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Elizabeth Banks, who captured movie-goers' attention with scene-stealing turns in "The 40-year-old Virgin," may seem an unlikely choice to hand out Hollywood's premiere awards for the science of movie-making.

The 35-year-old Massachusetts native, gamely poking fun at her unfamiliarity with "digital intermediaries" and "ambient occlusion," presided ably with the aid of a teleprompter over this year's Scientific and Technical Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Saturday.

"I don't know what a sine curve is. At all," said Banks after an award recipient thanked his father for teaching him how to chart his first such graph.

The lesser-known companion to the Academy Awards, which one attendee called "the poor man's Oscars," honors the army of technology wizards that toil behind the scenes of the movie industry.

Most years, a young starlet hands out the awards in a low-key ceremony about a fortnight before the world's foremost forum for film awards.

Past hostesses have included Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson and Jessica Biel.

Viewers will glimpse a brief recap of the event when the Oscars are televised live on March 7.

Among the awards dished out for movie magic in 2009, several honored achievements in 3D filmmaking, a hot topic in the wake of James Cameron's "Avatar," the most successful film of all time with a gross of over $2.4 billion worldwide.

Among such honorees was Richard Kirk, who designed and developed "Truelight" described as a system to enable accurate color presentation in digital film previews.

"I can only hope that one day I'm as awesome as my friends and family now think I am," he joked after receiving a gold plaque with a miniature representation of Oscar statuette.

Other awards included nods for achievements in motion-capture, computer graphics, lighting, camera technology and a plethora of other processes used in post-production.

Many award winners called the event the highlight of their career. They included Masaaki Miki of Japan's Fuji Film corporation, part of a trio that developed a new form of digital intermediate film called ETERNA-RDI, used to reproduce film digital masters.

"Just one word: we did it!" the native Japanese speaker yelled at the end of the evening.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)

Catherine Zeta-Jones has been named Worst Dressed Celebrity.

The actress topped an annual list compiled by animal welfare organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) because of her "fetish for wearing anything that once moved".

The group even staged a protest outside New York's Walter Kerr Theater where she is starring in 'A Little Night Music' on Saturday (13.02.10).

PETA said: "With her cow-skin pants, ugly fox coat, and icky alligator bag, Catherine Zeta-Jones looks like she's working her way through Noah's ark with a knife.

"Maybe she's trying to get into character for an upcoming role as a serial killer - or a taxidermist."

Other stars to make the organisation's list included singer Aretha Franklin, US reality TV star Jill Zarin and singer-and-actress Jennifer Lopez, who was dubbed 'Jenny from the butcher block' for wearing fur.

'How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days' actress Kate Hudson - who recently split from baseball star Alex 'A-Rod' Rodriguez - also made the list.

Describing Kate's look, PETA said: "Kate, there's no easier way to lose a guy in 10 days than by wearing a hairball. Maybe your furs are the reason why 'A-Rod' ran for home."

Kate Hudson's designer sofa was reportedly set on fire by a smoking partygoer.

The 'Bride Wars' actress was throwing a bash at her home in the exclusive Pacific Palisades district of Los Angeles for a large group of friends, when one of them accidentally set her couch alight with his cigarette.

Guests were shocked when they saw flames coming out of the seat and quickly threw water over the expensive item and dragged it outdoors.

The 30-year-old star was said to be fuming that one of her pals ignored her non-smoking rule.

According to National Enquirer magazine, she said to the man: "If you had just smoked outside where I asked everyone to smoke, my couch wouldn't have been damaged."

However, Kate eventually softened after repeatedly apologised and offered to pay for any damages and repairs - which she declined.

Kate has thrown a few parties at her luxurious home since she split from New York Yankees baseball player Alex 'A-Rod' Rodriguez in December.

A week before Christmas, Kate invited a host of her celebrity pals over to get in the festive mood.

Let's get this out of the way up front: In Michael Winterbottom's "The Killer Inside Me," Jessica Alba is pulverized, fist to face, fist to face, fist to poor pretty face, by Casey Affleck for a good three minutes or so. Until her eyes are swollen shut and part of her face has been smashed away, exposing her jaw. What one character later describes as "hamburger," "stewed meat."

It's ultra-real, excruciating to watch and, in some viewers' minds, inexcusable.

When Affleck's sociopathic deputy sheriff, Lou Ford, does something similar to Kate Hudson's character later in the nihilistic noir, Winterbottom and crew lost even more of the audience. Not that they walked out of Sunday's premiere screening, mind you. They waited until the moment the lights came up for a Q&A with the filmmakers, and Winterbottom started fielding vehement criticism about the violence toward women.

First question: "Disgusting!" yelled a woman as she got up and stormed up the aisle.

Winterbottom, after a long pause: "Next question?"

Whether the film, a period noir about a West Texas deputy sheriff with dangerous sexual issues adapted from Jim Thompson's classic 1952 novel, has any theatrical prospects turns out to be less interesting than the perennial debate the film sparks about art vs. exploitation when it comes to violence in cinema.

Does the violence work in the context of a deeper exploration of a character's psyche, or that of society as a whole? Or is it displayed in a vacuum without any redeeming context to provide meaning to a viewer other than an indictment of their being willing to sit through it in the first place?

Try the latter. A wildly improbable and over-the-top finale pushes the film into something more like black comedy, which in turn undercuts the purported realism of the violence earlier in the movie.

Audience members repeatedly prodded Winterbottom to provide some greater meaning or backstory that would help them accept what they had just suffered through. The director protested that, as in Thompson's novel, he wanted to explore the noir theme of "a sense of pleasure in the violence. The violence should be shocking."

