Oscars 2009 - the final awards

So, my power cut out there just as we were getting to the last awards...

Best Foreign Language film was, by all accounts, a surprise winner! The Baader Meinhof Complex? No! The Class? No! Revanche? No! Waltz with Bashir? No! No the winner was an excellent looking Japanese film called Departures. The director was charming but absolutely struggling for English so just charmed and winked and waved Oscar with his colleagues. All very lovely...

And now, if I recall the order correctly, the footage of those Hollywood greats who have passed away this year. Queen Latifah sings "I'll be thinking of you..." very beautifully, live, over a mildly stomach churning (only because of the editing) ever moving collage of clips. Mostly we knew about these people but seeing them in one huge clipreel is always very sad and there's always one or two you didn't hear about. Various sharp intakes of breath ensure. We close on Paul Newman with Heath Ledger not having featured. Having said which the Best Actor award was a whole personal tribute. But gosh. Does that mean they know what's going to happen before the envelopes are opened? Or maybe there was always a plan for the Ledger family to do a wee piece anyway regardless of whether Heath won or not. But of course he did so... Anyway...

Next up. Directing. Presented by Reece Witherspoon. OK.. Noms are a lot of by now familiar films: Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader, Slumdog Millionnaire. And...

WINNER: Slumdog Millionnaire!

Yay! Danny Boyle has won me round with the Tigger bounce he apparentlty always promised to do should be ever win an Oscar. Too cute as is his speech. The movie isn't the best ever but in this category it's a more than fair choice.

Actress in a Leading Role. The ghost are back so lets analyse the pairings: Shirley Maclaine = Anne Hathaway - clearly a guarantee of low valued but much loved parts for many a decade me thinks. The wee pep talk is all about how it's Anne's first nomination but surely will not be her last (I happen to concur) which sounds a lot like "not this time kid, sorry"; Nicole Kidman=Angelina Jolie - Nicole did a good job but it's a weird pair, almost like "well you two are both better known for who you sleep with than what you do" or something. But we know Angelina (or indeed Brangelina) is not going to win this time frankly; Halle Berre=Melissa Leo - black is different but hot and black is so less Hollywood outcast than over 50 that Melissa Leo should be feeling the big big breaking the mould love here; Sophia Loren = Meryl Streep - much hilariousness indeed here. Sophia barely got Meryl's name right and was wearing insane yellow frilly frockage straight out of Pricilla Queen of the Desert, indeed the big hair, red muscley neck and all those frills made her look scarily drag; Marion Cotillard=Kate Winslet - I think this is the official bestowing of Euro class on Kate's Reader accent. Marion genuinely seems terribly excited by Kate's performance, maybe she's seen the results?1

WINNER: Kate Winslet.

But then we knew that going into this evening didn't we? Kate seems to have known but nonethless does a charming british gaffathon telling Meryl that everyone in the category was just amazed to be let in by Meryl and that Meryl should just suck up that joke. You know 15 noms is a recipe for love-in bullying at these things. Kate almost has a nervous breakdown here but then flips into alarming efficiency and name dropping. Watch out for her speech on YouTube too. Not only does her speech include a few great gaffs but she gives her statuette a hand-job throughout. She also provided the most spontaneous moment of the entire night though much be her requesting her dad whistle to make himself known and him whistling incredibly loudly back. Genius.


Actor in a Leading Role. And again with the spiritual 12 step love partnering. Adrian Brody=Richard Jenkins - is this something about character actors or just lanky lads? Either way Richard gets his moment on screen and I wish he could win for The Visitor even though I feel sure he won't... ; Michel Douglas = Frank Langella - Micheal's getting younger dammit! He gives great speech at this stage though so Frank looks very pleased with his lot. Robert De Niro = Sean Penn - cue a lot of weird stuff about both Penn's acting and his humanitarian work. Plus some good jokes about Penn's temper. Mutterings run round the room though about the comparative homophobia levels of De Niro and Penn. We don't think either has a perfect reputation and it troubles us; Anthony Hopkins = Brad Pitt - Anthony has gone all extra Welsh and is chatting away to Brad like a man who's been at the free bar. Memories of that weird film they were in together are not helping me like the pairing; Finally Sir Ben Kingsley=Mickey Rourke - a lovely pep talk to officially welcome Rourke back into the arms of Hollywood, the crowd love it.

WINNER: Sean Penn.

