The award for the funniest/offbeat/uncomfortable moment during the first hour of the telecast goes to Ben Stiller, who came out with Natalie Portman to present the award for cinematography. Stiller arrived onstage dressed and acting like Joaquin Phoenix did on a much-discussed recent appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Chewing gum and acting stoned, Stiller's imitation was dead-on.
Portman told him he looked like a "Hasidic on meth."
I wonder, though, if they would have done the bit of Phoenix had been present at the Kodak Theatre.
And while it was the funniest/offbeat/uncomfortable moment so far, it needs to be said that this has not been a very funny telecast so far. And what happened to the music after the opening number?
And the telecast is really starting to drag....