“Peter O’Toole is a perfect example of the mysterious, almost cruelly diabolical ways in which Oscar works,” writes Hollywood Wiretap‘s Pete Hammond. “A couple of people have asked us recently how it was possible that he has never have won. The answer is that each year he’s been nominated he’s had the dumb luck to be defeated by incredibly formidable, unbeatable performances.

“In 1962 he was up against Gregory Peck‘s Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. In ’64, against Rex Harrison‘s Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. In ’69, he faced John Wayne‘s Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. In ’72 it was Marlon Brando’s Vito Corleone in The Godfather. In ’80 he was up against Robert De Niro‘s Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. And now he’s facing Forest Whitaker‘s Idi Amin Dada.”

A Today show video report on Hollywood’s Obama vs. Clinton competition, linked by the Huffington Report.

The piece is basically saying that Barack Obama has the heat and Senator Clinton is in trouble. That much-repeated David Geffen assessment is used: “[Clinton] can’t win, she’s an incredibly divisive figure, and I think that just ambition isn’t a good enough reason.” Arianna Huffington‘s quote isn’t any kinder, observing that Clinton “is very calculating, always triangulating…you can almost smell the calculation.” And then producer Lawrence Bender completes the thought by saying, “I think people are looking for something genuine.”

That’s it, Clinton has been all but dismissed, the verdict has been rendered. Today‘s complicity in delivering said verdict without a peep or an opposing view tells you that the rank-and-file media elite isn’t very supportive of Clinton either.

Have the Oscars become too elitist? L.A. Times guy Patrick Goldstein and John Horn get into it, but the answer is pretty clear to me: they aren’t nearly elitist enough. Elitist as in, “Mob tastes be damned.” Screw the current box-office favorites (if necessary) and celebrate the films audiences will respect 10, 20 or 50 years from now. And not the ones the Academy will eventually be ashamed of (Driving Miss Daisy, Around The World in 80 Days, The Greatest Show on Earth, Chicago, etc.).

One of the films showing in “Film Comment Selects,” a series discussed in this N.Y. Times article by critic Manohla Dargis, is Frank Perry‘s Play It As It Lays. I’ve written a coupel of times over the last couple of years about this depths-of-despair Hollywood drama, hoping that Univeral Home Video might eventually be moved to put it out on DVD. Anyway, it’s playing at Lincoln Center this month, it was playing on the Sundance Channel during the Sundance Film Festival, and it’s had a couple of showings L.A.’s American Cinematheque theatres (the Egyptian and the Aero). I called Universal Home Video publicity today to ask if it will be released any time this year. “It’s not on the charts for ’07,” a guy told me. Oh.

This is the track playing during the opening credits of Zodiac, and it’s not just a perfect way of immersing the audience in a late ’60s mood and head-space — it’s perfect in and of itself.

A brief Zodiac riff from Miami Herald critic Rene Rodriguez, posted sometime late last week. Excerpt: “A dramatic departure for Fincher in both style and content (for one thing, a lot of the film takes place in broad daylight), Zodiac boasts superb work from a terrific ensemble cast, each [character] embodying the theme of obsession that forms the heart of James Vanderbilt‘s screenplay.

“The movie itself, too, is a work of obsession, devoted almost entirely to chronicling the minutiae of the investigation. Channeling a distinct 1970s filmmaking vibe (think All the President’s Men), Zodiac has absolutely nothing in common with what passes for Hollywood thrillers nowadays. It’ll be interesting to see how mainstream audiences respond when it opens on March 2.”

Reciting the fact that Al Gore is “on the right side of the war, owns the environment. and has already won the popular vote once before,” N.Y. Observer columnist Bruce Fierstein is urgng Gore to announce his Presidential candidacy on 3.25 as he accepts the inevitable Oscar for Best Feature Documentary (i.e., An Inconvenient Truth).

“For all of our sakes, give it a think,” Fierstein pleads. “Make the speech short and self-deprecating and say something to the effect of: “I think I’m supposed to say it’s nice to be nominated. But having been `nominated’ once before, I’ve got to tell you: It’s a lot better to win…which is why, tonight, I’m announcing my candidacy for President. Together, with your help, we can return to the kind of people we once were, and go forward to become the kind of great nation were always destined to be.’

“And that’s it. Over, done and out. And by the time you show up Graydon’s, there won’t be a full checkbook in the house. Get back to me as soon as you can on this, Al. Obama is waiting in the wings. But in the meantime, keep one thing in mind: There’s only one thing Hollywood loves more than a winner — a comeback. Huge it out, babe.”

I never wanted to say this before because I didn’t want to be snide for its own sake, but (a) this is a slow day and (b) it’s an honest fact: Jennifer Hudson has a little bit of a Joe Cocker thing going on when she sings “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” in Dreamgirls. I mean that her arms flop around in a kind of spazzy. herky-jerky way. Which Judy Garland’s arms never did.

I was reminded of the arm action when I happened to click on YouTube video of one of her “American Idol” performances earlier today. Tell me how this isn’t at least a minor Hudson issue. I love her and her bountiful spirit — she’s definitely winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar — but I’ve been wanting to share this all along.

What are you supposed to do when a series of Beyonce Knowles beach-bikini shots appear in Sports Illustrated? Just run them without comment? Well, I have a comment that I’m sure someone will take offense at. I think it’s fair to say, given the subject matter, that Beyonce’s stock has dropped ever so slightly because she doesn’t have much of an “innie.” There — I’ve said it. I could explain why deep “innies” matter but this isn’t Penthouse Forum. Okay, I’ll explain it. Naah, forget it.

“‘Eddie’s got a lot of anger, which I still don’t understand, but I’m not the only one. I could tell you horror stories about how late Eddie was to the set, how he wouldn’t do line readings off camera with his fellow actors and how rude he was to other actors. He’s not a happy person, as you know. On Coming to America, he said to me, ‘We won’t be friends, but we’ll finish the film.’ ” — director John Landis (Trading Places, Coming To America, Beverly Hills Cop III) speaking to Craig Modderno for a 12.3.06 N.Y. Times piece….not that long ago!

Radar is reporting on the whacking of Star maga- zine editor Joe Dolce, whose departure from the upgraded-but-still-tawdry supermarket weekly was announced to the staff via e-mail yesterday. Radar‘s view is that (a) Dolce took a bullet for his about-to-be-former boss, Bonnie Fuller, and her $2 million contract, and (b) that Dolce has been “the glue that keeps Star from ripping apart at the seams.”

An insider tells Radar that “everyone in the office knows that Joe would be breaking his ass to get out an issue while Bonnie was off doing her thing. Some describe Fuller, who recently signed a three-year contract, as having a cavalier attitude toward slumping sales at Star. The glossy’s circulation has recently dipped to a record low of about 550,000.”

Aww, what a shame. The fortunes of the Star and the people who are giving their all to keep it going are important matters. Seriously — if the Star was to disappear from the supermarket tabloid landscape, I wonder what would happen? Would there be mass weeping? Would anyone smile besides myself?