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Oscars 2012: My Night At Hollywood’s Biggest Show

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Brad and Angelina’s wedding plan, talking to George Clooney and 3-D desserts are a few things we’ll remember about this year’s Academy Awards. By Josh Horowitz On the red carpet for Sunday’s Academy Awards Photo: MTV News So I guess this means the 2013 Academy Awards season has begun? I jest (kinda). But it seems like this past awards season lasted forever. I mean, it kind of did. Legit contenders had emerged by the time the Cannes film festival began last May. By now, I’m pretty sure the stars of “The Artist” are sick of the sounds of their own voices … I mean, if they had spoken in the film. You know what I mean. Last night was a fine sendoff to another fun awards season. I had a blast covering my fourth Oscars red carpet. It’s always a true privilege to be a tiny part of something I’ve been obsessed with since I was old enough to watch TV. One of the true pleasures of doing the awards season circuit for MTV News is getting a chance to talk to some of the folks I’ve worshipped from afar for years, and this go-round was no different. Last night, Christopher Plummer, Gary Oldman, Kenneth Branagh and Nick Nolte all stopped to chat with me on the carpet. The 14-year-old Josh is very impressed. And then there are the newbies. Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, even Shailene Woodley (unjustly looked over by the Academy) all were red-carpet regulars over the last few months and will surely be for many years to come. It’s hard to sum up a nearly four-hour red carpet in a few paragraphs, but here are a few select moments I’ll look back on with a smile from the 84th Academy Awards red carpet. George Clooney gets everyone excited. Perhaps the most embarrassing moment for me last night came when “Muppets” Best Song winner Bret McKenzie mentioned Clooney was nearby and I got embarrassingly excited. Like, too excited for a heterosexual man. Oh well, that guy is charming. Just take a look at our chat together. Choose your questions for Angelina Jolie carefully. Of course, it was Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who arrived last on the Oscars red carpet. Side note: Strangely, Christopher Lloyd arrived right around the same time. Anyway, Angelina was breezing by so the talk was quick, but damn, that lady is a movie star (I know, breaking news). She told me she thinks of her mom (now deceased) when she thinks of the Oscars since her Academy Award win was such a proud moment for her. Then, of course, I broke the mood by asking her if she and Brad planned their wedding to be a similar size as the Oscars. With a laugh she was on her way. Never got around asking her and Brad to adopt me. Wolfgang Puck serves food in 3-D. Who’s been going to the Oscars for 18 years and is always the most popular guy at the Governors Ball? Why, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck of course. He was my first interview of the night and might have been my favorite. At least the oddest. I think we also had our first fight as Wolfgang explained to me that he was serving a 3-D dessert this year while wearing those silly old-school glasses. I insisted all desserts are in 3-D. There was tension. And begrudging respect. I think. You too can be nominated for an Oscar! OK, just to clarify, I’m not saying it’s easy to get an Oscar nomination. But when an honest-to-goodness friend of yours gets one, it rocks your world a bit. Anything is possible! In this case I’m talking about Andrew Bowler, an old acquaintance from years past, who made it to the big show with his wife Gigi Causey for their great short film “Time Freak.” Seeing Andrew enjoy his well-deserved big moment on the carpet was surreal and awesome. The movies are all about seeing dreams come to life, right? The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Related Videos Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: Parties Oscars 2012: Winners Oscars 2012: The Main Show

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Meryl Streep’s Surprise Win: Experts Weigh In

