Photos from the broadcast of the 80th Annual Academy Awards -- 2/24/08
Stars brush off their Oscar jitters and let loose at Sir Elton's AIDS Foundation bash in Hollywood.
Oscar's nosedive brings TV specials to light
The silliness associated with awards season now officially extends through the annual postmortems, from those pouncing on disappointing ratings to advocate that the Oscars be transformed into "American Gladiators" to apologists insisting 32 million viewers is still fabulous despite a 20% dive to record-low levels.
Brian Lowry | 3/4/2008
Studios need to rethink strategies
For the past few years, the studios’ niche divisions have dominated the Academy Awards. What would it take to see more studio-centric pics as Oscar contenders?
Timothy M. Gray | 2/29/2008
H'wood grumbles that show needs overhaul
For years, the brahmins of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences have viewed the Oscarcast as a sacred tradition.
Cynthia Littleton, Michael Schneider | 2/29/2008
Music, foreign, docu categories under fire
Every year, the Academy works to improve its voting system. But often it solves one problem by creating another. Three Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences areas in particular -- music, foreign-language and documentary -- point up the hazards in trying to create an even playing field.
Variety Staff | 2/29/2008
Miramax widens release after Oscar wins
Looking to parlay its Oscar victory into additional box office coin, Miramax's "No Country for Old Men" will almost double its domestic theater count this weekend, from 1,101 to 2,030 runs. That will be the widest the pic has played.
Pamela McClintock | 2/26/2008
Telecast nabs smallest audience on record
In what could hardly be dubbed a surprise, Sunday's Academy Awards telecast on ABC took a tumble in the ratings, logging the show's smallest audience on record.
Rick Kissell | 2/25/2008
Violence with an arty twist
With Cormac McCarthy's dark Western novel "No Country for Old Men," producer Scott Rudin found the perfect match between the Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist and indie cineastes Joel and Ethan Coen.
Anne Thompson | 2/24/2008
'Ultimatum' takes three trophies at Oscars
Popular favorite "The Bourne Ultimatum" went three-for-three Sunday night with Oscar wins in tech catgeroies -- editing, sound mixing and sound editing.
Dave McNary | 2/24/2008
Strike receives little attention at Oscars
With the writers strike over for a dozen days, the bitter work stoppage stayed very much in the background at Sunday night's Oscar ceremonies.
Dave McNary | 2/24/2008
With win, writer completes unlikely journey
Diablo Cody completed her unlikely journey from exotic dancer (Jon Stewart's term) to Academy Award winner with her victory for original screenplay.
Diane Garrett | 2/24/2008
Still playing, film bound for increased biz
The Coen brothers' "No Country for Old Men" is poised to do significant box office biz as a result its best pic win, thanks to the fact that the movie is still in theaters.
Pamela McClintock | 2/24/2008
Actress takes trophy for 'Rose'
Marion Cotillard won one of the most closely watched categories of the evening, winning the statuette for "La vie en rose."
Diane Garrett | 2/24/2008
Hollywood stays chipper despite recent past
Hollywood was determined to stay chipper on Oscar night, no matter how gray the skies and how turbulent the recent past.
Anne Thompson | 2/24/2008
Actress wins supporting actress trophy
Tilda Swinton scored the first major surprise of the evening when she nabbed the best supporting actress statuette for her turn as a morally compromised Karen Crowder in "Michael Clayton."
Diane Garrett | 2/24/2008
Inside Gotham's Oscar bashes
Vanity Fair's after-party pullout may have dimmed the festivities in Hollywood, but New York magazine, Variety and the Acad's East Coast branch kept the party banners flying in Gotham.
Addie Morfoot, Lily Oei | 2/24/2008