Oscar winners party it up at Vanity Fair, Governors Ball

LOS ANGELES — There’s no such thing as being all dressed up with nowhere to go on Oscar night.

The Hollywood elite have various glamorous parties to choose from, whether they attended the Academy Awards or not.

Here’s a roundup of the post-Oscars party action:

Governors ball
After hours on the red carpet and a three-and-a-half hour telecast, Academy Awards guests are ready for some food when the show ends. That’s why the first stop for many is the Governors Ball, the Oscars’ official after-party, held just upstairs from where the show takes place.

Benicio del Toro snacked on pizza as he snaked through the party. “The Revenant” cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, enjoyed some strawberries, his new Oscar by his side. Steven Spielberg opted for liquid refreshment (a Heineken), which he sipped on while speaking with supporting actor winner Mark Rylance, who gleefully posed with his trophy.

Meanwhile, Tobey Maguire chatted with Bryan Cranston, and Common smiled for a photo with fans.

Wolfgang Puck catered the party, serving mini-burgers, smoked-salmon Oscars, caviar-topped baked potatoes and chicken pot-pies. There was also a sushi spread, a table filled with crab legs and lobster claws, and a vast array of desserts.

The Governors Ball is also where the night’s winners can have their new Oscars engraved with their names. Leonardo DiCaprio commanded a huge audience when he arrived to have his statuette personalized, all trying to capture a cell-phone photo of the best actor winner. No sooner had he left than best actress Brie Larson arrived, her new Oscar and longtime boyfriend Alex Greenwald in tow. He snapped pictures of her as her statuette was engraved, and the two toasted with Champagne and a kiss when it was finished.

In fact, every guest at the ball took home an Oscar: tiny chocolate Oscars were given as party favors.

Elton John AIDS Foundation

Charlie Sheen made a grand entrance to the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars viewing party Sunday.

The actor, who revealed his HIV-positive status last year, took photos with fans at the event, which organizers say raised $6.2 million to help fund AIDS research.

More than 1,000 guests attended the lavish annual gala, where colorful gowns and sharp suits ruled.

Caitlyn Jenner, who wore a fitted red Zac Posen frock, was seen hugging and whispering with supermodel Heidi Klum, who wore an elegant off-the-shoulder lilac dress. The two snapped photos and laughed while admiring each other’s outfits arm-in-arm at Jenner’s table.

Additional celebrity attendees included Mariah Carey, Jeffrey Tambor, Russell Simmons, Gene Simmons, and Steven Tyler, who donated five days at his Mau home to the foundation’s silent auction.

Notable Oscar viewing moments included Sam Smith’s acceptance speech for his original song win for “Writings on the Wall.” Guests gave the openly gay singer a standing ovation in response to his support of the LGBT community.

They also jumped out of their seats to cheer on Leonardo DiCaprio as he accepted his first Academy Award.

After the show, Elton John, in a deep blue suit, congratulated the Oscar winners, thanked his guests and offered his thoughts on the show.

“Well, that was an interesting Oscars for a change,” he said, before closing the party with a performance. John crooned his hits, including “Benny and the Jets” and “Rocket Man,” and sang some tracks from his latest album, “A Wonderful Crazy Night.” Guests went home with a signed copy.

At the “Vanity Fair” party

Elton John and Lady Gaga chatting side-by-side on a sofa made for a hot photo op at the magazine’s annual Oscar party, this year held in Beverly Hills.

Other guests caused a logjam as they stopped to take photos of Gaga, who had performed at the Oscars, and John, who had hosted his own party earlier in the evening. A few feet away, and unnoticed for the moment, was Alejandro G. Inarritu, who had just won the best director award for “The Revenant.”

Leonardo DiCaprio, best actor winner for the film, dropped by with his trophy. The eclectic crowd also included Jon Hamm, Serena Williams, Jennifer Garner, Keegan-Michael Key and Don Rickles.

“Out of my way,” Rickles barked as he was pushed through the crowded room in a wheelchair, pretending to wield the cane in his lap as a weapon. But he was smiling, and so were those getting a taste of the 89-year-old’s trademark insult comedy.

Nominee Charlotte Rampling stood briefly alone before she was swarmed by admirers.

