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· The looming threat of a strike-induced cancellation of the Golden Globes ceremony has thrown the party-planning world into chaos: How can anyone commit half a million bucks to fill a venue with chocolate fountains, imposing mounds of peeled shrimp, and ice sculptures of prohibitive best actor favorite Daniel Day Lewis when there's a chance the whole night might be called off? [Variety]
· The WGA has granted a waiver for the Independent Spirit Awards (to be hosted by Guild member Rainn Wilson), freeing the show's organizers from the stomach-churning stress being suffered by their writerless Globes counterparts. [THR]

· The WGA and AMPTP tout their favorite year-end polls: the Guild is happy about a USA Today/Gallup survey indicating they lead the public approval race 60%-14%, while the studios prefer one that says the strike has "caused no impact on the viewing habits of 74% of Americans." [Variety]
· The producers of High School Musical hope to recreate their teen-narcotizing magic for MTV with the movie American Mall. [THR]
· Universal is "downplaying expectations" for the debut of Charlie Wilson's War this weekend, anticipating that even the combination of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts will be no match for the new National Treasure movie and the return of Will Smith's I Am Legend. [Variety]

[Photo: Southern Chocolate Fountains]