She was the prototype blonde bombshell and 50 years after her sudden death, the smoke from Marilyn Monroe's one-woman sexual revolution has yet to clear.

Meryl Streep famously called him "God." And Harvey Weinstein certainly looked omnipotent at the Oscars on Sunday, showing again his peerless skills at campaigning for the coveted golden statuettes.

Meryl Streep famously called him "God." And Harvey Weinstein certainly looked omnipotent at the Oscars Sunday, showing again his peerless skills at campaigning for the coveted golden statuettes.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar gold shined again on independent film mogul Harvey Weinstein, whose studio took home eight Academy Awards including best picture honors for "The Artist" on Sunday.

0510 GMT: So, that's it for another year, an Oscars of few surprises where things went mostly according to prediction.

Silent movie "The Artist" won the Academy Award for Best Picture, crowning its triumphal procession through Hollywood's annual awards season.

Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" was in the lead more than halfway through the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, but hotly-tipped silent film "The Artist" was still vying for some of the top prizes.

Veteran Oscars host Billy Crystal launched Hollywood's biggest night with a spoof video skit featuring the year's key nominees, as silent film "The Artist" eyed Academy Awards gold.

Stars began descending on the red carpet Sunday for Hollywood's biggest night, as two odes to film-making -- silent movie "The Artist" and Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" -- vie for glory at the Oscars.

Hollywood woke up to its biggest day of the year Sunday, as two odes to film-making -- silent movie "The Artist" and Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" -- vie for Oscars glory at the 84th Academy Awards.

Hollywood is set for its biggest night of the year Sunday, as two odes to film-making -- silent movie "The Artist" and Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" -- vie for Oscars glory at the 84th Academy Awards.

Hollywood is set for its biggest night of the year Sunday, as two odes to film-making -- silent movie "The Artist" and Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" -- vie for Oscars glory at the 84th Academy Awards.

Silent movie "The Artist" won another pre-Oscars boost Saturday, barely 24 hours before the big show, taking three of the main prizes at the independent Spirit film awards.

SANTA MONICA, California (Reuters) - The Independent Spirit Awards, art house cinema's equivalent of the Oscars, on Saturday handed out honors for the best films and performances of 2012 among movies made outside Hollywood's major studios. Following is a list of winners at the event that is sponsored by Los Angeles-based group, Film Independent.

SANTA MONICA, California (Reuters) - Silent movie romance "The Artist" on Saturday won four Independent Spirit Awards, the year's top honors among movies made outside Hollywood's major studios, including best film and director in a prelude to the Oscars.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It's been a long hike from the Austrian Alps to the Hollywood Hills for Christopher Plummer, but the actor best known for playing the steely captain with seven children in "The Sound of Music" looks set to finally win his first Oscar.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When the curtain rises on the Oscars this Sunday, nervous anticipation will, as usual, fill the theater at the world's top film awards, but this year movie fans can relax.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When the curtain rises on the Oscars this Sunday, nervous anticipation will, as usual, fill the theater at the world's top film awards, but this year movie fans can relax.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After months of talking and weeks of voting, Hollywood's actors finally name their picks for the best performances in the films and TV shows of 2011 at the annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's actors began picking the best performances of 2011's movies when the curtain came up on the annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday with Christopher Plummer taking home the first film honor for supporting actor.