Hooray for Hollywood

Okay, I've been cooking so I'm a little late with the beginning of this blog.

6:18p - I notice Danny Boyle let the little kids from "Slumdog Millionaire" leave Mumbai to come to the show. That's nice. Especially considering all the bad press surrounding the fact that the kids were still impoverished.
6:22p- That's the guy from "Mamma Mia." He broke up with his long-term girlfriend after hooking up with his co-star (Amanda Seyfried). Naughty.
6:30p - Taraji P Henson is adorable but she's not going to win. Sorry.
* I hate the ticker at the bottom of the screen. It's very distracting.
6:36p - I LOVE PHOEBE CATES AND KEVIN KLINE! "Drop Dead Fred" is totally underrated!
6:37p - If you haven't seen Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor," it's definitely worth checking out. Netflix it!
6:40p- I don't like the "star tracker." Why do I care where they are on the red carpet? Especially when it's pointing out Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. Consensus is - NO Star Tracker!
6:48p- Early prediction for those of you paying attention - "Slumdog Millionaire" for Best Picture. Regardless of whether or not I think it SHOULD win, I think it's going to win.
6:49p- Jay Manuel... America's Next Top Model premieres Wednesday night! So excited!
6:51p- My friends have heard it a million times since I saw the movie, but Freida Pinto is quite possibly the most beautiful woman in the world.
*Everything about Miley Cyrus is stupid. That's a shout-out to Emily! Thanks for the reminder!
6:55p- Melissa Leo looks so good in comparison to how she looked in "Frozen River."
6:56p- Heidi Klum can do no wrong. She is awesome and beautiful and German.
7:02p- Michael Shannon is a little creepy. Vanessa says he is the one part of "Revolutionary Road" she didn't like. Go figure.
7:10p- Mickey Rourke arrives! Sans dog, Loki, who passed away this week. Just got a glimpse of Sarah Jessica Parker - she looks like a cake topper. Living Carrie Bradshaw.
7:12p- Amy Adams looks gorgeous in red, even though she's wearing a rather large necklace. And there's Amanda Seyfried, who doesn't look that great. Consensus is it looks like a bad bridesmaids' dress! And she's a homewrecker. Josh Brolin? Wife beater or great actor?
7:14p- Melissa George... Corset mermaid?? No way! That's a direct quote from Amanda. And in the white? Looks like full-on lingerie!
* We are choosing to stick with the red carpet coverage on E! instead of switching to Barbara Walters' Oscar special.
7:18p- We are all so glad that Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn worked it out! We want to believe that Hollywood marriages can work! Ironically, they flash to SJP and Matthew Broderick who look a little uncomfortable with each other. And then a flash to Robert Downey, Jr. who used to be engaged to SJP. Talk about "flow" in action.
7:27p- Sophia Loren???!!! We love Frank Langella! And now, Mickey Rourke! He looks pretty good tonight. Tame in comparison to some of the other awards shows. He's wearing a photo of his dog, Loki, around his neck. Also, Ryan Seacrest misuses the word "irony."
7:35p- Peter Gabriel showed up, despite Oscar controversy. However, we're talking about Conan's finale and wondering why on earth he needs to move to L.A. Why can't he do The Tonight Show from NYC? Especially since Jay Leno is still going to be doing a show in L.A.
7:36p- Even Rachel Wood. I loved her when she was in "Once and Again" on TV but she's a little strange. The whole Marilyn Manson thing is very creepy.
7:39p- Uh oh. The Brangelina backlash has begun in my household! This will go on all night.
7:42p- Philip Seymour Hoffman always looks dirty. In the non-hygienic way, not in the "naughty" way. I saw him speak once when I attended "The Actor's Studio" and he looked dirty then, too.
7:44p- Penelope Cruz looks like she's wearing a wedding dress. But she's beautiful. Is she here with Javier Bardem? He's gorgeous in that broken sort of way. Everyone in the room wants Brangelina to just friggin' smile already and stop taking themselves so seriously!
7:47p- Kate Winslet looks beautiful because she is. It's "in spite of" her dress, definitely not "because of."
* Now the party is really starting - the chips and salsa are here!
* Where's George Clooney???!!! What is he doing to me?
* Time to switch to ABC! Tim Gunn? We love Tim Gunn!