Mission accomplished.

Kate Hudson threw a star-studded Christmas party on Friday night (18.12.09).

The 'Nine' actress - who split with her New York Yankees baseball star boyfriend Alex Rodriguez earlier this month - forgot her troubles with the lavish bash at her Californian home, which had been given a festive make-over with strands of tree light, reindeer statues in the garden and valet parking attendants dressed in Santa outfits.

Hollywood friends including Kate Beckinsale, Tobey Maguire, Fergie and Josh Duhamel - described by one guest as "lovey-dovey" - as well as Liv Tyler, Jason Statham and Kate's parents, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, attended.

Kate - who is well known for her yearly Halloween parties - was said to be in a very good mood and "played the perfect host".

A guest at the party told People magazine: "There were singers carolling to start the night and then a hip-hop DJ played later.

"The festivities continued into the wee hours before guests made their way home. She couldn't have been in a better mood."

While Kate was enjoying getting into the Christmas spirit, it was recently claimed that her New Year's Eve (31.12.09) plans have been ruined following her split from Alex.

Reports have claimed another sports split. Alex Rodriguez, The New York Yankees star A-Rod and his actress girlfriend Kate Hudson have called it quits, the gossip pages claim.  If it truly is over, it might cost Kate her New Year's plans.

Which seems a bit tough as she already sacrificed her annual sexy costume party in late October.  Earlier this year, the beautiful blonde gave up her Halloween Party for A-Rod, the Yankees and a World Championship and now it looks like the New Year's plans may be off, at least for Kate.

An insider said to Life & Style: "They were both scheduled to appear together at several bashes. Obviously that's not happening now - she canceled!"
"She canceled everything, she's not going to Miami at all. Alex is probably still going, and no doubt will be flirting up a storm - as he usually does."
However Alex won't be going too far, at least according to the source that si cited by the weekly entertainment magazine.  The chatty insider claimed:  "He's been somewhat discreet. They broke up more than two weeks ago, but A-Rod didn't want to say anything during Kate's Nine press appearances. He wanted to let her handle it since this is her time."
Nine is Kate's latest film.

Kate Hudson and A-Rod have reportedly broken up. Reports are claiming the two have split, but just last week in a Thursday interview on CBS, Hudson blushed as talkshow host David Letterman teased her about Alex Rodriguez.  The actress has never spoken about her romance with the Yankees' baseball star - but that did not stop Letterman asking.

"Let's talk about the Yankees," Letterman deadpanned as Hudson appeared on his show. "You're a big Yankees fan and you're friends with Alex Rodriguez - is that the deal?" he joked.
"Yeah, he's a friend of mine," Hudson (pictured, left) laughed. "Nice guy." As Letterman continued, Hudson - laughing throughout - eventually tried to change the question.

"Oh God, can't we talk about the holidays? Can't we talk about Christmas?" she asked. "Yes, let's talk about Thanksgiving," Letterman shot back. "Did Alex Rodriguez come to your house for Thanksgiving?"
"You can't help yourself!" Hudson later laughed. As the light-hearted questions kept firing, the nearest Hudson came to revealing anything of their relationship was "Yeah he's a nice guy" and "It was a really fun summer." 
Was she hinting it was over?  Have the two moved on?

Kate Hudson may be on the outs with boyfriend Alex "'A-Rod" Rodriguez. Rumors were rife that Hudson, the Almost Famous actress, and National League baseball's New York Yankees star Rodriguez were kaput after their passionate liaison of several months.

She was recently seen in the stands at a World Series game in the Bronx with her stepdad Kurt Russell. Rodriguez sent the weekend without Hudson in Miami at an Armani Exchange party at the Delano Hotel.

According to a source, he "flirted with a blonde". Another source said he may have flirted, but it was more likely he was "just being friendly".
Hudson has a son, Ryder, from her former marriage to Chris Robinson.

Kate Hudson is tired of being called "needy".

The Hollywood actress - who has a five-year-old son Ryder with ex-husband Chris Robinson - gets exasperated by the constant speculation over her private life and insists she is far from demanding as a girlfriend.

Kate - who is dating baseball star Alex 'A-Rod' Rodriguez - said: "I can't go two months without being pregnant, engaged, or breaking up because I'm too needy, which is always the one they love.

"I'm not needy. You kind of have to laugh it off, but it can kind of screw up other things around it."

The actress also finds it annoying that she can't be pictured with a guy without being romantically linked to him.

Kate, 34, added to Harper's Bazaar magazine: "If I walk out on the street with any man, I'm dating him. I've been dating two of my best friends from high school who are like girls to me.

Kate Hudson wants to star in a London stage show.

The actress - who was on the red carpet in Leicester Square last night (03.12.09) for the London premiere of the musical comedy 'Nine', in which she plays a fashion journalist - said she would accept role if it fitted in with her family life.

Kate - who has a five-year-old son Ryder from her marriage to rocker Chris Robinson - said: "I've had a really good year which is kind of a good feeling, it's the first year I've felt like that.

"I have thought about theatre, that would be fun. I would never shy away from that.

"As long as it's the right opportunity and timing for my family, but you know, I could. The decision-making process to do something like that does become a lot harder but I would never shy away from that in the right circumstances."

The 30-year-old star said she enjoyed the singing and dancing in 'Nine' so much that she wanted to do something involving that again.

She said: "I would love to, it was so fun. It's like the most exhilarating, joyful thing in the world, it's like 'Oh my god!'."

She also said it was the praise of her step-father Kurt Russell, who watched her during some of the filming, which provided the most memorable aspect of production.