It’s billed as Hollywood’s biggest party, and many people think of the Golden Globe Awards show as just another way that Tinseltown’s collective ego gets a good stroking.

But, contrary to what is likely popular belief, Hollywood does have a heart — sometimes. And the Hollywood Foreign Press Association annually proves it when they give some of the money they earn from putting on the Golden Globe Awards to film schools and other non-profit groups.

On Tuesday, the HFPA said it is giving away 1.249 million to 29 schools and other groups, adding to the roughly $10.5 million it has given away over the past 15 years. A list of grants can be found at it’s website, www.goldenglobes.org.

(Writing and reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis)

 When a camera caught “The Wrestler” director Darren Aronofsky jokingly making an obscene gesture on the Golden Globes telecast on NBC, as the star of his movie ribbed him from on-stage, viewers on the East Coast of the United States saw it live.
    
The Parents Television Council saw it too, and now they’re seeing red.
    
Tim Winter, president of the council, said in a statement that the middle finger given by Aronofsky to actor Mickey Rourke is “yet another example of arrogant behavior by some who seem intoxicated by being controversial, rather than eager to celebrate with the viewing audience some of the best artistic performances of the year.”
    
NBC declined to comment on the PTC criticism, and a representative for Aronofsky was not immediately available.
    
During the Sunday night broadcast, viewers on the West Coast did not see Aronofsky’s gesture because the telecast was blacked out for those two seconds. NBC could black out that portion of the show for West Coast viewers because for them it was playing on a tape delay, unlike on the East Coast where it was carried live.
    
In another controversial moment on the show, “Slumdog Millionaire” producer Christian Colson said an obscenity on stage at the end of his acceptance speech, but the audio was dropped and viewers did not hear it.
    
Winter credited NBC with eliminating some of the graphic profanity from the show. But he also said that, given the show’s content, it should not have had a rating designating the program safe for children.

It’s that time of year again. Right about now the British media is either wringing its hands in despair over the state of UK cinema or blowing its trumpet loudly in praise of its prodigious acting and directing talent as the movie awards season gets underway.

Kicking things off was the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, and, judging by reaction on this side of the pond, we could re-name it the “Golden Gloats”. True, Brits and their films did fare pretty well this year, but I wonder if it’s not better to hold off until the big one — the Oscars.

Kate Winslet grabbed most of the headlines, winning both best actress in a drama for “Revolutionary Road” and best supporting actress for “The Reader”. While British journalists were clearly happy at her success, she was not spared some acerbic asides for what was seen as a gushing, very un-stiff-upper-lippish performance on stage.

The 33-year-old, the Telegraph wrote, “turned on the Hollywood histrionics and delivered a masterclass in stealing the show, joining the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Sally Field in the annals of over-the-top thank yous.” It also noted how she briefly, but rather embarrassingly, forgot the name of co-nominee Angelina Jolie.

And then there was “Slumdog Millionaire”, directed by Brit Danny Boyle who picked up the best director prize. His film was the big winner on the night with four prizes, including best drama. Sally Hawkins was named best actress in a comedy or musical for “Happy-Go-Lucky”.

“Slumdog Millionaire” walked away with four Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night, including best film drama, setting it on a solid path to Oscar glory. But there is still a long way to go. It was only three years ago that “Crash” was shut out of many Golden Globe nominations, but it made a comeback at the Screen Actors Guild awards and went on to claim that year’s best picture Oscar.

Why? One reason is because actors make up the biggest branch of voters at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and they loved “Crash.”

Will the same thing happen this year.? Can movies like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” or “Frost/Nixon” or “The Wrestler” make a comeback? Oscar nominations are due at the Academy on Monday, Jan. 12. On Jan. 22, when Oscar noms are handed out, we will see.

But for now, we’re curious about our readers’ choices for  best film, actors and actresses. Sure, “Slumdog” was the top dog on Sunday night, but will it be best in show at the Oscars? Tell us your favorites.

The Golden Globes were back this year, and no one was more excited than the stars themselves, who celebrated by walking down the red carpet in all their finest. But whose primping and preening paid off the most? And who fell horribly flat?

US Weekly Fashion Director Sasha Charnin Morrison listed Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie as two of her favorites, saying Marisa Tomei and Renee Zellweger’s looks were “clunkers.” Meanwhile, style expert Michael O’Connor said his top choices were Eva Mendes and Drew Barrymore.

But what did you think? Check out some of the looks below and let us know.

    Angelina Jolie in Versace

 Drew Barrymore in Galliano

Marisa Tomei in Oscar de la Renta

                                                                            Eva Mendes in Dior

Anne Hathaway in Armani

 Renee Zellweger in Carolina Herrera

(Writing and reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis) 

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association had to explain itself when the Web site for the association’s Golden Globe Awards briefly indicated that “Rachel Getting Married” star Anne Hathaway had won a best actress award.
    
The mix-up happened on Thursday, when a star appeared on the site next to Hathaway’s name under a list of actresses nominated for best performance in a drama movie. But not so fast – the awards show does not happen until Sunday. Ooops! 
    
“In the process of preparing for Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Web team inadvertently marked a nominee as a winner,” a statement at GoldenGlobes.org says. “The mistake was immediately corrected.”  
    
The other nominees are Angelina Jolie for “Changeling,” Meryl Streep for “Doubt,” Kristin Scott Thomas for “I’ve Loved You So Long” and Kate Winslet for “Revolutionary Road.”
    
Hathaway, 26, became a major star with the 2001 movie “The Princess Diaries,” a Disney movie aimed at young girls. She has matured in roles since then and she plays a drug addict with haunting past in “Rachel Getting Married.”
    
On Thursday night, Hathaway and Streep shared their combined best actress win at the Critics’ Choice Awards. And the slip-up does make one wonder whether the HFPA tipped its voters’ hand, or if the other Golden Globe nominees have a chance. Thoughts?

Hollywood’s movie awards season got seriously underway with the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday. But have those who pick the best movies and actors of the year got it right?

Some pundits are already crying foul over the absence of Australian actress Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt’s co-star in ”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”,  from the Golden Globe contenders, not to mention the fact that the San Francisco gay drama “Milk” got just one nomination, for actor Sean Penn.

And how about “The Dark Knight” –  the biggest box office success of the year — which picked up a single nomination for the late, beloved actor Heath Ledger but came away empty-handed otherwise?.

Since several of the movies, including “Benjamin Button” and “Revolutionary Road” haven’t been released in theaters yet (awards voters get sneak previews of those arriving at the end of the year), it’s hard for regular movie goers to make a fair assessment at this stage of the game.

This year’s list of Golden Globe nominees is top-heavy with A-list stars. Everyone from Brad and Angelina to Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway will likely be walking the red carpet when the awards are handed out on January 11.

But who do you think got unfairly shut out,  and which nominations were most surprising? Most importantly who deserves to win the top Golden Globes, or Oscars, for 2008?