Guests dined on chef Thomas Keller’s black truffle lasagna and salmon at the evening hosted by the magazine’s editor, Graydon Carter. There were souvenirs to be had, with people lining up to get their photos taken for mock Vanity Fair covers.

Even stars have to wait for cars when it’s time to go home. Caitlyn Jenner, who earlier in the evening had been deep in conversation with Lady Gaga, cooled her high heels at the limo line until her transportation arrived. Meanwhile, Patricia Arquette got comfortable sitting inside a tent that was part of an elaborate hub to usher partygoers into and out of the event. TVJ

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

OSCARS: Complete list of 88th annual Academy Award winners

HOLLYWOOD, United States — Following is the list of winners at Sunday’s 88th annual Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Best Picture: “Spotlight.”

Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant.”

Actress: Brie Larson, “Room.”

Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies.”

Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl.”

Directing: Alejandro G. Inarritu, “The Revenant.”

Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul.”

Adapted Screenplay: “The Big Short.”

Original Screenplay: “Spotlight.”

Animated Feature Film: “Inside Out.”

Production Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Cinematography: “The Revenant.”

Sound Mixing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Sound Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Original Score: “The Hateful Eight.”

Original Song: “Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre.”

Costume Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Documentary Feature: “Amy.”

Documentary (short subject): “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.”

Film Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Makeup and Hairstyling: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Animated Short Film: “Bear Story.”

Live Action Short Film: “Stutterer.”

Visual Effects: “Ex Machina.”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Ellen DeGeneres brings pizza and deadpan affability to Oscars

LOS ANGELES - Comic and talk show star Ellen DeGeneres returned as Oscar host on Sunday, bringing a deadpan affability, and free pizza, to the Academy Awards show while still poking fun at Hollywood royalty.

The star of her own daytime TV talk show, DeGeneres earned an Emmy nomination for her first Oscar hosting stint in 2007 although some critics complained she was too playful for the traditional decorum of the Academy Awards.

But DeGeneres showed she was apparently unfazed by such criticism, foraying into the audience again on several occasions on Sunday.

She handed a faux consolation prize—a pair of lottery tickets—to supporting actor nominee Bradley Cooper; took a "selfie" snapshot with a group of nominees that was swiftly re-tweeted more than 1 million times; and even ushered a pizza delivery guy into the auditorium to hand out slices to the stars, then called on producer Harvey Weinstein to pay the tip.

"No pressure, only a billion people are watching, whatever you feel is right," she shouted.

While mostly veering away from the ribald streak that marked Seth MacFarlane's widely panned stint as emcee last year, DeGeneres showed she was not above making fun of the movie industry's biggest stars.

She zeroed in on supporting actress nominee, and last year's best actress winner, Jennifer Lawrence, recalling that the star famously tripped on the stairs to the stage on her way to accepting her Oscar in 2013.

DeGeneres also alluded to how Lawrence, 23, nominated for her role in "American Hustle," stumbled again on the red carpet on Sunday.

"If you win tonight, I think we should bring you the Oscar," DeGeneres dead-panned, as the audience, including Lawrence, erupted in laughter.

Turning to June Squibb, whom she noted was the oldest performer ever nominated for an acting Oscar at age 84, DeGeneres congratulated Squibb for her role in "Nebraska." She then raised her voice to directly address Squibb as if the nominee were hard of hearing, saying, "I'm telling everyone that you were wonderful in 'Nebraska.'"

She joked that long-haired actor Jared Leto, a candidate for best supporting actor for his role as a transgender woman in "Dallas Buyers Club," was "the prettiest" nominee of the evening. Moments later, Leto was declared the night's first winner.

Liza Minnelli

But in perhaps her most cutting jab of the night, DeGeneres recognized the presence in the audience of veteran actress-singer and Oscar winner Liza Minnelli by calling attention to "one of the most amazing Liza Minnelli impersonators I have ever seen in my life."

As the camera cut to Minnelli, and back to DeGeneres, the host added, "Good job, sir."

Minnelli, 67, who was honored later in the evening in a tribute to her mother's movie, "The Wizard of Oz," lit up social media site Twitter on red carpet earlier on Sunday, looking shaky, with a blue streak in her hair, and apparently bra-less under her blue silk pants suit.

