Live Oscar Blog

5:40- Welcome everyone to Oscar night 2008. This is my first attempt at live blogging folks so bear with me.

5:43- Love that the rain is coming and making Seacrest uncomfortable. I love the red carpet but I hate the way the coverage really ugly ups the event. For example Seacrest and co just uttered the term "crotch cam". Clooney and his lady looking beautiful is ever.

5:53- It's official, ABC is smarter then E! I used to dislike the 30 minute preshow on ABC but even if Billy Bush acts inapproapriately to our national treasures, at least they condense the red carpet into a more palatable version. Seacrest and company are just dragging on and I've only had it on for 25 minutes. Kimora Lee might have a fashion line but good god I can't believe how she ooohed and ahhhed over Anne Hathaways butt ugly rosette neck line.

6:00- Ok enough of E! let's see what Baba Wawa has in store for us. Hannah Montana? Damn this might suck but Harrison Ford might be fun.

6:10- Mylie Cyrus has chased me back to E! Can't believe the Rock is not only attending the show but also presenting. What is this the People's Choice Awards?

6:20- Vanessa Williams? Are you fucking kidding me? Is this Baba Wawa amateur hour?

6:30- Gary Busey is bat shit crazy. Poor J Garner but yay for Seacrest being scared out his underoos.

6:40- Ok Ellen Page has redeemed Baba a bit. Although Baba is damn pushy! Best moment is Baba looking generally put off by Ellen's sleepwalking story. Makes me wonder if Ellen is pulling her leg. If so then huge kudos. Harrison up next.

6:50- Ford is honest if nothing else. Love him controlling the interview instead of Baba but is anyone else feeling a little underwhelmed by Indy 4. Don't get me wrong I'll be there opening weekend but it the hype feels a little blah.

7:10- Regis is doing well. He might be losing it but he's not BILLY BUSH! Plus he actually seems to know what he's talking about. Marion Cotillard is just stunning this evening. Meanwhile Travolta just needs to go away. Laura Linney is always beautiful and her dress is so simple and just so stunning. Javier Bardem is the best dressed man I've seen so far. Poor guy must be sick of the haircut questions.

7:11- Holy shit was that a Guttenberg sighting?!?!?!?!?

7:25- Ok here we go. Let's all send J Stew our best wishes for the night.

7:41- The CGI opening was crap. Can't believe they went straight from that into the sponsored by routine. Stewart's Norbit joke was money. I'm using Gaydolf Titler as my new nom de plum. Pretty good monologue but not great.

7:43- Costume to Elizabeth and I'm already 0 for 1 in my pool.

7:51- First clip assembly nicely introduced by Clooney. Hard not to get sentimental about 80 years although it seems we see these clips every year in some form or another.

7:55- Steve Carrell made me miss The Office so much. Animated goes to Ratatouille which just proves that you can't stop Pixar.

8:00- Katherine Heigl seemed more like a winner then a presenter as she was just so damn nervous. Make Up goes to La Vie En Rose saving us all from referring to Norbit as an Oscar winning film.

8:10- Well at least they type cast the Rock and gave him the FX category. First shock of the night as Compass beats out Transformers and Pirates.

8:12- Art direction was a highly competitive field this year but you always have to go for Tim Burton films.

8:15- Does Oscar really want us to remember that Cuba Gooding Jr won best supporting actor a few years back? Jennifer Hudson looks like a deer in headlights. This was no surprise but still wonderful to see. Javier certainly deserves it. One psycho down...one to go.

8:28- The two musical performances have been really understated so far which I'd usually appreciate but these are REALLY understated.

8:30- First toss up award of the night goes to the Mozart Pickpockets. Well that was that.

8:33- Short animated is one of those awards where you realize you should have picked something the minute you see the clip but not this year as Peter and the Wolf looked completley underwhelming.

8:37- I'm so happy Tilda won but good god that's the worse dress of the night.

8:47- Adapted screenplay for the Cohens which makes my heart warm. Their speech is my favorite so far. No time for smoke breaks, drink making and what not as the academy president is out.

8:56- Now there's our big musical number. Kristen Chenowirth has such a beautiful voice and the big production actually makes sense given the context of the song. Big but tasteful...thankfully.

9:05- I always thought of Seth Rogen as more of a Catherine Zeta Jones. So glad to see Bourne win something even though its for sound...its something and its more awards then Norbit.

9:07- Sound mixing gives Bourne the clean sound sweep yay!!!!

9:13- I could listen to Forrest Whitaker read all day...as long as its not last year's acceptance speach. Lovely to see such true joy from a winner with Marion.

9:20- What a wonderful moment to see the stars of Once standing on film's biggest stage. If they win I may go apeshit...

9:24- Best Pic montage is great. Thanks again Academy for reminding us of some of the bad films that have won Hollywood's highest honor. English Patient is just 2 and half hours of sand...sand. Side note Kramer vs. Kramer was the first Oscar I remember. Oh and don't even get me started on Forest Gump.

9:30- Oh great Renee "Open Your Eyes" Zellweger. Editing goes Bourne. Thank god I'm so happy for Greengrass and co and proves this film should have gotten more nominations.

9:32- What happened to Nicole Kidman's necklace?

9:42- Something died on Penelope Cruz's breasts!

9:46- I think we can all agree that we're happy the songs are over. I love how McDreamy was introduced as versitile. That's the kind of compliment you get when no one can come up with anything specific to say about you. Stay on TV pseudo hunk.

9:50- Fuck yea! Way to go Academy for giving it to Once.

9:57- What a class move by the producers and Stewart for bringing out Marketa to give her a chance to speak and what a speach.

10:00- Oh Cameron this why you don't work anymore. Elswit and Blood take cinematography which is surprising to me but I must say the work has been growing on me after an initial indifference.

10:10- The memorium segment is always so well done. Atonement seemed like a resonable winner for score as I heard more of it but I'm still dismayed that There Will Be Blood wasn't nominated.

10:12- Hey look Hollywood is doing their token support our troops moment. Nice touch to give them one of the awards few care about.

10:15- Damn I thought we were done with Hanks. Plus side no long winded Michael Moore speech.

10:24- No surprise here but what a great moment for Minnesota's own ex-stripper. Not so sure about the dress though. Harrison Ford Tarzan...she Jane?

10:34- And now the coronation for Daniel Day Lewis. A role for the ages and the greatest performance I've ever seen.

10:40- Despite my poor pool performance I must say this show has gone pretty much according to script. A bit boring no.

10:43- The Coens take directing and while I'm happy I feel that PTA should have taken it home. On a happier note I'm pleased to say that my friend Kristen has not only broken her streak of Oscar pool futility she took home the top prize. Congrats K!

10:45- Wow that was a fast wrap up in the last half hour. Glad for No Country and while the show was a bit flat I thought it was very good especially since this was a very good year of cinema. The live blog is done and I wish you all a great night and enjoy the after parties or as I call them sleep.

Pool Totals
Me-9
Nikki-14
Steve-13
Kristen-15
Sherry-10
V-9
Erin-8