the red carpet
Feb. 22nd, 2009 09:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
verbicideSo, it's late. And I think other people are probably doing more thorough jobs of recapping this. But I took notes as I watched, and while I won't post all the inanity I wrote, I'll share highlights. It was a long show (starting with the 3pm pre-show, naturally) so if this seems long, be glad I'm restraining myself from pasting all of it.
I was going to try to paste pictures, but it's just too much work, when you can go click here and just see the ones you want to see!
My Internet connection has been the suXX0r lately, which has been lots of fun, let me tell you!
They've been proclaiming enormous universe-tilting changes to the Oscar, which makes me a bit wary, really. I love Hugh Jackman and really hope he succeeds tonight. But with his love for singing and dancing and Broadway-ing, I'm a bit apprehensive. GO HUGH!
To sum up the red carpet: some meh, a lot of nice! some stunning and no disturbing (as in the past: Bjork, Cher, or J. Lo)
I had an alarming number of similar ideas with Randolph Duke. Who, besides being a dead ringer for Errol Flynn, is someone who dresses celebrities and also has his own show on the HSN. Anyhow. His biggest complaint was that too many actresses stiffly pose for photos with their hands on their hips and don't look natural enough. He cites Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway as examples of being totally natural and tsks tsks Marisa Tomeii and Sarah Jessica Parker.
So, on to the dresses. This is only going to be about the women, because I just don't care what the guys are wearing!
Miley (IT'S MILEY!--shout out to The Soup). She's wearing a princess-y dress, white with sort of blue-grey edging. It's strapless with a belt and then cascades of petal-y layers. It's not bad, but not great, either.
Randolph Duke obviously worships Angelina and even defends her blue mummu from the Globes (I think). She's wearing a fairly boring strapless boob-cuppy dress with big bold green earrings that I don't care for. She and Brad look a little bored, especially Angelina. But you know, graciously bored.
Phoebe Cates looks amazing in red. I keep forgetting she's married to Kevin Kline. She looks so young, still. I wonder whose blood she's drinking.
Wow, Tarjii P. Hensen (nominated for Best Actress, Supporting) is working that red carpet. She's mugging and blowing kisses like crazy. Her dress is a gorgeous white strapless number and she has an antique diamond collar on. The more I see it, the more I love that dress. And the vintage necklace is gorgeous. Her earnest exuberance ("Meryl Streep knows who I am!") is sorta sweet. Also her hair is great.
I think the worst things about these things are absurdly cheesy jokes everyone seems compelled to make.
Oh, finally, a glimpse of Freida Pinto. She is so beautiful and looked so great at the Globes I was curious to see her. And...I don't think I'm crazy about that dress. I think the color is okay (a royal-ish blue) but I hate the asymmetrical lace-y sleeve. Without it, I think the dress would have been great. She still looks amazing, though.
Oh, here's Melissa Leo (nominated for Best Actress, Lead) and unfortunately the sound's gone out. Also, I'm not crazy about her dress and how it almost exactly matches the color of her hair. The cut is quite pretty on her, but it's this dull-ish orange-y brown thing.
Amy Adams is gorgeous. I don't actually mind her necklace. Randolph Duke is having a cow over it. But it's pretty and interesting. She's such a cutie!
Sarah Jessica Parker's dress is a lot like Miley's. but without the petal-scale work. And hers doesn't fit. Half her boobs are constricted and being pushed out the top. I still think the dress is just meh and I hate what she's doing with her hair lately. But she and Matthew Broderick seem very excited to be visiting out from NY.
And here's Robert Pattinson, looking like he's actually washed his hair! It is a special event!
If I could be any celebrity, I would pick between Diane Lane or Kate Winslet. Diane is gorgeous in a black Dolce gown. And it's very cute, she's there with husband Josh Brolin (nominated for Actor, Lead) and she's totally giddy about it. It's very, very sweet.
