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Mon, 25 February 2013
The 85th Academy Awards: Life of Pi, Argo win BIG!

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11:15  
And while we ADORE Seth MacFarlane for his amazing talent, a word to the wise: Just go and book Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for the next Oscar Awards and save yourself all the faux soul-searching!

See y'all next year!
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10:35  
And while we ADORE Seth MacFarlane for his amazing talent, a word to the wise: Just go and book Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for the next Oscar Awards and save yourself all the faux soul-searching!

See y'all next year!
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10:33  
And that's a wrap at the 85th Academy Awards as the stars now proceed to the numerous after parties! The Academy sure managed to catch us off guard with Best Picture nod for Ang Lee and a few others. But since Argo finally won the biggest award of the night, we aren't complaining.
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10:29  
That's one heck of an acceptance speech from Ben Affleck, who probably wasn't expecting the award after the Best Director snub from the Academy.
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10:26  
Ben Affleck proceeds to accept the award amidst back-slaps and bear hugs. 
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10:24  
Interestingly enough, the US First Lady Michelle Obama presents the Best Picture nominees, straight from the White House!
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10:23  
Correction: This is Day-Lewis's third Academy award. He's previously won for My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood.
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10:22  
The actor breaks down a bit as he closes his acceptance speech by thnaking his mother.
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10:20  
Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor for his outstanding turn as the eponymous US president in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. This is the actor's second Oscar award.
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10:16  
That was the ever so drteamy Jean Dujardin, last year's Best Actor winner, presenting the award to Lawrence. Meryl Streep now takes the stage to present the Best Actor award.
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10:14  
22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence wins the Best Actress trophy for Silver Linings Playbook directed by David O Russell. 
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10:07  
Did anyone see this coming? Ang Lee picks up his nod and thanks the academy and his family.
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09:59  
Quentin Tarantino can barely conceal his joy as he accepts the award. A teary-eyed Kerry Washington applauds from the audience. "This will be the writers' year, man," Tarantino says prophetically before signing off.
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09:56  
Ben Affleck's Argo wins its second award, for adapted screenplay. Interestingly, the espionage drama's screenplay was adapted from a Wired article.
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09:47  
British songstress Adele wins her first Oscar nod for the title song of the new Bond film Skyfall. She wrote the lyrics and composed the music with Paul Epworth. 
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09:42  
Canadian musican Michael Danna wins his first Oscar for Life Of Pi. This takes the Oscar tally of the film to three.
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09:40  
Oscar winning musical Chicago's stars -- Richard Gere, Rene Zellweger, Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta Jones take to the stage to present the Best Original Score.
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09:38  
As heart-warming as Streisand's rendition was, Shirley Bassey definitely wins this  round of back-from-retirement Oscar performance.
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09:35  
Fun Fact: The last time Barbara Streisand (here singing The Way We Were) performed on the Oscar stage was 36 years ago.
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09:33  
And now on to the In Memorium segment of the night, where the film industry people who left for their heavenly abode are paid a tribute. Living legend Barbara Striesand performs.
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09:19  
Steven Spielberg's Lincoln wins the award. This film is up for Best Picture and Best Actor nods.
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09:15  
IS the audience too nervous to clap? Presenter Nicole Kidman prompts the gathering to applaud for Best Picture nominees. Moment of truth, this.
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09:12  
Never mind the winners, Bond is sure hogging all the attention this year. Dame Shirley Bassey and Adele deliver the two best performances of the night so far.
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09:10   Adele, the first-time Oscar nominee
The songstress, who's nominated for Best Original Song for Skyfall, won the Golden Globe in the same category. 

