it might land a deal with NBC.According to Moonves, lately another figure was hinting within the ease of access towards the ceremony: Mark Shapiro, in charge of DCP, which produces the Academy of recent Bands Honours on CBS. Moonves mentioned that in "no less than 50% in the conversations" he'd with Shapiro, the potential for the show becoming available to CBS emerged. "There has been occasions where he'd say, 'I would rather it's you than them,' " mentioning to NBC, Moonves appreciated. But he suggested he didn't take this kind of remark seriously, calling it the "common language" of settling techniques."I wouldn't be blown away if he spoken to ABC or Fox, however CEOs aren't being deposed," mentioned Moonves, triggering laughs inside the courtroom.All through the spring and summer season of 2010, the HFPA and DCP will be in discussions about refreshing their deal -- a thing that may have resolved the disputed interpretation in the "extensions" clause -- nonetheless they could never acquire a contract.At some point this season, Moonves mentioned, Shapiro "offhandedly stated they have to execute a deal with NBC, 'and you understand why.' ""It absolutely was a type of apology, that was my interpretation, after dangling it front people for quite some time,Inch Moonves mentioned.It's uncertain the quantity of an problem the battling inside the Globes would be to U.S. District Judge Howard Matz, who's presiding around the bench trial.The HFPA argues that it's people were not told in regards to the "extensions" clause inside a key Sept. 22, 2010, winding up in senior DCP professionals, suggesting that even DCP did not interpret it by doing this in individuals days.But lawyers for Dick Clark Prods. are actually trying to show that individuals didn't even see the contract in those days, even when DCP's Francis LaMaina left it to enable them to peruse. Inside their study of HFPA people, DCP's lawyers offer layed out divisions among HFPA people and instances where the org's own bylaws were not adopted. For instance, a 1987 agreement with DCP was signed only with the HFPA's leader, even though the bylaws demand the best choice as well as the treasurer to sign pacts.Due to the stakes that have been associated with a 1993 pact to return the Globes to broadcast TV, DCP attorney Bradley Phillips asked for Berk whether he requested a replica of the contract to examine it, even though he wasn't that point on the board. "No, because I haven't really been considering contracts," Berk mentioned, adding he needed it an "bit of belief" the best choice as well as the board in individuals days "socialized inside our needs.Inch Contact Ted Manley at ted.manley@variety.com

Supporting actor analysis

KENNETH BRANAGH "My Week With Marilyn" Why he'll win: He shows Laurence Olivier! With his crisp, verbal delivery and powerful physicality, he is doing so quite credibly, adding some needed energy towards the film. Playing his fellow Shakespeare enthusiast assigned a powerful year that incorporated helming in a commercial sense effective comicbook adaptation "Thor."Not: Olivier never won an Oscar outdoors of two honorary honours, why should Branagh? He's been nominated five occasions now, but his operate in "Marilyn" was largely overshadowed through the actress playing the title character.Critic's quote: "Branagh is becoming jowly in middle age, but his looks are passably near to Olivier's. He's mastered Olivier's stylishly phrased, caressing graciousness and the indignant bellow," states David Denby, NYer.JONAH HILL "Moneyball" Why he'll win: Could attract more youthful voters since he's the only real nominee here younger than 50. Hill's "Moneyball" acting, and recently trimmed lower physique, was revelatory to a lot of who only understood him in the R-ranked comedies created using Judd Apatow's troupe.Not: Comic stars rarely win Academy awards. A lot of Hill's operate in the film originates from watching and responding even though his timing is ideal, it isn't the type of role that generally wins an Academy Award.Critic's quote: "Hill's at his most comically froglike here and 'Moneyball' plays his presence within the holy sanctum from the scouts' office for optimum clumsiness. He's the accountant within the boxing ring," states Ty Burr, Boston Globe.NICK NOLTE "Warrior" Why he'll win: Hollywood survivor taking pleasure in a welcome career revival at age 70 because of his raw depiction of the alcoholic father attempting to heal old wounds. Profile presently increased with ongoing role in HBO's significantly famous racetrack series, "Luck."Not: "Warrior" were built with a disappointing commercial run, and it is violent MMA fighting moments could make it an unlikely screener option for older Academy people. Some voters might be inclined to allow Emmy alternatives reward him come fall.Critic's quote: "Nolte is pitch-perfect because the recuperating alcoholic father. He alternates between gruff and pathetic, even though we're feeling for that sons he wounded psychologically, we sense his lonely anguish," states Claudia Puig, USA Today.CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER "Beginners" Why he'll win: To begin with, he's won virtually every precursor prior to the Academy awards. Plus there is the job itself, a elegant and dignified turn that feels as though a wonderful cap to some distinguished career which has not yet been compensated through the Academy.Not: Von Sydow and Nolte split the senior election? A lot of Academy people instructed to endure repeated viewings of "The Seem of Music" by their large siblings? It's difficult to create a situation how Plummer does not reach the podium.Critic's quote: "Is Plummer missing along the top of guy? Not. He's representing, with brilliant empathy, a guy elated to become missing across the the surface of his existence -- a surface which he'd never been allowed to tread," states David Edelstein, NY Magazine.MAX VON SYDOW "Very Noisy & Incredibly Close" Why he'll win: Required what might have been a gimmicky role -- a mute guy who conveys exclusively with the words "yes" and "no" inked on his palms -- and ingrained it (and also the movie) some much-needed gravitas. He's 82. He labored with Bergman and performed chess with Dying. The number of more chances is he going to have?Not: Rival Plummer can also be 82. And also the year's other nominated quiet entertainers -- Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo from "The Artist" -- may have moderate the individuality of his work.Critic's quote: "Briefly, because of von Sydow's fantastically evocative work (speaking volumes dumbfounded), the storyline manages to lose its artifice and comes vibrantly alive," states Ron Groen, Toronto Globe and Mail.Eye around the Academy awards: The Actor & The ActressNewbies shock 'n' roll And also the nominees are: Best Actress Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com