I had to go in early for work last night, so I didn't see the Oscars this year. That's actually really cool to hear a name star giving props to a great Showa-era classic like WotG. Not often you see mainstream folks "confessing" to such likes... with the exception of uber-nerds like del Toro.
I, too, would like to see a clip of Pitt's ackowledgement. hopefully someone will post it on YouTube or elsewhere.