Welcome to the FDL Oscar live blog!

Thanks Lisa. Your insights are the best part.

Aww shucks, thanks, Boo.

Morgan Freeman, announcing!

So, are you watching on tv?

We have a 5 hour delay here, so unless I can find somewhere to watch on-line, I’m limited to live blogging.

Thus any of my comments are only a reaction to you, not based on actually SEEING the show.

well, it’s kind dull for an opening sequence.

mauimom: google Oscars 2011 livestream and it will get ya where ya need to be.

We’re here at the beautiful Chapter 11 Theater–very funny

“Nothing can make you forget the world’s problems like seeing a bunch of millionaires presenting each other wiht golden statuettes.” Yup

Is it me or does Scorsese look like Keith Olberman?

Nice tweet from the king of liberal satire against the wingnuts, General JC Christian Patriot, “an eleven on the manly scale of absolute gender”:

‏

“Only reason I’m watching the #Oscars is to see if anyone will talk about GOP’s War on Women”

Clooney’s kiss may be the highlight of the night!

Could Hugo sweep?

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Robert Richardson, “Hugo”

ART DIRECTION
“Hugo,” production design: Dante Ferretti; set decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

gonna be a Scorcese night

Thanks. I’m trying. Very slow loading.

Are you all seeing the Ellen for JCPenny ad?

Can’t get anything to load that’s not an ad wanting me to buy a service to watch/live streaming.

The jokes are bad.

ABC is showing it online as well but so far I have only been able to get the backstage camera.

Cameron looks lucious

that’s all they are offering online

COSTUME DESIGN
Mark Bridges, “The Artist”

lovely speech 1at makeup

Tom Cruise looks weird.

Because he IS weird.

I told you Sasha Baron Cohen’s “consequences” would be funnier than the rest of the Oscars broadcast combined.

Cohen dumped A funeral Urn full of ashes he said were Kim Jong Il’s all over Ryan Seacrest’s red carpet tux!

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/oscars/watch-sacha-baron-cohen-dictator-spill-kim-jong-005534744.html

Tom Cruise looks weird.

Tom Cruise is weird?

jinx

Sorry, I think there’s a difference between being “funny” and being a jerk. He’s a jerk.

The order of awards is all different this year.

Iran won for foreign language film…what does this mean in the scheme of international politics?

Whirled Peas?

Agreed. I think Cohen is a total ass. And I don’t say that out of any love for Ryan Seacrest.

Yes, cinematographer first?

Yup, and then supporting actor, usually given out by the previous year’s supporting actress winner.

awww

I don’t care if Octavia Spencer played a maid to win an academy award….she acted up a storm. I’m sure people will find ways to make fun of her acceptance, but growing up in the south during those times, I’m damned glad that people actually saw this movie and related to it!

I’m repeating myself but I can’t believe the novel got the acclaim that it did. So it’s hard for me to root for the movie.

How many people really had any idea of what life was like in the South during those years? How many people ‘got’ to choose between drinking out of the ‘white’ or ‘colored’ fountains in the grocery store? The Help probably couldn’t have been made in an earlier time, but I’m glad it got made. I suppose I’m provincial, but the novel spoke to me. Brought up memories I’d probably rather not have remembered. I’m not sure what the standing O was about, but whatever.

Adam, 503 Re: Sacha Baron Cohen, we caught it live during our arrivals live blog. Dumb stunt.

Cool, the cast from Best in Show!

Did she actually WIN? [As you can see from above, I've got no access to live coverage.]

And yup, I too remember the “white” and “colored” water fountains, and the thousand other ways that “differences” were emphasized. Those who weren’t there probably find it hard to believe, but that’s one thing the movie was good at conveying.

Octavia got a standing O for her honest from the heart speech, I guess.

Sacha is occasionally funny, but he’s mostly obnoxious and annoying.

Well, that’s sweet. I can’t re=run it, but I think the standing O started earlier. No further comment.