Natalie Portman's in a lovely pink gown. She looks fantastic and elegant.
PRAISE THE LORD, Robert Downey Jr. has shaved that scraggly crap off his face. He looks gorgeous. I think this is the first time I've seen his wife. They're very cute and they seem happy! I have such a soft spot for RDJ. I love him. I think he's the greatest talent of his generation and I look forward to the rest of his career, more than just about anyone else I can think of.
Queen Latifah looks stunning in a navy gown with some restrained beadwork.
I think Marisa Tomei looks great from the waist up, but I'm not crazy with the overworked pleating of the bottom half of her gown. Her hair and makeup look terrific, though. I'm rooting for her for the win!
Meryl Streep is wearing this grey draped Grecian thing. I like it, but I wish it was a different color. It's not bad, just a little dull.
Anne Hathaway is wearing this gorgeous art-deco beaded gown that is amazing on her. She looks lovely and elegant.
Kate Winslet looks gorgeous as always. I like her gown, even though, again, I'm not a fan of asymmetry. Her hair... I wish it was less sculpted into place, but she looks fantastic.
So this was some pre-pre show, and then Tim Gunn is hosting (with some woman I don't know) a pre-show half an hour thingie.
The kids from Slumdog are very cute, and it's hard to begrudge them any wins.
It's impossible to not be touched by Mickey Rourke's mourning of his dead dog. So sad.
I don't like Viola Davis' dress color, but she looks lovely and she seems very chill. It's a darkish gold lame Marilyn Monroe-y dress. I just don't like it.
Wow. My god. How on earth do you exist being Meryl Streep's daughter? She's very cute and elegant. Also Frank Langella brought his shy daughter who seems very sweet. Reminds of all these times my dad would drag me to some drug rep dinner and you feel awkward and weird. This must be x12billion so.
I like Penelope Cruz's dress a lot. Often she and Salma are all exploding boobies, but this dress fits her well and she looks terrific. Still don't want her to win, but she looks great. It's sort of also princess-y. It's 60-year old vintage gown in a soft, very pale grey. Strapless and fitted and with a bell-ish skirt.
I think that's it for the pre-shows!
I was going to try to paste pictures, but it's just too much work, when you can go click here and just see the ones you want to see!
My Internet connection has been the suXX0r lately, which has been lots of fun, let me tell you!
They've been proclaiming enormous universe-tilting changes to the Oscar, which makes me a bit wary, really. I love Hugh Jackman and really hope he succeeds tonight. But with his love for singing and dancing and Broadway-ing, I'm a bit apprehensive. GO HUGH!
To sum up the red carpet: some meh, a lot of nice! some stunning and no disturbing (as in the past: Bjork, Cher, or J. Lo)
I had an alarming number of similar ideas with Randolph Duke. Who, besides being a dead ringer for Errol Flynn, is someone who dresses celebrities and also has his own show on the HSN. Anyhow. His biggest complaint was that too many actresses stiffly pose for photos with their hands on their hips and don't look natural enough. He cites Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway as examples of being totally natural and tsks tsks Marisa Tomeii and Sarah Jessica Parker.
So, on to the dresses. This is only going to be about the women, because I just don't care what the guys are wearing!
Miley (IT'S MILEY!--shout out to The Soup). She's wearing a princess-y dress, white with sort of blue-grey edging. It's strapless with a belt and then cascades of petal-y layers. It's not bad, but not great, either.
Randolph Duke obviously worships Angelina and even defends her blue mummu from the Globes (I think). She's wearing a fairly boring strapless boob-cuppy dress with big bold green earrings that I don't care for. She and Brad look a little bored, especially Angelina. But you know, graciously bored.
Phoebe Cates looks amazing in red. I keep forgetting she's married to Kevin Kline. She looks so young, still. I wonder whose blood she's drinking.
