Oscars 2023: The 95th Academy Awards

The red carpet is ancient – literally.

The first reference dates back to 458 BC when Greek playwright Aeschylus wrote of a crimson-embroidered path laid by Clytemnestra for her husband Agamemnon to follow on his return from war.

Nice gesture? Far from it. Both had been having affairs, but Clytemnestra didn’t take kindly to her husband bringing his lover back with him. Also, Agamemnon had sacrificed their daughter in a deal with the gods.

The red carpet led into their home, and to Agamemnon being murdered, either by his wife or her lover (accounts vary).

So, the red carpet has bloodthirsty origins. To learn more about how it became adopted by Hollywood, watch the video or read the story on CNN Style.

The Oscars have never been exactly predictable, but Hollywood’s biggest night used to consistently reward crowdpleasers. But over the last two decades, the Oscars have largely avoided rewarding the blockbuster films that once dominated the awards.

Earning a nomination – and eventually winning – an Oscar is no easy feat, and many of the biggest box office smashes of the year don’t stand a chance at best picture. And if they are nominated, like “Avatar: The Way of Water,” awards prognosticators don’t expect them to win.

Here's why, according to experts in film and award shows:

Best picture voting doesn’t reward risks: For every Oscar category except best picture, the nominee with the most votes wins. But Academy members use a preferential ballot when voting for the top prize, ranking the nominees in their preferred order. Ballots are whittled down and films are knocked out until one film ranked consistently high across a multitude of ballots remains. Polarizing films have a harder time winning best picture with this system.

Blockbusters have changed: It’s not that Oscars voters are anti-blockbuster – it’s just that blockbusters today are less original fare than the likes of “E.T.” and “Titanic.” Instead, there are more sequels, reboots, prequels or other variations on familiar IP (intellectual property), experts told CNN, making the Academy less inclined to reward them.

Oscars voters tend to reward "important" films: The films that wind up getting nominated for Oscars don’t have much in common these days. Some have a veneer of prestige based on creative teams or source material, while others have indie credibility or the mass approval of audiences – but Academy voters do tend to reward “important” films, said Dave Karger, a Turner Classic Movies host and Entertainment Weekly award correspondent. These films “speak to the times or offer some kind of social message,” he said.

Read more here.

Sit back and get comfy while you watch the glitz and glamour of the 95th Oscars.

ABC will broadcast the show starting at 8 p.m. EST. You can also stream the Oscars on Hulu+ Live TV, fubuTV, and DIRECTV Stream.

The Oscar winners in all 23 categories will be revealed live, unlike last year, when several award presentations were prerecorded in an effort to shorten the traditionally lengthy show.

While some are still talking about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at the event a year ago, Smith won’t be in attendance on Sunday as he was banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years.

Read more here

Björk’s infamous swan dress may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about 2001 Oscars fashion, but there’s another ensemble that has become emblematic of the early 2000s: Gillian Anderson, at the height of “The X-Files” fame, stepping out for the Vanity Fair afterparty in a backless navy number with a cheeky surprise.

When she turned around, her thong was fully visible, rising up from the ultra-low Eduardo Lucero jersey dress she was wearing.

Anderson revealed in 2016 during a panel discussion in Los Angeles that the style choice was a last-minute decision and was made out of necessity. But it was just one of the many visible thongs of the era — from Halle Berry to Rose McGowan — that made appearances on red-carpet events.

Lately, the trend has resurfaced thanks to Bella Hadid, Alexa Demie and Hailey Bieber, the last of whom Anderson recognized in a throwback post comparing side-by-side looks. 

“Another example of necessity being the mother of invention,” she wrote.

Read more on this iconic fashion moment on CNN Style.