Is this the best seat in the house? | Photo by neonspecs via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr TV: WATCH THE OSCARS LAist's own TV Junkie has already given us the deets (and some alternatives), but in case you missed it, the 80th Annual Academy Awards are tonight, live from our very own Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Settle into your favorite spot in front of your tee vee and tune in along......

Looks like the Academy Awards don't have the same in with Mother Nature and the big meteorologist in the sky the way the Tournament of Roses Parade does. It's a wet Sunday morning in the city known around the world for its perpetual sunshine, and when everyone's tuned into the 80th Annual Academy Awards this afternoon, the ugly truth will be revealed: It rains in Los Angeles! And it's probably going to keep raining. Cbs2.com......

Photo © Copyright 2008 by Jonathan Alcorn (Sundogg) via the LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr It might be Oscar season here in LA, but it's also still rainy season. LAist Featured Photos Pool contributor Jonathan Alcorn (aka Sundogg) caught some shots of the setup going on at the Kodak Theatre in preparation for Sunday's big night. Think Mother Nature will dare to rain on Hollywood's most glamorous red carpet parade tomorrow?......

Final preparations are being made for tomorrow evening's big Academy Awards bash, which means Hollywood is in for an ongoing traffic clusterfuck. Today's closures (pictured) have created a no man's land on the perimeter of the Kodak Theatre, which means streets and sidewalks have limited to no access for vehicles and pedestrians. Of course, the real logistical nightmare kicks in tomorrow when closures extend to streets south and west of the event (including portions of......

Outside the Kodak Theatre last year | Photo by nailmaker via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Yesterday we launched a series of polls to see who you would give the Oscar to in the big four acting categories. Now let's look at the other sets of nominees who will be gnashing their teeth and squirming in their seats at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on Sunday at the 80th Annual Academy Awards. So let's......

Only a few more years of this before the Oscars moves out of Hollywood and Cirque de Soleil moves into the Kodak Theatre for a permanent show in 2010. Luckily, six days until the big event and impacts particular to tonight are minimal. From 10 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, closures include Hollywood Blvd. from Highland Ave. to Orange Dr., part of the Hawthorne Alley on the east side of the El Capitan......

WGA Bests: Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Comedy Series, Drama Series The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) didn't hold a gala ceremony this year (who can afford a gown when you're not getting paid?) but they did take a break on the East coast from discussing the possible end of the strike to announce the winners of their annual awards. This year's very informal and somewhat unusual gathering "was decidedly looser than past ceremonies and......

The 80th Annual Academy Awards are scheduled to take place Feb. 24 at Hollywood & Highland's Kodak TheatreAuthorities have released the names of the victims in yesterday's deadly airplane collision in the skies above Corona. According to KNBC.com, "one of the victims -- Earl Smiddy, 58, of Moreno Valley -- was on the ground when he was hit by falling debris. The other victims were identified as Anthony Joel Guzman, 20, of Hesperia; Scott......

Hollywood's honorary mayor, Johnny Grant, passed away Wednesday night. LAist Featured Photos photographer, Jonathan Alcorn, visits his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star:Flowers on the star of Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant beneath the Kodak Theatre during a memorial held by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant has died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on Jan 9,,2008. He was found by police in his room at the Roosevelt Hotel......

Even though “Extras” has ended, you can still get a Ricky Gervais fix when he comes to the Kodak Theatre in 2008. Though his people originally announced that tickets would go on sale Dec. 25, the date has been moved up to tomorrow, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m. ...

Start saving your pennies now. Today it was announced that Ricky Gervais—podcast king and star/co-creator of The Office (U.K.) and Extras—will be coming to the Kodak Theatre next summer. Here's the official word from his website: Overpaid, Over-Fed and Over There Ricky Gervais will shortly be announcing stand-up shows across America in July 2008. Tickets for the coast to coast tour will go on sale at Christmas and will include dates at New York's......

No one likes the stigma of saying they live in Van Nuys, so they chip away making their own new neighborhoods. To that, Councilman Tony Cardenas, who we admittedly give a hard time to on this site, said something that is right on target about this so called community pride: "If I had that many people show up to a community cleanup or an anti-prostitution night out it would do much more than changing......

There's a big ugly smelly fountain of blood in front of the Kodak Theatre on the sidewalk of the Hollywood & Highland strip mall. No, Elmo didn't finally get his, Showtime has figured out a way to get LAist off the couch and onto the Red Line. Even though our friends at Bostonist and Phillyist had pics, we saw that our pal Defamer didn't so we pushed aside the bong water pipe, dug around......

