9:59: Ellen debuts the "Ellen Oscar Bjorn." Cute.

Tenth Oscar, Best Costume Design

WINNER: "Marie Antoinette"

The winner's two previous Oscar victories? "Chariots of Fire" and "Barry Lyndon"! Wow. Talk about a career! She dedicates the award to Hugh Hudson and Stanley Kubrick.

10:04: Humanitarian award to Sherry Lansing. She's a big stem-cell research supporter. That’s an interesting "humanitarian" cause.

Ellen's having fun with Eastwood and Spielberg. Loved the comment about Spielberg making the photo "more even on both sides"! But overall, this broadcast is out of gas. It's pleasant enough, not highly offensive, but has had few memorable moments thus far.

Eleventh Oscar, Best Cinematography

WINNER: "Pan's Labyrinth"! Unexpected -- "Children of Men" was the front-runner -- but it's another worthy award for this amazing film.

Twelfth Oscar, Best Visual Effects

"Pirates of the Caribbean"

During the acceptance speech, the camera cuts to the beautiful Beyonce, smiling. Why? Who cares? It's more interesting than the speech.

Thirteenth Oscar, Best Foreign Language Film

WINNER: It’s got to be "Pan's Labyrinth," right?  Wait a minute, it's not a competitive Oscar category. It's a tribute to foreign-language cinema. Hurrah! Probably not necessary, but given tonight's victories so far by "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" (an American film with almost all dialogue in Japanese), there’s something suitable about this segment.

NOW, the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film are announced.

WINNER: "The Lives of Others"! It was always considered a contender, but in light of the earlier victories tonight for "Pan's Labyrinth," this is a big surprise. I still need to see this film.

Fourteenth Oscar, Best Supporting Actress

WINNER: Jennifer Hudson, for "Dreamgirls"

"Look what God can do," she says.

Fifteenth Oscar, Best Documentary Short Subject

WINNER: "The Blood of Yingzhou District"

Sixteenth Oscar, Best Documentary Feature

--Jerry Seinfeld does a little routine before announcing the nominees. I want more comedy, but this seems like an unusual time, and an unusual category, for stand-up. Then again, he introduces the five nominees as "incredibly depressing movies," and that's funny.

WINNER: "An Inconvenient Truth." Get ready for a speech. Hey, that wasn’t so bad. And on we go.

To Ennio Morricone's well deserved honorary Oscar! Clint Eastwood botches the introduction. "I should've worn my glasses," he says, as clips of films, set to Morricone's scores, begin to roll.

Morricone lifts his Oscar -- others have set it down tonight -- and holds it high, looking right at the camera. It's a great moment, wordless. This may be the one lasting image from tonight’s broadcast.

11:06: Seventeenth Oscar, Best Original Score

WINNER: "Babel"! Will it be the film's only Oscar tonight?

Seventeenth Oscar, Best Original Screenplay