The 96th Annual Academy Awards - The Winners

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Oppenheimer

American Fiction
Anatomie d'une Chute
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Holdovers
The Zone of Interest

Best Achievement in Directing

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Justine Triet, Anatomie d'une Chute
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Annette Bening, Nyad
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomie d'une Chute

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

America Ferrera, Barbie
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Jodie Foster, Nyad

Best Original Screenplay

Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, Anatomie d'une Chute

Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer, Maestro
Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik, May December
Celine Song, Past Lives
David Hemingson, The Holdovers

Best Adapted Screenplay

Cord Jefferson, American Fiction

Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Barbie
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Best Animated Feature Film

Kimitachi wa dô ikiru ka

Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best International Feature Film

The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom

Das Lehrerzimmer, Germany
Io Capitano, Italy
La Sociedad de la Nieve, Spain
Perfect Days, Japan

Best Documentary Feature

20 Days in Mariupol

Bobi Wine: The People's President
La Memoria Infinita
Les Filles d'Olfa
To Kill a Tiger

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer

Laura Karpman, American Fiction
John Williams, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon
Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, Barbie, for "What Was I Made For?"

Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson, American Symphony, for "It Never Went Away"
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Barbie, for "I'm Just Ken"
Diane Warren, Flamin' Hot, for "The Fire Inside"
Scott George, Killers of the Flower Moon, for "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)"

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Oppenheimer

El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Poor Things

Best Achievement in Film Editing

Oppenheimer

Anatomie d'une Chute
Killers of the Flower Moon
Poor Things
The Holdovers

Best Achievement in Production Design

Poor Things

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Poor Things

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer

Best Sound

The Zone of Interest

Maestro
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Creator

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Poor Things

Golda
La Sociedad de la Nieve
Maestro
Oppenheimer

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Gojira -1.0

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
The Creator

Best Animated Short Film

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko

Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme

Best Live Action Short Film

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Invincible
Red, White and Blue
Ridder Lykke
The After

Best Documentary Short Film

The Last Repair Shop

Island in Between
Nai Nai & Wài Pó
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock

The 96th Annual Academy Awards - The Nominees

This year's ceremony is slated for Sunday, March 10. Here are the nominees:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

American Fiction
Anatomie d'une Chute
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Holdovers
The Zone of Interest

Best Achievement in Directing

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Justine Triet, Anatomie d'une Chute
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening, Nyad
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomie d'une Chute

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

America Ferrera, Barbie
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Jodie Foster, Nyad

Best Original Screenplay

Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, Anatomie d'une Chute
Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer, Maestro
Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik, May December
Celine Song, Past Lives
David Hemingson, The Holdovers

Best Adapted Screenplay

Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Barbie
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Best Animated Feature Film

Elemental
Kimitachi wa dô ikiru ka
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best International Feature Film

Das Lehrerzimmer, Germany
Io Capitano, Italy
La Sociedad de la Nieve, Spain
Perfect Days, Japan
The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom

Best Documentary Feature

20 Days in Mariupol
Bobi Wine: The People's President
La Memoria Infinita
Les Filles d'Olfa
To Kill a Tiger

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Laura Karpman, American Fiction
John Williams, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon
Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson, American Symphony, for "It Never Went Away"
Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, Barbie, for "What Was I Made For?"
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Barbie, for "I'm Just Ken"
Diane Warren, Flamin' Hot, for "The Fire Inside"
Scott George, Killers of the Flower Moon, for "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)"

Best Achievement in Cinematography

El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Achievement in Film Editing

Anatomie d'une Chute
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Holdovers

Best Achievement in Production Design

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Sound

Maestro
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Creator
The Zone of Interest

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Golda
La Sociedad de la Nieve
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Gojira -1.0
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
The Creator

Best Animated Short Film

Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko

Best Live Action Short Film

Invincible
Red, White and Blue
Ridder Lykke
The After
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Best Documentary Short Film

Island in Between
Nai Nai & Wài Pó
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
The Last Repair Shop

The 95th Annual Academy Awards - The Winners

A new crop of Oscar winners was crowned tonight in Los Angeles, with Everything Everywhere All at Once taking home top honors as well as sweeping several of the main categories.

