‘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
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
After performing ‘Super Bass,’ MC walked offstage and celebrated her Hottest MCs placement with MTV News. By Rob Markman Nicki Minaj performs at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday Photo: Ronald Martinez/ Getty Images ORLANDO, Florida — All the stars are out for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, but before basketball’s biggest names took the court at Orlando’s Amway Center, Ms. Nicki Minaj set the party off right. The reigning queen of rap rocked her smash single “Super Bass” in the jam-packed b-ball arena. Wearing a skintight white jumpsuit and a blond and pink hairdo, the Young Money MC spit her bars and hit her dance steps in front of the thousands of fans in Amway and the millions watching at home. After the short set, Nicki strutted back to her dressing room and spotted MTV News on the way. The topic of conversation? MTVs Hottest MCs in the Game VII , of course. Nicki placed #4 on the list and proceeded to talk her ish as a true MC should. “Hottest MCs #4, let’s get it,” she boasted with a Queens swagger. “That’s big, though. I deserve it. I put in work.” On Thursday night Nicki released her new single “Roman Reloaded” with Lil Wayne, and on the new single from her upcoming sophomore album she made sure to brag and boast. Only Rick Ross, Drake and Kanye West placed higher, giving Minaj the highest Hottest ranking for a female MC in the history of the debate. Nicki was initially slotted at #5 with Young Money boss Wayne clocking in at #4, but several members of the MTV Hottest Brain Trust felt strongly enough about Nicki’s accomplishments mixed with her lyrical impact and ability to more than hold her own when playing with the boys warranted a second look at her ranking. Hottest MCs moderator Sway Calloway called for a vote and in the end, six of the nine experts elected to move Nicki up to the #4 spot, sending Weezy down to #5. What did you think of Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” performance at the start of 2012 NBA All-Star Game? Tell us in the comments! Related Photos NBA All-Star Game | Nicki Minaj Performance Related Artists Nicki Minaj
‘I’m here to get you the 18-24 demographic,’ Biebs jokes to Billy Crystal during the Academy Awards opener. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber appears in a “Midnight in Paris” parody at the 2012 Oscars Photo: ABC Billy Crystal knows how to get the kids to watch the Academy Awards. When he wasn’t appearing in parody scenes from Oscar-nominated films at the opening of Sunday’s (February 26) show, he was taking a second to lock in the tween viewership, with a good dose of Holocaust-related humor for added measure. For his parody of the Woody Allen flick “Midnight in Paris,” a tux-wearing Justin Bieber rolled up to the Academy Awards host, who was sitting on a stoop. “Come here, come here,” he shouted to Crystal. “What’s up? I’m here to get you the 18-24 demographic. So how long do you want me to sit here for?” “A couple seconds, I think, will do it,” Crystal said. The two then exchanged some awkward, lingering glances waiting out the appropriate amount of time before they could move on to the next part of their gag, which, of course, focused on Hitler and the Holocaust. “So what are you going to do now?” Crystal inquired. Bieber replied, “We’re gonna go hang out with Hemingway and Fitzgerald.” That “we’re” he was referring to was Bieber and Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. Crystal, done up as Davis Jr., added, “And then we’re gonna go kill Hitler. Billy, is Biebs the young Sinatra, or am I nuts?” “Oh Sammy, stop it!” Bieber laughed, before pulling off. The opening sketch also included homages to “The Artist,” “The Help,” “Moneyball” and “The Descendants,” to name a few, with appearances by nominees including George Clooney and Jonah Hill. After the sketch closed out, Crystal hit the stage for a musical number. 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 Related Artists Justin Bieber
When the Academy announced its nominations last month for Best Animated Feature, two waves of surprise washed over Oscar watchers: Not only was Pixar left out in the cold for the first time in its history, but also two lesser-known films from abroad made the cut in the category: the noir-y French entry A Cat in Paris and the Spanish-language jazz-romance Chico and Rita . The directors of those films, along with Kung Fu Panda 2 helmer Jennifer Yuh Nelson, one of few female directors nominated this year, spoke with Movieline about the recognition from the Academy, technologies such as 3-D and motion capture, and their Oscar night excitement. So get to know three of the filmmakers from the animation community who could go home with a trophy on Sunday: For A Cat in Paris we have Alain Gagnol, who co-directed with Jean-Loup Felicioli, and for Chico and Rita we have Fernando Trueba, who directed along with Tono Errando and Javier Mariscal. (Fellow nominees Chris Miller [ Puss in Boots ] and Gore Verbinski [ Rango ] were not available to participate.) Animation nominees seem to have the most fun at the Academy Awards. What are you looking forward to most on Oscar