Ben Affleck added another trophy to his shelf last night as his film Argo secured him the Best Director award at last night’s Directors Guild Awards, beating out Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Tom Hooper and Ang Lee.

Affleck and the film have already won top honors at the Producers Guild Awards, the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards.

This of course further cements Argo into the lead position in the race for Academy Award gold at the end of the month. Historically, the winner of the DGA has had a better than average chance of winning the Academy Award for Best Director. In fact, over tha DGA’s 65 year history only six winners have not gone on to win the Oscar as well. Unfortunately, Affleck will be the seventh, as he did not receive a Best Director nom.

The hitch here comes down to a recent change in the Academy’s rules governing that nominations for Best Picture which allow anywhere between five and ten films to make the list while the Best Director category remains locked at five names. So while Argo was one of the nine named for Best Picture consideration, Affleck was not one of the five named to Best Director.

This leaves the Best Director category a bit of a wild card now, with no established predictors for it in play. Of the other DGA nominees, Spielberg and Lee are both in the OScar’s Best Director category so I would suppose that the smart money would be on them.

Last night, Ben Affleck’s Iranian hostage thriller Argo won top honors at the Producer’s Guild Awards, continuing its awards season sweep started with the Critics’ Choice Awards and continued through the Golden Globes.

The win positions the film as a major contender for the Academy Award’s Best Picture prize, squaring off against such heavyweights as Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln and Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.

The Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture have often gone hand-in-hand historically, with only a small number of directors who have won an Oscar not seeing their film similarly rewarded. However, due to the recent Best Picture category rules change that allows anywhere between five and ten nominees while the Best Director category is still locked in at five nominees, Affleck found himself squeezed out of the director’s competition while his film was not. As such, Argo was not considered having as much of a chance at Best Picture as those films whose directors did manage to get a nomination.

But the Producers Guild Awards has emerged as a strong indicator as to who will win the Best Picture Oscar. In the last five years, it has accurately presaged what film was going to go home with the golden statuette. In the past ten years it has predicted seven out of ten winners and has a 16 out of 23 accuracy overall.

So what’s next? This coming Saturday will be the Directors Guild Awards, which Oscar prognosticators have often used as an indicator for who will win Best Director at the Academy Awards. If Affleck continues his winning streak, it would certainly cement Argo‘s lead for Best Picture. And if Argo were to win an Oscar, it would become only the third film in Academy Awards history to have ever won a Best Picture Oscar without even having even a nomination in the Best Director category.

Of course, the problems with percentages is that unless they are 100 per cent, there’s still room for the possibility that things will go another way. We’ll find out which way things fall on February 24th when the Academy Awards are awarded.

Although it was the highest-grossing and one of the most popular films of last year, Marvel Studios’ The Avengers only managed to snag one Academy Award nomination and, unsurprisingly, that was in the visual effects category.

Take a look, then, at the campaign reel that Industrial Light and Magic has put out for voters in the Visual Effects category to review highlighting just some of their work for the film. It’s an interesting behind-the-scenes glimpse at how a number of effects sequences were put together, especially the tour-de-force single tracking shot of all the Avengers fighting as a unit during the Battle of New York at the movie’s climax.

On Tuesday, we handicapped the 2013 Oscar race by telling you who we thought was going to be nominated. Now, it’s time to face the music, and see how well we did. There have been a lot of surprises in the nominees,  and the surprises were puzzling. Let’s see how we fared against our predictions, then we’ll comment on surprises in other categories that we didn’t talk about on Tuesday. Let’s start with Best Actor:

Performance by an actor in a leading role-

• Daniel Day Lewis, Lincoln
• Denzel Washington, Flight
• Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
• Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
• Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

Number of Nominations We “Called”:  4.5 out of 5

We Say: I’m taking .5 off because while I did say Cooper’s nomination was a possibility, I though John Hawkes or Richard Gere would get in instead of him. But, inexplicably, the voters seem to really love Silver Linings Playbook, therefore Cooper is one of many nominations that got in because of that lovefest.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role-

Number of Nominations We “Called”: 5 out of 5.

