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· The Academy revealed its shortlist for foreign-language Oscar: 9 films, including Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's (fine, we like typing his name) The Lives of Others, Pan's Labyrinth, and Volver. Apocalypto and Letters From Iwo Jima were excluded for being domestic productions. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu was excluded as part of the Academy's ongoing Criminally Overlooked Foreign and/or Documentary Submissions campaign. [Variety]
· Cautiously waiting for Golden Globes fever to die down lest it siphon some of the enthusiasm from their own honors, the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Assn. Awards finally announced their winners. The Departed took best picture, the Mirren-Whitaker one-two combo we've all but inked into our Oscar ballots triumphs again, and Jennifer Hudson earns another boost to her self-confidence with her win for best supporting actress. [Variety]
· With the Globes question now factored in, here's a look at how the Oscar race is shaping up. This analysis names Dreamgirls, The Departed, The Queen, Babel, and Little Miss Sunshine the odds-on favorites for a best picture nomination, with outside shots for Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers. [AP]

· Explaining DreamWorks' strategy in Dreamgirls' limited release (criticized by Jamie Foxx by his "do the math, do the math" comment at the Globes), Jim Tharp, Paramount's head of distribution, explained, "[It] just plays so well to full auditoriums, and part of the positive word of mouth has had to do with the auditoriums being full." It's a strategy they hope to repeat with the July 4th opening of Transfomers on two art house screens in L.A. and New York, to be followed in later weeks by a similarly cautious, buzz-building limited release. [LA Daily News]
· A professional makeup artist shares her thoughts on the Globes, declaring this year's eye-theme as having evolved past "smokey," to a full-fledged, "I just got punched in the face." Drew Barrymore wins a "bravo," while Cameron Diaz wins "all-around loser from the neck up," which probably wasn't the Justin-taunting look she had in mind. [StarStyle]