AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE AN OSCAR PARTY

The Story
The Oscars are going down this weekend. Expect this year to be different.

Why's that?
Because Time's Up. After powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment by dozens of women, similar stories about other high-profile men came out. It ignited a national conversation about sexual misconduct and # MeToo . And is why Time's Up - Hollywood's new initiative to help victims of sexual harassment - is a thing. Since then, everyone's been wearing their LBDs on the red carpet. TBD if they do the same at the Oscars.

When and where is this happening?
Sunday, March 4 on ABC. The pregame starts at 6:30pm ET. Show time is at 8pm ET. Here's how it all comes together. Jimmy Kimmel is baaack. Fingers crossed everyone reads from the right envelopes.

Who's winning Best Picture?
Close call between "The Shape of Water" - which got 13 nods - and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" - which has taken the top prize at just about every other awards ceremony. For the acting gold, Frances McDormand and Gary Oldman seem like a lock. So do Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell. rhinestone prom dresses

What do I need to see?
"The Shape of Water"...a mute woman and sea creature fall in love. It got the most noms of any movie this year.

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"...Frances McDormand is the mom whose teenage daughter was raped and murdered. She wants answers...yesterday.

"Call Me By Your Name"...a grad student and his professor's son fall in love during a summer in Italy. One of them is Timothée Chalamet, whose acting chops blow everyone away.

"Lady Bird"...the mother-daughter movie you'll want to watch and rewatch. Greta Gerwig directed. She is the only lady director nominated this year. And the fifth ever.

"Get Out"...Daniel Kaluuya dates Allison Williams and things get creepy. It's Jordan Peele's directorial debut. He did not let you down.

"The Post"...Tom and Meryl recreate the story of the Pentagon Papers. This is your friendly PSA about how important journalism is.

"Phantom Thread"...Daniel Day-Lewis is the bachelor who dresses the British elite in 1950s London - but is thrown off his game when he falls in love.

"Dunkirk"...Christopher Nolan's World War II movie about the dramatic rescue of Allied troops from the French town of Dunkirk before the Nazis take over.

"Darkest Hour"...the other World War II movie. This one has Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill.

theSkimm
Hollywood's had some serious soul-searching to do after the Weinstein allegations. But it's challenged the Academy to let new, diverse movies and voices to take the stage.