Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer

The challenge for the duo will be the venue itself. I personally worked the first four Oscars at the Kodak as the supervisor of event services. The atmosphere of the Oscars is a difficult thing to anticipate. The duo is going to have to be aware with what is going on in the world and, in my opinion, stay away from it. They need to remember that people are tuning in to see the stars, what they wear and who wins. They also need to be aware of how many films that are nominated have yet to be seen by the vast majority of the audience. That is going to be difficult. It is hard to keep an audience engaged on the awards when they haven’t seen a film. Either due to not being released by them yet or the obscurity of the film itself, the producers need to make note of that and try to make a concentious effort to keep the show warm. When it feels like a good time is being had inside, it feels like a good time for those of us watching on TV. Considering the background and success of both men they should not have an issue with this.

One thing for them to keep in mind is the selection and use of their host. Last year the Acadamy wasted away the use of exceptional hosting. We rarely saw the hosts after the introduction. I think they can continue the use of stars throughout the telecast but need to focus on keeping their host or hosts as a solid through line and let them do what they do best.

Having been in the venue during these events, I have seen the difference in how it feels inside. For people of such celebrity staure there is an intense feeling of anticipation and nerves inside the theater. Its quiet, dark, and everyone is just a bit more intense than they are at the lighter hearted Golden Globes. The men have a giant task ahead of them and the world will be watching to see how they handle it. I want to turn off my television and say, well that was fun. The magnitude of the Oscars have a tendency to take over and if the producers can find a way to respect that but also manage it, they could change the feel of the Oscars forever.

Earlier this week, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote a piece declaring The Hurt Locker a Hollywood dream. I found his diction a bit interesting, especially since “Hollywood” and “dream” have often intersected and The Hurt Locker was anything but a dreamlike experience. Somehow, I just can’t imagine too many kids going home and legitimately fantasizing about being on a hellish bomb squad. Those who did probably have the makeup of Jeremy Renner’s now-notorious character.

The basis of Turan’s argument is that The Hurt Locker embodies a more antiquated style of film, where smarts, guts, and the genuine pursuit of quality trump marketing and the crackling of 800-calorie popcorn. Avatar is the villain in this, of course, since it represents everything the Academy has tried to spring away from. Cameron’s showcase may be grandiose and exquisite, but it fronts generic characters and a regurgitated storyline, and – prepare yourselves – it’s popular! Contrast that with The Hurt Locker, which barely made an appearance on screens and still was relatively unknown by the general public until the Oscars rolled around. In a sense, the concept of “the little engine that could” aligned itself with a brilliantly-disturbing portrayal of war psychology.

As I told many of my Hurt Locker-toting colleagues, I enjoyed the film and thought it was – if not quite spectacular – at least worthy of the award. I now have it fourth on my personal list of 2009 movies. I recognize that the raw storyline leaves a battery-acid aftertaste of provocative thought, and the individual scenes are superbly constructed. Bigelow’s meticulous realism is always present, rejecting any unnatural sentimentality and refraining from agenda. In the eyes of many critics, The Hurt Locker was the first defining film on the Iraq War. I agree with that assertion.

The bigger question, of course, surrounds The Hurt Locker’s legacy as a Best Picture winner. Will it be remembered as one of the all-time greats, on par with Casablanca (1944, as mentioned by Turan) and Schindler’s List (1993), or shrink into obscurity like A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). I expect it to land somewhere in between, following the path of similar introspective war films; The Deer Hunter (1978) and Platoon (1986) come to mind in particular.

Meanwhile, the legacies of Avatar, Up in the Air, and Inglourious Basterds remain to be seen, especially in the case of Avatar. If Cameron’s technology becomes THE staple of future cinema, Avatar will ascend to heights beyond The Hurt Locker in the public consciousness. Similarly, Up in the Air has been described by some as a film that will persevere well beyond its years, even if the Academy showed it a surprising level of callousness on Oscar night. Inglourious Basterds has a wide range of potential, but something tells me it will long be remembered as Tarantino’s most underappreciated classic. Then again, he revealed such ingenuity here that maybe there are more masterpieces to come from his screwy mind. As the expression goes, time will tell.

But putting time and legacies aside, the present belongs to The Hurt Locker. Even if Avatar becomes known as the progressive movie that saved cinema, the plaque will always read in golden calligraphy: The Hurt Locker, 2009. Nobody can ever take that away. The Hurt Locker may indeed be Hollywood’s dream, but – let’s face it – it also needed the Academy’s endorsement. Avatar will do just fine on its own.

By Christa Youngpeter

The 2010 Academy Awards have come and gone, leaving in their wake 3 hours and 30 plus minutes of song, dance, deaths and upsets.

In something of a shock (for this jaded 3-D weary viewer anyway), Avatar walked away with just three awards and neither of them Best Director nor Best Picture. Kathryn Bigelow, scored both awards along with six others for The Hurt Locker, a little-known dark horse just a few short months ago. What is certainly a score for independent films, Bigelow directed a modern war film with an unmatched perspective thanks to former battlefield journalist Mark Boal. Talk about street cred’. A flawed film, sure, but it embodied much of what filmmaking should be all about- passion, intensity and raw emotion.

Not that the first three hours of the show didn’t have some upsets and surprises of their own. I was among the camp who didn’t believe the Academy would vote for Sandra Bullock, and lo and behold- she came away with a huge win and tear-jerking speech. The Best Actor lock, Jeff Bridges, was huggable like your favorite uncle at a family reunion.

Supporting Actress Mo’Nique and supporting Actor Christoph Waltz were much ballyhooed favorites, pulling though with wins for their gritty, mind-bogglingly hateful performances in Precious and Inglourious Basterds respectfully. For the five of you out there who saw Domino, you’d know Mo’nique had it in her all along- she just needed the right vehicle.

