L.A.’s art world was rocked less than a year ago when the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) was on the brink of financial ruin, facing the sale of some its masterpieces. It is a completely different picture today. The Museum of Contemporary Art previewed its new exhibit, “Collection: MOCA’s First Thirty Years.” A big exhibit celebrating big news: MOCA is out of the red. And on Sunday it will open a major exhibition of its collection, more than 500 pieces of art by 200 artists. Philanthropist and arts patron Eli Broad kicked in $30 million. The museum raised another $30 million to get out of the red. They brought in former UCLA chancellor Charles Young to run things. “No 30-year journey is without bumps,” said Broad. “Many of you, I’m sure, recall a year ago, MOCA had a financial crisis.” MOCA began in 1979 by acquiring one major collection, then adding to it. “This is a world-class institution, among the best anywhere in the world,” said L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. As big as this exhibit is, this is just a tenth of MOCA’s collection, which is showing its earlier pieces on South Grand Avenue, and work from 1980 to the present at its Geffen Contemporary space nearby. A shuttle takes visitors between the two. Even with two spaces, how did MOCA’s chief curator choose what to exhibit to celebrate its 30 years? “Quality; the unique vision of the institution; and to tell the history of post-war art from the standpoint of Los Angeles today,” said MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel. The celebration continues with a gala Saturday night. A thousand arts patrons from around the world will be entertained by headliner Lady Gaga, backed by the Bolshoi Ballet. MOCA is not the only L.A. museum displaying contemporary art. Broad has his name on one at the L.A. County Museum. So where does his heart lie now? “It lies in Los Angeles; to make Los Angeles the contemporary art capital of the world,” said Broad. The exhibit will be on display through May.

Celebs aren’t the only ones able to celebrate MOCA’s 30th anniversary, LAist reports that admission to the museum will be FREE to the public all week long:

MOCA–the Museum of Contemporary Art–opened 30 years ago in Los Angeles. To celebrate the anniversary, the museum opens its largest installation tomorrow, featuring more than 500 works from more than 200 artists from its own permanent collection … The new exhibition features a comprehensive look at contemporary art history from the past 70 years, including pop art, abstract expressionism and photography. Highlighted artists and works include: Jackson Pollock’s Number 1, 1949 (1949); Willem de Kooning’s Two Women with Still Life (1952); Alberto Giacometti’s Tall Figure II and Tall Figure III (1960); Roy Lichtenstein’s Man with Folded Arms (1962); Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Six Crimee (1982) and Edward Ruscha’s Chocolate Room (1970-2004).

Amazing!! If you have not been to the MOCA and you live in the area, you must check out this exhibit. I’m hoping David and I can take advantage of this FREE offer sometime this week … the MOCA is a great museum. Congratulations on 30 years!!

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source, Source]

How would you like to answer the knock on your door Halloween night to find Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and the kids standing outside in full costume trick or treating?! That’s exactly what some families in the Los Angeles-area experienced Saturday night as Brangelina and their brood got into the spirit of the holiday and dressed in colorful costumes as these photos … Brad’s hilarious costume includes beads in his beard and his bright orange outfit made him stand out during the dark night. In our exclusive photos Angelina sports grey hair with blood on the site of her face – sorry, nice try to scare us, but you still look gorgeous! Zahara is dressed in a Batman costume and carrying her candy in a plastic pumpkin. Maddox, who loves toy guns, is dressed in camouflage and Shiloh also appears to be sporting the military theme. Brad drove the family into a neighborhood near the Hollywood Hills where they trick or treated. They did not have security with them. Some people on the street recognized the Brangelina crew and stared but all was well as the Pitt-Jolie clan had a blast.

I’m pretty sure Zahara was dressed as Batgirl and I understand that Brad Pitt was dressed as DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba. Ange clearly thought that pouring a bag of flour on her head was costume enough. Altho Brangelina didn’t really go all out for their costumes (well, ok, Brad did put a lot of effort into his look) it’s so cool that they went trick-or-treating with their kids just like many other normal parents. Cute!!

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I understand that these photos were taken before the pics of Knox and Vivienne were but they are really cute nonetheless. It’s, like, a crime that Brangelina has so many adorable children! Shiloh in that hat … I’m dying. Zahara in those boots … DYING! Soooo cute! Ugh … they must really have the most perfect life. Couldn’t you just, well, die?