Sunday? GAGNOL: Actually, Hollywood is the opposite of my world, so everything is amazing, incredible, and funny. But the most impressive part is to see, at the reach of my hand, some of my favorite directors. Scorsese and Spielberg gave me the desire to make movies. They gave me the strength to make my dreams come true. NELSON: I’m looking forward to a whole lot of people-watching. And going on a seriously cool date with the husband. TRUEBA: Well, being nominated is already a big prize for us. I didn’t know the animation nominees were supposed to have the most fun? How do you feel about the Best Picture category being expanded to nine films but having animation shut out? GAGNOL: For too many people, animated films are not genuine cinema. But I don’t think that is the problem here. I have to admit that without young children, most adults are not going to watch animated movies. They are concerned these films won’t have anything for them, and they will be bored. I also think that because there’s no such thing as a human face in animated cinema, seeing the actors and actresses in live-action films are very fascinating for the audience, and they may not think they have those celebrity images to relate to. NELSON: I think that the movies nominated are very deserving, and that the number spices it up. I would love to see animated films widen from a realm reserved for family entertainment and become just a technique used in all ranges of cinema. Once that happens, I think it will show up regularly in all categories. TRUEBA: I didn’t like it. To me [more nominations] is a wrong decision, and I don’t know anyone who prefers it this way. I think the most important prize has lost a lot of his charm. It’s almost impossible to know all of them. Too, too many. It’s much better [with] five. Do you see the Academy’s recent rule about motion-capture films as an attempt to emphasize traditional hand-drawn animation? GAGNOL: Computers are so useful that they tend to be everywhere. But they are perfect, and the limits of life are not an issue for them. Therefore, sometimes human beings seem to have been forgotten in the process. Hand-drawn animation is far from perfect but we can feel the sensitivity of the animator. But I don’t think that one kind of animation is better than the other one. After all, the most important thing is the story we want to tell. Computers are still not able to write stories. NELSON: The films chosen show a wide range of techniques, not just hand-drawn. Three of them are CG, so it’s nice to see that such different films were recognized. But computer or not, these films were created frame-by-frame by animators. Some mo-cap is so heavily worked by animators that it may as well be full animation. Whereas others are very automated. The question then becomes one of artistry. TRUEBA: Maybe, animation has today many different techniques and approaches. And it is not easy to dictate the rules now to such a complex field. But maybe something should be done. Several live-action and animated films nominated this year, including top nominee Hugo , were released in 3-D. In your view, does 3-D help or hurt a film’s chances of taking home an Oscar? GAGNOL: I’m not a great fan of 3-D movies. In my opinion, it doesn’t bring anything really interesting to cinema. A well-composed picture can give all the feelings needed by a story. When a movie is good, you already have the feeling of being a part of it. NELSON: 3-D is a cinematic tool that can be used or abused. Used well, it is a true enhancement of the film. I enjoy seeing the boundaries being pushed on how we can simulate an immersive experience. Like surround sound, immersive picture can really make you feel the film all the more. But it has to be done well. TRUEBA: I really hate 3-D. This stuff is invented every decade and after a while, people get bored of it. For me 3-D makes movies lose their nature. It’s just for children and people who go occasionally to movies. Real moviegoers don’t need 3-D. And personally I can’t see 3-D. I’m strabic !!! Maybe you can assist some moviegoers in filling out their ballots: Who will win for Best Animated Short film? GAGNOL: I’m sorry I can’t answer that question because I haven’t yet had the opportunity to watch these films. NELSON: Oh please, I may be working for some of these people someday. I don’t want any of them mad at me. TRUEBA: La Luna. Who is accompanying you to the ceremony? GAGNOL: As I am coming from France, I think my jet lag will be with me all along. NELSON: My sweet husband will be with me, making sure I don’t trip in my heels. Also, since DWA has two films nominated, there will be a posse of great people including Melissa Cobb the producer of KFP2 , and Raymond Zibach, the very talented production designer. TRUEBA: My friend and co-director of Chico and Rita , Javier Mariscal, and my wife and producer, Cristina. How are you following this film? What projects are in the works? GAGNOL: I am working on a new feature film. It’s also a thriller for children but with an additional fantasy aspect. I have already worked on the script for more than two years, and Jean-Loup has drawn the first pictures. The action takes place in New York. One of the great advantages of making animated movies, as directors, is that we can go everywhere from our drawing table. NELSON: I’m developing something, but it’s a secret at the moment. TRUEBA: I just finished a new movie, The Artist and the Model, my first movie in French, featuring Jean Rochefort, Aida Folch and Claudia Cardinale. MORE 2012 OSCAR ROUNDTABLES AND CHATS Best Cinematography Best Costume Design Best Documentary Feature Best Foreign-Language Feature