One of the genuinely moving pieces of the evening was the John Hughes tribute, which included many of the “Brat Pack” he made household names in the ‘80s. A tearful thank you from Hughes’ widow and children, though, was a definite tearjerker and harkened back to a more innocent age of comedy filmmaking. Later on in the show, though, the montage of Hollywood icons who passed away in the past year missed two fan faves- Bea Arthur and Farrah Fawcett. Sure, they were mostly known for their iconic TV roles, but they did have some film credits.

As for the hosts…well. Unlike Neil Patrick Harris’ laugh out loud Emmy hosting gig, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin’s shtick was painfully scripted at times- certainly a shame coming from two legendary actors. But hey, the Oscars aren’t exactly known for their cutting edge comedy (unless you count interpretive dance). Thankfully the awkward reality-show-ish gimmick of lining all of nominees on stage a la the Bachelor was eschewed in favor of cute anecdotes given by former co-stars. Different yes? A bit self-fellating by the Hollywood A-list? Also yes. Overall, not entirely memorable but an entertaining evening nonetheless.

Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman ever to win Best Director and her film “The Hurt Locker” beat her ex-husband’s blockbuster “Avatar.” The results are in and the pools are all final for a truly memorable Oscar night. Check back on this site throughout the year as we get to Emmy’s season!

Road to the Oscars series:

Podcasts – Kit Bowen, Nate Freiberg, Adam Spunberg, and Phil Wallace

February 4: Live Action Short – Kit Bowen

February 5: Animated Short – Kit Bowen

February 8: Documentary Short Subject – Christa Youngpeter

February 9: Documentary Feature – Nate Freiberg

February 10: Foreign Language Film – Paul Popiel

February 12: Animated Film – Nate Freiberg

February 15: Sound Mixing – Jeremy Martin

February 16: Sound Editing – Jeremy Martin

February 17: Original Song – Adam Spunberg and Savanna New

February 18: Visual Effects – Mallory Pickard

February 19: Original Score – Adam Spunberg

February 22: Makeup – Christa Youngpeter

February 23: Costume – Steve Neumann

February 24: Art Direction – Christa Youngpeter

February 25: Film Editing – Steve Neumann

February 26: Cinematography – Paul Popiel

February 27: Original Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

February 28: Adapted Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

March 1: Supporting Actress – Marla Seidell

March 2: Supporting Actor – Phil Wallace

March 3: Actress – Marla Seidell

March 4: Actor – Kit Bowen

March 5: Director – Adam Spunberg

March 5: Picture – Kit Bowen

March 7: The 82nd Annual Academy Awards!

12:03AM:
Tom Hanks got up.  Tom Hanks opened his mouth.  Tom Hanks announced the award.  Talk about brevity!  I had no time to even digest what was happening before The Hurt Locker was declared the winner.  Not a surprise based on what happened, The Hurt Locker was the clear preference of critics all season, and the will of the populace (exceeding $600 million) could not overtake it.

I thought Inglourious Basterds stood more of a chance, but The Hurt Locker was unquestionably the selection of the Academy.  Hard to find fault with this call.  A film almost without flaw, tackling a present-day subject riddled with adversity and challenges, it brought a new perspective on the inner complications of a hazardous war.

Congratulations to Bigelow and the rest of her crew for a job superbly done.  Imagine how improbable this all must have seemed on a tight budget, going virtually unknown except for the notice of critics.  This just proves that a quality film will get recognized if enough people give it a chance.

11:56PM:
Kathryn Bigelow was already the favorite for Best Director, and the events of the evening seem to encourage the possibility even more.  Barbara Streisand alluded to the historical aspect immediately, and that is not to be taken lightly.  As expected, Bigelow triumphs!

Calling it a “moment of a lifetime,” Bigelow’s reward represents far more than one woman’s struggle to achieve a dream.  How can it be, really, that no woman has won before?  Astounding.  Congratulations!

Note: James Cameron seemed legitimately happy for his ex-wife.  Whether that was fake or not, we’ll never know, but I bought it.  Sort of a nice moment.

11:49PM:
Five greats introduce five greats.  Forest Whitaker teed off, presenting favorite Sandra Bullock.  Michael Sheen tapped into a familiar line of fawning over the timelessness of Helen Mirren’s beauty.  Peter Skarsgard really chimed the right notes in plugging costar Carey Mulligan from An Education.  Oprah was inspiring as she honed in on the unlikelihood of Gabourey Sidibe’s nomination.  And Meryl Streep, no stranger to being nominated, gets a great endorsement from Stanley Tucci, highlighting her prolific tenure at these ceremonies.

And Sean Penn comes out to share the final word.  It’s Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side.  Those who put Streep, experience a steep decline.  Everyone else stays at the same level of contention.

Many will sneeze at this one, and while Bullock would not have been my personal choice on the merits, I can at least acknowledge that a fine lady won tonight, who wanted this desperately and appreciated it fully.  Parallels will be made, inevitably, to Julia Roberts’ win for Erin Brokavich.

One thing worth commending Bullock for.  Just this week, she made an appearance at the Razzies for All About Steve and handled the dubious honor with incredible dignity.

11:40PM:
Three categories left, and they are significant: Best Actress, Best Director, Best Picture.  Here are the favorites for these three, based on what’s happened so far:

Actress: Sandra Bullock
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Picture: The Hurt Locker

Meryl Streep, James Cameron, and Avatar are the top challengers.  Lots of upset-hopefuls put their stamps on Streep, so Best Actress could boggle things up.

11:33PM:
A mixed-gender company of presenters provide introductions on the five Best Actor nominees.  Michelle Pfeiffer, always classy, kicks it off with a strong endorsement for Jeff Bridges, the person.  Vera Farmiga, co-star in Up in the Air, focuses in on George Clooney’s humanitarianism and dreaminess (his date did NOT seem amused).  Julianne Moore promotes Colin Firth, although I’m sure a slew of Austen fanatics  would have loved to tout the virtues of the once-Mr. Darcy.  Tim Robbins, Shawshank Redemption costar, goes personal and comedic in announcing Morgan Freeman.  Lastly, Colin Farrell (a year off his career-skyrocketing performance in In Bruges), gives a speech like a Best Man for Jeremy Renner.

