Vampires and teen angst. It's a combination I've grown to love over the last few years. And yet, despite being filled with an abundance of both, this season's smash hit Twilight wasn't a movie that managed to draw me to the box office.

However, the news that About a Boy and Golden Compass director Chris Weitz has been tapped to direct the film's sequel New Moon at least has me a bit more interested. Weitz has managed adapt a couple books with varying degrees of success in the past, while recently-fired director Catherine Hardwicke has less-than-stellar history.

Weitz' adaption of Nick Hornby's novel About A Boy managed to maintain the source material's basic charm while staying true to the characters, and though the God-destroying odyssey Golden Compass wasn't the success it could have been - or, more to the point, that The Chronicles of Narnia was - I am hopeful that Weitz will be able to translate whatever people love about Stephenie Meyer's series to the silver screen.

The Golden Globe nominations were announced earlier this morning, and there are definitely some surprises and disappointments. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has always been known to throw in some curve balls now and then, but of course there's always going to be some controversy over nominations when motion pictures and television shows are divided into drama or comedy/musical classifications. Also, despite much of the Academy Awards speculation coming from who was honored at the Golden Globes, it's important to note that the HFPA has about 90 members who disseminate information about movies and television to the world through their various publications throughout the world. These are the members who vote on the Golden Globes and because of this The New York Times comments that the HFPA, "functions like an exclusive club, admitting a maximum of five new members a year, though more often...accepting only one. Any single member may object to a new member, making it extremely difficult to join."

Unfortunately I can't weigh on much of the bigger nominees for now since many of the awards contenders haven't made their way to our neck of the woods here in Indiana, but as time goes on we will certainly have reviews and commentary on awards season and a growing amount of firsthand knowledge on these praised films, and as the awards themselves draw closer, predictions will most certainly be made. There may be an incoming write-up from myself and our resident TV guru, Harry Nelson venting/praising about the nominations that we can competently comment on, but that's in the future.

For now, we'll just let you soak them in. The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards will take place on Sunday, January 11th, 2009 and will air live on NBC at 8 PM EST.

Motion Picture Nominations

Best Motion Picture (Drama)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Burn After Reading
In Bruges
Happy-Go-Lucky
Mamma Mia
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Best Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Steven Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road

Best Actor (Drama)
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Actress (Drama)
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Best Original Song
"Down to Earth" -- WALL-E
"Gran Torino" - Gran Torino
"I Thought I Lost You" -- Bolt
"Once in a Lifetime" -- Cadillac Records
"The Wrestler" -- The Wrestler

Best Original Score
Defiance
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Changeling

Best Animated Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Everlasting Moments
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Waltz with Bashir

Best Actor - Musical or Comedy
Javier Bardem -- Vicki Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
James Franco -- Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman - Last Chance Harvey

Best Actress - Musical or Comedy
Rebecca Hall - Vicki Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Best Screenplay
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare - The Reader
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt

Television Nominations

Best Television Drama
Dexter
House
In Treatment
Mad Men
True Blood

Best Actor - Television Drama
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

Best Actress - Television Drama
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
January Jones, Mad Men
Anna Paquin, True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Television Musical/Comedy
30 Rock
Californication
Entourage
The Office
Weeds

Best Actor - Television Musical/Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Kevin Connolly, Entourage
David Duchovny, Californication
Tony Shalhoub, Monk

Best Actress - Television Musical/Comedy
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Best Mini-Series - Television
A Raisin in the Sun
Bernard and Doris
Cranford
John Adams
Recount

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture - Television
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris
Paul Giamatti, John Adams
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption
Tom Wilkinson, Recount

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture - Television
Judi Dench, Cranford
Catherine Keener, An American Crime
Laura Linney, John Adams
Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris

Best Supporting Actor - Television
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Denis Leary, Recount
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Blair Underwood, In Treatment
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams

Best Supporting Actress - Television
Eileen Atkins, Cranford
Laura Dern, Recount
Melissa George, In Treatment
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

The Black List was released today. No not the list of suspected members of the Communist party who had their careers ruined by the invasive and presumptive actions of the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HOLLYWOOD HISTORY HUZZAH!!). This list is a bit more fun and uplifting.

This Black List is actually a compiled list of the most praised screenplays as voted on by 250 film executives and high level assistants. However, the catch is that the list is of only unproduced screenplays written in or somehow associated with the current year (However some of these are heading into production). This practice became a phenomenon two years ago when a young executive at Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way asked 90+ of his peers to send him their 10 favorite new unproduced screenplays to read over the holidays. The list got e-mailed around and became an industry staple at the end of the year. But it's important to note that everyone who talks about the Black List emphasizes that this is not a Best-Of list but rather a most-liked.

What follows is the top ten briefly summarized by Entertainment Weekly. For the full list check out Nikki Finke's posting at Deadline Hollywood.

