OSCAR 2015 LIVE BLOG

8:29 - Welcome to the Sixth Annual Film Thoughts Academy Award Live Blog! I've been doing this long enough that each year I look forward to the ceremony with equal amounts of excitement and horror. The ceremony is always too long, full of awkward moments of intense boredom. Yet occasionally, we see a genuinely touching moment of sincerity or something unexpected and hilarious.

Usually though, I drink too much, bitch too much, am more snarky then insightful, and feel depressed and angry by the end. Oh well. 87th Academy Awards, here we come.

8:30 - Wow, the Dolby Theater is sparkly tonight.

8:31 - Oh boy, the first musical number of what is sure to be many tonight. I was really worried that Neil Patrick Harris would be overly sing-y and broad. Way to defy expectations, Dr. Horrible.

8:33 - Wow, a call out to "Clue: The Movie."

While I'm here, the appeal of this Anna Kendrick girl has escaped me thus far

8:34 - Photoshopping NPH into various film scenes was clever. Yet how many of those actual won awards? Seems like they favored popularity over actual Oscar history.

8:35 - And it's nice that Jack Black sang what we were all thinking.

"And turn! And kick! And turn! And kick!" The thematically dressed dancers are awful.

8:36 - Eddie Murphy looks confused as hell.

Every year, I use the Oscars as an excuse to drink too much, usually by making up rules to drink. So every time there's a musical number, I can down a big gulp, right? Right.

8:37 - NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU, OPRAH!

8:38 - I'm glad NPH took the time to kick at his own subpar filmography there.

8:39 -  Lupito looks classy as hell.

Jumping right into Best Supporting Actor. So why was Robert Duvall nominated? Was it just a legacy nod?

8:40 - Everybody clap for the coolest dad in the world. If Simmons wasn't such an unstoppable force of nature, Hawke would be my choice.

Norton was all right but I wish they went further to parody his own image as a difficult ass to work with.

8:41 - I'll repeat: Ruffalo was good but how did he get nominated over Chan-Chan Ta-ta?

Hey, they found a moment in "Whiplash" where J.K. wasn't swearing!

"The Actor goes to.." Har.

8:42 - As if there was any other choice. Good to know the ceremony is starting on the most correct choice.

8:43 - "Above average children." Simmons is a class act. "A reflection of your mother." It's good to know that J.K. is as exactly as funny and charming in real life as you imagine him to be. Slightly off-topic speech but a good one.

8:44 - Was "He won an Oscar, dum-de-dum-de-dum" a musical number? Close enough for me to drink.

8:46 - Wow, this bit is going on too long.

All of you bathe in Liam Neeson's lovely natural accent.

8:47 - Who was moving stuff behind Bradley Cooper's head?

8:48 - I like how they're contrasting one of the best nominees and the absolute worst here. If "Grand Budapest Hotel" doesn't win Best Production Design, I'll be hella' disappointed.

8:49 - Oh boy, the lady from "Fifty Shades of Grey." Just who I wanted to see.

8:50 - There were several lovely songs in "Begin Again" and I'm disappointed that the Academy nominated this one. "Like a Fool" was fantastic. Wouldn't you rather look at Keira Knightley then the Weasel Boy from Maroon 5?

8:51 - Adam Levine's voice is horribly unappealing. All nasally and throat-trembling. I'm digging how stripped down the production is here. No big production numbers, just the band singing on stage. I'll give 'em that much.

8:53 - COMMERCIAL BREAK. Hi Chris.

8:54 - So while we're here, let me update my predictions or something. "Birdman" is looking to be the Best Picture winner which is the wrong choice. My top pick, "Whiplash," had no chance of winning but I was hoping "The Grand Budapest Hotel" could have pulled off a surprise win. I'm not a big fan of "Boyhood" but I'll take it over "Birdman," which was so obvious and ham-handed.

8:56 - Okay, "The Dependent Spirits Award" made me laugh. And "Everyone calls him Chris Pine" did too.

8:57 - Is J. Lo holding in a fart? Though we're all glad the star of "The Boy Next Door" could attend.

I am enjoying the interstitial artwork tonight.

8:58 - So at least the "Grand Budapest Hotel" won't go home empty-handed tonight.

8:59 - The costumes sure were pretty in "Grand Budapest Hotel." Everything about the movie was pretty.

Good, right-to-the-point speech. Wes Anderson's smile was delightful.