[Photo credit: X17]

Those eyes!! Those lips!!! There is *no* denying that Viv is Angelina’s daughter. She’s sooooo freakin’ cute!! Here is a photo of daddy Brad and Knox deciding which kind of ice cream they want to get:

OMG! They have the same profile, they are so cute. It’s clear that these babies are twins … they have the same chubby cheeks ;) As I said before, I’m so glad that Brangelina are finally bringin’ the twins out to say hello … we don’t get to see nearly enough of them.

[Photo credit: X17]

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stepped out for ice cream in Amman, Jordan – and brought along the littlest Jolie-Pitts, 14-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne. An eyewitness posted a photo on Twitter of the family at the Licky Licious ice cream shop. Pitt and Jolie have been in the Middle East to visit Iraqi refugees in Syria as part of Jolie’s work as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

Because the young twins are rarely seen in public there are rampant rumors that Brangelina are hiding them away from public sight because they are suffering from some birth defect or are hiding a special need. I don’t know for a fact that that is the case but I’m sure this photo will help fuel those rumors. Whatever the case may be, it’s really sweet to see Brangelina with the twins … they are so big already! I’m not sure if we’ll be seeing much of Knox and Vivienne out and about in the coming weeks/months but this little peek at them is a nice surprise.

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Presumably, Dad Pitt will remain at the homestead to care for the rest of the Brangelina brood while Angelina is off saving the world. Santa Angelina has already made her way to Baghdad, Iraq to do her good work. Here is a photo and some deets on Angelina’s visit to the affected region:

Angelina Jolie took a day trip onThursday to Baghdad. The actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is there to speak out for aid on behalf the millions of Iraqis displaced within their own country and the 1.5 million more Iraqis displaced out of the country. This is her third visit to the country in recent years. On Tuesday afternoon Jolie and eldest son Maddox took off from LAX, where they were heading to the 24th annual Arab Children’s Congress in Amman, Jordan. The pair were reportedly going to be staying with Jolie’s friend Queen Noor.

You can read the full text of the UNHCR press release HERE. I’m always amazed at how much time and devotion Angelina puts toward her charity work. It makes ones head spin just thinking about all commitments Angelina keeps in her every day life … whether they be personal, professional or philanthropic, Angelina Jolie works hard, y’all! Kudos to her for her continued zeal to try and help heal the world.

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

Trouble in the relationship? We don’t think so! Brad and Angelina seem to be getting along just fine and are seen with a rare public display of intense affection in these photos obtained exclusively by RadarOnline.com. The power couple arrived at Cannes on Tuesday and dined out with Quentin Tarantino and others. Our cameras caught them Tuesday night showing they are still very much in love. They have been rarely photographed together in recent months leading to many stories contending their relationship is on the rocks. But as RadarOnline.com’s exclusive photos show, when mommy and daddy get alone time away from their six kids, they make the most of it!

I’ve never believed for a second the ridic rumors that there was ever any trouble in this relationship. Brangelina seem so well suited and well matched to one another, I honestly believe they are crazy in love. In case you would like to see more evidence of their mutual affinity for one another, head over to RadarOnline.com to check out a few more photos of these two sucking face. Mebbe it won’t be long before they decide to spawn again :)

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To be honest, I would’ve thought that grocery shopping would be one of those menial tasks reserved for the hlep … but either Brangelina gets a kick out of squeezing the Charmin themselves or mebbe the help is on vacay? HMMM … do you suppose these trying economic times have even affected the Brangelina brood? Earlier today we learned that Suri Holmes-Cruise was forced to settle for a mere trampoline as entertainment at her 3rd birthday party and now … Brangelina grocery shopping? What next, Oprah Winfrey washing her own car? Yikes! Let’s hope, for the sake of celebrity, that it won’t ever have to come to that.

