LOS ANGELES (AP) - Show Bits brings you the 85th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.
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BREAK A LEG
Anne Hathaway, holding her new Oscar, ran into Kristen Stewart, who was on crutches, backstage.
“Oh no!” Hathaway said.
“I know, I’m an idiot,” Stewart replied. “But congratulations!”
“Please tell me you’re going on stage with those,” Hathaway said, pointing to the crutches.
“Nope. I’m gonna hobble,” Stewart said.
“Well, break a leg,” Hathaway said. “Oops.”
Stewart said she stepped on glass.
“I just hope it doesn’t open up right now,” she said backstage.
_ Sandy Cohen _ https://www.twitter.com/APSandy
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KICKSTARTER GETS SHOUTOUT
The begging and scraping that goes into getting a film financed is rarely mentioned among the glamour and triumph of the Academy Awards.
Not so with the short documentary “Inocente,” which became the first Kickstarter-funded film to win an Oscar.
Co-directors Andrea Nix and Sean Fine praised the crowd-funding website to reporters backstage. They said it helped them generate community involvement as well as dollars.
Nearly 300 people donated $52,000 through the site to fund the documentary chronicling the life of a homeless teenager in San Diego.
“It’s a great new outlet for films, and especially for documentary films,” Fine said.
Kickstarter has more famously raised $160,000 for the forthcoming film “The Canyons,” starring Lindsay Lohan.
The day the website makes a cameo in a tearful acceptance speech can’t be far behind.
_ Hannah Dreier _ Twitter https://twitter.com/hannahdreier
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NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON
Just as soon as Adele stepped off the stage after singing the Oscar-winning theme from “Skyfall,” she kicked off her sparkly Louboutin platforms.
“I’m sorry. (Forget) that,” she said, flinging the shoes onto the floor. A stagehand quickly swooped them up.
“I’d pick them up but I can’t bend over,” she said, motioning toward her tight beaded dress.
_ Sandy Cohen _ https://www.twitter.com/APSandy .
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QUICKQUOTE: SALMA HAYEK
“It’s the night of the gold.” _ Salma Hayek to Barbra Streisand, who both wore black-and-gold Oscar gowns.
_ Sandy Cohen _ https://www.twitter.com/apsandy.
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CELEBRITY SCHMOOZING
It was maybe the next best thing to being there.
Down the road from the Academy Awards, musicians and models found common schmoozing ground at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Oscar viewing dinner in West Hollywood.
Lithe supermodel Naomi Campbell sat next to music mogul Quincy Jones then gripped hands and chatted with Steven Tyler and the party host himself, Elton John.
Bono, wearing his customary tinted shades, gleefully kissed Jones on the top of his head, then hugged statuesque model Petra Nemcova.
“Elton’s a warrior on the HIV, AIDS scourge, since before anyone can remember,” Bono told The Associated Press. “Like Bruce Springsteen is `the Boss’, Quincy is `the President.’ He is so unique. And Elton is both `the king’ AND `the queen.’”
_ Solvej Schou _ Twitter https://www.twitter.com/Solvej_Schou
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QUICKQUOTE: JIM CARREY
“They symbolize my awkward spiritual struggle.” _ Jim Carrey, joking about why he wore enormous prosthetic bare feet and had feathered wings stitched onto his jacket at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Oscar viewing dinner.
_ Solvej Schou _ Twitter https://www.twitter.com/Solvej_Schou
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DAVID ARQUETTE CRASHES OSCAR PRESS ROOM
Things got even more surreal for folks coming off the high of winning an Academy Award when they found a high-spirited David Arquette waiting backstage to interview them.
Nestled amid the rows of working press, the actor asked a series of non sequitur questions. He said he was covering the event for Sirius XM radio, which carries Howard Stern’s show.
“Django Unchained” supporting actor Christoph Waltz was asked about the possibility of a black man being chosen pope.
Director John Kahrs, whose film “Paperman,” won for animated short film, was asked what he thought of receiving condoms in his gift bag. Arquette told him he’d take them if Kahrs didn’t want them.
Academy officials said they didn’t hand out any gift bags.
“I guess I have a lot to learn,” Arquette said when told that.
The actor says he decided to cover the event so he could get a view of entertainment reporting from the other side.
He also took the opportunity to make a pitch to Kahrs.
“I do lots of voices,” he told the director, “so if you’re ever looking … “
_ Hannah Dreier _ Twitter https://twitter.com/hannahdreier
QUICKQUOTE: OCTAVIA SPENCER
“I’m good now. Now I can go play!” _ Octavia Spencer, backstage after presenting the night’s first Oscar.
_ Sandy Cohen _ https://www.twitter.com/APSandy
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BASSEY HITS IT OUTTA THE PARK
For all the sparkling young starlets and the edgy new host, it was none other than Dame Shirley Bassey who truly set the joint on fire early in the Oscar telecast.
The 76-year-old singer’s rendition of the theme from “Goldfinger” _ or, as she sang so memorably, “GoldfinGAH” _ was a feel-good moment that won what was at the time the biggest ovation of the night.
Bassey, who recorded the song in the ’60s to great acclaim, reprised it as part of the Academy’s 50th anniversary tribute to the James Bond franchise.
On social networks, as people were debating vigorously how the telecast was going, there was no question as to how Bassey did: She was an unqualified hit.
Minutes after the performance, the singer and her song were trending on Twitter.
Adele, who was to perform her “Skyfall” theme later in the show, had her work cut out for her.