And so to an acceptance speech that I love on every level but also get irritated by on every level. Sean is fabulous on shouting out that the Academy are "Commy Homo-loving Sons of Guns". I think we shall take that as a compliment for that. Sean effectively donates his speech to Prop 8. He tells people that when you see the banners of hatred they saw today (something whitewashed from all my coverage) on the way into the theatre you know that people will and should be ashamed for voting against gay marriage and that everyone should have equal rights. Indeed his speech is the gayest thing you will ever see at Oscars and, unlike the fabulous Milk screenwriter confessional number earlier, will be very very hard to cut down to edit out the politics. My money is that the cut will be "I know I make it hard for you to appreciate me sometimes". Anyway I guess Go Sean. It was a good performance. I would just so much would have preferred to see Mickey Rourke win (and cry about his pooch as a speech) or, even better, Richard Jenkins. Penn is a fair choice though. Would be nice to see a gay actor talking against Prop 8 and playing a gay icon though...

Best Picture. Stephen Spielberg entered the stage in show off moving video panel fashion... Ladies and Gentlemen it's the top award! In the running are: Benjamin Button; Frost/Nixon; Milk; The Reader; Slumdog Millionnaire. Much as I like a good clip show these look unnervingly like the long length trailers. It's an odd thing to watch at home, how much odder in a theatre eh?

WINNER: Slumdog Millonnaire!

So at first I was not for this but now I am swept up in the fun and the dream. And I love that there is now a 98% Indian stage invasion of excitable folks who are going to have a really really weird week! Hollywood looks simultaneously delighted but also a bit alarmed. After all the money from Slumdog is British and from TV licensing. It's low budget and independent(ish) and it's made back loads of cash despite it's lead actor only being known previously as a troubled teen in a late night drama (Skins). It is quite the coup.

The night closes out with Hugh Jackman introducing, of all things, 2009 previews. Not just any previews mind, no trailers for Angels and Demons and Ice Age 4 and Terminator, er, 4? 5? and Night at the Museum 2 and such...basically previews of dire films which will not be featuring at next year's award ceremonies except, maybe, for makeup or animation. If they're lucky. What an odd way to end. Oh except that they end with the rules which are fullsome and lovely big print...

All in all a fabulous Oscars night in terms of awards - I would have picked some differently but am not outraged at any of the selections and think that most were the right choice. The stagey thing was sort of good but also not perfect at all times. The "return of the musical" number just wasn't up to the job musically and Hugh Jackman may have a lot of charisma but not enough to extend to all his co-stars and hoards of dancers for that sequencer. The international note of the night was interesting too. Japanese film makers, Penelope with her excellent English but picking up a bilingual Oscar really, the many wonderful Indian stars and crew of Slumdog. The contrast between interesting humble international winners and comedy/TV orientated industrytastic hosts could not have been more stark. Nor could the crucial difference between British and US filmmakers: Breasts. The brits (even Kate Winslet) have them. The Hollywood types just seem to consider them optional when tiny gowns are at stake. I"ll stick with the down to earth poorly paid properly curvy folks any day I think!

For me personally I had an awesome night of friends and snacks and co-vlogging the frockage. Neil was an awesome host and the red carpet cake, the waffles and bacon, the home baking and sweeties and such were all fabulous! And now, at about the time my alarm normally goes off, I am off to my bed...

Happy Oscars 2009 all!

Oscars 2009 -

Back at Sky HQ. Beacham is restless again: "It's just not as glamerous as it could be"!

So now we have the credit crunch debate about glam and all new less frilly intimate crowd control.

And so back to Kodak Theatre to musical compilations again. Yes this year movies are all about Theatre...

Best Score time then: Benjamin Button vs Defiance vs Milk vs Slumdog Millionnaire vs WALL-E.

Based on how most of these have sounded WALL-E is terribly pretty indeed. But Slumdog Millionnaire clearly is standout for interest and different sound, not that the orchestra is entirely tooled for Slumdog really.

WINNER: Slumdog Millionnaire!

Go Slumdog! I cannot approve more of that particular award. The composer is adorable but quite prepped and did a good job but lack of blubbing seems to have disappointed the crowd.


Oh I didn't mention that Zak Ephron and Alicia Keys are presenting btw. Alicia has a good dress but not as nice as my co-party goer Claire's. She erm did not tell me to say that. no.

NExt up is Best Song: two of these are from Slumdog, the other from WALL-E...

Oh! Awesomness. Oscar winner from Slumdog is performing one of the Slumdog songs with a huge team of dancers and drummers. Kicking ass. Seriously. And now the Peter Gabriel song is being performed NOT by Peter but by John Legend. And with the Bollywood dancers. There is a strong tribal vibe to all best song. Oh and he has some gospel backup now. Cool. Drumtasticness... and into the bouncier second Slumdog number with female co-singers helping out Oscar winner. So so cool. The white and black Bollywood dancers look a tad tasteless if I'm honest. Oh we are mashing up WALL-E and Slumdog. Odd. I'm sure Peter Gabriel approves though.

