It is very much early – I am at a local bar st their Oscar party, attempting to type this on an app on my phone. I didn’t want to risk not being able to get a seat at a table – and it looks like that was wise.
We are now watching the inane pre-show commentary here, which I wish would have been canceled in lieu of the awards the Academy is giving out before the live broadcast. Boo.
There IS a photo booth with a “red carpet”, and I Googled how to say “Old Navy” in French for if anyone asks what I’m wearing.
6:47 p.m. – the crowd here is interesting. We’re still in the actors-on-red-carpet shebang, and when Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet each appeared there was a huge cheer. I think we have a bit of a Dune fangroup here.
7:40 pm: so the hosts for the night had their own Red Carpet interviews a moment ago, dragging people out of the crowd to ask the inane “who are you wearing” question. My favorite thus far is a young guy who said “the shirt is one of my Dad’s…”
8:00 pm. – yeah, kicking things off with Beyonce is probably the way to go.
8:09 pm – I quite like the hosts…
8:17 pm – okay, upon listening to Amy Schumer Maaaaaaaybe not….
8:22 pm – yay Ariana DeBose best Supporting Actress!
8:34 pm – first non-live award – Dune for sound. And they handled it okay, I guess….
8:47 pm – no surprise Dune got Best Visual Effects. Check out the video I link to in my review. (And love that bit of shade Rachel Zeigler threw for not originally being invited.)
8:50 pm – just for the record – we could probably have given out a couple more live awards in the time we are spending on this bloody James Bond montage…..
9:00 pm – DOS ORUGUITAS!!!! There were a couple of totally unnecessary dancers but I don’t care….
9:02 pm – and surprising no one, Encanto just took Best Animated Film.
9:17 pm – I love Yuh-Jung Youn. That is all.
9:23 pm – the sight of everyone in the audience ASL applauding for Troy Katsur’s Best Supporting Actor win nearly made me cry.
9:34 pm – so since Drive My Car has Best International Film, I am taking that as the consolation prize and it is out of the running for Best Picture.
9:37 pm – the speed at which this full bar of Brooklynites went totally silent when the Academy held a moment of silence for Ukraine was impressive.
9:49 pm – followed by the speed at which EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this bar started singing along with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”.
9:59 pm – I pretty much had no opinion on Best Original Screenplay this year. But it sounds like the bar definitely wanted it to be The Worst Person In The World.
10:27 pm – something really weird happened to the live feed during that Chris Rock/Will Smith schtick…but Yay for Summer Of Soul Best Documentary!
10:43 pm- the music they have for the In Memoriam sequence is downright bizarre.
10:51pm – so maybe that Will Smith and Chris Rock shtick….wasn’t shtick?
10:54 pm – what. WHAT. Dos Oruguitas didn’t win Best Song. …I am VERY UPSET.
10:59 pm – so someone in the crowd here hollered “Go Steven!” for Steven Spielberg for directing when they read the nominees. I tempted fate with a holler “Go Jane” for Jane Campion. And…she won. I will take credit.
11:08 pm – the crew from Pulp Fiction seem to have had the most fun with their presenting gig. And the crowd is VERY excited Will Smith took the statuette.
11:13 pm – Will Smith’s speech is taking a very, very interesting turn. I guess that moment with Chris Rock was NOT scripted. DANG.
11:21 pm – Amy Schumer: “So I was getting changed, did I miss anything?” I think we needed that.
11:29 pm – A win for Jessica Chastain Best Actress. It sounds like she is also kinda nodding at Will’s thing.
11:31 pm – somehow Lady Gaga and Liza Minelli is a pairing that makes perfect sense.
11:33 pm – Coda takes Best Picture! Everyone is ASL applauding again – I am sincerely surprised.
12:10 am – Just wanted to add this postscript, a comment from Roommate Russ after I got home: “Boy, the one year I decide to skip watching The Oscars….”
…And that’s that! If you have been reading this far thank you!
The Movie Crash Course 