This Film Editing Oscar going to “Girl with Dragon Tattoo” is an upset. And, you can tell because they had no speech ready.

Nice to see Billy Crystal back.

Yeah, you could tell. I wasn’t expecting that, either.

My complaint about the novel is that it could’ve been great and it wasn’t. Some of it was very insightful (for example, the help not being allowed to use the family bathroom). That was interesting to me. I appreciated seeing how it was from the point of view of the maids. If the novelist had done more of that, it could’ve been a great novel. But she didn’t. She delved into the ridiculous to give the maids some payback and to make her novel memorable. It wasn’t even clever payback. It lost all credibility and I was actually ticked that she used cheap gimmicks. She ruined the book and I wasted my time reading it.

Yes, she did win. And best actress is yet to come. I do think that The Help might be considered a “little movie”….but I’m so hopeful that lots of people saw it anyway. Or read the book. We still have much to learn.

Transformers were robbed! Robbed, I tell you!

Vernon Dursley accepting the award for sound mixing on Hugo.

Okay, I’m going to agree with you. I was annoyed by the ‘trick’….seemed stupid and wasteful of all the true information and learning could have come out of the story. But I’m glad some information was shared and that people actually read the story.

Oh, and I was pretty wrong to think “War Horse” would pick up Oscars for sound production.

Scorcese’s night

I can’t think of a “no actual talent in his head” ass-kiss leech off the hollywood studio system hack more deserving of being made as horse’s ass of than Ryan Seacrest.

I have a friend I went to school with who busted her ass taking two different forms of dance from elementary school on. Hours of lessons before and after school plus whatever production the high school did. She broke through about 10 years after graduation with a Tony nomination. She never got rich but she is set. She’s in 10-15 movies or TV shows a year now about halfway down the cast list. She busted her ass for her break. Gave up most of her childhood.

If Seacrest is too stupid to notice Sasha Baron Cohen has been holding essentailly a bucket over his head for 10 sec. already, he better move, then he gets what’s coming.

Some of the ads way out do the Super Bowl ads! And Ellen is adorable.

Wait–did anyone see the last JC Penney commerical and catch the “subliminal” message in the shoe dept?

no. What did I miss?

That was great.

Cirque~ wow~

wow
hard to take it all in, wish I had taped it

Triple 6s.

Robert Downey, jr. is soooo awesome. But this bit is grim

“bleeding edge” LOL

HUGE UPSET — Undefeated???!!!

Undefeated was the given for this. But I am bummed.

Lisa’s Movie Night category

Kevin, yes, it was expected to win.

I haven’t read comments, but I did hear earlier that 70s-something % of academy member are RWMs (rich white males). So why should any of us other 75%ers pay any attention?

Puffy Combs exec produced.

Really? Hmm. I read around and nobody was picking but you seem to know something I didn’t know. Not sure why it would have edge over Paradise Lost or Hell and Back Again.

Mr Bruce has left the room so disappointed is he that one of the two animated cat films didn’t win the statue.

Depp is a real world chameleon

:(

It’s a feel good film that moves beyond race was the vibe I got from he stuff I read. I was kinda stunned that it had been the pick, but it might be because it wasn’t so “political.”

Exactly.

Kevin, I think that nominating “If a Tree Falls” was fairly ballsy of the doc branch.

Ben Stiller’s make up is um, icky.

I’ll agree with that. “Incident in New Baghdad” being nominated in short category feels ballsy.

Sometimes the nomination is the prize…

I’ll say it again TRANSFORMERS was robbed!!

I guess we know what movie will win Best Picture

So sad that the people of this country can come together celebrating the oscars while civil liberties are in jeopardy and we are in endless wars.

Christopher Plummer….oldest actor to win an0 0scar….at 82.

love the Plummer

Plummer, yup. First time winner, oldest dude ever. Will he do a one armed push up?

nice call – I didn’t realize it was his first

That was pretty amusing, wasn’t it. God love Jack Palance.

love the Ewan

as usual, glad i don’t have a tv .. Ellen’s JCP commercials would be the highlight for me, but i’m so jaded i barely even care about that

anyway thanks for the thread Lisa, and all you fine people commenting on things

Well, hey, head over here if you can’t handle some left-leaning people who want to enjoy one of cinema’s biggest nights of the year.