OK...

WINNER: Jai ho! Takes it! Fantastic! two oscars for A.R. Rahman!

Oscars 2009 - Jerry Lewis: humanitarian award

Back to Sky chat lounge. May I just say that Winkleman is a pro. Winkleman for Eurovision please! I love the bizarre sofa combo of Danny Wallace, Mark Dolan (that guy who is about 8 ft tall and does that freaky people C4 series) and La Beacham. They may fight as proper exhaustion sets in!

Currently the chat is how many hours of Oscar are left. Yes, is that exciting with the Sky sofa that we are sweepstaking the running time...

OK so, out of nowhere (really), Eddie Murphy is presenting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Jerry Lewis. Our response round the room "he's still alive?"

So now we see a compilation clipshow (to Coldplay) of naff Jerry Lewis slapstick. And now some hardcore guitar chords as we hear Jerry's appeals the "Colgate Comedy Hour", via Telethons, and generally raising money for Muscular Dystrophy. Obviously I can't be too evil here cos he seems like his charity way out performs his comedy. The award goes "from one Nutty Professor to another". Jerry Lewis is looking alarmingly, really alarmingly, good for his age. Standing ovations all round of course. Like Dick Van Dyke though our main thought should be: what exactly does he do that keeps him looking the same age as in 1968?! He is struggling with his dentures a little. He has the same haircut btw. That he has had forever. The speech is possibly better acting than his films btw. Classy stuff. The crwod love him btw. Although Heidi Klum looks a tad unmoved but it could just be her sinister hair and the fact that she really had no expectation that she would be filmed at this point...

Oscars 2009 - visual & sound effects

I think Hugh Jackman just got heckled by his own orchestra. Twisted.

So we have a special effects type video clip. The Action 2008 bit maybe? This compilation looks unnervingly like the unmanned ITV Movie Show from about 1995.

Wicky wicky wah wah! Will Smith is presenting this bit. He's speaking up for Action. Weird live scoring in the theatre btw. Sounds like a mistake but am sure is deliberate.

Visual Effects noms: Benjamin Button; Dark KNight; Iron Man

WINNER: Benjain Button. It's a bloomin footie yeam worth of winners! Only one got to speak though.

Sound Editing: Dark Knight; Iron Man; Slumdog Millionnaire; WALL-E; Wanted.

WINNER: Dark Knight!

Our resident sound expert nods approvingly.

And our sound editor walked off to some Bowie if my ears did not diceive.

Now Sound Mixing noms: Benjamin Button; Dark Knight; Slumdog Millionnaire; WALL-E; Wanted.

WINNER: Slumdog Millionnaire!

Seems fair given how the music and street noise was woven together. Another team affair (Danny Boyle is crying from his seat). Seems for teams one man can speak. Slumdog's Rahul is overcome and can barely tie his words together with excitement. He's gotten it together now he says this is history being handed over to him. He's a proper charmer!

And, and yes Will Smith is still our only host, we are on to Film Editing: Frost/Nixon vs Dark Knight vs Milk vs Slumdog Millionnaire vs Benjamin Button.

WINNER: Slumdog Millionnaire!

Yup, another Slumdog award, A very very bald gentleman of supreme Englishness. Chris Dickins. Yes, He's so English he's even called Dickins. Is a nice speech, seems like he genuinely liked making the film which is a plus. Danny Boyle no longer crying, now grinning and doing thumbs up! Another super Brit reserve speech of wobbly lacking an ending. Nice. Makes you proud in a weird weird way...

Oscars 2009 - Supporting Actor & Documentary Awards

Looks like we're headed at Best Supporting Actor category... We have a wacky clipshow attack!

Christopher Walkin, Kevin Kline, Cuba Gooding Junior, Alan Arkin and Joel Gray are our ghosts of supporting actors past introducing the actors. Pairings up again. Apparently Alan Arkin = Phillip Seymour Hoffman; Joel Gray = Josh Brolin (a little gay in joke maybe? We get a small parable alongside the spiel); Cuba Gooding Jnr = Robert Downey Jnr (yeah, it really did have to be that pairing!); Christopher Walkin = Micheal Shannon (dubious mental health connection I think); Kevin Kline = Heath Ledger (weird). So inevitably Heath Ledger is going to be an odd thing to introduce for this. Kevin Kline is trying to make it work. Heath's family are being zoomed into by the camera. Al a little weird the vibe here.

