I'm not watching the Oscars.

It's not out of pique; more just disinterest. I hardly ever watch first-run movies anymore; not because there aren't any I want to see, but just because I rarely manage to get myself to a cinema. Part of it is the "I can always wait for the DVD" syndrome. So, I've managed so far not to see Doubt, Rachel Getting Married, Slumdog Millionaire, or Tropic Thunder, all of which I want to see, and all of which are Oscar nominees. I did see Last Chance Harvey, which I liked, but which is nominated for nothing. After some arm-twisting, I agreed to see Mamma Mia with my wife and one of her girlfriends, but we arrived so late we could only get seats in the front row. After a minute or so, I began to develop a painful crick in the back of my neck, and excused myself. So, I'm amused to see Dave White, live blogging the ceremony for MSNBC, referring to MM as "torture porn".

Wait! MSNBC has a "scoop" that an old (preceding Sigourney Weaver) crush of mine , Melissa Leo, may cop Best Actress because the judges can't decide between Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet (who put on such a stunning performance at the Golden Globes). Is it worth staying up? Nah. I'll find out in the morning.

Update: Changed my mind. I'm up this late, so I might as well turn on the TV and do my own live blog. Just saw Danny Boyle finish his speech accepting best director for Slumdog. Now it's the moment of truth for best leading actress. Winslet gets it, and is getting all weepy, again. Oh, well; it seems that the Leo flutter was based on a few remarks by Academy voters overheard by MSNBC's Courtney Hazlett.

Second update: Sean Penn gets best actor for Milk, and begins his acceptance with "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns." I was rooting for Frank Langella, who I saw onstage last year in A Man For All Seasons. I'm adding Frost/Nixon to my must-see list, along with Milk.

Final update: Slumdog gets best picture. No surprise here, I guess. So to bed.