OSCAR.COM KICKS OFF ACADEMY AWARDS(r) WEEKEND WITH EXCLUSIVE OSCAR(r) COVERAGE

Oscar.com Delivers Enhanced TV, Webcast from Red Carpet, Exclusive Video Footage, Streaming Fashion Commentary with Tom Julian, Chance to Predict the Winners and More

As Oscar weekend approaches, the official site for the 77th Annual Academy Awards(r), Oscar.com, gives viewers the best seat in the house at www.oscar.com with new video, fashion, and special Oscar party features.

This week fans can go to Oscar.com to watch videos of "best acceptance speech moments" and then vote on their favorite clip. During the pre-show "Oscar Countdown 2005," fans will be encouraged on air to vote for the "best acceptance speech moments" using Enhanced TV on Oscar.com. The "winning moment" will be announced live in the pre-show.

Also featured at Oscar.com is a look at the Academy's Scientific and Technical Awards which honor inventions, devices, methods, formulas or discoveries that serve the motion picture industry. In addition, fans can watch clips of this year's Nominees Luncheon that includes interviews with many of the nominees.

In his 11th year, Oscar.com's fashion analyst Tom Julian celebrates 10 years of Oscar fashion with the most memorable looks of red carpets past. This year Oscar.com brings fans up close and personal to red carpet fashions with exclusive video feature clips from the Oscar Fashion Preview and NYC Fashion Week, complete with special commentary from Tom. Tom also takes us back in time with exclusive Oscar.com fashion features such as "Red Carpet Retro" and "Evolution of Style."

On Awards night, viewers will have a front row seat as Oscar.com features live, continuous streaming video from the red carpet arrivals and streaming interviews with award winners from the backstage press room. Oscar.com also offers viewers a chance to play the "Predict the Winners" game by completing an online ballot with their predictions. Players can compete individually or in teams, and have until 5:30 p.m., PT on the day of the Academy Awards to lock in their predictions. The grand prize is a home entertainment theater system featuring a Panasonic 37" Plasma Television and a home theater surround sound system (ARV: $2,500), first prize is a 14k white gold Split Band Diamond Right Hand Ring, and 10 lucky second-prize winners will receive $50 in Blockbuster(r) GiftCards. Oscar.com also offers fans a chance to follow along with the Awards as they watch the show with Oscar.com's printable ballots.

The 77th Annual Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2004 will be televised live on the ABC Television Network on Sunday, February 27, at the Kodak Theatre starting at 8:30 p.m. (ET)/5:30 p.m. (PT). A half-hour pre-show, "Oscar Countdown 2005," will immediately precede the award presentation ceremony at 8:00 p.m. (ET)/5:00 p.m. (PT).

Oscar.com is co-produced by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and ABC.com.