82nd Academy Awards

What the Academy likes: Real movies about real wars in real places.

What the Academy doesn't like: Fake movies about imaginary wars on imaginary planets.

I always enjoy watching the Academy Awards, even though they're often cheesy or overdone. This year was fairly predictable but still entertaining. I was delighted to see The Hurt Locker beat the pulp out of Avatar (a very, very overrated and overwatched movie). Kathryn Bigelow is now the first woman to win best director, a remarkable achievement that was probably overshadowed by the sentimental wins of Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock. I was glad to see them take home Oscars, but I think people in years to come may be disappointed that Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan were passed over.

Inglourious Basterds was my favorite film of the year, so I was disappointed that the Academy showed it such little love. Quentin Tarantino deserved Best Original Screenplay, if nothing else. Well, at least Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor. He truly deserved that.

What the Academy likes: good actors who play washed-up country western singers trying to make a come back.

The red carpet left a lot to be desired...most of the actors and actresses looked too plain and the interviews seemed rushed and clumsy (Penelope Cruz looked fantastic as always, though). Alec Baldin and Steve Martin were very entertaining, however. I thoroughly enjoyed them as hosts.

And many of my predictions were right, which is always good for my ego.

Golly, Sandra!

All in all, not a bad Oscar night...

THE WINNERS

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker (I predicted: The Hurt Locker)

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (I predicted: Jeff Bridges)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (I predicted: Christoph Waltz)

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (I predicted: Sandra Bullock)

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique for Precious (I predicted: Mo'Nique)

Best Animated Feature Film: Up (I predicted:Up)

Best Art Direction: Avatar (I predicted:Avatar)

Best Cinematography: Avatar (I predicted: The Hurt Locker)

Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria (I predicted: The Young Victoria)

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (I predicted: The Hurt Locker)

Best Documentary Feature: The Cove (I predicted: Food, Inc.)

Best Documentary Short: Music By Prudence (I predicted: can't remember...)

Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker (I predicted: The Hurt Locker)

Best Foreign Language Film: The Secret in Their Eyes (I predicted: The White Ribbon)

Best Makeup: Star Trek (I predicted: Il Divo)

Best Music (Original Score): Up ((I predicted: Up)

Best Music (Original Song): Crazy Heart's "Weary Kind" (I predicted: Crazy Heart)

Best Short Film: Logorama (I predicted:Logorama)

Best Sound Editing: The Hurt Locker (I predicted: The Hurt Locker)

Best Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker (I predicted: The Hurt Locker)

Best Visual Effects: Avatar (I predicted: Avatar)

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Precious (I predicted: Up in the Air)

Best Writing (Original Screenplay): The Hurt Locker (I predicted: Inglourious Basterds)