Character actor Ernest Borgnine will be honored with the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2011.  Oscar winner Borgnine will be the 47th star to receive this SAG award.

A statement from SAG reads:

Whether portraying brutish villains, sympathetic everymen, complex leaders or hapless heroes, Ernest Borgnine has brought a boundless energy which, at 93, is still a hallmark of his remarkably busy life and career. It is with that same joyous spirit that we salute his impressive body of work and his steadfast generosity,” SAG president Ken Howard said. It is with that same joyous spirit that we salute his impressive body of work and his steadfast generosity.

Borgnine career has spanned nearly six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty. On television, he is best known for playing Quinton McHale in the 1962-66 series McHale’s Navy, costaring in the mid-1980s action series Airwolf, and voicing the character Mermaid Man in the animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants. Borgnine earned an Emmy nomination at age 92 for his work on the series ER.

Borgnine will receive his SAG Lifetime Achievement Award in a live telecast January 30, 2011.

Toronto International Film Festival brings heavyweight fare (and some of their old faves) to mark it’s 35th year . Old favorite 2002 cult comedy Fubar comes back to TIFF in a sequel. Canadian director, Michael Dowse and his comedy ‘Fubar II’ opens TIFF Midnight Madness 2010 with 6 films of the 10 nights coming from the USA.

The Butcher, The Chef And The Swordsman

Wu Ershan directs a story is about a butcher in a brothel who is in love with a courtesan. When he suffers a humiliating rejection, he decides to become a swordsman and wanders around the city of Jianghu bringing the hurt. Its a martial-arts comedy called, ‘The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman‘ and is the first film from mainland China to ever have a world premiere at TIFFs Midnight Madness.

Dante Lam brings his explosive urban action flick ‘Fire of Conscience‘ to close Midnight Madness. To purchase tickets online please click here.

Special Presentation and Galas at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is code for ‘high profile’ films. Among them are: Philip Seymour Hoffman with his first directorial effort the unconventional set in new York city romantic dramedy ‘Jack Goes Boating‘. Other special presentation premieres are:

Dan Rush’s ‘Everything Must Go’, starring Will Ferrell as a motivational speaker who turns a lawn sale into a new life strategy. Closing the London Film Festival on Thursday October 28 is Danny Boyle’s new movie, ‘127 Hours’ starring Golden Globe winner James Franco (Milk) as mountain climber Aron Ralston. Danny Boyle brought us hits ‘28 Weeks Later’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

Ralson, an American mountain climber became famous in 2003, when he was forced to amputate his lower right arm with a dull knife in order to free himself after his arm became trapped by a boulder for 5 days with no help in sight.

Just announced to close the New York Film Festival is Clint Eastwood’s morality tale ‘Hereafter’ (Matt Damon, Cecile De France, Derek Jacobi) will also be at TIFF, as well as Matt Reeves’ ‘Let Me In’, based on the acclaimed Swedish novel and film ‘Let The Right One In’. Can any film match up to the Norwegian masterpiece by Tomas Alfredson and writer of both novel and screenplay John Ajvide Lindqvist’s original? I think it’s an impossible task. See the trailer here and tell me what you think.

Casey Affleck brings his much awaited doc ‘I’m Still Here‘, that follows actor Joaquin Phoenix in his pursuit of a hip-hop career. You do remember Joaquin’s Andy Kaufman-like David Letterman appearance don’t you…?

Also programmed is Benoit Jacquot’s 1865-set vagabond tale ‘Deep In The Woods’, Milcho Manchevski’s investigative chiller ‘Mothers’, Christ Kraus’ World War 1-era family drama ‘The Poll Diaries’ and 2008 GLBT voice of the year, Oscar winning screenwriter (Milk) Dustin Lance Black and his small-town psychological film ‘What’s Wrong With Virginia’.

The 35th International Toronto International Film Festival runs September 09-19, 2010. To purchase tickets online please click here.

