CMFH Massive Missives

5:30 pm: Here we go...

5:32 pm: Losers montage, a simple, funny change of pace.

5:36 pm: Ellen might have a dressed up a BIT more.
Celebrating nominees themselves is nice recognition. She's pretty funny, hopefully she can keep it up. But anything is better than dancing Oscars. You don't see many gospel choir intros in the Oscars.

5:45 pm: Art Direction, huh? Don't they usually start with a Supporting Role?
Yea! Pan's Labyrinth. Probably my favorite film of the year. So nice to see the winner nervous and excited.

5:48 pm: Ah, techies deserve their day in the sun. How nice of Maggie Gyllenhaal to give it to them. It'd be interesting to learn more about those awards.

5:52 pm: Commercial - ah, the global takeover of McDonalds. How sweet.

5:53 pm: Super-fro'd Will Ferrell & Jack Black sing the woes of the comedian. Always good to see hosts take on the nominees. John C. Reilly's voice ain't so bad. Funny stuff. So far the show's doin' well.

5:58 pm: Makeup to Pan's Labyrinth. Yea! I wouldn't mind seeing them sweep.

6:02 pm: The kids are cute as presenters for the shorts. The Danish Poet wins Animated Short.

6:03 pm: Live Action Short to West Bank Story. Gives props to fellow short filmmakers.

6:06 pm: Letters to Iwo Jima intro.

6:12 pm: What an impressive use of vocals for sound effects! Almost as impressive as that there is a conductor marking time. Pretty cool.

6:14 pm: Steve Carell and Greg Kinnear goof it up for Sound Editing. I always think it's interesting that war movies get these nominations, as if only explosions count.
Letters from Iwo Jima's the big winner.

6:17 pm: Jessica Beil and James McAvoy present Sound Mixing. Dreamgirls wins. Well, I claimed to be no expert in these categories.

6:21 pm: Rachel Weisz smoothly presents Supporting Actor. Come on! Alan Arkin won for Little Miss Sunshine-- the least complicated role. I'm shocked.

6:26 pm: Dance troop (Parabalas?) create impressive shadows related to nominations.

6:30 pm: The Departed intro.

6:31 pm: James Taylor sings Cars song. Not bad, and rather sombre for an animated movie about automobiles.

6:33 pm: Melissa Etheridge sings An Inconvenient Truth song, with film's instructions for change in the background.

6:36 pm: Earth-minded DiCaprio and Al Gore announces that green practices are involved in show's production. Sweet. DiC tries to push an announcement for Gore's presidential nomination, but Gore's jokingly cut off by the music.

6:43 pm: Cameron Diaz presents Animated Feature. Happy Feet wins.

6:45 pm: Screenwriter winner Ben Affleck presents a Nancy Myers film on writers in the movies.

6:50 pm: Helen Mirren and Tom Hanks present for Adapted Screenplay. Interesting intro by reading direction over scenes of nominees. The Departed wins. No terrible surprise, but I'm disappointed that Little Children didn't win.

6:56 pm: Can I say that I love this Wes Anderson AmEx commercial? Well, I love Wes Anderson. There's a tighter version out there, but I'll take Anderson any way I can get him. Keep your eye out for The Darjeeling Limited!

7:00 pm: Pretty girls, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, being pretty funny. Meryl Streep gives them the evil eye (in a good way). Costume Design is presented with live models. Marie Antoinette wins, as it deserves.

7:05 pm: A well-composed Tom Cruise presents the Humanitarian Award to Sherry Lansing for cancer programs, Red Cross, stem-cell research, etc.

7:12 pm: Gwenyth Paltrow presents the Cinematography awards, with introductions to scenes by cinematographers. Pan's Labyrinth wins, yea! I picked a different one, but I'm thrilled to see Pan win as many as possible. Sweep! Sweep!

7:20 pm: Naomi Watts and Robert Downey Jr. present for Visual Effects. (Ah, I love Downey.) Pirates wins.

7:24 pm: Catherine Deneuve and Ken Watanabe discuss international film, and present a film of winning Foreign Language film clips.

7:30 pm: Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen present the Oscar to The Lives of Others. I'm disappointed that Pan didn't win, but I've heard nothing but fantastic things about this film.

7:34 pm: George Clooney presents for Supporting Actress, jokes about drinking with Gore and Nicholson. Big surprise, Jennifer Hudson. Good for her.

7:41 pm: Babel intro.

7:42 pm: My favorite Gael García Bernal and Eva Green introduce Documentary Short. The Blood of Yingzhou District wins.

7:45 pm: Jerry Seinfeld introduces Documentary Feature? Throws in a little stand-up for good measure. An Inconvenient Truth wins, no surprise. I think others were better, but it's great that the message of the film is so highly promoted.

7:50 pm: Clint Eastwood charismatically introduces honorary award for Ennio Morricone's composing efforts.

7:55 pm: There are others that could have performed at the Oscars besides Celine Dion. Just grab anyone from the Dreamgirls cast. I'm sorry, she just freaks me out.

7:59 pm: Morricone sweetly accepts the award (in Italian, so I'm just taking emotional cues). Eastwood translates. Morricone gives props to others who have not been given this award, and makes promise towards future passions.

8:06 pm: Hugh Jackman and Penélope Cruz present Original Score. Good deal, Babel wins. All were worthy contenders, but I think this score was the most original, escaping the usual lush themes.

8:10 pm: President of the Academy, Sid Ganis, speeds through the wonders of the Academy in a literal minute.

8:12 pm: Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunset present Original Screenplay, reading each scene's direction. Little Miss Sunshine wins again. Interesting. I did very much like the film, I'm just surprised it's winning. Pan was far more imaginative and complex.

8:16 pm: These dancers are pretty good. Makes me reminisce about the good ol' days of the Momenschaum troupe.

8:20 pm: Why is J.Lo a good reason for Hi-Def? She's my last reason.

8:21 pm: Newly-annoited Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson works it onstage with Beyonce (oo, I like her dress). I'd say "Listen" was the highlight of an otherwise hidden performance by Beyonce. Tony Award-winner Anika Noni Rose shows off her pipes with Keith Robinson.

8:28 pm: Future Hairspray costars Queen Latifah and John Travolta present Original Song to Melissa Etheridge for An Inconvenient Truth.

8:34 pm: Little Miss Sunshine intro.

8:35 pm: Will Smith introduces Michael Mann's film on America as represented by the movies. Stereotypes, racism, religion, power, money, military, leaders...

8:41 pm: Kate Winslet presents the award for Film Editing. Presented with all shots chosen from above, and ultimate film at bottom. They're doing a good job of showing what goes into each award. The Departed wins. Scorsese loses it.

8:44 pm: Jodie Foster introduces the reflection of Academy members that passed this year. Always an awkward popularity contest, even in death.

8:52 pm: Phillip Seymour Hoffman presents (with really bad hair) Leading Actress. Helen Mirren, as she has every right to. Acknowledges other nominees and the queen herself.

9:01 pm: Reese Witherspoon presents Leading Actor. Forest Whitaker, of course! Fellow nominees stand up. Whitaker gives a lovely speech on his journey to this point.

9:01 pm: Coppola, Lucas and Speilberg present Directing Oscar. Perhaps Scorsese's three buddies were there to ensure a win? No surprise, Martin Scorsese finally wins the big one in front of an enthusiastic standing audience.

9:15 pm: Scorsese buddy Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton present Best Picture to The Departed. Looks like Scorsese finally decided to call in a few favors? A good film, but not worthy of beating out the others. Ah, well. If the Academy ever agreed with all of my choices, I'd be in great shock.