We say: See, we told you Alan Arkin was a lock for a nomination! But, then again, the category was relatively easy to predict. As Stone and MacFarlane snarkily pointed out while reading the nominations, every nominee already has at least one Oscar.

Performance by an actress in a leading role-

• Naomi Watts, The Impossible
• Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
• Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
• Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
• Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Number of Nominations We “Called”:  5 out of 5

We say: Another very predictable category, with all the most deserving performances getting a nomination. A bit of Oscar history as we have our oldest nominee ever (Riva) and youngest nominee ever (Wallis) facing off against each other.

• Sally Field, Lincoln
• Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
• Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
• Helen Hunt, The Sessions
• Amy Adams, The Master

Number of Nominations We “Called”:  4 out of 5

We Say: We have to stop underestimating the Academy’s love for Jacki Weaver. Also, their appreciation of the underwhelming Silver Linings Playbook, which seems to have willed itself into being an Oscar powerhouse through savvy promotion alone (it was a good movie, but not a great movie). Maybe they made a deal with the Academy that they would buy 500 ads on Good Morning America during the Oscar Nomination announcements in exchange for getting a lot of nods. And Hunt getting a nomination while Hawkes gets snubbed just seems wrong on many levels.

Achievement in directing-

• David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
• Ang Lee, Life of Pi
• Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
• Michael Haneke, Amour
• Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Number of Nominations We “Called”:  3 out of 5

Best motion picture of the year-

• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Zero Dark Thirty
• Lincoln
• Les Miserables
• Life of Pi
• Amour
• Django Unchained
• Argo

Number of Nominations We “Called”:  It’s hard to calculate, but we mentioned 9 out of the 9.

We say: I find it ironic that in the two years since the Academy changed the rules for the number of nominees from ten to anywhere between five and ten because  there were not enough strong nominees, there have been 9 nominees each year. And this year, it could have very well been ten. I think Brave and Moonrise Kingdom had as much call to be nominated as some of the films that did get nominated.

Other surprises:

• I have to say, and this might get me in trouble with my boss here at FBOL, but I could have done with out the snark from Seth MacFarlane during the nominations. I just didn’t find it all that funny. And Emma Stone looked like she was hoping that a SWAT team would bust into the room and rescue her.
• That being said, it looked like MacFarlane’s reaction to being nominated for Best Original Song was sincere. That certainly will put an interesting spin on the proceedings.
• Considering how screwed up the nomination process for Best Documentary is each year, Searching for Sugar Man even getting on the short list was a great accomplishment. It making its way to an actual nomination is something close to a miracle. Not because it doesn’t deserve to be there, but because it does. So does Bully, but that didn’t get a nomination. At least it made it to the short list.
• The Avengers is up for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. So I have at least one category where I have a rooting interest in.

Stay tuned to FilmBuffOnline, because, as we get closer to the ceremony, the staff will bring you more news about this year’s ceremony.

It’s that time of year again. Thursday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees for the 85th Annual Academy Awards.

Every year there are snubs and surprises, thrills and controversies. There is no way of knowing who will be nominated, especially in a year when the Best Picture nominees could be 5 films, or ten films, or any number in between.  We here at FilmBuffOnLine, who believe the day nominations are announced should be a National holiday, are going to try and handicap the process for you.

We will try to tell you, in the most non-committal way possible, who we think are Almost Certain to get a nomination, who Definite May Be nominated, and whose nomination is a Outside Shot in the major categories (the four acting categories, Best Director, and Best Picture). We are trying to cover all bases, but don’t come to us if you lose money on your Oscar Nomination pool.