Some 7000 rabid ‘Man Men’ fans got their long awaited fix in Times Square on Sunday at the Season 4 launch party hosted by January Jones and Elisabeth Moss.

A huge cake was wheeled out and January Jones (Betty Draper nee Francis) led the crowd in a surprise rendition of Happy Birthday for Elisabeth Moss who plays ‘Peggy Olson’.

Many fans dressed in Mad men’ period costume that were judged by a panel of fashionistas who looked for authenticity and ‘Mad-ittude’. Adding to the fun was a last man standing Mad Men trivia game and ‘cigarette girls‘ roaming the crowd with Lucky Strike’s (Don Draper’s brand) and nostalgic candy treats.

The ‘Mad Men’ Season 4 launch party also included a Season 3 re-cap and screening of the Mad Men Rules.

Mad Men season 4 premiere aired Sunday July 25. If you need to catch up, Season 4 started with the dark and bitchy “Public Relations” which you can see right here.

The complete schedule for this season is online at the AMC website. Don’t forget, every Sunday 10/9 PM, on AMC. Get your ‘Mad-ittude’ on…

Sidebar: Fun Brylcreem Ad circa 1950s – View Here

As an early response to petty violence, preventative measures were taken to discontinue a large section of public transit Saturday in Toronto, Ontario’ due to the G20 Summit.

Toronto the Good...?

There was no choice but to walk home Saturday amidst helicopters, bike cops, riot police and smoke filled skies. It was a repulsive and unnerving experience.

I texted my fella to tell him what I was witnessing on my way home. Both of us put in our texts: “Stay in Contact”. Both of us forgot to sign off: “I Love You”. My Blackberry was low on battery power. I felt anxious.

Minutes later I got a text from my fella again who had been home sick for the last 5 days. I thought he wanted me to pick something up for him on the way home.

He explained there was a cooler left in front of the Royal Theater and that that there was a bomb squad directly across the street from our home.

Then suddenly, no more texts. As someone who’s had a long-time love affair with New York City, I’m one of those people that has not fully gotten over 9/11. I panicked and I almost broke my ankle busting into a run until I received another text.

I tried all Sunday to unwind to escape from the senseless violence, thuggery and poor choices made by all in the air and on the ground.

I walked in a direction away from the mayhem. While out, I observed and overheard a scruffy type dude ask some other folks ‘where the riots were, so he could “maybe get on TV”.

I went back home feeling uneasy. I arranged spices in my kitchen cupboards, did laundry, made dinner, watched ‘The Hangover‘, ‘True Blood‘ and ‘Entourage‘. I wasn’t that successful in creating the diversion I was seeking. Even though I have a very early Monday morning, it’s 1:20AM and I’m still wide awake…

Toronto wasted almost a billion dollars on the G20, that could have gone to social and mentoring programs, summer camps, education, better transit, food banks, more bike and rollerblade paths, creative expression. I have no idea where this money really went. Do you..?

Faux police cars set up as burn traps to create sensationalist photo-ops. Thrill seekers taking videos and pictures. The vandalism in a major retail core. The loss of business in adjoining neigborhoods such as Queen Street and College Street. The Black Bloc and their misdirected wannabes.

When you understand that the holding cells  for anyone arrested during the G20 is a defunct film studio you think to yourself – This is a joke. But, today -  no one is laughing.

After trying to scrub my brain and make some sense of how everything got so out of hand, I’m still, in a word Toronto -
DISGUSTED…

With the political statement made by Mo’Nique at the Oscars during her acceptance speech, the story below about Gabourey Sidibe is not a huge surprise to me. We’re not saying the two ladies are the same, we’re saying there seems to be an attitude attached to certain stars of the film ‘Precious’.

Washington Post writer Jonathan Capehart Article is below. Read on…(and thank you for writing it)

‘Precious’ little time — or grace — for fans

It’s always a let-down when folks you’ve admired or respected from afar turn out to be jerks in person. Case in point: Gabourey Sidibe, the Oscar-nominated actress in the title role of “Precious.”

