Note: This blog is written from Eastern Time Zone bias. Take that California!)

5:32 PM - My Live Oscarblog for GangsterBB.Net begins now...in utter boredom. The bastard adbomination that is E! Television has been airing a mind-numbingly "Pre-Oscar" coverage that purports to be talking about who will win the awards, but since most of the Oscars tonight seem to be locks, the E! covereage is instead concentrated on more urgent headlines.

You know, like fashion. Supposedly some women tune into the Red Carpet coverage to watch for what the celebrities are wearing. "Supposedly."

After a hour of this, I won't ever complain again about the overlong, brain tissue-destroying pre-game coverage on Super Bowl Sunday.

5:37PM - Jennifer Holiday, one of the original 1980s Broadway stars of DREAMGIRLS, belted out a tune from the Bill Condon-directed film adaptation. She's performing on the rooftop, when the Oscar workers are busy trying to get the auditorium ready by 8 PM so the only audience listening to her is people watching E! Television. While I feel bad for her, she still did a nice job.

I did laugh when the E! camera, heavily focused on Holiday, caught a glimpse of those cool billboard-size ZODIAC ads. No, I don't know why I laughed at that visual.

5:44PM - Who wins in a bitch fight? Julia Roberts or Jennifer Lopez?

5:55 PM - You know, I just realized that after more than a hour of watching E!, they finally start talking about the Best Picture Oscar nominations....indirectly. E! has been giving heavy coverage to the backstory of DREAMGIRLS' production, and whatever Lindsay Lohan will be sober tonight. Thing is, I wonder if the producers for E! TV thinks DREAMGIRLS is actually up for Best Picture and Best Director. Otherwise, its pointless.

Which makes me wonder....is David Poland working behind the scenes for E! TV today?

5:59 PM - My final Oscar predictions will come in a few minutes. Then you all can have a legal excuse to beat me down on the ground when I'm wrong. Its ok folks. I know where you live.

6:07 PM - TV spot for the upcoming Mark Whalberg action-thriller SHOOTER. You know, I actually was interested in seeing it, until I read this blurb in the credits. "Directed by Antoine Fuqua"

6:10 PM - James Mcavoy on the red carpet. If the internet rumors are to be believed, he'll play Scotty in the J.J. Abrahams STAR TREK movie. The sad thing is, I might be the only person that cares about this.

I gotta go with Jennifer Lopez. Those Castle Hill girls fight like men !

I agree. Both are vicious, but who is more likely to maul someone's face off?

J-Lo baby!

Why's that?

6:20 PM - Speaking of a J-Lo/Roberts bitchfight, who remembers from back in 2001 when Julia Roberts was locked to win the Best Actress Oscar for months? She wins, and she gives her well-rehearsed "surprise glee" look. Yeah, J-Lo breaks her teeth.

6:23 PM - Michael Sheen was really good as Prime Minister Tony "Bush's Poodle" Blair in THE QUEEN. The difference between the two men is that people generally like Sheen it seems on the Red Carpet.

Hey, first cool celebrity sighting tonight...LARRY DAVID! Yeah, eat it Donnie Darko's sister!

I'm a Trekkie. I figured I might be the only person that cares about this news nugget.

Are you kidding, I'm no Trekkie, but there are millions of them out there who are salivating over this new movie.

It's "the early years", right ?

Ah, well I had no idea there was going to be a new Star Trek movie. I usually watch The Next Generation, but sometimes I catch the original.

Yeah Pizzaboy.

Anyway, it'll either work or it'll fail.

Besides, JJ Abrahams is the problem. His ALIAS was incredibly overrated program with questionable writing that I consider less-substantive compared to say....Jay Leno.

Anyway, I thought his TV-quality direction for M:I 3 was weak. So yeah, I'm skeptical as hell.

I've never been a big sci-fi guy, but I loved QUANTUM LEAP. I still watch the reruns.

I'd like to see a big screen adaption.

You know that Sci-Fi Channel is doing a TV movie of QUANTUM LEAP, right? Its supposed to be the proper "finale" to the cult-favorite series.

No way ! I didn't read that.

