In movies, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman rocked the scale with two-time nominations, while Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan scored 3 out of the 7 nominations racked up for the leading drama Atonement.

Charlie Wilson's War snagged the second most nominations, thanks to performances by classic favorites Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Movies neck-in-neck with four nominations each were Johnny Depp's Sweeney Todd, George Clooney's Michael Clayton, and Tommy Lee Jones's No Country for Old Men.

It was nice to see Across the Universe in the runnings, but personally I was disappointed that the Disney musical Enchanted was left out. At least Amy Adams was selected for best musical actress, against Hairspray's Nikki Blonsky.

I also thought Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs drama should have been given more notice - it was so powerful (albeit cliché) - but there was tough competition with Angelina Jolie's A Mighty Heart, Denzel Washington's American Gangster, and Viggo Mortensen's Eastern Promises.

Acclaimed directors Tim Burton and Ridley Scott gained film nominations alongside Joe Wright and the newly arrived co-directors/brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen.

In television, old shows back in the nomination pool include Grey's Anatomy, House, 30 Rock and Entourage, while new shows Damages, Pushing Daisies, Mad Men, and Californication joined the competition this year.

Actor nominees Katherine Heigl, Jeremy Piven and Hugh Laurie were joined by new competition Christina Applegate, Anna Friel and Michael C. Hall, who this year began starring in Samantha Who?, Pushing Daisies and Dexter. It's nice to see Christina Applegate finally break away from her Married with Children pigeonhole, while Michael C. Hall was so good in Six Feet Under that it's great to have him back in yet another twisted drama.

All in all, the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards should be an exciting race - assuming that the show does go on. With all that is going on with the WGA strike, there is talk of red-carpet picketing or celebrities refusing to show up to honor the event. Should be interesting to see what happens in Hollywoodland as the WGA strike goes on and the votes tally up! For a full list of nominees, see below...

BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR

George Clooney, Michael Clayton

Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

James McAvoy, Atonement

Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

Denzel Washington, The Great Debaters

BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Julie Christie, Away From Her

Jodie Foster, The Brave One

Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart

Keira Knightley, Atonement

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd

Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson's War

Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Savages

John C. Reilly, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Amy Adams, Enchanted

Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray

Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd

Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Ellen Page, Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Casey Affleck, Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War

John Travolta, Hairspray

Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There

Saoirse Ronan, Atonement

Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson's War

Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone

Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Hugh Laurie, House

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

Bill Paxton, Big Love

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA

Patricia Arquette, Medium

Glenn Close, Damages

Minnie Driver, The Riches

Edie Falco, The Sopranos

Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters

Holly Hunter, Saving Grace

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

BEST ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Steve Carell, The Office

David Duchovny, Californication

Ricky Gervais, Extras

Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies

BEST ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?

America Ferrera, Ugly Betty

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies

Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Bryce Dallas Howard, As You Like It

Debra Messing, The Starter Wife

Queen Latifah, Life Support

Sissy Spacek, Pictures of Hollis Woods

Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Adam Beach, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Ernest Borgnine, A Grandpa For Christmas

Jim Broadbent, Longford

James Isaacs, The State Within

James Nesbitt, Jekyll

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Rose Byrne, Damages

Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters

Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy

Samantha Morton, Longford

Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Jamie Pressly, My Name is Earl

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Ted Danson, Damages

Kevin Dillon, Entourage

Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Andy Serkis, Longford

William Shatner, Boston Legal

Donald Sutherland, Dirty Sexy Money

This fall has been one of the weakest periods for Hollywood's box office, but thanks to last week's launch of crime-drama American Gangster (helped by Seinfeld's animated comedy Bee Movie) sales have picked back up.

American Gangster crushed it's competition this week and quickly became the second highest launch of the year, with only 300 topping it in week one of box office sales. Based on the true story of 1970's heroin peddler and crime gangster Frank Lucas, the film's success is due largely to director Ridley Scott's strong cast of Academy Award-winning actors Denzel Washington, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Russell Crowe, who is working with Ridley for the third time.

Playing a hero is something Russell Crowe does well - whether as a gladiator, a hostage negotiator, or his new role - as a police officer up against one of New York's most intimidating gangsters.

Here is some of what Russell told a journalist about his character, Richie Robert's dedication to justice:

"I think Richie's a great patriot. He went into the Marine Corps, and it wasn't quite what he thought it would be. So he went into the police force, and it wasn't quite what he thought it would be. Then he worked his ass off and became a lawyer, and then a prosecutor."

"And he was like, this doesn't satisfy me either. So I'll do this thing that I know you're allowed to do in America. I'll stand here, and I'll be an advocate for somebody who has no defense. Or who has done something indefensible. And I'll still stand up for them, and ask questions on his behalf. I'd call him a rock chucker."

But it is also somewhat of an ironic role for the Australian family man, who says that his admiration for Richie Roberts only went so far:

"This guy wasn't such a good person. He couldn't keep his pants zippered. You do get in a situation where a person you're going to play in a movie, does want to impress upon you the way they'd like to be seen. As in Richie saying to me, don't make me out to be a womanizer. Even though he had lots and lots of stories about being just that!"

As for what does really matter to him, Russell opens up a little about his private life with wife Danielle Spencer and son Charlie:

"My life has changed a lot since I got married. And having two little boys. I'm very blessed. On a daily basis, I get to experience a whole type of joy that I've never had before. So it was the right time for me to become a dad. From where I came from, I'm a working class boy, born in New Zealand. And I won an Oscar. And that took a lot of personal fortitude. I had to go from one place to another place on that journey, and nothing was ever guaranteed. It's all about right place, and the right time."

And the way his career is going, Russell sure seems to be in the right place a lot of the time!