9:00 - "With a spoon." Hooray, pun humor! Reese Witherspoon probably knows a lot about being vain. (J/K Reese, I wuv you.)

9:01 - "Guardians of the Galaxy" honestly probably deserved the Make-up award but I'm a-okay with "Grand Budapest Hotel" sweeping the technical categories.

9:02 - Why are all the speech givers off-center? Big points for the shout-out to Dick Smith.

9:03 - It's okay, Chan-Chan. You didn't get nominated but at least the host hit on you.

9:04 - We have no idea who any of these people are but it's really nice that they let them stand on stage.

9:08 - COMMERCIAL BREAK. In further wildly inaccurate predictions, I'll talk about how wrong I may or may not be about the Best Actor category. Michael Keaton could still win and, even though "Birdman" was just barely passable, I would like to see it. Come on, guys, he's Batman. How cool would it be if Batman won an Oscars? However, Eddie Redmayne was impressive in "The Theory of Everything," an otherwise forgettable film. I suppose Steve Carell would be my personal pick. I would never imagine he could be as creepy as he was in "Foxcatcher." Bradley Cooper obviously wins the "How the Fuck Did He Get Nominated?" award. David Oyelowo really should have gotten it instead.

9:09 - "Together they fight crime!" Oh boy, this skit sounds dire.

Oh thank Christ, they really didn't dress them up as each other.

I really wanted to see more of the Best Foreign Film Nominations. ("Wild Tales" looked fun.) "Ida" was excellent though, so I'm rooting for it.

9:10 - And it just so worked out that the one nominee I saw one. I'm happy it happened.

9:11 - The director's genuine excitement is endearing.

9:12 - And the first time this night someone got played off stage. Go for it, Polish Guy! He outlasted the music! Go for it, man. It's your moment!

9:13 - Well, that was the best speech of the night based just on that guy's chutzpah. I can't imagine anyone will top it.

Shirley Maclaine looks nice, all things considered. The line about "Love being the greatest mystery!" was a groaner though.

9:14 - Look at Michael Keaton, chewing gum at the Oscars.

9:15 - So wait, will Redmayne accept his award using the computer voice?

The best thing about "Birdman" is that it made me want to see one of the actual "Birdman" movies. Who is Birdman's archenemy? The Hunter?

9:16 - NPH's skits have been hot-and-cold tonight but I am enjoying these interviews with the seat-fillers. Going into the audience is a thing hosts should continue to do more often.

9:17 - Aw, Coltier saying "Everything is Awesome" made me sort of love her.

The "Awesome Possum" dancer was a nice touch. I feel like this entire musical number is a jab at the movie's snub in the Best Animated Film category. What with handing out the Lego statues.

9:19 - YES! BATMAN! "DARKNESS! NO PARENTS!" And Mark Mothersbough wore the Energy Dome!

That number really successfully captured the tone of the movie with its handmade category. I don't know if that will win Best Song but it should definitely win Best Musical Number at the Oscars.

9:22 - COMMERCIAL BREAK! Continuing my thoughts on my wildly inaccurate predictions, let's come to Best Actress. It's more or less guaranteed to go to Julianne Moore. I maintain "Still Alice" was mediocre and that Moore's win tonight will be a Legacy Win. Witherspoon has no shot of winning but she was my favorite. Coltier was also fantastic but I don't think it's her year. I didn't get to "Gone Girl," I'm ashamed to say, so I can't comment on Rosamund Pike's nomination. I really didn't see anything special about Felicity Jones in "The Theory of Everything" though. Redmayne was the only standout acting in that.

9:24 - Chan-Chan is loving on that Lego Oscar. I feel you, brah.

Kerry Washington is purdy.

9:25 - And here's where I remind everyone that I didn't get to see the Live Action Shorts this year because Comcast sucks ass. It's bad enough that I don't get to see the Documentary Shorts.

9:26 - This guy wins Best Accent of the night. This speech is hella' meta. I appreciate that.

9:27 - Are winners saying "Fuck off!" to the music going to be a reoccurring theme tonight? That would be swell. Let them have their time, Academy. Trying to force people off-stage is obnoxious.

9:28 - Both of these winners have been telephone themed. I wish I could comment more but I didn't see any of the nominees.

9:29 -  Wait, why is that lady wearing black balls on her dress? I also love that they started playing her off but then she mentioned her son committed suicide and Oscar was like, "Oh fuck. SHUT UP THE MUSIC."

