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Oscar liveblog: One of the night’s biggest upsets?

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10:23 pm: Earlier this evening, just moments before Mo’Nique won best supporting actress in one of the night’s least surprising events, “Logorama” took the prize for best animated short, in what may be one of its biggest upsets. You wouldn’t know it to watch it, but the win for Nicolas Schmerkin’s sly, brand-conscious satire was a real surprise.

The category (and categorical) favorite was “A Matter of Loaf and Death,” from “Wallace & Gromit” creator Nick Park. “Logorama” -- a violent, color Tarantino-esque tale with famed brand icons such as Ronald McDonald, the Green Giant, Mr. Clean, (who makes an appearance at the Los Angeles Zoo) and the Michelin Men as its protagonists -- was considered too edgy by many pundits. Yet it took the prize just the same.

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The question now becomes: Will anyone actually be able to see this little gem? We asked Schmerkin backstage if he’s worried about any legal resistance in trying to get the film some distribution beyond the festival circuit. He acknowledged that given the fact that the film is a legal minefield, “I should share this award with my lawyer.”

But then he went on to say that he had at least one friend among the subjects of the film.

“I got some e-mails from brands that weren’t happy to be in it,” he said. “But I got a nice e-mail from the Los Angeles Zoo.”

-- Steven Zeitchik

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