Kate Winslet, absolutely ravishing year after year, promenades out to name the winner (with Titanic’s score playing).  No surprise.  Jeff Bridges wins, keeping order in Oscar pools and eliminating those who went for a daring upset pick.

And the Dude abides, with an enthusiastic, but chill acceptance speech.  No urinating on this red carpet.

11:20PM:
What a remarkable pair of presenters for Best Foreign Film: Almodovar and Tarantino.  Not an uplifting quintet of contenders, The White Ribbon is probably the most known, despite its disturbing subject matter.

Here comes another MAJOR surprise!  For the second year in a row, Best Foreign Film results in an upset.  The Secret in Their Eyes pulls off the unthinkable against The White Ribbon, just like Departures over Waltz with Bashir in 2008.  This is almost certainly a consequence of the must-see-all-five-films rule.  Under these requirements, people make an informed decision based on the quality of the films and not on what they happened to hear at some grapevine, watercooler, or other popular hangout.

11:10PM:
The Hurt Locker takes film editing!  It has been a spectacular night for the The Hurt Locker so far, with the only disappointing moment coming in Best Cinematography.  At this point, The Hurt Locker has to be seen as the favorite going forward towards Best Picture, but Avatar is still very much in the race. I would estimate The Hurt Locker’s chances at about 65%.  Inglourious Basterds is effectively out of the running, barring a miracle.

11:05PM:
Documentary is another pivotal category, with strong contenders in Food Inc., Burma VJ, and The Cove.  All of these were great efforts.

The Cove wins!!!  Something to keep in mind is that Documentary is not only about the best topic, but also about the film executed most expertly.  The Cove was such a popular candidate because it was a documentary that managed to feel like a feature film.  Compared to the Bourne Identity, true life can be quite riveting sometimes, it seems, especially when it involves insensitive poachers in Japan and a ragtag team of animal rights activists.

10:56PM:
Best Visual Effects: Avatar.  This was the indisputable lock of the night.  If you didn’t have Avatar here, you must not have been doing all that well, so sit back and enjoy the rest of the show.

10:54PM:
Performances for Best Song may be out, but the Academy seems to be fond of interpretive dance for the scores.  I’m not sure what exactly this dance is to Hans Zimmer’s Sherlock Holmes, but I can’t imagine Sir Arthur Conan Doyle approving of it (or the film, for that matter).

The Hurt Locker’s dance is even more absurd.  What is going on here???  I am trying to be open-minded about this, but I just don’t see the artistic value in these bizarrely-choreographed stunts, especially since there is such little semblance to the actual films.  The dancers are enormously talented, but what does this have to do with the movies???  I would much prefer to see these scores as associated with the films, so we can interpret the quality of music-imagery coordination.

And Giacchino wins for Up!  I wrote an extensive feature on the Original Score category, and I endorsed Up while applauding the whole crop of contenders.  What makes Giacchino’s composition so effective is how well it moves with the animation on screen.  Excellent choice among excellent contenders.

10:37PM:
Avatar strikes back!  A HUUUUUGE win in Cinematography keeps the night shrouded in mystery.  Things were not looking advantageous for Avatar after dropping the sound categories, but Cinematography is often a soothsayer when it comes to Best Picture.

If you have Avatar on your ballot, take a deep sigh of relief.  No need to turn all blue just yet (har har).

10:28PM:
The Hurt Locker is soaring right now after taking Sound Editing.  Now two-for-two in contested categories, it has directly wounded Inglourious Basterds and Avatar.

Avatar can make a comeback with a Sound Mixing win, splitting those categories.  No!  Another win for The Hurt Locker.  While these sound categories do not necessarily predict the bigger awards, things seem to be landing awfully nice for The Hurt Locker.  I would be feeling pretty good if you have it atop your Best Picture list.

10:22PM:
In an unexpected turn, the Academy decides to showcase the horror genre, which it freely admits to boycotting from Oscar consideration.  That would be great, except wasn’t Silence of the Lambs a horror movie?

Not exactly a chilling montage, although I imagine those in the camp of Team Edward were absolutely horrified by seeing Kristen Stewart present with Taylor Lautner.

10:13PM:
Costumes could potentially be the defining category of the evening.  HUGE decision here.  And the Oscar goes to…

The Young Victoria!!!

We are now seeing Oscar pools take shape.  Major credit goes to colleague Nate Freiberg, who kept insisting that The Young Victoria fits that period piece mold of prior victors in our podcasts.  He was absolutely correct.

Speaking of Nate, if you aren’t aware of his phenomenal Web site, www.moviecontests.org, which catalogs all the films of the last decade with blurbs, Rotten Tomatoes scores, and an intriguing scoring system, please go check it out right now.  One of my favorite aspects of seeing a film is being able to add it on his site afterward.

10:08PM:
Art Direction was one of those KEY categories I mentioned earlier, and Avatar takes it!  Good news for Avatar fans, who now have something to build on.  While this does little to foretell Best Picture, there are many who staked their strategy on Avatar cleaning up the technical and artistic categories.

All eyes now on Cinematography, for a huge Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker showdown!

10:01PM:
Mo’Nique grabs the Best Supporting Actress award, as expected.  Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga had the misfortune of being from the same film, and Mo’Nique’s challenging role really resonated with viewers.

Really a touching acceptance soliloquy from Mo’Nique, who seemed deeply grateful and profoundly affected.  Good for her.

I want to make a point of highlighting An Education, which never really got much popular notice, but was an extraordinary effort worthy of being watched.  Go find some medium for experiencing it and delight your senses for a couple of hours.  Carey Mulligan was just winsome.

9:54PM:
And there is your second showstopper of the night, once again in the screenplay category.  Precious!   Most saw Up in the Air walking away with this one.  What a steep decline for Up in the Air, once seen as the prohibitive favorite for Best Picture, and now left without even Adapted Screenplay.  If  not Up in the Air, I thought for sure it would be An Education.