The title song, co-written and composed by her has received popular and critical acclaim.
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09:07   Adele sets the stage on fire
Desperate to bring a young and hip vibe to the awards -- the younger crowd is apparently not into Oscars anymore -- the Academy ropes in MacFarlane as a host and now its the 'unstoppable' Adele performing.
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09:04  
Ben Affleck's Argo and one of the favourite contenders this year, Ben Affleck's Argo wins its first Oscar. William Goldenberg accepts the award.
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09:03  
How lovely and fierce does Sandra Bullock look in her sequinned gown and straight hair worn loose?! 
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09:01  
As we wait with bated breaths for the top awards, there's still some time to predict the remaining awards. Take your best shot!
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08:59  
Meanwhile, movie fans and keen Oscar awards viewers are lamenting the lack of a good acceptance speech do far. All our hopes are now pinned on the remaining awards. 
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08:54  
The actress is visibly unnerved and only slightly corny, given that her previous acceptance speeches have been just as unremarkable.
She does look cute in her pixie cut though.
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08:53  
Last year's Best Supporting Actor winner Christopher Plummer (Beginners) presents the award to Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables.
The actress also won at the Golden Globes and SAG earlier this year.
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08:47  
Academy Award winning director Katherine Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall tie for the Best Sound editing award. This happens to be the first Oscar for both the films.
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08:44  
This is the second Oscar win for Les Miserables. The previous being for Makeup and Hairstyling.
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08:41  
It took THAT long for Seth MacFarlane to bring up Ted? "Please welcome the stars of my mediocre effort, Mark (Wahlberg) and Ted," he exclaims!
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08:38  
Did we miss Sacha Baron Cohen in the medley performance? It's not worth it getting him on stage if he isn't doing wild and politically incorrect things. What a bummer!
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08:36  
And this just in: The Les Miserables cast sang it LIVE! 
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08:35  
While Tom Hooper's agonisingly long musical has been nominated for as many as eight Oscar nods, the film hasn't really found a fan in all of us. Here's what film critic Raja Sen had to say about the film.
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08:33  
Hugh Jackman takes to the stage, in his Les Miserables character and joined by costars Anne Hathay, Eddie Redmayne and Amanda Seyfried. We have a feeling this won't end well.  
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08:29  
Chicago actress performs All that Jazz  from her Oscar winning musical, as part of a special sequence also featuring the Les Miserables cast and Academy award winning singer-actress Jennifer Hudson.
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08:26  
Missed the 2013 Oscar winners so far? Catch the latest list, right here!
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08:21  
The stunning Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Ganerner present the Best Foreign Language Film to Austrian film Amour directed by legendary filmmaker Michael Haneke.
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08:19  
The show, so far, has been pretty tame. People who are familiar with Seth MacFarlane's brand of comedy will agree.
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08:18  
Seth's 'When I first saw Ben Affleck with all his black facial hair on screen, I thought, now Kardashians are branching out to films' gets a good response from the audience.

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08:15  
Ben Affleck, actor and director of Best Film nominee Argo presents the Best Documentary Feature award to Searching For Sugar Man
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08:08  
Inocente is a coming-of-age story of a 15-year-old to rise above her dismal surroundings.
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08:07  
A teary-eyed Inocente team accepts the Oscar, "We were homeless till a year ago and now we are standing in front of you."
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08:05  
Oscar winner Jamie Fox and his Django Unchained costar Kerry Washington present the Best Live Action Short film Oscar to Curfew. The film is directed by Shawn Christensen.
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08:02  
Meanwhile, catch the hottest red carpet arrivals here! George Clooney, Naomi Watts, Charlize Theron and more!
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08:00  
Dame Shirely Bassey dazzles in her gold off shoulder gown as she brings the audience to their feet with her rousing rendition of Goldfinger theme song.
Take a bow!
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07:56  
In keeping with James Bond's 50th anniversary, former Bond girl Halle Berry introduces the Oscar tribute.
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07:52  
Tom Hooper's multistarrer musical wins its first Oscar nod of the night. Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman are nominated in Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor categories respectively.
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07:49  
Jacqueline Durran wins the Best Costume design for Anna Karenina. She has been previously nominated for Atonement and Pride & Prejudice nods, both Keira Knightley and director Joe Wright films.
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07:41  
The film, widely feted for its stunning visuals, wins its second Oscar nod of the night.

Could the film manage a sweep?
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07:40  
The film starring Indian stars Tabu, Irrfan Khan and debutant Suraj Sharma has been nominated in 11 categories.
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07:37  
Ang Lee's Life Of Pi wins its first Oscar. Claudio Miranda accepts his first Oscar nod.
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07:34  
The gorgeous Reese Witherspoon introduces the Best Film nominees -- Les Miserables, Life Of Pi, Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Argo, Lincoln, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty and Amour.

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07:30  
The animated fantasy film Brave wins Best Animation film.
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07:30  
Oops, it's Paperboy, winner of the Best Animated Short Film Oscar.
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07:29  
John Kahrr's delightful romantic short Paperboy wins.

This is Kahr's first Oscar award.
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07:28  
Actors Paul Rudd and Melissa Mccarthy make a jaunty pair as presenters on stage. The Bridesmaids actress has received rave reviews for her new film Identity Thief.

The duo is on stage to present the Best Animated Short film.
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07:25  
Django is nominated in four more categories and is a frontrunner in the Best Original Screenplay category. Director Tarantino won the Golden Globe for his screenplay this year.
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07:22  
This is the actor's second Academy award who won in the same category for Inglourious Basterds, also directed by Quentin Tarantino, in 2009.



