Praise the Tylenol and pass the Motrin. It’s Oscar party weekend!
This year’s awards weekend party scene feels slightly low-key with studios like Warner Bros., Universal and Focus Features holding what they dub "private" pre-Oscar filmmaker get-togethers for “friends and family” with “no press.”
But the big three Oscar post-parties on Sunday night remain the same. The always star-studded Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Governors Ball will be held after the awards show in the Kodak Ballroom high atop the Hollywood & Highlands complex. Literally every guest, presenter and nominee (winner or loser) piles in there first to pay their polite respects to the academy, toss back the bubbly and snarf some food before heading out to the next bash.
Next there’s the most coveted ticket: the Vanity Fair after-party at Morton’s in West Hollywood. But attendance is even more limited this year with a drastically cut-back guest list. “Asking for a plus-one is like asking for a gold bullion,” whined one VF guest who wanted to actually bring a date.
But expect all the big winners to show up with entourages, especially those featured in Tom Ford’s nudie Hollywood issue like George Clooney, Patricia Clarkson, Viggo Mortensen, Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terrence Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Peter Sarsgaard, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and cover girl Keira Knightley — and maybe even Scarlett Johansson.
Then there’s the always entertaining 14th annual Academy Award party that benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation thrown by Sir Elton John and David Furnish. The shindig will be held out on the Pacific Design Center’s outdoor plaza with a cocktail reception, five course meal/preview dinner party, and post party with Grammy winner John Legend performing around 10:30 p.m.
Expected to attend: Sir Elton and Furnish, Dolly Parton, Beck, Diana Krall, Donatella Versace, Eric McCormack, Geena Davis, John Legend, Kevin Zegers, Macy Gray, Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne, Phil Collins, Sharon Stone, Tab Hunter and more, more, more.
A new entry on Sunday’s post-party slate is Us Weekly/Rolling Stone’s bash inside the Pacific Design Center, conveniently within strolling distance for guests who get bored at Elton’s or VF’s crowded bashes. Expected guests include: Mischa Barton, Paris Hilton, Ludacris, Jessica Alba, Molly Sims, Rose McGowan, Amber Tamblyn, Shane West, Robbie Williams, Macy Gray, Joy Bryant, Elizabeth Banks, Kim Raver, Natasha Henstridge, Dave Navarro and Carmen Elecra. And the 16th annual Night of 100 Stars Black Tie Oscar Dinner will also be held in the Beverly Hills Hotel, but it’s a more a viewing party than a post-bash.
There’s also plenty going on before the big bash. Friday night is the fifth annual Celebration of New Zealand Filmmaking at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Kiefer Sutherland, Sam Neill, Charlize Theron and Anthony Hopkins may show up. Also, ICM talent agent Ed Limato will be throwing his annual pre-Oscar party at his home.
Saturday afternoon is the Independent Spirit Awards, held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, with an after-party — sponsored by IFC — at Shutters on the Beach hotel. Confirmed guests include Allison Janney, Amy Adams, Catherine Keener, Craig Ferguson, Danny Huston, Dennis Quaid, Felicity Huffman, Jeremy Piven, Jimmy Kimmel (his girlfriend Sarah Silverman is hosting), John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, Keanu Reeves, Laura Linney, Luke Wilson, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright Penn, Sandra Bullock, Steve Zahn, Thomas Haden-Church and William Hurt.
Following the Indie Spirits, the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Night Before Oscar bash at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which garnered a cool $4 million last year, should be the most star-studded event.
Scattered beauty events include Dior’s private dinner for feverish fashionistas and hot stars at the Chateau Marmont on Thursday night.
It’s not enough that George Clooney has three Oscar nominations this year: one for directing "Good Night, and Good Luck," another for co-writing the “Good Night” script, plus one to spare, for his supporting role in "Syriana."
Now comes news that Clooney will join the prestigious Oscar presenter ranks — Hilary Swank, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, Jessica Alba, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Will Ferrell, Queen Latifah, Terrence Howard, Meryl Streep, Will Smith, Steve Carell, Nicole Kidman, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Uma Thurman, Charlize Theron, Naomi Watts, Lily Tomlin and Reese Witherspoon — at Sunday’s 78th annual Academy Awards show.
And he’ll probably show up wearing a classic Armani tux. “I’ve been wearing the same tux for 10 years,” Clooney admitted backstage at the January Critics Choice Awards.
