Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part Thirteen

OK, we're heading into the final stretch now. Whew!
Kate Blanchett steps forward to present the award for performance by an actor in a leading roll.
Once again, no surprise -- it's Eddie Redmayne! This young man is an astonishing, soaring talent -- an incredible, bright, new shining star for the whole world. And he's sooo excited about it, so happy, so animated, so human, so all-embracing. He's jumping up and down. It's a great moment!

Now, Matthew McConaughey steps forward to present the best actress Oscar. And matthew says "awwwwwright!" -- not three times, just once: "Awwwright!"
And, here again it's no surprise. It's Julianne Moore. Julianne looks lovely. She says she read an article that said that winning an Oscar can lengthen your life by five years. "If that's true, I'd like to thank the academy because my husband is younger than me," she says. She makes a plea for finding a cure for Alzheimer's - the subject of her film, Still Alice.

Finally, we move on to Best Picture. But we have to find out Neil's predictions for the awards. We're not quite sure why this is so important. Let's see, it all turns out to be a big joke. OK, it's only moderately funny and it's dumb.
OK, now for Best Picture, finally!
Sean Penn (a two-time Oscar winner) steps forward to present the Big Award. He looks bad and his tie is cockeyed. The Oscar goes to BRIDMAN!
Again, this is no surprise. But Penn, in presenting the award says "Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?" He can't resist making a political comment about the Mexican writers and directors and then the director makes a political remark about "two Mexicans in a row."

Goodnight, everybody!

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part Twelve

Eddie Murphy steps forward and he's intro'd as one of the top five highest grossing actors of all time. Now, a surprise: Best original screenplay goes to Birdman. Hmmm . . . this had pretty much been expected to go to Budapest. And Michael Keaton is still chewing that gum and he's chewing it with an open mouth - showing the gum. Bad form.
Oprah Winfrey is on now as a presenter and we're not going to say anything more than that.
The Imitation Game wins best adapted screenplay. This is as expected. Now, the recipient tells a scary and touching story about how he tried to kill himself when he was 16 years old because he was "weird and different" and here, once again we have a quasi-socio-political statement. But, he delivers a message of hope for others and thank God he didn't kill himself because he appears to be a fine talent who's already given us an Oscar-winning great script -- the first of many, we hope.
Now, that notorious liberal loudmouth Ben Afleck has stepped forward to present the best director award. He plays it straight and the award goes to the director of Birdman. No surprise.
The winner says "that little prick" and reveals that he is wearing Michael Keaton's "tightie whities" and that they (we think this is what he said) "smell like balls." OK. And he goes on and on.

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part Eleven

Many of the women tonight are wearing boyish-styled haircuts. We're not quite sure what to make of it. Androgynous, to say the least.
Now, we're into a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the film of The Sound of Music, the endearing (and enduring!) Broadway musical.
But, get this -- Lady Gaga comes on to interpret The Sound of Music! She covers the title song. She does a fine job of it. But what a shame we have to gaze upon her tattoos - especially the one with the peace sign, but that's the least of it. She's multi-tattooed and it just ain't pretty, folks. It's freaky! And freaky is just not a word we associate with The Sound of Music. God help us!
Oh, wait -- here's Julie Andrews. JULIE ANDREWS - to remind us of when Hollywood really WAS classy and when it really reinforced solid values. Julie is very polite and thoroughly professional.
Julie looks enchanting tonight. What a joy it is to see her again.
And, here's more good news: The Grand Budapest Hotel (one of our favorite films of the year) wins best original score and keeps its place as the winningest film tonight. 

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part Ten

Octavia Spencer is on stage now and she's all in white and stunning.
And this is followed by a performance of the song from Selma by John Legend and this song will almost certainly win the award for best song. It receives a massive production -- a full choir, rap segments and many, many participants on the stage. It's a Big Deal.
Legend is having a huge year.
And again we see Oprah - the Queen Mother of Equality.
Now, introducing Adena Menzel, we have Harris making a joke about John Travolta botching her name last year. Then Travolta appears with Menzel to actually pronounce her name correctly. It's a warm and funny and cute moment.
Finally, yes - Glory wins the award for best song. And Legend then shifts into a political statement charging that "we live in the most incarcerated country in the world" and that the "voting rights act is being jeopardized right now." No music comes on to cut these speeches off, of course. In the midst of time limits throughout, this is a virtual polemic. But it goes unchallenged.
And again we have another super-charged political statement - liberals using the moment to filibuster for their own self-interest. Sad!

