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Fashion from the red carpet:

Kristin Chenoweth, I love you (air kiss) but we really need to have Ryan Seacrest and the E! team do the red carpet stuff. Not digging this weird mystery game and gushing over every star. Let's bring back the fashion talk, please!

Not a huge fan of that beard on George Clooney. Yes, I'm talking about facial hair! Halle Barry is in a Versace black and gold gown with a deep V-neck and sheer long sleeves. Jennifer Aniston wears a strapless Valentino red gown with a full skirt. Her hair is loose and natural looking, which probably means it takes hours to do, of course. The dress is pretty but sort of plain. Ack, can't believe I said that about Valentino.

Sandra Bullock's sleek, sheer-with-lace dress with a super capped sleeve is lovely. I don't love the super-straight hair, though. Jane Fonda, at age 75, shines in her bright yellow Versace long-sleeved dress with a triangle cutout in the back. Her stylist says portion control and exercise are the key to her fit body. Cutest couple is absolutely Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. She's wearing a Gucci plum/wine colored strapless gown with puffy accents along the spine and a train. It's accompanied by an amazing diamond necklace. Nicole Kidman bucks the strapless trend and wears a dress with straps that's black with gold sequins. It's fitted and lovely for a presenter. Actress Zoe Saldana looks gorgeous in a strapless Alexis Mabille Couture dress and Neil Lane jewels. Charlize Theron wears a Dior Couture two-piece looking white gown. It's strapless with a slight v-neck. Her buzzed blonde hair still looks amazing. Naomi Watts wears a blue/silver Armani Prive gown with a capped shoulder on one side and a bare shoulder on the other. Very bold choice. I love it.

Anne Hathaway wears a white Prada gown with a high neckline and tiny straps. Her short hair looks cute. She says she chose the dress just three hours ago. Overall, I think too simple for the Oscars! Helen Hunt wears an H&M sleek, strapless blue gown and a fabulous diamond necklace. Jennifer Lawrence wears a strapless white Dior Couture gown that's sort of mermaid style but has a puffy bridal-like bottom. Her hair is up and she has diamond drop earrings. (Maybe she just arrived from the Ultimate Bridal Expo?)

Sally Field wears a red gown with sheer red sleeves. I love it. Amanda Seyfried wears an Alexander McQueen gown with a halter top and keyhole. Her hair is in an updo. Presenter Kerry Washington wears a strapless Miu Miu gown in a coral/orange/red color with a sparkly bodice. Jacki Weaver looks beautiful in her red gown with a lace bodice and shoulders. She wears $2 million worth of diamonds from Stephen Webster.

Amy Adams, nominated for supporting actress for "The Master," wears a strapless Oscar de le Renta gown in light blue with a feathery bottom. Performer Samantha Barks gets my vote for most-likely to have a wardrobe malfunction in her black gown with a seriously deep V. Apparently, the Oscars didn't have the same memo that the Grammys released. Channing Tatum refers to his about-to-be-born child, with wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum, as his "greatest production yet." Aw, too sweet. Jenna showed off her baby bump in a cute, fitted, black, lace dress.

Quvenzhane Wallis, the 9-year-old nominee for "Beasts of the Southern Wild," was just as cute and funny as we'd hoped. How's her experience been so far? "It has been crazy," she said. The craziest part? "All of it." Can she believe that she's competing against these talented women? "No because they're older and they're more sophisticated." She chose her dress because it was sparkly and fluffy. Her puppy purse looks like her puppy at home.

Reese Witherspoon wears a strapless Louis Vuitton gown in blue with black ribbon accents. Her hair is long with big, structured curls. She credits the volume of her hair to having just had a baby.

Jessica Chastain, nominated for best actress for "Zero Dark Thirty," wears a strapless, form fitting, bedazzled flesh colored dress by Armani Prive. She's glamorous with her bright red lips and her strawberry blonde hair worn long and sleek with some curls at the ends. She brings her grandma to the Oscars again. Adorable! Jessica's Harry Winston 1960s bracelet fits her Old Hollywood glam look perfectly. It's on loan, she confesses.

Seth MacFarlane's dad, Ron, and sister, Rachel, tell Ryan that the Oscar host has been working for five months on his opening act. "It's gonna be tremendous," Rachel says. Viewers get a glimpse of Olympian Ryan Lochte's upcoming E! show, "What would Ryan Lochte Do." It can't be defined, apparently. Hmmm. Won't be too upset if I forget to DVR that one.

Some highlights from E!'s before-the-red-carpet show:

E!'s Ryan Seacrest talks to Chef Wolfgang Puck, who showcases some of his mouthwatering Oscar night treats. The celebrity chef has planned for all diets, with a special 10-course vegan menu.

For some Oscar prediction fun, E!'s film critic Dave Karger goes up against primate Crystal, the monkey from "Hangover 2" and "We Bought a Zoo." Crystal is dressed for the occasion in a red gown and diamond belt. Olympian Gabby Douglas hands pucks to Crystal who drops her pucks into select categories to choose her favorites. For supporting actress: Crystal chooses Helen Hunt. Dave picks Anne Hathaway. For supporting actor, Crystal chooses Christoph Waltz. Dave chooses Robert de Niro. For best actor, both pick Daniel Day Lewis. For best actress, Crystal picks Naomi Watts. Dave picks Jennifer Lawrence.

Versace gowns have been most popular on the red carpet in the last 15 years with 36 appearances. Other appearances: Aramni, including men's attire, 31; Valentino, 21; Dior, 18; Vera Wang, 16; Marchesa, 11; Badgley Mischka, 10; Carolina Herrara, 10; Dolce & Gabbana, 10; Elie Saab, 9; Gucci, 8; Oscar de le Renta, 7; Monique Lhuiller, 5; McQueen, 2.

Wow. Early red carpet coverage is off to a thrilling start. Just after 3 p.m., viewers get to meet the tiger from "Life of Pi," she's from a famous tiger family. Her mom was in "Gladiator." Animal trainer Randy Miller introduces the tiger, who will offer a demonstration of a few tricks at a gorgeous Hollywood hotel pool area. Luckily, it's empty except for E! host Ross Mathews and AnnaLynne McCord, actress from 9021, and several trainers. That's fortunate because the tiger who performs her first trick, "find the mark," very well gets confused during her second trick, "attack against a green screen." They call the tiger back to her crate. The trainers try again but the tiger is still confused and there are a few seconds where it looks like the tiger might run away. Although nervous, Ross, standing behind a live wire, kept his cool. "This is what happens when tigers are on TV and she didn't have what she wanted in that dressing room," Ross said. When the tiger was safely back in her create, Ross said he wasn't too worried because: "I brought, like, extra pairs of pants, so everything is cool."