WINNER: Heather Ledger. Of course.

So Heath's family look, er, pleased. And well dressed. Quite odd. Standing ovation from the crowd from them as they go up to pick up the award. Sean Penn is crying away in that crowd btw. Ok so we have Heath's parents and sister are picking up the award. The ladies have been beautifully dressed in Ivory, Heath's dad is doing a lovely tearful speech. It's a weird character and film to have a moving moment with. Heath's "special friend" Steve is an interesting throwaway comment. No sight or word of his ex and mother of his child Michella Williams though. Interesting. This is a nice way to do this award - no speeding up music for Ledger family mind.

Onto Best Documentary noms: Encounters at the End of the World; The Garden; The Betrayal; Man on Wire; Trouble the Water (I'm taken with that only as the director swore crazily just then). So the award is being given out by Bill Mahar. He points out that he has to come on whilst everyone cries. Bill is pimping his own religion film here, crowd won't commit to laughing. They draw the line there. They laughed at the scientology jokes from Steve Martin and Tina Fey earlier. The whole room here agrees with Mahar: we should all go see documentaries more!!

WINNER: Man on Wire. Is a no brainer (though not a great film the idea is genuinely uplifting for some reason). Co-directors are making Phillipe run up (He managed it leaping marvellously!). His speech: "yes!" Phillipe btw is carrying lucky coin from Werner - is magic! And Phillipe? He's leaving with Oscar balanced on his chin. Of course!


Best Short Documentary noms: The Conscience of Nhem Loo; The Final Inch; Smile Pinki; The Witness - From the Balcony 306

WINNER: Smile Pinki!

The director is delighted. Lucky her. But her dress is backless silk total gorgeousness! She is on the ball. She expected to win. She did good in that mildly cold way!

Oscars 2009 - no awards at all.. But "The musical is back"

We are back with Sky, Beacham is in grumpy, maybe drunk, mode. She hates the amateur intimate nature of the ceremony. She is angry. Don't mess with Beecham. She'll strangle you with her pearls...

We are back at the theatre. Hugh reckons change has come... not Obama but Mamma Mia outselling Titanic in the Uk. Musicals are back. He says he cannot wait for Doubt the Musical (nuns. They've worked before).

So. Now we have a big fancy odd number. Hugh Jackman doing a bit of Fred Astaire. With Beyonce. The cheorography is pure MGM. Loving it despite the fact that it's a big clumsy compilation and it really actually doesn't work! Actually they have moved to Grease. I feel less good about liking this now! They are having fun with the combination of tracks, but they really aren't weaved together. It's a shame. I love musicals but if only they had stuck to well done and classy. Cripes. Zak Ephron has appeared scarily from nowhere. With the Mamma Mia folk. Mamma Mia is the theme tonight a bit. I supposse it is the major seller of the year but not Oscarable. We have military drummers joining in Mamma Mia (the song). Odd. It's a bit like a really really really well funded stage school car crash! What a waste of top hats and sequins! Cute to end on "The Musical is Back!" though! Crist. Who do we blame? Baz Lurhman.

Oscars 2009 - Cinematography

Natalie Portman is presenting with a beary chap. It's someone in disguise. We're thinking it is Ben Stiller being artsy. He cannot compete for distraction with Natalie's My Little Pony dress. Stiller is doing nice bad cue card reading. Good job they weren't up earlier when the presenters genuinely were failing. Natalie thinks Stiller looks like he works at a meth lab, yup, that's the (faked) look. Poor Natalie is trying to be a pro and not giggle at the nominees whilst Stiller does skits behind. This cinematographer thing is a Jaquin Pheonix joke apparently. What an odd boy he is. Did they make the same jokes when Daniel Day Lewis became a cobbler? Probably!

So the noms: Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionnaire, The Dark Night, Changeling, The Reader.

WINNER? Slumdog Millionnaire!

It looks like Slumdog is starting to trump Benjamin Button. The Slumdog cinematographer is improving his own jokes, is a bit unsuccessful. But he seems nice. He's lost.

And now an ad again. Wow that was one short spell of actual ceromony between awards!

Oscars 2009 - Best Live Action Short, Comedy 2008

Jennifer Biel is up on her own. And she is wearing the satin napkin again. Meh! But she is presenting the Scientific and Technical Awards update. And she has so little charisma we were bored before she opened her mouth. How is she working!

