This is the first year in a long time that I’m just not into that big gorilla of an awards show. Mostly because I haven’t seen many movies this year (far fewer than usual, and esp. fewer nominated ones). But also because it just well, doesn’t seem like there are interesting races. Anyone else feeling this way? And Hugh Jackman as host??
I know there are a couple members here who are real Oscar diehard fiends. Maybe they can convince me it won’t be a yawner.
You’ve about nailed it as far as I can tell. We haven’t been to the theater for a movie in a long time. It’s either premium cable, Netflix or On Demand for us and we just don’t get to them in time to have opinions. I hate reading or watching reviews before I see movies myself, so I’m more or less impervious to Ebert and the “At The Movies” guys as far as the front runners go. I did watch the SAG awards and was less than thrilled with the offerings.
I’ll probably get around to seeing most of the nominees in the next year or so, but except for watching the Oscars because there’s nothing else on that night, I wouldn’t care if we lost electricity that night.
I never miss an Oscar broadcast, but I will admit that there’s not much about this year that excites me. But I like any opportunity to see film clips…the In Memoriam is always the high point for me. 
ETA: there’s no correlation for me between watching the awards, and seeing the films. Every year I’m lucky if I’ve seen one of the five. But I keep up with all the reviews.
Last year I had seen all of the best picture nominees and I thought it was an interesting competition between between some very good movies. This year I just don’t care. I’m not planning on watching the ceremony since it’s always a tedious bore. I can typically find something redeeming (host or competition) in the show but I’m not feeling it this year.
Couldn’t care less. Gran Torino was shut out, which makes the whole ceremony bogus. I’ll look at the boobage on-line after the fact.
Well, for the first time ever an Israeli film is the Foreign Picture frontrunner, so I’m on board for that. I haven’t seen any of the other nominated films, though.
The ego that is being fed is too much for me. An award of their peers telling them how great they are leaves me cold. My wife watches every second and shouts to me who won. I tell her I do not want to know, but she does it every year. I watch no award shows. My wife watches all of them.
Me! Me! The Oscars are my Superbowl. I don’t care who is playing, I just love the spectacle.
This year I’ve seen all the best picture nominees. Milk was the best, by a long margin, but the others were watchable enough. I’ve also seen enough of the other films to cover most of the acting awards front-runners. I just need to see Doubt to cover the rest of the major contenders.
The thing I’m really worried about is a rumor I heard that they’ve trimmed down the “best song” presentations so that they’re all performed in a medly, reducing each song to just over a minute each. Now this would be fine back in the days when it was Celine Dion up against Madonna and Phil Collins in a five-way tie for the most-boring-over-credits song ever award, but this year not only is it just THREE SONGS, but two of them are tailor-made for a really kick-ass over the top Bollywood number. I was listening to O Saya on the way to the subway the other day and envisioning dozens of dancers bursting out in colorful saris. If they don’t do that on Oscar night, they are retarded. Sigh.
I pretty much never care. I like movies, but rarely the kind that win oscars.
I’ll be honest…I haven’t seen any of the “major” award nominees. I’m a Philistine.
I’ll watch some of the pre-show because…well…hot women in really nice dresses. It’s worth it to have a chance to see Kate Winslet or Amy Adams looking fine as hell. After that, I’ll go play Left 4 Dead.
I’m all for trimming the song presentations, as well as all the tributes, montages, and dance numbers. I just want to see gowns and awards. I prefer the Golden Globes because they tend to trim off all that excess crap. Plus the celebs are drunk so they give more entertaining speeches.
What Silenus said.
I always watch. I am curious to see these major changes they’ve promised this year, and to see how Hugh Jackman does.
I’ll probably watch for one reason - Slumdog Millionaire. It has been years since I’ve been rooting so hard for a movie.
That is what I was going to say.
Ed