But I've heard rumors he may get himself fitted for a brand new tux this year.
Three big O nods and a presenter gig? Go wild, George, you old Fashion Hound!
Photo: Hey, how d'ya like the suit? George Clooney shows off a suspiciously new suit at the BAFTA awards on Feb. 19 in London. (Tim Whitby / WireImage)
Now it’s Oscar Suites Week, that time of awards season when clothing designers, accessory and jewelry folks, and major beauty, hair and cosmetics companies take part in “Oscar retreats” or “Oscar lounges” held in swanky hotels, ritzy salons or private venues around Beverly Hills.
Oscar nominees, presenters, or after-partygoers are all invited to stop by and be pampered, rubbed, scrubbed, snipped, shaved, curled, painted, polished, primped and poked (think Botox) — during their stressful week. Then they’re given limo-loads of free stuff. Rough life, huh?
But according to the organizers, awards pampering/gifting suites serve a humanitarian Hollywood cause. Apparently, it’s very, very difficult for famous folks to shop in real stores or comfortably browse local malls. So Oscar suites that encourage stars to survey merchandise and take what they want is the only way they can comfortably shop.
Oh, please. That’s not shopping. Outside of Hollywood, that’s called looting.
But since people do care about what stars use and/or wear, here's a far-from-complete list of Oscar suite activity planned for this week. Yes, I know I’m perpetuating the celeb/product obsession. But at least it gets some of these indefatigable PR gals to stop speed-dialing me. Until next year.
What: The Diamond Aquifer Retreat
Where: A mystical "serene spa" at the members-only SoHo House high in the Hollywood Hills.
What’s free: Therapeutic diamond treatments like diamond healing massages and facials, astrological readings (making Oscar predictions, natch), skinny models dripping with $70 million worth of diamonds and Diamond Information Center experts to explain all their precious stones.
Who: Early bird Felicity Huffman tried on a rose-cut ring ($275,000) for size. But a right hand diamond ring also caught her eye, maybe for an Oscar good luck charm. Apparently Hilary Swank and Cate Blanchett both wore diamond right hand rings to last year's Oscars and both got little gold men. Slated to stop by: Terrence Howard, Teri Hatcher, Bennett Miller, Nicollette Sheridan, Michael Bolton, Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier, Natasha Henstridge, Tea Leoni, Brittany Murphy, Kate Walsh, and Rhona Mitra. Last year’s diamond lovers included Demi Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Teri Hatcher.
Photo: "Transamerica" nominee Felicity Huffman shops for a diamond good luck charm at the Diamond Aquifer Oscar Suite at SoHo House. (John Sciulli / WireImage)
“It's time to act like we know each other,” Ben Affleck whispered to South African writer-director Gavin Hood and “Desperate Housewives” star Alfre Woodard as the trio posed for photos at the “Tsotsi” premiere Wednesday night.
Affleck’s name had been on-then-off the media tip sheet for the low-key Pacific Design Center event for the Oscar-nominated foreign language film. So folks were surprised when the suited-up stud strode in, refused to talk to reporters, posed quickly for photos, exchanged brief words with Woodard, Hood and reps from Amnesty International and Artists for a New South Africa, and quickly left. All in max 10 minutes. Hey, the guy’s good.
Why the rush? Seems Affleck stopped by as a favor to "Tsotsi" distributor Miramax. He's really busy now that he’s a big-time director making his first major feature — “Gone, Baby, Gone” — for (surprise) Miramax.
Affleck's film is based on “Mystic River” author Dennis Lehane’s novel about two Boston detectives trying to solve a young girl’s kidnapping. Word is Affleck will adapt the screenplay himself but he won’t star in it. Let’s breathe a collective sigh of relief.
The last major screenplay writing Affleck did was pretty successful. It earned him and Matt Damon the "screenplay written directly for the screen" Oscar for “Good Will Hunting."
But apparently Affleck directed a previous film, listed on IMDB.com as “I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney,” made in ’93. Now that I’d actually pay to see.
But the Academy feels that Oscar-nominated “Tsotsi” — a terrifying and touching look at how an infant helps a young gang leader find his lost childhood and his humanity — is definitely worth seeing.
