The Albany Gazette - Six things to watch for at the Oscars

And will millions of viewers ever get "We Don't Talk About Bruno" out of their heads?

Here are six things to watch for at the ceremony:

- Ukraine -

The optics of millionaires giving each other prizes while war rages in Ukraine is a delicate issue for producers to handle.

Host Amy Schumer pitched for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to speak at the ceremony via video.

At a press conference, the show's producer Will Packer declined to "definitively say one way or another," while co-host Wanda Sykes quipped: "Isn't he busy right now?"

Still, the show will address Ukraine in an "organic" and "thoughtful" way, Sykes added -- and Oscar winners are almost certain to mention Russia's invasion throughout the night in their acceptance speeches.

- 'Twitter Oscars'? -

Producers have introduced two prizes chosen by popular vote for the ceremony -- a "fan favorite" film from this year, and an "Oscars cheer moment" from any movie in history.

While winners won't receive actual Academy Awards, disgruntled critics complain that "real" prizes are being forced to make way for a "Twitter Oscars," given that a handful of awards will be presented ahead of the main broadcast.

"As if we're going to have a random Twitter user hand an Oscar to Meryl Streep! That's not what's happening," said Packer.

"Sometimes the show has felt like 'It's just us, just Hollywood, no one else is invited,'" he added.

"This year, we want it to be a little more open in our embrace of the public."

How the prizes will be handed out -- and how the experiment will be received -- remains to be seen.

- 'Godfather' and Bond anniversaries -

The gala will honor not just the movies nominated this year, but also timeless classics such as "The Godfather," which turned 50 this week.

"We're going to have Francis Ford Coppola's classic, we're going to honor it. We got some surprises around that, wink wink," said Packer.

Packer also hinted that "60 years of Bond" would be "on the show." The first 007 outing, "Dr No," was released in 1962.

Billie Eilish is already set to perform her theme song from latest Bond flick "No Time To Die." What else is in store?

- Power of the women -

"Power of the Dog" director Jane Campion recently suggested it was "time to claim a sense of victory" in breaking Hollywood's glass ceiling for women.

Sunday's Oscars could further that claim.

Campion is expected to become the third female best director in Oscars history -- just a year after Chloe Zhao became the second ("Nomadland"). Kathryn Bigelow was the first for "The Hurt Locker."

More astonishingly, her cinematographer Ari Wegner is only the second woman nominated in her male-dominated field, after 94 years of Oscars history. Can she become the first winner?

- Anita repeat-er? -

On the surface, Batman's nemesis Joker, Don Corleone from "The Godfather" and Anita from "West Side Story" don't have a great deal in common.

But if Ariana DeBose wins for best supporting actress -- as widely expected -- it will be a rare instance of two performers winning Oscars for playing the same fictional character.

Robert De Niro bagged his first Academy Award playing the younger version of Marlon Brando's mafia boss in "The Godfather: Part Two," while Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker" followed up Heath Ledger's posthumous prize for "The Dark Knight."

Can DeBose emulate the great Rita Moreno?

- Bruno-no-no -

"Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is the frontrunner for best song with "Dos Oruguitas," which will be performed on Sunday -- but a different tune from Disney's "Encanto" is more likely to interest viewers.

Viral sensation "We Don't Talk About Bruno" will be performed live by its cast for the first time.

The catchy Latin pop song about a mysterious, troublesome uncle has spawned over a million TikTok videos, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, and is Disney's most popular song in years.

"If there is a song that unites people this year, that is kind of the epitome, to me of what movies can do," said Packer, noting it has been sung by fans around the world "ad nauseum" this year.

"We're going to help them out so they sing it a little bit more. Our apologies to the parents," he added.

(Y.Berger--BBZ)