Precious apparently reached somewhere deep within enough voters to summon votes.  An emotional acceptance speech from an unlikely winner, these Oscars are not proceeding as many thought.  What other surprises could be on the docket?  Oooh…suspense!  We may not need that extra cup of coffee after all.

9:48PM:
Here’s your movie-meter as of now:

Avatar: Unknown
The Hurt Locker: Looking VERY GOOD after taking Best Original Screenplay.
Inglourious Basterds: Suffered a crushing loss in Original Screenplay.  Not a good sign of things to come, but stranger things have happened.

I see Best Picture as a two-horse race now, between Avatar and The Hurt Locker.

9:44PM:
Things had been mildly humorous and straightforward until Ben Stiller showed up, dressed as a member of the Naavi people from Avatar.  Whoever did that makeup job deserves some kind of award!  Stiller looked just like the blue people, even down to the yellow eyes.  And his tail is attached to a fishing rod.  Nice touch, Academy.

And Star Trek wins Best Makeup!  Somewhat of a competitive category, Star Trek seemed to be the popular choice, at least within Hollywood circles.  No shock here, but this could separate some Oscar pool candidates.

Jeff Bridges, who owes much of his career to the Coen brothers, accommodates them well in presenting A Serious Man.  You may be seeing Bridges again tonight…

9:38PM:
Animated Short happens to be one of my personal favorites, as these little efforts are often more inspired than the longer features (although not this year.  Animation has never been at a higher apex).  Logorama, the film about corporate takeovers (as in, everything is a corporate sponsor.  Sort of like a NASCAR race), takes it!  A slight upset over Wallace & Gromit, although W&G has won so many times, maybe the Academy was ready to exalt something else (as Kit Bowen astutely pointed out).  Let’s see if anyone gains ground in Oscar pools with this mini surprise.

For Best Documentary Short, Music by Prudence gets the nod.  With so many depressing options, Music by Prudence provided a hopeful perspective within a grim situation.   A girl born horribly disfigured, she emerged from near death to sing beautiful resonances.  Just a wonderful, touching story.

For Live Action Short, The New Tenants claims victory in a wide open category.  Acceptance speeches have been restricted, it seems, which is a shame for these categories so unaccustomed to the spotlight.

9:23PM:
A wonderful tribute to John Hughes, who masterminded all those 80′s Brat Pack films that gave our generation a sense of entitlement.   The next time your teenage daughter comes home blitzed and gives you the middle finger, you can thank John Hughes.  But those were great films in their own way, and the dedication was in excellent taste.

One note about the Up for Best Picture presentation.  What a beautiful film.  Pixar works at a level so altogether above the rest of the universe.

9:18PM:
A hilarious intro from always-uproarious Robert Downey Jr. and the inescapably popular Tina Fey.  Downey Jr. of course delivers the lines with great finesse, pairing up perfectly with Tina Fey… or was that Sarah Palin.

The Academy has really gotten inventive this year, using creative techniques to explain what these categories actually are.  For Best Original Screenplay, they actually show a scene, along with the words on the screen (and narrated).  Very clever!

And the winner is… The Hurt Locker!  This is a bit of a surprise, as most pundits had Inglourious Basterds as the likely winner.  Take this as an extremely positive sign for The Hurt Locker’s chances as a Best Picture winner, while those who hung their ballots on Basterds (cough…$%&@#$%&#) have reason to fret.  So far, Round 1 to the Hurt Locker.

9:04PM:
No performances of Best Song this year, although we get a songstress for a presenter in Miley Cyrus.  Cyrus showed off her linguistics, nailing the French accent for Loin de Paname fairly well (much better than Alicia Keys last year).  The favorite, The Weary Kind, wins a weak showing of candidates.  As noted before, Ryan Bingham happens to be the same name as the lead character in Up in the Air.  Just one of those interesting coincidences.

This should be the first of two awards for Crazy Heart, as Jeff Bridges is the heavy favorite in the Best Actor category, which will occur in 12 hours or so.

8:58PM:
Cameron Diaz joins Steve Carell to present Animated Film.  We all knew Up would take this one (the only one nominated for Best Picture), but the presentation of these animated films was extraordinary.  To introduce each nominee,  they showcased an animated character from each film.  Symbolic, perhaps, of how real these images have truly become?  Congratulations to Up, which is one of the most romantic, profound portrayals of human loss ever projected on screen, live action or animated.

8:44PM:
After a refreshingly funny and lighthearted opening from consuls Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin (they both worked extremely well together, unlike some other fabled duos), we kick things off with Best Supporting Actor.  Christopher Plummer finally gets a nomination at 80 years of age, but even the sentimentality behind any endorsement has no chance against the obvious choice: Christoph Waltz.

It’s difficult to even imagine Waltz as anything but an amusingly sadistic Nazi.  Sporting a beard and a great deal of heartfelt graciousness, we are reminded of just how spectacular he was as an actor.  A nice guy who played a viciously savage man to perfection.  Also, kudos to Penelope Cruz for being as brief as possible, while still managing to infect her audience (at least those with testosterone) with lustful admiration.

8:33PM:
After immense contemplation and anticipation, the Oscars are finally here!  I’m thrilled to be here tonight, providing a companion piece to your Oscar viewing experience.

Best Picture has been whittled down to three films in most people’s eyes: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, and Inglourious Basterds.   Look for patterns early on in the evening.   If Avatar drops some of the technical categories, that’s a Pandora’s box (pun intended).  Film editing is often an indicator of what’s to come as well, so play close attention there.

Three key categories that could make or break Oscar pools:  Best Cinematography, Best Costume, Best Art Direction.

I will be there to help you interpret what it all means, all through the night.  Lots of foreplay before the big climax for us, and yes, it’s possible you could be out of the running one hour in (which is like 1/47 of the ceremony, right?).

Thank you for joining us, and best of luck!

The stars are out on the red carpet! Jax Russo of Fashion Deal Diva is blogging live on the best and worst of this year’s Oscar fashion.