Best Actor:

Almost Certain:

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln; Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Definite Maybe:

Joaquin Phoenix, The Master; Denzel Washington, Flight

Outside Shot:

John Hawkes, The Sessions; Richard Gere, Arbitrage; Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook; Bill Murray, Hyde Park on the Hudson; Ben Affleck, Argo; Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen or The Impossible; Jamie Foxx, Django Unchained

This might be sacrilege, but I don’t like Daniel Day-Lewis as an actor. I prefer actors who you say how good a job they did after the film is over, than ones that force you to say that while the film is going on. With Day-Lewis, you get the feeling its more about the process with him that creating characters. I, of course, am in the minority, and he should get a nomination, if not win it all. Personally, I’m rooting for Hugh Jackman, who should definitely get a nomination, if only so the ads for The Wolverine can say “Starring Academy Award-Winner Hugh Jackman.”

Phoenix and Washington both did a great job in what could be considered underwhelming films. Both should be nominated, by that fact could throw them out of the mix. Phoenix is especially in danger is older Hollywood still hold his “wacky performance artist” phase of of a couple years ago against him.

The other spot ( or two, if Phoenix and/or Washington falter) should go to either Hawkes (who has the ”playing a man overcoming adversity” card for his role as a polio victim seeking to lose his virginity or Gere (who has the “older actor with a lot of quality work behind him yet never was nominated for the Oscar” card). The rest of the pack are long shots at best.

Best Actress

Almost Certain:

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty;   Emmanuelle Riva, Amour; Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Definite Maybe:

Jennifer Lawrence , Silver Linings Playbook; Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Outside Shot:

Maggie Smith, Quartet; Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea; Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone; Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Some might say Riva and Wallis are long shots to get nominated. I say they have not only a great chance of being nominated, but also one of them could very well take home the award (although I think Chastain is the favorite)

On the other hand, a lot of people think that Lawrence will win it all, and it think there is a slight, very slight chance she will not even get nominated. I think Watts’ harrowing role is almost certain to get nominated, although it might be too grim for some voters tastes.

That being said, I think the five ladies above will all be nominated. If there a shocking omission among those candidates, I believe Maggie Smith is the long shot with the best shot.

Best Supporting Actor:

Almost Certain:

Alan Arkin, Argo; Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master; Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Definite Maybe:

Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Outside Shot:

John Goodman, Flight or Argo; Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained; Robert DeNiro, Silver Linings Playbook; Javier Bardem, Skyfall; Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained; Mark Ruffalo; The Avengers

I can’t begin to tell you how much I wanted to add a middle name to Alan Arkin, just so he fits in better. A lot of people think him to be a long shot  but I think he’ll definitely be nominated. May not win it, but should be nominated. Hoffman and Jones should be in line to win the statute, so will be nominated.

After that, the only quasi-sure thing is Waltz getting a nomination. I am rooting for John Goodman to get a nod because, damn it, he deserves it. But likely it will be DeNiro getting the nomination. I threw Ruffalo in there as a wishful thinking choice, but I think that he did a great job and, in a perfect world, he would be nominated.

Best Supporting Actress

Almost Certain:

Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables or The Dark Knight Rises

Definite Maybe:

Sally Field, Lincoln; Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Outside Shot:

Judi Dench, Skyfall; Amy Adams, The Master; Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy; Samantha Barks, Les Miserables, Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; Ann Dowd, Compliance

Hathaway is probably going to win her first Oscar two years after hosting the ceremony. I don’t think that has ever happened.

Of course, it’s not a lead pipe cinch, because Sally Field will be nominated, and, well, the Academy likes her. They really like her. Helen Hunt should add to her list of nominations this year with another one here.

After that, pick ‘em. Watch out for Samantha Barks. She’s the real wild card here. I kinda hope that Dench and Smith get nominated both here and for Best Actress. That would make for a fun night.

Best Director:

Almost Certain:

Ben Affleck, Argo; Ang Lee, Life of Pi; Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Definite Maybe:

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln;  Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Outside Shot:

Tom Hooper, Les Miserables; Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises; Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom; David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook; Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master; Joss Whedon, The Avengers

I can’t imagine any way that Affleck, Lee and Bigelow will not be nominated. They helmed three of the most talked about films of the year.

After that, it’s likely that Spielberg and Tarantino will fill out the ballot, but I don’t have them as being a lock. As a matter of fact, I think one of them will have to make way for Tom Hooper, because I cannot see him being shut out of this process by these voters.

