Oscar who?

I watched the first fifteen minutes of the Academy Awards, and that was about all I could manage. I was past indifferent this year, in part because there was nothing nominated that was truly amazing or shocking, but also because the whole formula has become just so stale. It didn't help to have Billy Crystal back doing his once-hilarious but now tired schtick.

Though perhaps he best summed up the reason for my big yawn with his best line (in the brief time I watched): "Nothing can take the sting out of the world's economic situation like watching millionaires present themselves with golden statues."

Here's a thought: next year, they should change the format to mimic The Hunger Games, and have all the nominees fight each other to the death for their statuette. Considering it's entirely possible that The Hunger Games might be nominated for something, this appeals to my postmodern sensibilities.



**One exception to my above crankiness: I'm so happy Christopher Plummer won for Beginners, and would have liked to have seen his acceptance speech. There's a man with immense talent AND class.