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘You can never call a Meryl Streep win a real upset, because she’s so beloved in the industry,’ BoxOffice.com’s Phil Contrino tells MTV News. By Kevin P. Sullivan Meryl Streep poses with her award at the 2012 Oscars Photo: Getty Images Heading into Sunday night’s Academy Awards , few expected any major surprises in the top categories. “The Artist” was expected to take Best Director, Actor and Picture, while Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer had been considered locks in the supporting categories for weeks. In the Best Actress category, however, some Oscar analysts ( MTV News included ) may have been too quick to call the Best Actress category for Viola Davis in “The Help.” Such confidence resulted in the biggest surprise of the evening when Meryl Streep won her third Academy Award for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” So what happened to Viola Davis? In the night that belonged so heavily to the odds-on favorite, how was it that Streep pulled off the upset? Even Streep had to admit that most people thought the award belonged to Davis. “When they called my name,” she said during her acceptance speech, “I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, ‘Oh no! Oh come on, why her? Again?’ But … whatever.” Entertainment reporter Jo Piazza said that the crowd’s familiarity with Streep may have been her key to Oscar gold. “It wasn’t Meryl’s performance that gave her the edge,” Piazza said. “It was the fact that she hasn’t won in 30 years. Her performance was great, but that was what gave her the advantage.” The perceived disappointment was a direct result of both Davis’ status as a favorite and the success of “The Help.” When it came to ensemble awards, even “The Artist” couldn’t come close to topping the wins for “The Help” this awards season. The cast won at the SAGs, the National Board of Review and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. It also certainly helped to have Octavia Spencer cleaning up the Supporting Actress awards wherever she went. Because of the awards and nominations close to Davis and her strong performance in the film, many saw her as the favorite for Best Actress, despite splitting many of the key awards with Streep. Davis won over the Broadcast Film Critics Association and took home the Actor at the SAG Awards, the last major awards show before the Oscars. But all of that overlooks the hefty haul of awards Streep took home before last night’s Academy Awards. Naturally, Streep won Best Actress at the BAFTAs, a victory undermined by the very British subject matter of “The Iron Lady, but also, more importantly, at the Golden Globes, where Streep’s future Oscar seemed the most likely. Though it may have initially been thought of as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s signature celebrity-love, Streep’s Globes win should have been considered more heavily when predicting the Oscars. Streep, after all, embodied many of the key traits of an Oscar winner. She played a historical figure, donned makeup to transform into her character and is a repeat winner, so perhaps there shouldn’t have been as many “Oh, no’s” as there were. Phil Contrino of BoxOffice.com told MTV News that Streep’s status as a Hollywood legend should have precluded any talk of upsets. “You can never call a Meryl Streep win a real upset, because she’s so beloved in the industry,” he said. “It’s important to remember that she was running very close to Viola Davis for most of the season.” The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Related Videos Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: Parties Oscars 2012: The Main Show