8:10p - It looks like they're going to weigh the class of "Slumdog Millionaire" on a giant scale. It's nice to see the whole cast here. They all did an amazing job! And more Mickey! We love him! More talk about the dead dog. She died after Mickey had her tux made. So sad. Think about everything I could say about a dog wearing a tux on the red carpet!
8:13p- Viola Davis' dress looks very Marilyn Monroe. Remember that dress MM wore? Very similar.
8:15p- Miley Cyrus. I dislike her greatly. She has a crazy smoky voice. However, no matter what the people in the room say, I think she looks better than I expected. Anne Hathaway? White might not be her best choice. It's a beautiful dress, though. Will she win for Best Actress? I think Kate Winslet will win, but if Anne wins, I'd be happy.
8:23p- Marisa Tomei - Bold dress choice. I like it, but the consensus is that it needs to be pressed. Of course Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow are at the bar. They're still humorous.
8:28p- They're starting! It's starting! The Oscars are here! Four more hours of blogging! If you're still reading, I'm really impressed!
8:32p - First impression - Hugh Jackman will do a good job and just used the phrase, "That's the way I roll."
8:35p- Anne Hathaway changed her dress. Just for this "spontaneous" musical number?
8:38p - "I'm WOLVERINE!" Best intro since Billy Crystal! Funny and entertaining. Bodes well for the rest of the night. There are still like four hours left!
8:43p - I'm in love with Oscar again. These five supporting actresses are cool. Look at Eva Marie Saint. She was super-pregnant when she received her award for "On the Waterfront." One of the greats. It's nice to see Oscar including previous winners in the awards process.
8:47p - Penelope Cruz wins first award of the evening! Great presentation! So far, her speech is good. Heartfelt.
8:53p - Tina Fey and Steve Martin? Could she be the only person to pull off the champagne/white colored dress? She looks hot!
8:57p- 2nd award - Dustin Lance Black - deserves to win. Great movie. Adorable screenwriter! Politically topical. Good for him! Great speech!
9:01p- Simon Beaufoy for "Slumdog Millionaire" wins best adapted screenplay. Vanessa has been right on every pick so far. She's got a spreadsheet to prove it. I love that I have friends who make Oscar pick spreadsheets!
9:04p- Love that they cut to Angelina Jolie while Jennifer Aniston was doing a horrible job presenting. That was funny; the presentation was not. Even Jack Black couldn't save it. Why are they showing clips from all sorts of animated films when only 3 were nominated? The others must feel pretty horrible about themselves. Weird presentation style on that one. We vote NO. And Wall-E wins! They are presenting the award to a guy who looks a little like Jerry Springer (at least while he was approaching the podium!).
9:09p- Vanessa is still on a winning streak! She even picked the Short Animated Film. Who's even seen this? Well, besides Vanessa. "Presto" was the only movie I saw in this category.
9:16p- I think SJP took a few minutes to adjust her boobs before coming out on stage. "Curious Case of Benjamin Button Wins" - they couldn't let it walk away totally empty-handed. I don't think it will win any acting categories, or Best Picture. Vanessa would like me to point out that she's 6 for 6.
9:20p- "The Duchess" wins for Best Costume. Movie has amazing costumes. And the wigs! My goodness, the wigs! Sometimes I wish someone would tie me into an outfit!
9:24p- Best Make-up goes to "Benjamin Button" - yet another condolence prize for them.
9:28p- WHERE IS GEORGE CLOONEY???? DOES HE REALIZE HE'S BREAKING MY HEART???
9:33p- How much do we love that Ben Stiller is mocking Joaquin Phoenix's appearance on Letterman?! Fantastic! I posted a clip from that interview a few posts ago. Ridiculous.
9:35p- "Slumdog Millionaire" wins again. Best Cinematography.
9:38p- Jessica Biel doesn't need that extra silk/satin towel hanging out of her dress. Her dress was much better when she presented the scientific awards.
9:44p- Wicked funny Judd Apatow short. The Oscars are on a roll! Now the same guys are presenting. Best Live Action Short. When anyone uses the phrase, "Suck on that!," I'm a fan. Oh Tracey Morgan, what did you start? "Toyland" has Nazis in it - guaranteed win. Vanessa is 10 for 10 awards! Only 14 awards left to go!
9:53p- Hugh Jackman and Beyonce? Undecided. Verdict is out. We seem to be split over here on how we feel about her in general. And what's up with her singing everyone else's songs this year?! Controversy! She's even singing "At Last!" Etta James is pissed! And Zac and Vanessa!! Someone get them off the stage! And the people from "Mamma Mia!" What is going on?! I wish the dancers in the back were all nominees participating in this whole show. This is the perfect time for a bathroom break!