I loved that little movie, and am always happy to see smaller features triumph over big tentpoles, but I'm a bit surprised that a movie so odd, psychedelic, and surreal found so many fans among the voting members. My favorite from this year's ten nominees was Tár.

I also favored Cate Blanchett for Best Lead Actress for her amazing performance, but I adore Michelle Yeoh, so I'm very happy for her.

Super happy for Brendan Fraser, though I wish his co-star, Hong Chau, had won for Best Supporting Actress, even though, once again, I'm glad Jamie Lee Curtis took home a statuette that rewards an entire career of solid work.

Sorry Angela Bassett fans, I adore her and think she should have won years ago for What's Love Got to Do with It, but her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever just didn't warrant a win.

I also favored either Barry Keoghan or Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees of Inisherin for Best Supporting Actor, but I'm glad that so many artists of Asian descent earned recognition this year, and Ke Huy Quan gave a wonderful speech.

Also very glad that Sarah Polley took home the prize for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking, which she also directed, since the screenplay felt like a character itself, honestly.

I'm glad Avatar: The Way of Water took home only the award, for Best Visual Effects, since I found the whole movie to be severely lacking in overall quality, aside from the obvious visual displays.

And finally, the big shocker of the night, at least for me (but I would imagine for a lot of people...), was the Best Song winner, RRR. Sure, it offered up a rousing performance on stage, but either Rihanna's or Lady Gaga's songs were really touching and soulful, and even a crowning of poor Diane Warren, nominated 14 times and never a winner, would have been a better choice. But what do I know?

In conclusion, I'm glad the producers reverted back to showing all the nominated categories' winners live, unlike last year -- that was a faux-pas for the ages. I'm also very glad they opted to have a host once again; Jimmy Kimmel was funny and professional, and helped moving the ceremony along. I sincerely hope the Academy doesn't decide to do away with hosts ever again.

Oh, one last note, why the fuck was a trailer for an upcoming Disney movie that had nothing to do with any of this year's nominees presented during the telecast?? How much did Disney shell out to the Academy for that privilege? I mean, c'mon, we all know it's coming out soon, why soil the Oscars with a blatant advertisement?!?

Personally, I was very annoyed and I seriously fear a dangerous precedent has been set. Anyways, here are this year's winners:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Avatar: The Way of Water
Elvis
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Banshees of Inisherin
The Fabelmans
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Tár
Women Talking

Best Achievement in Directing

Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, Tár

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Austin Butler, Elvis
Bill Nighy, Living
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Paul Mescal, Aftersun

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Original Screenplay

Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Todd Field, Tár

Best Adapted Screenplay

Sarah Polley, Women Talking

Rian Johnson, Glass Onion
Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
Kazuo Ishiguro, Living
Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie, Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick

Best Animated Feature Film

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red

Best International Feature Film

All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)

An Cailín Ciúin
Argentina, 1985
Close
Eo

Best Documentary Feature

Navalny

A House Made of Splinters
All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Fire of Love

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)

Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
Son Lux, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin
John Williams, The Fabelmans

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

M.M. Keeravani, Chandrabose, RRR (Rise Roar Revolt), "Naatu Naatu"

Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, "Lift Me Up"
Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski, Everything Everywhere All at Once, "This Is a Life"
Diane Warren, Tell It Like a Woman, "Applause"
Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Top Gun: Maverick, "Hold My Hand"

Best Achievement in Cinematography

All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)

Bardo, falsa crónica de unas cuantas verdades
Elvis
Empire of Light
Tár

Best Achievement in Film Editing

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Elvis
The Banshees of Inisherin
Top Gun: Maverick
Tár

Best Achievement in Production Design

All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)

Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
Elvis
The Fabelmans

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Babylon
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Best Sound

Top Gun: Maverick

Avatar: The Way of Water
Elvis
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Batman

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

The Whale

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Batman

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Avatar: The Way of Water

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Batman
Top Gun: Maverick

Best Animated Short Film

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Ice Merchants
My Year of Dicks
The Flying Sailor

Best Live Action Short Film

An Irish Goodbye

Ivalu
Le pupille
Nattrikken
The Red Suitcase

Best Documentary Short Film

The Elephant Whisperers

Haulout
How Do You Measure a Year?
Stranger at the Gate
The Martha Mitchell Effect

The 95th Annual Academy Awards - The Nominees

This year's ceremony will take place on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

It will air on ABC at 5 p.m. PT and, thankfully, there is a host again, Jimmy Kimmel!

