Oscar blog

I am going to try something different this year. I am going to type comments as the Oscar show goes on.

First off, while I half watch the arrivals and ABC proves again that Jimmy Kimmel is still not very funny,  I .. sorry, that Kimmel bit was so tired I lost my train of thought.

If I just wanted to be snide, I would point out that Will Smith just showed up a day after he won a Razzie, his son won another, and they won three. But that would be mean.

I thought last year's show was terrible, so I am worried how tonight will turn out.

My general plan is to post during the commercials. We'll see. Maybe it will be as much of a train wreck as last year's show.

Dove Chocolates using a famous dead celebrity to sell chocolate. Since Audrey Hepburn died of cancer, are we supposed to think of cancer when we see Dove Chocolate?

Wait a minute, ABC is trying to sell Resurrection by random tweets. So we are supposed to watch a show which has not yet aired because random people were impressed by its ads. Uh huh.

I really have nothing much to say about the opening monologue. It wasn't really bad, but wasn't really that great, either. Let's put it this way: the Golden Globes had the better opening.

Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (I am 1 for 1 in predictions.) Great tribute to his mom. Great message to the world. This is what happens when you allow the speeches breathe.

Oh great, a montage for animation which takes us nowhere. Not a good sign.

Pharrell Williams is cool. And that performance fit him to a T. With four good song nominees this year, we should be in good hands.

Costumes: The Great Gatsby (1 for 2). Baz Luhrman's wife wins Oscar #3. Richly deserved.

Make-up and Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club (2 for 3) Perfect example for voting for the film, not the category. I don't enjoy the Jackass movies, but the old man makeup on Johnny Knoxville was more award deserving.

I want scenes to illustrate the nominees, not trailers. I have already seen the trailers many tines.

What Ellen DeGeneres does so well is to keep the show fun. She is as good at that as anyone on the planet.

Animated Short: Mr. Hublot. (2 for 4) The only film that I thought could upset Get a Horse actually pulls it off. It is a charming film.

Animated Feature: Frozen. (3 for 5) Because it was the obvious choice.

And a second montage, which is something about heroism, but is poorly focused. Great.

Visual Effects: Gravity (4 for 6) Because it was obviously the best this year.

Two for two for great song presentation. Just as Happy needed to be big, The Moon Song needed to be quiet and gentle. Now would they release a soundtrack to Her already?

Live Action Short: Helium (4 for 7) I am so happy to have been wrong about my prediction, as this was my favorite short out of all three short categories this year.

Documentary Short: The Lady in Number 6. (5 for 8) This is a vote for the subject, because the filmmaking did not deserve the award.

Documentary Feature: 20 Feet From Stardom. (5 for 9) I incorrectly guessed the Academy would go for issues rather than entertainment.

Foreign Film: The Great Beauty. (6 for 10)

Three for three in song presentations. I am assuming the producers did whatever U2 wanted, because they are U2.

Sound Mixing: Gravity (7 for 11)
Sound Editing: Gravity (8 for 12)

Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (9 for 13) I strongly believe this is the birth of a major star.

Cinematography: Gravity (10 for 14) I have been rooting for Emanuel Lubezki to win an Oscar since A Little Princess.

Editing: Gravity (10 for 15) Here's Gravity's first win I did not predict. Any other surprises coming?


I admit I wasn't looking forward to a Wizard of Oz tribute, but Pink knocked that out of the park. Much better than the Chicago tribute last year.

Production Design: The Great Gatsby (11 for 16) And two Oscars tonight for Catherine Martin to match the two she won for Moulin Rouge!

Oh goody, another montage. How is The Terminator heroic?

As I expected, Bette Midler is singing Wind Beneath My Wings as part of the In Memoriam segment. I think this is a good choice not only because of the lyrics but because this song did originate in the movie Beaches.

Original Score: Gravity (11 for 17) Wow, I misread the tea leaves on this one. I thought it was too soon for Steven Price to win an Oscar.

Original Song: Let It Go, Frozen (12 for 18) And the award for the speech of the night goes to...

Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave (12 for 19) I went out on a limb predicting Philomena and the branch just broke off.

Original Screenplay: Her (12 for 20) Well, it is original. Actually, I'm thrilled for Spike Jonze. One of the truly original film artists now has an Oscar.

Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity (13 for 21) I have been rooting for this win since A Little Princess.

Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (14 for 22)

Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club (15 for 23)

Picture: 12 Years a Slave (16 for 24)

I believe Gravity just tied the record with most wins (7) without a best picture win.