Tom Morello is presenting one of the Best Pictures, Vice (blech). Elsie Fisher (8th Grade which you should see if you haven't) and Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk) presenting Makeup and Hairstyling: Border, Mary Queen of Scots, Vice and the winner is: Vice. That's disappointing. Border was really good in this category. This speech is a travesty, just end it. Play them off. This is why they wanted you off camera, you're ruining it. Melissa McCarthy looks amazing in her crazy dress. What is that? I think it's a a Queen Anne Dress with rabbits. I didn't hear who was co-presenting, but he's pretty hilarious, in a matching crazy costume. They are presenting Costume Design: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Black Panther, The Favourite, Mary Poppins Returns (both by Sandy Powell), Mary Queen of Scots. The Oscar goes to Black Panther - Ruth Carter. I had to look it up, Bryan Tyree Henry (voice in Spider-Man into the Spider-verse and in If Beale Street Could Talk) presented with Melissa McCarthy.
Chris Evans and Jennifer Lopez are presenting Best Production Design: Black Panther, The Favourite, First Man, Mary Poppins Returns, Roma. The Oscar goes to Black Panther wins. Those were some pretty amazing sets. the speeches are too much.
Tyler Perry is presenting Best Cinematography: Cold War, The Favourite, Never Look Away, Roma, A Star is Born. Alfonso Cuaron wins for Best Cinematography (I think he did the catering on the film as well). Emilia Clarke presents a nominee for Best Original Song is for the documentary RBG, "I'll Fight" sung by Jennifer Hudson, written by Diane Warren. The backdrop is subtle, but powerful; the song is just powerful. But I swear, I saw the movie, but cannot remember the song. At all. Serena Williams is presenting A Star is Born as the second Best Picture nominee. James McAvoy and Danai Gurira present Sound Editing: Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, First Man, A Quiet Place, Roma (my personal choice would be A Quiet Place). Bohemian Rhapsody picks up its first Oscar of the night. Sound Mixing: Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, First Man, Roma, A Star is Born. The Oscar goes to Bohemian Rhapsody; not a surprise, the two awards seem to go together.
Queen Latifah is presenting The Favourite as the third Best Picture of the year. I cannot tell you how much I disliked this movie. Ugh. Angela Bassett and Javier Bardem are presenting for the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. Capernaum - Lebanon, Cold War - Poland, Never Look Away - Germany, Roma - Mexico, Shopli.fters - Japan. Roma wins. Only saw two of the films, but I'm not a fan of the director of Cold War; Shoplifters was good, but Roma seems to be the favorite this year. Keegan Michael Key just floated down like Mary Poppins. What to do with his umbrella? "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from Mary Poppins Returns is the next nominated song, sung by Bette Midler (not in the movie, just here at the Oscars). I was hoping Emily Watson would sing. It's much better in the movie. Not inspiring.
Trevor Noah is presenting Black Panther as Best Picture nominee. Michael Keaton is presenting for Best Film Editing. Nominees are BlackKKKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book (haven't seen), Vice. The Oscar goes to Bohemian Rhapsody. I think A Quiet Place should have been nominated. Daniel Craig and Charlize Theron are presenting for Best Supporting ACtor: Mahershala Ali- Green Book, Adam Driver - BlacKKKlansman, Sam Elliott - A Star is Born (I felt he was playing himself or other Sam Elliott characters), Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me? Sam Rockwell - Vice (a caricature, in my opinion). The Oscar goes to Mahershala Ali; it's his second Oscar in two nominations. That's pretty tremendous. He is really a versatile actor, good with dialects and accents, good guys and bad guys. He's fun to watch.
Michelle Yeoh and Pharell Williams are presenting Best Animated Feature. I really hope Spider-Man wins. The Incredibles 2 (boring), Isle of Dogs (boring), Mirai (I haven't seen it yet), Ralph Breaks the Internet (not seen yet); Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Oscar goes to Spider-Man!!!! That was so well done, new, imaginative, funny and smart. Kacey Musgraves is presenting the song for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" sung by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. I enjoyed that collection of short films a lot. The Coen Brothers were at the top of their game.
Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey (Wayne's World) are introducing the Best Picture nominee, Bohemian Rhapsody. It's a good movie, a fun movie, but I really didn't think it was Best Picture worthy. Awkwafina and John Mullaney, first time presenters, Best Animated Short: Animal Behaviour (my favorite), Bao, Late Afternoon, One Small Step, Weekends. The Oscar goes to Bao. It was directed by two women, so that's a plus. That was so predictable; it's a Pixar film, and they seem to always win, even when it's not the best, and I don't think it was. Late Afternoon would have been a good winner. Documentary Shorts - Black Sheep, End Game, Lifeboat, A Night at the Garden, Period. End of Sentence. The last is my favorite, and it just won! It's a great documentary and available online at Netflix. Actually, all of the shorts are really good and online. Check them out!
