I don’t have the technology (i.e. a laptop) for a live blog, but I did jot down some thoughts…ok, a LOT of thoughts, last night while watching the Oscars. Just pretend you’re reading this on Sunday night.
- OMG! NPH!
- Wow, Alex and Steve are actually funny. I can’t believe I’m laughing out loud.
- George Clooney + long hair = HOT.
- T- Bone Burnett looks pretty badass.
- Aw, Coraline should have won best animated film. It kicked ass.
- Tina Fey looks beautiful!
- Why are all the men wearing sunglasses?
- Why is Molly Ringwald at the Oscars? Oh. John Hughes tribute. This is going to be sad.
- Yep, totally made me cry. His films are so much more than they seem to be. But why no clips from Uncle Buck?
- Very cool to have successful feature directors talk about their short films. Better way to get the audience to care than nominating 10 for best picture.
- Nick Park! I love Wallace and Gromit!
- Why did that woman interrupt the director of the best short doc winner? Worst. Speech. Ever. (Update: You can find out why here. Stay classy, Elinor Burkett.)
- Why does Ben Stiller always make an ass of himself at award shows? Just say no, Ben.
- I really wanted to see A Serious Man, but I think it was in theaters for like, a week.
- Up in the Air is the best movie I’ve seen in a long time. I bet it wins adapted screenplay, but I’d like to see it win best picture.
- Ooh – it went to Precious. Maybe there’s hope for Up in the Air after all.
- Morgan Freeman looks underwhelmed to be there.
- I don’t understand the world’s obsession with Penelope Cruz. She just bugs.
- Sigourney Weaver has been eaten by her dress.
- I am SO NOT interested in seeing Precious. There, I said it.
- Is Edward Scissorhands a horror film?
- I don’t know enough about sound in film, but it seems like if you win for sound editing, you should also win for mixing. Looks like the academy agrees. The Hurt Locker – 3; Avatar – 1. (Update: At this point in the night, I started rooting for The Hurt Locker to take it.)
- Elizabeth Banks, I love your dress! Tim Gunn would approve.
- Damn, The Hurt Locker – 3; Avatar -2.
- Oh, In Memoriam, my fave. I hope they don’t fuck it up like last year.
- No, this way isn’t very good either. Too fast and too much info on the screen.
- Aw, Natasha Richardson.
- A Commercial for Happy Town. The only reason I’m interested in watching that is for the amazing Amy Acker.
- These dancers are a lot better than the ones on the Vancouver Opening Ceremonies.
- Why isn’t the audience on their feet? That was amazing!
- Avatar gains again. But it is for visual effects, so I’ll give it that. You win this time, Cameron.
- Ooh! Modern Family commercial just for the Oscars! If anyone hasn’t seen this show, you’re really missing out.
- Matt Damon was 27 when he won that Oscar? Damn. Now I feel inadequate. About to turn 29, and no Oscar.
- I know I should see Food, Inc., but then I’d never eat again.
- Fisher Stevens? What??
- Woo! The Hurt Locker pulls ahead again in editing. HL – 4; Avatar – 3.
- I know it’s going to Jeff Bridges, but I’d love to see George Clooney or Jeremy Renner take home best actor.
- Nice idea, but these pre-actor speeches are WAY too long.
- Oh, God. Oprah. We’ll be here forever.
- Michael Sheen! I love him more than anyone.
- I really want Meryl Streep to win. She broke my heart in Julie and Julia.
- I’m still not over Sean Penn beating Mickey Rourke last year.
- Seriously, who the fuck calls themself Sapphire? Ugh.
- KATHRYN BIGALOW – WOO! Suck it, Cameron! (But seriously – so deserved – The Hurt Locker is amazing.)
- There is never a time I’m not happy to see Tom Hanks.
- Holy crap! The Hurt Locker takes it all! Woooo!!
- Man, I’m glad I saw The Hurt Locker last night. Good timing, self.
- Thank you and good night!
Retrowatching 
With the exception of fashion comments and observations of actors looking hot, pretty much reflects my thoughts as I watched. The little tributes to the best actor/actresses nominees should go. It is embarassingly self-absorbed in a town and industry that are the very definition of self-absorption. (Which is why it will probably stay.)
Well, if they are going to do them, they should at least make them believable. I bought a few, but most seemed pretty strained. I do like knowing that Helen Mirren has a spiderweb tattoo, though.
Okay, I admit the Hellen Mirren tidbit was interesting, but what bothered me most (aside from the narcissism) was the fact that very little seemed to be said about the actual performance for which the actor/actress was nominated. Popularity contest that the Oscars often are, they could at least pretend it is about the performance. And in the time they take to babble on, they could show some pretty good clips for each performance (like they used to do.)