9:31 - I keep forgetting that Viola Davis has never won before.

I love you Viola but you just mangle Hayao Miyazaki's name there.

9:32 - I'm glad Miyazaki didn't use his speech to let everyone know that Anime Was a Mistake.

9:33 - "Oh sure, now you'll like 'em." Sick burn, NPH.

9:34 - Oyelowo's red bow tie is hot as hell, brah.

9:35 - That skit about accents was useless but still a bit funny. Paltrow has a pink rose growing out of her shoulder.

9:36 - Okay, allow me to sound like a massive cock here. Really, I don't mind. I find the production of "I'm Not Going to Miss You" to be really overdone. Campbell's voice is far too twangy for my sake. I know this is horribly disrespectful to what he's going through with his family and all that. Sorry. IT'S MY OPINION, MAN.

9:39 - I do respect the Academy for sticking to the lo-fi approach to the songs tonight. Except for "Everything is Awesome," which obviously demanded a huge production number. Just having the performer sing their song, not obscured or covered up by flashiness, is a very respectful choice.

9:41 - Annnnd we're back.

9:42 - If a found footage movie exploded in the middle of the Oscars, with like ghosts or zombies or the Slender Man attacking NPH, that would be swell.

9:43 - Instead, we got a fairly uninspired Birdman/Whiplash mash-up. He was doing better up to this point.

9:44 - Our next presenters, the future Harley Quinn and Mr. Fantastic.

In all seriousness, Miles Teller really was robbed a nomination for "Whiplash." I mean, for the drum solo alone.

9:45 - Also, Margot Robbie is apparently Australian? I did not know that.

9:46 - Chris Pine and Chris Evans have been presenters tonight. Will Oscar go for the Chris Hat Trick and get Chris Pratt or Chris Hemsworth to present?

9:47 - "Whiplash" winning the Sound Mixing award was not a gurantee but I'm so glad it happened. Obviously, this is the movie that deserved it.

9:48 - Damn, these guys are really nervous. I shouldn't give them shit though. If I ever won an Oscar, I probably would not be able to speak.

Are they really going to say the full title of "Birdman" every time tonight? Damn, man, I feel sorry for you.

9:49 - Let's all hope that this is the only win "American Sniper" takes home tonight.

Margot awkwardly handing that guy his award was a good, just off-screen moment.

9:50 - Clint looks surly. I think his face got stuck that way.

Jared Leto is here to play us an acoustic guitar song about dolphins.

9:51 - A well deserved "Fuck you!" to Streep there.

Out of the Best Supporting Actress category, I'm really rooting for Laura Dern. If she was Mason's dad, he'd have both the Coolest Dad Ever and the Greatest Mom Ever. Arquette will probably get it.

9:52 - Knightley was underrated. I hope she wins it someday.

9:53 - Emma Stone looks beautiful, holding her Lego Oscar.

Just based on this clip, I'm really glad I didn't bother watching "Into the Woods."

9:54 - I think I have correctly guessed all the major categories so far? They've all been super obvious though.

I wouldn't have given her the award for "Boyhood" but I have long been a fan of Patricia Arquette. It is neat that she won an Oscar. I wouldn't have guessed she would ever get one say, ten years ago. The amount of passion in her speech was admirable.

9:55 - Mason looks incredibly bored.

9:59 - I'm so glad they returned to this skit about Neil's predictions. Robert Duvall's confused reaction was priceless though.

10:00 - I literally had heard nothing about this "Beyond the Lights" movie before it was nominated. It always surprises me how Oscar sometimes picks something out of nowhere like that.

10:01 - Holy crap, I didn't know there'd be a laser show!

10:02 - All the musical numbers this evening have been completely gaff free. Gee whiz, Oscar, you've only been doing this for 87 years. I'm glad you finally figured it out.

J. Lo looked PISSED, probably because this song is the sort of thing she'd normally do.

10:03 - All the ChloBros out there, get ready. Here comes your waifu. And I think she's 18 now? So feel free to say as many creepy things about her as you want, Internet People.

10:04 - That was one I called. The Visual Effects field was packed with fantastic work this year. "Interstellar" was the biggest so of course it won.

Did Chloe just hand that guy a rain check for his Oscar?

10:05 - Wait, getting an Oscar wins you a free drink? Now I want an Oscar even more then before.

10:06 - "Kevin Hart Being in A Lot of Movies" jokes will never get old.

I'm really rooting for "The Dam Keeper" to win. It was beautiful. "Feast" will probably get it though.