1. The Beaver by Kyle Killen
It’s About: Walter Black, a depressed toy manufacturer, loses his family and his business. But then Walter tries on a hand puppet—a chatty British rodent called "The Beaver"—and his personality is transformed. It’s all good at first, but things turn ugly when the puppet won’t let go. It’s Like: Liar Liar fused with the horror movie Magic. Status: Steve Carell is attached to play Walter.

2. The Oranges by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer
It’s About: Two New Jersey families are thrown into comic turmoil when the prodigal daughter returns for Christmas and falls in love with her parents’ best friend. It’s Like: The Graduate engaged to Meet the Parents. Status: Anthony Bregman (Thumbsucker) and MRC will produce. Julian Farino (Entourage) is negotiating to direct.

3. Butter by Jason Micallef
It’s About: Destiny, a black foster child, faces off against Iowa’s reigning dairy diva, the beautiful but venal Laura Pickler, in an epic butter-carving competition for the ages. It’s Like: Election swirled with Best in Show. Status: Jennifer Garner is in talks to play Laura, while DreamWorks is in early negotiations for the project.

4. Big Hole by Michael Gilio
It’s About: Lee, an old, grumpy ex-cowboy, loses $30,000 to a fraudulent sweepstakes company and sets out to punish those responsible. Lee’s son, the local sheriff, is charged with stopping him. It’s Like: Falling Down splattered with No Country for Old Men. Status: Project is set up with Aversano Films (Failure to Launch).

5. The Low Dweller by Brad Ingelsby
It’s About: Charlie "Slim" Hendrick, a don’t-eff-with-me ex-con, returns home to find that his sweetie has moved on and his bitter brother has gambling debts. When a disfigured, dog-loving thug beats his sibling to death, Slim seeks vengeance. It’s Like: Unforgiven, only less geriatric. And much less forgiving. Status: Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Tony and Ridley Scott will co-produce.

6. F***buddies by Liz Meriwether
It’s About: Emma and Adam have the best relationship ever! They’re twentysomething pals who, you know, do it. A lot. But then Adam goes and falls in love with Emma and ruins everything. Can their perfect non-union survive? It’s Like: When Harry Met Sally… for the Juno generation. Status: Ivan Reitman’s company is developing it.

7. Winter’s Discontent by Paul Fruchbom
It’s About: After the death of his wife of more than 50 years, irrepressible horndog Herb Winter sets out, at age 75, to find sexual fulfillment with another woman. Or, if possible, several. It’s Like: Superbad set in a retirement community. Status: The film is set up at Sony. No director or star is attached.

8. Broken City by Brian Tucker
It’s About: The New York mayor asks private eye Billy Taggart to find out if the mayor’s wife is cheating on him. She is, with the campaign director of the mayor’s political rival, no less, who soon turns up dead. Did Billy’s investigation lead to murder? It’s Like: A modern L.A. Confidential peppered with Glengarry Glen Ross patois. Status: Being developed by the producing team behind Juno.

9. I’m With Cancer by Will Reiser
It’s About: Adam, a 25-year-old single Jewish dude, is diagnosed with spinal cancer. Hilarity ensues. Seriously. It’s Like: The 40 Year-Old Virgin with chemo. Status: Seth Rogen will produce and has signed on to play Adam’s best bud.

10. Our Brand Is Crisis by Peter Straughan
It’s About: A team of American political operatives moves to Bolivia to take on a flailing presidential campaign. Loosely based on the 2006 documentary of the same name. It’s Like: Primary Colors picked The Motorcycle Diaries as a running mate. Status: George Clooney’s company will produce it.

After months of delaying, and years of speculation and buzz, we may be finally (FINALLY!) be getting the Ghostbusters video game that everyone seems to want so badly. And if it wasn't exciting enough that Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stanz), Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddmore) were all back reprising their roles, this trailer for Ghostbusters: The Video Game oughta do it for you. Hell, even William Atherton is back as slimy Environmental Protection Agent, Walter Peck ("This man has no penis.") and Annie Potts as the Ghostbusters' secretary Janine.

The trailer (see below) gives us a bunch of cutscenes, but no gameplay footage yet. However, it really feels like they captured the tone of Ghostbusters, and hopefully the game will be nearly as fun as having real proton packs (Hurry up, FUTURE!) We'll find out soon enough as long as the game sticks to the not-so-specific release window of June 2009.

The newest trailer for Terminator Salvation is available now for exclusive high resolution enjoyment over at Apple's Official Terminator Salvation trailer page

Despite every bone in my body hating the epic fail force that is McG, I can't help but get excited for this one. Christian Bale hasn't made a bad choice in a project yet, and this feels like a real follow-up to Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

With Dreamworks pushing back of The Soloist, which would have brought two very strong Oscar contending performances to the table from Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr, it looks like the studio is now pushing for Downey in the Best Supporting Actor category, albeit with a little bit of viral marketing for Downey's character, Kirk Lazarus, from Tropic Thunder. Clever for sure, and while his performance was surely one of the highlights, is it Oscar worthy?

A larger version of this advertisement, and two television spots promoting the award campaign can be found over at /Film