This will be a live blog. I will be updating all night.

Red Carpet

So, I can’t quit the Oscars and this was breaking the Interwebs so I tuned in slightly early.

Many of the Awards the Academy deemed unfit for broacast went to Dune. My rant on that can be found here and a running list can be found here.

The Show

There are five nominated songs, and one extra musical performance. All will be introduced. This is time the produers will gladly use up and not truncate.

Yes, DJ Khaled randomly walking on stage to introduce the hosts is a great time-saver.

Samuel L. Jackson has a Lifetime Achievement from the Oscars and the BAMs (shameless plug).

No massive opener with a produced video lampooning the year in film is kind of missed.

18 minutes and we’re starting a category, so that’s a positive.

Ariana DeBose is a very deserving winner.

The Regina Hall COVID is very good.

Wow, this pre-corded shit isn’t awkward at all.

Greig Fraser winning is no surprise and well deserved. I agree with this choice as evidenced here.

So Best Documentary Short Subject doesn’t even get a presenter on stage introducing the film. Fun. This is an asinine decision.

I’m getting the feeling Dune will win everything except Best Director and Best Picture.

All these measures to cut time and you still play off the award winning VFX team.

I had completely forgotten about the stupid fan votes.

Yes, let’s have an unadverstised appearance by a K-Pop band. That’ll increase viewership and decrease running time.

Yay, more dumb ass fan moments.

One of the most unimpressive Bond songs ever for your listening pleasure.

All these cuts and its still going to aroud 11 or 11:15. Great job.

So did Will Smith actually hit Chris Rock or was that staged?

OK, P. Diddy answered that question.

So now there’s a Pulp Fiction reunion coming up. This is the 80th anniversary of Citizen Kane anyone alive from that still and up for a reunion?

The Oscar voters really know that they they’re standing in the way of Lin Manuel Miranda’s EGOT, jeez.

Will Smith apologized, as expected. I’m not here to be an arbiter of apologies. As a show it’s been frustrating, yet again, to not see any real surprises.

Also of note: all those cuts to the ceremony and here we are at 3h20 minutes with Best Actress and Best Picture to come and yet another commercial break underway.

The drama of the pre-recorded awards sucks anyway, but cutting to Jessica Chastain kind of gave it away.

Seat-fillers got mentioned. Cue Kramer GIF.

An Oscar for Jessica Chastain feels so overdue.

Whoa, there’s a surprise. Finally!

3h41m – so it wasn’t so much about shortening the show as getting “things no one cares about” less time.

Peace out and fix all this shit for next year Oscars.