Oscar night live-blogging

Rather than live-tweet the Oscars, I’ll do it de facto in a single post here and update continuously — this was called “live-blogging” back in the day, kids.

I’m at an Oscar party at an Arlington theater with an audience that already has shown the good taste to boo a mention of PRECIOUS and give its loudest cheers to HURT LOCKER, which I will be rooting for in the only one of the major awards about which there is any suspense — best film. Though I preferred UP, it’s between Kathryn Bigelow’s film and her husband’s.

820 — watching the red carpet. Sarah Jessica Parker looked awful — her face like old asphalt.

830 — audience at party applauds appearance of the Awesome Meryl. “I like to see my friends all cleaned up and looking good.”

832 — couldn’t they get someone who can sing instead of Doogie?

835 — “most losses” … true, some of her noms weren’t so awesome, just “it was Meryl”

840 — THE MESSENGER was a hit?

841 — yeah, kill those pagan spirits

845 — fairly entertaining, especially when they underplay (Martin’s arm gesture for Christoph Waltz)

846 — of course, they don’t use Cruz’s song from NINE ….

846 — Waltz a done deal of course. A Spaniard handing trophy to Austrian (both in mostly foreign-lingo roles) — I like.

855 — another done deal, animated film = UP, though either CORALINE or FROG or FOX would be worthy winner (didn’t see KELLS)

900 — UP win a popular choice where I am and deserved it, though it won’t win Best Pic (it was my pick for best American film of last year)

903 — thank you Jesus … no Best Song performances. just the award thank you. “Almost There” was pretty awesome song and scene, and wud be worthy winner.

906 — “inspired by events in South Africa during apartheid”? Man, to heck with Area 51, that coverup was REAL good

910 — rooting for UP or BASTERDS for script. as long as Coens don’t win.

915 — well, OK. Dunno that HURT LOCKER’s strength is script

919 — class move for scriptwriter to thank US forces

920 — it’s 80s nostalgia time with Claire and Ferris

923 — oops … didn’t realize it was for John Hughes tribute, though I like, I like … BREAKFAST CLUB was one on the most influential movies in my life. saw it about 15 times in late-80s (great choice for the scene from that film)

925 — there could only be one way to end that tribute … awesome. Hope this doesn’t replace the general necrology (one of the highlights for me every year)

927 — O man … who got caught not applauding Hughes tribute? Bad on you, whoever you are.

928 — Creepy to see all those people from Hughes movies 20 years older, especially when an obviously older Ally repeats the line about your soul dying.

929 — I just heard it was the TWILIGHT kids not applauding. Triple irony.

930 — host at party says “would have been nicer if the Academy had been kinder to him while he was alive.” Amen.

931 — now the shorts — which i’ve seen this year for first time ever and I tweeted about last night. Rooting for INSTEAD OF ABRACADABRA in live (not likely) and GRANNY O’GRIMM in animated (no chance)

932 — wow LOGORAMA wins. Deserving, tho it’d have been my third choice

933 — lumping doc shorts in here, rather than with doc feature … no idea about these

935 — bad laughs at the woman doing a Kanye impression. what a tool, big laughs now. does she realize how she comes across.

936 — damn … the one of the live-action shorts I couldn’t stand.

937 — Ben Stiller will be awesome

939 — makeup … the category where NORBIT was nominated

940 — IL DIVO was worthy and not obviously a gimmick, but scifi always does well here.

942 — yep, STAR TREK. Better that than NORBIT though — I’ll never forgive that nomination.

945 — at my party, AVATAR was overwhelmingly “voted off the island” … ftr, I am not acknowledging the I AM A MINSTREL JEW film

950 — adapted script — UP IN THE AIR should win this one, it’s Prize for the Night. BTW .. HURT LOCKER’s original script win means it’s gonna sweep

952 — wow, a PRECIOUS win. Could augur an upset in best pic.

953 — I honestly don’t hate the film, but why O why did they pick one of the two or three scenes in the film, the fried-chicken theft, that had me thinking: “Y’know maybe Armond White’s right in comparing this to BIRTH OF A NATION”

956 — man I would have loved to see these presentations. Lauren Bacall is the highlight of the show from afar. “a two-legged man in my room” … “since I’m so young” — the old-school stats had it all.

957 — audience way too slow to applaud and stand for Bacall and Corman — of all people. theme already — ungrateful classless young whippersnappers.

And get off my lawn!!

958 — ritual award to Monique. only suspense is how she’ll handle the speech.

1000 — everyone applauds at my party. I’m cool with her winning — she is very good

1002 — I dunno Monique, I dunno how taking this role was about “doing what is right not what is popular.” Would anyone have thought your taking that role was immoral (as opposed to ill-advised on account of … ahem it’d be unpopular)

1005 — art direction — whatever is the period piece

1007 — wow … guess scifi helps. but in what sense can a CGI film be said to have art direction or set decoration?

