Johnny Depp highlights odd start to Oscar race

Johnny Depp talked incoherently and wrestled with his microphone onstage. Ben Affleck discussed his Gone Girl nude scene from the awards podium. Host Queen Latifah teased Steve Carell about losing his virginity.

Awards season 2014 could shape up to be an odd one if Friday night's 18th annual Hollywood Film Awards was any indication.

The unofficial opening of awards season kicked off in sometimes bizarre style with the first televised program.

"I know what all of you are thinking: 'Did I miss the first 17 Hollywood Film Awards?' " Latifah said as the show kicked off. "Not many movie fans really knew about this show. That's the problem when the event isn't on television. But that changes tonight."

The stars came out in full force for the awards show, which features no nominations and a mysterious selection process for the winners. Award recipients are simply introduced from the stage to accept the awards, presumably an indication of awards season front-runner status.

Some highlights and lowlights:

• Depp's expletive-filled, rambling, incoherent introduction for the documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon could go down in awards show infamy. Depp struggled with the "weirdest mic I've ever seen in my life" and it was downhill from there.

Documentary director Mike Myers chalked it up to "rock 'n' roll."

• Jennifer Lopez mispronounced the name of How to Train Your Dragon 2 when presenting the animation award. Instead she called it "How to Drain Your Dragon 2," sending her into peals of laughter at the podium.

Star Gerard Butler could not help but to pounce when accepting the award. "Thank you, Jennifer, for that flawless introduction," he smirked.

• Latifah's opening gambit about Carell losing his virginity on his prom night got a game laugh from Carell himself. That's it.

• Chris Rock mocked the awards program when receiving the comedy film award for Top Five.

"Wow, do you feel the excitement in the room?" said Rock sarcastically while holding his award. "All of my life, I have dreamt about getting one of these."

• Unbroken star Jack O'Connell bowed onstage and thanked his "boss," director Angelina Jolie when accepting the New Hollywood award. He also dedicated the award to former prisoner of war Louis Zamperini, the film's subject.

Backstage, O'Connell's award broke. Literally.

"Does anyone have any glue?" he asked. "I barely even picked it up."

• Robert Duvall won supporting actor and gave thanks to The Judge co-star Robert Downey Jr. and Duvall's fourth wife Luciana Pedraza.

"I've been on this planet a long time," said Duvall. "I've had a few other better halves. But she's the best better half I have ever had."

Latifah ended the program vowing, "Awards season is on."

The night's 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 Vallée, 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