Hello to my fashionistas out there!  It’s Oscar night!  I’ll be here for the next two hours to live blog about the best, the worst, and the “what were they thinking.”  For the lovers of fashion, the real winners and losers are decided before the show begins!  So let’s set off down the carpet as watch the splendor that is Oscar fashion!

I’m watching on E!, so you should, too!  UPDATE: Now that it’s after 8, I have switched to ABC!

6:03 pm: First couple of the red carpet!  Like the silver mermaid…I don’t know how I feel about that shape of dress in glittery silver.  Right now, leaning toward “not a fan.”  The gent looks fabulous in that skinny tie.  Bravo.

6:04 pm: Zach Efron…I could never say anything bad about Zach.  Clearly, the trend is tuxes with skinny ties.  No surprise there for folks who watch men’s fashion trends.

6:06 pm: Giuliana, EAT A SANDWICH!

6:07 pm: Oh Jay…that blazer is not good.  not good.

6:08 pm: Lets talk about Giuliana’s gown while they re-hash the the fashion of the Grammys and the Globes…absolutely beautiful!  I love the deep blue color, the cross bodice ruching…I am totally in love with that dress.

6:09 pm: Anna Kendrick…beautiful dress.  It’s a shame that you forgot to take a shower.

6:10 pm: Mariska Hargitay YOU CAN DO NO WRONG!  I love that color and material!

6:11 pm: I feel bad for Mo’Nique.  That is a beautiful dress, but it’s not good for her arms, and some of the ruching is in the wrong place  It’s so important to buy a dress that is beautiful AND good for your body!

6:13 pm: I love Giuliana’s dress even more after seeing the up and down they just did for it.  That giant bow…so in style right now, but she did it in a creative way by putting it lower on the dress than on the traditional waist or back.  Commercial break!

6:17 pm: Mariah looks beautiful.  Her dress is PERFECT for her body.  She knows how to show off those curves.  I really like her earrings, too.  Oh you can barely see her shoes, but they are great!

6:19 pm: Oh E!….you and your fluff.  Giuliana’s dress is by Marcello Cardillo…I want to see more by him!

6:20 pm: More commercials!

6:25 pm: Blarg…I don’t really like Zoe Saldana’s dress…I absolutely love the sparkle, but the bottom…THE BOTTOM!  She looks like a cross between a tutu and the costume for Mrs. Potts.  Who let her go out in this?  Also, I don’t like the purple.

6:27 pm: Yeah, Ryan Seacrest saying it looks “unreal.”  Yeah, what you mean Ryan is “HORRIBLE.”

6:28 pm: Wow, Nicole Richie went to bed and woke up elegant.  Very beautiful dress.

6:28 pm: Vera Farmiga…there can be such a thing as too many ruffles, and this is it.  It’s a shame, too, because the color is absolutely stunning on her.  What really saves the whole look from being truly horrible is the color, which really compliments her tones.

6:31 pm: COMMERCIAL

6:34 pm: I am so glad that Ryan Reynolds went with a bowtie.  I think it fits him better.  Wait, he just called her Sandy?  I had no idea they were friends.

6:36 pm: Jason Reitman can pull off scruff.

6:38 pm: James Cameron’s wife looks like a corpse…there is such a thing as too thin, especially if you are over 50.  Also, she is too old for a baby doll style…she should be wearing Nicole Richie’s dress!  James Cameron tried to match his handkerchief to his wife’s dress, and failed.

6:40 pm: I absolutely love Maggie Gyllenhal’s dress.  It is damn near impossible to pull off a red carpet floral, and she is doing it.  Stunning.  Dris van Noten, the designer of the dress, is really brilliant!

6:41 pm: The color of Elizabeth Bank’s dress is perfect for a blond.  A grayish/lavendar dress that really complements her hair and eyes.  Wait…go back to the bottom of the dress!  What is going on down there????

6:43 pm: Of course, Versace, who made Elizabeth Bank’s dress, knows how to handle a whole lot of tulle at the bottom.  Very classy.

6:43 pm: Carnation…nice touch!

6:44 pm: Jay’s bowtie should not be black!

6:45 pm: COMMERCIAL

6:49 pm: Sigourney just knocked it out of the park.  I love the black ribbon creating a waist, and those shoulder jewels are absolutely perfect.

6:50 pm: Oh Tina Fey, you are so beautiful and wonderful!  OH MY GOD SEASON FIVE OF 30 ROCK YAY!  Her dress is Michael Kors and that is clearly why I am in love with it.  I just wish she had something around her neck.

6:52 pm: COMMERCIAL:

6:56 pm: Kerry Mulligan really is pulling those pleats off well.  I’m not even sure how.

6:57 pm: I love Sanra Bullock’s dress.  I will discuss it more when she inevitably runs into Ryan.

6:58 pm: Diane Kruger….what were you thinking?  This is definitely the worst dress I have seen yet.  The top is great, and then it looks like she set off a bomb in a rosette shop.  What a mess.  For shame!

6:59 pm: I love Sandra Bullock’s dress.  That gold is phenomenal, and she has a hell of a body to be able to pull that off.  She has such beautiful hair…I’m glad she left it down!  Who made it?  Ryan ask her!

7:00 pm: STOP JINXING SANDRA.

7:01 pm: That tux should fit Tyler Perry better…it’s tailored weird on the bottom.  Prada or not, bad tailoring is bad tailoring!

7:02 pm: I like Faith Hill’s dress, but it’s a little goth-y…I need to see it up closer.  I have a weird obsession with lace.

7:03 pm: Amanda Seyfried’s dress is wonderful.  That bodice is so different from everything on the red carpet.  This dress borders on art piece.  Armani Prive.  You know, this just further proves….you cannot go wrong with Versace, Armani, Oscar de la Renta…you know, just in case you’re ever going down a red carpet :p

7:04 pm: I hate Giuliana’s earrings.

