OSCAR NIGHT

The Oscars are just a few hours away and I'm really excited. I love the Oscars. It's a big show (over 3 hours, sometimes 4) and the winners usually aren't the most deserving ones, but sometimes the Academy just picks the right one. I'm really impressed with this year's original screenplay nominees, with Martin MacDonagh, who wrote and directed my favorite film of last year In Bruges being a surprising nominee and Mellisa Leo being up for best actress for Frozen River or the screenplay nod for Happy-Go-Lucky (which I love) or the nomination for Heath Ledger. I already wrote an entry about how impressed I was with Heath Ledger's performance in Brokeback Mountain three years ago, when I was just starting studying drama performance. Anyway, I think that his (inevitable) Oscar win for The Dark Knight is both a reward for a great actor, who had much promise. Anyway, it comes too late. I can't blame the Academy for rewarding Philip Seymour Hoffman, who's a great actor and was due for some recognition, but I can blame them for honoring him only because he was one of them and because Heath is considered too young for a best actor win. (I'm no fan of his work in Capote, which was all about mannerism. Boring.) Anyway, it's kind of ironic that he'll get his Oscar for a hero movie and the Academy is snobbish enough to never nominate summer hero movies. (They suck big time most of the time, so nobody can blame them about that.)

Anyway, I'm prepared for my big Oscar night. First of all, I'll have my Oscar party and we'll watch A Place in the Sun (from 1951, with a favorite of mine - Monty Clift) and of course, Brokeback Mountain, which Pro 7 will air tonight just before the Oscars.

And then, from 3 a.m. - live on Pro 7 - the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Hugh Jackman is hosting. And I hope there will be some surprises. I'm predicting a major upset - Viola Davis for supporting actress. And Mickey Rourke for best actor. Wow, he blew me away in The Wrestler. He really did. Enjoy the show!

My party starts in an hour, so I should be going. Have a nice Oscars! Wow! There's no business like show business and no night like Oscar night!