Movies

Maybe George Clooney looked like he was in a poopy mood at the Oscars this year because he had to sit through almost four hours of drivel knowing he wasn’t going to win Best Actor. How was he so sure his fellow nominee Jeff Bridges was going to take the prize home? For starters, Clooney voted for him.

Yep, a rumor surfaced this week that Clooney voted for Bridges for his role in Crazy Heart, instead of doing the typical vote-for-yourself thing. He then sent Bridges a photo of the ballot and told him “If you don’t win, you can’t blame me.” Page Six spoke with Clooney’s rep who confirmed the story, saying “Story is true. According to George, ‘It was an amazing performance.’” Which just goes to show that while we think we’re so helpful sending a $10 text to Haiti and occasionally giving our spare pennies to the Starbucks baristas, George brings being a good person to a new level. Running Haiti telethons, selflessly losing the Oscars. It makes sense that he got his start on The Facts of Life, because the man certainly teaches us a new one each day. [Photo: Getty Images]

What’s an award show without silly trivia the morning after? Here are some obscure tidbits about last night’s Oscar winners. And remember, everyone nominated is a winner.

• Having finally snagged an Oscar after forty years in the industry, Jeff Bridges can now focus on getting a Grammy. The Crazy Heart crooner actually released a reggae-flavored album, Be Here Soon, in 2000. Click here to enjoy “Movin’”—”soon I’ll be touching you…touching the dream!”
• The majority of Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz’s film career has been over in Germany, but fans hungry to see him sans subtitles can rent the 2000 straight-to-DVD flop, Ordinary Decent Criminal, an Irish crime drama starring Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell. Waltz plays Dutch art dealer Peter: judging from this clip, we’re not surprised Oscar didn’t notice.
• Sandra Bullock may have never been near an Oscar before, but she gave her first televised acceptance speech in 1995, when she won Best Female Performance, Most Desirable Female and Best On-Screen Duo with Keanu Reeves for Speed at the MTV Movie Awards. Those guys are always ahead of the curve!

See seven more, including clips of Jeremy Renner’s stoner comedy debut and Kathryn Bigelow as a sexy cowgirl, after the jump.

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We asked for your opinion in a series of polls during our Oscars Viewing Party last night. You agree with the Academy’s decision to give Best Picture to The Hurt Locker, Best Actor to Jeff Bridges and Best Actress to Sandra Bullock. But then you turned a bit nasty. You think the show itself was only “so-so” and that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were “average” in their hosting duties. You also think Avatar is overrated and that Twilight: New Moon got exactly what it deserved — not a single nomination. Full results below.

Penelope Cruz, the hottest supporting actress? Duh.

There’s a reason Mo’Nique and Maggie Gyllenhaal just about tied in this category. They’re both pretty damn cool.

Most of you thought Crazy Heart songwriter Ryan Bingham’s ode to his wife was sweet, not cheesy — and we fully agree. What a lovely vision.

We’re not so sure George Clooney deserved hottest leading actor last night. He looked tired, and what a sour puss.

Yeah. None of these actors are cooler than The Dude.

We probably should have had an option between Killing it and Average in this poll, because this funnyman duo was definitely better than Average.

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The horse race between Avatar and The Hurt Locker ended tonight, with The Hurt Locker coming out on top. Katherine Bigelow beat out her ex-husband James Cameron to become the first female to ever win an Academy Award for Best Director. Other top prizes went to Jeff Bridges for Best Actor (Crazy Heart) and Sandra Bullock for Best Actress (The Blind Side). Relive the 2010 Oscars blow by blow by entering our viewing party below.

Throughout awards season, our friend Janell Snowden at VH1 News has been asking celebrities like Nick Jonas, Marion Cotillard, Sean Paul and Death Cab for Cutie for their 2010 Oscar predictions. If the sum total of these celebs are correct, then Avatar will win Best Picture and George Clooney Best Actor at Sunday night’s Academy Awards. Precious and Crazy Heart stand a chance, too. Listen to the hodgepodge of celebs give their predictions, and you’ll catch noteworthy moments like Avatar director James Cameron admitting that his ex-wife’s movie The Hurt Locker might take home the top prize.

Don’t miss our Live Oscars Viewing Party on Sunday at 7PM EST.

Sure, the women looked gorgeous in their Golden Globes gowns, but it was the guys who stole our hearts. After all, nothing says sexy like a rain-soaked tuxedo and a thick head of slicked-back hair. And they showed their manners too - did you see how many of the fellas politely held umbrellas for their lovely ladies on the red carpet? Now that’s sexy.  [Photos: GettyImages]

The media is going gaga over Sunday’s Golden Globes, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, people. Do the Globes have Nick Jonas & The Administration as its house band? Do the Globes have Adam Lambert and Sarah Silverman presenting an award together (spoiler: expect something memorable)? Are John Krasinski, Amy Poehler and Death Cab for Cutie paying tribute to John Hughes at the Golden Globes? True, the Globes have funnyman Ricky Gervais as its host, but is he as easy on the eyes as funny girl and CCMA host Kristin Chenoweth? Of course not!