And I added Whedon as a purely selfish choice. I think he’s deserving. The Academy, snobs that they are, probably don’t. A screenplay nod might be too much to ask for but more likely.

Best Picture:

Almost Certain:

Argo, Life of Pi, Les Miserables, Zero Dark Thirty

Definite Maybe:

Lincoln; Django Unchained

Outside Chance:

Silver Linings Playbook; Amour; Moonrise Kingdom; The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; The Dark Knight Rises; The Avengers; Brave; The Sessions;Beasts of the Southern Wild; The Master; Skyfall  or just about any other film out there that has a minuscule amount of buzz.

One thing I am almost sure of is that this year, we will definitely have more than five nominees. I think we have a good chance of having ten. There are a lot of Oscar caliber films in 2012, and this is the type of year the expanded nominee list was made for.

So, what do you think? Am I on to something, or totally wrong? I guess we’ll find out Thursday.

Seth MacFarlane, who will be hosting the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony next month, will be pulling double duty and announcing the award nominees this Thursday as well. Joining him for the early morning announcement will be actress Emma Stone.

Apparently, MacFarlane tweeted the news last night and the Academy rushed out a press release this morning.

I’ll be announcing the Oscar nominees on Jan. 10 at 5 a.m. with Emma Stone.We’ll also be revealing the name of Kanye & Kim’s baby (Zeus).

— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) January 7, 2013

Traditionally, the announcement is made by the president of the Academy accompanied by an Oscar recipient from the previous year. The last time a ceremony’s host also participated in the announcement press conference was in 1973 when Clint Eastwood, one of the four co-hosts for the awards ceremony, also helped announce the nominees.

Here’s the Academy’s press release –

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® will be announced by the show’s host, Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone on Thursday, January 10. This will be the first time since 1972 that an Oscar show host has participated in the nominations announcement.
MacFarlane and Stone will unveil the nominations at a 5:30 a.m. PT news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, where hundreds of media representatives from around the world will be gathered.

Since the first nominations announcement in 1964, the Academy president has been joined by one or more co-announcers at the event. This year the Academy will break with tradition when MacFarlane, who was named Oscar show host in October, joins Stone on Oscar nominations morning. Charlton Heston (1972) was the only other show host to participate in the nominations announcement.

Stone starred in the 2011 Best Picture nominee “The Help” and the summer release “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Her other film credits include “Superbad,” “Zombieland,” “Easy A” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Stone will be seen in “Gangster Squad” later this month and in “The Croods,” due out in March.

Nominations information for all categories will be distributed to news media in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards website, www.oscar.com.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Still going strong after a half century, the James Bond franchise is the longest running movie series ever. Unfortunately, it has never generated that much love with Academy Award voters. But the folks behind the Oscars are looking to perhaps make up for that a bit when they present a tribute to the franchise at this year’s Academy Awards telecast on February 24th.

 There’s no word yet as to what form the tribute will take, but if it is a big dance number set to a medley of Bond title themes, I think I would rather they not even bother.

Previously, only two Bond entries have earned Oscars – Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965), both of which won for Best Visual Effects.

Interestingly, with the inclusion of last year’s Skyfall on the list of nominees for this year’s Producers Guild Awards, there has been some speculation that the film may also be on the list of nominees for the Best Picture Oscar when they are announced next week. Within the last few weeks, Skyfall has become the first Bond franchise installment to pass the $1 billion mark at the box office.

Here is the official Academy press release -

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The 85th Academy Awards® will include a tribute to the James Bond movie franchise, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, the telecast’s producers announced today.

“We are very happy to include a special sequence on our show saluting the Bond films on their 50th birthday,” said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “Starting with ‘Dr. No’ back in 1962, the 007 movies have become the longest-running motion picture franchise in history and a beloved global phenomenon.”

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced the first list of qualifying films for this year’s Academy Awards. The category is for Best Foreign and there are 71 countries who have a film that has meet the eligibility requirements, including first-time entrant Kenya.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 8:30 am ET/5:30 am PT.

