The Coen brothers sure look like a happy pair winning those big awards. I can't imagine what they would be like with a few drinks in them :)

My complete lack of Oscar enthusiasm this year had nothing to do with Jon Stewart, who I thought did a good job despite the awkward opening monologue, and everything to do with the fact that I saw only one of the films up for nomination this year, "Michael Clayton." Although after watching the show I was impressed with what I saw regarding Juno" and "No Country for Old Men", so I expect I will drag myself to those movies in the second run theatre this week.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2008-02-21-oscar-winners-list_N.htm

I haven't seen any of these yet :eek: There was only one nominated movie, in the main categories at least, that is out on DVD. It will be interesting to see how their box offices do now since most of the movies were rather low I think Juno (the Canadian movie) made about 3x more than the next on the list.

Even before this, I was really looking forward to No Country for Old Men and There will be Blood I just wanted to see them at home.

I really enjoyed No Country for Old Men, and I'm looking forward to Michael Clayton, La Vie en Rose and There Will Be Blood.

I like Jon Stewart, but this was not his best moment.

I'm glad No Country won a few awards. That was one of my favorite movies this year. But now I'm really interested in checking out Once and the movie from Kazahkstan, Mongol...

We saw La Vie En Rose, originally titled La Môme, a few months ago in a Vancouver art house cinema and were totally blown away by Marion Cotillard's tour-de-force performance as the legendary French chanteuse, Edith Piaf. What a completely proper and merited Oscar award!

If you check out some of her press photos she is quite a lovely gal, and then when you watch that movie you'll be asking yourself if this is indeed the same woman - that's the sign of extraordinary acting that destroys all continuity between the actor we know and the character, much as Charlize Theron did in Monster. :) La Vie En Rose fittingly won the Oscar for Best Makeup too.

For those of you with Superchannel you can watch it in HD on March 1.

... that's the sign of extraordinary acting that destroys all continuity between the actor we know and the character, much as Charlize Theron did in Monster.I very much appreciate that kind of acting. I also very much appreciate Charlize Theron! :D

Classy moment by Jon Stewart to bring Markéta Irglová back out to give her speech after the band didn't even let her say one word. She gave a very nice thank you speech.

I know they try and keep speeches short, but when there are 2 people up there, the band really needs to count to 3 before they play music after the first person has said their thanks.

Other then that, I found the 80th Oscars a bit on the dry side. Thought with the writers back and everyone happy things would be a bit more exciting for the 80th anniversary.

Despite how many awful movies get made year after year there are still many gems that rise above the mediocrity. Each of the top movie nominees are future classics.

George Clooney is a special actor ala Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford who tends to do a great job whether he is in the movie, behind the camera, or involved in production. Other than his Ocean's movies (which while fun are far from future classics), he tends to do very interesting and (to me) important movies.

Syriana and Good Night And Good Luck are just two examples of recent movies he was involved with that left me rivited and deep in thought.

I can't find fault with any of the winners this year. Some great stuff. The darned show still runs on too long though...

No Country was a good flick, and Javier Bardem was creepy as hell in that movie, a very well played role. Juno is intriguing to me though cause I really would have never thought that movie would be Oscar nominated based on the trailers/etc. I may have to see it...

Well I tried to tape the Barbara Walters special, and the Oscars,
My DVR Stopped after 8 min due to Copywrite protection.
So I dont get to see it, How friggen lame is that. ABC Seattle station
I couldnt care that much anyways, but if this is the case thre must be a **** load of unhappy people out there.

It may have stopped after 8 minutes due to the length of the Oscars - BW didn't start until late - you should have extended the recording time. I recorded her programme at 7PM for that very reason, also because I wanted to watch the Ellen Page and Harrison Ford interviews before the Oscars (even though it was DD2.0 and simsubbed). There were also a few breakups of the signal, but the Oscars seemed to be fine with CTV in DD5.1 and no major screwups (subbed in the GTA on Buffalo and Seattle).

Same things happen to all the programmes that follow the airing of one of these programmes that run long - think Oscars, Grammys, etc.

I have my PVR set to record (all episodes) of Ebert/Roeper on the HD channel, but due to these time issues, I always have a "backup" recording (all episodes) set on the CTV timeshift SD channel, which catches the programme. I don't usually record upconverted SD on the HD channel, but Ebert/Roeper is very poor PQ on SD. Sorry about the sidetrack, now back to your regular scheduled programme - perhaps airing on time. ;)

Despite how many awful movies get made year after year there are still many gems that rise above the mediocrity. Each of the top movie nominees are future classics.

Every time they showcased past winners I couldn't help but notice the quality of the winners went down hill each decade.

There are some actors/actresses/movies that have won Oscars that still leave me puzzled.

People Like Clooney and Ms. Roberts are two great examples.

I concur somewhat with your impressions of Julia Roberts; but she was very good in Erin Brockovich. Also, no matter your thoughts of Pretty Woman as a film it has endured as a fan favourite and ensured her popularity as a box office draw (although I think she has lost the lustre she used to have, she came off kind of flat to me in Chalie Wilson's War). Nicole Kidman can play in silly movies like Bewitched and yet still pull off impressive roles and be recognized as one of the best. Julia Roberts can't seem to do this anymore.

I flat out diasagree with your assessment of George Clooney. I think he will have an impressive body of work when he is done.

Every time they showcased past winners I couldn't help but notice the quality of the winners went down hill each decade.

There are some actors/actresses/movies that have won Oscars that still leave me puzzled.

People Like Clooney and Ms. Roberts are two great examples.
Or Denzel Washington in Training Day. How in the world did he win an Oscar for that movie? It was an average movie, with an average character. He's a good actor, but not deserving of an oscar for THAT movie.

I think that was a bit of kissing up by the Academy for failing to award the prize to any leading male black actor since Sidney Poitier in 1963, despite a list that included Morgan Freeman for The Shawshank Redemption and Denzel for both Malcolm X and The Hurricane. Arguably, any of those performances were Oscar-worthy.

Agreed, he would have been far more deserving for those films you mentioned.

The Coen brothers sure look like a happy pair winning those big awards. I can't imagine what they would be like with a few drinks in them.Personally, I thought they came across as a couple of very conceited twits. With a few drinks in them, I would suspect them to be even worse!! I would like to try their movie, and I will probably do so -- I just hope I can close my thoughts to my memories of them and their acceptance speeches when I do!!

Think of them as somewhat introverted creative types. I think they are low key.