10:07 - Yep, I figured. I liked "Feast" plenty but it didn't make me weep like a baby the way "The Dam Keeper" did.

10:08 - Isn't it interesting that winners in the least talked about categories tend to give the best speeches?

10:09 - I'll admit, I was skeptical but Neil has been doing a good job tonight. His jokes have been consistently amusing.

Dwayne "Please Do Not Call Me the Rock" Johnson has the most infectiously fun big goofy grin.

10:10 - I really wish I had seen "Song of the Sea."

I'm happy "Big Hero 6" won over "How to Train Your Dragon 2." I personally preferred it.

10:11 - I wonder if the writer who came up with the Big Hero 6 characters in some obscure Marvel comic will get any bonuses for this.

10:16 - Not all the winners have been perfect tonight but Oscars actually doing all right. 

10:17 - I wasn't sure at first but the old-timey movie house backdrop has grown on me tonight. 

10:18 - Wait, is this lady giving an anti-GamerGate speech? Cutting to Harvey Weinstein was maybe a poor decision.

10:19 - I agree with her points but this speech is fucking putting me to sleep.

10:20 - Is Eddie Murphy just incapable of smiling tonight? Why'd you even show up, Buckwheat?

Christ Pratt! I just won The Chris Bingo!

10:21 - I'm not usually this passionate about the Production Design category but, seriously guys, "Grand Budapest Hotel" should fucking win.

10:22 - Damn straight.

I have drank surprisingly little tonight. Tonight's show is rolling by very smoothly and many of the wins have been deserved. My liver is thankful.

10:23 - Dick move, Academy, playing music over that nice lady's voice.

Neil Patrick Harris' self-deprecating streak tonight has been most appreciated. I don't think Seth MacFarlane would have told those jokes.

10:24 - Really, the parenthesis in "Birdman's" subtitle have got to go.

10:25 - I was really hoping Dick Pope would win just so we could make one more Dick Poop joke before Oscar season is over.

10:26 - Really not shocked that the fake-one-take gimmick impressed Oscar. "Birdman" hasn't won anything else tonight but we haven't gotten to many of the higher categories yet.

10:30 - It's hard to believe that Meryl Streep has only won three Oscars. I thought she won every Oscar ever?

10:31 - So who is going to be left out of the Rest in Peace montage this year?

10:32 - Oh Mickey Rooney. For so many years you were my archenemy but now I'm sort of sad you're gone.

James Garner was a rough one. Edward Herrmann too. They'll both be seriously missed.

10:33 - I'm glad H.R. Giger wasn't left out. Let's give the Xenomorph it's due.

10:34 - I actually rather liked the In Memorium montage this year. You wouldn't think it would be a hard thing to screw up but the Academy has done it before. This was solemn but not overblown, respectful and heartfelt.

10:35 - Oh, I take it back. Here comes some awfully overblown musical number to squash all the sincerity of the proceeding several minutes.

10:37 - There's some sound issue here. Her voice is really muffled. I can't understand any thing she's singing. Not that I want to. Performances like this are all about the singer, not the deceased. Listen to her belting it out. She's not thinking about paying tribute to those we've lost. She's thinking about how huge she can make her voice. Disrespectful, Academy.

10:39 - I guess the Oscars is the wrong place to expect subtlety but, really, is it too much to ask?

10:42 - I'm still hoping someone will gloriously mispronounce Benedict Cumberbatch's name at some point tonight.

10:43 - I'm rooting for "Whiplash" to win best editing.

10:44 - And so it did. Sweet. I'm really glad that my favorite film of last year is going home with at least three Oscars tonight.

10:45 - Oh come on, Oscar. He was giving a nice speech there and you just had to play him off. You can't help yourself, can you?

10:46 - I think Terence Howard forgot his lines.

10:47 - And, damn, people can't keep their hands off the microphone stand tonight.

10:48 - The bloody drumsticks on "Whiplash's" title card was a nice touch.

10:49 - I was really hoping to see more of the Documentary nominees too. "Virunga," for one, sounded fascinating. All the more so since "Citizenfour" underwhelmed me.

10:50 - I'll reiterate: "Citizenfour" is an important movie for documenting history as it happened. It is not a compelling or particularly interesting film.

10:52 - I was expecting the "Citizenfour" people to get political in her speech. There have been a lot of political speeches at the Oscar tonight. I don't know how to feel about that.