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Awards Season Report Card

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

MTV News looks back the awards shows that deserved standing ovations and those that left us falling asleep in our chair. By MTV News staff Photo: Getty Images With the end of Oscars season, we say goodbye to awards shows for a few months. The spectacles honored the best in television, music and movies, and each handed out a good amount of hardware. But who put on the best show? Not all awards shows were created equal, and some get the benefit of live performances while some have to rest on the laurels of acceptance speeches. As the 2011-2012 awards season comes to a close, the MTV News staff has taken a look back at the year that was to give you the breakdown on which shows earned standing ovations and which were just seat fillers. The Academy Awards “Another year, another reminder that the Oscars are no longer the can’t-miss movie event they once were. Barring a surprise win for Meryl Streep and a fleeting hour where you thought that maybe, just maybe, ‘Hugo’ would topple ‘The Artist,’ the 2012 Oscars ceremony was a total dud. Yes, it was nice to see Billy Crystal back onstage; no, no one will complain about a cameo from Christopher Guest and friends; and sure, there is nothing that sucks about watching Sacha Baron Cohen spill ‘Kim Jong Il’s ashes’ all over Ryan Seacrest. But those moments are why the Internet exists. As a whole and on its own, the 84th Annual Academy Awards were a giant, predictable snooze fest.” C — Josh Wigler The Grammys “The Grammys are kind of like the Pu Pu Platter at the hip Chinese joint at the local strip mall: There’s a bunch of the golden oldies your granny and mom love scattered among a bunch of weird new stuff that the grandkids can’t get enough of. In other words, it tries to be all things to all people while typically turning off most of them. Except this year. The show drew near-record ratings thanks to a well-deserved sweep by Adele , a touching homage to just passed R&B superstar Whitney Houston and a grab bag of performances from the Foo Fighters, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt and that now-infamous messy EDM mashup thing. If that, along with two meh sets from ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and a mystifying one from Nicki Minaj sounds like the weirdest, least appealing festival lineup ever, well… And yet, host LL Cool J set an appropriately somber, not morbid tone for the show while keeping it moving, Jennifer Hudson absolutely nailed her Houston tribute and Adele simultaneously dragged the Recording Academy into the present while serving up just enough throw-back flavor to keep several generations happy.” B+ — Gil Kaufman The Golden Globes “There are many things to love about the Golden Globe Awards. First and foremost, it combines the best and brightest from the worlds of television and film, an interesting occurrence because for some strange reason the stars of TV and cinema don’t regularly interact in the awards-show wilds. Second, there is a decidedly more laid-back air to the affair, made possible by the bottles and bottles of champagne that are handed out to attendees from the moment they arrive on the red carpet to the moment they depart. Third, the nominating body for the Globes is the mysterious Hollywood Foreign Press, the membership and qualifications about which no one really knows that much. This year’s award show wasn’t especially full of shocking surprises, but it definitely delivered on the fun factor. Ricky Gervais returned to host and managed to not offend too many celebs in attendance, save for one jab at Madonna that she playfully tossed back in his face; George Clooney and Seth Rogen both made penis jokes and on a more sincere note, deserving Best Actor winner and ‘Game of Thrones’ star Peter Dinklage used his acceptance speech to call attention to an injustice.” B — Kara Warner Screen Actors Guild Awards “The SAGs get a lot of credit for their ability to predict the Oscar winners a month or so in advance. While the SAG Awards have rightfully earned their reputation as accurate fortune tellers, actually watching the show will make you wish you’d just Googled the results that next morning. With onstage union talk and no host to keep the show moving, the ceremony this year took its name too literally and sagged.” B- — Kevin Sullivan American Music Awards ” The AMAs kicked it off with Nicki Minaj/David Guetta performing and wrapped it up with Justin Bieber and David Hasselhoff shufflin’ alongside LMFAO. Squeezed in between were performances and awards handed out to stars like Minaj and Taylor Swift, among others. For a show that feels like it’s Cinderella to its Grammys step sister, the AMAs proved that sometimes it’s more fun to have fun.” B — Jocelyn Vena Critics’ Choice Movie Awards “Hosts Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer might have dubbed this show ‘the ninth most exciting night in Hollywood,’ and it might have delivered long stretches of snooze-worthy TV, but the CCAs also have us some great, ‘Human Giant’-esque video bits, a live performance from Bob Dylan and Best Supporting Actor winner Christopher Plummer’s onstage confession, ‘I’m completely turned on.’ It was the night’s introductions and speeches, in fact, that made the show an overall winner. Judd Apatow dropped f-bombs, Sean Penn spoke via satellite about the continuing hardships in Haiti, and Patton Oswalt said, ‘There are plenty of nuanced roles for schlubby actors out there. And the ones that Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman don’t take are all mine!’ ” B+ — Eric Ditzian People’s Choice Awards “For anyone who was wondering if hiring the girl from the ‘Big Bang Theory’ to host an award show was like a bang-up good idea, well then they should watch the 2012 PCAs , again and again and again. (Spoiler: it’s not.) Also, when the biggest headline of the night is the fact that Robert Pattinson presented with a shaved head, well then you might have a dull show on your hands, folks. Seriously, what else even happened at that show?” D — Vena What awards show deserves the best grade this year? Leave your comment below! Related Videos Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos MTV Style | 2012 Oscars Red Carpet Photos Oscars 2012: The Main Show

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Oscars 2012: Winners And Losers