The eligible films are –

Afghanistan, The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi, director
Albania, Pharmakon, Joni Shanaj, director
Algeria, Zabana!, Said Ould Khelifa, director
Argentina, Clandestine Childhood, Benjamín Ávila, director
Armenia, If Only Everyone, Natalia Belyauskene, director
Australia, Lore, Cate Shortland, director
Austria, Amour, Michael Haneke, director
Azerbaijan, Buta, Ilgar Najaf, director
Bangladesh, Pleasure Boy Komola, Humayun Ahmed, director
Belgium, Our Children, Joachim Lafosse, director
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Children of Sarajevo, Aida Begic, director
Brazil, The Clown, Selton Mello, director
Bulgaria, Sneakers, Valeri Yordanov and Ivan Vladimirov, directors
Cambodia, Lost Loves, Chhay Bora, director
Canada, War Witch, Kim Nguyen, director
Chile, No, Pablo Larraín, director
China, Caught in the Web, Chen Kaige, director
Colombia, The Snitch Cartel, Carlos Moreno, director
Croatia, Vegetarian Cannibal, Branko Schmidt, director
Czech Republic, In the Shadow, David Ondrícek, director
Denmark, A Royal Affair, Nikolaj Arcel, director
Dominican Republic, Jaque Mate, José María Cabral, director
Estonia, Mushrooming, Toomas Hussar, director
Finland, Purge, Antti J. Jokinen, director
France, The Intouchables, Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, directors
Georgia, Keep Smiling, Rusudan Chkonia, director
Germany, Barbara, Christian Petzold, director
Greece, Unfair World, Filippos Tsitos, director
Greenland, Inuk, Mike Magidson, director
Hong Kong, Life Without Principle, Johnnie To, director
Hungary, Just the Wind, Bence Fliegauf, director
Iceland, The Deep, Baltasar Kormákur, director
India, Barfi!, Anurag Basu, director
Indonesia, The Dancer, Ifa Isfansyah, director
Israel, Fill the Void, Rama Burshtein, director
Italy, Caesar Must Die, Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani, directors
Japan, Our Homeland, Yang Yonghi, director
Kazakhstan, Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe, Akan Satayev, director
Kenya, Nairobi Half Life, David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga, director
Kyrgyzstan, The Empty Home, Nurbek Egen, director
Latvia, Gulf Stream under the Iceberg, Yevgeny Pashkevich, director
Lithuania, Ramin, Audrius Stonys, director
Macedonia, The Third Half, Darko Mitrevski, director
Malaysia, Bunohan, Dain Iskandar Said, director
Mexico, After Lucia, Michel Franco, director
Morocco, Death for Sale, Faouzi Bensaïdi, director
Netherlands, Kauwboy, Boudewijn Koole, director
Norway, Kon-Tiki, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, directors
Palestine, When I Saw You, Annemarie Jacir, director
Peru, The Bad Intentions, Rosario García-Montero, director
Philippines, Bwakaw, Jun Robles Lana, director
Poland, 80 Million, Waldemar Krzystek, director
Portugal, Blood of My Blood, João Canijo, director
Romania, Beyond the Hills, Cristian Mungiu, director
Russia, White Tiger, Karen Shakhnazarov, director
Serbia, When Day Breaks, Goran Paskaljevic, director
Singapore, Already Famous, Michelle Chong, director
Slovak Republic, Made in Ash, Iveta Grófová, director
Slovenia, A Trip, Nejc Gazvoda, director
South Africa, Little One, Darrell James Roodt, director
South Korea, Pieta, Kim Ki-duk, director
Spain, Blancanieves, Pablo Berger, director
Sweden, The Hypnotist, Lasse Hallström, director
Switzerland, Sister, Ursula Meier, director
Taiwan, Touch of the Light, Chang Jung-Chi, director
Thailand, Headshot, Pen-ek Ratanaruang, director
Turkey, Where the Fire Burns, Ismail Gunes, director
Ukraine, The Firecrosser, Mykhailo Illienko, director
Uruguay, The Delay, Rodrigo Plá, director
Venezuela, Rock, Paper, Scissors, Hernán Jabes, director
Vietnam, The Scent of Burning Grass, Nguyen Huu Muoi, director

Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

I’ll admit that this is a choice I didn’t see coming, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced that Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane will be the host of next February’s 85th Annual Academy Awards.

