Oscar LiveBlogging! (Part I)
8:00 - Now that I'm actually sitting down to watch this, I'm having some second thoughts. Catching the tail-end of the Barbara Walters Oscars special was a harsh reminder of the three-hour marathon of self-indulgent I've signed up for. And how long has Harrison Ford (her interviewee) worn an earring? Why?
8:03 - I'm glad they've started the show with Regis Philbin. Going right to Jon Stewart would probably be too jarring for older viewers. Best to start them off easy.
8:05 - Marion Cotillard was dressed as an albino mermaid then?
8:07 - God, I knew they'd have to make some cute joke about Javier Bardem's hair in No Country For Old Men. I can't wait until they ask Daniel Day-Lewis if he's going to be drinking a milkshake tonight.
8:12 - Mickey Rooney, still alive! And apparently decorated by the military.
8:14 - It was really sad when Jennifer Garner revealed Juno was the first time anyone had given her praise for a movie. Funny, but sad.
8:16 - Cameron Diaz once again proves she's the go-to-girl for the dissection of dark, complex characters.
8:17 - What was with the world's oldest fan (with home-decorated shirt) and the kids? Are they trying to work in elements of The Price is Right?
8:22 - I wish I'd been writing down all the times a shot made me think "they're still around?" I've already missed too many to start now.
8:26 - Regis clearly has a bet that he can find the least relevant people to talk to. His latest find: the stage.
8:27 - I'm so sick of Jack Nicholson's sunglasses. Either he's lost his eyes or he's constantly in a poker tournament. I guess we'll find out if he starts wearing a cowboy hat, too.
8:31 - What better way to introduce the Oscars than with an apocalyptic vision of a war-torn Hollywood, dominated by the very icons we once revered. Smart thinking giving Terminator the statuettes.
8:32 - Jon Stewart appeared to be delivered to the stage by a pneumatic tube, or some sort of giant cryo-chamber. I hope they keep that up throughout the night.
8:37 - Man. When the writer's strike ended, did Leno's writers immediately start on this material? The Norbit joke was pretty good though.
8:42 - Thank god Elizabeth won for Costume Design. I was starting to worry no one would ever recognize the brilliance in recreating old, giant dresses.
8:48 - This Oscars retrospective presents a pretty compelling thesis: if this is what we give you, why do you keep watching?
8:53 - I love stilted banter! (This won't be the last time I say this.)
8:54 - No surprise that Ratatouille won Best Animated Picture. Sort of a surprise when director Brad Bird started doing a long anecdote with voices.
8:58 - Once again, an obscure foreign film (La Vie en Rose) beats an American classic (Norbit). I guess the DVD box will just say "nominated" for an Oscar now.
Continued on Part II!