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

From Emma Stone to Angelina Jolie’s right leg, MTV News relives the best and worst of Sunday night’s show. By Eric Ditzian Emma Stone arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic The winners of the 2012 Oscars have already been announced. Those lucky men and women have already gone off, gleaming statuettes in hand, to jump from celeb-filled party to celeb-filled party and learn how to carry a champagne glass in one hand and an Academy Award in the other without spilling for the former and breaking the latter. But the official winners’ list only tells part of the story of Sunday night’s show. There were nipples that might have slipped, legs that poked bizarrely out and an ash-filled urn malfunction on the red carpet. There were front-runners who fell short and dark horses who pulled out unexpected victories. Who were the true winners and losers at the Oscars this year? Let’s take a look… Winner: Billy Crystal Hauled out from some cryogenic awards-show freezer where time does not pass and wrinkles are not allowed to crease one’s face, Crystal emerged onto the Oscar stage for the ninth time … and didn’t make us fall asleep. Much to our surprise, he was consistently funny (and at times, shockingly and thankfully, a tad mean), and delivered a bunch of LOL-worthy video bits. Loser: Anne Hathaway and James Franco Remember when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences thought it needed to get all edgy, recruiting two hot young things to helm the biggest night in Hollywood? Hollywood, in turn, hated them. The ghosts of Hathaway and Franco’s phoned-in performances could be seen every time Crystal belted out a parody tune or a Borscht Belt zinger to the sustained guffaws of his audience. Winner: Jennifer Lopez’s nipple It was the singer’s most talked-about release in at least a decade. And it may not have actually, ya know, been released from beneath her dress. Loser: Angelina Jolie’s right leg ‘Cause, seriously, that was just weird. Winner: The screenwriter who made fun of Angelina Jolie’s right leg After the “Descendants” won Best Adapted Screenplay, Jim Rash (who also happens to be a series regular on “Community”) took to the stage and thrust his leg out in silent, searing mockery of Jolie’s prominently displayed body part. Winner: Emma Stone She can sing, she can bust into an awesome old-timey voice, she can make fun of Ben Stiller and he’ll just take it. The evening was filled with surprisingly funny presenters, but Stone’s shtick won the night. Casting directors, listen up: Get that girl a big-screen musical stat! Winner: Octavia Spencer Long an awards-season darling, “The Help” ended up only nabbing a single Oscar. Best Supporting Actress winner Spencer made the best of the opportunity, breaking down in tears during a heartfelt acceptance speech in which she thanked everyone from her castmates to the state of Alabama. Loser: Meryl Streep Though she won Best Actress — which, according to our estimates, was the 37th Oscar win of her career — even Streep herself appeared sheepish to have swiped the category away from front-runner Viola Davis. Winner: Sacha Baron Cohen Handed the gift of a temporary ban from the Academy because he planned to walk the red carpet as his character from “The Dictator,” Baron Cohen played the PR war game perfectly, releasing an amusing YouTube video before the show and then, after the Academy relented, spilling the faux-ashes of Kim Jong Il on Ryan Seacrest during a red-carpet interview. Loser: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The academy not only proved it had no sense of humor when it banned Baron Cohen, but showed it had no spine when it reinstated him and ended up posting his image on the front page of its Oscar website. Loser: Michael Douglas While it was great to see Douglas out on stage and looking so healthy after his battle with cancer, everyone was disappointed that his dad wasn’t the one standing in front of the cameras. Then 94-year-old Kirk Douglas’ show-stealing intro at last year’s Oscars was bizarre and uncomfortable and kinda amazing. Winner: Zach Galifianakis’ inability to pronounce Zach Galifianakis’ name The white tux-clad presenter, perhaps reaching out to Michel Hazanavicius, his brother in unpronounceable surnames, butchered his own family name in the middle of a memorable bit with Will Ferrell. Winner: The women of “Bridesmaids” They may not have won an award, but their continuing bit about a Martin Scorsese drinking game was hilarious. And the fact that they were able to bring some humor to the shorts categories — comparing them to the male anatomy — was an impressive feat. Loser: Bradley Cooper’s mustache Cooper might be the reining Sexiest Man Alive, but his lip fuzz stood out as the night’s creepiest collection of facial hair. Loser: Bubba Smith Every year, a handful of beloved actors are left off Oscar’s “In Memoriam” montage. In 2012, poor Bubba Smith, who memorably played Hightower in the “Police Academy” movies and who passed away in August at the age of 66, didn’t make the cut. Who do you think were the biggest winners and losers of the night? Leave your comment below! The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Related Videos Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: Winners Oscars 2012: The Main Show Oscars 2012: Parties

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Jennifer Lopez’s Stylist Explains Oscars Wardrobe Malfunction