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Avatar: The Way of Water
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Banshees of Inisherin
The Fabelmans
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Tár
Women Talking

Best Achievement in Directing

Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, Tár

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Austin Butler, Elvis
Bill Nighy, Living
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Paul Mescal, Aftersun

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Original Screenplay

Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Todd Field, Tár

Best Adapted Screenplay

Rian Johnson, Glass Onion
Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
Kazuo Ishiguro, Living
Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie, Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick
Sarah Polley, Women Talking

Best Animated Feature Film

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red

Best International Feature Film

An Cailín Ciúin
Argentina, 1985
Close
Eo
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)

Best Documentary Feature

A House Made of Splinters
All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Fire of Love
Navalny

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
Son Lux, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin
John Williams, The Fabelmans

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, "Lift Me Up"
Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski, Everything Everywhere All at Once, "This Is a Life"
M.M. Keeravani, Chandrabose, RRR (Rise Roar Revolt), "Naatu Naatu"
Diane Warren, Tell It Like a Woman, "Applause"
Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Top Gun: Maverick, "Hold My Hand"

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Bardo, falsa crónica de unas cuantas verdades
Elvis
Empire of Light
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
Tár

Best Achievement in Film Editing

Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Banshees of Inisherin
Top Gun: Maverick
Tár

Best Achievement in Production Design

Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
Elvis
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Fabelmans

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Babylon
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Best Sound

Avatar: The Way of Water
Elvis
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Batman
Top Gun: Maverick

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Batman
The Whale

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Avatar: The Way of Water
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues)
The Batman
Top Gun: Maverick

Best Animated Short Film

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Ice Merchants
My Year of Dicks
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The Flying Sailor

Best Live Action Short Film

An Irish Goodbye
Ivalu
Le pupille
Nattrikken
The Red Suitcase

Best Documentary Short Film

Haulout
How Do You Measure a Year?
Stranger at the Gate
The Elephant Whisperers
The Martha Mitchell Effect

The 94th Academy Awards - The Aftermath

I realized this morning, after sleeping on it, that I had not said much about the most controversial thing that happened last night, arguably the most controversial thing ever to happen at the Oscars -- or at any awards show perhaps.

I'm referring, of course, to Will Smith not liking the joke Chris Rock had just made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her shaved head. Apparently, Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia and as a result had to shave her hair off.

Whether Rock was aware of this fact or not, he made a joke about her playing the G.I. Joe 2 lead, a crass reference to the role played by Demi Moore years ago, for which she famously shaved her gorgeous black mane.

Regardless of the appropriateness of such a joke, which was clearly in bad taste, Smith barging onstage and hitting Rock was completely out of line. He continued berating him once he made his way back to his seat, coarsely swearing at him. Rock, for his part, looked genuinely shocked by Smith's actions, but decided to move on and carried out his duties as presenter of an award in a professional manner.

Smith clearly crossed a line here, one that should NEVER, EVER be crossed, and that is embracing violence to deal with a situation you disagree with or find annoying. Violence is never justified, especially at an awards show that is meant to recognize excellence, or against a comedian whose job it is to make fun of situations whether the audience finds it laughable or not.

If Smith had kept his composure, like his wife proudly did, and later simply commented on how he found Rock's joke offensive, given his wife's condition, the press would have turned on Rock like sharks, and he would have been vilified. Smith, had he chosen to follow such a course of action, would also have been able to fully enjoy the triumphant moment he finally clenched an Academy Award.

Instead, Smith is now the villain and Rock the victim, and rightly so. Some have argued that Smith simply defended his wife, but we all know that the offense was just a joke, hardly warranting resorting to violence. Others have argued that Smith set a really bad and dangerous precedent here, because what's preventing someone else who doesn't like a joke from a comedian from going up to him or her and hitting them or, worse, shooting them? This is America after all.

