THE Oscars lacked a blockbuster punch on Sunday night — and the afterparties were apparently a flop, too.
While indie flick Anora scooped the biggest awards, there was nothing on stage that came even remotely close to controversial moments like Will Smith smacking Chris Rock in 2022.
Traditional Oscars parties like the one hosted by Vanity affair attracted A-listers like Rita Ora, Beyonce and Katy Perry but there was a lack of buzz in Hollywood[/caption]
Well-placed sources have told The U.S. Sun that catering staff went home on Sunday night with bags of lobster and caviar[/caption]
Demi Moore, as revealed by The U.S. Sun, snubbed a party to celebrate her film, The Substance, and instead ate fries in her dressing gown[/caption]
LACK OF PUNCH
The acceptance speeches were also relatively tame, with The U.S. Sun’s team on the ground in Los Angeles revealing a distinct lack of “buzz and vibe” surrounding the 97th Academy Awards.
The after-effects of the devastating California fires almost certainly dampened the normally exuberant excitement levels.
With films like Anora and Demi Moore’s Substance produced by smaller film houses, the biggest players in Hollywood weren’t rolling out their own red carpets at ridiculously lavish bashes.
CAA was the only agency to put on a big party – and they still downsized from the usual lavish estate bash.
Demi, as exclusively revealed by The U.S. Sun, was expected to attend a party at Soho House Holloway in West Hollywood to celebrate the success of The Substance, yet after failing to win what would have been her first Oscar, the star skipped it.
She later posted pictures on social media eating fries in her robe.
It was definitely a night of celebration for independent filmmakers, and smaller distributors.
But Hollywood sources say their budgets were smaller, so the parties were more intimate than usual.
One media personality who attends most Oscars parties every year told The U.S. Sun that this year’s event was the “quietest Hollywood has been in years during Oscar season.”
She said “9 out of 10” sponsors pulled out of one gifting lounge, mainly because of the wildfires but also due to a lack of interest.
The insider also revealed that some of the afterparties were over by midnight and just didn’t have the normal atmosphere.
Some stars were seen posing for photo ops before making their way home.
“Oscars week used to be huge, and the A-list parties were packed and went on until the early hours of the morning,” continued the source. “Even the agency parties were not as buzzy this year, with many major celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Renée Zellweger leaving early to head home.”
BAGS OF DELIGHT
The lack of action was bad news for the organizers — but a brilliant development for the thousands of staff working at lavish parties, as bucketloads of super-expensive food and booze were left untouched.
The U.S. Sun has spoken to a VIP and celebrity parties coordinator and an experienced luxury food consultant who were involved in the planning of events on Sunday night.
Both reported a huge number of no-shows on an evening that was described as “very, very weird.”
They reported that at least “30% of guests” didn’t bother turning up to enjoy high-end champagne and cognac.
“At the end of the night, 70% of the bottles hadn’t been opened,” he said. “I’ve worked the Oscars for over 20 years and never seen anything like this.”
Even the super-expensive Armand de Brignac Brut Rosé Methusalem, which costs a cool $12,000 a bottle, was barely touched.
“We had some $11,000 bottles of Rémy Martin cognac, and only one was opened,” added the source, who is already expecting smaller orders for food and drink next year as a result.
The other luxury food and drink expert said this year’s awards marked the first time in 25 years that people “didn’t care at all.”
He claims over $700,000 was splurged on food, with much of it left uneaten.
There were, claims the insider, 150 pounds of lobster costing $50,000 and huge amounts of caviar, which set organizers back a cool $180,000.
Mounds of massively expensive caviar went untouched as stars gave luxurious parties a miss on Sunday night[/caption]
Most of the fancy fare just sat there.
“A lot of the workers left their shift with a massive bag of food and a huge smile on their faces,” he revealed.
“It’s very disappointing and frustrating, as those parties are usually a massive success and a great way to make business for many people in the food and drinks industry.”
LOST FOCUS
Director Jonathan Baker, whose mentor was Warren Beatty, has worked with the likes of Nicholas Cage, and hosts a lavish annual Oscars viewing party at his home in Beverly Hills.
But he told The U.S. Sun at this year’s event that he feels the Oscars has changed “for the worst” and that the week is not what it used to be.
“We’ve lost focus of what Hollywood is,” Baker said. “I’d like to see more studio movies, I’d like to see big productions. I want to see us celebrate the Hollywood that we once knew.
“Right now we’re celebrating independent movies … but we have the Spirit Awards, we have all of that. This is to celebrate black tie, to celebrate how long it’s taken to become sensational.”
The media personality also said that with the lack of huge mansion parties, there were smaller venues that didn’t have the same kind of vibe.
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos attended one before the awards but there was a distinct lack of other options.
“Most years there is a huge traffic line down Sunset with people trying to blag their way into Beyoncé’s party at the Chateau Marmont and crowds of people on the streets,” she said. “It’s usually chaos, but this year was very different, with just a few cars at a time lined up for those attending.”
“It’s a real shame because Hollywood is all about the entertainment industry, the glitz and glamour of awards season. It needs resuscitating.”
According to insiders, the 97th Academy awards lacked razzmatazz[/caption]
Over $700,000 was spent on top end champagne but most of the bottles were unopened[/caption]