7:05 pm: Quinton Aaron looks great!  I loved him in the Blind Side.  I take back what I said about Faith Hill’s dress, it’s horrible.

7:06 pm: Jake Gyllenhaal, will you marry me?  Oh, and I love the thin bowtie.  It’s a good way to hipster out the traditional!

7:22 pm: Ha!  Jay hate’s Vera Farmiga’s dress.  I, too, hated it Jay.

7:09 pm: Sandra Bullock is 45?  I hope I look like that when I’m 45.

7:10 pm: COMMERCIAL

7:12 pm: Miley Cyrus, you are a young girl, why do you dress like an older one?  Her hair is beauitiful, though, and I love those earrings.

7:14 pm: Yes, let’s talk about trend.  Everyone is wearing gold, and that is no surprise.  It also really solidifies my theory on fashion that we are heading towards a 40′s-esque “Age of Glamour,” which began at last year’s red carpet.  You heard it here, folks!

7:15 pm: Matthew Broderick looks bored.  Sara Jessica Parker looks like she is wearing a sack.  That came from the house of Chanel?  I am sad.  However…Sarah Jessica Parker has the most amazing hair style ever.  Like a modern, updated Princess Leia.

7:17 pm: Katherine Bigelow…my pick for Best Director!  The dress is not bad, but it’s not spectacular.  It looks like something you could get in Jessica McClintock.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Jessica McClintock, but it’s not good for Oscar night.

7:19 pm: Stanley Tucci…lapels are too big.

7:19 pm: Charlize Theron’s dress is absolutely horrid.  It looks like the rosettes are groping her.  Like she is being sexually assaulted by her dress.  Also, that pink is the color of my Aunt’s bridesmaid dresses from her wedding in 1987 (i.e. it’s outdated).

7:21 pm: COMMERCIAL

7:25 pm: See, Matt Damon can pull off a big lapel, because he has broad, square shoulders.

7:27 pm: MR. DARCY!  Looking absolutely wonderful.  I could listen to him talk for hours and hours…wow Tom Ford was the big designer.

7:29 pm: I really like Queen Latifah’s dress.  She can pull off pink!

7:29 pm: George Clooney’s date looks bored.  I don’t know how I feel about George’s tux.

7:31 pm: Meryl Streep….age appropriate, lovely in white, 40′s era glamour.  YES!

7:32 pm: They are totally right about the jeweled strap on Queen Latifah.

7:32 pm: I want Rachel McAdam’s dress!  She looks like a beautiful living watercolor painting.  I repeat, I want that dress.

7:33 pm: Jury out on J. Lo’s dress.

7:34 pm: In general, I am loving the natural tones look of the Oscars.  Although no one sent Sandra Bullock that memo, and she showed up in red lipstick.

7:35 pm: COMMERCIAL

7:35 pm: Don’t forget to stay tuned for Adam Spunberg’s live blog of the Oscar’s, coming up at 8:30!

7:37 pm: Here are some of my thoughts while we are in commercial.  First, I absolutely love that people aren’t wearing black.  It’s a happy night, we’re slowly coming out of a recession, it’s great that folks are wearing lighter colors!

7:38 pm: Did Keanu Reeves have a shaving accident?  If your beard doesn’t grow evenly…you shouldn’t keep a beard…

7:38 pm: Of course, right as I say people aren’t wearing black, Kristin Stewart comes in in black.  But you know what, I don’t like Kristen Stewart, at all.  I am happy that she now feels awkward as the only one in black.

7:40 pm: It is really hard to dress a bigger woman, and they nailed it. Gabourey Sidibe looks wonderful.  They are doing everything right to hide the bad, and the detailing is beautiful!  She is a hoot, that dress is the money shot!

7:41 pm: I don’t like George Clooney’s tux.

7:42 pm: I need to sleep on J. Lo’s dress to really assess how I feel.

7:42 pm: I love the colored bowtie!  It’s different, it’s new, and it’s very Robert Downey Jr.

7:44 pm: Look at Giuliana feign surprise and interest.

7:45 pm: COMMERCIAL

7:46 pm: Gerard Butler always looks good.  Tonight is no exception.  I go ga-ga for that accent.

7:50 pm: Jason Bateman…attack of bad tailoring.  His wife looks great, though, but again…I’m not into black this year.

7:52 pm: Jeff Bridges looks like Jeff Bridges.  He is overcoming the formality of the tux!

7:55 pm: Even though we were just in commercial, they showed me Kate Winslet, and she looked stunning!  Can’t wait to see more.

7:58 pm: Cameron Diaz looks AMAZING!  I love that dress!  She usually doesn’t go as feminine, so I like the change.

7:59 pm: Chris Pine looks the best so far, in my opinion.

8:00 pm: Switching over to ABC now!

8:01 pm: Kathy Ireland looks like she is wearing a dress version of the game “tetris.”

8:01 pm: Penelope Cruz’s dress is really amazing. Also, generally, minimal jewelry on everyone.

8:03 pm: I like the flower in Mo’Nique’s hair, so springy!

8:03 pm: Um…is George Clooney on drugs?

8:04 pm: George Clooney can’t commit and admits it, in front of a lady who doesn’t speak english well.

8:06 pm: While the dresses may generally be hit or miss, I am very happy that no one is over-tanned or over-make-upped.

8:11 pm: Lavendar is really Helen Mirren’s color!

8:11 pm: The Producer of “Invcitus” looks great!  Way to pull off a strong red!

8:15 pm: Sarah Jessica Parker’s dress looks different now.  I don’t know why!  Before it looked like a sack, and now it actually works.  Ahhh this is throwing me off!

8:15 pm: I like Sherri Shephard’s dress….I just wish she was wearing a color    Of course Cameron Diaz’s dress is Oscar de la Renta!

8:21 pm: I can’t wait to see this movie with both of them.  THEY ARE AWESOME!

8:22 pm: I love Miley Cyrus’ eye makeup.

8:23 pm: Very nice age appropriate dress from Monique Llulhier for Jeff Bridges’ wife.

