Oscars 2012: As It Happened

From the red carpet to the last award..Welcome to Empire's live coverage of the Oscar red carpet and the ceremony. We'll be commenting on the Academy Awards' best (and worst) dressed as they arrive on the red carpet - and then commenting on all the winners and losers as they're announced. Sit back, grab a brew of your favourite beverage and enjoy the night with us....

Otis the Oscar Cat Predicts the Best Picture Winner

Meet Otis the Oscar Cat, Movieline's resident feline awards prognosticator. Like the majority of Academy members, he's white, male, and owns a black tie; his tastes tend toward the traditional, although he'll bite at the occasional tasty treat. To get an inside line on Sunday's Best Picture winner, we consulted Otis for his Oscar picks -- will the Academy Award go to The Artist, starring that rascally pup Uggie? Or perhaps War Horse, by a nose? Presented with all nine Best Picture nominees -- The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, Tree of Life, and War Horse -- Otis weighed each film's merits. Treats were involved, but don't we all get a bit peckish when sorting out life's big questions? As he considered the nominees with care and deliberation, Otis went back and forth between his favorites before landing firmly, and with no outside influence, on his ultimate selection. Otis is sure that his peers in the Academy went through a similar process with their vote. Otis the Oscar Cat considers the field of nominees. Hes drawn to War Horse, but "The Descendants, man. I do so adore Alexander Payne." "All the other cats loved The Help; it ruined chocolate pie for me forever." "Hugo took me back to the whimsy of my youth, although those 3-D glasses are so very cumbersome." "This is hard, isn't it, shadow?" "Ooooh, Brad Pitt!" In the end, there is no contest. Otis picks The Artist with two paws up! "Berenice, mon amour!" Bonus pick: A Cat in Paris for Best Animated Feature! And with a beatific stare into the distance and a lock on this year's kitty Oscar pool, Otis the Oscar Cat bids adieu until next year.

David Boreanaz to Guest-Star on Downton Abbey?

Daniel von Bargen Seinfeld actor Daniel von Bargen, who's most broadly noted for taking pleasure in George Costanza's boss Mr. Kruger inside the sitcom, is at critical condition carrying out a not successful suicide attempt this year's week, TMZ reviews. The 61-year-old reaches his Cincinnati apartment Monday morning because he shot themselves inside the mind after which it known for help. According to audio in the 911 tape released round the gossip site, he told the operator, "I've shot myself inside the mind which i want assistance.Inch See the relaxation of current day news The gunshot for the temple wasn't any kind of accident. Von Bargen, who's a diabetic, recently learned some not so great. "I used to be designed to go to a health care facility which i didn't desire to. Therefore I shot myself... They were made to amputate no less than a few toes." Von Bargen was gone to live in some nearby hospital. The veteran actor also recurred as Commandant Edwin Spangler on Malcolm within the center. Round the silver screen, he's came out in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Faculty and Super Military.

REVIEW: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Just Another Flaming Pile of Cage-y Nonsense

When you're not going to win on points, you may as well try to shoot the moon - that seems to be the thought process behind Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the sequel to Marvel's 2007Ghost Rider. Realizing that their stunt rider who turns into a flaming skeleton-monster character and their star who turns in what are less performances than performance art were unlikely to result in a film that could be thought of as good in any traditional sense, the studios have aimed instead to make something that embraces its own lunacy. To oversee this endeavor, they brought in Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the directing duo behind the Red Bulled-out, always in motion Crank films, who ignore a good portion of what happened in the first Ghost Rider, plant their tongues firmly in cheek and loose Nicolas Cage to do his strangest. It's not as wild or as fun as it may sound (or that it needs to be to hit the midnight-movie sweet spot for which it aims), but it's a minor improvement on the unintentional silliness of the initial installment. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance moves the action to Eastern Europe, where sinister forces are trying to capture 13-year-old Danny (Fergus Riordan) for use in the fulfillment of a doomy prophecy. The kid and his mother Nadya (The American's Violante Placido)have been in hiding with the first of two sects of tough monks (the first is overseen by Anthony Head, the second by Christopher Lambert), until they're chased down by a group of mercenaries led by her ex, Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth) who've been hired to bring the boy to become the new vessel for Roarke (Ciarn Hinds), theliving embodiment of Satan (look, I don't make this stuff up). An alcoholic French priest (Idris Elba) recruits Johnny Blaze (Cage) to help save the pair using his Ghost Riderly powers with the promise of curing him of the curse, though Blaze fears he won't be able to control the demon that possesses him enough to not also devour the people he's trying to save. Cage plays Blaze as a tweaker, a twitchy, shaky mess who pops skull eye whenever he struggles to control his inner monster. It's a performance that starts off as awkward but gradually builds to new arias of weird; threatening a flunky from whom he's trying to get information, he notes that the Rider is "scraping at the door! He's SCRAPING AT THE DOOR! If you don't TELL me what he needs to KNOW, I'm going to let him oooooooooout!" Cage jerks and flinches and laughs maniacally - in one of the more memorable shots, a camera affixed to the front of his motorcycle holds on him as he accelerates, cackling, through town, gaping black eye sockets warping his face and then getting tamped down. Neveldine/Taylorhave apparently gotten Cage to also play the transformed Rider this time around, an addition that comes through in the demon's odd head tilts and dancey fits. Cage is given a run for his money byElba (who uses his character's accent as one might use a swirling cape) and Hinds, who have a ham-off in their respective roles, though Cage emerges triumphant just from the sheer effort he puts into the role. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeancescores some deliberate laughs - the Rider spins inexplicably in mid-air after getting shot by a bunker buster,a character who can make things decay with his touch finds the only thing that doesn't crumble in his hands before he eats it is a Twinkie, and at long last the question of what happens when the Ghost Rider needs to pee is answers (it's "like a flamethrower") - but the smugness of the film grows wearying long before the end. Just because the people on and behind the camera are willing to acknowledge what we're watching is ridiculous crap doesn't really change the fact that, well, it is. For filmmakers as talented asNeveldine/Taylor are (and they are, as theexhilaratingfreedom of their camerawork attests), it's a letdown, evidence that all the air quotes in the world won't make your end project any better if there's nothing sincerely good thrown in there as well. Follow Alison Willmore on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Photo Gallery: Wager on Thrones Season 2