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘There’s no chance that there were any … slips,’ Mariel Haenn tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz at the 2012 Oscars Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Jennifer Lopez is experienced when it comes to looking sexy at an awards show. Who could forget that low-cut, emerald-green Versace dress she wore to the Grammy Awards in 2000? The actress/ singer/ “American Idol” judge recalled that infamous look on Sunday night when Lopez hit the stage as a presenter at the Oscars and left some fans and viewers wondering whether an unintended part of Lopez’s anatomy had slipped out from her dress. Well, her stylist, Mariel Haenn, tells MTV News in a statement that what you actually saw was a lot of nothing. “The Oscar dress was custom-made for Jennifer by designer Zuhair Murad. The dress fit perfectly to her every inch,” Haenn explained. “There were cups built in and there’s no chance that there were any how do you say? ‘Slips.’ While the dress did give the illusion of sheerness, jokes on everyone who wishes they saw something!” The sparkling gown dazzled on the stage when Lopez stood alongside her “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” co-star, the Gucci-clad Cameron Diaz; the two were presenting the Oscar for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup. Regardless of whether anything did end up slipping out, Haeenn promises that if you liked Sunday’s costume design for Ms. Lopez, then stay tuned: She’s got more sexiness up her sleeve. Haenn said, “If you thought that dress was hot wait until you see what’s next.” The possible nip-slip moment was so hotly debated on Twitter by celebrities and fans that Lopez’s body part even got its own Twitter account. And as you might imagine, the handle is not subtle, simply going by JLos Nipple . The Twitter account seems to have a sense of humor, with jokes like, “I have no regrets. … I have been confined for years and have never been given a chance to be heard. #nipslips.” Another tweet reads, “For people that don’t have HD … I understand why you aren’t following me. For everyone else … you’re welcome.” The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Related Videos Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: The Main Show Related Artists Jennifer Lopez

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Oscar 2012 Best Presenters: Robert Downey Jr., Bridesmaids, More

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Co-stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis make a hilariously musical entrance, while Sandra Bullock shows off some impressive German. By Terri Schwartz Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow present at the 84th annual Academy Awards Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images There are typically two kinds of presenters at the Oscars : the earnest and the hilarious. But every year, a handful of actors manage to capture the goal of either category in a way that makes the moment unforgettable. On Sunday night, the Kodak Theatre saw plenty of earnest presenters. Natalie Portman, Colin Firth and Morgan Freeman reminded viewers why we love the Oscars. But it was the presenters with the funny bits who really stole the show. Whether comparing short films to male genitalia or tossing cymbals onstage when they should have been reading out the name of an award winner, we couldn’t stop chuckling. Here, the MTV Movies team handpicks the five most memorable presenters of the 2012 Oscars. Robert Downey Jr., Documentarian Trying to stay ahead of the curve, Robert Downey Jr. and a camera crew joined Gwyneth Paltrow onstage to present the Best Documentary award in an attempt to popularize his new art form, “live documentary.” Of course, as Paltrow pointed out, that’s called the news, but we couldn’t get enough of their Tony Stark/ Pepper Potts-style banter several months before “The Avengers” hits theaters. And we like that Downey joked that he turned down the role in “The Descendants” with George Clooney looking on from the crowd. Emma Stone Is Super Good Yes, Emma Stone is charming, but we were still surprised at how well she pulled off the task of co-presenting Best Visual Effects alongside Ben Stiller. First-time Oscar presenter Stone acted out her skit flawlessly and even managed to poke fun at Stiller’s previous presenting stunts in the process. But it was her asking “Superbad” co-star Jonah Hill to come onstage and dance with her — and his subsequent refusal — that made this one of the funniest moments of the night. Sandra Bullock Is “Extremely” Bilingual Did you know Sandra Bullock was bilingual? It certainly made her presenting the Oscar for Best Foreign Film all the more fitting. And although the actress said she was going to present the award in Mandarin, Bullock actually announced the award in German. For those who wondered about the Academy’s motivation for having the “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” star present in a different language, it turns out it was because the Academy Awards “are an international show and because there are over 1.2 billion people in China.” So why not? Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis Make Music Leave it to the stars of the upcoming political comedy “The Campaign,” Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, to make one of the funniest and most dramatic appearances of the night. Dressed in all-white tuxedos, the duo emerged from the orchestra pit smashing cymbals together. Because how else do you expect comedians to present the award for Best Original Song? Fortunately, winner Bret McKenzie also had a good sense of humor in his acceptance speech for “The Muppets” song “Man or Muppet.” “Bridesmaids” Stars Toast Scorsese Again Who else but the cast of “Bridesmaids” could make presenting the three short-film categories one of the most hilarious of the night? Sure, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph’s whole opening spiel was one big penis joke, but can you expect any less when Melissa McCarthy earned her Oscar nomination for a part that featured her comically defecating in a sink? We’re still trying to figure out what the rules of Rose Byrne and McCarthy’s Martin Scorsese drinking game are, but we’ll let you know when we do. The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: Winners Oscars 2012: Parties Oscars 2012: The Main Show

