The Producers Guild of America’s list of best motion picture producer nominees of 2011 include some of the year’s most talked about films. Yesterday, the PGA released the names of the nominees for the Producer of the Year Award in theatrical motion pictures, animated theatrical motion pictures, and in long-form television. The documentary film category and other television category nominations were releaved by the Guild last month.

Here are the nominees for The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ARTIST
Producer: Thomas Langmann

BRIDESMAIDS
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend

THE DESCENDANTS
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin

THE HELP
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Brunson Green

HUGO
Producers: Graham King, Martin Scorsese

THE IDES OF MARCH
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum

MONEYBALL
Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

WAR HORSE
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

Also, Steven Spielberg will received a special honor — the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures. All 2012 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced later this month, on January 21, during a gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

More of the nominees and selected award winners  here on the PGA website.

“Jadoo”  by writer/director, Amit Gupta, has a deal and is now on the really fast track.  That’s a great start to the new year for one filmmaker.  Done Deal Pro reports Gupta is repped by Abram Nalibotsky over at Gersh.

Based on Gupta’s family experience, the story revolves around  two feuding twin brother chefs who set up rival restaurants across from each other, leaving it up to a daughter, 20 years later, to try to bring them back together to cook her wedding feast.

AIR productions greenlighted the comedy feature and Nikki Parrot of Tigerlily Films is co-producing. The cameras are set to roll on “Jadoo” in March, according to Variety.

In East Asia, upon tradition, each year is represented by a cycle of 12 animals. This year is the year of the dragon.

The animals that represent each year are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, dog, chicken, and boar. Eleven of the animals are ones that exist in real life but the dragon isn’t a real animal.

Western people and Eastern people hold different views about dragons.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Hundreds of holiday baskets, boxes, and bags lined the walls outside the auditorium at George Washington Elementary school in Burbank December 16, 2011

More than 555 Burbank families are enjoying some holiday cheer, thanks  to this year’s very successful Holiday Basket Program sponsored by the Burbank Coordinating Council. The deliveries, by volunteers, began officially on December 17 and were completed a few days ago.

Four hundred of the families were adopted by local Churches, school PTAs, service organizations, studios, businesses, individuals, and city offices ..” according to the Holiday Basket Committee co-chair, Janet Diel.  

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Burbank City Councilman Dave Golonski among the volunteers who come back year after year to help create and deliver holiday baskets to needy families December 16, 2011

The  holiday baskets, boxes, and over-sized bags were stuffed with donated new clothes, games, toys, food, gift cards, movie DVDs and much more.  Each gift container was filled with items that reflected the needs of a specific family.  

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Former newspaper reporter Joyce Rudolph pitched in to help assemble holiday baskets at George Washington Elementary school December 16, 2011

Donations came Warner Bros, Disney, Universal Studios, Ralphs, Vons,  Ikea, and many small businesses, local shops, and individuals.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Volunteers worked meticulously putting together holiday baskets for 155 unadopted families at George Washington Elementary school in Burbank December 16, 2011

The volunteers included city officials, community activists, Girl Scout troops, and local residents who took time out from their own holiday activities to lend a helping hand.  

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- The driving force behind the Holiday Basket Program, Janet Diel, fielded cell phone calls at George Washington Elementary school December 16, 2011

Speaking on behalf of the Holiday Basket Committee, Diel said:”It took hundreds/ thousands of people to donate money, gifts, food, and time to make this project a success. We are grateful to all who participated and thank you so much for making a huge difference in so many lives.”

UPDATED: Friday 12/30/11

One very lucky ticket, bought  in New York , has all of the important digits for last Tuesday’s Mega Millions draw. Those numbers: 23, 32, 33, 39, 43 and the Mega number 8.  Three tickets purchased here in Cally missed only the Mega number. Each of those tickets is paying out $338, 106.

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The Mega Millions lottery jackpot has leaped the $200 million mark. For weeks, players have not been able to match all six numbers in recent draws. Last Friday the winning digits were: 8, 3, 5, 29, 18, and the Mega number 14. No winner, so the jackpot skyrocketed to 206 million bucks!

Five tickets bought in the Golden State did come very close to winning it all. They had all but the Mega ball. Each is worth $155, 663. That will pay off a lot of holiday shopping and entertainment bills.

The next big Mega Millions draw is tomorrow, 8 p.m.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Many people often ask me the same question.
“Are you from South Korea or North Korea?”
Chances are, every Korean person you have ever met is from South Korea.

Last week, North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Il passed away.
A customer asked me what my thoughts are about this.

The Korean peninsula is a very small piece of land. It has been 66 years since it was divided into North and South Korea. The land has a very sad history.

Today is Christmas.
I understand that there are those of you who celebrate Christmas and there are also those of you who don’t.

However, regardless of what religion we adhere to, this is a season of peace.
My hope is that every person on earth could experience peace.
I’m not talking about something huge like world peace.
I mean that I hope we could all be at peace with everyone we interact with on a daily basis, whether that’s family, friends, or neighbors.
I pray that North and South Korea could experience that same peace.

The reason I am able to clean your clothing and enjoy life is because of peace.

I hope your week overflows with peace.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Mary Did You Know

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy, would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know-w-w-w
That your baby boy, would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know
That your baby boy, has come to make you new?
And this child that you delivered will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy, will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy, will calm the storm with his hand?

Did you know
That your baby boy, has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby you kissed the face of God?

Oh, Mary did you know

 The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
And the praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy, is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy, will one day rule the nations?

Did you know
That your baby boy, is Heaven’s perfect Lamb?
The sleeping child you’re holding is the great I am

Performed by Clay Aiken

Song lyrics by Mark Lowry (1984), music Buddy Greene

Ho, ho, ho! The pre-Christmas Mega Millions jackpot has hit the “wow” mark. No one ticket had all of the winning numbers in last Tuesday’s draw, so the jackpot blew-up to $173 million. You could seriously holiday shop with that kind of money.

Still, the numbers from last Tuesday’s draw were lucky for a couple of California players. Each won $319, 493 with a ticket that got all of the numbers right except the Mega number. Here are those digits: 20, 24, 27, 45, 51 and the Mega number 31.

The next big money draw is tonight at 8 p.m.

It’s sunny and windy in the Media City today. In fact, there’s a wind advisory for the entire Southland in effect until 2 p.m. tomorrow. That advisory says ” gusty and potentially damaging Santa Ana winds expected today and Friday.” 

Winds of 20-30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph are whipping through So Cal this morning. The winds could get even stronger before this weather drama is over.  Oh, you might remember that vicious wind storm about three weeks ago that hammered the city. Keith Sterling, Burbank public information officer, says the cost in clean-up and other services from that storm – an estimated $250,000.

The high today in B-town — only in the 60s. So button up that coat, hold onto your hat, it’s going to be a blustery day.

You could have a super green Christmas , if you score the Mega Millions lottery jackpot in tonight’s draw. That jackpot shot up to $152 million — after no one matched all of the numbers in last Friday’s draw.  Those hot digits: 2, 4, 26, 36, 39, and the Mega number 27.  Seven lucky players in California got all but the Mega ball right. Each of their tickets is worth $72, 824.

The next chance to win the Mega Millions jackpot is tonight at 8 p.m.

We’re coming down to the wire for Christmas — with just a few more shopping days to the big holiday. Counseling4Kids, a mental health program, is collecting gifts for over 500 children in foster care and is still in need of donations.  

“Oftentimes children in foster care receive very little during the holidays.  Foster parents often have several children in their home at one time, and it can be very challenging for them to purchase gifts for all of them given limited foster care stipends.  Providing a gift is one way we can help a child in foster care feel loved at a very difficult time of year,” states Dr. Marianne Callahan, clinical director at Counseling4Kids, in a news release.

Counseling4Kids is a non-profit that provides mental health services to abused and neglected children and youth in the foster care system in Burbank, the San Fernando Valley, and throughout Los Angeles County. Those wanting to brighten the holiday season for one or more of these foster children, can drop off new and unwrapped gifts or money to purchase gifts at the Counseling4Kids local office 601 South Glenoaks Boulevard, Suite 200, Burbank  91502. The collection will continue through the entire month of December.  For more information contact community liaison, Rebekah Miller at (818) 441-7800 ext.121 or rebekah@counseling4kids.org.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

You’ve probably noticed a lot of holiday decorations being up lately. When I close up shop to head home, I see many beautiful decorations and lights all over the place. Some of you probably decorated your houses with holiday cheer as well. There are also probably others of you who don’t decorate or celebrate at all.

You can put many different meanings into decorations. You might feel thanks and joy as you prepare and lay out your decorations. Though, others might just see all the decorations as a bit excessive — so they might not like decorations at all.

However, there is no wrong or right in any of these cases. Whether you put up holiday decorations or not, I hope that all your hearts are beautifully decorated.

I hope that your hearts are decorated with everything you are thankful for about this past year and all the people that helped you along the way. I also hope your hearts are decorated with the love and appreciation for your family as they’ve experienced all the good things and bad things of this year with you. These are the kinds of decorations that can never be too excessive.

I would like to express my thanks and gratitude for everyone who sought after our services throughout this past year.

I hope your week will be decorated with many things to be joyful about.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

The Hollywood award season is in full swing.  Today the Hollywood Foreign Press Association released its list of nominees for the 69th annual Golden Globes. “The Artist,” “The Descendants”,  and “The Help” got the most film nominations. All three films have Oscar buzz.

Check out the Golden Globes website for a complete list of the nominations. The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony is next month, January 15,  5 p.m. on NBC.

A sudden thunderstorm rolled into Burbank around  3:30 p.m. this afternoon. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and the rain came down hard. And I though we’d get away without much rain today. Not only will you need that umbrella — some areas might need some of those freebie sandbags from the city of Burbank.  Be careful out there.

More millions got stuffed into the Mega Millions lottery jackpot after no one matched all of the winning numbers in last Tuesday’s draw. Those golden digits: 5, 6, 22, 26, 41, and the Mega number 6. Three lucky ticket holders in California got all but the Mega number correct. Each of those tickets is worth $148, 228.

The jackpot is now hovering around $135 million, which could answer a lot of Christmas wishes past, present, and future. The next Mega Millions draw is tomorrow at 8 p.m.

Some lucky thespians are celebrating nominations for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards . The nominees were announced yesterday in West Hollywood and leading the film field “The Help” and “The Artist.” Toping the  TV list, “Broadwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Modern Family.”

The Los Angeles Times has extensive coverage here. The winners will be announced during the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which  will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS Sunday, January 29  5 p.m. from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.