8:24 pm: Kate Winslet is always a vision.  I love the color of her dress.  Like a soft metallic silver?

8:25 pm: Taylor Lautner could have used bigger lapels on his tux.

Signing off!  ENJOY THE OSCARS FASHIONISTAS!!!!

For more information check out her site Fashion Deal Diva.

Road to the Oscars series:

Podcasts – Kit Bowen, Nate Freiberg, Adam Spunberg, and Phil Wallace

February 4: Live Action Short – Kit Bowen

February 5: Animated Short – Kit Bowen

February 8: Documentary Short Subject – Christa Youngpeter

February 9: Documentary Feature – Nate Freiberg

February 10: Foreign Language Film – Paul Popiel

February 12: Animated Film – Nate Freiberg

February 15: Sound Mixing – Jeremy Martin

February 16: Sound Editing – Jeremy Martin

February 17: Original Song – Adam Spunberg and Savanna New

February 18: Visual Effects – Mallory Pickard

February 19: Original Score – Adam Spunberg

February 22: Makeup – Christa Youngpeter

February 23: Costume – Steve Neumann

February 24: Art Direction – Christa Youngpeter

February 25: Film Editing – Steve Neumann

February 26: Cinematography – Paul Popiel

February 27: Original Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

February 28: Adapted Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

March 1: Supporting Actress – Marla Seidell

March 2: Supporting Actor – Phil Wallace

March 3: Actress – Marla Seidell

March 4: Actor – Kit Bowen

March 5: Director – Adam Spunberg

March 5: Picture – Kit Bowen

March 7: The 82nd Annual Academy Awards!

Avatar, James Cameron’s film baby turned digital revolution, is more than just a frontrunner for Best Visual Effects at this year’s Academy Awards.  The debate over the film’s political leanings and general narrative depth is certainly valid, but contentions over the superiority of its digital effects are as far-fetched as Cameron’s high-tech vision must have seemed to Fox a few years ago.  With all due to respect to JJ Abrams’ brilliant Star Trek reboot and Peter Jackson’s low-budget beauty District 9, Avatar is not the frontrunner– it is the winner.  Its visual effects have jump started a filmmaking revolution that extends well beyond Hollywood– if you’re not quite convinced, read on.

Four individuals represent Cameron’s venerable dream team in the category.  Notably, all hail from Weta Digital, a Kiwi-based effects company founded by Academy Award winners Richard Taylor, Jamie Selkirk, and Peter Jackson.  Two of the four have previously won Visual Effects Oscars (Joe Letteri for Lord of the Rings and King Kong, Stephen Rosenbaum for Forrest Gump), one is a previous Visual Effects nominee (Andy Jones for I, Robot, who was nominated along with Letteri), and the film’s animation master Richard Baneham was also the animation supervisor for both LOTR: The Two Towers and Return of the King.

Letteri and Rosenbaum are long-standing colleagues of Cameron.  Both worked with the director on The Abyss, a hallmark sci-fi film that rounded up the Oscar for Visual Effects thirty years ago.  Tech entrepreneur Vincent Pace also joined the reunion when Cameron enlisted him to develop camera technology capable of capturing  2D and 3D shots instantaneously.  Pace originally helped develop the underwater lighting system that gave The Abyss its visual cutting edge.

For Avatar, Pace’s company developed groundbreaking 3D technology with camera lenses designed to emulate human eye movement.  Cameron contributed $12 million of his own money to the project as part of his mission to prove to Fox that Avatar was worth the investment.  Both Pace and Cameron now own the patents for the technology, which is quickly becoming a media revolution– unquestionably due to the fact that Avatar earned $1 billion in a little over two weeks.  Director Joseph Kosinski is already using Pace’s evolved camera for Tron Legacy, the anticipated Comic-Con sequel set for a December release.

The motion-capture suits used in the film were originally developed for Gollum, the now iconic “preciousss” anthropoid from Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.  But the large-scale motion-capture technology developed for Avatar generated more data than any film in history, including the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy–17.28GB for each minute of the film, according to Weta Digital.  The company consequently enlisted NetApp, Fujitsu New Zealand, HP, and BluArc to develop a 10,000 square foot server farm that requires more than 4,000 HP server blades and holds 104 terabytes of RAM (in comparison, your computer probably has 1-2 GB of RAM, and there are 1,000 GB in just one terabyte).

It would seem Cameron’s ambition to revolutionize visual effects via Avatar has not only affected the film industry and the moviegoer experience as we know it, but it has also led to innovative technological achievements that will continue to create opportunities for businesses and the entertainment industry on many levels.  Warner Brothers, Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks Animation now all have 3D films with 2010 release dates, and Warner Brothers recently announced that both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows will be released in 3D.  Both JJ Abrams and Michael Bay are currently in talks with Paramount about making their respective Transformers and Star Trek franchises in 3D.  Additionally, Sony has announced that it will release its first 3D televisions this summer along with viewing capability upgrades for Playstation 3, which will enable 3D gaming, and ESPN has announced that 25 World Cup soccer games will be filmed in 3D, as will PGA Golf 2010.

Call it a big-budget FernGully, but keep in mind it is a certifiable game changer on many fronts– and quite frankly, the economy, the entertainment industry, and audiences needed that hit of innovative inspiration.  When Cristiano Ronaldo and Megan Fox are coming at you in 3D, you know who to thank.