Hood is particularly thrilled that his film, now playing in 23 screens in South Africa, is literally selling out. He says that means many levels of South African society are watching a homegrown story and that's important to the filmmaker. He recalls an early "Tsotsi” screening for kids in a South African shanty: “In the scene when Tsotsi goes back to the Pipes, where he grew up, one young boy stood up and shouted, 'That’s me, that’s me!'”
Metaphorically speaking, it was him. And Hood knew just how the boy felt.
Photo: Ben Affleck, Alfre Woodard and "Tsotsi" writer-director Gavin Hood pretend to know each other at the film's premiere at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, Calif. (Jean-Paul Aussenard / WireImage)
Where will Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist’s overlapping shirts — seen in the final scene of “Brokeback Mountain” — spend the rest of their days?
Fittingly, the shirts will hang in the historic Beverly Hills home of iconic Hollywood western film star Gary Cooper, now owned by venture capitalist-philanthropist David Bohnett, who purchased and restored the Cooper family home that was featured in Architectural Digest magazine last year.
Bohnett’s partner Tom Gregory bought the “Brokeback” cowboy shirts — still on their single hanger — from the Ebay auction that ended Monday, Feb 20.
His winning bid? Just $100,100.51, a portion of which will go to Variety - The Children’s Charity of Southern California and will help build a new Boys & Girls Club in Boyle Heights, Calif.
A longtime film still collector, Gregory (63 signed photos of classic film stars decorate his home’s walls) knew the value of the shirts as an investment.
“They’re the ruby slippers of our time,” Gregory explained. “It’s the most significant prop in modern film history.”
But they are even more culturally significant, says the actor-philanthropist-collector. “The minute I saw the film, I wanted those shirts. I’m just grateful for having the ability to buy them, and I’m honored to be the steward of these shirts that are such an important symbol for our time and the gay culture. I didn’t want them to end up in the hands of some right wing zealot who might burn them as a political statement.”
The shirts are arriving this afternoon and Gregory plans to take them to his framer friend to design a fitting display.
“I’m thinking a picture box frame for them that will give the effect of being inside a closet.”
But there’s one thing that would make the shirt display complete: the postcard of Brokeback Mountain that Ennis taped inside his closet door in the film.
“I would die to have that,” admits Gregory. “I'm trying to find out who has it.“
Hey, another 100 grand and he might just get it.
Photo: The "Brokeback Mountain" shirts will now hang in far nicer digs, thanks to a winning auction bid by philanthropist Tom Gregory. (Kimberley French / Focus Features)
Attention, all you avid Naomi Watts fans who think the Aussie actress was robbed, simply robbed of a well-deserved Oscar nomination.
Turns out the “King Kong” heroine will be attending the 78th annual Academy Awards show on March 5 after all. According to Academy Awards telecast producer Gil Cates, she will present an award, joining the ranks of Uma Thurman, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. Not bad company.
Watts, whose films include “Mulholland Drive,” “The Ring” and “I Heart Huckabees,” got a best actress Oscar nod for her role in "21 Grams." She’ll next be seen in "The Painted Veil" based on a W. Somerset Maugham novel and costarring Edward Norton and her new beau Liev Schreiber.
But enough about upcoming moves. What will the beast's beauty wear to the gosh-darn Oscars?
Photo: Naomi Watts looks like a real Hollywood classic in a Rochas '30s-inspired silk frock at the New York "King Kong" premiere. But what will her Oscar outfit be? (Jamie McCarthy / WireImage)
You’re probably not invited to the Governors Ball, the official Oscar after-party on March 5.
Don’t feel bad. I’m not either. I’ll be doing what’s called a press “walk-around,” which means I'm allowed inside the swanky Governors Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center but am not permitted to sit, eat and drink like a normal Oscar-going guest. I think the idea is that I'm supposed to act as if I actually do have a seat, but it's at such a boring table that I prefer to get up and just "walk around."
So why do you and I care what all those snooty studio suits, self-involved stars and money-grubbing moviemakers will be eating and drinking at the bash? Bah.
But Napa Valley’s acclaimed vintner, Sterling Vineyards, cares. They care so darn much that for the second year in a row they’ve created exclusive limited edition wines just for the Governors Ball.
Sterling’s senior wine maker Chris Millard created a brand new white — the 2004 Gold Standard Reserve Chardonnay — to complement Wolfgang Puck’s meals made for the 1,650 hungry guests.
The Academy even came up with the Gold Standard name, sez Sterling's PR powerhouse Katy Sweet.
This year’s vino blanco is, and I quote, “an aromatic Chardonnay with love notes of pear, apple pie spices and nectarine and hints of vanilla and citrus.”
But here’s the really cool part. Only 380 cases of this white wine were produced. And when it’s gone, it’s gone. Finito. Basta. End of.
This year’s Sterling's white joins last year’s Red Carpet Reserve, a limited edition Cabernet Sauvignon blend created for the 77th annual awards. But there’s another unique, limited edition red wine, a brand new 2002 Red Carpet Reserve that will be served this year.
For all you folks dying to drink what the stars will be sipping — maybe even serve it at your own Academy Awards party in your living room — you can purchase comparable (sadly, NOT identical) Sterling wines guaranteed to make you feel Oscar-worthy.
To approximate this year's Oscar white, try 2004 Sterling Reserve Chardonnay. And to simulate the 78th annual Oscar red, uncork a bottle of 2002 Sterling Reserve Cabernet. Both retail for around $75.
Bottoms up. Then practice your acceptance speech.
Photo: When the Governors Ball limited edition wines are gone, they're totally gone. Don't bother asking for another glass. (John Heller / WireImage)
No rest for the wicked. At least, not right before the Oscars.
Spotted having lunch on Presidents' Day in the Belvedere Room at the Peninsula Hotel — otherwise known as Oscar Central — Academy Awards telecast producer Gil Cates, talent executive Danette Herman, and associate producer Michael Seligman.
Cates revealed the shocking truth behind the upcoming Academy Awards show. “It’s going to be very…different,” he whispered, before ordering a lunch prepared by chef Sean Hardy.
According to the Daily Mirror, Mischa Barton was indeed wearing Marchesa at the London Orange British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.
And yes, the stunning pink gown was designed by Harvey Weinstein's girlfriend Georgina Chapman.
And it sure sounds like Chapman's got an Oscar gown or three in the works.
She told the British paper, "We have a lot of work on at the moment but we love what we do."
Hmm.
And don't be too terribly surprised if you soon read that Barton has started to date "Brokeback Mountain" BAFTA best supporting actor winner Jake Gyllenhaal.
According to the Daily Mirror, the solo-flying "O.C." starlet was like, totally stoked to meet the hunky actor at the pre-awards dinner.
And why not, I say! Those two cuties would make the coolest couple next to Gyllenhaal's "Brokeback" costars Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams.
Oops. Hope her current long-haired rocker beau, Cisco Adler doesn't read Styles & Scenes.
Sorry, dude. The truth hurts.
Photo: Grrr. Bet Mischa Barton thinks, "Leave him alone, he's mine!" when she sees Charlize Theron in a royal blue Lanvin gown, getting all giggly with Jake Gyllenhaal in the backstage pressroom at the BAFTA Awards in London. (Joe Furniss / WireImage)
Marchesa update: No official publicist confirmation yet.
But inside word is that Mischa Barton is the latest Hollywood lovely to wear a Marchesa gown — designed by Harvey Weinstein's girlfriend Georgina Chapman. She showed up in her Marchesa frock at the Brit version of the Oscars, otherwise known as the Orange British Academy Film Awards which were held on Feb. 19 at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.
Barton, as previously mentioned, is set to star in "Decameron: Angels & Virgins," which will be theatrically distributed by Harvey W.'s new film company, Weinstein Co.
And may I say that I'm shocked, simply shocked at this latest Weinstein movie/Marchesa fashion connection.
The film will be shot in Florence, Rome and Tuscany, Italy. Barton is set to play Pampinea and IMDB.com describes the film's plot succinctly: "Young Florentines regale one another in the Italian countryside while the Black Plague decimates their city."
Wow. Good times.
Barton's frothy mauve chiffon gown sure looked angelic, although some might suggest that Chapman shorten the single strap a bit to prevent a narrow escape from "wardrobe malfunction."
Although such a mishap certainly would have made bigger headlines, wouldn't it?
Photo: Mischa "Sure Harvey, I'm happy to wear your girlfriend's dress" Barton looks like an angel in a Marchesa gown at the BAFTA Orange Awards. (Tim Whitby / WireImage)
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