The 98th annual Academy Awards Ceremony (2026)
We'll always sigh and pine for that Golden Era when millions of us crowded into theaters to watch the most exciting and popular movies of the year.
And we couldn't wait to see our favorite blockbusters competitively vie for the ultimate prize at the end of the rainbow.....the Oscar statuette.
All of that began to fall apart with the onslaught of streaming services and the nominations dominated by obscure, unwatchable, audience unfriendly films that nobody cared about and nobody had the slightest interests in sitting through.
But some of the long gone glamour and anticipation returned this year with the addition of actual crowd-pleasing nominees that audiences enjoyed and turned out for....("One Battle After Another", "Sinners", "Weapons"...
Surprise, surprise....even at over 3 & 1/2 hours, we were never bored and for a change, we took an active interest in who was going to win the clash of the 'One Battle' and 'Sinners' titans.
So here's our impressions, in no order whatsover.....
Conan O' Brian The "Weapons" kickoff was inspired, his subsequent bits ranged from funny to mildly amusing and his monologue, with a only a few bumps, was on target. We say bring 'im back next year by all means.
Timothee Chalamet Got exactly what he deserved.....nothing. His 'I'm-a-legend-in-my-own-mind' shtick finally undid him and we're not sure he learned anything from the hard lesson of not taking your ego out of a walk in public. He's a gifted kid and we've no doubt there's more nominations in his future as his career progresses.....who knows, with a little injection of humility, he could even win one. C'mon Timmy....show you're a good sport and next appear in an IMAX mash-up of 'Swan Lake' and 'La Traviata'...
The orchestra and its conductor When they started playing off the 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' song winner who tried to speak, Conan should've sprayed the band a with fire extinguisher.
Bill Pullman and his son Lewis Pullman Granted, it was a dumb, flop bit they wrote for you, but you should've tried to pull out of it with a little more grace and professionalism. Most painful moment of the show.
Choreographer Mandy Moore...a genuine MVP here, with her dynamic staging of the 'Sinners' and 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' songs...each of which stopped the show.
Legendary songwriter Diane Warren....lost her 17th competitive Best Song nomination (but did receive a Life Achievement Oscar in 2022). Sadly, her expert musical craft in storytelling never connects with whatever popular film nails the Zeitgeist of the moment. But maybe....sooner or later the stars will align for her.......
In Memoriam We stood fully prepared to unleash our usual evisceration of the Academy's death roll, which it consistently screws up every year, both in selection and presentation. And with 2025 being a cruel, brutal year for the loss of so many beloved cinema icons, we expected the worst.
But what a stunner.....this year the Academy finally stepped up and acknowledged that the passing of these legends required some extra special effort. Yes, there were omissions (Brigitte Bardot) but those heartfelt tributes to Rob Reiner, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Catherine O' Hara and Robert Duvall were, for splendid change of pace, handled with taste, care and a whole lot of heart.
Miss Congeniality Award: to Elle Fanning. We didn't see anyone who looked like they enjoyed the ceremony more than Fanning, who bubbled over with happiness from the Red Carpet to the finale credit crawl. Love her to pieces.....
"Wish I Were Somewhere Else" Award to Leonardo DiCaprio, who probably checked his watch 300 times throughout the proceedings.
"I Actually Was Somewhere Else" Award: to sourpuss Sean Penn, who passed up a golden opportunity, as a likely Best Supporting Actor winner, to use the Oscars as a Bully Pulpit to vent about whatever's pissing him off at the moment. We don't blame the other most-likely competitor, Delroy Lindo, for scowling and sitting on his hands when the absent Penn won. Yay to Kieren Culkin for his casual backhanded diss on Penn.
Best Acceptance Speeches: Both winners, Michael B. Jordon and Jessie Buckley, delivered all the emotional, heartfelt highpoints you'd expect.
And finally....Conan, do NOT join the Christmas Adventurers Club Perfect wrap-up as Conan spoofed Sean Penn's fate in 'One Battle After Another'......but we still need him back.....
Overall.....a typically messy, overlong night at the Oscars....but a lively, funny, always entertaining spectacle.....with enough stuff going right to counterbalance all the gaffes, fluffs, mistakes and verbal bloopers of a live event.
3 and 1/2 stars (***1/2).....hooray for Hollywood.
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