The finale was ok, it's just that we always expected at least one reunion movie to bring Sam home.

I gotta do a search now.

6:30 PM - Filmmaker John Singleton on the red carpet. After BOYZ N THE HOOD, his career was sporadic with decent-if-forgettable efforts (POETIC JUSTICE) and outright garbage (the SHAFT remake, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS). However, I really enjoyed the hell out of his 2004 blaxploitation-inspired B-action movie FOUR BROTHERS.

Anyway, really liked his comments on Scorsese's expected triumph tonight. Very gracious. Now if Singleton can get LUKE CAGE made....

6:33 PM - With 90 minutes before Showtime, the Limos are piling up. Imagine if gangbangers ever use Limos for hit & run jobs? Yeah, I could so see a fight between the gangs that dominate Hollywood: ACC (Abused Children of Celebrities) and the RR (Rehab Renegades). Oh no, I see Christian Brando and Isiah Washington duking it out on the street corner! My money is on the former convict.

6:36 PM - Al Gore now on the red carpet. When INCONVENIENT TRUTH wins Best Documentary tonight, will he use this to announce his 2008 Presidential run on the stage? Pfft! Dream on Fox News....

6:41 PM - On second thought, if Al Gore did pull such a stunt, it would piss-off Hillary Clinton even more. Go Gore '08!

Japanese chick from BABEL trying her best to speak English. Hey, I'm getting Engrish for free tonight!

6:47 PM - What the hell? Why is there John Madden-like doodling substituting as commentary on Jennifer Hudson's lousy dress?

6:54 PM - Poor Penelope Cruz looks like that midget elf from the second HARRY POTTER movie.

Anyway, Jodie Foster really looks great tonight....for a mummy.

Careful Ronnie, Jodie's wife looks tough.

6:59 PM - Screw E!, I'm switching over to ABC at the turn of the hour.

John Travolta on the red carpet. Damn, I forgot that Forrest Whittaker is a scientologist. I guess the mothership finally got him.

7:01 PM - Barbara Walters looks tired. Did she just get in a shouting physical brawl with Rosie earlier in the afternoon?

Oh good, pizza is here!

7:06 PM - You know what is ironic? ABC's Pre-Oscar marketing junket for the Oscars tonight is making a big deal of Ellen Degeneres as a "gay" entertainer. Ok, so what's the big deal? ABC cancelled her series after she came out of the closet.

It's almost painful listening to Ryan Seacrest try to be consistently witty and exciting. I mean I don't hate the guy like some do, but live TV can be tough.

The problem that Ryan Seacrest is having to deal with tonight is having to ask over and over..."Who are you wearing?"

7:12 PM - In the Oscar afterparty, when Britney loses her wig and Lohan vomits, who will get more paparazzi photos in the morning?

Better yet, who's the bigger loser?

I feel like I would love to just hang out and have a beer with Leonardo. He just called Seacrest "man" 4 times and "brother" once. What a dude.

7:23 PM - Ok, here are my final Oscar predictions. Prepare for the flame war.


Best Picture: THE DEPARTED
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, THE DEPARTED
Best Actor: Forrest Whtitaker, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, THE QUEEN
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, DREAMGIRLS
Best Adapted Screenplay: THE DEPARTED
Best Original Screenplay: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Best Editing: UNITED 93
Best Cinematography: CHILDREN OF MEN
Best Original Score: PAN'S LABYRINTH
Best Original Song: "I NEED TO WAKE UP" (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH)
Best Art Direction: PAN'S LABYRINTH
Best Foreign Film: PAN'S LABYRINTH
Best Documentary: AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
Best Animated Feature: CARS
Best Sound: DREAMGIRLS
Best Make-Up: PAN'S LABYRINTH
Best Costume Design: DREAMGIRLS
Best Sound Editing: LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Best Visual FX: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2
Best Animated Short: The Little Matchgirl
Best Live-Action Short: West Bank Story

What time is kick off?

Ronnie did you pick any winners you haven't seen?

8 PM, Eastern Time.

I've seen them all. However, my Oscar picks are not based on what SHOULD win, but what WILL win.

Celine Dion looks almost life like.