BTW the crew at Neil's party want to flag up that Tina Fey's silver dress was quite possibly the best one seen thus far. I rather concur. Although Goldie Hawn showed up in smart casual and that takes some balls. And Tilda was in couture of course and you know she just had that in the wardrobe. No one night crepe horrors for her!

I think we have a special Judd Apatow stoner video thang with James Franco & pal watching clip show to demonstrate best films. Cue inappropriate laughing. Nice q: "who's a better actor: Ronald Reagon or Barak Obama". Cute playing of Milk clip. Think Hollywood says Milk in response to Prop8 disaster. That was our comedy 2008 compiltion I think.

Live Actio Short Film noms: Aufe der Streke, Manon on the Asphalt, New Boy, The Pig, Spiegalslund.

WINNER: Spiegalslund

The Director was born in East Germany and is sweet.

Oscars 2009 - Art, Costume and Make Up

Stephanie Beecham says Hugh Jackman's opening was laboured. The team view is that he is still no Billy Crystal. Steph would like to look at him but hated the skit. Respect to her for going that way.

Hugh is introducing the Art Direction award. Cute stage set up - big lit bulbs and pretty pretty presenters: Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craig (and some jazzy reworkings of Charade). Baroque digital backdrops are how we're seeing: Benjamin Button vs The Duchess vs The Dark Night vs Changling vs Revolutionary Road.

WINNER? Benjamin Button!

Seems like a good call. The designers Seem pleased and on the verge of serious tears. And special thanks to David Fincher. The designers are in tears as they go. Feels like a proper win...

Daniel Craig is fluffing his lines, SJP is perfect pro and great at delivering meaningless style stuff. Lovely. So... Costume Design. It's Revolutionary Road vs The Duchess vs Milk vs Benjamin Button vs Australia. SJP btw is in another lovely evening gown. This one ivory and lovely (and much more busty) than the mint number she red carpetted in.

WINNER? The Duchess!

The Custume Designer is floored and maybe drunk or just totally baffled. Seems very unlikely as a costume designer in a good way. A gentlemen in his forties who was apparently the risk for the picture. He did a good befuddled speech. Apparently Keira Knightly is "one classy lady"!


Wow... it's a triple bill award host combie. Now Make Up is up. Benjamin Button vs Dark Knight vs Hellboy II.

WINNER? Benjamin Button!

Of course it was, how could it not be huh? The gent who has gone up is stroking his Oscar as he gives his slightly arch campy (well prepared) speech. He's running through the names impressively. Everyone on the freaking craft table almost got a micro mention. No emotion there though.

Wow! Our hosts for the next award are from that vampire tastic Twilight male lead and young female lead from Mamma Mia to cue up our romance compilation. Romance this year looked like... a blond dye jon. Is a particularly soft lit mixtape affair. I think that's a bit of Coldpplay being used there. I think I missed half these films btw. But I can at least recognise Highschool Musical 3. I is clasy. Romance this year looks mostly quite heterosexual. Even the Milk clip is bland as heck but they rescued themselves with a nice kiss in their snoggy compilation! Thank goodness!

Oscars 2009 - Animated Feature

Jennifer Aniston and Jack Black are doing the animated intros. Jack's animation money making scheme: take paycheck from Dreamworks and then bet it on Pixar for the Oscar winner. Harsh. But very very funny!

So we have a big ol' clipshow of dubious animated movies and good uns too. Chimps from Space still looks rubbish despite editing it next to WALL=E. Nice little soundtrack for the clipshow though. I think we know who will win since WALL-E features 10 times as much as the other films of the year. Anniston btw dipped herself in glue and rolled in sequins and beads by the looks of things. Quite a sparkly dress! So it's Bolt vs Kung Foo Panda vs WALL-E. Yes, you guessed it...

WINNER: WALL-E!

Of course.

A cute family man type Oscar speech. Cute. Also the Director is thanking his high school drama teacher for casting him as Barnaby in Hello Dolly.


Now Best Animated Short Film. Not easier to win than the full length movie. No. Not at all! Aniston and Black should do lots of telly

Le Maison en Petits Cubes vs Lavator Love Story vs Oktapodi vs Presto vs This Way Up. This is traditionally a wild card category. No disappointments here then...

WINNER: Le Maison en Petits Cubes!

The animator is very sweet. And speaks almost no English. So a nice short speech from Kunio Kato "Dom Arigato Mr Roboto!"

Oscars 2009 - best screenplay

Best screenplay is a cheesy affair with Tina Fey and Steve Martin: Frozen River vs Happy Go Lucky bs In Bruges vs MIlk vs WALL-E. Ny the way how is Milk an original screenplay given the Oscar winning doc it's based on?!