From Justin and Selena to Justin and Jessica, MTV News takes a look at the hottest couples from the 2011 Academy Awards. By Jocelyn Vena Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party Photo: Craig Barritt/ Getty Images The Academy Awards happen to be one of the most glamorous nights of the year, filled with over-the-top acceptance speeches and crazy-expensive couture. It can also serve as the glitziest date night for some of the most famous people in the world. With this year’s Oscars only days away, we decided to take a look back at last year’s show and remember some of the most dazzling couples to hit the Oscar scene. A very pregnant Natalie Portman took the stage on Oscars night last year to accept her prize for Best Actress for her role in “Black Swan.” In between “thank you’s” for the Academy, her family and her fellow nominees, she also thanked her main man, and the father of her son, ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied. “I want to thank my parents for giving me the opportunity to work from such an early age [and] my beautiful love, Benjamin, who has now given me my most important role of my life,” she told the room. “Most importantly, my family, my friends and my love, thank you so much.” Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez looked like the young A-listers they are when they arrived at the annual Vanity Fair Oscar party, arm in arm. The night was filled with nuzzling, schmoozing and being in love. It also served as the most high-profile appearance the two had made in their time as a couple. Another Justin and his lady love also dazzled at the same bash. Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel chilled at the party, looking stunning in high-end fashion. The two may have broken up not long after the fete, but the photo remained a reminder of their often-speculated-about romance, before they got back together — and reportedly got engaged — later in 2011. “True Blood” stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer looked like the grown-up version of Justin and Selena (both guys donned formal wear and both ladies wore blood red). James Franco and Anne Hathaway may not have been romantically involved, but they were certainly trying their best to romance Oscar viewers as co-hosts. While Hathaway brought her high-energy theater-kid charm to the show, Franco opted for the type of charm we might expect from his “Freaks and Geeks” character Daniel Desario: low-key and a bit confused. Who will be the biggest couples at the 2012 Oscars? Let us know in the comments! The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars.
MTV News speaks with Robert Kirkman about what fans of the undead can expect from Oakland, California, convention. By Josh Wigler Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh in “The Walking Dead” Photo: AMC If the worst should happen and a zombie apocalypse occurs this weekend, there’s no safer place in America to be than Northern California: “Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman will be in Oakland as part of the inaugural Image Expo , greatly increasing your survival odds if a pack of flesh-hungry walkers swarms the scene. “The Image Expo is an Image-centric comic book convention, so all of the guests have something to do with Image Comics,” Kirkman told MTV News during a recent phone interview. “All of the Image founders will be there, as well as new creators who are doing comics with Image this year: Ed Brubaker, Brian K. Vaughan, we have Jonathan Hickman coming here … all kinds of cool guests.” Running from February 24-26, the first-ever Image Expo makes its debut during the 20th anniversary of Image Comics. Kirkman, a longtime Image reader and current partner at the company, considers the anniversary a milestone achievement for a publisher that originally launched with a very uncertain future. “There were a lot of naysayers back in 1992 when the company was formed, saying they’d be gone within six months,” Kirkman said. “For Image to still be around, still generating new ideas and content and bringing in new creators into the industry, taking a lot of chances on people who’ve never been published before, that’s one of the things that Image does the best. It’s really cool that this vision of a company created by creators for creators, that offers the greatest creator-owned deal in the industry and gives everyone the kind of freedom every creator wants to have, is still standing.” Indeed, Image has plenty of new creators to brag about going into 2012. Kirkman identified “Captain America” writer Ed Brubaker’s new thriller “Fatale” as one of the books he’s most excited for this year. “Y: The Last Man” scribe Brian K. Vaughan’s upcoming sci-fi epic “Saga” is another of Kirkman’s must-read books in 2012. But Kirkman is equally excited about the arrival of some new creative voices at Image this