8:06–Okay, watching the “opening ceremonies.” Guys? Saying hi to people as they arrive on a red carpet is NOT an opening ceremony. It’s not ANY kind of a ceremony. It’s just people getting there and talking to you. Stop calling it an opening ceremony because it sounds stupid.
8:31–BB8 unveils an Oscar. Yeah, that’s about as close to an Oscar “Star Wars” is gonna get.
8:34–And Chris Rock’s first jokes are about the great debate. Smart.
8:35–The Kevin Hart joke is a keeper.
8:38–Only dead black people in the In Memoriam. Well, if they leave out Leonard Nimoy, at least there’s a good reason.
8:43–Clooney should totally wear that outfit. Ultimately, I think Rock handled that brilliantly.
8:45–“We think you’re all hot. A writer wrote that.” Cute. God, please let “Compton” win. What a great opening statement that would be.
8:47–Oh well. On the other hand, it also would have been cool if “Inside Out” won just because it was so wonderful and original.
8:49–Whenever we see “Best Adapted Screenplay” I can only think of what Orson Scott Card said: If you do a fantastic novelization of a screenplay, it’s called talented hack work. If you do a fantastic screenplay of a novel, they give you an Oscar.
8:51–Rooting for “The Martian.”
8:52–Oh well. Two for two.
8:59–Well, now I’ll never see “The Danish Girl.”
9:06–That was interesting: that was the entire song. In previous Oscars sometimes they’ve forced them to do aborted versions.
9:12–Didn’t see any of those films so didn’t care.
9:14–They played her off with “The Ride of the Valkyries” and then segued into “You’re the One That I want?” Who the hëll is doing the music selections? Bugs Bunny?
9:20–How come Marvel Comics movies never get costume nominations? YOU try designing seven different Captain America ensembles.
9:21–Seriously, guys? The moment she says, “I have something important to say,” THAT’S when you kick in to play her off? Couldn’t give her ten seconds more?
9:23–Good call. “Furiosa, Guest Starring Mad Max,” had a hëll of a production design.
9:25–I CAN’T READ the stupid little comments on the screen. They’re too freaking small.
9:26–So I’ve been doing this for an hour and no one’s commented. Is anyone reading?
9:36–If “Mad Max” is nominated for this, just announce it won.
9:37–Christ! The one time I said “Mad Max” would win and it DIDN’T. I’m sucking at this this year.
9:39–Interesting. They’re doing this in the order that movies are made. I never noticed that there’s no Oscar for “Best Producer.” Heh.
9:40–Well, thank God “Mad Max” won because at least my initial “Star Wars” joke remains intact.
9:49–Good lord, is it possible that “Mad Max” could win all these Oscars for production and not get the Best Picture? Because I’m betting yeah.
9:51–Okay, I bet Mad Max wins again.
9:52–Yay. Finally got one right.
9:54–How about that! They won’t nominate Andy Serkis, but at least he’s there as a presenter. Or something.
9:55–Whoa! “Ex Machina?” Seriously? I mean, I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment, but it was more impressive than Mad Max? Or Star Wars, for God’s sake?
10:01–That was VERY smart directing, to cut to the kid reacting to the arrival of the ‘Bots. Adults are just smiling but the kid is like, “It’s the droids! It’s BB8!”
10:06–Just for the record, you can still buy Caroline’s girl scout cookies. I’ll put up the link at the next commercial break.
10:08–Ðámņ. Rooting for Sanjay.
10:11–Yay! Disney won something.
10:15–The song is from “Fifty Shades of Grey?” Seriously? Ooookay….
10:17–Well, that was unmemorable.
10:18–Okay! Commercial break! Go order cookies from Caroline! COOKIES!!
10:22–Ordered cookies yet?
10:23–I don’t like this showing trailers for the films. I far prefer when they actually show a scene.
10:24–You know, I’m wondering: if blacks had been nominated for acting roles and “Compton” or the director of “Creed” had been nominated, what in the world would Chris Rock have talked about this evening?
10:28–Come on, Sly.
10:31–Crap. I’d have loved to hear Sly’s speech.
10:39–That was the best presentation speech of the program. Possibly the best of the century.
10:45–Boy, the Price Waterhouse reps are getting younger and younger.
10:50–Okay! So let’s beat that Girl Scout total for Caroline!
10:52–Wait, the PRESIDENT of the Academy is a black woman!? Oh, she must have just loved the controversy this year.
10:59–They kept Leonard for the end. Wait to keep me holding my breath, guys.
11:08–I know I should care about this stuff, but I just don’t.
11:09–I think we’ve only heard two songs. How many were nominated?
11:10–I love how it took them twenty seconds to get to their feet. It’s the VP, for God’s sake.
11:12–Well, that answered my song question.
11:15–Wow. Helluva song. Too bad I never heard of the movie it’s from.
11:16–There is no freaking way this gets done by 11:30.
11:17–WHAT THE HÊLL IS KOHL’S DOING?! I mean, I get it, they’re taking Oscar acceptance speeches and putting them into completely irrelevant scenarios. I understand that. But WHY are they doing it? What am I not getting?!
11:21–Is Mad Max up for this?
11:22–Well, my Star Wars prediction has held up.
11:25–Hëll! Why didn’t they perform all the songs?
