Duets shine on movie-themed 'American Idol'

Maybe the remaining "American Idol" finalists should start a band? The final four singers earned more praise for their moody matchups than their solos during Tuesday's edition of movie-themed performances on the Fox singing competition.
Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze ascended with "Falling Slowly" from the film "Once," while Michael Lynche and Casey James dazzled with "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" from "Don Juan DeMarco."
"They were better than all of the solo performances," gushed Kara DioGuardi.
The picky judge declared that both duets, which featured the finalists accompanying themselves on guitars, were incredible, but she asserted the union between Bowersox and DeWyze on the Oscar-winning song was one of her favorite moments from the ninth season. She informed them the teamwork "brought out the best in both of you."
Simon Cowell agreed.
"I don't know if I would call that a good song," teased Cowell. "I would call it a fantastic song."
Bowersox, a 24-year-old musician from Toledo, Ohio, was the biggest standout with her solo effort, riffing on Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright" from "Caddyshack."
DeWyze wasn't as lucky. The 24-year-old paint sales clerk from Mount Prospect, Ill., wilted with Seal's "Kiss From A Rose" from "Batman Forever." Cowell said it verged on karaoke.
"I felt good about it," replied DeWyze.
The judges also denounced the solo song choices from James, a 27-year-old musician of Fort Worth, Texas, and Lynche, a 26-year-old personal trainer of Queens, N.Y.
James wasn't at the head of the class with Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" from "The Graduate." Lynche failed to make a splash with Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There" from "Free Willy."
"What you did tonight," DioGuardi told Lynche, "you could do in your sleep."

Bullock wins best actress; 'Locker' has four Oscars

Sandra Bullock won best actress at the 82nd annual Academy Awards for her performance as a forceful mother in "The Blind Side."

Jeff Bridges won the best actor Oscar for his performance as an alcohol-soaked country singer in "Crazy Heart."
"Thank you, Academy members!" he exulted, raising his Oscar high. "Thank you Mom and Dad for turning me on to such a groovy profession. ... They loved showbiz so much, and I feel like an extension of them. This is as much for them as it is for me."
Bridges' father was Lloyd Bridges, star of the TV show "Sea Hunt" and many movies, and his mother was actress Dorothy Bridges.
The nominated song from "Crazy Heart," "The Weary Kind," won best original song.
Mo'Nique won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role as Mary Jones, an abusive mother in "Precious."
In a fierce and memorable acceptance speech, she thanked the Oscar voters "for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics."
"I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she did so I don't have to," Mo'Nique said.
McDaniel was the first African-American to win an Academy Award when she was given the best supporting actress Oscar for playing Mammy in the 1939 film "Gone with the Wind."

2010 grammy hotties

Beyoncé wins Best Female Pop Performance for "Halo." She also won Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" with co-writers Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash and Kuk Harrell.
Taylor Swift wins Best Country Album for "Fearless." "Fearless" also won Best Album of the Year.
Green Day win Best Rock Album for "21st Century Breakdown." and the list goes on

2010 New Music Guide: Ones to Watch

Who's poised to make a bigger noise in the new year? Here's our overview of promising artists, some brand new, others recombining or redoubling their work to augur breakthroughs that will kick off a new decade, as surveyed by regular MSN contributor Jonathan Zwickel.