Wow, Tarjii P. Hensen (nominated for Best Actress, Supporting) is working that red carpet. She's mugging and blowing kisses like crazy. Her dress is a gorgeous white strapless number and she has an antique diamond collar on. The more I see it, the more I love that dress. And the vintage necklace is gorgeous. Her earnest exuberance ("Meryl Streep knows who I am!") is sorta sweet. Also her hair is great.
I think the worst things about these things are absurdly cheesy jokes everyone seems compelled to make.
Oh, finally, a glimpse of Freida Pinto. She is so beautiful and looked so great at the Globes I was curious to see her. And...I don't think I'm crazy about that dress. I think the color is okay (a royal-ish blue) but I hate the asymmetrical lace-y sleeve. Without it, I think the dress would have been great. She still looks amazing, though.
Oh, here's Melissa Leo (nominated for Best Actress, Lead) and unfortunately the sound's gone out. Also, I'm not crazy about her dress and how it almost exactly matches the color of her hair. The cut is quite pretty on her, but it's this dull-ish orange-y brown thing.
Amy Adams is gorgeous. I don't actually mind her necklace. Randolph Duke is having a cow over it. But it's pretty and interesting. She's such a cutie!
Sarah Jessica Parker's dress is a lot like Miley's. but without the petal-scale work. And hers doesn't fit. Half her boobs are constricted and being pushed out the top. I still think the dress is just meh and I hate what she's doing with her hair lately. But she and Matthew Broderick seem very excited to be visiting out from NY.
And here's Robert Pattinson, looking like he's actually washed his hair! It is a special event!
If I could be any celebrity, I would pick between Diane Lane or Kate Winslet. Diane is gorgeous in a black Dolce gown. And it's very cute, she's there with husband Josh Brolin (nominated for Actor, Lead) and she's totally giddy about it. It's very, very sweet.
Natalie Portman's in a lovely pink gown. She looks fantastic and elegant.
PRAISE THE LORD, Robert Downey Jr. has shaved that scraggly crap off his face. He looks gorgeous. I think this is the first time I've seen his wife. They're very cute and they seem happy! I have such a soft spot for RDJ. I love him. I think he's the greatest talent of his generation and I look forward to the rest of his career, more than just about anyone else I can think of.
Queen Latifah looks stunning in a navy gown with some restrained beadwork.
I think Marisa Tomei looks great from the waist up, but I'm not crazy with the overworked pleating of the bottom half of her gown. Her hair and makeup look terrific, though. I'm rooting for her for the win!
Meryl Streep is wearing this grey draped Grecian thing. I like it, but I wish it was a different color. It's not bad, just a little dull.
Anne Hathaway is wearing this gorgeous art-deco beaded gown that is amazing on her. She looks lovely and elegant.
Kate Winslet looks gorgeous as always. I like her gown, even though, again, I'm not a fan of asymmetry. Her hair... I wish it was less sculpted into place, but she looks fantastic.
So this was some pre-pre show, and then Tim Gunn is hosting (with some woman I don't know) a pre-show half an hour thingie.
The kids from Slumdog are very cute, and it's hard to begrudge them any wins.
It's impossible to not be touched by Mickey Rourke's mourning of his dead dog. So sad.
I don't like Viola Davis' dress color, but she looks lovely and she seems very chill. It's a darkish gold lame Marilyn Monroe-y dress. I just don't like it.
Wow. My god. How on earth do you exist being Meryl Streep's daughter? She's very cute and elegant. Also Frank Langella brought his shy daughter who seems very sweet. Reminds of all these times my dad would drag me to some drug rep dinner and you feel awkward and weird. This must be x12billion so.
I like Penelope Cruz's dress a lot. Often she and Salma are all exploding boobies, but this dress fits her well and she looks terrific. Still don't want her to win, but she looks great. It's sort of also princess-y. It's 60-year old vintage gown in a soft, very pale grey. Strapless and fitted and with a bell-ish skirt.
I think that's it for the pre-shows!
