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Was Sacha Baron Cohen Banned From The Oscars?

2012-02-23T12:36:26Z

Has Sacha Baron Cohen been banned from attending the Academy Awards on Sunday night? After word spread quickly on Wednesday that Cohen was planning to arrive on the red carpet for the ceremony dressed as his character from "The Dictator," Deadline.com's Nikki Finke reported that the prank-happy star had his tickets revoked.

The Academy later refuted those claims, telling the Los Angeles Times that no decision had yet been made about Cohen's credentials. (Finke later refuted that claim, writing that the Academy was backpedalling in the face of public outcry) The comic was/is set to appear at the Oscars to help support "Hugo," where he co-stars as The Station Inspector.

Of course, whether Cohen ever intended to show up on the red carpet dressed as General Aladeen, the ousted North African despot at the center of "The Dictator," remains to be seen.

"Friend tells me Sacha Baron Cohen never had any plans to attend Oscars dressed like 'The Dictator' & he's loving the free publicity 4 the film," Variety reporter Jeff Sneider wrote on Twitter.

Tune in on Sunday night to see if Cohen actually shows up. "The Dictator" is in theaters on May 11.

[via Deadline.com, LAT/24 Frames]

PHOTOS: A Look Back At The Acadamy Awards Through The Years

2012-02-23T01:01:36Z

It's a night of glitz and glamour, honors and upsets, obvious wins and outrageous snubs. The Academy Awards has become one of the most anticipated nights in Hollywood, but this Super Bowl of award shows has a history far longer than the train of Halle Berry's 2002 gown. There are 83 years of red carpet wonders and blunders that have made the Academy Awards what it is today.

In 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out the very first Oscar statuette at a brunch held in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Films released between Aug. 1, 1927 and Aug. 1, 1928 were up for top honors, with "Wings" taking home the now-coveted Outstanding Picture award (check out the rest of the winners from the first Academy Awards at Oscar.com.) That May 16 ceremony marked the very first Oscars, and although it was far from what we now know award shows to be, the ceremony packed the same A-list star power that will hit the red carpet on Oscar night.

From Oscar party images of Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis in 1939 to red carpet shots of Audrey Hepburn in 1954 -- the year she won Best Actress for "Roman Holiday" and old blue eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, won Best Supporting Actor for "From Here to Eternity" -- Hollywood's biggest night is full of the boldest and most beautiful stars of all time. Take a look back at photos from the start, when Old Hollywood was present day and glamour was timeless.

For the ultimate guide to everything Oscar, head over to Oscar.com for a timeline of nominees and winners from the past 83 shows.

PHOTOS:

Oscars Made Easy: 'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'

2012-02-22T23:11:37Z

"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Max Von Sydow)

What's It About: Based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" follows Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), a young boy who -- after losing his father (Tom Hanks) in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 -- finds a key in his dad's closet. With the help of a mysterious older man named "The Renter" (Von Sydow), Oskar travels around Manhattan looking for the lock that the key belong to, convinced it was left behind as a sign from his father.

Why You Should See It: Despite having some of the worst reviews ever for a Best Picture nominee, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" isn't all bad. Hanks, Von Sydow, Sandra Bullock and Jeffrey Wright all give wonderful performances, and while Horn's Schell is an irritating lead character, the film still hits the right emotional beats. Those concerned about the 9/11 factor, shouldn't be; "Extremely Loud" handles the national tragedy as best can be expected.

It's Kind Of Like: "Hugo" mixed with "The 25th Hour," but not as good as either.

How You Can See It: Out in theaters now.

Movie Theater Showing 'Shame' Dubbed 'Den Of Sin'

2012-02-22T22:31:15Z

An NC-17 rating is often the kiss of death for a movie, but one South Carolina theater is seeing boffo business for "Shame" after fliers that condemn the film started popping up around town. The fliers dub the Nickelodeon theater a "den of shame" and caution people not to see the movie, which features ample sex scenes and full-frontal nudity from lead Michael Fassbender. The 75-seat art-house theater (no relation to the kid-friendly network) has seen business go up since the flier controversy.

Two locals interviewed by WLTX Channel 19 admitted the negative ad, which warns that the film will "offend your sensibilities," only made them want to see the movie more. Since the flier lists the exact address and dates the film is playing and is posted right outside the "den of sin" in question, could it be the Nickelodeon itself is behind the campaign? See the video above and decide for yourself.