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07:21  
Christoph Waltz wins Best Supporting Actor for Django Unchained

Watch the trailer of the film here.
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07:17  
Here's what Twitteratti think of the host's performance so far:

Uncle Dynamite: Fifteen minutes in, and Oscars 2013 is still only about Seth MacFarlane.
Tanya Chen ‏@Tanya_Chen: who needs a family guy reference, this opening is ONE GIANT FAMILY GUY EPISODE #oscars2013
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07:10  
 Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum join Seth for a performance on stage.
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07:05  
Also, he asks Day-Lewis some pertinent questions about his method acting. "While you were in character, how would you react to a phone ringing? If you crossed Don Cheadle in the parking lot, would you try to rescue him?"
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07:03  
In his opening monologue, "The info on Argo is so confidential, no one knows who its director is."
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07:02  
And it's Seth MacFarlane time, y'all! An outstanding voice artist, MacFarlane looks sharp in his tux and quite at ease on the stage.
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07:00  
However, the magnificent performance that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler put in as the Golden Globes 2013 hosts will be tough to top.
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06:59  
Seth, hailed as one of the funniest Americans of his time, recently made his big screen debut with Ted starring Mark Wahlberg. Could he be the Ricky Gervais of the Oscars? We'll soon find out.
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06:55  
Also, speculations are rife about how Seth MacFarlane will fare as an Oscar host. It's not an easy job but we are excited! Queen Latifah says, "I'd consider hosting the Oscars if they back up the drinks truck."
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06:52  
Meanwhile, here's the trailer of Day-Lewis starrer Lincoln. The film is nominated for as amny as 12 Oscar nominations!
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06:49  
And the action now shifts inside the Dolby Theatre. The Oscars are almost here!
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06:48  
Lincoln actor and Best Actor nominee Daniel Day-Lewis arrives on the red carpet with wife and accepts compliments graciously. "It was just wonderful to work with Steven Spielberg," he says of his director.
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06:43  
Is Anne Harthaway having a wardrobe malfunction in her prada dress? According her her mom, 'it's all business in the front and party in the back."
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06:41  
Former Bond Girl Halle Berry rocks the red carpet in her edgy Versace gown."I told my stylist that I wanted to look like a Bond Girl for the night," she tells the anchor. The awards show is set to celebrate 50 years of the Bond franchise.
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06:38  
The Blind Side actress and Oscar winner Sandra Bullock arrives in Elie Saab and side-swept hair. George Clooney's girlfriend, when asked what she's wearing for the night, says, "Naeem Khan and him!"
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06:36  
Nominee Adele arrives in black, dramatic eye makeup and her British accent. "My dress weighs 15 kilos. Normally I'm 5'9 but I'm currently 6'1 with my Louboutins on," she says. Whew!
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06:32  
Hot blonde Jennifer Aniston dazzles in a red Valentino number. 'I feel like a princess in my dress," she gushes.
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06:31  
Here's the trailer to Kerry Washington starrer Django Unchained. Nominated for five Oscars, the film also stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foz and Christoph Waltz.
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06:27  
Kerry Washington in Miu Miu, Jenifer Aniston in Prada and Jessica Chastain in Oscar de la Renta bring it on the red carpet. It's a burst of colours this evening.
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06:24  
Veteran and Silver Linings Playbook actor, also a nominee in the Bets Supporting Actor category, Robert De Niro keeps it short and funny. "Copper is a good guy," he says.
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06:22  
After Bradley Cooper, actor and one of the presenters of the night, Chris Evans arrives with his mother on the red carpet. The duo is visibly excited.
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06:22  
And Hugh 'Wolverine' Jackman picks up his wife AND the petite anchor on the red carpet! The Les Miserable actor, a former Oscar host, is nominated in the Best Actor category.
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06:20  
Meanwhile, Twitterverse is abuzz with anticipation: "I don't want to nervous myself up." -- Quvenzhan Wallis (the nine-year-old Best Actress nominee for Beasts Of Teh Southern Wild) on the red carpet, reports NYT Movies.
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06:16  
Now follow some gorgeous shots of the Dolby Theatre, the official venue of the Academy Awards since 2002.
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06:14  
With no clear frontrunner among nominees across the categories and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane hosting the show, this edition of the awards is sure set to be the most exciting so far.
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06:12  
Snow White And The Huntsman actress Charlize Theron debuts her blonde buzz cut on the red carpet.
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06:08  
And the dashing Bradley Cooper, of Silver Linings Playbook fame, arrives with his mum on the red carpet. And sweeps the anchor off her feet.
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06:06  
Hollywood A-listers -- Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Joseph Gordon-Lewitt arrive on the red carpet to thunderous applause.
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06:02  
Hello and welcome everyone! We are live-blogging the 85th Academy Awards!

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