Road to the Oscars series:

Podcasts – Kit Bowen, Nate Freiberg, Adam Spunberg, and Phil Wallace

February 4: Live Action Short – Kit Bowen

February 5: Animated Short – Kit Bowen

February 8: Documentary Short Subject – Christa Youngpeter

February 9: Documentary Feature – Nate Freiberg

February 10: Foreign Language Film – Paul Popiel

February 12: Animated Film – Nate Freiberg

February 15: Sound Mixing – Jeremy Martin

February 16: Sound Editing – Jeremy Martin

February 17: Original Song – Adam Spunberg and Savanna New

February 18: Visual Effects – Mallory Pickard

February 19: Original Score – Adam Spunberg

February 22: Makeup – Christa Youngpeter

February 23: Costume – Steve Neumann

February 24: Art Direction – Christa Youngpeter

February 25: Film Editing – Steve Neumann

February 26: Cinematography – Paul Popiel

February 27: Original Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

February 28: Adapted Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

March 1: Supporting Actress – Marla Seidell

March 2: Supporting Actor – Phil Wallace

March 3: Actress – Marla Seidell

March 4: Actor – Kit Bowen

March 5: Director – Adam Spunberg

March 5: Picture – Kit Bowen

March 7: The 82nd Annual Academy Awards!

Technically, this review covers a span of time greater than a week, but if the Academy can expand its Best Picture category, surely we can do the same with days in a week. In this first “week,” four AwardsPicks writers (Bowen and Freiberg doubling up, excellently if I may say) covered six of the so-called “lesser” categories, although many of these efforts likely required more devotion than the banner ones and are often of higher quality.

I was really struck by the audacity of some of these filmmakers. In Freiberg’s Best Documentary report, we learned of incredibly dangerous feats, ranging from Burma VJ’s raw, revolutionary footage to the plight of environmentalists as they are pursued frighteningly by Japanese poachers (The Cove), along with impoverished children risking everything for a chance at a now-dilapidated American Dream (Which Way Home). Regardless of who wins, these are all highly compelling tales that deserve to be noticed. When the award is announced at the Oscars, there are bound to be people hearing about these injustices for the first time and probably remarking things like, “I had no idea they were killing dolphins in Japan ,” or “What, there’s oppression in Burma?” If awareness is the ultimate goal, getting nominated is a huge accomplishment.

Kit Bowen tackled the truly obscure in her Live Action Short and Animated Short pieces. In Live Action, she introduced us to a wild combination of candidates. Two of the nominees are tragically serious: The Door seems especially intriguing as an avant-garde take on the horrors of Chernobyl, while Kavi – about child slavery in India – just seems sad. Instead of Abracadabra has that charming, winsome feel to it and Miracle Fish appears to have remnants of The Twilight Zone (Bowen informs us). As for The New Tenants, starring well-known actors, I think it has to be your cup of tea. I concur with Bowen on The Door as a likely winner, but let’s see what the buzz (if this category stirs any) indicates as the Oscars near.

In Animated Short, the race should be extremely tight and unpredictable; look for some Oscar pools to be decided here. This is one of my favorite categories, since there’s always bound to be colorful ingenuity. You can watch French Roast, Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty (a distorted bedtime story), and The Lady and the Reaper (Scoop meets a farcical The Sea Inside?) in their entirety, while getting a taste of Logorama and the new Wallace and Gromit short. Bowen endorsed The Lady and the Reaper, but I found it too silly despite its clever premise. I’m wondering how Granny O’Grimm even got a nomination, since the storyline was entirely predictable and lacked any original insight. It was by far the worst of the nominees. French Roast, however, was executed brilliantly and was masterful in its amusing twists and turns. I absolutely loved it. Since the dialogue in Logorama was a little too forced (almost unnaturally urban) for my taste, I would see this as a two-horse race between French Roast and the always-wonderful Wallace and Gromit. Keep in mind, though, that I am not an Academy voter, and Kit Bowen knows how they think. Go watch the films and decide for yourself.

Christa Youngpeter provided some stirring analysis of the Documentary Short category. I was pretty touched just from the descriptions alone, especially in the case of Music by Prudence (which Youngpeter endorsed). China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province about the toll of an earthquake and The Last Truck: Closing of a GM plant (self-explanatory) are more standard tragedies, which while enlightening, probably lack the punch of a more unorthodox effort. The Last Campaign of Booth Gardner is another euthanasia story, which may be a little overplayed for Oscar glory. For me, the final two candidates pose the best chance, which are the aforementioned Music by Prudence – about a Zimbabwean girl who sings despite horrendous disabilities – and the incredibly unique Rabbit a la Berlin, which shows rabbits running wild within the Berlin Wall construct.

Paul Popiel was quick to dispense his viewpoints in the Best Foreign Film review, but such a controversial topic can benefit from an opinionated presentation. Happy, enjoyable efforts like Amelie appear to be missing from this year’s pool. The much-discussed The White Ribbon (a dark portrayal of a pre-World War I German village) is the clear favorite, especially with Ajami (violence in Tel Aviv) and Milk of Sorrow (highlights crimes of Peruvian fascism) unlikely to inspire away any votes. A Prophet appears interesting, even if it’s not quite groundbreaking, but it probably lacks the capability to take down The White Ribbon. The Secret in Their Eyes also has a compelling plot, but the personal/political story of a crime revisited – good as it may be – has had neither the following nor attention of The White Ribbon.

Lastly, Nate Freiberg adventured into the Best Animated Film category and laid out the particulars with expert craftsmanship. The increase to five nominees has still left worthy options out in this exploding genre of film (see Freiberg’s list of potential snubs), and Up’s inclusion on the Best Picture list pretty much guarantees a win in the Best Animated Film scrum. That being said, it was nice to see a couple of idiosyncratic nominees (Coraline and The Fantastic Mr. Fox) get acclaimed. The Princess and the Frog, though nominated, is the real loser here, as expectations were much higher than what ultimately resulted. After the success of Enchanted, I fully anticipated a lucrative showing, but viewers were more transfixed by the other nominees this year and of course, Avatar (which is almost a CGI film itself). As Freiberg points out, The Secret of Kells has virtually no chance, but it should benefit greatly from the somewhat-surprising nomination. Tremendous praise must be extended to Pixar, however, for once again leading the pack in the animated genre.

What a superb first week of reviewing, especially when you consider the obscurity of some of these films. Week 2 will focus more on the technical side of things, but it should feature some movies more recognizable to the everyday audience. Stay tuned for next week’s recap, and make sure to follow along each day.