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Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Dictator’ Stunt Gets Thumbs-Up From Celebs

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I thought it was really funny,’ Joel McHale tells MTV News. By Kara Warner Sacha Baron Cohen at the 2012 Oscars Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images For all the anticipation, anxiety and general pomp and circumstance that surrounded the , there were not too many surprises with regard to the actual show or its winners, save for comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s stunt with his appearance on the red carpet in character as Admiral General Aladeen, who is at the center of his upcoming movie “The Dictator.” Baron Cohen made Ryan Seacrest the unwitting victim of the actor’s publicity stunt when he approached the E! host armed with an urn supposedly containing the ashes of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il and spilled the powdery contents of the container all over Seacrest and his tuxedo. Baron Cohen’s antics were much appreciated, judging from the smattering of celeb reactions MTV News gathered at Elton John’s annual Oscar-viewing party and charity gala. “No way. That’s incredible,” said Mark Foster of Foster the People upon hearing the news of Baron Cohen’s stunt. “I wouldn’t want Kim Jong Il’s ashes on me.” “I thought it was funny and Ryan played along very well,” Joel McHale said of his E! colleague Seacrest. “He’s unflappable.” Both Foster and McHale agreed that Baron Cohen’s antics add an extra element of excitement to the red-carpet festivities. “It keeps things exciting. I love when people do something outside the box,” Foster said. “As long as no one was injured. No one was injured, right? I thought it was really funny,” McHale added. “Sacha Baron Cohen is genius.” For his part, Seacrest seemed to take the incident in stride, and took to Twitter to make light of the “spill.” “My mom always told me to pack two jackets for red carpets, always wondered why. Now I know.” The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Oscars Red Carpet Photos Oscars 2012: Parties Sacha Baron Cohen’s Best Stunts

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Michael Shannon Teases ‘Man Of Steel’ Speeches

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

General Zod ‘has some cool speeches,’ actor tells MTV News at Independent Spirit Awards. By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Michael Shannon at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images We know that we can expect at least somewhat of a revisionist take on Superman when ” Man of Steel ” hits theaters next year, but a tap-dancing General Zod? If Michael Shannon is to be believed, Superman’s Kryptonian nemesis could be borrowing a thing or two from the 2012 Oscars Best Picture winner. On Saturday, at the biggest ceremony for independent film, the Independent Spirit Awards , Shannon arrived in support of his nominated film ” Take Shelter ,” and stopped to speak with MTV News about his upcoming role as a super-villain. For one of next year’s biggest movies, we’ve seen next to nothing officially from Zack Snyder’s reboot, but as one of the lucky few working on the film, Shannon has been privy to the top-secret info we’ve all craved. “I saw the dance sequence, but that’s it, just because I have to match the moves,” Shannon joked — we hope. We could even see a silent, black-and-white, song-and-dance film

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Oscars Red Carpet: Emma Stone And Rooney Mara Dazzle

