Will Ferrell, Adrien Brody and Joey Bishop

NEW YORK – Will Ferrell, the Best Actor race and Joey Bishop in The Foxlight.

Former Saturday Night Live star Will Ferrell sounds like he misses his old gig. But do they miss him? On a recent night out he groused to the New York Times that SNL has lost some of it's political edge this year. He thinks maybe the gang doesn't want to appear unpatriotic. He says instead of hard hitting sketches we're getting bits about how "Saddam Hussein combs his mustache." Careful Will, you'll want to go back there to guest host when you've got a movie to hawk.

The National Society of Film Critics selection of The Pianist as best picture isn't that surprising -- they have a history of honoring the little guys. But Adrien Brody for best actor overlooks the two early Oscar favorites -- Daniel Day-Lewis for Gangs of New York and Jack Nicholson for About Schmidt. None of this will probably matter. My early prediction is the Jackster in an upset over the field.

Finally, the grapes are sour at the household of the last living rat packer. Joey Bishop is a bitter old man according to the author of a new book. Michael Starr says Bishop had a chip the size of Hollywood on his shoulder for being considered the unsung rat boy. And he's peeved at George Clooney for no cameo in the Ocean's Eleven remake. Starr says the man with the perpetual puss on has lived his whole life with one facial expression that looks like an untipped waiter.