One-off presentation of ‘8,’ directed by Rob Reiner, will be streamed live March 3. By Jocelyn Vena George Clooney Photo: Getty Images If you thought the George Clooney / Brad Pitt bromance was only reserved for “Ocean’s Eleven”” movies, the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards , well, think again. Pitt has just signed on to join his longtime pal for the West Coast production of “8,” a play based on the landmark Proposition 8 trial in California. According to E! News , Pitt will play Prop 8 opposer U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, and Clooney will play David Boies, an attorney who sought to overturn the highly publicized ban. Written by Oscar-winning “Milk” screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the play has a star-studded cast that includes Martin Sheen, Christine Lahti, Jamie Lee Curtis, Matthew Morrison, Matt Bomer, Kevin Bacon, Jane Lynch, John C. Reilly, Campbell Brown, Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cleve Jones, Rory O’Malley, George Takei, Yeardley Smith, Vanessa Garcia, Jansen Panetierre, James Pickens Jr. and Bridger Zadina, according to CNN . “8” follows the legal process behind the overturning of Proposition 8, the California law that outlawed gay marriage. The play already ran on Broadway last September and will go on tour through 2012, with different actors taking on roles along the way. The one-show-only Clooney-Pitt production takes place on March 3 and will be streamed live on YouTube, according to the American Foundation for Equal Rights and Broadway Impact. Rob Reiner is directing. Clooney recently made headlines when he addressed long-standing gay rumors about himself in The Advocate . “My private life is private, and I’m very happy in it. Who does it hurt if someone thinks I’m gay? I’ll be long dead and there will still be people who say I was gay. I don’t give a sh–.” As for his friendship with Pitt, Clooney said, “People think Brad and I hang out all the time, but the truth is that we see each other very rarely, maybe a couple times a year. I do think we’ve set the bar very high [for other actor duos] … I’m very proud to call him my friend.” Related Videos Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights
After Lorene Scafaria and Ashton Kutcher were spotted together in Italy over the holidays, a rep for the actor came out and shot down rumors of these two dating. But we wonder what that rep would say now. In the latest issue of Us Weekly , a witness says he spotted the screenwriter and the actor cozying up at a charity event on February 25. “They were affectionate,” the onlooker reports . “When they thought no one was watching, they held hands, and she rubbed his back and his neck.” Scafaria previously dated Adam Brody and Kutcher, of course, was married to Demi Moore for six years. That actress just left rehab and is reportedly vacationing now in Turks and Caicos.
“When Tracy won Best Actor for his turn in Captains Courageous in 1938, he was unable to attend the ceremony. MGM said he was recovering from a hernia, which was the 1940s way of saying ‘hospitalized for exhaustion,’ if you’re picking up what I’m putting down. The studio arranged for Tracy’s wife to accept the award in his stead, as a gesture towards the supposed strength of their marriage. With all the audience fully aware of how Tracy had neglected and mistreated her, Mrs. Tracy walked the stage. But the Academy had a sense of humor: the award was inscribed not to Spencer, but to Dick Tracy. ROUGH. MGM would periodically force Tracy to ‘dry out’ after massive benders — not out of kindness, but so that they could force him to do his next film. During this period, he was living at the Beverly Wilshire and constantly on the prowl — one MGM exec purportedly claimed that ‘No one gets more sex than Spencer Tracy…..except Joan Crawford.'” [ The Hairpin ]
Nine-time host pokes fun at Jonah Hill and Christian Bale and gets a kiss from George Clooney. By Ryan J. Downey Billy Crystal performs at the 84th annual Academy Awards Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images There were jokes about old relatives, bar mitzvahs and other tried-and-true familiar shticks from the only comedian to host the Oscars nearly as many times as Bob Hope, but Billy Crystal came armed with a surprising amount of some Ricky Gervais-style bite, too. The veteran comedic actor’s ninth turn as host of the Academy Awards followed a string of headline-making turmoil behind the scenes. Crystal was drafted to replace Eddie Murphy, who walked after producer Brett Ratner (who had directed Murphy in “Tower Heist”) abruptly left the show following his use of a homophobic slur at a Q&A. Producer Brian Grazer eventually stepped in. The show began with two Crystal staples: a montage of clips from the Best Picture nominees featuring the former “Saturday Night Live” castmember and a musical number that jokingly referenced several folks seated in the audience. They were moments that were as rewarding, if predictable, as the sweep “The Artist” made of several major categories on Sunday. A few months ago, somewhat controversial Golden Globes host Gervais tweeted a picture of him and his Academy Awards counterpart together and wrote, “Just told Billy Crystal he’d better not use any of my holocaust or pedophile material at The Oscars. He agreed (true).” And while the opening sketch did include a Hitler reference and blackface (in the form of the comedian’s well-established Sammy Davis Jr. impression), Crystal mostly kept it tame, recruiting Justin Bieber, George Clooney and Tom Cruise for cameos. Here are the top five Billy Crystal jokes from the 84th Academy Awards, as we saw them: 5. In the montage, Crystal awakes to find himself in a hospital scene from “The Descendants” being kissed by Clooney. Later in the show, he looked at Clooney’s girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, and quipped: “You’re a lucky girl. He’s a very good kisser.” 