96th Academy Awards

RED CARPET PICNIC

Click Image to View quick min video of My Red Carpet Picnic
at the Alloy Hotel in KOP

I’ve talked about doing it for years, but this was the first time I reserved a hotel room to watch the OSCARS! It’s the only time of the year I need cable, otherwise, Free TV and every streaming channel known to man is sufficient. But I love the E News channel for red carpet fashions and Ch 6 ABC is just scrambled without cable; plus, I don’t have a big screen TV at home either as typically I see most everything in the movie theater. Previous years, I’ve watched at my Mom’s, now deceased, or a friend’s house. I thought about going away for the whole weekend and making it a mid-winter/spring-break trip, but I didn’t choose a destination in time, so I just made it a staycation in King of Prussia at the Alloy KOP – a DoubleTree by Hilton. I remember, years ago, I had been dating someone for a number of weeks and we were going to an event in KOP that was going to go late, so we decided to get a hotel room. It would be the first time we’d have sex, so I wanted a nice place. He wanted to pay, but not spring for this location, he felt it was too far above the price of the other hotels in the area. Perhaps, but I kinda knew we wouldn’t make it when he denied me my preference. Like Miley says “I can hold my own hand”.

They ask if you want a warm cookie when you check in. I think everything about me shouts YES to complimentary cookies without needing to ask.

I have to say, I’m disappointed with Red Lobster, I ordered for delivery, not only did my food come cold, but they didn’t include butter and sour cream for my baked potato. The receipt clearly shows both items should have been included. Who eats a dry baked potato! When I called, they not only said there’s nothing they could do, the girl told me she never eats baked potatoes so couldn’t relate to my despair. Fortunately, the restaurant was still open in the hotel and they provided me with my missing condiments and there’s a microwave on the 5th Floor. Crisis averted 🙂

**Tinsel & Tine’s Top 10 List for 2023** CLICK for POST

Philadelphia Film Critic Circle Winners, see where we differed.
Plus PFCC Founders Rich Heimlich & Stephen Silver were interview this year on Oscars Coverage on 6 ABC
Click Image for post on both

HOST

The live broadcast started at 7pm instead of the usual 8pm. Hope they make this a new tradition, that it wasn’t just because it fell on Daylight Savings Day. Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel hosted for the 4th time – not as good as previous years, monologue was weak and too many Dad Jokes thrown into the mix. You could tell getting a bad review from Trump on Truth Social during the show was a highlight for him. I did like the come back to Trump “Isn’t it passed your jail time?”

I also like when the Oscars start with a montage of the movies being honored, cut in a way that it sounds like they are all talking about this night of celebration. They’ve done this in the past and I think it’s engaging when previous winners of Best & Supporting categories are the presenters, speaking personally about each nominee’s performance and standing in the industry. Jamie Lee Curtis getting to present to her friend Jodie Foster; Emma Stone seemed moved by Sally Field being chosen to do hers and Nicolas Cage’s to Paul Giamatti was the best!

Sally Field, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence behind

Oscars 2024 RED CARPET

There was a little trend of dresses giving The Little Mermaid effect.

My Favorite Red Carpet Looks for 2024

Short 45 sec Video

Sandra Hüller in Schiaparelli; Rita Moreno in Badgley Mischka (92 & gorgeous) ; Laverne Cox in Christian Siriano; Hailee Steinfeld in Elie Saab couture ; Colman Domingo in Louis Vuitton; (Beautiful interview with him on The Sunday Sitdown Podcast) America Ferrera in Atelier Versace; Florence Pugh in Del Core (2nd year running on my Best Dressed list); Simu Liu in Fendi; Zendaya in Armani Privé; (What doesn’t she look amazing in?) Carey Mulligan in Vintage Balenciaga; Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons – WHAT!?! This is the best this couple has ever looked together or apart. They must both be on Ozempic, but damn it’s working for them.

Black Female Bonds: **Laverne Cox, Cynthia Erivo** and **Danielle Brooks**

NOT A FAN OF THESE LOOKS

Billie‘s Channel throw back prep school outfit would be hip for The Grammys, but ugly for the Oscars, IMO

Ariana‘s WICKED Glinda look is kinda freaky on her, blonde hair, eyebrows and washed out makeup is unflattering. Her mummy wrapped inside a pink cloud gown kinda swallows her, but it’s not terrible.

OSCAR MUSIC MOMENTS

Congrats to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell becoming Oscars’ Youngest Two-Time Winners for Best Song. This year for ‘What Was I Made For?’ from BARBIE

Show Stopper Ryan Gosling “I’m Just Ken” from BARBIE with special guest Slash!

FAVORITE WINNERS

Quick 1 min Video

Philly’s own Da’Vine Joy Randolph, cleaned up this Awards Season, ending with a win for Best Supporting Actress, for THE HOLDOVERS, wonderfully emotional speech about being enough and forging a new path when she didn’t see herself in this Hollywood space. It brought a tear to her co-star, Paul Giamatti‘s eye.

Cord Jefferson for Best Adapted Screenplay for AMERICAN FICTION. #4 of my Top 10 List.

Robert Downey Jr also cleaned up this Awards Season. And although it would have been refreshing if Sterling K. Brown or Ryan Gosling had won, Downey did deserve the Best Supporting Oscar for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in OPPENHEIMER which was void of all Downey-isms, no matter how charming they normally come across.

Best Visual Effects GODZILLA MINUS ONE – Takashi Yamazaki spoke for the group, we couldn’t understand a word of the broken English read slowly from a piece of paper, but felt happy for them as joy and pride is a Universal language.

Winner Short Film Doc THE LAST REPAIR SHOP

20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL WINS BEST DOCUMENTARY (first Oscar for Ukraine) wonderfully impassioned speech by filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov on the state of the on-going war in Ukraine. This documentary is a hard watch, I’m not gonna lie, but it needs to be seen by everyone!

OSCAR MISC MOMENTS

**Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling Pretend Barbenheimer Feud**

BEST PICTURE WINNER | OPPENHEIMER | Universal Pictures | Writer/Director Christopher Nolan

**Producer Emma Nolan (Christopher’s Wife)**

OPPENHEIMER emerged the night’s big winner, taking home seven Oscars after being nominated in 13 categories. Those wins included heavy-hitting categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. No surprise here. As soon as I walked out of the IMAX theater this past summer, I said, I’ve just seen the Best Picture winner for 2024!