Academy Awards Ramblings

[rayvyn2k]

So, I decided to write down my impressions of the Academy Awards during the show. So, feel free to skip it if you're not interested in my stream-of-consiousness rambling.



6:00 pm (all times are CST)- I start fixing my version of nachos. (For those interested, I use Hamburger Helper Cheesy Enchilada flavor with extra meat, Tostitos Gold Mini tortilla chips, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. YUMMY and quick.)

6:15- Set DVR to record "The Amazing Race".

6:45- Watch the Eddie Murphy segment of the Barbara Walters Special while the HH is cooking.

7:00-put the "Nachos Cathy" together-watch ABC Pre-Oscar show, lament its general ickiness.

7:30-It begins-The film with the nominees was good! Fun and funny. Having the nominees in the audience stand...eh. I want to see Ellen.

7:36-Ellen-she's wearing a red velvet tux and white shoes, heh. Love her. And her monologue rocks. Laugh out loud funny.

7:45-first award- art direction. Pan's Labyrinth. WTF, isn't there supposed to be the best supporting something here?

7:50-first commercial.

7:53-The song sung by Will Farrell, Jack Black and some other guy (John C. Reilly, according to E!) about how comedies and comedians get the shaft at Oscar time was hilarious. "Helen Mirren's comin' home with me!" hee. She was a great sport about it.

8:01-Animated short award-Jaden Smith forgot he had to announce the winner! Hee-"that probably wasn't the right line anyway" So. Damned. Cute.

(no time noted) Short film-West Bank Story? Just for the title alone that one needs to be seen.

(no time noted) Hollywood film corral sound effects choir was AWESOME.

8:19-First award for "Dreamgirls" - sound mixing.

8:20-Finally, Supporting Actor- Eddi--wait, what? Alan Arkin?? Wow-everyone thought it would be Eddie Murphy. Awww, Alan got choked up...he thought it would be Eddie, too.

(no time noted) Ellen in the audience, giving Martin Scorsese a "script" hee.

(no time noted) Wow-the scenes from "The Departed" look really gross. Too gross for me.

(no time noted) James Taylor still sounds as good as ever. And Melissa Etheridge-Wow.

8:36-Leo asking Al Gore if there's anything he wants to announce. Heh-Gore getting played off by the orchestra was cute.

8:43-Best Animated Feature--WTF??? Happy Feet?!? Oh no way. "Cars" was robbed.

8:50-Geeze, Helen Mirren is gorgeous. Okay, Adapted Screenplay-"The Departed" hee, the writer is such a stereotype "Valium does work" BWAH.

9:00-Ellen, costume change, white tux and trousers. Eh, not crazy about it.

9:03-I find it ironic that the best costume design winner is a woman in an ill-fitting tux, but her speech is THE perfect Oscar speech: "Thank you everyone who had anything to do with this movie."

9:10-Ellen gets Stephen Spielburg to take a pic of her and Clint Eastwood--not satisfied with the first she asks him to do it again. hee.

9:15-Okay, the MasterCard commercial with the elephant shopping is officially the CUTEST THING EVER.

9:22-Visual effects-Pirates of the Caribbean.

9:30-Foreign Language Film-another surprise-Pan's Labyrinth didn't win.

9:33-Finally, another acting award-Supporting Actress- Jennifer Hudson, take that, American Idol voters.

9:45-Were you wondering where Jerry Seinfeld has been? Me, either. But his bit was cute about picking up in the theatre.

9:48-Best Documentary-"An Inconvenient Truth"...loved the line, "Al Gore wins again."

10:00-Clint Eastwood--Actor, Director, Producer and ... Translator!

10:08-Wow, Hugh Jackman is just so friggin' hot. Oh, and Babel wins for Best Original Score.

10:13-Original Screenplay-Little Miss Sunshine-I like the way they presented the screenplay nominees this year.

10:22-the performance of the songs nominated from "Dreamgirls"--Jennifer Hudson has barely corralled her "girls". Whew, I was afraid there was going to be a wardrobe malfunction.
Melissa Etheridge wins for Best Original Song and kisses her wife, thanks her onstage and the kids too. Loved that.

10:41-We're up to Film Editing now: The Departed. Aww, Marty is weeping!

10:45-The "In Memorium" film. Jodie Foster intros it and she looks stunning as always.

10:51-Ellen has another change--this time into a black tuxedo shirt, black waistcoat and black trousers. This looks fabulous on her.

10:52-Best Actress--the presenter Phillip S. Hoffman looks like he just crawled out of bed...what's up with his hair? I hope it's for a role, because it looked awful.
Helen Mirren, of course. "I give you-The Queen" Huzzah!

11:00-Ellen vacuuming...heh, and EEK.

11:01- Best Actor: Forrest Whittaker--felt sorry for Peter O'Toole. It's going to take a "special" award for him to get one, I guess.

11:06- Spielburg, Coppalla, Lucas give out the directing award. Finally, Marty wins.
(Oh, and Jack N. is not in the audience, but they do manage to get a shot of him in the wings. He gave Marty a big hug when he came offstage.)

11:12- Jack and Diane Keaton (who looks fabulous instead of frumpy for a change) announce the best picture is...The Departed.

Well, that's one I won't be seeing.

Overall, I thought the show was entertaining this year. The musical numbers were really well done, I liked the jokey banter better than most years, I loved the host--I thought she did really well. I didn't think she was "bland"--she was herself so I don't understand the criticism I've read elsewhere about her performance.

And the show came in under four hours...3:45. Heh.

Comments

[daireen.livejournal.com]

The song sung about how comedies and comedians get the shaft at Oscar time was hilarious.

Frickin' true, though. What the hell is up with that? As anyone who's ever done comedy (and drama) will tell you, comedy is 10x harder to do. It's -hard- to make people laugh. Or at least laugh & think at the same time.

[rayvyn2k.livejournal.com]

Very very true. But the Academy members have to make themselves feel important and relevant with their votes, you know.

Harumph.