Oscar-Nom Films Still Slumping; Here's Why

Slumdog , Benjamin Button , Milk join Reader and Frost/Nixon in best-picture fight

(NEWSER) - The countdown begins to Hollywood's night of nights, with big guns that "are easier to admire and respect than to love" competing for top honors, writes David Gritten in the Daily Mail. No doubt the tabloids are hoping for a Brangelina sweep of the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. Will underdog fave Slumdog Millionaire nab Best Film? Click the image to view a slideshow of the nominated actors; to view trailers of the best-picture nominees, click "video." More»

Broadcast's ratings decline isn't helped by snub to Dark Knight

(NEWSER) - Producers of the Academy Awards are scrambling to add twists to a broadcast whose ratings decline won’t be helped by the lack of a blockbuster among the best-picture nominees, the New York Times reports. With the five nominees totaling less than half the box office of snubbed Dark Knight, sources say there’ll be more features aimed directly at the viewing audience. More»

Benjamin Button, Slumdog lead the pack

(NEWSER) - Exactly a year after his death, Heath Ledger has been nominated for an Academy Award, AP reports. Ledger's Supporting Actor nod was the only nom for The Dark Knight, while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire rose to the top with 13 and 10 nominations respectively. Other nominees:

• Best Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon; Gus Van Sant, Milk; Stephen Daldry, The Reader; Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Couple separated, plan 'joint parenting'

(NEWSER) - Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes have separated, ending a nearly 7-year marriage. They "are saddened to announce that they separated earlier this year," they said through their lawyers. "The split is entirely amicable and is by mutual agreement. Both parties are fully committed to the future joint parenting of their children." The Oscar winners have a son, and Winslet has a daughter from a previous marriage, People notes. More»

The iPod, Guitar Hero, Twitter—and some serious moments, too

(NEWSER) - From the tragic (World Trade Center attacks, Hurricane Katrina) to the seemingly trivial (Stephen Fry's first Tweet), the Telegraph lists the top 100 defining cultural moments of the decade so far:

• April 2000: Metallica sues music-sharing service Napster.
• October 2001: The iPod is released.
• February 2003: Sacha Baron Cohen hits America.
• March 2003: Michael Moore slams President Bush at the Oscars.
• February 2005: YouTube is created.