That’s why you’ll want to watch VH1 tonight at 9PM EST (red carpet, 8:30) and join our Critics’ Choice Blog Party right here or via mobile by texting PARTY to 22422. Blogging along with us are our pals Moviefone, The Envelope, The Huffington Post, BestWeekEver and fashion experts Refinery29.

Expect to see most actors nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award at the show (we’re talking A-listers at the George Clooney/Meryl Streep/Matt Damon level), plus a lineup of presenters that includes Kristen Bell, Emily Blunt, Bradley Cooper, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Vera Farmiga, Heather Graham, Samuel L. Jackson, Tobey Maguire, Amy Poehler, Zoe Saldana and Susan Sarandon. Critics’ Choice is known as the best barometer for who will win at the Academy Awards. So use tonight to start filling out your Oscar ballots.

Details are trickling in as we type … But we’re hearing about a fundraiser for Haiti that is being masterminded by George Clooney. Allegedly MTV has agreed to air a bi-coastal happening on all of its channels (MTV, BET, CMT and our beloved VH1) in an attempt to provide much-needed support for the devasted victims of the earthquake.

According to Showbiz411, which broke the story today, Clooney was busy recruiting celebs at a party for Up in the Air last night — and Sting, after being approached, was overheard saying “Where do I go?” The timing for recruiting talent could not be better as nearly every A-list actor will be attending the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards on Friday and then the Golden Globes on Sunday. Expect to hear a lot about Haiti in upcoming acceptance speeches!

It’s hard to imagine this event going down without music. We can’t confirm anything at this time, but a straight talking-head telethon just isn’t how VH1 or MTV rolls. Plus, can you imagine Sting without his guitar? Exactly.

After the jump, we start the Official Haiti Fundraiser Celebrity Lineup Guessing Game, which includes Wyclef Jean, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Diddy, U2, Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Shakira, John Legend, Adam Lambert, Ryan Seacrest and the Dixie Chicks. (But first, find out how you can help at the White House’s website.)

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George Clooney won’t be stepping off the red carpet any time soon. Sure, his three 2009 movies are all premiered out—but it’s trophy season, baby! Clooney and girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis were in Manhattan last night to pick up a Best Actor award for Up In The Air from the NY Film Critics’ Circle (his Fantastic Mr. Fox also won Best Animated Film). Clooney seemed to be in a great mood despite drinks coming well before dinner—or perhaps because of it. “I got the chicken about five minutes ago, so I’m Mariah Carey f—ed up right now,” he joked during his first trip to the podium for Fox (he sobered up by his speech for Air). Earlier on the red carpet, he made he cracked another zinger to People, this one about his Miss Canalis. “She’s homely, but what can you do?” When you’re George Clooney, who can’t you do?

Having snagged Best Actor from the National Board Of Review and a handful local film circles before his latest win, Clooney has a good shot of picking up another nod at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards this weekend. Find out if he wins on Friday, January 15th at 9PM EST - only on VH1.

[Photo: Getty Images]

Up in the Air snagged eight Critics’ Choice Movie Awards noms, with lead actor and heartthrob George Clooney garnering one for Best Actor. The film is a shoe-in for Oscar honors as well, so if you haven’t got out to see it yet, beeline it to a theater near you. In the meantime, test your Cloonster knowledge with our Ultimate Quiz!

Check out the Up in the Air trailer after the jump.

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Award season is heating up in Hollywood, with Up In The Air already taking Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress from the National Board Of Review. Here are ten films films we expect to hear come up a lot this winter, as more cinema societies name their top movies of the 2009. Don’t forget—we’ve still got the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, the Golden Globes and the Oscars to look forward to on TV. [Photo: Paramount Pictures]

• Brothers

Movies directed by Jim Sheridan—that don’t star 50 Cent—have a tendency to snag award nominations for their actors. And Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman could each win their first major trophy for appearing in his Iraq war love triangle film. (Related: Natalie Portman Goes Blue For Brothers)

• An Education

Though there are plenty of fussy European period pieces looking for award show love this year (Bright Star, The Last Station, The Young Victoria), one of the most promising is only (only!) set about forty plus years ago. Star Carey Mulligan has already won a Hollywood Award for her portrayal of a schoolgirl swept away by an older man of questionable ethics.

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