enjoyable read. thank you.

That was the funniest, most insightful, delightfully irreverent write-up of the Academy Awards I think I've ever read.

Great job, kiddo!

I normally only watch a few minutes of the Oscars, in between practice sessions on my dobro, so I appreciate your killer commentary.

I hope to read more from you on Salon.com.

What?!!? No Cintra Wilson column this year? I am honestly disappointed. She is the wickedest wit since Fran Lebowitz or maybe even Dorothy Parker. I relish the way she deflates the self-congratulatory, self importance of Hollywood's Big Night. Please bring her back!

The "those who passed" video montage was the worst I have seen. The song was obtrusive, and many of the non-acting honorees were difficult to see, and their names and credits too small to read. The Oscar producers should study the year-end montages on CBS's "Sunday Morning" (dead people from every field) before next year.

I enjoyed the running pokes at "The Reader" and its lack of audience appeal. The stoner-dudes bit was hilarious.

When Sean Penn thanked everyone but his wife, I thought of Hilary Swank's spouse-neglecting Oscar speech for her "Boys Don't Cry" win - and her subsequent divorce.

Anne Hathaway's "Frost/Nixon" performance was charming - but when she raised her arms in Nixon's double-V salute, she should have said "I am not a crook, but I used to date one!"

Mickey Rourke is cool. I hope he has many more great performances and much success.

I would agree that, in a mediocre year, "Slumdog" was the second-best film in any category Sunday. "Wall-E" was the best.

wall-e and batman returns will likely prove the two films this year which last.

you mean "Dark Knight", right?

my wife & i enjoyed the show. it alway has flaws. the medley/dance featuring beonce was a little overdone for our taste. but, we really liked the way the major acting awards were done. starting with the best supporting actress award, they introduced five former winners. each then made some very gracious comments recognizing each of the nominees. to us, it really worked. for each of the actor awards it was great to see the five former winners come forward. sophia loren, eva marie saint, shirley maclaine, robert deniro, christopher walken. i've got to say, that part was well thought out and really worked. it always seemed in the past the nominees were not well recognized, quickly lost in the shuffle.

hugh jackman's opening number was great once he got going. anna hathaway was terrific.

what the heck, it's always a mixed bag of stuff. overall, very memorable and good new touches. thanks heather~

Despite your depleted 401k, your non-existent savings, and your job being relocated to Mumbai, are you still hungry?

This and other useless topics to be discussed ad nauseam.

BTW, aren’t the Academy Awards the same every year? Can anyone really tell the difference year to year? Couldn’t the Academy just voice over the winners and save everyone the yearly hassle of watching self-serving actors pat themselves on the back for yet another job well done?

as others have pointed out, that didn't let you see who passed away, but instead focused on Queen Latifah (who did a great job, but was not the focus of the item), I thought the show was done very well.

I thought Hugh Jackman gave the show a feel of class. I was very pleasantly suprised.

While I love some of the comedians that have hosted the show in the past, the humor always fell kind of flat and/or forced in that very stuffy setting.

I'm good with the comedy bits being done by some of the presenters, like Steve Martin and Tina Fey.

Anne Hathaway was playing Nixon, not Frost, during her bit with Jackman, which is why she occasionally did a rather hilarious "jowl-shaking" while singing...hilarious on a girl with about 3% body fat at least...

Anyway, despite all the changes they still can't get the show in under 3 hours. And was I the only one who thought there were way way too many commercial breaks?

I thought the "Pineapple Express"-inspired skit with James Franco and Seth Rogen was absolutely hilarious, but then, I am twelve, and a longtime fan of the Apatowians.

And I nearly lost it when Kunio Kato, winner of best animated short, completed his halting, English language-impaired speech with the immortal words, "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto." I was rolling.

And a word to Beyonce: If you can't sing without a frickin' backing track, let Alica Keys take the gig. Even the "High School Musical" kids managed to sing their parts live.

watched it with mute button depressed. who is that singing dancing british idiot? what is with the one on one presentation, mini roasts of the nominees. what is with kate winslet's getup? if the theme is 50's retro why didn't angelina win, (for her role not her dress, her dress like her was class all the way)?

worst of all what does the choice of best films say to you, an indian kid takes your customer service job and then HE wins the lottery. sorry america, you used to be a contender.

if history is any guide winning the lottery shouldn't happen to a dog.

oh and californias schools can say goodbye to their lottery money.

i look forward to reruns of this movie for years to come, if i can afford the electricity, and the FCC refunds analog, because i wont be able to afford cable.

puttin on the ritz. yeah

You are right about Beyounce and the verdict is in: She can't sing

Sound pretty sore. Did someone steal your copy of "The Birth Of A Nation"?

At least Jackman stuck to his strengths and left the comedy to others. I wish someone other than Beyonce had done the musical number. It was actually a relatively clever arrangement in context with the show's looking back at past films and winners.I liked the more intimate feel of the show, although the "5 past-winner" presentations where occasionally uncomfortable when they where either too congratulatory or it was a bad match. (Kidman, Brodey?)

Thank the gods they got rid of the interpretive dance numbers for the Best Song. That was far more entertaining and far less squirm inducing!