You know, just cause you spend some hours of the day reveling in the glory of the movies doesn’t mean you forget about oppression in the world.

shows you how much I know, I didn’t realize Plummer was Canadian, I thought he was British

Scorcese looks like he’s wearing comic nose glasses

I’m still wondering what the effect of Iran winning best foreign language film will have on international relations, especially between Israel and Iran…

Love than someone with no formal training has won an award!

ordinarily I think Penelope looks scrawny but she looks wonderful in that dress.

I’m a Muppet of a Man…………love it!

Only two songs nominated this year.

This Muppets fan appreciates the Academy giving the Best Song Oscar to “Man or Muppet”

Yes, it was a lovely gown, the color was a refreshing change from the white and reds.

Yes, only two songs nominated and the Academy would not allow any performances of the songs either.

There’s also very strict rules for nominees. Song cannot play in the end credits.

I don’t see a lot of movies, but that seems really odd. And that they didn’t really spotlight them. If I didn’t listen to Terri Gross on Fresh Air, I wouldn’t know anything about the songs. But Muppet Man just charmed me…..and how the creator wanted to create a big, big song….wish I could remember the songs (Nilson and someone else) that he had in mind.

Nilson: I can’t live if living is without you……..can’t you just hear it! Anyone else remember what the other song was that influenced him?

Angelina’s dress is slit too high. Tacky.

and silly!

And her arms are um…scary

Jaysus, she’s skeletal

“Lime in the Coconut” ?

curse you!, that will stick in my brain for days!

Nothing surprising about screenplay award winners. Midnight in Paris, The Descendants – both good films that I really recommend

Nice to hear The Descendants writers mention the writer of the book, Kaui Hemmings who started years ago as a reporter a the Kauai Garden Isle newspaper.

Wow, there are soooo many commercials….

Shame on you! :)~

I wish to offer a book report on “The Help,” which I consider
justified, as it connects with the following, which are in the
house: “…Mockingbird,” “Ruined,” “J. Edgar Hoover,” “Dr. Zhivago.”

That Skeater’s like Scout / “To Kill a Mockingbird”
is less significant than Skeater’s being analogous to Lara in “Dr. Zhivago,” for this movie is about control freaks for economic advantage.

Whereas Kal Marx mistook crony Kptlism for K’ism
“The Help” pertains the psychlgcl self-destruction of the control freak, offers a parallel to “Ruined”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV_I-qoMnEE&feature=related

(Minnie’s scapegoated by her husband in turn fr her master;) the psychlgcl self-destruction w/in the controlling class parallels genetic
self-process-induced changes proven by the culture of Transference and control for the sake of Divide and Conquer–simultaneously in math, morality and history
bckwrd/frwrd. Where the East is identical but for that, then this is an experiment (as in conveyed.)
(spam value removed–but this last phrase is understandably a discourse outlyer, and I can be found easily)

Aibileen teaches Skeater:
“You are kind, you are smart, you are important.”

Offspring of generations of dmnzatn creating control opportunity
are often sufferers of transference; the need to mollify;
arrogance–unable to say that to their kids.

“The Help” pertains all.
Employers forcing ass-licking are of the same ilk.

Skeater’s mom’s concern for “naturalness” is important.
The origl basis of demonization caused gene bearers to marry heteros’ly and thus those most hostile are likeliest bearers.
They can be masters of fear transference, prvlgd bnfcries
of that, or given to overbearing control but not self-aware (as was proposed in “J. Edgar Hoover.”)

Divide and Conquer’s opposite: royalty assumes names fitting
regional assignments.
The East was devoid of dmnzatn for power thru control. Just emporers
+ Jane Goodall’s territorial tribalism, which the West would also
have simply had.

