With “The Hurt Locker,” which won six Academy Awards including Best Picture in 2010, Kathryn Bigelow created a riveting, small-scale war film focusing on a first-rate bomb squad unit in Iraq. The key to the film’s effectiveness was its emphasis on less being more – rather than drumming up suspense with constant explosions and shootouts, it was the quiet before the storm and what made the soldiers tick that really seized our attention.

LOS ANGELES — The Iraq War drama "The Hurt Locker" has won best picture and five other prizes at the Academy Awards, its haul including best director for Kathryn Bigelow. Bigelow is the first woman in the 82-year history of the Oscars to earn Hollywood's top prize for filmmakers.

Partial list of winners at the 82nd annual Academy Awards:

Until the very end, she is described as "The Girl."

NEW YORK — An estimated 41.3 million people saw "The Hurt Locker" top the popular "Avatar" for best picture in the most-watched Academy Awards telecast since 2005.

If you’re anything like me, you were up at 6 a.m. this morning hitting refresh on your browser, waiting for the Oscar nominations’ webcast to finally get started.

LONDON — Britain's love of the underdog triumphed Sunday as intimate war drama "The Hurt Locker" beat 3D spectacular "Avatar" to take six prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards.

Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock are early favorites to win Oscars in the top acting categories at the Academy Awards, oddsmakers said Tuesday.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — "Avatar" is a dreamy space fantasy that has made more money than any movie in history. "The Hurt Locker" is a ground-level dose of war-on-terror reality and one of the lowest-grossing best-picture contenders ever.  |  Full list of nominations  |  Blog: Sci-fi's time?

The Oscar season is customarily kicked off by the Academy President and a random star solemnly announcing the nominees in a drab ceremony. The Academy decided to shake up tradition this year however, in one of the most cheerful Oscar mornings we’ve ever had.

I’m just going to put it out there: I stole the idea for this week’s Five Most list. It’s not even borrowing. It’s just flat-out theft.

There’s always that one person — whether an ignorant friend or snarky online commenter — who bemoans what a weak year it’s been for film. To those naysayers I reply, “Well, you just haven’t seen enough movies.”

Tamara Jenkins knows about dry spells. Before boot-strapping her critically acclaimed drama “The Savages” into existence — and scoring an Oscar nomination this year for original screenplay in the bargain — the writer-director went nine years between jobs. Nine. Years.

December will soon be descending upon us. For a lot of people this month will entail building snowmen, sledding down hills of snow, making snow angles and getting tongues stuck to icy poles. Of course those stuck in Ahwatukee won’t be able to appreciate any of these traditional winter activities. But who needs snow when you can spend your Christmas break in a cozy movie theater. Here are several films to look out for this holiday season.