_ Jocelyn Noveck _ Twitter https://twitter.com/JocelynNoveckAP
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QUICKQUOTE: CHRISTOPH WALTZ
“Quentin writes poetry and I like poetry.” _ Supporting actor winner Christoph Waltz of “Django Unchained” about working with writer-director Quentin Tarantino.
_ Beth Harris _ https://www.twitter.com/bethharrisap
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MAYBE IT LOOKED EASY …
Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were one big bundle of nerves before they took the stage for their opening song-and-dance numbers.
Radcliffe danced by himself. Theron dabbed at her eyes and Gordon-Levitt stood silently as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane delivered the Oscar show’s opening monologue.
Then it was time to hit the stage.
“Thank God!” Theron said afterward as she let out a sigh of relief.
“You stepped on my dress,” she told Tatum.
Radcliffe and Gordon-Levitt bear-hugged after their dance routine.
“We did all right! We did all right,” they told each other.
“It felt good! How did it look?” Gordon-Levitt asked.
“Well done,” Radcliffe told him. “See you later!”
_ Sandy Cohen _ https://www.twittermcom/APSandy
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QUICKQUOTE: BEN AFFLECK
“We don’t expect to depart with anything but our integrity.” _ Ben Affleck, shunning the nominations his film “Argo” received.
_ Beth Harris _ https://www.twitter.com/bethharrisap
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AND THE FANS SAY … `ARGO’
However it fared with Academy voters, the clear fan favorite among fans in the Oscar bleachers was “Argo.”
The bleacher crowd forced actor-director Ben Affleck to stop an interview with their loud chants of “Ben! Ben! Ben!”
They gave the film’s producer, George Clooney, similar treatment and lavished applause on supporting actor nominee Alan Arkin.
Perhaps the strongest sign of fans’ love for the CIA thriller was when the group was polled for its choice for best picture before any actors hit the red carpet.
While the chanting was spirited for “Les Miserables” and some other films, it was clearly loudest for “Argo.”
_ Anthony McCartney _ Twitter https://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
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JENNIFER BLEEPED
It’s always fun to hear what Jennifer Lawrence has to say _ even if you have to lip read because she’s being bleeped.
The bleeping started early for the charmingly blunt Lawrence, a best actress nominee for “Silver Linings Playbook,” as ABC silenced her cheeky red carpet response to actress Kristin Chenoweth.
The two were bonding over “Dance Moms,” the Lifetime reality series, when Lawrence asked Chenoweth if she liked it too.
Chenoweth: “Is the pope Catholic?”
Lawrence: “… ?” (We can’t print her reply here, but the reference was to something a bear does in the woods.)
And the night, as they say, was still very young.
_ Jocelyn Noveck _ Twitter https://twitter.com/JocelynNoveckAP
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AMY ADAMS SITTING PRETTY
To slide, plop or shimmy?
That’s the dilemma that faced Amy Adams in her flowing Oscar de la Renta gown when she approached her front-row seat inside the Dolby Theatre before the Oscars began.
After greeting fellow nominee Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the row behind her with a big hug, “The Master” co-star tilted to her right side and sort of shimmied down into her seat.
While Jennifer Aniston and Samuel L. Jackson mingled with attendees nearby, Adams held court in her fluffy dove grey fabric cloud.
Across the aisle, Bradley Cooper rushed his mother to meet Jean Dujardin, who took home the best actor Oscar last year.
_ Derrik J. Lang _ Twitter https://twitter.com/derrikjlang
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JOAQUIN PHOENIX: THE GUY CAN MOVE
Joaquin Phoenix didn’t waste any time getting into the Dolby Theatre, and the Oscar-nominated actor’s dash across the red carpet didn’t go unnoticed.
Red carpet host Chris Connelly heckled Phoenix, who has criticized the awards show, as he rushed by, saying he was setting new speed records.
Connelly then added, “You should be at the (NFL) combine,” a reference to the athletic tests NFL recruits go through.
_ Anthony McCartney _ Twitter https://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
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SHOWING OSCAR FANS LOVE
Oscar bleacher fans got a wave from some stars such as Jane Fonda, and a peace sign from others, including Channing Tatum.
Then there were those who pulled out all the stops.
Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter paused on the red carpet to pose for pictures for star-struck fans.
Melissa McCarthy stopped to beam and wave at every section of the bleachers, all but ignoring the professional photographers surrounding her.
Jessica Chastain blew the crowd a kiss.
And Joseph Gordon-Levitt topped it all off with an appreciative bow to his audience.
_ Anthony McCartney _ Twitter https://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
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FROM FRONT LINE TO RED CARPET
A few months ago, Army Sgt. 1st Class Walter Talens was shooting footage in Afghanistan. On Sunday, he had a prime seat to watch the stars at the Academy Awards.
Talens was one of dozens of service members sprinkled around the fan bleachers, where he hoped to get a glimpse of actress Jennifer Lawrence from his second-row seat.
It was a new vantage point for him after working two Oscar shows filming shoutouts to troops overseas.
His boss, Maj. John Reynolds, relocated from a posting in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., a few months before last year’s show and was hoping for a glimpse of Denzel Washington, Ben Affleck and Lawrence.
“I never thought I would be this close to the red carpet,” said Reynolds, who had a front row seat where the stars entered the Dolby Theatre.
Talens, who noted the Oscars’ longtime support of the troops, said, “I’m very happy the academy supports the military and allows us to see the glitz and glamour.”
_ Anthony McCartney _ Twitter https://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
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