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Live Oscar Thread

They are about to start. If anyone's online while watching, here's a space for you to live blog in the comments.

Good luck, Jon Stewart, I know you will be great.

So far, all the dresses have been goregous.

I think I"m rooting the most for Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow.

The best part of the pre-Oscar shows: No Joan and Melissa Rivers.

As for what's different about the Oscars this year for me, it's the movies. So many movies with liberal themes...so many great performances and a great choice for host.

First Update: Stewart is fabulous. Best line so far: Bjork couldn't be here because while she was putting on her Oscar gown, Dick Cheney shot her.

Jon will get the job permanently.

Nicole Kidman is the first presenter. Absolutely stunning and poised.

Best supporting actor: Yes! George Clooney.

Jennifer Aniston: perfect, great dress.

Second Update: The first poor dress choice I've seen: Naomi Watts. The color was the same as her skin and she was washed out. It was also too fussy.

Jack Nicholson is in the front row and thoroughly enjoying himself.

Best supporting actress is coming up. While I think Rachel Weisz will win, and I loved her performance in Constant Gardner, Frances McDormand was also terrific in North Country. And the winner is: Rachel Weisz. Nice, understated speech and she looked so elegant, tough to do when you are pregnant.

Third Update: The song from Crash was awful. So was the set. It was like being back in Soylent Green. It tried to evoke a mood and just failed.

Fourth Update: Salma Hayak has a great dress. Michelle Williams dress was a strange shade of orang-y yellow. Charlene Theron, who looked goregous, had the biggest bow I've ever seen on her shoulder. The middle of the show doldrums have set in. I wish they would get to performing "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."

Jessica Alba's dress is a winner. Jon Stewart sounds a little bored. So am I.

Update: Loved the Robert Altman tribute. He gets the first standing ovation of the night. I wish I had a copy of Nashville lying around, I'd watch it after the awards.

Update: Hooray! Hard out here for a Pimp won! Great performance, great song. Great movie. Now we just need Terrence Howard to bring home the Best Actor. I watched the movie twice this weekend and will probably watch it again.

Update: It's Best Actor Time. I'm rooting for Terrence Howard or Joaquin Phoenix. I loved both movies. Phillip Seymour Hoffman wins. I'm really disappointed even though I didn't see Capote. His speech is schmaltzy.

Best Actress: It should go to Reese Witherspoon or Charlize Theron. Walk the Line and North Country were both great. Reese gets it...good for her. Very countrified but heartfelt speech.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee looks thrilled. Will it be a sweep -- screenplay, director and best picture?

Best original screenplay: Crash. Good choice.

Great for Ang Lee, he wins best director for Brokeback Mountain. I hope more people will see the movie now.

Jack Nicholson is presenting the best picture award. I just love him. He's in great form. Crash!!!! Wow. I love it. Great performances all around. It reminded me of a Robert Altman film....If you haven't seen it, go get it.

Hollywood did well tonight. Jon Stewart was elegant and funny. He'll be back next year. From Cloony in Syrianna to Weisz in Constant Gardener to Hustle and Flow winning best song and Reese Witherspoon winning for Walk the Line and Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain, it was a very good year.

< Countdown to the Oscars | Post-Oscar Thread and Oscar Fashion Pictures >
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    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 05:26:39 PM EST
    woohoo...George Clooney...and his last comment said it all!

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 05:43:41 PM EST
    Oh one more thing...I'm so glad to be out of touch!

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#3)
    by joejoejoe on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 05:48:36 PM EST
    It's rude that they are playing music in the background of every acceptance speech. It's driving me CRAZY.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 05:50:01 PM EST
    While 60 Minutes is talking about the MURDERS at Bagram the beautiful people are busy bestowing awards on each other. And to have Billy Bush on a pre-show event all dressed up and pretty while we have children coming home with body parts blown off seems a bit ironic to me. Is anyone paying attention?

