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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.

'Hangover' Star Joins Ryan Murphy's Next Project

2012-02-22T23:04:17Z

While fans are still reeling over the "Glee" winter finale, the cast of Ryan Murphy's new NBC comedy is shaping up.

Justin Bartha of "The Hangover" franchise has signed on for "The New Normal," according to The Hollywood Reporter, which revoles around a gay couple and the woman who agrees to serve as their surrogate. Bartha will play David to "The Book Of Mormon" star Andrew Rannells' Bryan as the couple looking to start a family.

Also joining the cast is Scottish actress Georgia King as Goldie, their surrogate, THR reports. Ellen Barkin is already attached to "The New Normal" as Goldie's racist grandmother on the NBC sitcom, co-created by Murphy and fellow "Glee" scribe Ali Adler.

And in more casting news ...

"Superman" alum Brandon Routh will play Michael Urie's boyfriend in "Partners" for CBS. The comedy pilot is from the minds of "Will & Grace" creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. [TVLine]

Ryan Phillippe has dropped out of the CBS pilot he was attached to. The actor, who's currently filming a major arc on the finale season of FX's "Damages," would have starred as a cop on the Greg Berlanti project, which was previously known as "Golden Boy." [The Hollywood Reporter]

"Kings" alum Chris Egan is going Disney. The actor has landed the first role in ABC's reimagining of the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" as Gorrick, a Gaston-like character betrothed the show's leading lady, Grace. [TVLine]

Former "Oz" inmate Lee Tergesen may be back doing small screen crime. TVLine exclusively reports that Tergesen is close to signing onto ABC's drama pilot "Penoza," which is based on a Dutch series of the same name about the widow of an assassinated criminal forced to adopt her husband's role in order to protect her family. [TVLine]

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]

Books To Tide You Over Until 'The Hunger Games' Movies

2012-02-22T22:10:10Z

By Sarah Pitre for Bookish:

Shortness of breath. Racing heartbeat. An inability to acknowledge that the series is actually over. Pre-ordering movie tickets a month in advance (they go on sale today!). These are all symptoms one might experience after finishing the Hunger Games trilogy. Over at the YA blog Forever Young Adult, TEABS (The End of an Awesome Book Syndrome) is a serious condition that can be remedied only by starting a new, equally satisfying book. Fortunately, the young adult genre is teeming with dystopian adventures that will tide you over until the first Hunger Games film hits theaters in Marchâ��though these books are just as likely to cause TEABS as they are to cure it. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Sarah Pitre lives in Austin, TX, where she spreads the gospel of YA and champ cans. Unlike Fred Savage, she totally loves kissing books.Read more at Bookish

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.

Happy Birthday, Drew Barrymore

2012-02-22T21:52:09Z

America’s sweetheart Drew Barrymore turns 37 today!

We have seen her in mad love, date a wedding singer and ride in cars with boys. We have even watched her go from never being kissed to going on 50 first dates and we have loved her every step of the way!

Terrence Howard's Divorce Gets Ugly

2012-02-22T21:51:00Z

After ugly divorce proceedings, 'Red Tails' star Terrence Howard is ordered to pay big bucks to ex-wife Michelle Ghent.

Watch Jean Dujardin In 1998 French Television Series 'Farce Attaque'

2012-02-22T21:27:03Z

Honestly, I don't really know what's going on in this clip (two years of French classes: money well spent) other than that Jean Dujardin, your likely future Best Actor winner, is running through the jungle like he's Rambo. I'm starting to get the impression that Dujardin may have been holding out when he did that Funny or Die parody of all of the action movies that he was now being offered.

The 1998 clip, from a French television series called "Farce Attaque," shows Dujardin in predicaments ranging from being whipped while tied to a tree to, well, yes, something involving a fart joke. Enjoy, America.

Mike Ryan is the senior writer for Moviefone. He has written for Wired Magazine, VanityFair.com, GQ.com, New York Magazine and Movieline. He likes Star Wars a lot. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter

'Jane Eyre' Costume Designer On Mia Wasikowska's Corset

2012-02-22T21:15:00Z

Although it not the first time Michael O'Connor has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, the Brit confesses he was "like a child" when he heard the news that he was up again for his work on "Jane Eyre." "It's a strange feeling," O'Connor says, "It feels a little different [than the first time I was nominated], but not too different. You don’t expect it, but then people say, 'I knew this would happen.' It’s quite an honor. How the Academy ever narrows it down to five I will never know."

Although he won an Oscar for "The Duchess" in 2008, O'Connor confesses "I think I am most proud of the "Last King of Scotland" and “Jane Eyre," in terms of my work." We had the chance to catch up with O'Connor to discuss his inspiration behind "Jane Eyre," what it was like to force Mia Wasikowska into a corset and what he thinks of his competition:

How did you got started in costume design?
I used to do photography and I was keen on that, so I went to this theater and worked at the Old Vic in London.Then I did classes and went to college and I sort of started assisting designers. Eventually, I sort of thought I’d branch out and try to do it myself and become the head of the department. I started doing small films and then one meeting after another meeting, and I’m here.

What was the inspiration behind “Jane Eyre?”
The inspiration is her character, the challenge is making a woman from that time look stylish today, while still looking simple. She’s sort of a “thinking” Jane, so it was about looking and finding paintings of women in simple costumes at the time. And notes from Emily Dickinson, things like that. I just thought, "How would we make something exciting in all black?" So, instead of black, she could be in dark grey, and it could show more of the style, or detail. The original costumes were a great inspiration. I looked at them and was like, "Oh my God. How did they do it?" I was trying to recreate it really, without, you know, replicating.