Diego Luna and Chef Jose Andres are introducing Roma as Best Picture nominee. Paul Rudd and Sarah Paulson are presenting Visual Effects: Avengers: Infinity War; Christopher Robin; First Man; Ready Player One (snooze); Solo: A Star Wars Story (unnecessary). The Oscar goes to First Man. A good choice, but I think Avengers was much better and impressive in that department. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are singing "Shallow" from A Star is Born. A little pretentious not to have them introduced like everyone else. It's probably going to win. There's been more hype around that song than any of the others; but I will say, I don't think Bradley Cooper sounds great. And another commercial.
Kristen Ritter and KiKi Lane are presenting the live action short films. UGH. You can avoid most of these. Detainment, Fauve, Marguerite (my favorite), Mother, Skin. UGH UGH, Skin won. I cannot fucking believe it. I guess I can, but I don't want to. Brutal, awful. No, no no. Um, people walked out of the film.
Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson (a Marvel team up?) introducing Best Original Screenplay: The Favourite, First Reformed, Green Book, Roma, Vice. The winner is Green Book (still haven't seen it, but I have heard there is some controversy about the main character). I'd hate to be the third or fourth person trying to give an acceptance speech. Best Adapted Screenplay: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; BlacKKKlansman; Can You Ever Forgive Me?; If Beale Street Could Talk; A Star is Born. The Oscar goes to BlacKKKlansman, it's Spike Lee's first win (not sure if that's ever, for any category, but people are pretty psyched).
Tessa Thompson and Michael B. Jordan are introducing the Best Scores. Black Panther, BlacKKKlansman, If Beale Street Could Talk, Isle of Dogs, Mary Poppins Returns. The Best Score is Black Panther, Ludwig Goransson. He has great hair. He has apparently known Ryan Coogler since college; that's a great friendship. Constance Wu and Chadwick Boseman are presenting the Best Original Song. My guess is "Shallow". Nominees are: "All the Stars" (Black Panther); "I'll Fight" (RBG); "The Place Where Lost Things Go" (Mary Poppins Returns); "Shallow" (A Star is Born); "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; The Oscar goes to "Shallow".
This is the In Memoriam section which never fails to upset people for this who are omitted. There were a lot of losses this last year. Neil Simon, Bernado Bertolucci, Burt Reynolds, Margot Kidder, Milos Forman, Penny Marshall, Stan Lee, Albert Finney.
Only four categories to go, and it's 9:35 central time, so I could be in bed before 11:00 p.m.
Barbra Streisand just walked on and is getting a standing ovation. She has won two Oscars. Brooklyn is in the house; she and Spike Lee are both from Brooklyn, and apparently, they both like hats. Spike is very dapper in purple tonight. She is introducing BlacKKKlansman as a Best Picture nominee.
Alison Janney and Gary Oldman are going to be presenting Best Actor: Chrisian Bale - Vice, Bradley Cooper - A Star is Born, Willem Dafoe - In Eternity's Gate (he's really good, but the movie, eh), Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody (he became Freddy Mercury), Viggo Mortenson - Green Book. Tough call. Rami Malek just won. I think that's a huge surprise, but he was amazing, you forgot he wasn't really Freddy.
I have to say I like the commercials. I'm not sure I could tell you what products they're for, but they are very dramatic, perhaps a little manipulative, but that's what ads are supposed to be.
Amandla Stenberg and Congressman John Lewis are introducing Green Book for the last Best Picture nominee. It should be noted that I think we have had the most non-Academy members onstage ever or in a long time (I thought there were 'rules' that only members of the Academy of Motion Pictures were allowed to present, but I like the change, if that is what is happening). Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell are presenting (Frances is more restrained than last year) Best Actress -Yalitza Aparicio - Roma, Glenn Close - The Wife (they are not showing her best scene here), Olivia Colman - The Favourite, Lady Gaga - A Star is Born (I think it's between her and Glenn Close), Melissa McCarthy - Can You Ever Forgive Me? Olivia Colman just won; I'm kind of surprised, and disappointed for Glenn Close. Her speech is very funny and endearing. Don't get me wrong, I really like her, and she is another actress who can do comedy, drama, etc., but I was hoping Glenn would win (yes, we're on a first name basis).
Two awards to go. This is where it gets longer, somehow breaking all of Einstein's rules of relativity, the closer to the end we get, the further away it moves. I have to say I really like the no host thing. It has helped keep it moving, once we passed the really long speeches for the technical awards (I get it, it's a big deal, but rein it in, please). I guess a new season of American Idol is upon us. It's good I'm watching the Oscars, otherwise, I wouldn't have any idea.
Guillermo del Toro, who won last year, is presenting Best Director. My guess is it's Cuaron. The nominees are Spike Lee, Pawel Pawlikowksi, Yorgos Lanthimos, Alfonso Cuaron, Adam McKay. Alfonso Cuaron is the winner; that's two wins for him tonight, and he'll probably take Best Picture.
Julia Roberts here for the final award this evening (yes, before 10:30). The Best Picture has eight nominees this year; I have seen all except Green Book: Black Panther, BlacKKKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star is Born, Vice. What? Green Book just won Best Picture. I don't even understand that at all to be honest. I haven't seen it, but after watching all of the others, I am a little shocked. I'm calling it a night.