10:02p- They're doing the same thing for the Supporting Actor that they did for Supporting Actress! We love it! What a great group! So that's why Kevin Kline is there! Alan Arkin just said "Seymour Philip Hoffman." Oops. Word is, "That's what you get when you wear your hat to the Oscars!"
10:05p- I love that Cuba Gooding, Jr. gets to introduce Robert Downey, Jr.'s nominated role. Robert Downey is adorable and looks the best he has EVER. Christopher Walken introducing Michael Shannon. Creepy guy introducing a creepy guy. Perfect. Kevin Kline for Heath Ledger. Kevin Kline looks good. We need more of him in movies. "I Love You To Death" is a great movie! Heath Ledger wins. Frankly, he was the only shoe-in for this show. I don't want to see his family accept the award, though. I would rather see Christopher Nolan accept it. These people just seem attention-hungry. Every single member of Heath's family gets to talk but meanwhile, Oscar winners everywhere get cut off by the menacing music? I don't care if it sounds insensitive, but I'm done. I don't care. The dude killed himself, whether by accident or on purpose. Where's the "Don't Do Drugs" message?
10:14p- Bill Maher is presenting an award in a category in which he wasn't nominated ("Religulous"). That seems a tad rude to me. "Man on Wire" wins! The fact that a dude wirewalked between the Twin Towers is UNREAL!
10:17p- VANESSA LOSES FIRST AWARD! "Smile Pinki" wins for Best Doc. Short. This is Award 13 out of 24!
10:22p- Jimmy Kimmel and Tom Cruise? Brilliant. Tom Cruise is on his way to reclaiming his career. If he could just get rid of (or be quiet about) the Scientology thing...
10:25p- WIll Smith is just so gosh-darn amicable. It's hard not to like him. "Benjamin Button" wins yet another technical award. Boring.
10:29p- "The Dark Knight" wins for Best Sound Editing. Seems like a good choice. Of course, this is when the Oscars lose all their viewers. Only nerds like me (and clearly, my friend Vanessa) care about these awards. But hey, everyone deserves their moment to shine. That's why sometimes I stay and watch the end credits at the movies. Plus, sometimes people have really funny names that make me giggle.
10:31p- Best Sound Mixing - "Slumdog Millionaire." I've got no running commentary on this.
10:34p- Vanessa tells me that the white knot/ribbon that some people are wearing stands for "Support of Gay Marriage." Interesting. That's something I did not know.
10:35p- "Slumdog Millionaire" wins Best Film Editing. Unless Freida Pinto is accepting, I don't need to pay attention.
10:42p- All I can think of when I see Eddie Murphy is that he refuses to see his Spice Girls baby. Jerk. And why are they giving Jerry Lewis an award? Didn't they just catch him with a gun at the airport? And doesn't he keep using the word "fag" when he's speaking? Not sure how I feel about this award/recipient.
10:53p- Alicia Keyes is wearing a very pretty dress. Pretty color on her. Zac Efron is wearing almost as much make-up as she is. "Slumdog Millionaire" wins Best Original Score. Congrats to them!
10:56p- Time for Best Original Song - "The Wrestler" was ROBBED! John Legend is stepping in for Peter Gabriel who didn't want to perform because he didn't think he could do his song justice in 60 seconds. I'm just thankful that they're sticking to 60 seconds per song. Ooh... a mash-up of songs. American v. Indian! And "Slumdog Millionaire" wins with "Jai Ho!" This category was, frankly, a total bummer this year. Especially considering last year's Best Song travesty. Anyway, I know I've already mentioned this before. At least Danny Boyle looks happy! He's been like a cartoon character this whole night. If you look really hard, you might be able to see little hearts floating out of his eyes.
11:05p- Liam Neeson and Freida Pinto. She is beautiful! Although I'm not sure about her dress. Doug thinks she must be wicked tall since Liam Neeson is so tall and she's past his shoulder! And "Departures" wins for Best Foreign Film. No one here saw it although we did see "The Class" and "Waltz With Bashir," which we all thought would be the frontrunners. Strange. Oh well. Quite the upset. "I am here because of films! This is a new departure for me!" Adorable.
