Features

Some people embody a role so thoroughly, you can't picture anyone else doing it. Think Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and, of course, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.

When it was announced that Morgan Freeman would play the role of Nelson Mandela in the upcoming film 'Invictus,' film lovers around the world shouted "It's about time." Both in resemblance and gravitas, portraying the formerly imprisoned political prisoner and president of South Africa seemed like the role Freeman was destined to play (that and the voice of God but he's already done that ... twice.) We thought it'd be a good time to look at some other "dream roles" that we'd love to see.

This could be an unusually exciting year for the Best Director category. At least five likely contenders are women, the first time that's happened since ... well, ever.

In eight decades, only three women have ever been nominated for a Best Director Oscar, and none has won. This year, however, at least one woman has a lock on a nomination, and several others have decent shots at awards recognition as well.

As we near the end of the '00s (we say "oughts"), we look back at the really bad movies -- the lows of a decade that brought us such big-screen gems as these flicks: a breakdancer wakes up from a coma 20 years later, two African-American men disguise themselves as white girls ... and America's Sweetheart portrays an unstable stalker. And those are just some of the high-concept offerings.

Check out our countdown of the 40 worst movies of the 2000s. Let us know if we missed your (least) favorite film, or if we included one of your (real) favorites. Read on -- and enjoy.

Oscar race handicappers don't usually complain about a dearth of supporting actor contenders; there's usually plenty of buddies, sidekicks, dads, and villains to fill the bill. Not this year, though. Aside from one or two sure things, there's no telling who might sneak into the category, or how deep the Academy and Globes voters may have to dig to find the rest of the supporting actor slate.

The Locks: The only bet-the-farm sure thing in the race is Christoph Waltz (pictured, right), a front-runner since May's Cannes Film Festival for his non-cartoonish Nazi villain in 'Inglourious Basterds.'

If instead of having 10 Best Picture nominees for 2009, the folks running the Oscars had decided to do a Ten Best list for the decade about to end, I doubt that many '09 movies would be on it. And last year didn't offer many legititmate contenders, either. It's not just the economy that's been in a recession lately.

But overall, the first decade of the new millennium has delivered plenty of first-rate motion pictures, including Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, for my money the greatest movie serial of all time (sorry 'Star Wars' fans, but George Lucas' dreadful second trilogy tainted the franchise). It is also the decade in which computer-generated animation was perfected and which saw the resurgence of better-than-ever 3D.

I've been producing Decade Top 10 lists since the end of the Sublime '70s and would rank the current one third, behind the '70s and '90s and ahead of the woeful '80s. But all of the movies on my Double Ought list, and my second string of choices for Best Animated Features, are destined to become classics.

Everybody's fine as Moviefone editors Kevin Polowy, Angie Argabrite and Tommy DiChiara discuss the latest film releases, including the heavyweight Oscar contender 'Up int he Air,' the Matt Dillon heist flick 'Armored' and the Robert De Niro family comedy drama 'Everybody's Fine.'

On Jan. 12, 2010, Luise Rainer will turn 100. To most current movie fans, Rainer's name could be that of any centenarian Willard Scott might salute on 'The Today Show.' But Rainer, a German-born actress of delicate beauty and skill, is a screen legend -- one of the last of Hollywood's golden age.

Rainer won the 1936 Best Actress Oscar for 'The Great Ziegfeld.' Then, the next year, facing competition like Greta Garbo in 'Camille,' she won another Best Actress Oscar for 'The Good Earth.' In so doing, she became the first-ever back-to-back Oscar-winner -- a feat accomplished since then only by Spencer Tracy (1937 and 1938), Katharine Hepburn (1967 and 1968), Jason Robards (1976 and 1977) and Tom Hanks (1993 and 1994).

Unlike the other back-to-back winners, however, Rainer's career faded, partly due to conflicts with MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer. Still, what a colorful life -- first marriage to legendary playwright Clifford Odets; second (and more successful) marriage and child; occasional stage and film projects; and a dramatic screen return for 'The Gambler' in 1997. Happy birthday, Ms. Rainer! Here are nine other Hollywood figures who lived to 100.

On last night's 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' the crew's idea to make a movie involved lots of references to '80s Swedish action star Dolph Lundgren and a plan to revitalize his career. He may not need their help, though.

As we patiently await the August release of 'The Expendables,' starring Lundgren and every other badass star working today, Lundgren is prepping the release of 'Universal Soldier: A New Beginning' with Jean-Claude Van Damme and, presumably, still telling people he is not, in fact, Russian. Given his storied career, here are 10 reasons we welcome back our universal soldier.

Mushroom clouds. Vast, barren wastelands. Deserted roads.

The apocalypse is a paradise for misanthropes, but for the rest of us, it means a life of unending solitude, fighting off mutant creatures and getting drunk off Lysoltinis while eating Spamyonaise sandwiches. To paraphrase a wise cartoon clown, the survivors would envy the dead.

As John Hillcoat's 'The Road' shows us, life is hard after the world comes to an end. But as a public service to you, here are some tips you could use to make life that much more bearable. You'll thank us later.