10:53 - They keep mentioning this upcoming performance from Lady Gaga like it's some sort of threat. Also, was "Best Sauce" a mistake or was NPH making some sort of joke?

10:57 - Harris has been doing a solid job hosting thus far but this reoccuring sketch about the Oscar prediction is super lame. I wish they would have dropped that one.

10:58 - I also just realized that, besides from the In Memorium montage, this ceremony has completely lacked self-congratulatory montages. That's a good thing.

10:59 - "Glory" is a powerful, fantastic song, even if Common's rapping sticks out. I fully expect it to win Best Song and it wouldn't be a bad choice. "Everything is Awesome" already won the night, anyway.

11:00 - Though recreating the crossing at the bridge for a musical number is in questionable taste, I think.

11:02 - John Legend gets it. He knows how to bolster a song with powerful lyrics without overwhelming it and stripping away any intent behind the music. That was a fantastic performance.

11:03 - Here's some levity. David Oyelowo says to Oprah: "Please don't touch my face, Oprah."

11:04 - Man, they are running with that "John Travoltra Mispronounces Things" joke. It was pretty funny so I'll allow it.

11:05 - Showing the titles as if they were on old record sleeves is a nice touch. The art design of tonight's show is quite good.

A win for "Everything is Awesome" would have been swell but I didn't foresee it. "Glory" is a fine song though.

11:07 - Wow, both of these speeches are powerful and fantastic. Common's acceptance speech was especially powerful. Legend's receive some uncertain applause there. Maybe right after saying thousands of people are in prison was not the best time to clap.

11:08 - There's another reference to the upcoming Lady Gaga performance. Can we just skip that, please?

11:12 - ScarJo's dress there is conceptually interesting. Also: Boobs.

11:14 - Okay, I take it back. We almost got through the ceremony without an unnecessary montage to something. I mean, "The Sound of Music" is a pretty good movie but I'm not sure this was needed. 

11:15 - Lady Gaga isn't covered in raw meat so I guess this could have been worst. I'm not sure about that silver wig.

11:17 - This isn't terrible but the song does seem to be slightly out of Gaga's range.

11:19 - I could have done without the upbeat rendition of "My Favorite Things" but that was relatively inoffensive.

11:21 - I liked Julia Andrews even more after I found out she apparently swears like a sailor when off-screen. They also got through that without mentioning how much Christopher Plummer hates "The Sound of Music."

11:22 - Obviously, I'm rooting for "Grand Budapest Hotel" to win Best Score but I think "The Theory of Everything" is most likely to take it. That one has a good score too. Aside from the atonal screeching of "Mr. Turner," this was a fantastic crop of scores this year.

11:23 - "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is doing fantastically. Is a Best Picture win out of the question? Probably but I'm keeping up hope.

11:25 - So we're heading into the final stretch here. Just the writing awards, actor, actress, director, and picture left by my count. I'm actually getting pretty excited about it. This year's ceremony has been rolling around at a really smooth pace.

11:29 - Isn't Eddie Murphy also one of the most consistently overpaid actors in movie history too? Funny how they left that factoid out, isn't it?

11:30 - "The Grand Budapest Hotel" really should win Best Screenplay and it's odds are seeming better and better.

And "Birdman" got it. I do believe I called that one. Well, Wes Anderson still has Best Director and Best Picture to pull an upset.

11:32 - I have managed to completely forget that Naomi Watts was in "Birdman." And Michael Keaton is still chewing on that gum. It was be loosing its flavor by now.

11:33 - Awwww, he thanked his dog. That's genuinely adorable.

11:34 - Where do you think Oprah puts "Academy Award Nominee" on her list of accomplishments?

I'm really bummed I didn't get to see "Inherent Vice" before the nominees. Sorry guys, there was a snow storm and I had a lot of other shit to do suddenly.

11:35 - During a night that has been low on surprises, "The Imitation Game" winning Best Adapted Screenplay was one I really didn't see coming. Huh? I liked the movie, probably more then most did, but it's script isn't one of the things I lauded itself for.

11:36 - Going from cracking jokes about Oprah to talking about teenage suicide attempts is quite a tonal shift but I have to admit that speech hit me right in the feels.

11:41 - "Bitches Be Trippin', Yo?" Ouch. That was bad, NPH. You're better then that.

11:42 - Well, here it is. Will "Birdman" win Best Director on the way to Best Picture? Will Richard Linklater take home an award for ambition? Will Wes Anderson get a long overdue surprise win?