Rock has declined to press charges when interviewed by the police, but apparently the Academy's governing body will convene to discuss the issue and potentially take action against Smith. Some even voiced revoking the award he won only minutes after the incident. Though unlikely, I would welcome such an unprecedented move, given the gravity of Smith's actions.

Still, hopefully some severe repercussions will befall Smith, because while Rock's joke might have been rude, Smith's response was inexcusable and unforgivable.

Smith was clearly flustered during his acceptance speech, which likely got thrown off course as well, and did attempt to apologize for what had just happened, but it was too late. He tried to joke about whether the Academy would invite him back, clearly hoping that would be the case, but he never mentioned Rock by name or apologized to him directly, at least so far.

My guess is he'll have to forgo basking in his moment of glory and instead hunker down for a long while, until this all dies down. Then the rehabilitation process will begin, because really, Hollywood can't afford to lose one of its most bankable stars.

Giving in to his temper, a great star and performer ruined the night for everybody, besmirched both his name and his upcoming foretold win, and set a very bad example that all too many will be certainly tempted to follow in the future.

What a shame.

The 94th Academy Awards - The Winners

Another Oscar ceremony under my belt, this one, for the first time, watched at 5 p.m., the time the Oscars usually start in Los Angeles, from our new home in Tucson, Arizona. I have to say I really enjoyed the earlier start, which allows me to post this before I turn in for the night instead of the day after.

The ceremony was good, in spite of the Academy's decision to present a few awards prior to the live telecast, record them, and then work them into the show. It was a cheap move that set a bad precedent and diminished the selected categories, and in the end made no difference since the ceremony ran grossly overtime, by almost 45 minutes!!

Hopefully the Academy won't repeat this again next year. It's just not right for the affected categories.

The show was hosted by three women who all did a good job. They were funny, correctly critical, and professional. When they showed the DJ at the beginning my jaw dropped at the thought of the Oscars not using a full orchestra as customary, but towards the end they managed to show it, below stage, so I guess the DJ only had partial duties.

That, together with the online voting winners' clips and the various presenters who have zero to do with the movies (Shawn Mendes, P Diddy, Shaun White, Kelly Slater, et cetera . . .) where clearly a shameless attempt to bring in younger eyeballs. Whether the gambit was successful in prying them away from Tik Tok for almost 4 hours I'll leave to the ratings, but to me it kind of felt like they were trying too hard.

Fortunately, the nominated songs were sung live again, after we all missed them last year when they were presented before the actual ceremony. Lesson learned.

The songs were all pretty good too, but I'm glad my favorite, "No Time to Die," won, making Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas Oscar winners!

Ariana DeBose was not my favorite to win Supporting Actress (that would be Aunjanue Ellis), but she was definitely deserving, and gave a great speech. The other three actors who took home an Oscar tonight, instead, were all my favorites: Troy Kotsur (Supporting), and Lead Actors Will Smith and Jessica Chastain.

Smith and Chastain both gave very touching and powerful speeches (actually Kotsur did too), with Smith trying to clean up the dustup he caused a few minutes earlier when he barged on stage to slap lightning out of Chris Rock's ass. That was a moment that will be replayed non-stop for days and will end up in the annals of the Academy, guaranteed.

I was definitely NOT a fan of the winners for Animated Feature (Encanto) and International Feature (Drive My Car). Encanto especially was probably the weakest of the nominees (I still haven't seen Luca, but the other three were ALL far better than the winner. Drive My Car also I found unsatisfactory to say the least. I just finished Flee, which is far superior, and even The Worst Person in the World was better.

And since I'm talking about Encanto, that performance of its hit (pleeeeaaaase) song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" was, frankly, a low point. The song is way overrated, and had nothing to do with the show. Okay, maybe little kids love it, but I can assure the Academy that they were not a big part of the audience, and the performance only made the ceremony longer.

I really liked Kevin Costner's speech introducing the Best Director prize, which thankfully went to the most deserving of the five nominees, Jane Campion, the only woman ever to receive a second Best Director nomination -- figures, right?

