Now that Billy Crystal has robbed the Muppets of their rightful place hosting the Academy Awards been given the job of hosting this year's Academy Awards, the hype to try to get the world excited about him has begun. more ›

Many of us who watched the 2011 Academy Awards found the hosts to be somewhat...underwhelming. James Franco appeared stoned and practically asleep next to hyper, overzealous Anne Hathaway. Since then, the two have been getting panned right and left for their odd and ultimately not very compelling performance, but one man is speaking truth to power about the whole incident. more ›

Move over, Muppets, Billy Crystal is going to be the host for the 84th Academy Awards. At least, so says Crystal on his Twitter account. So far, there has been no official announcement from the Oscars about a new host, who quickly rallied after losing producer Brett Ratner to his own poor taste to replace him with veteran producer Brian Grazer. more ›

Billy Crystal made his web video debut this week with the 4 1/2 minute When Harry Met Sally 2 at FunnyorDIe. We're all dying to know what happened with Harry and Sally -- right? -- so Crystal and Rob Reiner run with it. more ›

Though my allegiance has switched over to the Landmark, many film lovers in Los Angeles regard the Arclight as the best multiplex in town. It programs studio pictures right alongside esoteric indies, it offers great concessions, its screenings are commercial-free and it schedules cool events with celebrated films and filmmakers. This Wednesday, tickets go on sale for one of those very events. In fact, this one may be the coolest in awhile. To celebrate... more ›

Saturday night was the 49th Annual Hollywood Stars game at Dodger Stadium. This has been a long-standing tradition at Dodger Stadium, beginning in 1958, the year the Dodgers came to Los Angeles. A few years back, they changed the game from baseball to softball, and they started letting people sit on the field to try to catch home runs. There used to be some reasonably famous people playing and Jon Lovitz and Billy Crystal... more ›

6:00 - The FIB-u-less Orbit gum lady (What kind of accent is that? Is she South African? British by way of Argentina?) gives the Dirtiest Mouth award to Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes. Their acceptance speech, which is delivered by not-so-silent Bob, is only one sentence long but somehow manages to get 70% bleeped out. The Orbit gum lady vows never to date either of them. 5:58 - Dane Cook jokes, "This just in,... more ›

Jack Palance, the living legend, real life cow-boy-actor, is no longer living. Now he's just the regular kinda legend.

He died in Montecito, CA and was surrounded by family.

The Oscar-winning actor first appeared in a film in 1950, as a murderer named "Blackie", and he is known to many younger audiences as a co-star in "City Slickers", with that loser Billy Crystal.

AP reports his age at 85, but his family says he's 87. Either way this classic cinema star with the intimidating face will be missed. He should stand as a role model for all of us, by being a modest hero, and teaching us to only accept our Oscar with a round of one handed push-ups.

Couldn't find any footage of the push-ups, but this was pretty funny.

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Tony Bennett's 80th birthday celebration starring Marc Anthony, Kelly Clarkson, Rascal Flatts, George Clooney, Billy Crystal, Quincy Jones, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis and Paul Newman @ The Kodak more ›

Megan Lynn (not pictured above) writes Overeducated and Underemployed, a blog for Clipper fans who are self-absorbed, watch crap tv and have an ironic love of Dick Cheney. more ›

If you've only seen one of the nominated movies, haven't voted in any pools and are really only tuning in to the Oscars to see Jon Stewart, the, highlights of the evening are not so much the awards as any funny or memorable moments in the ceremony. more ›

So Jon Stewart will host the Oscars this year. Hosting the Oscars solo is a little like climbing Everest: the idea of doing it is always there, taunting America's elite comedians and raconteurs. Some, like Bob Hope, can beat it — 12 times he hosted alone, and more times with helpers tagging along. Others end up like Beck Weathers and David Letterman, beaten and barely alive, knowing they'll never do it again. But the challenge to climb it remains, irresistable, until the opportunity is seized. Many who've tried have passed into that good night. Stewart, we love ya: please bring a sherpa. more ›

The Autry Center, taking advantage of the holidays, is featuring 5 midday movies just this week. Every day at 2pm, they're screening a western, free after you pay the museum's admission ($7.50). Funny thing is, these aren't your dust-blown classics; they're more of the offbeat-slash-forgotten type. Which is kind of cool: the John Ford/John Wayne pic Three Godfathers, the minimal-dailogue Jeremiah Johnson with Robert Redford, the are-they kidding? Silverado, and ending with the oh yes, they are kidding, City Slickers with Billy Crystal. Which all goes to show that the gay cowboy lovestory is not the first reworking of the genre. more ›

THURSDAY more ›

By way of silent protest (and in light of the fact that some of us have massive projects involving a Middle English theological poem) we'll be watching the telecast on mute, far from the edge of our seats. After all, how much fun is it rooting for a shoe-in? Instead, should we opt to wax at all, we will wax nostalgic for an alternate Academy universe, where the old rules rule and some underdogs get their day. Less hype, more...substance, please. more ›