11:27–With all deference to Lady Gaga, “Writing on the Wall” is the one that stays with you.
11:38–Aw, come ON. George Miller’s team wins practically every award and he doesn’t get best director? That’s messed up.
11:40–Uhm, orchestra? He’s not paying attention to you. And they noticed! They actually shut up in the face of his speech! Excellent.
11:44–This thing’s gonna wrap just in time to switch to “The Venture Brothers.”
11:48–Really? I thought the actress of “Brooklyn” had it locked up. Hunh.
11:49–That was nice. No one ever thanks the movie goers.
11:56–Good. That makes up for ignoring him for “Titanic.”
11:57–Notice the orchestra isn’t even trying this time.
11:59–WTF?!?
12:01–Seriously? I mean, I’m sure it’s a good film and all, but holy cow. That just came out of nowhere.
• 
Yeah, I’m reading and refreshing. So Harley Quinn and Joker just presented.
Reading while Twittering.
I’m here. Just not much to say yet
I’m watching, & thought I’d check on your live blog. Watching the Oscars. So far, the commercials have held more interest.
I’m reading and refreshing PAD, there’s not much to say so far…
Yup, I’m reading along, although I’m not watching the actual awards.
BTW, looks like Mad Max is going to win all the non-acting awards.
And I think the musical selections played (from movies that only got nominated for the technical side, if that) demonstrates the cognitive dissonance of The Academy.
Mad Max didn’t win Cinematography. Nyah nyah!
Agree regarding Marvel movies and costume nominations. Add this to the very long list of perennially neglected categories of works and artists, including comedies, comic book movies, animated movies, science fiction movies, female directors, actors of color, blacklisted talent (going back to the 50s), and all those who don’t get into films in order to have a chance to be overlooked at awards ceremonies, including older actors and actresses.
Enjoying your posting and you’ve found a way to say something thought-provoking and/or amusing at a lot more points than I would have expected, given what I saw on screen.
I thought “Best Picture” was the producer award, since that’s who it goes to.
(Or was that the joke and I just trampled it?)
I appreciate many of the presenting pairs such as Cap and Black Panther, Harley and the Joker, Steve and Tina. Nice night for Mad Max. And you make a good point about the Marvel costumes, Great Andy Serkis moment.
Ex Machina was good and 2 of its stars are in The Force Awakens — Domhnall Gleeson & Oscar Isaac
Rylance was the only of the five not to have played a comics character
I quit watching when the SFX Oscar went to Ex Machina and screwed The Martian, Mad Max or Star Wars. Machina wasn’t Oscar quality work, maybe better than TV, maybe.
Bad Oscars year.
I’ve been saying for years they need to give Andy Serkis an Oscar. He has out-acted many a performer over the years. Cesar was phenomenal. (bought, received and polished off her cookies, didn’t know the sale was still ongoing)
The song is from a documentary about sexual assaults on campuses. What an incredibly emotional performance.
<>
Yuh think?
Seriously, Mark Evanier said years ago that everybody but the people putting together the TV listings know award shows run longer than scheduled. Do you think the advertising department’s on the phone with companies saying “Oh no, the show’s running longer than expected. Can you buy more commercials from us, please?”
Not like the year Jerry Lewis hosted and it ended early. Kerry’s camping by leading everyone to sing “There’s No Business Like Show Business” repeatedly, and NBC ended up showing a short film on pistol shooting.
The SPECTRE song won?! Really?!
I’m not watching, just going by your blogging, PAD, and comments on Twitter, but it sounds like it’s par for the course with the show once again tonight: too many commercials & too much filler, but they make sure to try and cut off the speeches. Flipping idiots.
Trivia question: Is Michael Keaton the first actor to be the lead actor in two consecutive Best Picture winners without winning an Oscar himself for either?
Yeah, out of nowhere. Well, that’s it for me. Thanks for blogging this, Peter.
Peter David: 9:55–Whoa! “Ex Machina?” Seriously? I mean, I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment, but it was more impressive than Mad Max? Or Star Wars, for God’s sake?
Given the average age of the Academy voters, that makes sense. I thought Ex Machina was a good film, but it was definitely a more cerebral science fiction film, one whose visual effects were more restrained in their use to drive that film’s plot, in contrast to the kind of spectacle-driven flicks that break office records, and I think the Academy sometimes prefers to award snooty “artsy” films than spectacle-driven ones. Whether this is reason for a category whose salient criterion is often spectacle-based, of course, is another question.
But hey, at least Poe Dameron and General Hux were both in it, Star Wars actors at least got to be in the film that won that award! 🙂
I wonder if Spotlight would have won if the Academy was not being condemned for its lack of diversity. It’s almost as if they were deflecting. ‘Sure, we might be a racist organization, but at least we don’t support pedophiles. (As long as you forget about that tribute we did to Michael Jackson and the standing ovation we gave to Roman Polanski a few years back.)’
Eh, any credibility the Academy Awards had was lost last night. DiCaprio, sheesh.
Peter: I’m grateful you mentioned the Kohl’s ads. On a night in which a great deal was ill-conceived, these led the pack. I could NOT figure out what was going on until about the third, and when I finally noticed the sponsor, I kept staring at the screen, waiting for a payoff and wondering if there was some other information I was missing.