Welcome to HiT’s Oscars live blog!

Let the show begin!

9:34 pm EST … The Best Supporting Actor is Robert Downey, Jr. Very competitive category.

Downey: “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood… and the Academy in that order.”

What is the red button Mark Ruffalo is wearing? Dare we even ask?

9:27 pm EST … Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling trade barbs over their Barbenheimer films. Funny. Silly. On point. Well done, again. Maybe there’s hope for the show…

9:23 pm EST … “The Zone of Interest” wins Best International Film. No shock. One of the most powerful concepts behind a movie in ages… but there’s little story or plot to propel it. Sorry not sorry.

Naturally, the winners make a moral equivalence between the victims of Oct. 7 and the people of Gaza. Of course. What did Harvey say? Hollywood has the best morals.

9:22 pm EST ... If Lily Gladstone doesn’t win Best Actress tonight the “Barbie” outcry will look tame by comparison.

9:20 pm EST … I like the choice of presenters so far. Some real stars, plus no pandering to the youth demographic that’s busy on TikTok.

9:10 pm EST … To honor the 50th anniversary of the Oscar’s streaker, John Cena goes au naturel for … Best Costumes. Funny. Clever. And Cena is just a riot. As always.

“Poor Things.” 

Again.

9:05 pm EST … Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara give a primer on how to be funny, self-deprecating and sly with an award presentation for Hair/Makeup.

The award for Best Production Design goes to … “Poor Things”

IS THERE AN UPSET IN THE MAKING? That’s twice the bizarro comedy trumped “Oppenheimer.”

“The last thing we want is for people to know what we actually look like,” the “Schitt’s Creek” star said with a twinkle.

8:54 pm EST … Best Adapted Screenplay winner is “American Fiction!” No “Barbie,” no “Oppenheimer.” A genuine upset. “Fiction” is good but meandering. When it’s on target, though, it is scorching.

Take that, woke literary world.  Huge reception from audience.

Winner Cord Jefferson: “This is a risk averse industry, but $200 million movies are also risk … instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies.”

8:48 pm EST … Best Original Screenplay goes to “Anatomy of a Fall.” If you haven’t seen it, runner-up “Past Lives” is quite good.

The pre-award banter between Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy was … not good. Strained, even. Where are the writers?

So far, this is like every other Oscars telecast. No innovations. There’s a looong way to go. 

8:41 pm EST …Best Animated Feature goes to … “The Boy and the Heron.” An upset of sorts, since “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” seemed like a lock and the first film in the franchise won the Oscar four years ago.

8:26 pm EST … As expected, Da’Vine Joy Randolph nabs the Best Supporting Actress award for “The Holdovers.”

“God is so good,” she said in accepting to the award. She thanked her mother for pushing her to flex her acting skills. She gave a special shout out to her publicist.

8:21 pm EST …  A weak, often mean spirited monologue by Kimmel. He mocked Robert Downey, Jr.’s drug past, Steven Spielberg’s age (he’s 76) and Robert De Niro’s young galpal. One political jab – he mocked Sen. Katie Britt.

Kimmel, of course, had to mention the lack of a Best Director nom for “Barbie’s” Greta Gerwig. At least when the crowd cheered his virtue signal Kimmel cracked, “you didn’t vote for her” to the crowd.

He hit some “typical” Oscar monologue notes, including his riff on the way-too-long “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

“When I went to see ‘Killers’ I had my mail forwarded to the theater.”

His monologue felt rushed, perhaps due to the show’s delayed start.

8:08 pm EST … You’re so beautiful… host Jimmy Kimmel is on that infamous park bench with Barbie – AKA Margot Robbie.

8:06 pm EST … We’re five minutes late!