First Look: 'Unknown' is a surprise box office leader on Presidents Day weekend so far

'In a Better World' widens director Susanne Bier's world

Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier's movies are infused with an intimate concern for family yet often play out on a global stage.

Confessions of David Seidler, a 73-year-old Oscars virgin

My first realization I was hooked on Oscar was when I seriously began pondering one of mankind's most profound dilemmas: whether to rent...

The Oscars: The costume nominees discuss the challenges of dressing a cast

The five nominees discuss what it took to costume their casts, bearskins included.

ABC, Motion Picture Academy offer backstage view of Oscars for a fee

Think of it as "Oscars after Dark."

Join our live chat with Times film critic Kenneth Turan

To help us sort out our feelings about this year's awards L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan will be joining us for a live chat on...

Movie reviews: Oscar-nominated short documentaries

This year's Oscar contenders in the nonfiction shorts category reflect the academy's preference for documentaries with a socially...

Randy Newman: 'The academy never goes for any of my trashy ideas'

When it comes to playing Oscar night, where he'll perform "We Belong Together," the composer says it's no surprise that the academy doesn'...

Poll: Can Helena Bonham Carter pull off an Oscar upset?

Ever since 2000, when BAFTA moved up on the calendar to jump ahead of the Oscars, it's failed to predict the Oscar champ in this category...

The Oscars: Five short documentaries on the big screen

This year marks the first time the five Oscar-nominated documentary shorts are getting a theatrical release, which is good news for the...

Westerns often miss the mark with Oscar

Only a handful of westerns have been nominated for best picture, including 2010's 'True Grit,' and only three have won. The academy once...