Joffrey Baratheon All hail King Joffrey! After we go into the second season of HBO's Wager on Thrones, which premieres on April Fools' Day, we're reminded much has changed since we first became a member of Westeros. Have a look at our winter preview for galleries, scoop, premiere calendars plus much more! Need proof? Have a look at our new gallery of images for Wager on Thrones: Season 2. Joffrey is crowned and fully into king mode. Arya is shorn and forlorn, out by hand with only Needle to keep her warm and safe. Jon Snow is... well, OK, he's still within the cold doing his Evening Watch factor. But you'll find new faces too. Harsh Balon Greyjoy is Theon's disapproving father, which we finally fulfill the late King Robert's other brother, Stannis -- but who's the lady in red-colored-colored alongside him? Speaking about intimidating ladies, there's Brienne, a hard-searching lady who we'd enjoy getting around, not against us. Who certainly would be the next new favorite character? Who's going to die while playing the sport of Thrones? Click using the gallery and share your predictions. Wager on Thrones premieres on Sunday, April 1 at 9/8c on Cinemax.

'Battleship' Super Bowl Ad Uncovers Humanoid Aliens

They behind "Battleship" certainly saved the very best for that Super Bowl. The approaching alien invasion flick's Super Bowl TV place revealed among the aspects of the film which has me most intrigued: the aliens. While they've got been taunted in the past trailers, this place really place the extraterrestrials within the forefront, and that i was a little surprised at the way they wound up searching. The aliens themselves seem like something from "Halo" using their armored suits and advanced weaponry. Though that type of the "Battleship" baddies was taunted within the last trailer for that film, this time around around we see them without their armor. It appears such as these extraterrestrials are humanoid in form, although with bigger-than-average, three-fingered hands and cat-like eyes. Still, they do not appear to become as alien once we might have imagined. I have to admit, I had been a little surprised the aliens wound up being put in the lead. The very first trailer for that project built them into appear like they'd be stored a mysterious, but there's nothing mysterious relating to this new TV place. Maybe we are said to be interested in why the aliens have penetrated Earth, but according to their offensive behavior I'd just assumed it is because they might. In either case, it appears safe to visualize that nobody quite imagined up this outcome once they were playing "Battleship" like a kid. Aside from individuals spinning, animal-like spiked aliens using the tails. Individuals are freaking awesome. Exactly what do you think about the "Battleship" aliens? Inform us within the comments section below or on Twitter!

'Battleship' Super Bowl Ad Reveals Humanoid Aliens

They behind "Battleship" certainly saved the most effective for your Super Bowl. The arrival alien invasion flick's Super Bowl TV place revealed one of the facets of the film that has me most intrigued: the aliens. While they have got been taunted previously trailers, this place really put the extraterrestrials inside the forefront, which i had been surprised at how they ended up searching. The aliens themselves appear like something from "Halo" utilizing their armored suits and advanced weaponry. Though that kind of the "Battleship" baddies was taunted in the last trailer for your film, this time around around around we have seen them without their armor. It seems like these extraterrestrials are humanoid in form, however with bigger-than-average, three-fingered hands and cat-like eyes. Still, they don't seem to become as alien after we may have imagined. I must admit, I used to be surprised the aliens ended up being make the lead. The initial trailer for your project built them into look like they'd be saved unknown, there is however nothing mysterious relevant for this new TV place. Maybe we're stated to want to consider why the aliens have permeated Earth, but based on their offensive behavior I'd just assumed for the reason that they may. Either in situation, it seems safe to visualise that nobody quite imagined up this outcome after they were playing "Battleship" just like a kid. Apart from people spinning, animal-like spiked aliens while using tails. People are freaking awesome. What can you consider the "Battleship" aliens? Reveal inside the comments section below or on Twitter!