What To Expect From The 2014 Oscar Performers, Including Bette Midler And Liza Minnelli

March 1, 2014, 8:55 am

≫ Next: 2014 Independent Spirit Awards Will Set A Record If It Honors All Four Acting Oscar Winners

≪ Previous: Tuba Players Make Alligators Randy With One Very Special Note (VIDEO)

$

0

0

Sunday's Oscars will feature a host of A-list performers, including all four Best Original Song nominees. Even if a lineup like this means there's no way the telecast will clock in under three hours, at least we can get jazzed about the names that will join Ellen DeGeneres on the Academy Awards stage. Here's what to expect from the performances.

BETTE MIDLER


What to expect: Midler, a two-time nominee, has never performed at the Oscars before. She hasn't revealed what her set will entail, which leaves us wondering whether she'll score the Oscars' heroes tribute. If "Wind Beneath My Wings" isn't the most apt theme for such a moment, we can't imagine what is. On the other hand, perhaps she'll score the In Memoriam segment. It would make for a strong follow-up to last year's Barbra Streisand performance.


PINK


What to expect: Like Midler, Pink will take the Oscar stage for the first time with no revelation as to what she'll perform. If Midler does score the heroes tribute, perhaps Pink will be provide the In Memoriam music. Whether aerial silks will make an appearance also is yet to be seen. It wouldn't be the first time someone has entered from above the audience's heads -- Whoopi Goldberg did it when she hosted in 2002 -- but something tells us Pink might keep her feet on the ground this time. Maybe. This isn't Grammys, after all.


LIZA MINNELLI, LORNA LUFT and JOEY LUFT ("The Wizard of Oz" tribute)


What to expect: This year marks the 75th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz," and the Oscars are celebrating by recruiting Judy Garland's three children to perform a tribute to the classic musical. It's a big moment because Minnelli and Lorna Luft only recently broke their 20-year spell of not performing together (pictured above), and Joey has avoided show-biz appearances during his adult life. Plus, the trio isn't always on the best of terms, which amplifies the magnitude of this highly public reunion. Beyond all of that drama, it's off to Oz we go!


IDINA MENZEL


What to expect: The "Frozen" anthem "Let It Go" is unstoppable. It's been covered by everyone from Demi Lovato to K-pop to every precious 9-year-old girl whose parents will upload her clip to YouTube. Expect a grand rendition from Menzel, who performed the "Wicked" show-stopper "Defying Gravity" at the 2004 Tonys but has yet to belt out a canticle on the Oscar stage.


KAREN O


What to expect: Like Best Original Score winner Alex Ebert at the Golden Globes, Karen O is an unlikely Academy Awards presence. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman is known for being a dynamic live performer, but "The Moon Song," from the Spike Jonze film "Her," is a mellow ballad that's so smooth it'll serenade you to sleep (in the best way possible). Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig joined O on acoustic guitar during Oscar rehearsals on Friday.


U2


U2's been here before. In 2003, the rock group was nominated for their "Gangs of New York" contribution "The Hands That Built America." This time, Bono and crew will crank out "Ordinary Love," the "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" anthem that won the Golden Globe in January.


PHARRELL WILLIAMS


Williams' "Happy" just hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and he'll ride that wave all the way to Oscar night. From "Despicable Me 2," the song should a highlight of the telecast, given how bouncy it is and the fact that it'll hopefully provide another glimpse at a Pharrell hat.


While we're at it, here's the list of this year's Oscar presenters:
Amy Adams
Kristen Bell
Jessica Biel
Jim Carrey
Glenn Close
Bradley Cooper
Penélope Cruz
Benedict Cumberbatch
Viola Davis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Robert De Niro
Zac Efron
Sally Field
Harrison Ford
Jamie Foxx
Andrew Garfield
Jennifer Garner
Whoopi Goldberg
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Anne Hathaway
Goldie Hawn
Chris Hemsworth
Kate Hudson
Samuel L. Jackson
Angelina Jolie
Michael B. Jordan
Anna Kendrick
Jennifer Lawrence
Matthew McConaughey
Ewan McGregor
Bill Murray
Kim Novak
Tyler Perry
Brad Pitt
Sidney Poitier
Gabourey Sidibe
Will Smith
Kevin Spacey
Jason Sudeikis
Channing Tatum
Charlize Theron
John Travolta
Christoph Waltz
Kerry Washington
Emma Watson
Naomi Watts

---

2014 Independent Spirit Awards Will Set A Record If It Honors All Four Acting Oscar Winners

March 1, 2014, 9:07 am

≫ Next: Bruce Springsteen Covers 'Royals' By Lorde (VIDEO)

≪ Previous: What To Expect From The 2014 Oscar Performers, Including Bette Midler And Liza Minnelli

$

0

0

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — "12 Years a Slave" rolled at the Spirit Awards, winning five awards including best feature at the annual independent film celebration.

On the eve of the Academy Awards, the slavery tale won awards for director Steve McQueen, actress Lupita Nyong'o, screenwriter John Ridley and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. In a more laid-back, beachside ceremony in Santa Monica, just west of Los Angeles, "12 Years a Slave" was applauded as the clear favorite of the indie circuit. The Spirit Awards could end up being — more than ever before — a dress rehearsal to Sunday's Academy Awards. "12 Years a Slave" is considered, albeit extremely narrowly, the favorite for best picture over the space spectacle "Gravity" and the 1970s con-artist "American Hustle." (Neither film was eligible at the Spirits, which honor films made for $20 million or less.)

The acting winners, too, may line up. All of the Oscar favorites won Saturday at the Spirits, including best actor for Matthew McConaughey in "Dallas Buyers Club" and Cate Blanchett in "Blue Jasmine." McConaughey's co-star, Jared Leto, won best male supporting performance.

Leto gave what might be the acceptance speech to end all acceptance speeches, rattling off an absurd list of thank yous to not just those with "Dallas Buyers Club," but Mark Twain, Jackson Pollack, Mozart, Herman Hess, Wayne Gretzky and many more. The actor-rocker added, with emphasis, "all the women I've been with and all the women who think they've been with me."

For many, the Spirit Awards conclude months of award-season events, and they provide a chance to exhale before the Oscars. McConaughey, Blanchett, Leto and Nyong'o have racked up a slew of awards, often triumphing over the same colleagues.

"What am I going to say that I haven't already said?" Blanchett remarked in her acceptance speech. On her way into the luncheon, the actress also repeated her view of the renewed scandal surrounding "Blue Jasmine" director Woody Allen and Dylan Farrow's claims he sexually assaulted her a child: "It's a family issue, and I hope they can resolve it as a family."

This award, one of many for Nyong'o, stood out for the now 31-year-old actress: "Not a bad way to celebrate my birthday," she said.

Nyong'o dedicated the award to her mother, Dorothy, who was in the audience, for years of driving her to auditions. "Your love has driven me this far," she said.

Presented by Film Independent (a group of filmmakers, industry professionals and movie buffs) and hosted Saturday by Patton Oswalt, the Spirits are first and foremost a show to fete indie film and cast a spotlight on the little films that have to scrape money together to get made.

McQueen, with "12 Years a Slave" producer Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie looking on, reflected on how the naturalistic films of John Cassavetes "changed my life." He dedicated his directing award to Cassavetes and Solomon Northup, the man whose memoir "12 Years a Slave" is based on.

In accepting the award for best first feature, "Fruitvale Station" director Ryan Coogler provided the afternoon's most emotional moment. His film is about Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old black man shot while handcuffed by police. Coogler implored the audience to remember the "thousands of other Oscar Grants" and wondered why so many victims of such gun violence "always look like me." The crowd gave him a standing ovation.

Several beloved fixtures of independent film were also remembered. The deaths of James Gandolfini, Philip Seymour Hoffman and critic Roger Ebert over the last year were singled out. Gandolfini's wife, Deborah Lin, and one of their two children attended the ceremony. (The actor was nominated for best supporting male performance.)

The Spirits' Robert Altman Award, an honor for best ensemble and director, was given to Jeff Nichols' coming-of-age tale "Mud." The John Cassavetes Award, which honors films made for less than $500,000, went to the unlikely friendship drama "This Is Martin Bonner," which director Chad Hartigan said was made for just $42,000. Gasps of admiration were heard throughout the beachside tent.

Other winners included "20 Feet From Stardom" for best documentary, "Blue Is the Warmest Color" for best international film, Bob Nelson of "Nebraska" for best first screenplay, and "Short Term 12" for best editing.

The spirit of thrifty striving pervaded. McConaughey (also a co-star in "Mud") called indie work, "a feeder road" compared to the Autobahn of big-budget moviemaking. But he said he relished the freedom, even though it means "less zeroes on the paycheck."

In his monologue, however, Oswalt put a less optimistic spin on it. He said that in the course of his opening remarks, "The Lego Movie" had made more money than all of the Spirit Award nominees combined.

___

Associated Press' Jessica Herndon and Nicole Evatt contributed to this report

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Bruce Springsteen Covers 'Royals' By Lorde (VIDEO)

March 1, 2014, 9:09 am

≫ Next: Cossacks, Warships And A Fruit Seller In Syria: The Week In Photos, Feb. 23 - Mar. 2

≪ Previous: 2014 Independent Spirit Awards Will Set A Record If It Honors All Four Acting Oscar Winners

$

0

0

Bruce Springsteen may have been born in the U.S.A., but when he played a show Saturday in Auckland, New Zealand, he didn't shy away from a local cover -- the song "Royals" by New Zealand's resident superstar Lorde.

Springsteen's cover doesn't quite measure up to the AcaBelles' rendition of the song, but frankly that would be pretty hard to beat.

Watch video above.

Cossacks, Warships And A Fruit Seller In Syria: The Week In Photos, Feb. 23 - Mar. 2

March 1, 2014, 9:16 am

≫ Next: Ellen DeGeneres Reveals She Was The Inspiration For 'Miss Congeniality'

≪ Previous: Bruce Springsteen Covers 'Royals' By Lorde (VIDEO)

$

0

0

Nothing quite compares to the power of a photograph to communicate the goings on in the world, captured in the thick of things. Ranging from the serious to the silly, these photos offer peeks into various events around the world this week.

1. In Venezuela, demonstrators hold up images of people killed during the recent unrest at a rally in Caracas, Feb. 28, 2014.

(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

2. In Syria, a fruit vendor waits for customers next to a damaged building in Aleppo on Feb. 24, 2014.

(MOHAMMED AL-KHATIEB/AFP/Getty Images)

3. In Ukraine, a wanted poster showing ousted President Viktor Yanukovych is seen fixed onto a barricade in Kiev, on Feb. 27, 2014.

(AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)

4. In Belarus, a special forces soldier undergoes a show of endurance at the Defenders of the Fatherland Day at a training center near Minsk, on Feb. 23, 2014.

(VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images)

5. In India, blind protestors drenched in rain drink tea after a disability rights rally was stopped by police in New Delhi, Feb. 28, 2014.

(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

6. In Ukraine, Cossacks share a laugh next to a war monument at a gathering of pro-Russian supporters in the Crimean capital Simferopol, on Feb. 28, 2014.

(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

7. In Malaysia, Yamaha Factory Racing rider Valentino Rossi of Italy steers his bike at the MotoGP pre-season test at the Sepang circuit outside Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 27, 2014.

(MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images)

8. In Cuba, tourists in a old American car pass by a Russian warship docked at Havana harbor, on Feb. 26, 2014.

(ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images)

9. In Ukraine, a soldier wearing no identifying insignia patrols outside the Simferopol airport on Feb. 28, 2014.

(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

10. In Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pictured at the nation's parliament on Feb. 25, 2014.

(Evrim Aydin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Ellen DeGeneres Reveals She Was The Inspiration For 'Miss Congeniality'

March 1, 2014, 10:56 am

≫ Next: John C. Reilly Hosts Ceremony Honoring The Best Animated Feature Oscar Nominees

≪ Previous: Cossacks, Warships And A Fruit Seller In Syria: The Week In Photos, Feb. 23 - Mar. 2

$

0

0

The writers of the 2000 hit comedy "Miss Congeniality" received inspiration for the Sandra Bullock flick from an unusual place: Ellen DeGeneres. The Oscar host revealed in a new interview with Parade that her attempt to waltz around in a dress and heels prompted the tale of Gracie Hart, the FBI agent who goes undercover at a beauty pageant to stifle a bomb threat.

“'Miss Congeniality' was written based on me,” DeGeneres said. “When I was getting ready to co-host the Emmys, the writer saw me [on TV] learning how to walk in a dress and heels. My stylist at the time -- a man -- was teaching me, and it was hilarious. The 'Miss Congeniality' writer saw it and thought it was brilliant.”

In addition to revealing that Bullock's character is basically a DeGeneres derivation, the talk-show host noted that she once beat out Jennifer Aniston for a role. Her supporting part in the 1999 Ron Howard comedy "EDtv," starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, finds her playing a TV producer who's responsible for an early iteration of reality programming -- but the role could have belonged to the "Friends" star instead.

“Jen Aniston is my friend and she recently ­reminded me that I beat her out of that,” DeGeneres said. “I got the part and Jen Aniston didn’t! That’ll probably be the only time that happens.”

Read DeGeneres' full interview with Parade here.

John C. Reilly Hosts Ceremony Honoring The Best Animated Feature Oscar Nominees

March 1, 2014, 11:29 am

≫ Next: Julie Delpy Slams The Academy As 'White Men Over 70 Who Need Money'

≪ Previous: Ellen DeGeneres Reveals She Was The Inspiration For 'Miss Congeniality'

$

0

0

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — John C. Reilly hosted an event honoring the animated feature Oscar nominees at the motion picture academy headquarters on Friday evening.

"Frozen" is up against "The Croods," ''Despicable Me 2" ''Ernest and Celestine" and "The Wind Rises." The academy cast its final ballots at the top of the week and Disney's "Frozen" is said to be the favorite in the animation category.

Earning over $980 million worldwide, "Frozen" is the highest grossing original animated release ever and marks the first time a female, Jennifer Lee, has co-directed one of the studios features. Co-director Chris Buck admitted the story line was going down the "evil queen road" until Lee came on board.

"The Croods" also shifted from the original vision of the film, which was going to be stop-motion.

Julie Delpy Slams The Academy As 'White Men Over 70 Who Need Money'

March 1, 2014, 12:39 pm

≫ Next: Spirit Award Winners 2014 Include '12 Years A Slave,' Matthew McConaughey

≪ Previous: John C. Reilly Hosts Ceremony Honoring The Best Animated Feature Oscar Nominees

$

0

0

Complaints about the Oscars' gender disparities are in no short supply, even from the nominees themselves. But "Before Midnight" co-star Julie Delpy, who's a Best Original Screenplay contender for penning the movie's script with Ethan Hawke and director Richard Linklater, thinks the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' rich, white, male-dominated voting body is so far gone that she doesn't even care.

"We have the Golden Globes. If you could see it, you wouldn't believe that there's anything good about it. The same goes for the Oscars," Delpy told So Film, via the Irish Independent. "It's 90 percent white men over 70 who need money because they haven't done anything in a long time. You just need to give them two or three presents and they're in your pocket. It doesn't mean anything to me, so I don't really care if there are women in the selection process."

The actress' candid remarks are a departure from much of what's said about the state of Oscar voting. A recent New York Film Academy infographic reported a 5:1 disparity in men working in film compared to women, while a Lee & Low Books chart spotlighted the paltry 23 percent of the Academy that's female.

Delpy also bemoaned what she sees as the declining state of independent cinema, which she attributes to Hollywood heavyweights like Harvey Weinstein. "I think they love cinema, but they also like to take a movie and give it an added value, then kill everything left behind," she said. "This has a lot to do with the Oscars. In the '90s, there were real independent movies, but they have slowly been crushed by the majors. The minute they take over something, they crush it. ... Every time I've become a part of the Hollywood mainstream, it's been crap! Let's be honest: 90 percent of movies made in Hollywood are crap."

Spirit Award Winners 2014 Include '12 Years A Slave,' Matthew McConaughey

March 1, 2014, 3:55 pm

≫ Next: Deliciously Freaky Neonscapes To Satisfy Your Cartoon Fantasies

≪ Previous: Julie Delpy Slams The Academy As 'White Men Over 70 Who Need Money'

$

0

0

The 2014 Spirit Awards, Film Independent's annual honors for the year in indie film, were handed out in Santa Monica, Calif. on Saturday, with "12 Years a Slave" emerging as the day's big winner. Steve McQueen's drama earned awards for Best Feature, Best Director (McQueen), Best Supporting Female (Lupita Nyong'o), Best Screenplay (John Ridley) and Best Cinematography (Sean Bobbitt).

"12 Years a Slave" received two other Spirit Award nominations: Best Lead Male for Chiwetel Ejiofor and Best Supporting Male for Michael Fassbender. Both of those categories were dominated by "Dallas Buyers Club," as stars Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, respectively, took the lead and supporting trophies.

The other acting winner at the Spirit Awards was Cate Blanchett, who won Best Lead Female for her role in "Blue Jasmine." It's expected that all four Spirit winners will repeat at Sunday's Academy Award ceremony, which would mark the first time in the 29-year history of the independent film awards that its acting honors matched a perfect four for four with the Oscars.

Elsewhere at the Spirit Awards, Ryan Coogler's "Fruitvale Station" won Best First Feature. "Fruitvale Station," which debuted at last year's Sundance Film Festival, is about the death of Oscar Grant, a black man who was shot by law enforcement officials at the Bay Area Rapid Transit station of the film's title on New Year's Day in 2009. During his acceptance speech, Coogler referenced the death of Jonathan Ferrell, who was shot 10 times by a police officer after crashing his car and going to seek help. "I can't help but think if Jonathan Ferrell looked like Matthew McConaughey he would have been alive today," Coogler said (via THR). The director was given a standing ovation after his acceptance speech.

Other Spirit Award winners included Bob Nelson (Best First Screenplay for "Nebraska") and Nat Sanders (Best Editing for "Short Term 12"). A list of 2014 Spirit Award winners is below.

BEST FEATURE
"12 Years a Slave"

BEST LEAD FEMALE
Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"

BEST LEAD MALE
Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"

BEST DIRECTOR
Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"

BEST FIRST FEATURE
"Fruitvale Station"

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
"This Is Martin Bonner"

BEST SCREENPLAY
John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave"

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Bob Nelson, "Nebraska"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sean Bobbitt, "12 Years a Slave"

BEST EDITING
Nat Sanders, "Short Term 12"

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
"Blue Is The Warmest Color"

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"20 Feet From Stardom"

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
"Mud"

---

Deliciously Freaky Neonscapes To Satisfy Your Cartoon Fantasies

March 2, 2014, 5:38 am

≫ Next: The First Graffiti Artist Of Britain Isn't Who You Think It Is

≪ Previous: Spirit Award Winners 2014 Include '12 Years A Slave,' Matthew McConaughey

$

0

0

Dive into the technicolor world of self-taught artist Todd James and enter a freaky flatland of hot babes, bloody claws, grim reapers and stuffed animals. You know, the usual.


Double Stuffed Bubble Puffs, 2013, Gouache and graphite on paper, 15 x 11 inches



James, who broke into the art world tagging the New York Subway system under the moniker REAS, is now bringing his band of enchanted hybrids to Sandra Gering Inc. with his exhibition "Supernatural."

James' canvases are jam-packed with electric ladies, lacking in clothing what they make up for in hue. The women, teetering between tantalizing and spooky, partake in everyday activities like selfie-snapping and not-so-ordinary habits like wielding an axe with a similar sense of ease. "On occasion," the gallery writes, "women even find themselves morphed into magical hybrid characters or completely abstracted, as if spells had gone wrong and figures reassemble." In James' world, the possibility for strangeness seems just as likely in a woman's bedroom as in the depths of the underworld.

James' two-dimensional canvases remind us what might occur if a pervy Matisse had spent too much time watching South Park, listening to heavy metal and playing Dungeons and Dragons. Enjoy the magical weirdness below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.


Dr. Dolittle and Cpt Cartwheels, 2013, Gouache and graphite on paper, 15 x 11 inches



Afternoon Nothingness, 2013, Gouache and graphite on paper, 15 x 11 inches



Tea Party in the Abyss, 2013, Gouache and graphite on paper, 22 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches, 26 1/4 x 19 inches framed



Don't Worry Jasper, 2013, Gouache and graphite on paper, 30 x 22 inches, 34 x 26 inches framed



Chicken Wizard, 2014, Oil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches



Read My Mind, 2014, Acrylic on Canvas, 28 x 22 inches



Escape from Witch Mountain, 2014, Acrylic on canvas, 42 x 36 inches




"Supernatural" runs until March 29, 2014 at Sandra Gering, Inc. in New York.

The First Graffiti Artist Of Britain Isn't Who You Think It Is

March 2, 2014, 5:53 am

≫ Next: Here's What Dr. Seuss Can Teach Every Adult About Life

≪ Previous: Deliciously Freaky Neonscapes To Satisfy Your Cartoon Fantasies

$

0

0

Imagine someone comes up to you and asks, "Who was the first graffiti artist?" and you're all, "I don't know, Banksy?" And then everyone artsy laughs and walks away. Embarrassing!

To prevent this hypothetical scenario from ever actually damaging your street art cred, we suggest watching the awesome 1976 short film above. Entitled "First Graffiti Artist," the doc follows British artist Walter Kershaw whose large-scale, public murals were all the rage in the 1970s. He's hailed as Britain's first graffiti artist and widely known as the "original Banksy."

Directed by Ian Potts when he was still an art student, the film explores the early days of spray cans, messages and mischief, far before the art world was paying attention. Let us know your thoughts on the little piece of street art history in the comments.

h/t Laughing Squid

Here's What Dr. Seuss Can Teach Every Adult About Life

March 2, 2014, 6:15 am

≫ Next: Will And Jaden Smith Given Razzies For Worst Actors By Golden Raspberry Awards

≪ Previous: The First Graffiti Artist Of Britain Isn't Who You Think It Is

$

0

0

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss! Theodor Seuss Geisel (yes, that's his real name) was born today in 1904. His timeless books were celebrated not only for their inventiveness, but for the messages that they bestowed upon their readers.

Dr. Seuss claimed not to imbue his stories with morality on purpose. In fact, he described himself as, "subversive as hell." Still, the author's political beliefs are apparent in The Lorax, an environmentalist story, and The Butter Battle Book, which serves as a metaphor for the arms race. But some of Dr. Seuss's best advice comes from his subtler, goofier stories.

Here are five things Dr. Seuss's classic books can teach every adult:

1. If your present situation is wearing you down, don't lose optimism about the future.



Oh, The Places You'll Go! is perhaps Dr. Seuss's most inspiring book of the bunch, as it instructs readers what to do in times of turmoil. It's too easy to get bogged down in the details of day-to-day life; this book can be a refreshing means of regaining perspective, and reminding yourself that the world is wide, and opportunities abound.

And when things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

-Oh, The Places You'll Go!

2. A little kindness goes a long way.



The Grinch is a classic example of a character who is grumpy merely because he's often left out. It'd be easy to blame his bad attitude on his circumstances rather than including him in festive activities. Instead, ceasing to shun him helped the Grinch grow into a kinder version of himself.

It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

-How the Grinch Stole Christmas

3. Hold fast to your beliefs, even in the face of ridicule.



When Horton from Horton Hears A Who hears a voice emitted from a small speck of dust atop a flower, he concludes that the voice is coming from a person. He later learns that the speck of dust isn't a speck of dust at all, but an entire planet, called Whoville, inhabited by the Whos. Unable to see his perspective, the other jungle animals pick on Horton, but Horton remains sure of himself, and continues to protect the Whos.

"A person's a person, no matter how small."

-Horton Hears a Who

4. A little open-mindedness goes a long way.



The message of Green Eggs and Ham may be painfully straightforward, but it's still a message that's worth remembering from time to time. Sam-I-Am urges the narrator to try his bizarre culinary concoction, and even suggests a variety of locations and scenarios to do so (who wouldn't want to try a new cuisine in the company of a fox?)! The narrator refuses, believing he'll dislike the dish without ever having tried it. Talk about stubborn!

“Try them, try them, and you may!

Try them and you may, I say.”

-Green Eggs and Ham

5. Fun is good!



One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish has less of an overt message than many of Dr. Seuss's other books, perhaps because it is geared towards younger readers. Regardless, it epitomizes the irreverence and fun that all of his stories are peppered with, and in doing so conveys a message of its own, and it may be the most Seussian advice of all: "fun is good."

Did you ever fly a kite in bed?

Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?

Did you ever milk this kind of cow?
Well, we can do it. We know how.

If you never did, you should.
These things are fun and fun is good.
-One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Will And Jaden Smith Given Razzies For Worst Actors By Golden Raspberry Awards

March 2, 2014, 6:25 am

≫ Next: Oscar Rehearsals Bring Out Hollywood's Biggest Stars

≪ Previous: Here's What Dr. Seuss Can Teach Every Adult About Life

$

0

0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will and Jaden Smith have something they can bond over. They were both awarded Razzies for their performances in "After Earth."

Jaden was selected as worst actor for his starring role in the sci-fi flop about a father and son stranded on an untamed earth, while the elder Smith was chosen as worst supporting actor at Saturday's Golden Raspberry Awards, which lampoons Hollywood's awards season on the eve of the Oscars. The duo was also selected as the worst screen combo by online Razzies voters. Razzies organizer John Wilson noted the pair was "stranded on Planet Nepotism."

"After Earth," which was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, tied with "Movie 43" for the most prizes with three awards. The raunchy comedy anthology featuring the likes of Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts earned Razzies for worst picture, screenplay and director. Apparently, it took a village to craft something so loathed. The Razzies noted that "Movie 43" is credited with 13 directors and 19 screenwriters.

Tyler Perry also didn't receive any good tidings from the Razzies . Perry — as feisty alter-ego Madea — was picked as worst actress for "A Madea Christmas," while Kim Kardashian was designated worst supporting actress for her role in the drama "Tyler Perry's Temptation."

Despite being the year's biggest box-office bomb, "The Lone Ranger" lassoed just one prize: worst remake, rip-off or sequel.

Uncharacteristically, Adam Sandler went home empty handed at this year's Razzies. Sandler's "Grown-Ups 2" originally led the hate-fest with eight nominations, including worst picture and actor for Sandler, but the comedy sequel wasn't awarded a single trophy. Sandler previously made Razzie history in 2011 by winning both the worst actor and actress prizes for his brother-sister cross-dressing comedy "Jack & Jill."

The winners of the 34th annual Razzies were announced Saturday night at a conference center a few blocks away from the Dolby Theater, where the 86th annual Academy Awards will be presented Sunday evening.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang

.

Oscar Rehearsals Bring Out Hollywood's Biggest Stars

March 2, 2014, 7:17 am

≫ Next: Academy's Makeup And Hairstyling Event Gets A Surprise From Johnny Knoxville

≪ Previous: Will And Jaden Smith Given Razzies For Worst Actors By Golden Raspberry Awards

$

0

0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Before the big show, the Oscars have a casual day.

That's when the superstar presenters who will dazzle fans worldwide on Sunday practice walking onto the Dolby Theatre stage and delivering their lines in front of a small audience of show workers and rehearsal actors. Instead of glamorous gowns and tuxedos, most stars rock jeans and sneakers. Will Smith's sneakers were a shiny silvery-pink. Wearing a puffer vest, a thermal and jeans, Smith cracked up the crowd by reading his presentation in a jokey kid voice. During a second pass, he read normally, then declared: "I killed that one!"

When a pair of rehearsal actors stepped on stage to collect the award he was presenting, Smith pretended to toss them the prop Oscar used for rehearsals: a wooden version of the real thing.

Some of the other 45 celebrity presenters rehearsing Saturday included Goldie Hawn, Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Sally Field, Penelope Cruz, Viola Davis, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Kevin Spacey, Glenn Close, Tyler Perry, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anna Kendrick, Bradley Cooper and Daniel Day-Lewis.

Garner, who wore her show-day shoes with a blazer and jeans, offered some advice to first-time Oscar presenter Benedict Cumberbatch.

"This is my fifth or sixth (show)," she told him. "My first one was with Mickey Mouse, so I had to look at a green stick, as one does on live TV."

She assured him he'd be great.

Jennifer Lawrence, who arrived wearing no makeup, all black clothing and her short hair slicked back, shimmied and waved as she walked out on stage. Afraid to read the contents of the prop winner's envelope, she jokingly presented her award to Ryan Seacrest.

When told she was meant to actually read the name inside the envelope for rehearsal purposes, she confessed, "Oh, I didn't know!"

She did, and when rehearsal actor came on stage to claim the prize, she hugged him.

Veteran presenter John Travolta also wore all black, from his jeans and tennis-shoes to his button-down shirt and ball cap.

"I was just about to get some popcorn," said Oscar producer Neil Meron said when he spotted Travolta backstage. "And look who walks in: Mr. Popcorn himself!"

Kristen Bell and Michael B. Jordan needed a moment to collect themselves after looking at all the seat-saving placards in the audience that indicate exactly where the industry heavyweights will be sitting on Oscar night.

"Will Smith. Jamie Foxx. Christian Bale," Jordan said, reading the placards aloud.

"It feels strange, yeah," Bell responded.

She wore towering platform heels on stage, but changed into a pair of sneakers as soon as she walked off.

Kerry Washington, who wore a loose white blouse over cropped jeans with sling-back silver stilettos, delighted the college students who will carry the Oscar trophies on stage when she greeted them before her rehearsal.

"I hope you're having fun," she told them. "There's no stopping you!"

Channing Tatum, who helped select the students with Oscar producers, bonded with them backstage.

He showed them iPhone photos of his 9-month-old daughter, saying, "She's just starting to get cute." He also confessed that his Oscar debut last year, when he danced with Charlize Theron, was "the most nerve-racking thing ever."

"I wish I could get in on this at y'all's age," he told the group of 19- to 22-year-olds. "Y'all have fun."

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .

Academy's Makeup And Hairstyling Event Gets A Surprise From Johnny Knoxville

March 2, 2014, 7:29 am

≫ Next: Oscars Review: How Did Ellen DeGeneres Do As Host?

≪ Previous: Oscar Rehearsals Bring Out Hollywood's Biggest Stars

$

0

0

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — "Bad Grandpa" is at the Oscars.

Johnny Knoxville surprised the crowd at the motion picture academy's headquarters Saturday by appearing on stage alongside makeup effects artist Stephen Prouty at an event honoring the makeup and hairstyling Academy Award nominees. Prouty is nominated for transforming the "Jackass" leading man into his gonzo "Bad Grandpa" character Irving Zisman. Knoxville readily admitted that the hidden-camera film featuring the 42-year-old actor-stuntman pranking unsuspecting folks as a naughty 86-year-old geezer isn't typical Oscar fare.

"We're basically slightly above a student film in the way we execute things," Knoxville said. "But our makeup is stellar."

Prouty of "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" is up against Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny, who turned Johnny Depp into Tonto for "The Lone Ranger"; and Adruitha Lee and Robin Matthews, who respectively transformed Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto into an HIV-positive rodeo cowboy and transgender woman for "Dallas Buyers Club," at Sunday's 86th annual Academy Awards.

"We took an extra effort not to overpaint and go too theatrical," said Prouty of the "Bad Grandpa" style, which had to not only stand out on camera, but fool victims. "It had to look real to us inches away from us."

Knoxville said applying the makeup, which included 11 different prosthetics on his noggin, took three hours each morning of the 60-day shoot. He said listening to Prouty and his team's "filthy jokes" every morning helped him to get "completely in character as a dirty old man."

So how long did it take to remove all that effects makeup?

"About two beers," Knoxville joked.

___

Online:

http://www.oscars.com

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

Oscars Review: How Did Ellen DeGeneres Do As Host?

March 3, 2014, 5:33 am

≫ Next: Terrifying Mini City Imagines What The Collapse Of Capitalism Would Look Like

≪ Previous: Academy's Makeup And Hairstyling Event Gets A Surprise From Johnny Knoxville

$

0

0

NEW YORK (AP) — With only a week to catch our breath after the lengthy cavalcade of Winter Olympics coverage, this year's Oscarcast may have seemed a refreshingly snug handout of awards. After all, it lasted only slightly more than three and a half hours, aired on ABC from a single venue (Hollywood's Dolby Theatre), and was emceed by the comfortably reliable Ellen DeGeneres.

By comparison to the Sochi games, Oscar went by in a flash. Meanwhile, it had its high moments and a bare minimum of deficits, easily catalogued in cinematic terms: Great scene! Or ... best left on the cutting-room floor.

— Great Scene: The show's kickoff, which, unlike so many years before, wasn't an extravagant comedic film featuring the host with a bevy of stars, but instead, found DeGeneres arriving on stage to deliver her simple, but satisfyingly funny, monologue.

In gently wry style, she ribbed celebs in the hall as well as show biz in general. (The nominees, she declared, had collectively made over 1,400 films, "and you've gone to a total of six years of college.")

Then she brought on the first presenter. Brisk and efficient.

After that, she kept the energy flowing through a broadcast predictably sparse in surprises among those who won. Unlike many hosts, she was a regular presence, at one moment gathering stars in the audience for a group selfie to tweet, at another bringing in a pizza delivery guy to share slices with audience members (and then confessing she had no money to pay the bill: "Where's Harvey Weinstein?").

DeGeneres did what any host should do: Stay involved and make sure everyone has fun.

At the same time, she seemed to be committed to an unspoken theme for the evening: Humanize Hollywood's glitterati for the viewers. In return, the stars were on their best behavior.

— Great Scene: Best supporting actor (for "Dallas Buyers Club") Jared Leto's acceptance speech paid tribute to his mother, thanking her "for teaching me to dream," then celebrated the dreams "in places like the Ukraine and Venezuela" — before pledging his support to those who have felt injustice "because of who you are or who you love." He was the night's first winner, and, in accepting his trophy, also pulled off a humanistic hat trick.

— For the Cutting-Room Floor: The ironic spectacle of veteran actress Kim Novak, who was a presenter in the category of animation but, at age 81, revealed an eerily baby-smooth face that seemed frozen in place.

— Great Scene: Musical number with Pharrell Williams performing his nominated song, "Happy."

— Great Scene: U2 performing their nominated song, "Ordinary Love."

— Great Scene: Pink performing "Over the Rainbow" against panoramic clips from "The Wizard of Oz" in a salute to that beloved film's 75th anniversary.

— Great Scene: A particularly moving presentation of the In Memoriam roll, free of distracting applause from the audience. After the faces and names of the departed had been seen, Bette Midler sang the evocative "Wind Beneath My Wings."

— For the Cutting-Room Floor: Superfluous remarks from the president of the Academy, a mission statement whose pace-arresting effect was underscored by DeGeneres a moment later when she cracked, "Good luck following that, Amy Adams and Bill Murray!"

— Great Scene: The heartfelt acceptance spilling out of best supporting actress Lupita Nyong'o ("12 Years a Slave"), who made it clear she understood that "so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else's."

— For the Cutting-Room Floor: The format of introducing the nine best-picture nominees, bunched in groups of threes, giving each film short shrift. Isn't there a better way of giving viewers a fitting sense of these contenders, which, after all, are the heart of what the Oscars is all about?

— Great Scene: The evening's finale, a joyous reception for best picture winner "12 Years a Slave."

All in all, a sleek show was the Oscarcast. Few bombshells, fewer embarrassments, from fade-in to fade-out.

Then, in cinematic terms, that was a wrap.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier

---

Terrifying Mini City Imagines What The Collapse Of Capitalism Would Look Like

March 3, 2014, 5:37 am

≫ Next: Night of 100 Stars Oscar Viewing Party Hosts Jon Voight, Martin Landau

≪ Previous: Oscars Review: How Did Ellen DeGeneres Do As Host?

$

0

0

Ever wonder what the end of the world might look like? Perhaps you envision a cataclysmic natural disaster wiping out human existence entirely. Or maybe you take a more gradual approach, pondering the slow collapse of society as we know it. Are these thoughts morbid? Yes. But that didn't stop artist Isaac Cordal from turning them into a massively intricate art installation.



Cordal spent a whopping three months constructing his miniature, dystopian city "Follow the Leaders," a sculptural work consisting of 2,000 cement figures and concrete buildings. The sprawling installation mocks the collapse of capitalism, envisioning what would happen to the skyscrapers and men with briefcases once the financial system disappears.

Although the crumbling towers and slouched characters are quite small, the installation itself spans approximately 65 by 42 feet, amounting to an impressively detailed world populated solely by balding men in grey suits. In constant states of confusion, the bewildered figures huddle around lamp posts, gaze cautiously atop rooftops and watch as their surroundings decay before their very eyes.



”'Follow the Leaders' is a critical reflection on our inertia as a social mass. Representing a social stereotype associated with power compound businessmen who run the global social spectrum," Cordal writes on his website. "I worked with a great team of people that have helped me to realize this project... a metaphor for the collapse of capitalism and the side effects of progress."



Take a look at Cordal's work, previously on view in Nantes, France, here. For more on his work, check out the artist's Flickr to see his minuscule defeated businessmen in other locales around the world.

Night of 100 Stars Oscar Viewing Party Hosts Jon Voight, Martin Landau

March 3, 2014, 5:40 am

≫ Next: Kevin Spacey Channels Frank Underwood While Presenting At Oscars

≪ Previous: Terrifying Mini City Imagines What The Collapse Of Capitalism Would Look Like

$

0

0

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Actors Jon Voight, Martin Landau and George Chakiris all have one shiny, golden thing in common.

They're all former Oscar winners, and they all attended the annual Night of 100 Stars Oscar viewing party Sunday at the Beverly Hills Hotel, watching on enormous screens as younger talents such as best actor winner Matthew McConaughey and best supporting actor Jared Leto lived out emotional moments reminiscent of their own wins. Voight, who snagged a best actor Oscar trophy back in 1978 for his heartbreaking, dramatic role as a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran in "Coming Home," was especially moved by "Dallas Buyers Club" duo McConaughey and Leto. The 75-year-old actor intently and quietly watched McConaughey on-screen as he delivered his energetic acceptance speech mentioning God, family, his future self and making a sly reference to his breakout role in 1993's "Dazed and Confused."

"Matthew has a wonderful, explosive way about him. He's passionate, and he goes for it. He doesn't edit. It makes his work very pure and beautiful too. I admired his speech," Voight said afterward. "Matthew mentioned God, which is a no-no at the Oscars, but he did it with great dignity. Jared is a likeminded soul, for me. He's a great actor. I'm so glad he won. I'm impressed with these guys. God bless them. This is a wonderful evening because of it."

Celebrating Hollywood's big night made Voight reflect back to his own win in 1978. Back then his idol Laurence Olivier was also nominated alongside him for the best actor Oscar, for "The Boys From Brazil." It was Olivier's longtime influence, and a speech that same night for a lifetime achievement award, that moved Voight most.

A few days before the awards ceremony, Voight had sat on a plane two rows behind Olivier - frail and hardly able to move after multiple illnesses - and was too shy to go up to him, Voight said. Yet the night before the Oscars, Olivier somehow found his number and called Voight at his house. Voight was bowled over by the Shakespearean great.

"He was a true icon in the mythology of my life. He said, 'Hello, Jon, this is Larry Olivier here. Oh dear boy, what a wonderful performance you gave," said Voight. "Then I go to the awards, and Cary Grant introduces him for his lifetime achievement, and Laurence Olivier walks out as if he was one of the great kings of one of his performances, and proceeded to give an astounding, poetic speech. I wanted to stand up and tell everyone, 'You're watching something astounding!' When I won, I got up and said something about Laurence Olivier to start it off."

Lithe at age 79, Chakiris landed his own best supporting actor Oscar in 1961 playing the street gang member Bernardo in the hit musical film "West Side Story."

Eating pomegranate and citrus salad at Sunday's Beverly Hills viewing party, he reminisced just after watching Lupita Nyong'o shed tears when she won a best supporting actress trophy for her role as a brutally victimized slave in "12 Years A Slave."

"I think it's the same for everybody. Everybody is astonished, and don't know quite what to say," said Chakiris. "I felt the anticipation watching tonight. It's wonderful to see the Academy honor these people, because they deserve the recognition."

As for his own win more than a half century ago, he joyfully shared the reins of celebration that Oscar night with another "West Side Story" star, Rita Moreno, who won a best supporting actress trophy for her role as Bernardo's girlfriend Anita.

"We attended the ceremony together, and my category came up first. I was lucky. Then her category came up, and she was lucky," he said. "We're still great great friends today. The fact that we came together, we were both fortunate together, we spent the evening together. It was fantastic."

There's a striking similarity to McConaughey and Leto being both winners and friends at Sunday's Academy Awards. Chakiris noted that working and winning together immediately creates, as with Moreno, a "special kind of bond."

Landau, whose more than 50-year career included Oscar nominations in 1988 and 1989, and who won a best supporting actor Oscar in 1994 playing actor Bela Legosi in Tim Burton's quirky "Ed Wood," had a much more cynical take on the current crop of Oscar winners and nominees.

The white-haired 85-year-old actor, surrounded by friends and fans at his table, spoke softly but definitively.

"I've got a lot of friends who are nominated. The problem is - and I don't like to mention names because they're friends of mine - but a good actor, it's how he hides his feelings, not how he shows his feelings, and very few actors do that," said Landau. "When I'm watching the Oscars, I have a lot of mixed feelings. There should be people who are nominated that shouldn't be nominated."

Kevin Spacey Channels Frank Underwood While Presenting At Oscars

March 3, 2014, 5:51 am

≫ Next: Curly Hair Physics Unraveled In New 3D Model Study (VIDEO)

≪ Previous: Night of 100 Stars Oscar Viewing Party Hosts Jon Voight, Martin Landau

$

0

0

We were excited to see Kevin Spacey walk down the red carpet at the 86th Oscars, but we were perhaps even more excited to hear him channel Frank Underwood while presenting onstage.

When "20 Feet From Stardom" won the award for Best Documentary Feature, one of its stars, Darlene Love, celebrated the film's spirit by belting out a few lines of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow," including the phrase "I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free."

After she finished, Spacey jumped in with his Underwood southern accent to say, "And I sing because it's so nice to be out of Washington and here with all my Hollywood friends."

This isn't the first time that the "House of Cards" character has made an appearance at an awards show. Spacey/Underwood turned to the camera for a short monologue during the 2013 Emmys.

Catch all of the Oscars action with the live blog below.

Curly Hair Physics Unraveled In New 3D Model Study (VIDEO)

March 3, 2014, 5:56 am

≫ Next: The 24 Best Things Said Backstage At The 2014 Oscars

≪ Previous: Kevin Spacey Channels Frank Underwood While Presenting At Oscars

$

0

0

The first detailed model of a 3D strand of curly hair has been created, a development that could be a boon for the film and computer animation industries, researchers say.

Previously, scientists had no simple mathematical way to describe the motion of curly hair, including the way curls bounce as they move around. As such, many animated characters had hair that was either rigidly straight or only swung from side to side. Now, researchers at MIT, in Cambridge, Mass., and the Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie (UPMC), in Paris, are teasing out the physics of curly hair.

To build their model, the scientists used flexible rods to examine varying degrees of curliness. [The Mysterious Physics of 7 Everyday Things]

"Our work doesn't deal with the collisions of all the hairs on a head, which is a very important effect for animators to control a hairstyle," study co-author Pedro Reis, an assistant professor in MIT's department of civil and environmental engineering, said in a statement. "But it characterizes all the different degrees of curliness of a hair and describes mathematically how the properties of the curl change along the arc length of a hair."

Reis did not originally intend to figure out the physics of hair hair, but as he examined the curvature of thin, flexible rods in his lab, he recognized similarities between these curves and the properties governing strands of curly hair hanging from a head.

The researchers combined their lab demonstrations with computer simulations to identify several key parameters of curly hair: curvature (as a ratio of curvature to length) and weight (as a ratio of weight to stiffness). Give these parameters — for instance, if the curvature, length, weight and stiffness are known — the researchers' model can predict the shape of a strand of hair suspended under its own weight.

Reis and his colleagues also examined how the shape of curls changed when various parameters were altered. If only a portion of the strand was curled, the researchers labeled the 3D structure a "localized helix." If the entire length of the strand was curled, the researchers referred to it as a "global helix."

Curls can change from 2D hooks to 3D local helixes to 3D global helixes as the parameters change, such as when the strands move. Furthermore, since the force of gravity is greater at the top of a strand of hair than at the tip, if the weight of a hair is too great to maintain its natural curliness, the curl will become straight or helical, depending on the strand's length and stiffness, the researchers explained.

The model could help computer animators make curly hair look more realistic in movies.

"The mathematician [Leonhard] Euler first derived the equation for a slender elastic body — like a hair strand — in 1744," study co-author Basile Audoly, a researcher at UPMC, said in a statement. "Even though the equations are well-known, they have no explicit solution, and, as a result, it is challenging to connect these equations with real shapes."

Beyond curly hair, the model could be used to predict the curves of tubes, cables, or the types of steel pipes used in the oil industry, the researchers said.

"We think of steel pipes as being nice and straight, but usually at some point they're getting wrapped around something," study lead author James Miller, a research associate at Schlumberger-Doll Research and a former MIT graduate student, said in a statement. "And at large dimensions, they're so flexible that it's like you and I dealing with a limp spaghetti noodle."

The detailed findings were published Feb. 13 in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Follow Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

• Twisted Physics: 7 Mind-Blowing Findings
• What's That? Your Physics Questions Answered
• 5 Seriously Mind-Boggling Math Facts

Copyright 2014 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The 24 Best Things Said Backstage At The 2014 Oscars

March 3, 2014, 5:56 am

≫ Next: Jennifer Lawrence & Lupita Nyong'o Pretended To Fight Over The Best Supporting Actress Oscar

≪ Previous: Curly Hair Physics Unraveled In New 3D Model Study (VIDEO)

$

0

0

One thing viewers miss while watching the Academy Awards on television? Each winner being escorted backstage following their victory speech to talk to a room full of journalists. Credit it to adrenaline, relief, elation or a cocktail of all three, but some of HuffPost's favorite things said at the Oscars were actually said backstage.

This year, press members were reprimanded four times for continuing to ask questions in a foreign language (and there’s no alcohol back there, so there's really no excuse for breaking the rules). The biggest ovation of the night was for Matthew McConaughey, who won Best Actor for “Dallas Buyers Club." Maybe that's because the press knew he was bound to reveal things, such as this nugget: He's not a dad or even daddy; McConaughey's kids call him “Popeye.”

It turns out that reporters' favorite thing to do is to introduce themselves and then declare, "I met you at [blank] and said you were going to win an Oscar." Those statements didn't elicit such compelling answers, but herewith are the 24 best things said backstage at the 86th Annual Academy Awards.

Lupita Nyong’o, Best Supporting Actress for "12 Years a Slave"


1. “It’s my first time here and I feel like Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory.”

2. “It’s just not real until you hear Christoph Waltz say your name. And it’s perplexing. But I’m so happy to be holding this golden man.”

3. “What I’ve learned from myself is that I don’t have to be anybody else. Myself is good enough."

4. “At the end of the day, I feel it is my deeds that are more important than my fame."

Matthew McConaughey, Best Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club"


5. On "True Detective": “I made the thing, read the script, read it upside down and I don’t know what the hell happens.”

6. "McConnasiance. Somebody said it in Sundance. I was like wait, go back, what did you say? I don’t know what that is, but it sounds good."

7. "I didn’t say it on stage, but in 1992, I was one week into filming “Dazed and Confused.” My father moved on six days into working on that job. He got to be alive for me to be doing the one thing that turned out to be my career. He came to my mind tonight."

Brad Pitt, Oscar-winning producer and co-star of "12 Years a Slave"


8. “I had to clean up dog poop today. In my bedroom.”

9. “Steve’s my date. But yes, my better, otherworldly half is here, too. We are all going to go out and just enjoy the time. We are going to just be together and love each other up.”

10. “At the end of the day we hope that this film remains a gentle reminder that we are all equal. We all want dignity. Another’s freedom is every bit as important as our own.”

Cate Blanchett, Best Actress for "Blue Jasmine"


11. On the “Julia-hashtag-suck it” comment: “It happened in the bar with Ms. Roberts. And that’s all I am prepared to say.”

12. “I’ll probably get into my pajamas or go dancing. But it’s quite easy to dance in your pajamas, so maybe I’ll do that.”

13. “I called the children. My youngest has stopped vomiting, so that’s good.”

Jared Leto, Best Supporting Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club"


14. Offering his Oscar around the room: “Does anybody want to try it out for size? Pass it around. But if you have swine flu, please don’t touch.”

15. "You look down and you see Leo and Meryl. At one point I found myself talking right at De Niro -- as if the room wasn’t intimidating enough. So I just looked back over at my mom.”

16. “I’m going to be celebrating till the break of dawn. Trust me. Look me in the eyes. I live just a mile away, if anybody wants to come hang out later.”

Steve McQueen, director and Oscar-winning producer of "12 Years a Slave"


17. "The background characters are now in the foreground. They are being recognized. People are ready for this narrative. People want to look at their history, embrace it, accept it, and more forward. If we never know our past we will never know our future.”

18. ”It’s one of those moments in life. It might not ever happen again. Emotions take over. So Van Halen! Jump!”

Spike Jonze, Best Original Screenplay for "Her"


19. “I think anything and everything is going to happen. I think at this point in history, we are 13 billion years into this universe and there’s many more billion years after this.”

20. “I don’t think I could have written a screenplay when I was younger. It took me a long time to learn how to write. I learned a lot from Dave Eggers and Maurice Sendak. But now I feel like I’m ready to actually write what’s in my heart.”

21. To the journalists: “Did you guys have a good night tonight? Are you okay? You guys look like you’re hard at work.”

John Ridley, Best Adapted Screenplay for "12 Years a Slave"


22. “I am very proud, I am very humble and I’m very hopeful for the future. There are so many people out there of different faiths and orientations with stories to tell.”

23. “Before I started this project, I didn’t know Solomon’s name.”

24.“I would love to write on the beach in Hawaii. But I mostly write in the car, in the parking lot at my kids’ school.

For the full list of winners, click here.