Oscar Live Blog

6:50 PM - My co-blogger for the evening:

7:07

ABC needs to stop telling me to go do other things. Tweet, Facebook, go download Oscar apps. I'm watching the show, let's leave it at that.

7:15

If I could pick the winner in any category? Gary Oldman in Best Actor.

My gut tells me Melissa McCarthy could happen, but my brain keeps overruling it.

Click for the Rest

7:22

So far both Emma Stone and Jonah Hill have claimed their movie is about "the underdog"

ABC red carpet lady informs me that "redheads are in". Also, Rooney Mara is "Audrey Hepburn gone punk".

7:30

ABC bobble-head asks Christopher Plummer what it means for him to win while being incredibly old.

7:40

ABC red carpet lady spoils Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy for everyone at home during Colin Firth interview

7:48
Mirror Mirror commercial. Woo boy. That don't look good.


7:54

Nick Nolte vs. Red Carpet lady. Classic comedy. The best exchange was something to the effect of:


"Is it true you have a pinball machine that can predict winners?"
"No. It was a machine where the tilt was disable so you can run up the score quite high."


8:02
Interview man introduces Bradley Cooper as someone whose "known for doing everything". If he had said known for Hangover and being that asshole from Wedding Crashers he would have been closer to the truth.


8:08
Red Capet Lady to Glenn Close:


"Your eyes were piercing as Albert Nobbs. Have fun tonight!" I'm not drunk enough for this.


8:12
Nolte should co-present every award. 


"Sound effects are a crucial film element isn't that right, Nick?" 


"Huh? What? I don't know what you're talking about?"


8:23
One good thing about War Horse getting a nomination. They are finally forced to get someone other than Spielberg to present Best Picture.

8:36

8:38

Did the Academy stop to consider Billy Crystal's stamina when they expanded the Best Picture category

8:42

They've got Mickey Rooney filling seats. Nice to see him getting work.

First award goes to Hugo for Cinematography

Second goest to Hugo for Art Diection

I'm 1 for 2 in the pool. I knew they would screw Lubezki but I thought they would do go for The Artist.

8:55

The Artist for Best Costume. 

The Iron Lady for Best Makeup

9:00

A montage of random movie moments.

The Shark from Jaws, ET and Mike Tyson from The Hangover.

9:05

A Separation for Best Foreign Film! Woo!
And Farhadi delivers what will probably go down as the speech of the night. Wish more people followed his lead and really said something instead of just rattling off lists. Of course, to be fair, few have as much to say as Farhadi.

9:39

And now to cleanse the palette it's Cirque du Soleil to reenact North by Northwest. 

9:40

Billy Crystal makes old jokes about Plummer and Von Sydow. His schtick is older than the both of them combined

9:12

Clip for Melissa McCarthy made me want to see her win so badly. A comic performance for the ages.

Best Supporting Actress: Spencer for The Help

**Aaaaand the last half hour of my live blog is erased. Super. le Sigh. Jumping back in.**

9:45

Chris Rock gets more laughs in 2 minutes then Crystal got so far tonight.

9:47

Rango for Best Animated movie. See you next year Pixar.

9:56

Emma Stone actually manages to make presenter banter tolerable. There is nothing she can't do.

Hugo for Visual Effects

Apes was robbed. No way around it.

10:02

Plummer for Supporting Actor! Damn straight.

Now here is a man who knows how to deliver a speech.

10:11

Nick Nolte reaction shot saves lame Billy Crystal mind-reading bit. Nolte reaction shots should be the new Jack Nicholson reaction shots

10:15

The Artist for Best Score. John Williams has now lost 16 times in a row. Take that Meryl Streep.

10:18

Muppets for Best Song. Obviously. McKenzie is predictably adorable.

Sacha Baron Cohen isn't allowed to come in character but Zach Galifianakis is allowed to come as Zach Galifianakis

10:25

Angelina Jolie's right leg to present the screenplay awards. 

Alexander Payne for Election! (shush)

Woody Allen for Original Screenplay his first win since Hannah and Her Sisters in '87

10:38

Bridesmaids to introduce short films with dick jokes. Empowerment!

Doing better predicting shorts this year with wild guesses than last year when I saw all the films.

Winners are Saving Face, Fantastic Flying Books, and The Shore

10:51

Any chance Malick and Woody burst in at the last minute all drunk and rowdy?

Michel Hazanivicius wins for The Artist. Say what you will about the Artist but I can't imagine a better directing job on that script.

10:58

Lifetime achievement awards. James Earl Jones, Oprah and Dick Smith. Thank God I don't have to hear James Earl Jones speak. That would have cut into the North By Northwest interpretative dance. Priorities people.

11:02

In Memorium montage up next. Please, please, please have respectful silence until the end.

Tastefully done this year. And Sidney Lumet. Heartbreak. He was still going strong. We lost a giant.

11:12

More talking heads.

Hey Patton Oswalt! Didn't think I'd see him tonight.

11:14

Portman comes out to present Best Actor.

DuJardin is giving Clooney a run for his money in the charming, self-effacing smile contest.

Jean DuJardin for Best Actor. 

11:24

Firth to present Best Actress. I know more than a few ladies who would rather have Firth publicly declare his admiration for them than win an Oscar.

Streep wins! Holy crap.

Love Streep and she gives great speech but Iron Lady was too awful for Streep to reach her best. Davis was screwed.

11:38

Artist wins picture. Dramatic montage music give way to the rinky-dink theme from The Artist. Tom Cruise presents the award once again showing limited imagination in the big moment going for star power instead of legend status. Memo for next year: Peter O'Toole and Maureen O'Hara are still available.

4 Reasons To Be Pleased About This Year's Oscars

1. A Separation wins
2. Christopher Plummer wins 
3. Despite this being one of his lesser works I can't help but be pleased seeing Alexander Payne holding an Oscar. Ditto Streep's win. Hard not to be pleased when I see either of them holding a trophy, regardless of the context.
4. The traditional stuff - The Help, War Horse, Extremely Loud - was almost entirely shut out. Say what you will about The Artist but it's not the same old Oscar bait.

4 Reasons To Be Aggravated By This Year's Oscars

1. A minor Meryl performance beat a brilliant Viola performance. History will not judge this well.
2. Crystal's shtick was tired and reached borderline Leno levels of lame. For a guy who made a lot of old jokes his gags were more ancient than the combined age of the supporting actor lineup
3. A Woody Allen trifle beat one of the finest screenplays in recent memory.
4. Aside from Meryl and a well judged win for Dragon Tattoo the Academy remained entirely predictable in their choices. For all the patting themselves on the back for awarding a silent film there was very little daring in their voting.