By Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --The first televised Hollywood Film Awards was like a dressy, drawn-out advertisement for Oscar hopefuls.
More than half of the night's recipients were recognized for films that haven't been released yet. Trailers for the movies played during the commercial breaks.
Queen Latifah, who hosted the ceremony Friday at the Hollywood Palladium, talked about the event's relative obscurity in her opening monologue, saying, "Not many people knew about this show."
Response to the awards ranged from genuine appreciation to goofy acknowledgement.
"All my life I've dreamt of getting one of these, like everybody else in this room, and I can't believe this day has come," Chris Rock joked as he accepted a trophy for his new film, "Top Five," set for release next month.
"An Oscar is an Oscar," he continued, examining the trophy. "What is this, a shiny blackie? I don't know. I love it though."
Johnny Depp made immediate use of the F-word when he took the stage to present the documentary award for "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon." The megastar slurred and continued to use expletives before he was cut off by a film-clip package.
Ben Affleck, who accepted the film award for "Gone Girl," said he hoped it didn't appear presumptuous that he prepared a speech.
"When they told me there were no other nominees, I felt cautiously optimistic," the actor said.
Steve Carell and Channing Tatum, who were recognized as an ensemble for their work in "Foxcatcher," used their acceptance speech time to repeatedly hug one another and presenter Jonah Hill.
"I'm not even in the movie," Hill playfully protested.
Jennifer Lopez laughed and blushed as she mispronounced the name of the animation winner as "How to Drain Your Dragon." Gerard Butler teased her about the mistake as he accepted the award for "How to Train Your Dragon 2."
Other stars, though, seemed honestly touched at the recognition.
Benedict Cumberbatch, who won the actor award for playing code-cracking Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game" (opening later this month), called the prize "a huge honor."
Morten Tyldum accepted an award for directing the film.
"I'm new to Hollywood," he said. "This is the greatest honor and warmest welcome I can imagine."
Angelina Jolie and the star of her new film, "Unbroken," warmly acknowledged the subject of the biopic opening Christmas Day.
"I dedicate the award to the man himself, Mr. Louis Zamperini," star Jack O'Connell said as he accepted the New Hollywood award.
Founded by entrepreneur Carlos de Abreu and his wife, former model Janice Pennington, the Hollywood Film Awards have been presented off-camera since 1997. There are no nominees, only winners chosen by de Abreu and a dozen others.
Latifah described the event as "a celebration of this year's greatest movies and a guide to films that will be coming to theaters in the next few weeks and through the holidays."
"Awards season is on!" she said at the show's conclusion.
Hollywood's awards season has traditionally begun at year's end. Golden Globe nominations will be announced Dec. 11 and the awards presented Jan. 11. Academy Award nominations will be announced Jan. 15, with the Oscar show set for Feb. 22.
Here' a rundown of Hollywood Film Award winners:
Film: "Gone Girl."
Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game."
Actress: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice."
Supporting actor: Robert Duvall, "The Judge."
Supporting actress: Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game."
Breakout performance actress: Shailene Woodley, "The Fault in Our Stars."
Breakout performance actor: Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything."
Ensemble: "Foxcatcher."
Director: Morten Tyldum, "The Imitation Game."
Breakthrough director: Jean-Marc Vallรฉe, "Wild."
Screenwriter: Gillian Flynn, "Gone Girl."
Song: "What is Love," by Janelle Monae, from "Rio 2."
Animation: "How to Train Your Dragon 2."
Blockbuster: "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Documentary: "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon."
Comedy film: "Top Five."
New Hollywood: Jack O'Connell, "Unbroken."
Career achievement: Michael Keaton.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads โ essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More