11:43 - Hmm. Pretty disappointed in this. I suppose this seals the deal on "Birdman" winning Best Picture? It's hard to believe that the once assumed shoo-in for Best Picture will now likely only go home with Best Supporting Actress.

11:44 - The direction on "Birdman" was flashy as hell so a surprise isn't a shock. I just wish it had been for a better movie.

11:45 - Emma Stone is radiantly beautiful. Sorry, had to pause and acknowledge that.

11:48 - Oh yeah, Cate Blanchette did win an Oscar last year. I had all ready managed to forget about "Blue Jasmine."

11:49 - "Birdman" is coming close to taking home all the top prizes which raises my hopes that Michael Keaton will win Best Actor, since he was the only thing about "Birdman" that I really, really liked.

11:50 - Damn, Oscar. Missed oppretunity to use the Fake Baby scene from "American Sniper."

11:51 - "Okie dokey, smoky?" Redmayne did give a very good performance but "The Theory of Everything" was just so damn boring. Eddie is freaking the fuck out and it's charming.

11:52 - It's amazing how things can change over the course of a month. Back in January, Michael Keaton was considered the obvious winner and he ended up going home empty-handed. There's always next year, Batman.

11:53 - I'm cracking the tape on this Scotch. Now seems like the time.

11:54 - Burns good! Also, thanks Matt for referencing Ebert, whose movie did not get nominated.

Marion Coltier is my official pick for Oscar upset. Her performance in "Two Days, One Night" was devastating. It probably won't happen but I sure would like to see that happen.

11:56 - Reese was definitely the most likable of all the performances. Her character was the only one that I really would want to hang out with afterwards.

11:57 - No surprise there. I guess this is the year of debilitating disease taking home the top acting categories? I fully expect the "Still Alice" backlash to begin tomorrow.

11:58 - Moore has given so many phenomenal performances over the years that it's a shame that she had to win for such a maudlin, manipulative piece of blatant Oscar bait. Just consider this a make-up award for "Boogie Nights, "Magnolia," and any number of other fantastic performances.

11:59 - Wait, did she just say her husband's name is Bort?

12:01 - Oh boy, here's the climax to what is obviously the most belabored joke of the night.

Not a damn laugh for that "dos for dos" joke.

12:02 - That was not worth the time spent on it. Let's get to Best Picture please.

12:03 - "It doesn't matter how much they were made or how much they made at the Box Office?" CITATION NEEDED.

12:04 - Hoping against hope for an upset in favor of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" but expecting "Birdman' to win it.

Could have been worst. Could have been "American Sniper."

12:05 - Man, Scott Tobias must be PISSED right now.

So a movie about movies won Best Picture. Not exactly a shock but I was really hoping for someone else.

12:07 - All right, guys. The show is over, more or less. "Boyhood" being shut out of the major copies was a surprise. I thought Linklater would have won for sure. It's odd that out of all the awards "Birdman" won, the one it really deserves - Best Actor - went to someone else.

12:08 - "The Grand Budapest Hotel" sweeping the technical awards was delightful. If only it had won in some of the important categories. I was happy to see "Whiplash" go home with a few awards beyond the obvious one.

12:09 - "The Imitation Game" winning Best Adapted Screenplay was definitely the biggest surprise. Did anyone see that one coming? Most of my prediction except for the really important ones were on spot. So that's cool.

12:12 - And what about the show? Surprisingly good. Neil Patrick Harris was a generally affable host. A few of his jokes and bits were stale but he came off fairly well. I wouldn't mind having him back next year. The show was relatively low on bullshit, aside from Jennifer Hudson stomping all over the dead and a mostly unneeded trip down ass-kissing lane for "The Sound of Music." The pacing was speedy. The jokes were decent. Many of the speeches were solid. The musical performances were excellent more often then not. No major gaffs happened. I went in skeptical but I have to think this year's ceremony went off great.

12:14 - Oscar season was rough on me for no particular reason. Just seemed like it was a real struggle to get through. However, I did see more Oscar movies this year then last, watching 13 nominated films over last year's 11. Here's to next year being better. Mostly, I'm really looking forward to not watching any super-important, very long dramas for a while.

Good night everyone. I'm going to drink some more Scotch and probably fall asleep. Thank you, Chris, for making this my most commented upon post. Thank you to anyone else who read. Hooray for Hollywood. See you again real soon. Good night and good luck.