4. Before Christian Bale took the stage, Crystal began: “A ‘Dark Knight,’ an ‘American Psycho,’ a charismatic crack addict. You’ll get to choose one on Super Tuesday.” It was a swipe at the Republican presidential nominees, sure, but Crystal soon zeroed in more closely on the next presenter, referencing that infamous viral rant from 2009. “Academy Award winner — and be careful if you’re in his eyeline — Christian Bale .” 3. During the song, Crystal brought up Jonah Hill’s tremendous post-“Moneyball” reduction in physical size. “It’s great you shed weight,” he sang to the actor. “But I think you should know, there’s cupcakes after the show.” 2. In recent weeks, news hit that the Kodak Theater would be changing its name, due to the longtime sponsor’s recent financial troubles. “We’re here at the beautiful Chapter 11 Theater,” Crystal said, in one of many related jokes. 1. Much like Gervais’ digs at the Globes, the Oscars themselves were the host’s biggest target: “Nothing takes the sting out of these tough economic times like watching a bunch of millionaires giving golden statues to each other,” he smiled. What was your favorite Billy Crystal Oscar joke? Leave your comment below! 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
‘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
Can Jean Dujardin make it a clear Oscars sweep over George Clooney? The Artist star became the first French man to ever win Best Actor at last night’s Academy Awards , defeating such major Hollywood names as Clooney and Brad Pitt in the process. But we’re giving George a chance at revenge. While he was attached at the hip to date Stacy Keibler for most of the night, Clooney did get away briefly on the red carpet to pose by himself. Study his dapper look below, compare it to his closest competitors and then vote on the most stylist stud now:
Meryl Streep and Jean Dujardin won us over, while Bret McKenzie made a critical omission during his acceptance. By Kevin P. Sullivan Meryl Streep wins at the 84th Annual Academy Awards Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images One of the most essential parts of any Oscar night is the speeches. If you win, your job is only halfway done. Now you have to get up onstage in front of a billion people and practice your public speaking. Some are heartfelt, some are funny, and some will go down in history — for better or worse. With so much of the ceremony dedicated to acceptance speeches, it’s important to look back and decide who owned the night and who fell on their face. Here are our best and worst speeches of the 2012 Academy Awards: Best Octavia Spencer for Best Supporting Actress For as predictable as Spencer’s win for Best Supporting Actress was, her speech ended the long road to Oscar night in style. She went with the time-tested acceptance-speech traditions of emotion and honesty. Plus, she thanked the state of Alabama, the only state to get a shout-out during the night. Meryl Streep for Best Actress It came as a big surprise, and no one knew that better than Streep. Her “whatever” attitude almost had us forget the upset win over Viola Davis. It may not have been the most just outcome, but at the very least we got a funny speech instead. Christopher Plummer for Best Supporting Actor As the oldest person to ever win an acting Oscar, Plummer outdid most everyone younger than him and delivered one of the most memorable speeches of the night. It was class all the way for Plummer, who sincerely thanked his wife, daughter and co-star Ewan McGregor. He joked that, in his mother’s womb, “I was already rehearsing my Academy acceptance speech, but it was so long ago, mercifully for you, I’ve forgotten it.” Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for Best Adapted Screenplay You have to admit that Angelina Jolie was standing a little oddly, with her right leg out of the high slit in her dress, as she read the names of the nominees. Jim Rash, known for his role on “Community,” also took note and mimicked the strange posture after he won the award for his work on the “Descendants” screenplay. Jean Dujardin for Best Actor A good way to score points as a Frenchman winning an Academy Award in America is to open your speech with, “I love your country!” Dujardin read the rest of his speech to help with his English, but it was the outburst in French at the end of his acceptance that really won us over. Worst Bret McKenzie for Best Song Listen, Bret. We love you, and we’re so happy you won. But there would be no Muppets movie without Jason Segel. He may not have written any of the songs, but he co-wrote the film, put his name on the line and sang “Man or Muppet,” the winning song. At the very least, you should have given the man a simple “thanks.” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall for Best Editing It’s understandable that you were caught off guard — “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” didn’t get a whole lot of nominations — but you need to be a little more prepared than you were. You’re still expected to give a speech. You won just a year ago, so you have enough experience with this kind of thing. Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland for Best Makeup It’s OK if you write your speech down before you head onto the stage to accept your award. It’s even OK if you read your speech directly from the cards you wrote them on. But please make sure that the speech is a good one if you’re going to do so. 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: The Main Show Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos Oscars 2012: Winners Oscars 2012: The Main Show Oscars 2012: Parties
French silent film takes home three major prizes, for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. By Gil Kaufman Meryl Streep wins Best Actress at the 2012 Oscars Photo: Getty Images The early word on the 84th annual Academy Awards was that silent movie “The Artist” was going to run the board. Then there were five early wins by Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” in technical awards, and it seemed as if it would be a night of upsets. But, like an old movie serial that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end, the throwback to another era in film came on strong and swept three of the four biggies: Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. The wins capped a night of celebrating the history of cinema, with the final act providing a perfect topper, as “The Artist” became only the second silent movie in Oscar history to snag the night’s top prize and the first black-and-white one to win Best Picture since “Schindler’s List” in 1994. Joining it in the winner’s circle with five wins was another loving tribute to the wonder of film, Scorsese’s “Hugo.” After the crash-and-burn that was last year’s younger-demo-seeking combo of James Franco and Anne Hathaway , nine-time emcee Billy Crystal provided some of that same kind of warm-and-fuzzy feeling to his hosting duties as well. After the tumult that resulted in Eddie Murphy dropping out of the gig in November, the veteran comedian did exactly what everyone wanted him to: he sang, he danced, he made bar mitzvah and Hitler jokes, he spoofed the year’s biggest movies and took a lifetime’s worth of shots at Kodak. Michel Hazanavicius bested Scorsese for Best Director for his work on “The Artist.” Though he claimed to have forgotten his speech, Hazanavicius proclaimed himself the “happiest director in the world” for taking home such a prestigious honor for his anachronistic feature about the culture clash between the old and new when talkies supplanted silent films in the late 1920s. In addition to shouting out the film’s famous pooch, Uggie , Hazanavicius gave props to the movie itself, saying, “Since this movie has been made, its life is full of grace and it brings to us joy and happiness. Sometimes life is wonderful, and today is one of these days.” He was joined a short time later by his leading man, Jean Dujardin, who beat out the likes of three-time Best Actor nominee George Clooney, his bromantic pal Brad Pitt and fellow first-time nominees Gary Oldman and Demian Bichir for Best Actor. For a guy who spent an entire movie not talking, Dujardin had a simple message for his legion of new American fans: “I love your country!” The most nominated actor in Oscar history waited an interminable 30 years between awards, but the 17th time was the charm for Meryl Streep, who snagged her third golden man for disappearing into the role of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” The always entertaining actress moaned, “Oh my God, oh come on!” at the standing ovation, saying she feared that when her name was read, half of America groaned, “Oh no! Her! Again!” The night’s first Oscar, for Cinematography, suggested that perhaps “The Artist” would not run the board, as it went to Scorsese’s “Hugo.” As did the second, for Art Direction, which went to the husband-and-wife team that made “Hugo” such a rich visual feast for the eyes. Along the way, the movie also picked up the Oscars for Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects . Best Supporting Actress went to first-time nominee Octavia Spencer for her role in “The Help,” which garnered a standing ovation from the crowd as she struggled to overcome tears in accepting the award for her work as headstrong maid Minny Jackson. The big night for “The Artist” began with a win for Original Score for untrained composer Ludovic Bource, but it was the cymbal-crashing entrance by Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis that helped make the two-song race in the Best Original Song category a memorable one. “Flight of the Concords” star Bret McKenzie won the marathon for “Man or Muppet,” noting that it was his lifelong dream to meet Kermit the Frog and, like many leading men in Hollywood, he noted that the fuzzy Muppet is “a lot shorter in real life.” After seven decades in the business, a lithe Christopher Plummer became the oldest actor to ever win an Oscar when he accepted the Supporting Actor statue for his work as a father who comes out to his son after the death of his wife in “Beginners.” Holding up the golden statue, Plummer said, “You’re only two years older than me — where have you been all my life?” joking that he emerged from the womb practicing his thank-you speech. Though it wasn’t in the running for the biggies, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” didn’t go home empty-handed, as it snagged the Best Editing prize for the same duo who took it home last year for “The Social Network.” The award for Animated Feature went to director Gore Verbinski, who took home his first Oscar for “Rango.” Director Alexander Payne took home his second Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his collaboration on the script to “The Descendants,” while a typically absent Woody Allen will get his Original Screenplay statue in the mail for “Midnight in Paris.” 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 Oscars 2012: Parties Oscars 2012: The Main Show
Republic of Wadiya’s leader was armed with an urn purportedly containing ashes of Kim Jong Il on Sunday night. By Kevin P. Sullivan “The Dictator” arrives at the 2012 Oscars Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images True to his word and the threats he made on live television, Sacha Baron Cohen arrived on the red carpet for the 2012 Oscars in character as General Aladeen, the leader from his upcoming movie “The Dictator.” But appearing as the Dictator was just the beginning. Once he hit the carpet, Baron Cohen made as big a scene as many imagined he would as Ryan Seacrest became the unwitting victim of the actor’s publicity stunt. Armed with an urn supposedly containing the ashes of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il, Baron Cohen spilled the powdery contents of the container all over the E! host and his tuxedo. It was the final moment in a long battle of the wills with the Academy, which Baron Cohen ultimately won , resulting in his appearance in character as the ruler of the fictional nation, the Republic of Wadiya, flanked by his female security entourage. The appearance came after a long, public battle between the producers of the show and Baron Cohen, who was initially invited because of his involvement in Best Picture nominee “Hugo.” Word soon leaked out that Baron Cohen planned to walk the carpet in costume to promote his new film. It wasn’t long before the Academy pulled his tickets in an attempt to discourage his turning the red carpet into a self-promotional platform. Soon after the ban, Baron Cohen went on the offensive, releasing a statement in character and threatening the Academy if his tickets were not honored. “While I applaud the Academy for taking away my right to free speech, I warn you that if you do not lift your sanctions and give me my tickets back by 12 p.m. on Sunday, you will face unimaginable consequences.” Luckily for the Academy, they allowed Baron Cohen to walk the carpet in his large hair, beard and military garb. Not long after the reversal on the decision, Oscar 2012 producer Brian Grazer told “Extra” that he was excited for Baron Cohen’s appearance. “We’re thrilled to have him and he’ll be on the red carpet, I guess, dressed as the Dictator,” he said. 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
Adam Sandler has set a new high mark for low brow comedy. The actor picked up 11 Razzie Award nominations last night, shattering the previous record (five) held by Eddie Murphy and setting himself up as the clear favorite for these anti-Academy Awards, as the ceremony honors the very worst in movies each year. Overall, the film Jack and Jill garnered an impressive 12 nominations, including worst film, actor and actress for Sandler; worst supporting actress for Katie Holmes. and worst supporting actor for the great Al Pacino. Check out the full list of Razzie nominees – which includes Sarah Palin! – below. WORST PICTURE • Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star •New Year’s Eve •Transformers: Dark of the Moon •The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 WORST ACTOR • Adam Sandler, Just Go With It & Jack and Jill • Nick Swardson, Bucky Larson • Russell Brand, Arthur • Taylor Lautner, Abduction & Breaking Dawn • Nicholas Cage, Drive Angry 3-D, Season of the Witch, & Trespass WORST ACTRESS • Adam Sandler, Just Go With It & Jack and Jill • Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin: The Undefeated • Sarah Jessica Parker, I Don’t Know How She Does It & New Year’s Eve • Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 • Martin Lawrence, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR • Al Pacino, Jack and Jill • Patrick Dempsey, Transformers: Dark of the Moon • James Franco, Your Highness, • Nick Swardson, Jack and Jill & Just Go With It • Ken Jeong for four movies—Big Mommas,The Hangover: Part II, Transformers & Zookeeper. WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS • David Spade, Jack and Jill • Martin Lawrence, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son • Nicole Kidman, Just Go With It • Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Transformers: Dark of the Moon • Katie Holmes, Jack and Jill WORST SCREEN ENSEMBLES • The Entire Cast of Bucky Larson • The Entire Cast of Jack and Jill • The Entire Cast of New Year’s Eve • The Entire Cast of Transformers • The Entire Cast of Breaking Dawn WORST SCREEN COUPLE • Nicholas Cage & “anyone sharing the screen with him in any of his three 2011 films” • Shia LaBeouf & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Transformers • Adam Sandler & Jennifer Aniston or Brooklyn Decker, Just Go With It • Adam Sandler & Katie Holmes, Al Pacino or himself, Jack and Jill • Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner or Robert Pattinson, Breaking Dawn. WORST PREQUEL, SEQUEL, REMAKE OR RIPOFF • Arthur • Bucky Larson • The Hangover: Part II • Jack and Jill • Breaking Dawn WORST DIRECTOR • Michael Bay, Transformers • Tom Brady, Bucky Larson • Bill Condon, Breaking Dawn • Dennis Dugan, Jack and Jill & Just Go With It • Garry Marshall, New Year’s Eve WORST SCREENPLAY • Bucky Larson • Jack and Jill • New Year’s Eve • Transformers • Breaking Dawn