[via Movieline]

Who Is Jessica Chastain's Oscar Date?

2012-02-22T21:59:05Z

Jessica Chastain never stops giving us more reasons to love her. The latest? Her date for the Academy Awards!

"I'm bringing my grandma to the Oscars," the first-time nominee told me at Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture's Vanities party. "She started crying when I told her.

What Will Win More Awards: 'Hugo' or 'The Artist'?

2012-02-22T20:00:00Z

On Sunday February 26, the biggest stars in Hollywood gather to bestow Oscars on the best movies of the year. With Billy Crystal hosting the festivities once again, movie fans will be watching how many Academy Awards are racked up by "The Help," "Hugo" and more.

And since we won't know who wins the big gold until that 8pm ET start-time on February 26, this is your chance to test your award show expertise.

Every weekday between now and February 24, we'll post new questions about what will happen on Hollywood's big night. (Right there on the right side of your screen) Submit your best guesses and you'll automatically be eligible for a daily prize of two free movie tickets. The grand prize -- a YEAR'S worth of free movie tickets -- will be awarded to a user with the most correct predictions.

Want to Win Free Movie Tickets For a Year?
Keep Playing Awards Show Challenges

Click here for rules.

First Look: 'American Reunion' Trailer

2012-02-22T19:23:51Z

High-school reunions let you relive all the awesome (or completely horrible) moments you had as a teenager. It makes sense, then, that "American Reunion," the latest film in the "Pie" franchise, would take a trip down awkward-sex-memory lane to revisit some of the jokes from the first movie.

In official trailer for "Reunion," Jim (Jason Biggs) stops by his childhood home, where he and his father (Eugene Levy) take a look through Jim's old stack of nudie magazines (one of which has a Y2K cover!). Then, of course, there's a scene where the guys make a toast at a bar, a moment where Stifler discusses his high-school dream of keeping "the party going with his boys," and plenty of other shenanigans inspired by the original "American Pie."

You can check out the trailer above. "American Reunion," starring Biggs, Levy, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Mena Suvari, Alyson Hannigan and Tara Reid, hits theaters April 6.

It's James Bond All Weekend Long

2012-02-22T19:14:57Z

Do you live in Canada? Do you subscribe to MGM's digital channel? Are you a James Bond fan? If so, you're in luck for Oscar weekend.

The MGM Channel, via Hollywood Suite, is putting on a special showcase of the "James Bond" films this weekend, just in time for the Oscars. The channel plans to air 10 classic Bond films over the weekend -- and no matter if you prefer Connery, Moore or Dalton, they're all making an appearance.

Friday February 24:
8 p.m. "Dr. No" (1962)
10 p.m. "From Russia With Love" (1963)
12 a.m. "Goldfinger" (1965)
2 a.m. "Thunderball" (1965)

Saturday February 25
8 p.m. "For Your Eyes Only" (1981)
10: 10 p.m. "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)
12:20 a.m. "Octopussy" (1983)
2:35 a.m. "A View To Kill" (1985)

Sunday February 26
9:05 p.m. "The Living Daylights" (1987)
11:20 p.m. "License To Kill" (1985)
(All Times Eastern)

To see if you have this channel, please contact your local cable provider.

Mel Gibson Will Not Be Involved In 'Mad Max' Reboot

2012-02-22T18:06:32Z

With production of the Mad Max reboot (rumored to be titled Mad Max: Fury Road) finally getting underway with Tom Hardy taking over the lead role, and Charlize Theron riding sawed-off shotgun, the big question about the reboot remains: Will OG Mad man Mel Gibson make a cameo?

WATCH: The All-Time Best-Dressed At The Oscars

2012-02-22T17:24:54Z

Some people watch the Oscars because they love the movies, others, because they love the movie stars. And some people watch it just for the fabulous fashion.

As we look forward to the 84th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, let's also take a look back at some of the best Oscar dresses ever.

The video above shows Angelina Jolie, Penelope Cruz, Michele Williams and other celebrities looking glamorous and provocative on the red carpet. Check it out!

Movie Versus Book: Oscar Nominee 'The Descendants'

2012-02-22T17:22:47Z

For each of this year's five Academy Award-nominated films that began as paperbound stories, we've found one reviewer who has only read the book, and one reviewer who has only seen the movie. We asked them about characters, plot points and dramatic moments to see how one differs from the other, and to try and ascertain which is more worthy of your time.