Line Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part 9

Benedict Cumberbatch has made the scene with Naomi Watts. He's the most angular star since Adrien Brody. Very vertical.
Now, Whiplash wins another award, this time for film editing.
Here we have Oprah in the audience cheering on the segment from Selma that will be shown. She shows two thumbs up. But we already know how Oprah feels about this and about virtually all things black. Is it necessary for her to keep reminding us?Just for the record: Blacks are very well represented throughout the program, both as performers and presenters.
Jennifer Aniston has stepped forward to present an award and she looks lovely.
Citizen Four wins documentary feature. This is a film about Edward Snowden's disclosures and the "threats to our privacy" that he revealed. Then, Harris makes a joke about why Snowden could not be there tonight. But the award stirs a lot of passion in the audience nonetheless.

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part 8

Now Oscar remembers those who have passed on this year and the tribute is introduced by Meryl Streep and she does a great job with it.
This is a beautiful, haunting moment and its presented in a simple, lovely, evocative fashion. It wonderfully sweet, human fashion -- like so many watercolors.
So many great talents lost this year. How they enriched our lives.
Jennifer Hudson steps forward -- looking perfect -- to sing a magnificent tribute ("I can't let go . . . ") to all those who passed. Appropriately, this is a singular moment - beautifully presented.

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part Seven

Have you noticed that the Oscars are decidedly younger this year?
With a few (VERY few) exceptions (like Eastwood, Oprah and Streep) the faces that are front and center are young, young, young. It's all about the demographics. Oscar is doing what everyone else is doing: pitching to the millennials, and younger. So, the people that you're seeing in the audience and on stage fit that demographic. If you don't know who these people are it may be that time has passed (or is passing) you by. Take a deep breath and remember -- this is an industry and the movies are products like anything else.
Felicity Jones gorgeous in a flouncy dress that flairs at the waist.
And now Budapest wins for production design. This is a well-deserved award. This movie was an absolute delight to watch - imaginative, hugely creative, great fun. It was a complete flight of fancy.
Jessica Chastain in a goofy-looking dress.
Now, Birdman wins for cinematography. Maybe it got this award because the movie was filmed in such confined quarters. Whatever -- we don't know.

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part Six

Now, Neil is appearing topless and in briefs in a takeoff from Birdman and this is really funny!
At last, we have a clever, surprising, daring bit. And Neil makes it work.
Here we have Unbroken nominated for something. But the movie was basically shut out of the Oscars and seemed to go nowhere at the box office.
Three guys win for sound in Whiplash -- the film's second win tonight.
And, for sound editing, American Sniper wins its first award of the night.
And Clint Eastwood is in the audience and he really IS The Best - what a legend and what a career!
Jared Leto appears in a light blue tux that he seems to have matches to his eyes and, well -- he's Jared Leto and, as always, he's unique. What else can we say?
Then, to no one's surprise (one again) the award for best supporting actress goes to Patricia Arquette for Boyhood. She's so appealing. Her performance was so incredible. She's so real. This is a magical moment for her. But she messes it up by making a political statement for equal rights for women and wage equality for women. Not the time nor the place for that.

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part 5

Kerry Washington is one of the most beautiful women in the world -- even in a dress that does not flatter her as much as it might. Nonetheless, she's exquisite - and sexy!
The guys who win for the short film are very British and funny in their horned-rim glasses.
John Travolta is in the audience and he's obviously had work done. Skin is very smooth and shiny. And instead of a tie he's wearing what looks like a piece of jewelery around his neck.
Now a woman is coming to receive the award for best documentary short and she's wearing a black dress adorned with puff balls. Harris improvises a good joke: "Takes a lot of balls to wear a dress like that."
Viola Davis looks w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l-! Bravo! This is the way a star should look at the Oscars!
They're showing Belafonte accepting an honorary Oscar and he quotes someone who said "Artists are the radical voice of civilization."
Gwyneth Paltrow is certified screwball but tonight, at least, she looks positively ravishing.
Tim McGraw is on now singing a song from a movie about Glenn Campbell and it's sad and poignant and haunting and beautiful all at once. Like many great country stars, McGraw has a powerful stage presence.

Live Blogging The 2015 Oscars - Part 4

Nicole Kidman -- proving that simple is better.
In a glittering dress she is otherwise unadorned. She is positively statuesque! Eat your heart out, Tom Cruise.
The man who accepts the award for the best foreign film - Ida - gives a charming, funny acceptance speech and defies the time-limit rules. This is a genuine spntaneous moment and it's fun.
Shirley MacLaine is on now and she's over-adorned. She's been saying some really stupid things lately so we're gonna say: "Shirley, get the hell off the stage."
Now we see Michael Keaton in the audience and he's chewing gum. Get rid of that gum, Keaton -- you're being watched by hundreds of millions.
Marion Cotillard appears to present an award and she looks perfect. French women just seem to understand how to carry off a moment like this.