The 80th Academy Awards (host: Jon Stewart) aren't until February 24 but starting today you can register for a chance at a bleacher seat overlooking the red carpet. Thousands applied for 300 spots last year along the 500-foot-long red carpet, but you're feeling lucky, right? The chosen voyeurs will be randomly selected next Monday at noon, and notified in March. Submit for up to four tickets per person. http://www.oscars.org/bleachers/ Dangerous Liaisons devotees look for......

About the above photo: Painting by local artist John Schlue who will be showcasing his newest work at Truxtop Gallery with the opening reception on Friday Sept 7th. The International Space Station, Jupiter, Mars, Venus all viewable from LA this week according to today's release of the The Griffith Observatory Sky Report. 274 homicides so far this 2007. LAPD released the latest crime statistics today showing that violent and property crime is down compared......

The Raveonettes, Electric Duo, Midnight Movies, The Meek @ Spaceland The Black Angels, VietNam, Spindrift @ The Troubadour Deerhoof @ Natural History Museum B-Real @ Key Club The Pharcyde, Ugly Duckling @ Blue Cafe The Colour, Simon Dawes, Takota @ The Roxy Kottonmouth Kings @ Ventura Theatre Matt & Kim, Japanther, Mika Miko, No Age @ The Echo The Moderates, Gliss, The Cheat @ El Cid Sara Hickman @ McCabe's Lorenzo Lamas @ The......

Richard Thompson, Eliza Gilkyson @ Malibu Performing Arts Center Koffin Kats, Viva Hate, The Rocketz, Hot Rod Funeral @ Knitting Factory Charlie Wadhams & the Harmony Brothers, Ivy Walls @ Silverlake Lounge Head Automatica, Takota, March @ The Troubadour Muse Collective, Delusions of Grandeur, Full Moon Rising @ The Good Hurt The Starfuckers, Nick Josephs, 1 Enemy 3, Hollywood Trash @ The Cat Club Rob Giles, Rich Price, Adrianne, Brian Chartrand @ The Hotel......

Last night, about 15 miles west of the Kodak Theatre -- a veritable light year -- Taylor Dayne and Doogie Howser starred in film awards gala skits of their own. Little Miss Sunshine took Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Male honors at Film Independent's Spirit Awards. Half Nelson took consolation for losing Best Picture by capturing Best Male (Ryan Gosling) and Best Female Lead (Shareeka Epps) awards. And America Ferrera set the bar for Oscar......

With less than a week to go until the Oscars, tonight's traffic impact is still at a minimum. Like last night, closures will begin at 10 p.m., ending at 6 a.m. the next morning. The only major difference is a full closure of the sidewalk in front of the Kodak Theatre, causing your walk to the Knitting Factory to be about 2 seconds longer. Closing will start up again on Friday throughout the weekend, and......

Before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, let's make one thing perfectly clear, LAist LOVES Hollywood. We love the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's bizarre choices for stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We love the seediness of Hollywood Blvd. Hell we even love the the monstrosity that is the world's most fucked up strip mall known as Hollywood & Highland. We love these things because they represent the half-shitty, half-shiny semi-glamorous paradox......

Heart @ Fairplex Pomona Apollo Sunshine @ Troubadour Feist @ Avalon Jill Sobule @ Largo Headlights @ Spaceland 311 @ Santa Barbara Bowl Bonnie Raitt, Keb' Mo' @ Greek New Maximum Donkey @ The Joint Death House Chaplain @ Mr. T's Bowl Scream, Beautiful Creatures @ Viper Room Supagroup, The Giraffes @ Key Club Tsuyama Atsushi, Kawabata Makoto, Tatsuya Yoshida @ The Smell Lisa Lisa, Zapp, The Manhattans, GQ, The Delfonics @ Hyundai Pavilion......

While we're happy that the Clippers are doing much better than expected this year and haven't already given up on the season (and if they can just string a few more wins together might even compete for the 8th playoff spot in the West), we're heading to the Staples Center tonight to get our last chance to see Shaquille O'Neal play in Los Angeles this season. Your Los Angeles Clippers host the Miami Heat......

It's going to be a busy night in Los Angeles—the weather has cooled off and fall is creeping in, so LAist recommends going out and partaking of all the fine entertainments the city has to offer before everyone gives up on their sunny summer dispositions. Tonight at The Echo, LA's own (increasingly popular) Rilo Kiley will play a final date in town before hitting the road on their fall tour. Doors open at 8:00......

After 75 years of business, the old Hollywood institution Hollywood Piano Rental Co. is shutting its doors after 75 years. The store's original location was bought out by the developers of Hollywood & Highland. "They needed our place to park the limos that drop off the stars at the Kodak Theatre," said Jerry Tishkoff, who has been running the business with his brother, Eddie. "Limousines won't fit in the underground parking they have at the......