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 05:51:50 PM EST
    Not tonight Ev, lighten up. Tomorrow is another day.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#6)
    by Pete Guither on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 05:58:50 PM EST
    Dolly Parton can still sing up a storm, but her appearance is becoming frightening. Her skin is stretched so tight she's starting to look like she was in the movie "Brazil" and her body (with the obvious notable exception) looks like a stick figure.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 06:53:23 PM EST
    How are the suits? Are the men wearing elegantly hanging suits?

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 06:56:16 PM EST
    Arianna has the men's fashions covered.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:06:34 PM EST
    TL, Gotta disagree about Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Years ago when I was in college we had Truman Capote come and give readings and speak for about three days. I was on the committee that brought him three and spent the better part of three days with him. Hoffman WAS Capote. It was downright scary. What's schmaltzy about thanking your single mom for raising the four of you alone?

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:08:01 PM EST
    BTW, Jon Stewart got the best line of the night:
    "For those of you keeping score, that's Martin Scorsese 0; 36 Mafia 1."


    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:33:39 PM EST
    His delivery was schmaltzy. And he went on too long about his childhood.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:37:58 PM EST
    Well, I disagree. I always believe that what's important is not where you are, but how far you've come. I do like Terence Howard and hope he gets more and diverse parts from this. I first remember him from the Showtime series Street Time.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#13)
    by glanton on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:40:30 PM EST
    I was happy to see Hoffman get the big win in actor's category. He's been turning in big-time performances in compelling movies for a while now, not to mention his thoroughly enjoyable stint in Along Came Polly. But the best part of the whole night for me was seeing Altman get the achievment award. No filmmaker has had a bigger impact on me. Way to go, Robbie: now give us twenty more years!

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:44:39 PM EST
    Glanton, Boy do I agree with you there. About 20 years ago I went to a screening of Secret Honor, directed by Altman. Altman was there and I had heard that he would talk to anyone, so I told him how much I liked it and he said "Really?" I said yes and he thanked me effusively. What a classy guy.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#15)
    by glanton on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:48:08 PM EST
    Randy Paul: Man, I'd love to meet him and express my appreciation for his work. I did run into Andie McDowell in Asheville several years ago; went right up to her and said, "It's an honor to meet you. Short Cuts blew my doors off." Just getting to meet someone who worked on that movie was a thrill for me; though my top preference might have been Waits.... :-)

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 08:54:44 PM EST
    Glanton, Continuing the thread, when I worked for ASCAP I got to meet Lyle Lovett, a very charming guy, but the highlight for me was meeting Johnny Cash.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#17)
    by glanton on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 09:23:45 PM EST
    Dang RP it sounds like you've hobnobbed all kinds of interesting people! Johnny Cash... that must've been awesome. I have to agree with the spokeswoman for Crash that this was an amazing year for cinema all around. Probably the best since American Beauty, Boys Don't Cry, Magnolia, Cider House Rules, etc.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#18)
    by Che's Lounge on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 09:28:42 PM EST
    M*A*S*H is one of my all time favorites. Congratulations to Altman. Way overdue.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 05, 2006 at 11:01:43 PM EST
    Couldn't agree more about Altman. Still can't believe Scorsese has never won. There have been some glaring oversights and some outright vendettas. See Roman Polanski. Hoffman has been a standout since he was a spineless little prep school punk in Scent of a Woman. He's always been good. Same with Felicity Huffman and William H Macy. Nevertheless, tonight's show wasn't great, but there was nothing to complain about.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#20)
    by jondee on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 10:19:10 AM EST
    I loved Hoffman as that most obsequeious of yes men,(why do I imagine Norquist surrounded by these types?) in The Big Lebowski.

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#21)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 11:06:10 AM EST
    not to mention his thoroughly enjoyable stint in Along Came Polly.
    glanton, we finally agree on something! "Make it rain." "Sasquatch." "I sharted."

    Re: Live Oscar Thread (none / 0) (#22)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 11:09:39 AM EST
    Gotta say, I agree with all the awards except Crash. I will admit that it put me to sleep, so I didn't see the whole thing, but the beginning seemed trite and too on-the-nose. I guess I'll have to rent it again.