Best Actor Borat?

I guess there's a reason the awards season is often considered synonymous with the silly season.

In the catetory of Best Actor, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. managed to come up with a tie. Even better, it's between Forest Whitaker's searing performance as Idi Amin and ... Borat?

Yes, Borat. Now, I'm all for comedic performances getting recognition, and "Borat" was certainly one of the funniest movies I've seen this year, but I'm not sure I could bring myself to vote for Sacha Baron Cohen as the best actor of 2006. In the category of comedy, I'd opt for Aaron Eckhart in "Thank You For Smoking" first anyway. What do you think?

Borat at the Oscars, anyway, would be a blast.

In it's other nods, LA critics added to the Eastwood express, annointing "Letters from Iwo Jima" as best picture, with "The Queen" as runner-up. Frears' fine flick took home four awards: Best actress Helen Mirren (huzzah!), best supporting actor Michael Sheen, best screenwriter Peter Morgan and best music for Alexandre Desplat.

AFI's 10 Best

A more prestigious, albeit somewhat odd, list comes from the American Film Institute as it unveils its top 10 films for the AFI Awards 2006.

The winners are: "Borat," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Dreamgirls," "Happy Feet," "Inside Man," "United 93," "Babel," "Half Nelson" and "Letters from Iwo Jima."

I love that "Babel" keeps getting recognition, but what's the most glaring error with this list? Where the hell is "The Departed"? I'd love to get a whiff of the smoke that was filling up that room.

This just in: Boston critics like Boston

Marty can count on one thing, however: If you make a movie about Boston, even one about its dark criminal underbelly, Beantown's critics will reward you.

The Boston Society of Film Critics mobbed up for "The Departed." Along with taking home the best picture crown, it also won for director (Martin Scorsese), screenplay (William Monahan) and supporting actor (Mark Wahlberg).

All this love for "The Departed," however, didn't extend to Leo, Matt or Jack. In the actor and actress categories, the Boston critics went with the heavyweights: Whitaker and Mirren.

Raimi ready for "Shadow"

If ever a superhero needed a big-screen redux, it's definitely "The Shadow."

In a valiant attempt to erase the 1994 misstep starring Alec Baldwin as the mysterious crime-fighter, Sam Raimi will produce a movie about the 1930s pulp hero for Columbia Pictures.

"The Shadow" debuted in 1931 on a CBS radio show and starred the voice of Orson Welles. Walter B. Gibson created the character, writing the adventures of a crime-fighter who skulked in shadows wearing a hat and cape, and who had the power to cloud men's minds.

While I'd love to see Raimi venture beyond the superhero game after "Superman," he's clearly been obsessed with "The Shadow" for a long time, so this could turn out to loads of fun.

Thirst for blood

It's somewhat surprising that Mel Gibson's bloodbath "Apocalypto" beat out "The Holiday" for the box-office crown.

Mel's flick nabbed $14.2 million, while "The Holiday" brought in $13.5 million. The best news: Leo and that ridiculous accent in "Blood Diamond" only managed to finish a paltry fifth with $8.5 million.

I was beginning to worry that we'd have dancing penguins on the top of the chart for the rest of the year, but I guess Mel took care of that. Though I have my reservations about his flick (feel free to read the review below), it's certainly an audacious bit of filmmaking, which I guess should be rewarded.

Mel's reign, however should be short-lived. Brace yourselves this week for a double dose of positivity to wipe "Apocalypto" away: "Charlotte's Web" (why?) and "The Pursit of Happyness." And me? I'll probably opt instead for "Eragon" (I'm just a sucker for dragons), but I might just break down and see Will Smith's attempt to become Jimmy Stewart too. Stay tuned.