The In Memoriam segment was accompanied by a lively and varied choral performance, much unlike the usual very sad song that sets the tone, and while the several tributes to some of the passed were nice, it was actually harder to read the names of those no longer with us. The segment should be a tribute to those who are gone, not a showcase to the many talented singers on stage.

My two favorite movies to win this year were The Power of the Dog and CODA, so I'm happy with the win. I'm sure Netflix, which has been trying for years to take home the Best Picture statuette, was furious that a competing streamer who just entered the field last year, snatched the prize from under its nose, once again. Still, the movie is beautiful.

I also absolutely LOVED Dune, but it was unlikely to take top honors, and still managed to take home the biggest haul of the night, sweeping almost every technical category, along with the Best Score Oscar for Hans Zimmer, who crafted another wonderful soundtrack for the ages (I love his work).

Well, that does it for me. All in all, a good and fun ceremony and a brand new slate of Oscar winners for the history books. Here are the winners:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

CODA

Belfast
Don't Look Up
Drive My Car (Doraibu mai kâ)
Dune: Part One
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Will Smith, King Richard

Andrew Garfield, tick, tick...BOOM!
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers (Madres Paralelas)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Troy Kotsur, CODA

Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos
Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
Judi Dench, Belfast
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Best Achievement in Directing

Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car (Doraibu mai kâ)
Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

Best Original Screenplay

Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

Adam McKay, David Sirota, Don't Look Up
Zach Baylin, King Richard
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier, The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Sian Heder, CODA

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe, Drive My Car (Doraibu mai kâ)
Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Dune: Part One
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Best Animated Feature Film

Encanto

Flee (Flugt)

Luca

Raya and the Last Dragon

The Mitchells vs the Machines

Best International Feature Film

Drive My Car (Doraibu mai kâ)

Flee (Flugt)

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

The Hand of God (È Stata la Mano di Dio)

The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske)

Best Documentary Feature

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Ascension

Attica

Flee (Flugt)

Writing with Fire

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Hans Zimmer, Dune: Part One

Nicholas Britell, Don't Look Up

Germaine Franco, Encanto

Alberto Iglesias, Parallel Mothers (Madres Paralelas)

Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, No Time to Die, "No Time to Die"

Van Morrison, Belfast, "Down to Joy"

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto, "Dos Oruguitas"

Diane Warren, Four Good Days, "Somehow You Do"

Beyoncé, Dixson, King Richard, "Be Alive"

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Dune: Part One (original title)

Nightmare Alley

The Power of the Dog

The Tragedy of Macbeth

West Side Story

Best Achievement in Film Editing

Dune: Part One

Don't Look Up

King Richard

The Power of the Dog

tick, tick...BOOM!

Best Achievement in Production Design

Dune: Part One

Nightmare Alley

The Power of the Dog

The Tragedy of Macbeth

West Side Story

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Cruella

Cyrano

Dune: Part One

Nightmare Alley

West Side Story

Best Sound

Dune: Part One

Belfast

No Time to Die

The Power of the Dog

West Side Story

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Coming 2 America

Cruella

Dune: Part One

House of Gucci

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Dune: Part One

Free Guy

No Time to Die

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Best Documentary Short Subject

The Queen of Basketball

Audible

Lead Me Home

Three Songs for Benazir

When We Were Bullies

Best Animated Short Film

The Windshield Wiper

Affairs of the Art

Beast (Bestia)

Boxballet

Robin Robin

Best Live Action Short Film

The Long Goodbye

Ala Kachuu - Take and Run

On My Mind

Please Hold

The Dress (Sukienka)

Giraffe

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Houses Along the River

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End of the Cycle

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Under the Skin

THE GIST: A mysterious woman picks up random men with her van, seduces them, and then they disappear. One day, her latest conquest leads her to start questioning herself, body and mind.

Under the Skin is a somewhat metaphysical and quite mysterious movie that never really fully shows its cards, which ultimately turns out to be a strength rather than a weakness.

Scarlett Johansson proves to be quite a fearless actress, taking on such a complicated and raw character. She also proves to be a very good actress, given that she carries the whole movie on her shoulders.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This is not the kind of film that would be enjoyed by the general audience. It's intriguing, but will likely appeal to a small niche of people. Still, I enjoyed it, so why not give it a whirl?

Grade: 7