Deirdre Long's Page

LOS ANGELES — Talk about fantastic finishes. Just when Hollywood figured James Cameron would win the directing and motion picture awards for his super moneymaker “Avatar,” it didn’t happen that way.

Barbra Streisand announced Sunday night that the Oscar went to Kathryn Bigelow for her direction of the Iraq war drama “The Hurt Lock

NEW YORK — Jay Leno was absent from the nation’s TV screens for little more than three weeks, but he’s returning tonight with renewed purpose.

Leno will be reclaiming his old job at NBC’s “Tonight Show” just nine months after giving it up to Conan O’Brien, and only 19 days after NBC pulled the plug on Leno’s own prime-time misadventure.

Now the late-night war resumes between Leno and his longtime CBS opponent David Letterman, who gai

LOS ANGELES — James Cameron’s “Avatar” has sailed past his blockbuster “Titanic” to become No. 1 on the all-time domestic box-office chart.

“Avatar” climbed to $601.1 million domestically on Tuesday, putting it a fraction ahead of the $600.8 million haul for “Titanic.”

With more than $2 billion worldwide, Cameron’s sci-fi sensation shattered the global box-office record of $1.84 billion held by “Titanic” last week.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The science-fiction sensation “Avatar” and the war-on-terror thriller “The Hurt Locker” lead the Academy Awards with nine nominations each, including best picture and director for former spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow.

For the first time since 1943 the Oscars feature 10 best-picture contenders instead of the usual five.

Also nominated for best-picture Tuesday: “District 9”; the animated

LOS ANGELES — “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” made a fortune. “Land of the Lost” tanked.

Both films are equal earners at the Razzies, though, grabbing seven nominations each on Monday, including worst picture of 2009 and worst-acting slots for Will Ferrell and Megan Fox.

Other worst-picture nominees: Sandra Bullock’s romance “All About Steve,” the action tale “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and the Robin Williams-John