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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The teenage stars of an Oscar-nominated short film from Afghanistan arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday for the Academy Awards after an Internet campaign raised enough money to pay for their trip. "Buzkashi Boys" actors Fawad Mohammadi and Jawanmard Paiz will walk the red carpet and rub shoulders with Hollywood's biggest stars at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night. ...

(Reuters) - It goes without saying — but we will say it, anyway — that the key to hosting an Oscar party is to make sure that you do not spend too much time in the kitchen and too little time in front of the TV. Oscar night is all about serving everything buffet-style, and with a little planning, you can enjoy the fun. Here's how. DRINKS This is no time to play bartender. Stick with a good white wine and a solid red — there are great inexpensive bottles coming from everywhere these days. There are a lot of good beers and microbrews, too. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar night traditionally comes packed with shocks and upsets for the winners, but on Sunday the biggest surprise could be the host - provocative comedian, actor and singer Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane, 39, the creator of the edgy animated TV series "Family Guy," "American Dad" and "The Cleveland Show," has awards watchers and audiences intrigued as to what he has up his sleeve for the movie industry's biggest night. "We love the expectation of the newness of Seth and we love the fact that people don't quite know what they're going to get with him as a host. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When actresses sashay down the red carpet before the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, they are expected to be wearing gowns exuding glamour and sophistication, not flesh-exposing jaw-droppers. Performers at this month's Grammys were issued a "wardrobe advisory" ahead of the big music awards show, telling them to cover up and keep buttocks, nipples and genitals under wraps. The advisory appeared to work, as no one bared too much skin. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The movie studios behind this year's Best Picture nominees already have brought home a treasured prize: big box-office sales that placed the Oscar contenders among the most-watched films of 2012. The nine competitors for Hollywood's top film award sold a combined $2 billion in tickets worldwide heading into Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. Six of them, including frontrunners "Argo" and "Lincoln," hauled in at least $100 million apiece at U.S. and Canadian theaters. ...

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Producers Guild Awards will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Sunday, January 19, 2014, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the Producers Guild of America announced Thursday. While the PGA is typically the first of the major Hollywood guilds to hold its awards show, the Screen Actors Guild recently claimed Saturday, January 18 for its 2014 ceremony, forcing the producers to set their show for the next day. The previous weekend, January 11-12, will most likely be Golden Globes weekend. ...

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - It's clear that Hollywood will be more focused on the Oscars than the box office this weekend. The studios have for the most part steered clear of the theaters. Neither of this week's two wide openers - the Weinstein Company's low-budget horror thriller "Dark Skies" and Summit's Dwayne Johnson action film "Snitch" - are expected to crack $13 million. The battle for the top spot will likely be between last week's runner-up, "Identity Thief," and last week's No. 1 movie, "Good Day to Die Hard." Only with a lot of luck could "Snitch" sneak in for a surprise win. ...

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Entertainment and sports reporter Chris Connelly has been chosen to welcome nominees, presenters and performers on the red carpet at Sunday's Oscar ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday. Connelly's interviews with celebrity guests attending the 85th Annual Academy Awards - recently rebranded as simply the Oscars - will be heard by those watching the action live in the stands, as well as any viewers watching Backstage Pass on the official Oscar website or the official Oscars App. ...