Leonard Nimoy (AP file photo)

Well, it was pretty much guaranteed that the upcoming movie “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” would be better than its odious predecessor, “Revenge of the Fallen.” After all, it couldn’t get much worse, right?

Now, improvement seems a sure bet: “Star Trek” legend Leonard Nimoy has joined the threequel as the voice of Sentinel Prime, according to EW.com.

Sentinel Prime is the predecessor of the heroic Optimus Prime. His wrecked body is seen in the teaser trailer, as the Apollo 11 astronauts find it crash-landed …

Checotah native Carrie Underwood belts out the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl XLIV Sunday in Miami, Fla. (Associated Press photos)

Unless you were an Indianapolis Colts fan with your heart set on a win, Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIV had quite a bit going for it.

The game was exciting and closer than the final score indicated, and it was hard not to root for the New Orleans Saints as they took home their first Super Bowl title. Many of the commercials were funny – I especially liked Denny’s screaming …

Country music superstar and Checotah native Carrie Underwood and multi-talented diva Queen Latifah talked about their upcoming pre-Super Bowl performances in a press conference earlier this week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Underwood also addressed in the presser the “global importance” of “Pants on the Ground.” The rap has become a sensation since “General” Larry Platt was featured last month auditioning for “American Idol” with it. Platt didn’t make it through to the reality TV show’s next round, but his song encouraging youths to pull up their pants has become a …

“Inglourious Basterds”

The nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced this morning. The Oscars will air March 7 on ABC.

Here are the nominees in all 24 categories:

1. Best Picture: “Avatar,” “The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “A Serious Man,” “Up,” “Up in the Air.”

2. Actor: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”; George Clooney, “Up in the Air”; Colin Firth, “A Single Man”; Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”; Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker.”

3. Actress: Sandra Bullock, …

From left, Christoph Waltz, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, Eli Roth, and Diane Kruger, cast members from ” Inglourious Basterds,” pose together backstage after winning the award for best cast ensemble at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Saturday in Los Angeles.(Associated Press photo)

Screen Actors Guild presented its coveted Actor statuette for the outstanding motion picture and primetime television performances of 2009 Saturday at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in televised ceremonies attended by film and television’s leading actors at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

Ballots to …

Above: Choctaw “Star Trek” collector James “Butch” Roberts shows some of the memorabilia he is displaying at the Choctaw Library. Below: “Star Trek” nesting dolls are among the items on view at the Choctaw Library through Jan. 30  (Photos by John Clanton/The Oklahoman)

 Today’s featured event:

CHOCTAW – View the extensive personal collection of “Star Trek” memorabilia owned by James “Butch” Roberts of Choctaw from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Choctaw Library, 2525 Muzzy.

The exhibit is on display during library hours through Jan. 30.

For more …

Patrick Stewart (Associated Press photo)

Actor Patrick Stewart, best known for playing Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor X in the “X-Men” films, has become Sir Patrick in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year honors list, according to the Associated Press.

“This is an honor that embraces those actors, directors and creative teams who have in these recent years helped fill my life with inspiration, companionship and sheer fun,” said 69-year-old Stewart, who recently returned to the British stage.

A separate honors list in New Zealand bestowed a …

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett will compete for the second year in the 4R Performance Horses Celebrity Slide, a charity reining horse event in Oklahoma City. (Associated Press photo)                      

A version of this story appears in Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.              

Celebrities sliding into horse event
Stars hope to rein in bucks for Make-A-Wish Foundation

Singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett and actor William Shatner will be among the stars who will show off their horsemanship skills Friday in Oklahoma City.

The 4R Performance Horses Celebrity Slide, hosted by the Oklahoma …

J.J. Abrams’ hit reboot “Star Trek” warps onto DVD and Blu-ray today, just in time for Christmas shopping.

In honor of its 70th anniversary, the film classic “Gone with the Wind” gets an “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” release on DVD and Blu-ray.

Several recording artists are releasing CDs today, again to coincide with the holiday gift-buying season. Among those releases are the self-titled first album from 2009 “American Idol” winner Kris Allen and an expanded re-release of runner-up Adam Lambert’s pre-”Idol” debut record. (Lambert will put out his new album “For …

Carrie Underwood (Associated Press photos)

Rascal Flatts

Kings of Leon

The nominations for the People’s Choice Awards 2010 were announced today at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., by Kris Allen (“American Idol”), Cat Deeley (“So You Think You Can Dance”), Johnny Galecki (“The Big Bang Theory”), Jeff Probst (“Survivor”) and Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”).

For the first time, fans voted at www.peopleschoice.com and cast more than 16 million votes to determine the nominees in categories such as favorite movie, favorite breakout artist and favorite TV obsession.

 Among the …