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Our experts pick the best-dressed at the 2012 Academy Awards. By Christina Garibaldi Emma Stone arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards montage Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic Oscar night isn’t only a huge event for the world of movies; it’s also a big night for fashion. Over the years, it has become known as the hottest runway show of the year, with the top designers clamoring to get their dresses on the night’s nominees, hoping to win a spot on the coveted best-dressed list. On Sunday night (February 26), all eyes were on the actresses working the red carpet, and they did not disappoint. There were pops of color on the carpet, but the big trend of the night seemed to be ladies in white. Gwyneth Paltrow looked glamorous in a white one-shoulder Tom Ford gown with a matching wrap. MTV Style picks their best-dressed at the Oscars. “From what I saw walking down the carpet, Gwyneth Paltrow looked amazing in Tom Ford,” Janell Snowden of VH1 told MTV News. “She was in the color of the night, which was white.” Rooney Mara, a Best Actress nominee for “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” traded in her typical black garb for elegant white, wearing a lace Givenchy gown with a plunging back. “I did think a lot about what I was going to wear; it’s a long process,” Mara told MTV News. “I like to wear white also. I wanted to mix it up. This just happened to be the most beautiful dress, that’s why I wore it.” MTV Style expert Mary H.K. Choi agreed that Mara wowed in her Oscar ensemble. “White was a huge trend on the red carpet tonight, and this stark, architectural Givenchy looked absolutely surreal against the phosphorescence of her alabaster skin,” Choi said. “She looked just pristine, and the fact that her impossibly shiny, jet-black hair was in a tight bun with blunt bangs really anchored the look. She dresses with a certain severity, given her young age, but I’m a huge fan.” Of course, it wasn’t just the ladies in white who stole the show. “The Help” star Emma Stone turned heads in a stunning red Giambattista Valli gown. “I just loved this dress. There were titterings on Twitter about how people either loved or hated the bow, but I thought a dramatic, festive accent at the neckline looked stunning and complemented the side sweep of her red hair,” Choi said. “A risk, definitely, but I think it absolutely paid off.” Stone’s co-star Jessica Chastain also made a lasting impression on her first Oscar red carpet. Chastain, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, shined on the carpet in a black and gold Alexander McQueen gown. “This is a big moment — probably it’s the biggest moment of my life — so I needed a dress that was a big-moment dress,” Chastain told MTV News. “It’s McQueen, and the embroidery and the way it fits — to me, this dress is how I’m feeling right now.” Share your favorite Oscar red-carpet looks on our Facebook page. Track all the Oscar Fashion at MTV Style and come back every day for the latest fashion news. The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Oscars Red Carpet Photos

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Oscars Red Carpet: Emma Stone And Rooney Mara Dazzle

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Meryl Streep Wins Best Actress For ‘The Iron Lady’

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Legendary actress wins third Oscar in upset victory over front-runner Viola Davis By John Mitchell Meryl Streep wins at the 84th annual Academy Awards Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images In a surprise that clearly shocked even her, acting legend Meryl Streep won the Best Actress Academy Award on Sunday (February 26) for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” It’s Streep’s third Oscar; she won in 1979 for her supporting turn in “Kramer vs. Kramer” and for Best Actress in 1983 for “Sophie’s Choice.” Her nomination for “The Iron Lady” was her 17th, the most of any actor in film history. She’s received 13 nominations in the 29 years since her last win. “When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, ‘Oh no, come on. Her? Again?’ But, whatever,” Streep joked from the podium. In the lead-up to the awards, the race seemed to be a two-way contest between Golden Globe winner Streep and Davis, who took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. But Davis was easily the front-runner. Her film, “The Help,” was by far the most successful of all the films nominated in the Best Actress category, and she was the only contender whose film was also nominated for Best Picture. Streep even embraced her former co-star Davis on her way to the podium. The two were both nominated — Streep for Best Actress and Davis for Supporting Actress — for their turns in 2008’s “Doubt.” “First, I’m going to thank Don, because when you thank your husband at the end of the speech, they play him out with the music, and I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives, you’ve given me,” a teary-eyed Streep said. She also lavished praise on longtime friend and makeup artist Roy Helland, whom she worked with on her very first play when she moved to New York City to be an actress in the 1970s. They first worked together on the big screen in “Sophie’s Choice” and have since collaborated on “every single movie in between.” Helland scored his first Oscar for his work on “The Iron Lady.” Colin Firth, last year’s Best Actor winner for “The King’s Speech” and Streep’s co-star in the box-office hit “Mama Mia!,” presented the actress with the award. The actress dedicated much of her speech to her many colleagues in the room. “I really understand I’ll never be up here again,” Streep said. “I really want to thank all my colleagues, all my friends. I look out here and, you know, I see my life before my eyes. My old friends, my new friends. And really, this is such a great honor, but the thing that counts the most with me is the friendships and the love and the sheer joy we have shared making movies together, my friends. Thank you, all of you, departed and here, for this inexplicably wonderful career.” The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: Winners Oscars 2012: The Main Show Oscars 2012: Parties

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Meryl Streep Wins Best Actress For ‘The Iron Lady’

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