year, including the company’s onetime PR and marketing coordinator Joe Keatinge, who launches a new series titled “Hell Yeah” in early March. “There are a lot of things he’s involved in that I’m very excited about, but the fact that he’s launching a creator-owned book, ‘Hell Yeah,’ is really great,” Kirkman said about Keatinge’s upcoming projects. “Image is the place that brings in new talent and shepherds them into the comics industry, and I see big things from this Keatinge kid.” Of course, Kirkman has plenty of his own books he’s bringing to the table as well. During Image Expo, Kirkman will champion some of his fan-favorite titles including “Walking Dead” and “Invincible,” as well as his new comic “Thief of Thieves” that debuted from his Skybound imprint earlier this year. “It’s about a guy named Conrad Paulson who lives a double life as an international thief named Redmond, who is rumored to be the greatest thief who ever lived,” Kirkman said of the book’s premise. “But he has a problem: he chose his thief life over his personal life, and he has an estranged ex-wife and a son he’s never talked to. He has a ton of regrets. The book is about him trying to get his life in order and turned around, turning his back on his career as a thief… but finding that he is completely and utterly unable to do that. He’s completely addicted to the thrill of stealing objects. He tries to work around that by working out a way to steal for the greater good.” Taking a page from his “Walking Dead” television experience, Kirkman is implementing a writer’s-room approach to “Thief of Thieves.” Rather than writing the book all on his own, he’s working alongside an unknown number of other writers — including “Morning Glories” scribe Nick Spencer — to add even more voices to his latest creative endeavor. “It’s been a lot of fun working on ‘The Walking Dead’ in the writer’s room. I’ve grown to respect that method of crafting stories, so I figured I’d give it a shot on a comic book,” Kirkman said. “It’s cool to sit down with other writers — currently unnamed, but we’ll be making announcements soon — and plotting out the story in the same way we’d be doing it on a television show. Having those different brains in the mix, people with different backgrounds generating different ideas and adding to the stew of the story we’re putting together is very cool. When you sit down and read the first 25 issues of ‘Thief of Thieves,’ you’re going to see all these different ideas at work. It’ll be cool to see how it all comes together.” Kirkman fans traveling to Image Expo to take a bite out of the writer’s biggest hit to date, “Walking Dead,” won’t walk away disappointed either. The convention will host variant editions of “Walking Dead” #94, as well as a select number of limited-edition “Walking Dead” watches . And, of course, there’s that little AMC series to consider as well. “We’ve got a panel called ‘Walking Dead’ Live where [‘Talking Dead’ host] Chris Hardwick will be interviewing myself and [actors Norman Reedus and Steven Yeun] together on a panel,” Kirkman said. “We’ll get to do that live before a panel audience, which should be pretty exciting. We’ll also have autographs, signings, all that cool stuff. We might even play ping pong with people. I cannot confirm that, but we’ll see. We’re going to be having all kinds of fun!” Are you heading to Image Expo this weekend? Sound off in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward ! For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com .
As Academy Awards night approaches, the Talk Nerdy team reviews the biggest surprises, disappointments and favorites from 2011’s nerd films. By Josh Wigler Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures The 2012 Oscars are upon us. The biggest night in Hollywood is set to go down Sunday, and when all is said and done, only one film will be crowned Best Picture. Of course, with only nine films in the Best Picture race, the Academy Awards have neglected to acknowledge some of the past year’s biggest and brightest gems — but geeks and genre fans know better: The nerd community enjoyed a truly spectacular 2011, as comic-book movies swarmed theaters with an astonishing level of quality in tow. Some of the year’s greatest performances came not from the likes of George Clooney in “The Descendants” or Jean Dujardin in “The Artist,” but from Michael Fassbender and Tom Hiddleston as tortured souls armed with superhuman gifts — yet neither of these men were nominated, snubbed alongside the countless other deserving individuals who dabbled in 2011’s incredible blockbuster scene. Chief among the snubs, as we’ve said time and time again: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” the stunning conclusion to the epic “Potter” saga. Warner Bros. campaigned hard to get Oscar love for its long-awaited grand finale, and while fans kept their fingers crossed for a Best Picture nod and Best Supporting Actor recognition for Alan Rickman, it never happened. The Academy can explain their decisions however they like, but there’s no skirting the issue: “Potter” got snubbed, plain and simple. In short, though 2011 was a phenomenal year for movie nerds all over the world, the Academy did not share our interests. They chose to not recognize the brilliant work of Andy Serkis in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” or honor the conclusion of one of the greatest fantasy franchises of all time in “Harry Potter.” Instead, it’s a dead heat between “The Artist” and “The Descendants,” much to the excitement of … who again, exactly? But the Talk Nerdy team knows better: We selected our biggest surprises, biggest disappointments and overall favorites from 2011’s nerdy movie offerings in this week’s latest episode. See if you agree with our picks in the video above — and if you don’t, you can always disagree with our choices in the comments section below. The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Talk Nerdy 2012 Oscar Nominees Related Photos 2012 Oscar Nominees
