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FROM LOS ANGELES The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King had a record-setting Oscar night, picking up prizes for all 11 of its nominations. The clean sweep brought an especially festive feel to the Academy Awards party hosted by Fine Line Features and New Line Cinema—the studio that produced the Rings trilogy—at Astra West.
The viewing- and after-party, produced by Benita Karroll for Moondance Events and Entertainment, began at 4:30 PM with part of the crowd of studio execs and the cast and crew showing up to watch the live broadcast on 24 high-definition flat-screen televisions supplied by event co-sponsor LG electronics company.
The party was just beginning when the rest of the invited guests made their way from the Kodak Theatre after director Peter Jackson picked up Lord 's 11th and final statuette. The late-arriving group may have missed the comfort-food buffet dinner (a small price to pay to see the show in person) but Charlie Palmer made desserts like chocolate cake, creme brulee and berries available all night, along with a Bombay Sapphire martini bar and an assortment of wines from—appropriately— Australia and New Zealand, where the movie was shot.
The marathon party for 700 guests consisted of three distinct spaces: one indoor dining room and two tented areas, one of which contained a traveling exhibit of Annie Leibovitz photographs presented by American Express. 15/40 Productions, the event's technical producer, florist and furniture supplier, bathed the stark silver and white seating and simple orchid arrangements in warm orange light. How did the color choice tie in with the Lord of the Rings theme? "It didn't," Karroll said. "It's just that orange is the new red."
—Alesandra Dubin |
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