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There's no real official start date for awards season here in Hollywood, but it definitely feels like it's taken off already.

Not only were the Hollywood Film Awards earlier this week, but AFI Fest 2009 presented by Audi opens tomorrow night with the animated Fantastic Mr. Fox with voices by George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman.

Precious producer Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Kate Beckinsale, Tom Ford, Eva Mendes, Julianne Moore, Robert De Niro and Michael Cera are just a few of the bold-faced names who are expected to show throughout the week-long festival.

But you don't have to be a Hollywood insider to see the fest flicks. A limited number of free tickets are available for the public on AFI's website.

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Don't be surprised if people start referring to Charlize Theron as Ass-Nuts.

The Oscar winner revealed at last night's Hollywood Film Awards that Breakthrough Actor honoree Jeremy Renner bestowed her with the nickname during the making of their 2005 drama, North Country.

Theron and Renner along with the rest of the cast went out for some drinks and…

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Hello from the Downtown Los Angeles!

I'm down at the Nokia Theatre right now on the Emmy red carpet. I'll be here tweeting away until about 5 p.m. PST and I'll continue inside during the show. And it doesn't stop there. After the awards are handed out, I'm headed to the always fun and glam-filled HBO party!

So follow me now on Twitter at @marcmalkin.

Who are you excited to see and hear from? Justin Timberlake (yup, he's presenting!), hot stuff Jon Hamm, or funny guy and host Neil Patrick Harris? How about Ms. Hilarious herself Tina Fey, the always stunningly beautiful Mariska Hargitay or I-can't-wait-to-see-what-she-is-wearing Drew Barrymore?

And of course there's that dance between Karina and Maks! As far I've been told rehearsals have been nothing but hot. Perhaps they'll be back together by the end of the evening.

Happy Emmys, everybody!

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Is Simon Cowell ditching the Emmys on Sunday to avoid the possibility of having to witness Ryan Seacrest take home the award for Outstanding Reality Host?

"Simon has placed himself as far away from Los Angeles on Emmy night as possible, just in case I happen to get lucky enough to win one," Seacrest told us last night at Santa Monica's Huntley Hotel, where he was celebrating his new ad campaign for Scope Outlast and Crest Plus Scope Outlast toothpaste.

"He's confirmed he will be in London just so he's not there in case of the little possibility that I walk away with it," he said.

Even so, Seacrest has a plan in place to rub it in the American Idol judge's grouchy face…

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Michelle Forbes doesn't hold back when saying how she feels about True Blood being pretty much shut out of this year's Emmys.

"Excuse me, but f—k awards!" says Forbes, who plays the very evil but deliciously sexy Maryann Forrester in the hit vampire series.

"That's not where the glory is. The glory is in the audience," she adds. "That's who we tell the stories for. It's not for, with all due respect, the critics and not for the awards shows, but for the audience."

And as we all know by now, True Blood not only has a loyal and dedicated audience (me included!), but…

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Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner may be appearing at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, but that doesn't mean show host Russell Brand knows a thing about Twilight.

What?

When I caught up with Brand earlier today during VMA rehearsals at Radio City Music Hall, he made no apologies for not being able to tell me if he was Team Edward or Team Jacob...

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Katy Perry performed "Like a Virgin" with DJ AM and Travis Barker at last year's MTV Video Music Awards.

I caught up with Katy on Saturday night at the Palladium in Hollywood, just before she hit the stage for her show (presented by SoundsofBuzz.com and Coca-Cola).

"Every time I met him, he was such a wonderful person, full of life, very bright," she said of the late DJ. "It continues to remind everybody to live life to the fullest [and] love the people around you."

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Madonna may be 51, but don't you dare think for even a second that she's too old for MTV.

There's a rumor flying around that the Queen of Pop will perform her new single "Celebration" at next month's Video Music Awards in New York City.

Those set to perform during the show, which takes place Sept. 13 at Radio City Music Hall, include Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Pink, Taylor Swift, Green Day and Muse.

Madonna's rep insists there are no plans for the VMAs this year. But let's say it does actually happen—would she be able to top some of her most memorable past appearances?

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Sure, Quentin Tarantino's new movie, Inglourious Basterds, stars Brad Pitt.

But that's not who everyone will be talking about once they see the World War II flick.

Get ready to hear the name Christoph Waltz—a lot. The 52-year-old Austrian actor is going to be a favorite come awards season for his work playing the sinister Colonel Hans Landa, also known as "The Jew Hunter."

Why? Click my videoblog above to find out.

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Jennifer Aniston is getting ready to show off her vocal chops.

I can exclusively reveal that the actress, 40, will do her own singing in The Goree Girls, her upcoming real-life drama about a group of female prisoners who form a popular radio country-and-western band in the 1940s.

"She can sing," the movie's director, Michael Sucsy, tells me. "And she's going to learn how to play the Dobro [guitar]."

Aniston's fellow inmates haven't been cast yet. Sucsy isn't looking to fill the roles with real-life musicians…

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Selena Gomez isn't ditching Wizards of Waverly Place, but she is ready to show you what else she's made of.

No, she's not hitting Miley Cyrus' stripper pole anytime soon...

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Picture this: Emmy nominees Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore tie for the big win when the awards are handed out next month

When I recently suggested the scenario to Lange, she said it would be quite fitting because the real-life characters they played in Grey Gardens, Big Edie and her daughter Little Edie, were inseparable. Lange and Barrymore are both up for Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for their work in the Michael Sucsy-directed HBO production.

"Oh, wouldn't that be great," Lange said. "I think that would be poetic justice. It would be the perfect end to our little journey here."

So what was it like for Lange to transform herself into a delusional recluse who lived with her only daughter in a decrepit East Hampton home full of cats and raccoons? Read on to find out, plus Lange reveals her hope of returning to Broadway.

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