In another pithy moment, DeGeneres declared two possible scenarios for the final outcome of the Oscar race: "Possibility No. 1, '12 Years a Slave' wins best picture. Possibility No. 2, you're all racists."

Her most sexually explicit gag of the night came when she referred obliquely to Jonah Hill's masturbation scene in the film "The Wolf of Wall Street" and her own sexual orientation.

"You showed us something in that film that I have not seen for a very, very long time," she told Hill, adding, "Get it?" as the laughter faded.

DeGeneres, 56, made broadcast history in 1997 as the first openly gay lead character on US prime-time television. She made her debut as an Oscar host in 2007, becoming only the second women to fly solo as emcee, after Whoopi Goldberg.

Her second turn as Oscar emcee comes a year after MacFarlane, the creator of the animated sitcom "Family Guy," drew critical groans for a provocative performance that included jokes often aimed at the biggest stars in attendance and a musical tribute to female frontal nudity called "We Saw Your Boobs." —Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

And the winner is... memorable Oscars moments

HOLLYWOOD -- From winners sobbing uncontrollably to shocking political outbursts, bizarre snubs and streakers, the Oscars have seen it all -- and Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony could provide fresh drama.

Organizers of Hollywood's biggest night are white-knuckled as they brace for more unscripted moments that could anger television viewers or throw the finely calibrated global telecast off schedule.

With a worldwide television audience in the hundreds of millions, the temptation to use the event as a platform for political statements has proved irresistible for past winners.



Boos rang out around the Kodak Theater in 2003 when maverick filmmaker Michael Moore launched a vitriolic attack on then-US president George W. Bush for waging war in Iraq.

But Moore was only following the tradition of turning the Oscars podium into a bully pulpit.

Arguably, the most famous example came in 1973, when a woman calling herself Sacheen Littlefeather stood before the stunned audience to collect Marlon Brando's best actor Oscar for "The Godfather."

Littlefeather promptly refused to collect the award on Brando's behalf to protest the movie industry's treatment of native Americans.

Four years later, Vanessa Redgrave drew gasps and boos from the Oscars faithful when she thanked the Academy for honoring her in "Julia" despite "the threats of a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums."

Oscars presenter Paddy Chayefsky chastised her to much applause: "I am sick and tired of people exploiting the Academy Awards for the propagation of their own personal propaganda.

"I would like to suggest to Miss Redgrave that her winning an Academy Award is not a pivotal moment in history, does not require a proclamation, and a simple 'thank you' would have sufficed."

Sometimes, the choice of awards recipients can stoke controversy.

The decision to grant director Elia Kazan a lifetime achievement award in 1999 divided the glitterati, with dozens of stars refusing to rise or applaud, in protest at the filmmaker's decision to cooperate with the authorities during the 1950s communist witch-hunts.

- Streakers and kisses -

Politics aside, Oscars night has been littered with memorable one-offs.

In 1974, a naked man invaded the stage as actor David Niven was hosting the show, prompting him to quip: "The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping... and showing his shortcomings."

More recently, Italian Roberto Benigni euphorically leapt from seat-back to seat-back when he won best foreign film for "Life Is Beautiful" in 1999 -- the same year Gwyneth Paltrow famously sobbed her way through her victory speech.

Then in 2003, actor Adrien Brody stunned viewers and superstar Halle Berry by kissing her passionately on the lips as she presented his best actor statuette, creating an Oscars signature moment.

In 2011, Melissa Leo forgot she was on primetime television when accepting her best supporting actress Oscar for "The Fighter."

Referring to Kate Winslet's past win, she said: "When I watched Kate two years ago, it looked so (...) easy," clamping her hand to her mouth almost immediately. ABC bleeped out the expletive on the time-delayed live broadcast.

The following year, Sacha Baron Cohen turned up in character as the star of his then film "The Dictator," holding a golden urn purportedly containing the ashes of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il -- which he proceeded to "accidentally" pour down the front of a visibly-irritated celebrity host Ryan Seacrest.

