Joachim Back, the  director of the short film, The New Tenants, which received an Oscar on Sunday night, is a Brooklyn Heights resident and P.S. 8 parent. Fellow Brooklynite Vincent D’Onofrio starred in the film. Over at the Brooklyn Heights Blog, they’ve got a video trailer of the film.

The best music show going tonight is actually a movie (sorry, Pops Corn, if I’m stepping on your territory): Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, at Tribeca Cinemas.  This documentary includes rare archival footage and some exclusive interviews.  Only one showing, at 7:30.  More details at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

I’ve also found links to some more free, legal downloads.  This time around, you can enjoy a track from each of the new albums by The Watson Twins, Maura Kennedy and get a nine track sampler of artists playing SXSW next week.  Just click here for The Watson Twins, and here for Maura and the sampler.

–Eliot Wagner

Katrhyn Bigelow – YES!  It was great to see her and the film honored.  And to see her be included in the hosts’ salutations.  I hope Cablevision viewers enjoyed it.

Here on Third Street a group of us watched the Oscars and ate Dibs, those bite sized frozen snacks they sell at movie theaters.

What a blast to check in with Pops Corn every few minutes and read his on-going commentary, which was very interesting and fun.

For the first time we had a betting pool. The person, who picked the most winners won the $6 that was in the pool.

For me  high points were the nominations for Best Actor and Actress written and read by friends and colleagues of the nominees.

The super highpoint was, of course, Kathryn Bigelow winning the award for Best Director for The Hurt Locker. She is  the first woman to ever win in that category. It seems she avoided marking the historical nature of her win in her thank you speech. She’s too macho for that. She did recognize the armed services, first responders, firefighters, etc. and that was cool.

The occasion did inspire me to list all the women directors I can think of. I know there are so many more but here goes: Jane Campion, Nancy Myers, Sue Kramer, Agnes Varda, Chantel Ackerman, Barbara Kopple, Margarethe von Trotta, Lina Wertmuller, Sophia Coppola, Catherine Hardwicke, Barbra Streisand, Elaine May, Charlotte Zwerin, Chris Hedges, Jill Godmillow…(to be continued)

And finally, what an upset: I was expecting Avatar to win the Best Picture but, thankfully, it went to The Hurt Locker, surely one of the best anti-war films of recent times if not ever.

Oh, and my stepmother won the betting pool with 12 correct answers…

Finally, my  gratitude to Pops Corn for his live blogging. What a fun way to watch the show!

One more thing: Where was Jack Nicholson?

I’m pretty sure–as he did in his Golden Globes speech–that Jeff Bridges thanked his stand-in.  I love that.

And I like the idea of having co-stars introduce the nominated actors.

The first major surprise was for me the most disappointing.  Haneke’s White Ribbon is a masterful work.  Maybe Haneke can guest on 30 Rock someday.

Fisher Stevens and Woody Harrelson – a solid, hetero congratulations.

Getting geared up for Best Foreign Language Film.  Will one of the most respected European filmmakers of the last two decades get the statue?  And will Michael Haneke be on prime time network television?

Did you read Virginia Heffernan’s piece on the sound editing category in the Times mag a few weeks back?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/magazine/21FOB-medium-t.html?scp=1&sq=heffernan%20sound%20hurt%20locker&st=cse

It was one of those weird pieces that was wonderfully researched, but nearly without value due to the writer’s opinionated stance. She treated the craft as though it had to adhere to her aesthetic.  But she got her wish.  Hurt Locker takes it.

I should be fired if I don’t mention that a Leprachaun clip was just on the Oscar telecast.

I loved the speech for Best Costume Design.  It’s true. Movies that win in that category are usually about victorian era extravagance and not truly brilliant work in movies that don’t require excessive lace.

Does anyone know anything about Mo’Nique’s husband?  I want to know more.  His facial expressions during her win have me intrigued.  Who is that guy?

Glad we got a few moments with Corman and Bacall.

Adapted Screenplay category – I found this to be the toughest category to pick.  Up In The Air?

Who’s the short film groupie who keeps high fiving and back patting all the short film winners?  I want more of that guy.

I love when they do stuff like this. Taking time to talk about things that don’t usually make it to prime time.  The interviews with the past winners gave great context.

Martin and Baldwin have an old timey thing going on.  I’m kind of liking that.

John Hughes tribute was touching and unexpected, particularly considering his non-existence in the Oscar world.  Yet, it went on long enough, you’d think he was cinema’s undisputed master.