WINNER: Milk! What? Meh!

Winner Dustn Lane Black is a camp 12 year old. He could be in High School Musical. Writer is former conservative Mormon. Bless. He is using this as an anti Prop 8 rant. I rather love that. Dustin think Milk would want him to say how much God does love gay people and that very soon we will have equal rights federally across the US. Brave in a way.


Best Screenplay Adapted. Curious Case of Benjamin Button vs Doubt vs Frost/Nixon vs The Reader vs Slumdog Millionnaire.

WINNER: Slumdog Millionnaire!

Expected but a bit crap considering the betterness of Q & A. Simon Boeufoy is looking very very surprised. He's wearing a necklace I think. He's a bit overcome in that nice English way. Everyone on the film has changed his life. Danny Boyle is the And Finally... thank you. Almost an afterthought.

Oscars 2009 - Actual Real Live Event Ahoy!

It's beginning! It's beginning! Yay!!!!!!


Wow the staging is bling a ding diamnote dong!

Hugh Jackman is on. Looking tall and tan and attractively random. Still not quite sure why he's hosting this year but he's a charming chappie. He's doing the obligatory toe curling waving at the crowd... Hugh's little nationalities joke about Australia is quite cute. Everything is downsized due to the recession. Next year he'll be in the film New Zealand ;) Go go script writers.

So.. It's a class credit crunchy musical number. With cardboard props. In that sexy expensive Michel Gondry style. It's a musical number based on the nominees of course. Hugh is doing a good job actually so far. Although his tan and suit and such is strangely reminiscent of William Shatner circa 76. Wow! Phallic tastic Tripic Thunder props! IT is cute to get a stage actor to do a no frills number. Anne Hathaway has been accidentally on purpose co-opted on. Anne as Nixon. Cute. Anne is showing off that yes people, she ia available for musicals. Thank you. I think the undertone is that Frost/Nixon is a porny cheesy romance. Hmm... odd. And crazy silver dancers (as if from Eurobeat) are mime dancing The Reader. Now The Wrestler. Home props include barbed wire and a standard lamp. And fold out Oscars! Clearly the boys films are the focus this year.

However. Quite possibly best. opening. ever.

Classy and cheapie. Hugh Jackman is almost scarily Vegas and lady friendly. Although Hugh's little lap hopping onto Frank Langella is rather fun. Nice joke: 7 second delay but for Mickey will be a 20 minute delay if he wins. Cute. Again Hugh is pimping round the audience. Meryl looks pained. Likes his 15 noms steroids joke. Weirdly it's a little Best Actress clip show. And the video intros to the clipshows are a bit, well, classic cheesy. Oh no. It's actually the film that's cheesy. But it's introducing some seriously rockin ladies: Eva Marie Saint, Whoopi Goldberg, Tilda Swinton, Goldie Hawn and Angelia Huston. Tilda rules them like a sexy couture queen! It's a bit we are the ghosts of Oscars past but hey, nice idea to make folks work for their previously received statuettes! And tears already. I love the pairings btw: Eva Marie Saint = Viola Davies; Angelia Huston = Penelope Cruz; Whoppie Goldberg = Amy Adams (it's a nun thing); Goldie Hawn = Taraji P Henson; Marisa Tomei = Tilda Swinton.

WINNER?! Penelope Cruz!!!

AWESOMENESS!! Je suis insanely delighted!

Penelope has 45 seconds and she's very very very thrilled! fabulous! Lovely wee speech btw. She wrote one, she's showing her classy european roots. Charming and touching and not painfully blubby. She is talking about art. Penelope we love you! Everyone from Spain shares her award according to my live translator!

Oscars 2009 - Live!

Freaking A! IT's Claudia Winkleman and Gok Wan on the Sky sofa!

So... nothing has actually begun yet. It's all fashion thoughts and preamble. Lorks. Fern Cotton is Winkleman's gal on the ground at the Kodak theatre. Pink eye shadow has crept up on Fern and taken her by surprise! Scary!

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - robert downey jnr

Robert Downey Jnr. has found Ryan's mic. The lapels are quite cunning here. dark grey matt short back lapels giving the look of a classic Italian suit with matt black lower lapels taking the tux into proper formal wear. IT works. With Bob's Elvis quiff it's a fifties throwback look...

And then... Out of nowhere...

It's beginning!!!

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Getting closer to the main event..

