SJCPL Blog

Trying to do things a little differently this evening. I’ll be posting updates to the blog as the Oscars are happening. Some comments will probably be a little snarky, but all comments will bring the info to you. Feel free to click on any links and see what SJCPL has for you to check out by that author or title.

7:53 – Hugh Jackman is going to bring the show tonight! I’m not sure what that means.

8:05 – Since I forgot about the fashion show that precedes the Oscars, I’ll be back when they actually start doing anything useful.

8:31 – Back! Mocking one’s self is what Hugh Jackman meant by bringing the show. Oh, and Craigslist dancers. Anne Hathaway messed up her Nixon fingers.

8:40 – Baseball joke?!? Who had that in their Oscar pool?

8:47 – Seriously, we’re 15 minutes into the show and we’ve had a Baseball joke and a Sister Act joke. They have nowhere else to go but to Larry the Cable Guy at this point. Best Supporting Actress – Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

8:54 – Taking jabs at Scientology? Gutsy move Tina Fey. You’ve made a mortal enemy of Tom Cruise. Best Original Screenplay – Milk (Out on 3/10/09)

9:01 – They’re giving both screenplay oscars now? I’d be mad but Tina Fey and Steve Martin are awesome up on stage. Get ready for the Slumdog beat down! Best Adapted Screenplay – Slumdog Millionaire (No release date on DVD)

9:08 – Horrible montage followed by the expected. Best Animated Film – Wall-E. Best Animated Short Film – La Maison en Petits Cubes (Don’t worry, I didn’t see it either[I'm not entirely sure it really exists]).

9:21 – Suburban America was a prison, according to Daniel Craig. Seriously how long do I have to see Sarah Jessica Parker? 3 Awards? Best Art Direction – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (no release date on DVD). Best Costume Design – The Duchess. Best Makeup – Curious Case of Benjamin Button (no release date on DVD).

9:25 – THE DUDE FROM TWILIGHT?!? I have nothing to say but “Why?”.

9:35 – Can we be done with this Joaquin Phoenix (yes, I had to look up how to spell his first name) bit? You know it’s played out when Ben Stiller is spoofing it at the Oscar’s. Best Cinematography – Slumdog Millionaire (no release date on DVD)

9:47 – Funny bit with Seth Rogan and James Franco, though I have no idea what purpose it really served. Best Live Action Short Film – Spielzeugland

9:54 – Beyonce? Oh look, it’s Lady Marmalade. Wait; why didn’t they get one of the four pop singers who sang on the remake of that song to do this? High School Musical? I’m just at a loss for words right now.

10:00 – Movies starring Sandra Bullock should be outlawed. There I said it.

10:04 – Where is Javier Bardem? Why is Phillip Seymour Hoffman wearing a knitted cap? Cuba Gooding Jr. shouldn’t be calling out anyone for an acting decision seeing how he made Boat Trip. No Surprises here: Best Supporting Actor – Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

10:17 – Awkward “joke” of the night goes to Bill Maher and his telling everyone how pointless religion is. Best Documentary – Man on Wire, Best Documentary Short Subject – Smile Pinki

10:35 – For anyone counting, you may have just seen the only time you’ll ever see Jason Statham on the Oscars. Thanks Will Smith for pointing out how everyone just wants to see stuff “blowed up”. Also; boom goes the dynamite. Best Visual Effects – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (no release date on DVD). Outstanding Sound Editing – The Dark Knight. Outstanding Sound Mixing – Slumdog Millionaire (no release date on DVD). Best Film Editing – Slumdog Millionaire (no release date on DVD).

10:49 – Ladies and gentlemen: Jerry Lewis. 2 billion dollars from the Jerry Lewis telethon? Just so we know, 1. that’s a ton of money, and 2. I’ll never do something that exceptional in my entire life. Congrats Mr. Lewis, you’re officially better than me in every way.

11:04 – Zac Efron again? Wait; why is John Legend singing the song from Wall-E? Isn’t it Peter Gabriel’s song? These songs are competing. Why are they a medley then? And why wasn’t Bruce Springsteen nominated? Best Original Score – Slumdog Millionaire. Best Original Song – Slumdog Millionaire.

11:07 – Best Foreign Language Film – Departures (Japan) (Sorry, no comment as Liam Neeson and the girl from Slumdog Millionaire came out and did an able job of presenting this award).

11:15 – Instead of just showing the pictures of those who have died this year, we now have Queen Latifah singing. Notable deaths: Bernie Mac, Michael Crichton, Roy Scheider, Isaac Hayes, Ricardo Montalban, Charlton Heston, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, and Paul Newman.

11:22 – Danny Boyle frightens me. I feel like he may be waiting, like Rumpelstiltskin, to steal my children. Best Director – Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) (no release date on DVD)

11:25 – for anyone counting Slumdog Millionaire (no release date on DVD) has won 7 awards thus far.

11:35 – Another Montage, that must mean it’s time for the Best Actress award. Time and age have not been kind to Sophia Loren, this appears to be mostly because of plastic surgery. Best Actress – Kate Winslet (The Reader) (no release date on DVD)

11:42 – Another montage, another acting award. This time it’s Best Actor. As an aside, again the best actor winner from last year (Daniel Day-Lewis) is not there! Best Actor – Sean Penn (Milk) (out on 3/10/09).

11:54 – The Best Picture montage doesn’t really point out why this movie should win best picture, it more points out how “this movie has already been made”. Here we go, the final award for the night: Best Picture – Slumdog Millionaire (no release date on DVD)

12:00 – There you have it folks, the 2009 Oscars. The only real surprise was Sean Penn winning Best Actor over Mickey Rourke.

Award Counts:
Slumdog Millionaire – 8 (no release date on DVD)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – 3 (no release date on DVD)
Milk – 2 (out on DVD 3/10/09)
The Dark Knight – 2

Many more had 1, but I don’t feel like listing them.

Good night, we’ll see you again soon, and hopefully we’ll do another one of these liveblogs again.