I never get into any of this—- never go to movies in theaters, don’t follow actors, etc. But every year this night seems like such fun for so many people. And every year I say that in the upcomming year I’ll go to the movies and follow this stuff and have a blast on oscars night. Wait ’til next year. I used to when i was dating. then came children and pixar and Disney and Nickelodeon. That’s over now so THIS is my come back year. Watch out cinema!! Beerfart is comin’ back!!!

LOL. I don’t go to movies, but I do hear about them and think about what they mean to our culture, and I actually do enjoy the Oscars….. just because.

LOL!

See you next year for sure then

Is anyone else watching the small talk intros to each category on mute?

Dham, had I known we were taking shots with every Scorcese…

I am tired as hell of Paris as a movie prop .. I do love the place, esp the cultural expat history between the wars etc .. but Jesus, give it a rest .. Woody has been skating on pretty buildings ever since Manhattan ..

we are down to the big awards now.

Michael Douglas sure looks like his dad these days

Scorsese was ROBBED! (but not as much as Transformers)

oh my!

NOT Scorcese

You thought Scorsese was going to walk away with second Directing Oscar? Or you just like him over Hazanavicius?

It felt like Hugo was getting a lot of the awards (which can be an indicator of NOT winning the big ones)

Whitney Houston should technically be in next year’s tribute.

True, that.

that was nicely done

Who was the singer? She was lovely.

True.

Again, Tom Cruise look freakishly different.

I’m sure right wingers will have a field day with it in this country. They’ll find something to complain about.

Many great Iranian filmmakers are living in exile (Abbas Kiarostami)or are under house arrest (like Jafar Panahi).

Esperanza Spaulding.

Esperanza Spaulding was the singer of Wonderful World. Thought I recognised her.

Indded. Perhaps Scientology gave him a new face….. well, why not?!

I was rooting for Oldman but that guy’s dishy

Age

ethereal

I loved Firth’s Darcy

wow, I want to see Close’s movie

Lisa !

I thought The Iron Lady would win for Best Foreign Language Film …

*Ducks and runs*

Did you see MI4 ? He did a semi-nude scene and his Chest/Torso looked like something out of FX. But if that’s what makes him do those incredible stunts, C’est la vie …

Sasha “The General” Cohen took the Oscar for the best display of chutzpa for spilling the faux ashes of Kim Jong Il over the immaculate tux of Brian Seacrest!

This is what The General meant when he threatened “Thre Will Be Consequences!”

Meryl Streep is the essence of graciousness and humor and a life well lived. And she’s an amazing actress. All of this year’s women were wonderful….but it’s fun to see Meryl win again.

Glenn Close is also incredible….I just kind of think Meryl’s agent must one up all the time.

Elliott !

Tinker Tailor is incredible … every bit a classic English Spy Movie, from the sets to the clothes to the twists & turns through each character’s persona. I was actually sad when it ended …

The Artist – Hollywood does love the movie about Hollywood

Petro!

Yes, the two films that won the most Oscars tonight – Hugo and The Artist – were films made by directors who really love films. And the whole ceremony was all about everyone in attendance professing their love of film.

And to Lisa *mwah!*

Thank you for the grand evening.

This was sadly one of the dullest Oscar shows ever. Though better than last year–though that was such a train of a show. This one was just safe.

So thank you all for being here! And have a great rest of the evening. I am going ot sleep now I think.

Please join us tomorrow on Movie Night for Phunny Business–a look at one of the most influential comedy clubs in the United States and the roles politicians, primps and police (and prejudice) in its rise and fall.

You can have all the others, Midnight in Paris was an incredible journey through time with the Legends of Fiction, interwoven with the non-fictional reality of finding true happiness within.

My fave Woody Allen is Purple Rose of Cairo, Midnight in Paris is a close second.

He looks AmerAsian now.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s not how he used to look.

At all.

thanks, Lisa, this made it bearably fun!

Eugene Levy looks like Scorsese!

Yep. Facelift…