At Random: OSCARS '07

Overall, I thought the 79th Annual Academy Awards telecast was pretty boring... That said, there were still were a few high points during the almost 4 hour event. I'd like to start with one of the BEST moments of the night...


Best Director Martin Scorsese's acceptance speech:

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Rick. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please, please. Thank you. Thank you. Could you double-check the envelope, please? [The best line of the night] I mean, I'm overwhelmed with this honor from the Academy and also the honor of being presented by my old, old friends [referring to presenters Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola]. We go back 37 years. I'm so moved, so moved.

I've got thank Warner Bros.' Alan Horn and Dan and Jeff and I've got to thank our producers Brad Grey and Graham King and Mac Brown and my old friend Joe Reidy, we're working for 20 years. And Rick Yorn and John Lesher and Chris Donnelly and Ari Emanuel. And that crazy script by Bill Monahan that got me in all this trouble in the first place. And Andrew Lau's original film from Hong Kong, the wonderful Asian cinema. And Michael Ballhaus on camera. And Howard Shore's wonderful score. And my old, good friend Thelma Schoonmaker. Ellen Lewis for her casting.

And so much of this belongs to the cast, I can't tell you. Jack Nicholson for his courage and his inspiration. Leo DiCaprio, six-and-a-half year's work we've done together. I hope another 12, another 15. Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Ray Winstone and Vera Farmiga and Marty Sheen.

I just want to say too that so many people over the years have been wishing this for me. Strangers. You know, I went walking in the street, people say something to me. I go in a doctor's office, I go in a whatever. Elevators, people saying, "You should win one, you should win one." I go for an X-Ray, "you should win one." I'm saying, "thank you." Friends of mine over the years and friends who are here tonight are wishing this for me and my family, I thank you. This is for you.

And I also want to thank my daughter Cathy, who is here tonight, who worked on the film. And Domenica, my wife Helen, and our little Francesca, who's seven years old who's watching right now. Francesca, stay up for another 10 minutes but then jump up and down and make a lot of noise at the hotel. Okay. I'll see you in the morning. Thank you

I'm so happy that Scorsese finally won an Academy Award...The Departed may not be the film he should have won it for--but after 26 years of waiting--I'm glad he was finally rewarded.

I thought host Ellen DeGeneres did a pretty good job. Her best stuff? When she would sit in the audience and talk with various film folk. DeGeneres did a much better job than last year's emcee Jon Stewart...

Best Acceptance Speech: Best Actor Forest Whitaker for the Last King of Scotland... Very Real and Heartfelt...

Worst Acceptance Speech Singer Melissa Etheridge for Best Song "I Need To Wake Up" from Best Documentary Feature An Inconvenient Truth...

I'm so "glad" the producers of the show took up valuable broadcast time for Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio to announce that the show was the most environmentally friendly Oscars in history--Jeebus I feel so much better knowing that folks who usually live an excessive lifestyle are taking charge of things and asking us to get involved. Thank You So Much. Sheesh.

I could have also done without the presenters in the screenplay categories reciting lines from the nominees scripts--zzzzz-um, sorry I fell asleep.

Most of the speeches were short--Backstage Thank You Cam--and the show was still way too long. What's with all those montages? The only one they really need is the one honoring those industry artists that have passed away over the previous year...

The skit from Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly was just awful....

Finally: Oscar winners weigh in on victory

Click here for the complete list of Academy Award winners...