You can read all the promotional quotes from MacFarlane, whose feature film directorial debut Ted earned over $420 million at the world wide box office this summer, and others in the press release below, but it should be noted that Deadline is reporting that MacFarlane’s recent hosting of Saturday Night Live was seen by the Oscar’s telecast producers as a bit of a tryout for the gig.

Personally, I think it is an inspired choice and MacFarlane’s love of the bygone era of Hollywood and show business in general that occasionally rears its head on Family Guy will serve him well here.

Now I know that there are some who are not fans of the general humor of Family Guy and MacFarlane’s other shows American Dad and The Cleveland Show who are going to automatically have a negative, knee-jerk reaction to this. They will decry his hiring as a harbinger of an awards show that will be nothing but wall-to-wall crass humor. And I think that these people couldn’t be further wrong about what MacFarlane will do if they tried.

Much like Howard Stern did with his judging stint on this past season of America’s Got Talent, I believe that MacFarlane knows what an appropriate level for the awards show is and will keep his material there. Look at the seriousness he brought to his album where he sang various big band hits. I guarantee you that he won’t be as raunchy as he got when he was hosting roasts over on Comedy Central.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Seth MacFarlane will host the 85th Academy Awards®, telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. This will be MacFarlane’s first appearance on Oscar’s stage. The 85th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, on the ABC Television Network.

“We are thrilled to have Seth MacFarlane host the Oscars. His performing skills blend perfectly with our ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh,” said Zadan and Meron. “He will be the consummate host, and we are so happy to be working with him.”

“It’s truly an overwhelming privilege to be asked to host the Oscars,” said MacFarlane. “My thoughts upon hearing the news were, one, I will do my utmost to live up to the high standards set forth by my predecessors; and two, I hope they don’t find out I hosted the Charlie Sheen Roast.”

“Seth is unbelievably talented,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “We couldn’t be happier with the creative team we’ve assembled. With Craig, Neil, and now Seth, we’re off to a great start.”

MacFarlane made his feature directorial debut this summer with the box office success “Ted. “He also co-wrote and produced the film, and voiced the title character. “Ted” has brought in over $420 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

MacFarlane is the creative force behind the television series “Family Guy” and co-creator of “American Dad!” and “The Cleveland Show. “In September he hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the first time, for the show’s 38th season premiere. An accomplished live performer, MacFarlane has played to sold-out audiences at London’s Royal Albert Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall. In 2011 he released his debut album, “Music Is Better Than Words,” which earned two Grammy® nominations. He also has earned 13 Emmy® nominations and won two for his work on “Family Guy.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®. Don Mischer will direct the telecast for the third consecutive time. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

If you were scratching your head last February over why there were only two nominees in the Best Original Song category of the Academy Awards you weren’t the only one. There was a lot of questioning as to what quirk of the rules allowed such a low number of competing songs in the first place. And the Academy has heard these complaints and has moved to update the rules of the category so that now there will be a total of five nominees. Here is the pertinent section of the Academy’s press release issued last night with the announcement and the method for which those five nominees will be chosen.

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved additional rules for the 85th Academy Awards. The most significant changes affect the Original Song category, in which there will now be five nominees.

During the nominations process, all voting members of the Music Branch will receive a Reminder List of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.

I have to say that this is a pretty good move on the Academy’s parts as this is one of the categories that tend to bring in viewers. Now if they could just perhaps reinsert the performances of the nominated songs back into the ceremony. (Yes, I’m still bummed we didn’t get a performance of “Man or Muppet” at this year’s show.)

The 85th Academy Awards will be presented on February 24, 2013.