The 75th Academy Awards #10

1. Meryl Streep presents the Honorary Oscar to Peter O'Toole. Gotta love the Toole. He was who I wanted to play The Joker when the first Batman flick was announced back in 1987 (I think). He used to look like the Brian Bolland version of The Joker. Plus, I also always heard a light English accent in my head whenever I read Joker dialogue in Batman comics. He gave an incredibly classy speech. SHOCK OF THE EVENING - there was only a smattering of applause when he gave praise and thanks to America at the end of it. Goodness. Who woulda thunk it.

2. Denzel Washington, looking all snappy in a sharp-shouldered suit, presents the Oscar for Best Actress to Nicole Kidman for The Hours, another film I may eventually catch one Sunday afternoon years from now on WE.

3. That old dude who always announces something on the Oscars just made A Very Important Statement about the war. Is it a compulsion with these folks? Do they think everyone's suddenly going to drop their rifles and say "HOLY SHIT WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!?! THAT OLD DUDE WHO INTRODUCES SOMETHING AT THE OSCARS EVERY YEAR, THAT YOUNG GUY FROM THAT MOVIE ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST, THAT FAT GUY WHO MADE THE MOVIE ABOUT THE GUNS, AND THAT GUY FROM FRIDA ALL THINK THERE SHOULD BE PEACE! LET'S ALL JUST HUG AND GO HOME, OKAY!?!?!"

4. I had no idea Barbara Bush was involved with the Oscars. Oh wait, that's Olivia De Havilland. Never saw Gone With The Wind. I've seen her in a lot of other films, though, on the Turner Classic Movies channel (AMC is of the Devil). She introduces a bunch of past Oscar winners sitting on some bleachers. JESUS TATUM O'NEAL IS HOT. Luise Rainer - if you've never seen The Good Earth, do yourself a favor. The Mick is still kickin' it Chubby Elf Style. Christopher Walken looks like he combed his hair with a vacuum cleaner. Then, at the end of it all they parade this year's winners out like they're the new kids in the class or something. What the hell.