HOLLYWOOD -- So the "go or no-go" Academy Awards are over and done, but a bit of unfinished business remains, as in Nagging Oscar Night Questions: 2008 Edition.

And the queries are ...

What was up with that slippery stage that almost took out Colin Farrell, John Travolta and Miley Cyrus?

Turns out it was neither host Jon Stewart's flop sweat nor oily residue from the shoes of There Will Be Blood winner Daniel Day-Lewis that was responsible for the treacherous conditions en route to the podium. Rather it was a liberally applied silicon-based spray used by Oscar backstage staff to facilitate moving heavy stuff back and forth across the stage.

During a commercial break, a hasty attempt was made to wipe it down, but some slickness remained. As it happened, those near misses were nothing compared to the tumble the ratings took for this year's telecast. It was the least-viewed Oscars ever in the U.S., with preliminary figures coming in at about a million fewer watchers than the previous dubious record-holder back in 2003 when big winner Chicago failed to razzle-dazzle 'em.

And how come best original song co-writer Marteka Irglova was allowed to come back after the commercials and give her acceptance speech after being cut off by the orchestra?

Over the years the Oscar stage has been littered with the unheard speeches of co-winners who were unceremoniously played out just as they opened their mouths. So why was the 19-year-old Irglova given a second chance by Stewart? Could it have anything to do with the fact that, at that point, the show was actually running 12 minutes ahead of schedule and show producer Gil Cates needed all the filler he could find that didn't involve more film clips? Just asking.

Denzel Washington looked really mean. Was the best-picture presenter peeved because he was doubly snubbed this year (for his strong performances in both American Gangster and The Great Debaters) or is the shaved head and facial hair for an upcoming role?

Denzel's too much of a pro to let any disappointment show. The look (and added pounds) is for his next movie, a remake of the 1974 New York subway heist thriller, The Taking of Pelham 123. Washington will play the part of the transit system's chief detective of security (it was played by Walter Matthau in the original); while Travolta will take over Robert Shaw's role as the ringleader in the subway hijacking. The picture reunites Washington with his Deja Vu and Crimson Tide director, Tony Scott.

And what about that sound-mixer guy who was going into Sunday night's Oscars with a career record of 0-for-19?

Given that the sound-mixing award went to The Bourne Ultimatum and Kevin O'Connell was nominated for his work on Transformers, his record as Oscar's biggest loser remains intact. And somehow we suspect that his recently completed Space Chimps, an animated movie about the first simian astronaut, unlikely will be the picture to break his Oscar curse.