From Bob Hope to Chris Rock, MTV News looks back on the most memorable Academy Awards emcees. By Kevin P. Sullivan Anne Hathaway and James Franco at the 2011 Academy Awards Photo: Getty Images Every year, almost as important as the Best Picture winner is the host of the Academy Awards . Both grab headlines the next day, and both are sure to endure their fair share of criticism. With almost every host having to face the black-and-white judgments of “good host or bad host,” who ranks among the best and the worst? Here’s our take on the Oscar hosts worth awarding and the one’s that should have been snubbed. Best Billy Crystal If someone hosts the show nine times, there’s probably a good reason. Crystal carved out a niche for himself as the host of the big show starting in 1990 by keeping it light and throwing in a good song-and-dance routine for good measure. Johnny Carson The king of late night hosted the Academy Awards five times, the third most of any host. His overwhelming popularity from “The Tonight Show” carried over into his stints as host and made him one of the most consistently successful hosts. His familiarity with celebrities and experience with off-the-cuff comedy led to one of the Oscar’s most memorable lines: “I see a lot of news faces, especially on the old faces.” Bob Hope If repeat jobs as host are a measure of success, Bob Hope takes the top prize after hosting the ceremony a record 19 times. Famously calling attention to his lack of nominations, Hope’s self-deprecating humor made him an Oscar legend and a rightful spot as the show’s most frequent host. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin As the first paired hosts since Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan in 1987, Martin and Baldwin played off each other well enough to earn them the title of “best in recent years.” Though Martin had solo hosting duties in 2001 and 2003, it wasn’t until he joined forces with Baldwin that he earned his highest praise. Jon Stewart The host of “The Daily Show” faced a good deal of criticism after his first stint as host in 2006. He didn’t shy away from controversy, calling out the liberal politics of Hollywood and Scientology, but a positive audience response brought Stewart back for a second go two years later. Worst David Letterman The late-night host’s name often leads the pack when recalling the worst hosts in the history of the Oscars. His “Oprah, Uma” gag and the negative reaction it got precedes most talk of how Letterman actually did. Letterman never returned to host after his one appearance in 1995. Anne Hathaway and James Franco The most notorious hosts in recent years, Hathaway and Franco were supposed to welcome a younger audience and make the Oscars cool again. What resulted was an odd and scattered show that was neither very funny nor cool. Many complained the Franco had phoned it in, while others found Hathaway cloying. Chris Rock Rock’s greatest offense as host of the Academy Awards may have just been doing his normal routine, but the audience (and Sean Penn, in particular) didn’t take too kindly to the comedian poking fun at some of the faces in the crowd. Chevy Chase Chase hosted the show a total a two times, but only once by himself. The year after his solo gig, no one hosted, which is all you need to know about that. Jerry Lewis It may be hard to believe with today’s bloated ceremony, but in 1959, the ceremony wrapped up 20 minutes before it was scheduled to. To kill the leftover time, Lewis vamped on stage and forced some of the night’s winners to continue singing and dancing on stage. NBC eventually ended the show early, but the dead, ad-libbed airtime remains an infamous part of the Oscar legacy. Who else should make the lists of best and worst Oscar hosts? Leave your comment below! The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Oscars 2012: And The Nominees Are…
Drive sound editor Lon Bender, up for the Oscar against The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , Hugo , Transformers: Dark of the Moon , and War Horse , on director Nicolas Refn ‘s unusual sound requests: “In the sound world, there often is a propensity to want, at least for things like car chases, guns or weapons, to use sounds of the real weapons or the real cars. But when I went to Nic to talk about car engines and the specificity of the kind of cars they were, he said, ‘I don’t even have a driver’s license and I’ve never driven a car. I don’t care what they sound like! They just have to sound exciting.’” [ NYT ]