And this year? Who knows. We'll have to wait for Sunday night... -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Oscar nominees hobnob three weeks ahead of Hollywood’s big night

BEVERLY HILLS, California - This year's Oscar nominees gathered for the ultimate Hollywood power lunch on Monday in a celebration of the old adage "it's an honor just to be nominated" three weeks before the film industry's biggest night.

The annual Oscars nominees luncheon convened more than 200 contenders pursuing an Academy Award on March 2—from 18-time nominee Meryl Streep for best actress in "August: Osage County" to Lupita Nyong'o, who won a best supporting actress nod for her first film role ever in "12 Years a Slave."

The eclectic group of movie stars, directors and technical wizards even boasted U2 frontman Bono, who lined up for the "class picture" thanks to his best song nomination for "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."'

While no one is foolish enough to look confident of a win before Academy members begin voting on Friday, Monday's luncheon was a chance to turn on the charm by praising the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the magic of Hollywood filmmaking.

"I'm going to celebrate no matter what," said Matthew McConaughey, the presumed frontrunner for best actor for his role as an unlikely AIDS activist in the low-budget "Dallas Buyers Club," for which he won the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards.

"This is my first time nominated and if I ever get nominated again, who knows," he added. "But there will never be another first time, so I'm going to enjoy this."

Cate Blanchett, the favorite to win best actress for her role as a disgraced socialite in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine," said this nomination "certainly took me by surprise."

"You're part unconscious when you're working deeply, but it's always a thrill, particularly because I've been away from the film industry for so long," Blanchett said.

‘Interested in challenging films’

This year's Oscars nominations reflect a field crowded with high-quality films and a large number of strong performances that resulted in notable exclusions. At the luncheon, many attendees lamented that Tom Hanks was not there for his acclaimed role in the Somali piracy thriller "Captain Phillips."

For the nine films nominated in the best picture category, odds appear to be strongest for the brutal slavery drama "12 Years a Slave," space thriller "Gravity" and 1970s corruption caper "American Hustle," which have all won top prizes in the awards season and lead the Oscar nominations.

One challenge facing "12 Years a Slave," is the reputation it has earned as a film that is hard to watch. But British director Steve McQueen said he believed he was winning the battle against that notion.

"It just shows you that audiences are interested in challenging films. Audiences are interested in films that give them a perspective of their history," said McQueen.

Actor nominees made a point of praising their directors for their good fortune, like best actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and best supporting actor nominee Jonah Hill, co-stars in Martin Scorsese's tale of financial greed "The Wolf of Wall Street."

"Money is never a concern to work with people like Martin Scorsese," said Hill, who took a pay cut and worked for union scale wages for his role as a drug-addled swindling side-kick. "I would do whatever...I would paint his house if he asked me to."

Producers for the 86th Academy Awards gave advice on acceptance speeches at the show, hosted this year by comedian Ellen DeGeneres: deliver something heartfelt and meaningful rather than a list of people to thank and make it quick.

At the lunch, though, nominees played it cool about their chances and what a win would mean for their careers.

"Everybody regards the Oscars as the ultimate stamp of approval," said Nyong'o, the Kenyan actress nominated for her role as the hardworking slave Patsey. "I don't know. I guess, we'll see." —Reuters

Eddie Murphy to host the 84th Academy Awards

Eddie Murphy has officially accepted to host the 84th Academy Awards and according to reports and it will be Eddie Murphy’s first time to host the Oscars.

Producers Brett Ratner and Don Mischer made the official announcement on Tuesday September 6. The announcement shows Oscar organizers goal is laughter in 2012, after the presentation this year by co-hosts, dramatic actors Anne Hathaway and James Franco, fell flat with critics and many viewers.





Producer Brett Ratner said that "Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever". "With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances  especially on stage – I know he will bring excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show Don and I want to produce in February."

Mischer added, "Eddie is a truly ground-breaking performer, whose amazingly diverse array of roles has won him a devoted audience of all ages. His quick wit and charisma will serve him very well as Oscar host."

Eddie Murphy said, "I am enormously honored to join the great list of past Academy Award hosts from Hope and Carson to Crystal, Martin and Goldberg, among others". "I’m looking forward to working with Brett and Don on creating a show that is enjoyable for both the fans at home and for the audience at the Kodak Theatre as we all come together to celebrate and recognize the great film contributions and collaborations from the past year."