1008 — costumes — the period piece again, though that theory didn’t hold up last time

1011 — OK, worked out this time. especially since VICTORIA had a previous winner (both for period pieces tho from different eras — 16th century and 1920s/30s)

1012 — Good of Powell to note that costumers in other genres don’t get the recognition, though no way for her to segue elegantly from “this is for them” to keeping it herself

1021 — I like a lot of these horror movies, but why not cut montages and keep the life-achievement awards. Corman and Bacall would have killed tonight. it’s just as good a way to remind people the medium has a history.

1022 — they dis Roger Corman and think it’s a makeup to put 3 seconds of Jack Nicholson in Corman’s LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS on the horror montage.

1025 — sound editing — this’ll be AVATAR

1026 — HURT LOCKER beats AVATAR in 2 technical categories (sound editing and effects). Stick a fork in AVATAR for best pic. It’s a HURT LOCKER sweep or a PRECIOUS upset

1028 — Kathryn Bigelow has the look of someone on whom it’s just dawned that this is really gonna be her night

1030 — just won a flying dragon at the Oscar party for knowing the only tie for Best Actress (accumulating useless knowledge of 40-year-old films does pay off)

1035 — it had not penetrated my consciousness that WHITE RIBBON had been nominated for cinematography. AVATAR win in this category doesn’t alter by predix above.

1037 — the necrology. I really do love this every year.

1038 — I’m the lone person clapping for Eric Rohmer and for Simon Channing Williams. Malden and Schulberg same year. Sorry, Michael Jackson does not belong.

1043 — Jean Simmons, Kathryn Grayson too. (not “they don’t belong,” just both young stars of 50s)

1046 — male presenter of best score looks like Peter Suderman’s Twitter avatar.

1047 — oh yippee ki-yay … dancing with the scores

1052 — FOX was best based on that performance. But UP’s win was awesome anyway, and one of the better (if cliched) acceptance speeches.

1055 — what the hell kinda accent is that from the presenter on the left for the visual effects.

1100 — that’s it for AVATAR, I think

1102 — Clooney is starting to annoy me (his in-show schtick that is)

1104 — Best doc will turn on Social Relevance. No Holocaust film so then BURMA VJ tho every one of these films hits some liberal sweet spot.

1105 — Now I want Michael Haneke to win, even though even a second viewing didn’t change my opinion

1106 — More politics. If anyone has link to audio of Rush Limbaugh’s Extra-Dolphin Tuna parody ad, please post or send.

1107 — Tyler Perry is pretty funny

1108 — people are cheering every HURT LOCKER win (editing)

1110 — dunno if Keanu and others aren’t overplaying the “war is a drug” angle since it’s obviously true only of one of the five or six main characters (the central one admittedly).

1120 — wow … know nothing about the Argentine winner SECRET IN THEIR EYES though as usual, the non-Anglophones give the best speeches because they’re too innocent to calculate. When he looked into camera and urgently said “no, no” — awesome

1125 — Best actor to go to Jeff Bridges. After I said in early December it was Clooney or Mandela to 95 percent certainty (right, Sonny)

1130 — OK if you’re gonna introduce each nominee like last year, this make the sense — tributes from current or former colleagues rather than trumped-up encomia from previous category winners with no tie to performer. OK … Robbins gets best line, from last day of shooting SHAWSHANK, told perfectly, building from oversaccharined encomia.

1132 — no surprise for the Dude. wow … forgot how far back his first nom was (LAST PICTURE SHOW — I was 5 years old).

1135 — Lots of “man” in a kinda rambling speech that reminded a little too much of the Dude

1140 — Now for actress — only suspense is how good Bullock’s speech will be. Oh and why is Helen Mirren in THIS category and Christopher Plummer in Supporting? That is objectively incorrect.

1145 — Should Peter Sarsgaard have given away the spoiler? I guess at this point the movie out there long enough. Stanley Tucci has fun with an impossible task — how do you do “accolades for Meryl” at this point in history?

1150 — Wanna bet there won’t be a second. though Sandra is a way better actress than Hillary Swank. Good cutaway cheer by the real-life guy in audience. Can’t imagine a better speech really — right mix of well dropped-in jokes and an unfaked choke back.

1152 — Babs as best-director presenter. That means they know they’re gonna give it to the girl.

1155 — Not that Bigelow doesn’t deserve to win, i.e., it wouldnt be an affirmative action vote. But I hope she doesn’t mention it.

1158 — yeah … Bigelow gives thanks to right people, doesn’t mention her sex. But the orchestra goes and effs it up by playing a feminist anthem from 70s

1159 — just best film to go — HURT LOCKER wins

1200 — and that’s exactly what happens. Awesome. Now two years out of three that the Oscar winner made my Top 10.

Hard to believe I had a chance to see this movie 18 months ago at Toronto 2008, but couldn’t juggle my schedule around to fit.