80-Year-Old Oscar: Hollywood Hype or Amazing Awards?

What do you call a program that last 3 hours and 47 minutes, includes its own Red Carpet pre-event show, has over 60 commercials, presents 25 on air live awards, has 5 musical numbers from films performed and is hosted by Jon Stewart? You call it the 80th Annual Academy of Arts and Sciences Award Show, the Oscars, that's what.

In a year which offered a "Slate of Oscar Nominated Psychopathic Killer Movies" as Jon Stewart so eloquently put it, the big winners were the Coen Brothers and "No Country for Old Men."

The Coen's, Ethan & Joel took home Oscars for Best Screen Play, Best Director, and Best Film. In addition Javier Berdem who played the psycho killer in their film "No Country for Old Men" won as Oscar for best supporting Actor. All in all a great night for the brothers.

The highlights of the night were Jon Stewart, two good performances of nominated songs, a couple of short clips of old movies, and a funny bit done by two male comedians who said they were supposed to be Halle Berry and Dame Judith Dench.

The first song, a number from the movie "August Rush" was called Raise it Up and featured a really great performance including the singing of 11 year old Jamia Simone Nash and the Impact Repertoire Choir.

The second song and winner of the Best Song Oscar was "Falling Slowing" from the ultra low budget film "Once." The writers and performers were Glen Hansard (from the Frames) on guitar and Marketa Irgolova on piano.

Jon Stewart proved why he is the people's advocate when he called Marketa back to the stage after the break and allowed her to finish her acceptance speech. She had been cut off by the music during the presentation and even had the Mic turned off.

Classic lines from Stewart this year; when commenting on "Norbit" being given an Oscar nomination. "Too often the academy ignores movies that aren't good." On Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama being in the race for presidential nominee. "Normally when you see a Black man or a Woman as president an asteroid is about to hit the earth." On the number of violent and brutal movies nominated for best picture. "Thank God for teen pregnancy".

Another very heartening and yet slightly disturbing moment was the award to Diablo Cody, an ex-stripper, for best original screenplay for the movie Juno. She did pretty well into her speech and then just seemed to lose it. She left the stage kind of shaking her head.

During the "in Memoriam" segment we were reminded of actors and other industry people who passed in 2007. Of note was Jane Wyman (first wife of Ronald Reagan), Susan Pleshette (long time TV wife of Bob Newhart) Deborah Kerr (co-star with Cary Grant in "An Affair to Remember"), the great movie director Ingmar Bergman, and Lois Maxwell( who all James Bond fans will recognize as Miss Moneypenny).

I'll give the academy credit; they did not have that many really good movies to work with this year. The telecast managed to give out 25 awards compared to the Grammy's 9 in almost the same time.

Even the bit the president of the Academy Sid Gannis did about how the votes are taken and kept secret was informative, concise and funny.

So that's it , Hollywood has congratulated itself again this year in Grand Style regardless of the lack of Grandeur of some of its Movies.

Here's a listing of the Awards televised in inverse order, because they always wait till the end to give away the Big Ones!

Best Picture-No Country for Old Men

Best Director-Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men)

Lead Actor-Daniel Day Lewis (There will be Blood)

Original Screenplay-Diablo Cody (Juno)

Documentary Feature-Taxi to the Dark Side

Documentary Short Subject-Freeheld

Original Music Score-Atonement

Cinematography-There will be Blood

Best Song-Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (Once)

Foreign Language Film - The Counterfeiters

Film Editing-Bourne Ultimatum

Lead Actress-Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose)

Sound Mixing-Bourne Ultimatum

Sound Editing-Bourne Ultimatum

Best Screenplay-Joel & Ethan Coen (Not Country for old Men)

Supporting Actress-Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

Animated Short Film-Peter & the Wolfe

Live action short Film-Le Mozart de Pickpocket

Supporting Actor-Javier Berdem (No Country for Old Men)

Art Direction-Sweeney Todd

Visual Effects-The Golden Compass

Makeup Artist-La Vie en Rose

Animated Film-Ratatouille

Costume Design-Elizabeth the Golden Age