BillyBlogs the Oscars

Still unsure of what happened, but retrieved my sent file, here are the posts, chronologically:

INTRO - 8:22 PM EST

This will run in reverse, but I will try and make some Blogservations of the Oscars. I'm qualified since the only films I've seen that are nominated are "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean".

That means I should win the Oscars pool with the gang from Cali.

So far, the highlight has been Sally Kirkland's crazy dress.



Chris Connelly is my (Kevin) Bacon - 8:27 PM EST

As the interviewers fawn over the stars on the Red Carpet, I fondly recall the Summer of 1990 when I free-lanced for MTV and drove Chris Connelly around L.A. as he interviewed stars for MTV's "Big Picture - Summer Movie Preview." Nice to see his hair has grayed along with mine!


Opening Sequence - 8:37 PM EST

Ok, it's cute, but I miss the Troy Miller - directed sequences.

Ok, it's boring now. Sorry. Jaded.

Nice chilli pepper shirt.

Is this a GAP commercial?

Here comes Ellen.....

No, they're re-introducing the nominees.

Melanie liked the opening. She says I'm a cynical bastard.

Here's Ellen!


Ellen - 8:47 PM EST

Nice opening!

I especially like the "If it weren't for Blacks, Gays and Jews, there'd be no Oscars."


First Award - Art Direction - 8:49 PM EST

I picked Pan's Labyrinth and the winner is....

Pan's Labyrinth!

By the way, it's snowing in Brooklyn.


Will Ferrell - 8:58 PM EST

I have a wig just like his hair, only mine is rainbow-colored.

This whole comedian-musical is cute. Still not as great as Robin Williams performing "Blame Canada" several years back.


Makeup - 9:00 PM EST

Pan's Labyrinth wins. I'm two for two!


Best Animated Short and Best Live Action Short - 9:06 PM EST

I chose "Lifted". The Academy chose.....
"The Danish Poet".

Oh well.

For live action, I chose West Bank Story...
The oscar goes to West Bank Story!
The whole family got it!


Sound Effects Choir - 9:15 PM EST

Totally awesome.

One of the coolest Oscar moments I've ever seen.


Sound Editing - 9:17 PM EST

I picked Iwo Jima.

The Oscar goes to.....

Iwo Jima!


Sound Mixing - 9:21 PM EST

I have Flags of Our Fathers,

The Oscar goes to ....

Dreamgirls.


Supporting Actor - 9:27 PM EST

And the Oscar goes to ....

Alan Arkin!

(Bah, I had Pluto Nash!)

Good for him, though. Nice to see a great actor recognized.


Cars' Song - 9:47 PM EST

Separated at birth - James Taylor and Robert Duvall.

And how golden is Randy Newman's touch? Will he be the first composer to win a lifetime Oscar?

Oh, here's Melissa Etheridge now... is this going to be a five-song medley?

Nice performance, nice messages. Of course there are probably more hybrid-car owners per capita in the Kodak Theater than at home, and most of the messages on the screen are not seen by the tv viewers.

Just 2 songs.

Nice pairing of Leo and Gore. Great gag with the music....


Animated Feature - 9:51 PM EST

Cameron Diaz' dress, in Melanie's words, is "like a bad bridesmaid's dress".






The Oscar goes to...

Happy Feet!

I chose Cars.


Writing Montage - 9:55 PM EST

Very cool.

"You ain't no writer, Fink."


Screenplay - 9:59 PM EST

Nice play on the corny teleprompt text by Hanks.

Adapted screenplay first.

Consensus predicts "The Departed"

And so it is.


Costume Design - 10:05 PM EST

What the hell is around Meryl Streep's neck?




I chose "Curse of the Golden Flower".

The Oscar goes to......

(Is this getting tedious yet?)

Marie Antoinette!


Cinematography - 10:16 PM EST

Gwyneth upgraded her wardrobe this year.




Not a big fan of the dress, but at least it isn't stomach-turning.

Sorry, didn't mean to be catty.

This should go to Pan's Labyrinth and ...

It does.


Visual Effects - 10:22 PM EST

Nice joke from Robert Downey. Haven't seen him since the Clinton administration.

Pirates wins.


Foreign Language Film - 10:31 PM EST

Upset!

The Lives of Others beats Pan's Labyrinth!


Best Supporting Actress - 10:36 PM EST

Anyone notice the lines "Well, do ya punk?!" keep appearing between all the nominees?

Go Jennifer Hudson!


And.... - 10:39 PM EST

Nice last minute shout-out to Jennifer Holliday by Ms. Hudson.


Short Subject Documentary and Feature - 10:50 PM EST

Oscar goes to The Blood of Yingzhou District (5 points for me!)

For Feature, we get a Seinfeld intro. Some jokes. Hmmmm.

Not so funny.

Do we get a speech from Al Gore?

You betcha!

Nice and sweet and to the point.


Celine Dion - 11:03 PM EST

World Premiere of "I Knew I Loved You".

Hmmm.

Take away the necklace and she looks very similar to the Oscar statue behind her.



I can only think of her covering AC/DC in her Vegas concert, and I am too distracted to appreciate the song.

Last time I saw Celine she was doing some schtick on Deal or No Deal.

Good for Ennio Morricone. Sorry if I misspelled that. Check iTunes. Yo-Yo Ma does a nice tribute to his work.

You learn something new every day. Clint can translate Italian.


Score - 11:09 PM EST

Oscar goes to Babel.


Original Screenplay - 11:16 PM EST

Tobey Maguire and I go way back. Just google "Hot Rod Brown, Class Clown".

Shayna has been picking some dark horses tonight. She chose Babel while the rest of the house chose Little Miss Sunshine.

Sorry, Shayna.

Sunshine wins.


Silhouettes - 11:18 PM EST

Definitely cool.


Dreamgirls - 11:27 PM EST

It's 11:21 EST. Still a ways to go. Have you been enjoying this live blogging? I have a sinking feeling it has only been fun for me. Sorry.

Well, not really.


Best Song - 11:30 PM EST

The kids chose the song from "Cars". Go figure. Melissa Etheridge wins!


Editing - 11:44 PM EST

Oh does anyone care at this point. Sure, but I am almost 40 and want to go to bed.

Winner is:

Thelma Schoonmacher for "The Departed".


In Memoriam - 11:50 PM EST

Who will get the most applause?

I'm guessing Altman.

Well they ended with him and he did.


Best Actress - 11:57 PM EST

11:51 EST

I am now the only person awake in my house.

Apparently, Phillip Seynour Hoffman's hair stylist is also sleeping.



I am not a well-coiffed dude, but MY LORD! Did Nicholson give him a swirlie during the last commercial break?

No surprise, Helen Mirren wins.


Three Awards to Go - 12:12 PM EST

And it's tomorrow. Or today. It's late.

Reese Witherspoon should have worn a necklace.

Best Actor:

Sweet. Forrest Whitaker!

Great speech.

Coppola, Lucas, and Spielberg presenting for director. Very funny.

Scorcese should win and bring down the house.

Let's see......

Yup. Standing "O".

Shot while Marty is speaking, we see Clint Eastwood's wife brushing something off of his lap. Wonder what that was about?


Best Picture (and the last post of the 79th Academy Awards) - 12:19 PM EST

Nicholson and Keaton presenting.

And the Oscar goes to:

The Departed!

Final Score from Brooklyn:

Me: 180 pts (out of 300 possible)
Melanie: 175
Jolee: 110
Shayna: 75

Good night!