Ryan has secured an interview with Kate Winslet. Something about the hairdo is set, solid and pure Princess Diana. Most odd. It's her classic look though. Sculpted up do with small diamond stud drop and a Ben De Lisi (or similar) frockage with some sort of foliage across the shoulder. Always the shoulder attack. Kate seems baffled by commenting on her own success. She's quietly confident. Despite the odd deprived ballet school look in the Time cover they've just flagged up.

Alicia Keys is along for unknown reasons. Looking like the polar opposite of Christopher Nolens wife. Keys has concave chest these days so thinned is she still, Nolan's Mrs meanwhile looks truly buxom in this lineup of ladies. She's really outshining the crowd cleavage wise with even a cross over basic ball black ballgown all that's required.

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Penelope Cruz

Cruz, close up, is a mix of Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Gorgeously heavy fringe and fabulous pale dress (though pale isn't Pene's best colour. Ryan thinks Cruz's role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona is "troubled". I say fabulous. Penelope says "I love her!" yay! Full length view of her dress reveals wedding cake frosting awesomeness. Cruz is the proper princess.

Audible groans! Phillip Seymour Hoffman is wearing a freakin knitted hat people!

Daniel Craig looks good but a little more rugger bugger than usual. His girlfriend might disappear if you accidentally breath out she's so thin. Not cool.

Angelina has the most amazing jade earrings here. They shout out above the black dress - a classic sculptural strapless number to show off Ms Jolie's very finest assets.

Kate Winslet has a dual coloured frock which seems to involve using fabulous black lace as shading to help her hide into size zeroness from her just mildly larger than size zero actual size. The main colour of the dress is a dusky mushroom. It's what the cool kids do:

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Meryl Streep, Marion Cotillard

Meryl Streep is sporting a dusky mushroom off the shoulder number. Much nicer by far than the red jersey pleated boob tube that Robert Downey Jnr's date for the night is wearing.

Evan Rachel Wood has beaton off a baffled paparazzi and is speaking to Ryan Seacrest. She's either a naturally cocky lady or a few drinks into the evening...

Jessica Biel forgot to get a dress so is co-ordinating her bed head with an improve dress and, apparently, a large bed sheet was the only thing to hand... We do not love.

Hilarious special feature of the E! coverage number 2: the pointy markers so you can spot the tiny tiny celebs from space. From Space!

Penolope Cruz has come as Sophia Loren. It works people. It works!

Brangelina have made an appearance now but only just hopped out the car. Matt tasteful black classiness but misguided Pitt facial hair horrors.

Marion Cotillard meanwhile has gone for a challenging mix of dark blue and black with heavy beading. Very nice and yet not quite right. A bold attempt though.

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Beyonce, Josh Brolin, Queen Latifah

Looks like Beyonce has come straight from Versace by the look of her spray on black and gold gown. Gorgeous matt finish fabric with lacey gold flower splashes. The gathering gets a tad eighties towards the tail but the overall finish is fabulous.

Oh my god it's bittersweet... Mickey misses his chiwhawha (intentional spelling there) that he would so much have preferred his dog for two more years than an Oscar. He is wearing a pendant with his pooches pic around his neck. We almost want him to win purely for his adorable teary piece to camera about his recently deceased doggie best friend.

Queen Latifah is in pretty much a classic plus size prom gown. Nice but dull. As is the glossy swept bun she's sporting. Severe hair is the look (Evan Rachel Wood is also sporting an insanely structured up do). I take back some of my comments on Anne Hathaway btw - her dress finishes in an increadible dispersing spiral of teacup sized sequins. Art yes. Fashion though? Not sure. Glamour? Not with the gaping size zero busline!

As we listen to Josh Brolin (looking a lot like a terrier) and has floored us with the comment "More people would have lived through the AIDS crisis if Harvey Milk were still alive". We barely have a response for that it's so outragously insane.

Jessica Biel is a modern gal. She's on the phone. On the red Carpet. With bed head. Most odd.

Love him Ron Howard is shoutingly defending Micheal Sheen's performance in Frost/Nixon. He seems personally affronted that only Frank Langella was nominated.

Peter Gabrial looks more and more like a wizard every day.

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Anne Hathaway, Sean Penn, Marisa Tomei & Natalie Portman

Neutral continues to be a trend this year. Anne Hathaway has arrived in a deeply bridal floor length beaded gown. Nice but not challenging and designed to highlight her skinny elegance. Given she's up for a little gold man for her role in Rachel's Getting Married as an alcoholic it's probably not the year for frivolous fun just in case she wins!



Evan Rachel Wood is in neutral gown of horrible beige. The tattoo it hightlights is rather lovely though.

