Checking around the blogs I was reading the various "I'm liveblogging the Oscars" posts most of which were variations of the "I'm way too jaded and cool for this but (sigh) I'll do it for you the reader" self-martyrdom.
I enjoy the Oscars because there are those moments when they show a clip from an old film (and there were lots of those tonight), or one from a new nominated film, and it reminds me of how powerful film can be when a fifteen second clip can open up the floodgates of memory of the scene, how we got there, and where we are heading.
I also enjoy witnessing the honest passion that some people express in their speeches; a good example of being Forest Whitaker's acceptance speech tonight (I couldn't tell you much about The Color of Money but I remember Forest Whitaker's brief three minutes spent slyly hustling Paul Newman's Fast Eddie Felson).
Anyway. of the live-blogging posts my favorite was Ann Althouse written with all of her trademark, yet charming, lack of self-awareness. Quote of the night?
Now, we see Jodie Foster, dragging excess yards of slate-blue fabric along with her. But she's introducing my favorite segment, In Memoriam. I'll impolitely name the ones that had the most effect on me: Don Knotts, Sven Nykvist, Robert Altman.
