Monday, March 8, 2010

And The Oscar Goes To...


I used to look forward to the Oscars, back when there were at least a few good movies out and the host was funny. But last night's were the most boring ones ever! I got excited when it opened with Neil Patrick Harris in sequins and lots of showgirls and feathers, but after that it when downhill since no one did anything crazy, the jokes were predictable and everyone kept mentioning that glorified video game (why wasn't Dr. Parnassus nominated more? It's a far more brilliant film and it had actual actors in it). And the lighting was terrible! Did they embrace the fad of eco-lights? It just made the guests look washed out and dull, but with frizzy hair. But that good have been because most of the gowns were in muted colours and everyone seemed to be wearing very pale lipstick. Does anyone know why John Hughes got his own tribute? Other far more important directors have died in the past decade and none of them got their own tribute. And why didn't they hand out the honourary Oscars at the ceremony? I was looking forward to the Lauren Bacall clip show (I've also started re-reading her autobiography) and to her speech, which would have been much more entertaining and shorter then the interpretive dancers. And no one thanked the caterers or used Victor Borge's line "I'd like to thank my parents for making this evening possible". What did you think of the Oscars?

I didn't have a favourite dress or even a worse dress, everything seemed to be quite boring this year, but here are some of the highlights:

Doesn't George Clooney look like he lives in a tuxedo. Although he did forget his Brylcream.
All of the gentlemen seemed to wear the same tuxedo and there was no sign of a top hat and tails. But I did like the eccentric touch of Robert Downey Jr.'s blue bow tie, even though his choice to wear running shoes is a hideous crime to all things sartorial.
I liked how the silver and lace dress made Miss Bullock look like a living Oscar statue.
Miss Mulligan's dress is probably the only time in history in which steampunk will ever make an appearance at the Oscars, but a different lipstick would have been better, no?
I didn't watch the pre-show, so I thought that Miss McAdam's dress was a huge grey blob, but on the red carpet, it is actually a rather nice blue flowery number. I still don't like her blonde hair though, it looked better when she was on Slings and Arrows.
I think that Miss Bigelow's dress is sort of meh. But her girdle is fantastic! If I ever go to the Oscars, I want to wear that girdle (since the Oscars are really all about the dress and it is live television with billions watching).

If you haven't read The Complete Book of Oscar Fashion, then rush out and get a copy! See all of the gorgeous gowns from years past and imagine playing dress up in them.

Here are some of my favourites that I could find online (one would have expected that there is a database of past Oscar gowns, but no)
Remember before the Oscars became a really big deal? Doesn't Janet Gaynor look cute and sporty with the first ever Oscar and rightly deserved for all those who have seen her in Sunrise.
I wish I could have found a full length colour shot of Vivien Leigh with her first Oscar, but you'll have to make do with this one.
Everyone has seen Grace Kelly's gown before, but not a picture of her with her awesome needlework bag, which could actually fit all those necessities in it.
Did you know that Joanne Woodward made her own dress? Amazing! She could act, sew and she married Paul Newman -such a lucky girl.
My favourite ever! If I ever go, I would want to wear this, since it doesn't wrinkle and it's short enough so that one doesn't trip on those slippery stairs. Plus you can wear ballet slippers with it, since four-inch stiletto platforms and free champagne don't mix well. What would you wear to your fantasy Oscar win?

Here's David Niven and the best comeback ever!

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