Yesterday, we found that the film version of Moneyball was more dramatic than the book. Today, we'll take a look at The Descendants, the sentimental George Clooney flick based on a novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. In this case, the screen play doesn't seem to stray too far from the book, as both reviewers recall the same important moments and characters.

Both the novel and the film revolve around an emotionally withdrawn lawyer, Matt King, who struggles to keep his family together in the wake of his wife's comatose state and the potential loss of his ancestor's land. In both stories, comic relief is provided by his rebellious daughter's slacker boyfriend, who is brought along to hospitals and grandparent visits. But while our book reviewer recommends "The Descendants" to "contemporary literary fiction readers [and] fans of family sagas and relationship stories," our Moviefone team says the flick is best suited for "Middle-aged men."

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston Go Unscripted For 'Wanderlust'

2012-02-22T17:21:10Z

This weekend, Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star in "Wanderlust," as an urban married couple who leave the city and stumble upon a hippie commune where free love rules.

That "romantic" vibe managed to find its way onto the set of Moviefone's most recent Unscripted, where Aniston told Rudd about her first ever kiss. She doesn't go into too many details, but that doesn't prevent Paul from making a few cracks about it. You can check out the clip above.

As for the full Unscripted conversation, the two movie stars go on to discuss other hippie-friendly topics, such as nudism and tie-dye shirts. Plus, there's even a "Friends" joke! (You'll recall that Rudd was guest star on "Friends," while Aniston had a small part on the sitcom as well; HAR!) Watch the the full interview -- as well as some other extra special clips -- below.

"Wanderlust," starring Aniston, Rudd, Justin Theroux and Alan Alda, opens nationwide this Friday.

Did Joan Collins Just Spoil The Academy Awards?

2012-02-22T17:12:12Z

Not like you need further proof that "The Artist" is a shoo-in for Best Picture, but Oscar voter Joan Collins may have actually just ruined the non-surprise you are about to experience on Sunday at the Academy Awards

"Oh, yes," Collins said when asked about any Oscar predictions, "but I'm not going to tell you."

She then added, "I'm a voter, so I'm not allowed to say. But I think it's called 'The Artist.'"

Collins is part of the old-guard Oscar voters that have come under fire since a Los Angeles Times expose on Sunday highlighted the advanced age and lack of diversity among Academy members. Per the study, Oscar voters are 94 percent white, 77 percent male and have a median age of 62. Based on that make-up, conventional wisdom is that "The Artist" -- a silent and black and white film about an aging silent movie star pushed aside by the advent of talkies -- will take home many awards on Sunday night, including Best Picture.

See if Collins did indeed spoil the big award by tuning into the Oscars on Sunday night starting at 7 p.m. EST on ABC.

2012 OSCAR NOMINEES:

WATCH: Mike Myers Teaches Kevin Kline Oscar Etiquette

2012-02-22T17:04:48Z

Mike Myers took a break from Shreking to teach Kevin Kline and thing or two about how to hold an Oscar statuette in a new short produced by Funny Or Die.

Myers' character, an aristocratic etiquette coach by the name of Sir Cecil Worthington (although, as he points out, he's not actually a knight), heard from TMZ that Kline has been mishandling the Academy Award that he won in 1989 for "A Fish Called Wanda." Obviously, some correction is in order from Worthington.

Even though this video might be a little bit poor timing when Myers' character -- an old white man -- looks like a caricature of the typical Oscar voter based on recent reports, we think this might be the funniest that Myers has been in years, and the "Wayne's World" star may even have more life left in him as an aging comedy chameleon. (Assuming he can transition to middle age easier than he has. Whether "Austin Powers 4" will be that transition remains to be seen.)

Worst Dressed Oscar Attendees

2012-02-22T16:51:12Z

Congratulations, folks! We're at the half-way mark for Oscar week! There are mere days (days!) standing between you and the 84th Academy Awards. So to tide you over until The Big Day, Moviefone is pulling out the big guns: The Worst Dressed List.

Because, hey, what's even better than stars dressed beautifully? Stars dressed dreadfully!

Voila, the worst dressed Oscar attendees ever.

PHOTOS: