November 28, 2024

About the author  ⁄ MTV News

Less Talking, More Dancing — Proof The Oscars Should Be A Four-Hour Dance Party

Go ahead and call the Academy Awards a stuffy, overbearing four-hour affair, but just you try and watch this dance montage we put together from Sunday's ceremony without getting out of your seats and shamelessly busting a move.

So what precipitated all this Oscar-worthy boogieing? Pharrell Williams, of course. His performance of "Happy," the Oscar-nominated song from "Despicable Me 2," brought down the house, inspiring everyone to jump out of their seats at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

There's Meryl Streep — who played a foul-mouthed matriarch in "August: Osage County" — doing some solid shimmying. "12 Years a Slave" star — and Oscar winner! — Lupita Nyong'o gets her groove on in the front row. Even Amy Adams — who played a con artist in "American Hustle" — gets into the action, dancing up a storm and throwing her hands in the air in front of her "Hustle" co-stars.

In fact, Pharrell's song is so infectious we went a bit overboard and added a few famous faces from throughout the evening. Keep an eye out for Michael Fassbender, Barkhad Abdi, Jennifer Lawrence, June Squibb and tonight's host, Ellen DeGeneres.

Williams famously put together a 24-hour music video for the track in 2013, inviting celebs like Jamie Foxx, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Carell, Kelly Osbourne, Magic Johnson, and many more to get in front of the camera and shake their stuff.

Anyway, take a cue from the stars. Watch the video below, dance and most importantly, be "Happy."

Stick with us for complete Oscars coverage including all the Oscar winners, show ...

Read More →

Oscars 2014: The 11 Moments That Actually Mattered

An A-list pizza party, the glorious height of the ongoing McConaughssance, and the tweet that broke the internet: the 2014 Academy Awards was replete with magic moments.

But if you happened to take an inopportune bathroom break while they were handing out the statuettes (or if you missed the ceremony and don't have nearly four hours available for a re-watch), we've got a roundup of the best, biggest, and most remarkable moments from the Oscar telecast in an easily digestible format. Here they are, from start to finish, beginning with...

1. Another Adorably Human Moment For Everyone's Favorite A-Lister
Jennifer Lawrence didn't take home a golden statuette, but still provided one of the evening's most memorable moments well before the ceremony even started. After famously falling on the stage staircase when she went to collect her Oscar last year, America's Sweetheart took a spill outside the theater this time, tripping over a traffic cone in her first steps onto the red carpet -- and giving Ellen DeGeneres a great last-minute edit to her opening speech.

2. A Twitter-Happy Host
Speaking of Ellen: After a few years' worth of disappointing Oscar host performances which culminated in the spectacle of Seth McFarlane singing "We Saw Your Boobs," Ellen was a lovely reminder at first of how good a good emcee can be. Her opening monologue was good-natured but incisive, poking just enough fun at Hollywood to be funny without crossing the line into meanness. (The Academy themselves got the pointiest jab, as Ellen discussed two possible outcomes for the Best Picture race: either "12 ...

Read More →

Emma Watson And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Are Our Oscar Fantasy Couple

A lot of people won awards and said things during the 86th Academy Awards and that was great, but the big takeaway was, undoubtedly, that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emma Watson should be a couple. Or star in a rom-com together. Or star in a rom-com together and then become a couple.

The pair took the stage Sunday night (March 2) to present the award for Best Visual Effects but, at that point, the only visual effect anyone was taking note of was how good they looked together.

"No but really Emma Watson and Joseph Gordon Levitt standing next to each other = everything gasm. #oscars @EmWatson," tweeted fan @LeggoImMeggo, while @redbookmag quipped, "If Twitter has anything to say about it, Emma Watson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be betrothed by the end of the #Oscars telecast."

Other fans seemed more keen to cast the duo in some kind of dream romantic comedy. "Someone somewhere is in the works of making a movie specifically for Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Emma Watson & I'll spend major $ to see it," tweeted @NishiaMarie. @NFRAggie begged, "But seriously, I'm gonna need an Emma Watson + Joseph Gordon Levitt movie to exist. Make it happen Hollywood! #Oscars."

Although the two are dating other people, hope still springs eternal — and a goofy photo of the pair that Gordon-Levitt shared to Facebook is helping it stay alive. "Def should be a couple" one fan commented under the snap. Another pleaded, "Please, please, make a movie together, pretty please?"

You've got options, kids. Now, to ...

Read More →

2014 Oscars Red Carpet Trends: Who Wore It Best?

A little rain didn't stop Hollywood's A-listers from bringing out their red carpet best Sunday (March 2) at the 86th Academy Awards. The highly anticipated Oscar night fashions did not disappoint. With classic Hollywood couture, bold dresses and solid color statements, it was a golden night on the red carpet.

From Lupita Nyong'o looking all sorts of perfection in pale blue Prada to Jennifer Lawrence's stunning Dior gown to Pharrell's tuxedo shorts, there were so many classic and memorable looks that it's almost impossible to pick a favorite.

MTV News, along with MTV Style editor Gabrielle Wilson and #shehashadit blogger Jarvis Derrell decided to give out our own fashion awards for the Oscars.

Blue Beauties
Ladies on the red carpet seemed to be feeling a little blue, wearing all different shades of the deep-toned color, and making it one of the biggest trends of the night.

Nominees: Amy Adams, Lupita Nyong'o, Sandra Bullock
Winner: Lupita Nyong'o in Prada

"Lupita wore a custom Prada dress that she actually made with the designer. The shade of blue was this really beautiful pastel sky blue that she actually called Nairobi blue. She said that it had reminded her of the shade of blue that her classrooms were painted back home in Nairobi, Kenya." — Gabrielle

"She is God's gift to the red carpet this season, and she was really nailing it this year in a Nairobi blue. So stunning, nice and clean lines with a deep plunging V-neck. Just amazing. She's perfect, and she's perfect for a reason. Thank you, Kenya, for giving us Lupita. ...

Read More →

Oscars Honor Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Walker And James Gandolfini During In Memoriam Tribute

The Oscars' In Memoriam tribute is always one of the most touching moments of the night, but Sunday's (March 2) was especially poignant because of the still-fresh wound of a pair of recent losses.

In addition to memories of such Hollywood icons as "Lawrence of Arabia" star Peter O'Toole, film critic Roger Ebert and child actress Shirley Temple Black
, the evening's honors ended with an image of Philip Seymour Hoffman. The Oscar-winning actor and star of "The Hunger Games" died
 exactly one month ago of a drug overdose at age 46.

Beloved and respected by his peers, Hoffman's legacy includes an Oscar in in 2005 for his indelible portrayal of Truman Capote in "Capote" as well as nominations for his work in "Charlie Wilson's War," "Doubt" and 2012's "The Master."

There was also a moment to remember "Fast and Furious" series star Paul Walker, 40, who was killed in a fiery car crash
 in November, as well as one of the most imposing leading men in modern times, "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini
, 51, who suffered a heart attack in Italy in June.

Also noted in the segment were the deaths of author Elmore Leonard, whose books provided fodder for such films as "Get Shorty" and "Out of Sight," comedian Sid Caesar and a writer/director/actor whose death came less than a week ago.

After longtime pal and co-star Bill Murray gave him a shout out while delivering the Best Cinematography award earlier in the night, "Caddyshack" and "Groundhog Day" director/co-writer Harold Ramis
, who died last Monday at age 69, was remembered.

Though ...

Read More →

Idina Menzel Absolutely Killed It With Her ‘Frozen’ Performance: Watch Now

We knew that the rousing viral sensation that is "Let it Go" would pull out all of the stops to showcase the stand-out "2014 Oscars... But even we weren't expecting how much singer Idina Menzel would absolutely crush her performance.

If her Broadway-vet vocal acrobatics weren't enough of a vehicle to properly show off the music and lyrics written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, maybe over 100,000 Swarovski crystals would do the trick? The Austrian ground-glass pieces were shipped in by the truck-load to make sure the Oscar stage would have just that right amount of frozen, icy shine.

But even they didn't distract from Menzel's gorgeous performance, which shined past the giant snowflake in the back of the stage.

Since the song debuted on November 25, 2013 it has been certified platinum in the United States, reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker Charts and been nominated for seven major awards, winning all but two (with a third to be determined tonight at the Oscars).

In addition, "Let it Go" has become a viral sensation, inspiring numerous covers and imitators around the world. Not to mention it also got an official cover by none other than Demi Lovato... And helped fuel a possible future Broadway musical version of "Frozen."

...And then the duo of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez won the Oscar for Best Song, hilariously rhyming everyone's names while fighting off tears. Awww.

Stick with us for complete Oscars coverage including all the Oscar winners, show moments and fashion highlights.

...

Read More →

Darlene Love Made The Oscars So Much More Fun To Watch, But Who Is She?

She may not have sported a big hat while belting out Pharrell's Oscar nominated song "Happy," but all eyes were on "20 Feet From Stardom" star Darlene Love when the film's team took the stage to accept the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

The Morgan Neville-directed doc centers on the rich world of music's best backup singers; talented performers who often toil just outside the spotlight and rarely get the kudos (and, yes, the awards) they deserve.

The film premiered to plenty of love at last year's Sundance Film Festival, and its awards-season run has been similarly rewarding: Neville's doc won a slew of accolades, including a Critics' Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature and a place on the National Board of Review's list of Top Five Documentaries, before topping off its run with an Oscar. And along the way, Love herself has become one of the film's most dazzling stars.

But just who is the enchanting songstress who captivated both the film's audience and every single person at tonight's Oscars ceremony when she expressed her joy in the best way she knows how — through stirring song?

The 72-year-old singer first started out belting out jams in her local church choir in Southern California, before being picked to join the Blossoms. An all-girl group that never quite hit the big time, the gals did, however, work with legendary producer Phil Spector during the height of his creative output in the early 1960s.

Love and the Blossoms can be heard singing backup on such well-known songs as Shelly Fabares' "Johnny Angel" and a ...

Read More →

First Big-Screen Role, First Oscar: Lupita Nyong’o Wins Best Supporting Actress

The tightest race of the Academy Awards — Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role — has been decided, with Lupita Nyong'o winning the Oscar.

The "12 Years a Slave" actress looked dazed as she stood after her name was called, hugging director Steve McQueen and co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor before clutching her heart and ascending the stage. Presenter Christoph Waltz handed her the gold statuette, and she proceeded to tearfully say, of her role as beleaguered young slave Patsey in the big-screen adaptation of Solomon Northup's memoir, "It doesn't escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else's, and so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance, and to Solomon [Northup]: thank you for telling her story and your own."

She went on to thank McQueen for his guidance, saying her time with him "has been the joy of my life." Nyong'o thanked Ejiofor (who played Northup) for his "fearlessness" and called Michael Fassbender (who plays Patsey's slave owner Edwin Epps) her "rock." She also gave a shout-out to her date, brother Junior, saying, "You are my best friend." She finished her touching speech with the promise, "Every time I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid." The two front-runners for the Supporting Actress statuette (which has been fodder for much debate) were Jennifer Lawrence, who plays fast-talking, fiery Rosalyn Rosenfeld in director David ...

Read More →

U2 Get Standing O From Jared Leto For Dramatic Oscar Performance

U2 have never met a big stage they couldn't hold and Sunday night's (March 2) Oscars were no exception. The legendary Irish rockers performed their Best Original Song nominated anthem "Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" unplugged, but with an electric charge that that captivated the star-studded audience.

Playing on a spare stage lit by six large spotlights, the band played an acoustic version of the tune, with singer Bono hitting the falsetto highs of the chorus, "We can't fall any further/If we can't feel ordinary love/We cannot reach any higher," as images of Mandela illuminated the screen behind them.

The stripped down take found Bono crouched down on the lip of the stage staring intently into the crowd, which rewarded the quartet at song's end with a standing ovation led by Best Supporting Actor winner Jared Leto
.

On a night that already saw musical numbers from fellow Best Original Song nominees Pharrell Williams and Karen O, U2's set was an emotional highpoint in the evening's proceedings.

It was also yet another honor for the veteran band, who already have two Golden Globes, including one from January for "Ordinary Love," as well as for "The Hands That Built America" in 2003 from "Gangs of New York," which also earned them their first Best Original Song Oscar nomination.

The song is an emotional one for the conscious rockers, who Bono said in a recent interview had worked on behalf of Mandela's cause since they were teenagers. The performance was especially poignant in light of the anti-apartheid icon's death in December at age ...

Read More →