There are several reasons why helping to produce a movie you’re also starring in is a pretty sweet deal. Jeff Bridges shows this off to perfection in Crazy Heart, as he manages to swing a bed-time scene with Maggie Gyllenhaal, despite the fact he’s about twelvety times as old as her. The magic of cinema, eh? To be fair, Jeff’s great performance means he can get away with just about anything, in a film that is just about saved from by schmaltzy.

Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame join Zac Efron and Miley Cyrus as Oscar hosts this year, a decision which some find surprising. With the teen market being marketed too so heavily, some people are worried that the Academy Awards might be losing a little of its prestige.

Colin Firth’s performance – though well deserving of the hype – is just one of the many pleasures of fashion doyen Tom Ford’s directorial debut, based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood. Adapted for the screen by Ford and David Scearce, A Single Man is a haunting drama about a fifty-something scholar, who secretly says farewell to the people he loves as he contemplates suicide.

Oh come on guys! Why would you do away with the best part of the entire Oscar ceremony – the tearful and hysterical thank yous from weeping stars and starlets? The organisers of this year’s Academy Awards have instructed all the nominees that this year there’s a strict time limit on winners’ speeches; 45 seconds is your limit.

Last week was a busy one for our favourite Mr. Darcy. Not only did Colin Firth announce his plan to return as Mark Darcy in another Birdget Jones movie, he also scooped a Best Actor nomination for this year’s Oscars for his work in A Single Man.

The gloves are on for the showdown we’re all waiting for at this year’s Oscars. The big contenders for Best Director are Avatar’s James Cameron and The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow. So who should bag the Oscar? Let’s review the contenders, shall we?

Hurrah! It’s the golden event of the cinematic calender, where dreams are crushed, legends are made and celebrities get very, very, inappropriately drunk. What’s not to look forward to?

That’s right. This year’s Cannes Film Festival is going to be presided over by Tim Burton as jury president. And we have to admit, we can’t think of many other film-makers with his level of pedigree. The man just doesn’t put a foot wrong. Ever.

Last night saw the envelopes opened at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild, and many of the winners have probably only just shaken off the hangover from winning at last week’s Golden Globes. With Tinseltown trends running strong as ever, it’s likely a few of the same names will be picking up more mantelpiece bling at the Academy Awards in March.

3D films – exciting big screen trend or pointless use of technology? This week’s Face/Off swings the spotlight on this re-emerging technique currently embarrassing moviegoers at a cinema near you. Whack on your crazy specs and get ready for one crazy ride as we debate the ins, outs and “Ooh, it’s going to touch my face!”s of 3D.