Sean Penn has arrived in an increadible orange colour. Meanwhile Sarah Jessica Parker says her gown is "barely mint" and that - horror! - Sex and the City 2 is on the way! Shocker! Matthew Broderick has been forced into co-ordinating midnight blue tux.

Oh my god. Marisa's dress has properly been unveiled. It is actually fairly incredible in construction. It has a pleated Sydney Opera House look and is genuinely interesting but the torso shot of it is unfortunate since the colour is less than flattering on the face but the structure is increadible. Maybe Marisa should have borrowed Sean Penn's tantastic look!

Natalie Portman has arrived in My First Barbie Ballgown from the discounted beaded range at an out of town wedding store near you now!

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Richard Jenkins, Mickey Rourke

Micky has arrived in slovenly tux style. Open shirt, waistcoat, white dinner jacket and shock! A cigarette! Richard Jenkins meanwhile is classiness personified in classic tux. Sadly Ryan Seacrest ain't that interested as I think we all know it ain't Richard's year despite The Visitor having been fabulous.

Sarah Jessica Parker has appeared in a fabulous gown with increadbly natural looking curled hair. The gown is mint but it is so well designed it still looks good!

Robert Downey Jnr. has arrived. Frsh from rehab? He's looking good in the classic twist on a tux: some satin some matt sections to the lapels. Classy. Simple. Even Downey Jnr's hair is on the conservative side but since he is up for an oscar where he was blacked up it's provbably the wise way to go.

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Marisa Tomei

Marisa has not learned fashion lessons despite the decade gap between Oscars appearances. It's assymetrical (oy!) and is in a sort of dirty white silk frock. It's classy and understated but so understated as to look a little like a slip. Hair wise though it's a hit.

Amy Adams meanwhile has got the understated classy look in spades. Floor length crimson gown with black piping around the corset, skirts gathered between bust and waist and all highlighting her elegant tied back red hair. Glamour triumph.

Oscars Red Carpet 2009 - Heidi Klum

For some reason Heidi has come to the Oscars. No complaint from me though as the red satin asymmetrical (purlease!) 50's styled evening frock is rather fabulous! Her jewellery is just amazing - huge diamond and either pearl or a very classy agate leaf design climbing up her neck beautifully. Co-ordinated with huge coordinating bangles in a definitely slumdog chic style which make up for the hitheroto missed insane dress split and triangular back cut out of the red dress.

Danny Boyle is now being interviewed. Behind him there is an awesome asian red carpet invasion. The calm glammer of the saris knocks the socks of some of this year's mainstream frocks!

Oscars 2009 - Red Carpet

Currently watching the red carpet coverage of Oscars 2009. We're witnessing the Glamastrator on E!. Truly fabulous magic sports pen action being applied to a fabulous oyster mushroom dress.

So Dev Patel is currently working Ryan Seacrest's mic. I take that back. Dev is just not that lewd! Costar Frieda Pinto is looking fabulous in a stunning (but inexplicably assymetrical) blue lace and diamante sari inspired gown.

Oscars 2009

I am live blogging and vlogging the Oscars 2009 . Vlogs may follow the event but they'll be recorded live! enjoy!

Snow, Busy week, and EdTwestival

snow!
Originally uploaded by eurovision_nicola

As previously mentioned Sunday night we finally had real proper snow in Edinburgh. And Monday it was snowing all day leading to very very pretty inch thick frosting on everything. Then except for a thin sheet of ice on a small bit of pavement (which I went flying off in some skilled coffee-preserving way) it had all thawed come Tuesday. Ah well.

This whole week has been a bit chaotic trying to fit lots of work and training and new work stuff in - quite the challenge. Tomorrow I'm looking forward to though - it's the EdTwestival and I am joining the Twitterati to chat and drink and tweet and see what a Twitter meet up actually looks like. Scary good fun I think... Wish me luck!

snow!

snow!
Originally uploaded by eurovision_nicola

It snowed today!

In fact it snowed a lot but almost exclusively, bizarrely, in the South of England. Up here in the frozen north we just had lots of snowfall melting quietly away. As I type it is baltic BUT the snow is melting under the pressure of new sleet and warm(ish) urban streets. I fear today's snow is tomorrow's lethal ice sheet though - lordy!

In fact the bad put me in an usual on trend place: I was wearing cords and walking boots with a big fluffy jumper as, it seems, were half my colleagues. It was the EDINA look. Nice.

Anyway despite the thaw it is still far far too cold to type or indeed be out in the open.. I'm off to hide under fleece blankets!