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

It was family night at the theater in New York City for the Jolie-Pitts. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt took their children to see a Wednesday evening showing of The Little Mermaid on Broadway … Pitt carried daughter Shiloh, 2, and held the hand of son Pax, 5, who sipped on a drink as he exited the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Jolie held daughter Zahara, 3, while Maddox, 7, followed close behind. Missing: Their newborn twins, Knox and Vivienne. Jolie — who just returned from Hollywood for the Oscars with Pitt — is in the Big Apple as she prepares to shoot the espionage thriller, Salt. After she wraps up filming, Jolie has said she plans to take a break from acting to focus on being a mother. “I like being home a lot,” the mother of six has said. “First and foremost, I have a lot of children, and I need to make sure they’re growing right and they’ve got us there for them.”

LOL! Angelina has been giving that line about “taking a break from acting to be a mother” for years now … I doubt she ever will really take a break. Tho, I’m sure her demoralizing loss of so many acting awards this past awards season is enough to sour her to the craft for some time to come. Ah well, she’s a mega-millionaire who is coupled up with a mega-millionaire with a beautiful (and growing?) family of children … it’s kinda hard to feel too sorry for her. In any event, I imagine it was quite a treat for the theater-goers at the Lunt-Fontanne to see the Brangelina brood file in for last night’s performance. I think it would be really fun to share your popcorn with Princess Zahara. I’ve yet to see The Little Mermaid on Broadway myself but a show that is so well-attended by so many celebrity children (I understand Suri Holmes-Cruise is a fan as well) sounds must see to me!

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin, Splash News; Source]

God bless Brangelina, they showed up to last night’s awards with the biggest smiles they could muster to try and show the world that they were honored “just to be nominated” because, judging by their collective track records during this year’s awards show season, they knew they were going home empty-handed … which is exactly what ended up happening by night’s end. Sarah Jessica Parker looked like a DREAM in that beautiful dress … it was a little Carrie Bradshaw but she pulled it off wonderfully. Generally, I was quite pleased with what I saw on the red carpet … Sophia Loren didn’t scare the hell out of me until she showed up on the Oscar stage to present her award. In HD, she was not treated too kindly.

For me, tho, the big star of the night was Hugh Jackman. He really turned in an amazing performance and totally made the show. His opening number (and subsequent numbers, I must add) really showed that there is life yet in the old Academy Awards and they are worth watching:

I was also very impressed with the way the Academy chose to honor the acting nominees by having former winners in their categories come on stage to say nice things about them. I know I was touched by some of the nice things said about the actors who were nominated this year … I can only imagine what an honor it was for the nominees to hear those same things being said about them, to them. I hope they will continue to honor the nominees in this way in future shows … it was my second favorite thing about the show after Hugh’s job hosting.

And how about those winners! I think everyone was pretty surprised by that “shocker” of a winner. After the jump, check out some photos of some of the winners posing with their shiny new Oscars and read about what went down last night — oh, and watch Hugh Jackman’s amazing Oscar opening one more time — it’s deffo worth it …

Slumdog Millionaire ended up finishing its fairy tale run by taking home the award for Best Picture … but I think it was Sean Penn’s upset over Mickey Rourke for Best Actor that really surprised a lot of people (me included):

