The Albany Gazette - Conan, Gaza and Hackman: top moments from the Oscars

Here are some of the standout moments from the 97th Academy Awards:

- New host -

First time host Conan O'Brien kept it mostly light, with his usual blend of silly and sharp.

His pre-taped opening saw a worker hammering on his dressing room door, urging the redhead to hurry to the stage.

Inside the dressing room, O'Brien was emerging from Demi Moore's recumbent body, in a riff on satirical body-horror flick "The Substance," in which an aging Moore takes an off-market drug to try to recapture her youth, with dire consequences.

After examining himself in the mirror -- and seemingly being pleased with what he saw -- the comic plunged back into Moore's body in an apparent search for lost items.

"That was weird," he said after taking the stage.

"Yeah, awkward. I'm missing some car keys."

- Gaza -

After past years when host Jimmy Kimmel took shots at President Donald Trump, the 2025 Oscars had appeared set to be a largely politics-free evening, until "No Other Land" won the documentary feature award.

The film, made by Palestinians and Israelis, follows young Palestinian Basel Adra, recording the gradual destruction of his homeland, as Israeli soldiers demolish homes and evict those living there.

The poignant story contrasts his struggles with the freedoms enjoyed by Jewish Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham.

Accepting the award, Abraham criticized the "atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people" and called for the immediate release of Israeli hostages still being held after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas fighters.

He called for Israel and the Palestinians to walk "a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people."

"And I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path."

- Gene Hackman -

Morgan Freeman led tributes to Gene Hackman, whose body was discovered in his New Mexico home, along with that of his wife and their pet dog, last week in what police said were circumstances "suspicious enough" to investigate.

"This week, our community lost a giant and I lost a dear friend," Freeman said of the 95-year-old Oscar winner.

"Like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man whose gifts elevated everyone's work.

"He received two Oscars, but more importantly, he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world."

- Doing it for the kids -

Picking up his award for best supporting actor, Kieran Culkin said he had almost turned down "A Real Pain" because he didn't want to be away from his children to film it abroad.

But if it was hard to leave his two kids, he revealed that -- if he gets his way -- there might be even more soon.

Culkin said his wife had previously agreed to a third child after he won an earlier award.

"Turns out, she said that because she didn't think I was going to win," he said.

"After the show, we're walking through a parking lot. She's holding the Emmy... and she goes, 'Oh, God, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid.'"

But, he told her he actually wanted four.

"She said, 'I will give you four when you win an Oscar.' I held my hand out, she shook it.

"And I have not brought it up once. Until just now," he added.

- Shaken, and stirred -

The ceremony paid tribute to Hollywood's best-loved spy, James Bond, just days after long-time producers Barabara Broccoli and Michael Wilson relinquished creative control to Amazon.

One-time Bond girl Halle Berry introduced the section, which kicked off with a succession of clips of actors who have played the super-spy, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig.

That was followed by a montage of the kind of high-octane stunts that characterize perhaps the most durable franchise in cinema history.

Musical stars Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye took turns to belt out theme songs from movies gone by -- "Live and Let Die," "Diamonds are Forever" and "Skyfall."

(N.Miller--TAG)