Do you feel like it’s more challenging to work on a film where people have read the book and have an idea of how “Jane Eyre” should look?
I think it is, unless the script is designed to run away from the vision of the book. I think in this case, the original source of material is crucial, really, to what we were trying to do. So for me, although the characters are being described as sort of plain and simple, I didn't want to make them not plain and not simple. The character doesn’t have to be exact, but you don't want them to be unrecognizable. It's about achieving the spirit of the character, I think.

How do you bring a contemporary aesthetic to the period costumes?
It's challenging because people are looking at the actors, they know the actors and know that they are real people, so you can’t kind of over-encumber them with lots of fuss. The key is in the details, like Jane’s sleeves are probably tighter than they would have been, or adjusting the fabrics. It's not an exact replica of what Jane would have worn. If she had great big, puffy sleeves or something, I feel that would be inappropriate.

What was it like working with the stars, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Judi Dench, on the film?
Well, I don’t think many women want to wear a corset everyday of their lives, but that is what Mia had to do to get the right shape. I’m sure Michael doesn’t want to wear trousers cut quite so high with braces and skirted coat and scarves around his neck. And likewise, I don’t think Judi Dench really wants to be so buttoned up. I know with Judi, we could’ve gone further over-the-top with her, but I know that she wouldn’t have felt correct like that. So even though it was a dialogue with all of the actors about those things, but you know, really, Mia has to be congratulated because she tolerated all of it everyday, without a single complaint.

Were there any things you did to make the corsets more comfortable?
Not really. It’d be great if you could, but for them to do their work, it has to be constructed in a certain way. If they’re not, they won’t last half a day. It’d just be like a flannel or an old rag. And I know when Mia put it on, she was feeling - she was becoming Jane as it were, so it helps the character. It’s quite a relief to take it off, as I’m sure she’ll tell you.

Do you feel that the costumes contribute to their character?
It takes time, they might have done something the week before where they’re sort of shot out in Los Angeles or something, in a t-shirt and jeans. So they come in, and they see this thing and they look and aren't totally comfortable. You know, I’m around these things a lot, so they’re familiar to me. But to them, it’s a bit tricky. But, slowly, I think that it’s good for them to meet the costumes designers, so they get a sense of where we’re going with it and they take the information, they use that and they come back to me with more information - what they feel about the character and then it’s like a journey together really.

What do you think about the other designers who are nominated?
I met Mark Bridges [who is nominated for "The Artist"] once in Los Angeles, he’s very pleasant. I met Arianne Phillips [who is nominated for "W.E."] many, many years ago. And I met Lisy Christl [of "Anonymous"] when I was doing “Jane Eyre," in London. I’ve known Sandy Powell [who is nominated for "Hugo") for a very long time. Definitely the longest. I love her work and all of it – I think this year, particularly, the people are really strong, amazing technical achievements.

Take a peek in our gallery below for some of the remarkable costumes in "Jane Eyre."

Meryl Streep To Present At Academy Awards

2012-02-22T20:29:53Z

It looks like Meryl Streep will have a busy Oscars night: The "Iron Lady" actress was announced as a presenter at the 84th Academy Awards on Tuesday.

Joining the ranks of Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, the "Bridesmaids" cast and more, Streep will be giving away an award -- and could be receiving one herself.

Streep, who has been nominated for 17 Academy Awards and taken home two statues, is nominated this year for her role as Margaret Thatcher in the "Best Actress" category.

Viola Davis is nominated in the same category for her starring role in "The Help." And while she has admitted that Streep may be the one to take home the Oscar, the question of who would win in a fight is a different story.

"Friendly competition -- although, I can whoop I whoop Meryl Streep's behind in a good, old fashioned street fight," Davis said of her longtime friend on CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" of her longtime friend.

The Oscars air on Sunday, February 26.

'Seinfeld' Actor Hospitalized

2012-02-22T20:06:27Z

Daniel von Bargen is in an Ohio hospital after a failed suicide attempt on Monday morning, TMZ is reporting.

According to the 911 phone call the character actor made from his Cincinnati apartment, von Bargen sustained a self-inflicted gun shot in his head. The 61-year-old appears discombobulated on the phone: "I was supposed to go to the hospital and I didn't want to… they were supposed to amputate at least a few toes," he said, adding that he is diabetic.

Von Bargen played the characters of Chief Grady in "Super Troopers" and Mr. Kruger on "Seinfeld."

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

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.

Judge: Lindsay Lohan Is Getting Her Life Back On Track

2012-02-22T18:28:48Z

LOS ANGELES — Lindsay Lohan drew praise Wednesday from a judge who said the actress was one court hearing away from putting a long-running drunken driving case behind her.

"Ms. Lohan, you're in the home stretch," Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner told the actress. "The probation officer is pleased with your progress."

The former Disney star has progressed under strict probation guidelines imposed by Sautner last year, including weekly stints working at the morgue and therapy sessions.

Lohan, 25, now has to work 14 days at the morgue and attend five therapy sessions before the judge ends her probation on a 2007 drunken driving case that has dogged Lohan for years.

She is due back in court on March 29 for what could be her final court appearance if she stays out of trouble.

Lohan would remain on informal probation for a case filed after she took a necklace without permission in January 2011 but would no longer have to report to a probation officer or appear in court for frequent updates.

The model-actress is attempting a career comeback and is scheduled to host "Saturday Night Live" on March 3.

"You seem to be getting your life back on track," Sautner told her.