As it turns out, this year's Academy Awards weren't any more unpredictable than most other years. I identified the winners in 17 of the 24 categories, although three of the misses were in the short subject categories where I might as well have selected a winner by throwing a dart at the nominees. My gamble on Scorsese to win Director was my only miss in the major categories, but at least that pick kept things interesting as far as the Oscar pool was concerned. (A Marty win would have carried the day for me too.) The full list of winners can be found here.
The show seemed leaner this year, which was a good thing. I liked how they mixed it up with the presentations by giving some of the awards from the audience. Chris Rock was a decent if unremarkable host. Like it or not, he had to play it safe for this show. The Oscars are, and always will tend to be, stuffy.
Did Emmy Rossum not perform the nominated song from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA? I thought it was strange that she got to introduce "Learn to be Lonely" but not sing on the telecast, instead yielding to Beyoncé. (Answering my own question two days later: Apparently Minnie Driver sang this on the soundtrack.)
Most of all, I'm glad that the Oscars are over because the studios might start letting out some halfway interesting films again. This weekend's miserable slate of new releases--DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN, CURSED, and MAN OF THE HOUSE--were punishing, to say the least.
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