Y’all know how much I loved the powerful film from director Lee Daniels about an obese New York City teenager enduring unspeakable abuse at the hands of her parents. After Oscar night, I wrote, “I was rooting for Gabourey Sidibe for best actress. But the moment edgy comedienne Mo’Nique won the Oscar for supporting actress, I knew that the divine Sidibe was toast.” But after meeting Sidibe at the White House Correspondents dinner and hearing about others’ negative encounters with her, I’m putting down my pompoms.

I was thrilled to spot her at a table laughing uproariously with the man sitting to her right. “I know you’re having a good time and I’m sorry to interrupt,” I began. My next sentence didn’t come out because Sidibe shouted over the din, “Yeah, come back in five minutes!” Thinking she was joking, I laughed and pretended to walk away. When I noticed that the look in her eyes meant she was serious, I walked back to her and said, “I just wanted to congratulate you on your nomination. I thought your performance was spectacular. I even wrote a column about it.” After wishing her good luck, I rejoined my friends.

Back at the table, I sheepishly related the incident to my colleague Jo-Ann Armao. “Oh! She’s horrible,” Armao said in her wonderfully blunt way. She told me that she saw Sidibe at the pre-cocktails and told her that she’d seen “Precious” three times (an amazing emotional feat that only adds to my awe of Armao) and that she thought Sidibe’s performance was “incandescent.” What was Sidibe’s response? “I guess I should say, ‘Thank you.’”

At the MSNBC after party, the partner of a “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” producer said to me, “Look! There’s Gabby Sidibe. I’m going to ask her to take a picture with me.” I warned him, “She’s mean.” To which he said, “I don’t care. I just want a picture.” I didn’t see what went down, but the dejected fan came back and said incredulously, “She said no.” No doubt the constant interruptions and jostling are bothersome. Her ever-shrinking zone of privacy must be irksome, too. And there’s no law that says Sidibe has to show grace to her fans or appreciation for their kind words. But a true star would.

At a dinner for the BET Honors back in January here in Washington, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Oscar-nominated actress and singer Queen Latifah. To be honest, I expected to get the Sidibe treatment. Instead, Latifah was as interesting as she was interested. She greeted fans who came over with a smile and warmth that made people happy they worked up the courage just to say hello. Latifah knows that without fans she has no career. Sidibe’s behavior shows she has yet to learn that.

The West-coast feed of SNL ended 10 minutes ago and I’m still chuckling. Betty White hosting ‘Saturday Night Live‘ was hands down worth the wait.

White got to SNL after David Mathews got 511,438 FaceBook fans to beg and plead to get her on after her saucy turn in a SuperBowl Snickers commercial with Abe Vigoda. White thanked Facebook during her opening monologue.

“When I first heard about the campaign to get me to host ‘Saturday Night Live,’ I didn’t know what Facebook was,” said White. “In our day we had a ‘PhoneBook’, but no one wasted an afternoon on it…”.

SNL was promoted as  a special Mother’s Day show, with a decidedly feminine skewed sketch line-up with extra help from female alums such as Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon who, except for Dratch are all mothers.

From McGruber’s well-meaning but castrating grandmother to Anna Gasteyer and Molly Shannon’s “muffin queen’ Florence Dusty on an installment of their NPR nod, the ‘Delicious Dish, to David Caruso’s crime investigator – Aunt in a CSI spin-off, 88 1/2 year-old Betty White took the SNL cast to Comedy School and showed them what happens to a punch line when you have 60 years in the business to draw on.

The laughs were too numerous to mention but some of the lines were instant classics, such as White as a prison home girl spewing the line “The Wonderful Wizard of Ass” or As Florence Dusty – “My muffin hasn’t had a cherry since 1939″

Tonight on SNL, Betty White was in a word – “Golden“…