Lights, cameras, action!

LOS ANGELES – Will Meryl Streep’s outfit match her talent?

Will Diablo Cody actually refuse to wear those million-dollar, diamond-encrusted shoes? Will Katherine Heigl need to squint? The city was abuzz with all things Oscar as celebrities flocked from around the world for last night’s Academy Awards … a few of the pre-Oscar snippets …* PROJECT OSCARS: Fashion guru Tim Gunn was most looking forward to seeing fashions on Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie, Angelina Jolie – and Helen Mirren, “the most stunning and ravishing woman on the red carpet” at last year’s Oscars.”If everyone follows current fashion trends, we should see a lot of jewel tones, black and ivory, and a little birdy told me we’ll see lots of yellow on the red carpet,” said Gunn.”But, boy, yellow is a difficult colour.Very difficult.”* FOOD FIGHTS: Language and war may divide us, but catering troubles are universal.Directors of the five Oscar-nominated films in the foreign-language category met on Saturday, showing clips from their movies – little-seen so far in the US – and talking over the joys and frustrations of international production.Sergei Bodrov said his epic ‘Mongol’, Kazakhstan’s entry, was shot in Mongolia over the course of two years, with two separate cinematographers.The Russian crew of the film about a young Genghis Khan refused to eat the Chinese food they were served so workers drove 12 hours to pick up new meals, Bodrov said.His movie will be released by Picturehouse in the US on June 6.Nikita Mikhalkov, actor-director for Russia’s entry, ’12’, recalled similar difficulties on the set of his Oscar-nominated 1992 film ‘Close to Eden’.”We had Chinese food and the Russians lost their minds,” he said through a translator.* LADIES’ NIGHT: Half a dozen A-list actresses stopped by the Kodak Theatre on Saturday to rehearse their Oscar lines.Cameron Diaz, in a grey sweater, skinny black jeans and towering high heels, opened a prop winner’s envelope and said, “The Oscar goes to – your mama.No, I’m just kidding.”She stepped off stage and bumped into Jessica Alba.”Hi, honey,” Diaz said as she gave Alba a kiss.Alba, who is expecting a baby with her fiancé, Cash Warren, hid her growing bump under a loose black tunic.Ponytailed and makeup-free, the star recapped her presentation two weeks ago of the academy’s annual Sci-Tech awards – always a tongue-twisting challenge.”You nailed it, hon,” stage manager Dency Nelson told her.As soon as she walked off stage, she traded her high heels for comfy flats.Renee Zellweger arrived in a sweat shirt, jeans and sneakers, her oversized Gucci bag slung over her shoulder.Before taking the stage, she plunked her bag on the floor and fished out a pair of tall Christian Louboutin heels.She left her socks and sneakers in a pile near her purse as she stepped out to rehearse her lines.After hitting her mark, she slipped off the stilettos and tossed them back into her bag, saying, “Well, that’s enough of these things for today” to no one in particular.Zellweger greeted Katherine Heigl, who was headed to the stage carrying two pairs of heels.But shoes weren’t her problem – seeing the teleprompter was.Heigl narrowed her eyes as she tried to make out the words on the screen at the back of the theatre.”Oh, no,” she said.”I’ll try not to squint.”Also switching shoes was Jennifer Garner, who swapped her running shoes for high heels before stepping onstage.An assistant held her sneakers as Garner rehearsed.Expectant mom Nicole Kidman didn’t fuss with her shoes.Looking elegant enough to attend the awards a day early, she wore kitten heels with black tights, a black dress and a black overcoat that obscured her tummy.Her husband, Keith Urban, was also dressed all in black, from his ball cap down to his sneakers.”Thank you for being here,” a worker backstage said to the Oscar-winning actress.”I’m so pleased,” she said with a smile.”See you tomorrow.”- Nampa-APa few of the pre-Oscar snippets … * PROJECT OSCARS: Fashion guru Tim Gunn was most looking forward to seeing fashions on Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie, Angelina Jolie – and Helen Mirren, “the most stunning and ravishing woman on the red carpet” at last year’s Oscars.”If everyone follows current fashion trends, we should see a lot of jewel tones, black and ivory, and a little birdy told me we’ll see lots of yellow on the red carpet,” said Gunn.”But, boy, yellow is a difficult colour.Very difficult.”* FOOD FIGHTS: Language and war may divide us, but catering troubles are universal.Directors of the five Oscar-nominated films in the foreign-language category met on Saturday, showing clips from their movies – little-seen so far in the US – and talking over the joys and frustrations of international production.Sergei Bodrov said his epic ‘Mongol’, Kazakhstan’s entry, was shot in Mongolia over the course of two years, with two separate cinematographers.The Russian crew of the film about a young Genghis Khan refused to eat the Chinese food they were served so workers drove 12 hours to pick up new meals, Bodrov said.His movie will be released by Picturehouse in the US on June 6.Nikita Mikhalkov, actor-director for Russia’s entry, ’12’, recalled similar difficulties on the set of his Oscar-nominated 1992 film ‘Close to Eden’.”We had Chinese food and the Russians lost their minds,” he said through a translator.* LADIES’ NIGHT: Half a dozen A-list actresses stopped by the Kodak Theatre on Saturday to rehearse their Oscar lines.Cameron Diaz, in a grey sweater, skinny black jeans and towering high heels, opened a prop winner’s envelope and said, “The Oscar goes to – your mama.No, I’m just kidding.”She stepped off stage and bumped into Jessica Alba.”Hi, honey,” Diaz said as she gave Alba a kiss.Alba, who is expecting a baby with her fiancé, Cash Warren, hid her growing bump under a loose black tunic.Ponytailed and makeup-free, the star recapped her presentation two weeks ago of the academy’s annual Sci-Tech awards – always a tongue-twisting challenge.”You nailed it, hon,” stage manager Dency Nelson told her.As soon as she walked off stage, she traded her high heels for comfy flats.Renee Zellweger arrived in a sweat shirt, jeans and sneakers, her oversized Gucci bag slung over her shoulder.Before taking the stage, she plunked her bag on the floor and fished out a pair of tall Christian Louboutin heels.She left her socks and sneakers in a pile near her purse as she stepped out to rehearse her lines.After hitting her mark, she slipped off the stilettos and tossed them back into her bag, saying, “Well, that’s enough of these things for today” to no one in particular.Zellweger greeted Katherine Heigl, who was headed to the stage carrying two pairs of heels.But shoes weren’t her problem – seeing the teleprompter was.Heigl narrowed her eyes as she tried to make out the words on the screen at the back of the theatre.”Oh, no,” she said.”I’ll try not to squint.”Also switching shoes was Jennifer Garner, who swapped her running shoes for high heels before stepping onstage.An assistant held her sneakers as Garner rehearsed.Expectant mom Nicole Kidman didn’t fuss with her shoes.Looking elegant enough to attend the awards a day early, she wore kitten heels with black tights, a black dress and a black overcoat that obscured her tummy.Her husband, Keith Urban, was also dressed all in black, from his ball cap down to his sneakers.”Thank you for being here,” a worker backstage said to the Oscar-winning actress.”I’m so pleased,” she said with a smile.”See you tomorrow.”- Nampa-AP