A little Oscar blogging

Since I've written various blogs on movies, I may as well write some thoughts on the Oscars.

1. The Oscars in the past had clips for each of the best picture nominees. This year not. Perhaps it was to speed up the show, but the show still went pass 8:30 p.m.

2. I liked how previous Oscar winners provided personal messages to each of the best supporting and lead actors and actresses.

3. Did Shirley MacLaine basically tell Anna Hathaway that she was a great actress and she'd get many more nominations in her lifetime, but this just wasn't going to be her night?

4. I read some bloggers who are entertainment critics who say that Kate Winslet really won for her performance in Revolutionary Road versus The Reader. I agree with this. I personally think the Oscar should have gone to Anne Hathaway, but on the other hand, Kate Winslet can be denied only so long before it just looks unfair. She deserved a victory if you consider that sometimes the Oscar goes for an individual's body of work versus just a single movie.

5. I believe it was the screenwriter for Slumdog Millionaire who thanked Warner Brothers. I found that interesting considering who Warner Brothers dealt with Slumdog Millionaire. I also found it interesting how the producer failed to mention Warner Brothers when he accepted the Best Picture Oscar.

6. Did Sean Penn forget to thank his wife? There will be an argument about that at some point.

7. I don't think there were any sweet moments like last year's Oscar where Marketa Irglova was allowed to come back on stage; however, there was a very emotional moment when Heath Ledger's family came onstage to accept his Oscar.

8. I can't help but think that Dark Knight should have won two or three additional awards in either of these areas: editing, makeup, sound, visual effects, art direction and cinematography.

9. I haven't seen Milk so I can't judge Sean Penn's acting, but I can't help thinking that Mickey Rourke was robbed. To me, this wasn't a situation like Kate Winslet where the Academy was rewarding someone for the body of their work.

10. I think Slumdog Millionaire is so over-rated. Sorry. I liked the movie, but I just don't see it as being a best picture winner. This is a fell good movie that in five years will just be one of those movies you watch when you're depressed and want to be cheered up. Here's my five best picture nods: Doubt, Revolutionary Road, Dark Knight, The Reader and (I'll trust the Academy on this one since I didn't see the film) Milk. I'll admit The Reader is on the edge, but as I mentioned in my movie review of the film, I think this movie gets a nod because it makes you think about ethical issues. I could see Rachel Getting Married squeezing it out.

P.S. The Pineapple Express sketch was amusing. Some of the Hugh Jackman stuff was painful.