11:10p- Only 4 awards left. But just in case you were excited to get to the actual awards, first comes the "In Memoriam." Why is Queen Latifah, who I love, wearing a horrible prom dress? What is with this? I want the dead people to get the full-screen treatment! I don't want to see a movie of a movie! For pete's sake! I can't even see who some of these dead people are! This is a ridiculous way to show off the talents and bio of these professionals. We over here in the W.C. are outraged! We want to see the camera stop moving! What a bummer. Nobody claps for Charlton Heston? Oh, I miss Sydney Pollack. And, of course, Paul Newman. You want to talk about a deserving recipient of the Hersholt award - him! And, of course, he's the only one they go full-screen on. On the upside, Queen Latifah sounded great.
11:18p- Yay for the Academy president not making a speech! Although I will say that an ex-Academy president gave me my diploma for grad school and it was sort of exciting. Reese Witherspoon's dress is not flattering. What's up with all these sashy pieces? I'm not really wowed by any of the dresses tonight. Danny Boyle wins Best Director for "Slumdog Millionaire." Not a big surprise although I like that he jumps up and down! He seems really genuine and is giving a great speech. Plus, anyone who speaks with an accent is automatically cooler and cuter than everybody else.
11:25p- We're so close to the end! Which actresses will present? Sofia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard... LOVES IT! I'm sorry, Shirley MacLaine is one of my favorites. Nicole Kidman looks surprisingly kid since I generally loathe her. I have to say, I love the way they're presenting the acting awards this year. It really makes each nominee special - they go home with something more than just a nomination. I'd rather this than the clips they usually show.
11:29p- Sofia Loren aged so well for so long. I guess something finally caught up with her. She's looking a little broken this evening. We like the constant hand on the hip, too. And how is it that Marion Cotillard speaks better english than she does? An enigma. And no matter how I tease Angelina Jolie, she did a great job in "The Changeling," which is a truly painful story to watch. Really. If you haven't seen it, you should. And then, when you get home, google it.
11:32p- Kate Winslet wins Best Actress. We all love her, but she looks a little older than normal. Leo isn't there. He's underrated as an actor and it's sad that he's not there. Vanessa believes that "The Reader" is the wrong Kate Winslet movie to win this year. Nice shampoo bottle reference! What do you think? Are the British mad at her for being too emotional this time?
* Love the shout-out to the family. Any man who can whistle in the middle of the Oscars is okay by me!
11:35p- This is the award we've been waiting for! Mickey or Sean? Mickey OR Sean? ROBERT DENIRO! BEN KINGSLEY! ANTHONY HOPKINS! ADRIEN BRODY! MICHAEL DOUGLAS! I can't help but love Michael Douglas. And I love him with Catherine Zeta-Jones, too.
*Robert DeNiro is funny? He can make jokes? About Sean Penn? Hooray!
* Richard Jenkins is great! A working actor who finally gets his due. He will always be "Academy Award nominee" from now on and that's a pretty great thing. Brad Pitt? He won't win. And shouldn't. Anthony Hopkins has lost too much weight, I think. He looks older than usual.
* Brad Pitt is wearing a giant ring.
* Ben Kingsley just said "Randy 'The Ram' Robinson" and it sounded funny coming from Gandhi. Vanessa SO wants Mickey to win. I'm worried about what will happen if he loses. "The Returning Champ" Mickey Rourke.
11:43p- UPSET! SEAN PENN WINS BEST ACTOR!!
*Wow! There was a little screaming in the W.C.! Sean Penn did a FABULOUS job in "Milk" and his only real competition came from Mickey.
* We're still a little sorry we don't get to see Mickey Rourke give an acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. Lots of swears and dog talk. Sean Penn is now talking about gay marriage. Good for him. The first real political speech of the evening (besides Dustin Lance Black's), but it seems genuine. "MIckey Rourke rises again and he is my brother." Good speech. You can't argue with Penn's talent.
11:48p - Steven Spielberg never ages. We have concluded that he plateaued with the aging process like 20 yrs ago.
11:52p- They start announcing the nominees for Best Picture. "Slumdog Millionaire!" Not a surprise. I would have liked "The Wrestler" to be nominated for Best Picture, but c'est la vie. Vanessa announced she got 20 out of 24 awards correct! Unfortunately, we have no prizes. The little "Slumdog" kids are on stage.

*** Okay, I'm done. I don't care about the final speech or the wrap-up. If you've read this long, thank you! This was exhausting. I might not be able to do this next year!