“Slumdog Millionaire” and its director, Danny Boyle, with their modern-day fairy tale about hope and hard times in the slums of Mumbai, pushed aside big-studio contenders to sweep top honors at the 81st annual Academy Awards on Sunday. “You dwarf even the sky,” Mr. Boyle said in a tribute to the people of Mumbai, who figured by the thousands in his film. He spoke while accepting the best director award, only minutes before “Slumdog Millionaire” was named best picture, helping give the evening a distinctly international tilt. Mr. Boyle, 52, has been known for putting an inspirational twist on often dark and sophisticated movies that have included “Trainspotting,” about heroin addiction, and “Sunshine,” about sacrifice on a mission to reignite the sun. The many prizes for “Slumdog Millionaire” — whose writer, Simon Beaufoy, was honored for best adapted screenplay, among others prizes for the film — completed the film’s steady march past competitors like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” from Paramount Pictures and “Frost/Nixon” from Universal Pictures. The best picture award was a first for Fox Searchlight, which distributed “Slumdog Millionaire” in the United States. In the past, the studio appeared to narrowly miss the big prize with a series of comic best picture nominees that included “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Sideways” and “The Full Monty.” In what was widely perceived to be one of the year’s few tight races, Sean Penn was named best actor for his performance in the title role in “Milk.” “You Commie, homo-loving sons of guns,” said Mr. Penn, who edged aside Brad Pitt and Mickey Rourke, among others, for the best actor Oscar, his second. Best actress honors went to Kate Winslet for her performance in “The Reader” as a German woman who becomes romantically involved with a teenager and later conceals her role in the Holocaust. Hollywood has been taking on more and more of a global tilt with each passing year, but on this evening it was especially evident in the show and in the awards themselves. After Penélope Cruz won for best supporting actress for her role in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” she gave part of her speech in Spanish — she said backstage it was a dedication to the actors and people of Spain — and then suggested backstage that the movies had to grow beyond the bounds of strictly American stories. “We are all mixed together, and it has to be reflected in the cinema,” she said. The supporting actress award, the night’s first, was presented by no less than five past winners of the prize, Whoopi Goldberg, Tilda Swinton, Eva Marie Saint, Goldie Hawn and Anjelica Huston. The heavy show of star power was meant to make good on a promise that the broadcast would deliver entertainment value that reached far beyond that offered by the nominees. Heath Ledger, in a widely anticipated development, posthumously won the best supporting actor prize for his performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Mr. Ledger’s parents afterward said his Oscar statuette would be held in trust by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Many other awards also went to those favored in the preshow betting. Dustin Lance Black won the best original screenplay Oscar for “Milk,” about the gay-rights advocate Harvey Milk. Mr. Black, who is openly gay, said Mr. Milk’s story had given him hope that one day he might “fall in love and even get married.” Mr. Beaufoy, whose “Slumdog” screenplay was based on a novel by Vikas Swarup, rattled off a list of places he never expected to be — “the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium and here” — as he accepted that award for his work on a film that captured many of the movie industry’s pre-Oscar honors and was widely viewed as a preordained winner of the evening’s final award, for best picture. Also in the first wave of awards, “Wall-E” was named best animated film, though it had been denied the best picture nomination that its backers at the Walt Disney Company and its Pixar Animation unit had sought. Overall, Sunday evening’s Oscar show became a struggle between the ambitions of a producing team — headed by the veteran film producer Laurence Mark and the filmmaker Bill Condon — that aimed for an evening full of surprises and the apparent determination of 5,810 voters in the academy to bestow honors largely where they were expected to go. A much-discussed new format for the show opened with a loosey-goosey showbiz number and proceeded along very self-referential lines, with lots of inside jokes that drew substantial laughs from the crowd inside the Kodak Theater here. Hugh Jackman, the evening’s host, started with a very short comic monologue that poked fun at his own failure to get nominated for his performance in “Australia.” He then plunged into a comic song-and-dance number that poked fun at serious movies that were nominated for best picture, including “Milk” and “Frost/Nixon,” and less serious movies that were not, including “The Dark Knight.” An early appearance by the screenwriting winners helped give the evening a story line of its own: the awards categories were arranged in blocks intended to reflect the process of building a film, beginning, in the first segment, with a blinking cursor tapping out the beginning of a script on a blank screen. In another departure, the celebrity presenters were not identified in advance, partly in the hope that a larger-than-usual audience would tune in to see who actually showed up. Last year’s broadcast, with the smallest domestic audience in the ceremony’s history, had only about 32 million viewers in the United States.

It remains to be seen what the ratings for last night’s awards show are at the time of this posting but I really hope the show did well … I was very pleased with the overall production. While there will, undoubtedly, be naysayers complaining about this or that … I think it should be noted that the producers worked really hard to put on an entertaining show. I, for one (and the folks at our Oscar party, for that matter) really appreciated and enjoyed the show.

I was really touched by the Ledger family’s acceptance of Heath Ledger’s posthumous award for Best Supporting Actor … I was just really happy that they were able to get some happy closure (in some way, I think) after Heath’s untimely death. But, I think I liked Sean Penn’s acceptance speech best. His call for marriage equality resonated with me … he is a worthy man to portray the life’s work of Harvey Milk. While I was really anticipating Mickey Rourke to win, my heart sang that a film like Milk was honored by the Academy Awards this year.

Again, I really enjoyed this year’s show … I can’t believe it’s already over … but I think one more look at Hugh’s opening musical performance is deffo in order: