The Envelope - LA Times - Academy Awards

Mary Pickford still making Oscar headlines

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

L.A. judge takes Oscar statuettes case under submission.

A judge has taken under submission a case involving two Oscars presented to famed actress Mary Pickford and a third given to her former husband, Charles "Buddy" Rogers.

Inauguration alters 2009 Oscar calendar

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Politics takes precedence over Oscar noms.

What's more significant: the inauguration of a new U.S. president or the announcement of the year's Oscar nominees? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided politics takes precedence, announcing Monday that it has delayed the nominations announcement by two days.

"Crash" producer Yari loses appeal for his Oscar

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

One of six credited producers, Yari claimed Oscar snub damaged his reputation.

A California appeals court has ruled that a producer of the movie "Crash" can't sue to get an Academy Award retroactively.

The Coen brothers in the garden of good and evil

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

A turn to gravitas results in their most tragic, heartfelt work -- it's no country for the easy wisecrack.

A famous dead white male, Horace Walpole, once observed, "Life is a comedy for those who think . . . and a tragedy for those who feel."

The Oscars require major surgery

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Time for the Hollywood treatment -- a face-lift.

IT'S now painfully obvious that the Oscars need what nearly every aging star in Hollywood has already had -- a face-lift.

Getting emotional over Oscar

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The award show brings out something real in actors and that's what is worth watching.

IT finally happened: an Oscar night with no major surprises, not even one. Which led to the biggest surprise of all: Learning who's going to win turns out not to be the reason we watch. Not the reason at all.

Kudos Crasher: Oscars 2008

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The night the party died for Hollywood, at least in the lobby bar.

Celebs Sans Frontiers

The belle of the Oscar ball

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Elton John hosted the hottest party in Hollywood.

With Vanity Fair sitting out this year's celebrations, the belle of the Oscars parties was a piano playing Elton John.

Backstage at the Oscars

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Your pass to all the buzz , backslapping and disbelief

SURE, Jon Stewart was funny, the musical numbers entertaining and the anniversary film clips were a fun ride through Oscars past. But that's just the stuff you were meant to see. Backstage is a ride of another sort entirely -- one not necessarily meant for audience consumption, one in which the stars can be themselves. Here, then, are dispatches from backstage at the Kodak Theatre.

The Oscars: A dark view on dark times

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

'No Country for Old Men' and other recent violent films reflect a post-9/11 world beset by war and fear.

IT used to be that violence, even more than comedy, was the kiss of death for Oscar movies. Then came blood-saturated films like "Crash" and "The Departed," which overturned some of those rules.