Deadpan Smoothie & Cuckoo Girl
I’m getting a deeply referenced, self-tilting, performance-art vibe from those James Franco-and-Anne Hathaway Oscar promo spots. It may as well be faced — these guys aren’t going to be that funny.
They’re obliged to be “out there,” of course, and do whatever they can, but I’m sensing very little to come in the way of machine-gun panache, nervy Billy Crystal-like broadsides, and/or Steve Martin-ish stingers. They’ve obviously decided to be the anti-Ricky Gervais duo. If you’re not willing to be cruel, what’s the point?
They’ll probably be “amusing,” okay, but all night long the invisible left-to-right crawl at the bottom of the screen will read “well…what’d you expect?” In a 2.24 Gawker piece titled “An Oscars Problem: Anne Hathaway Is Not Funny,” Richard Dawson wrote, “This is going to be a disaster. ”
Hathaway’s Madonna-as-Evita spot has me especially concerned. She’s imitating Madonna with the low-rent New Jersey accent and the “boom boom”…right?
From Gervais’s website, a sampling of Franco and Hathaway’s opening patter:
Franco: “I’m James Franco.”
Hathaway: “…and I’m Anne Hathaway.”
Franco: “You probably know me from 127 Hours where I play a man trapped in an enclosed space who decides he would rather cut his own arm off than stay where he was. Now that sounds ‘way out’ but wait ’til half way through this fucking ceremony and you’ll start to identify with him.”
Hathaway: “And I’m the new Catwoman. The first white woman to play that role since Michelle Pfeiffer. I want it to be an inspiration to all white people everywhere. Your dreams can come true in Hollywood too.”
Franco: “It’s a daunting task hosting The Oscars but we’re not alone. Presenting awards tonight will be a string of Hollywood legends and some other actors who have a film out in March or April.”
Hathaway: “Usually they hire comedians to host the Oscars, but tonight, instead, you get us!”
Love both actors, but it’s like someone looked at the tape of Rob Lowe & Snow White and said “Hey, what if they’d hosted?!”
The Crystal/Goldberg/Martin era is over. They might bomb, but at least they’re trying. I wonder who they are going to leave out of the IN MEMORIAM this year?
That clip would be funnier if “Havoc” hadn’t been made, thus decreasing the humor of Anne Hathaway being ghetto.
What I wanna know is, with Franco & Hathaway playing wacky Oscar hosts instead of actually hosting with their own personalities, will they be eligible for acting Emmys in the fall?
I’m sorry, who’s Ricky Gervais, again?
He’s the creator of the one of the greatest television series of all time.
What have you done?
IN MEMORIAM checklist:
John Barry
Betty Garrett
Kenneth Mars
Tura Satana
Maria Schneider
Blake Edwards
Tony Curtis
Gloria Stuart
Dino De Laurentiis
Dennis Hopper
Corey Haim
Arthur Penn
Lena Horne
Susannah York
Maury Chaykin
Lynn Redgrave
John Forsythe
June Havoc
Jean Simmons
Kathryn Grayson
Peter Graves
Patricia Neal
Robert Culp
Leslie Nielsen
Jill Clayburgh
Claude Chabrol
Irvin Kershner
Did I miss anyone?
Ronald Neame?
Maybe Sally Menke, Ronnie Chasen, Theoni Aldredge, Erich Segal, Anne Francis, Zelda Rubinstein, Peter Yates, Pete Postlethwaite, and Eddie Fisher? Certainly the Oscar nominees among them.
I’d love to see Tura Satana on there but I’m kind of doubtful it’ll happen. And I wonder if Garrett, Mars and Barry died after the segment was locked. (Then again Barry’s music would make appropriate underscore.)
Good list, Robert. I don’t see Eddie Fisher and Erich Segal making the cut. And I think they included Rubenstein last year, didn’t they?
Actually, maybe Segal, definitely Neame.
The Evita spot is ATROCIOUSLY BAD.
I was hoping that some of the sly hipster humor Franco uses in his YouTube spots might show up here, but these show that’s clearly not going to happen. Maybe he’ll get stoned and riff off-cue.
Tom Bosley and Gary Coleman, surely. And most definitely Postlethwaite.
Wow, you guys are really “looking forward” to the IN MEMORIAM section of Sunday’s telecast?
How morbid/pathetic/ancient.
Franco and Hathaway are funnier than Whoopi. Hell, Michael Haneke is funnier than Whoopi.
Is it bad that I’m praying for that fucking robot that won Jeopardy to be the host next year?
Prager: In an ideal world, Satoshi Kon.
LA actually produces about 90% of the English language film news on a daily basis, so it could be argued that NY is actually always over a day behind. That has always been my anecdotal experience.
I’m a wholesome diet regime fan, I am positive the ZiXiuTang Slimming is the best, I prefer it really significantly. If you’d like to turn into more slender fine? So hurriedly action! The Fruta Planta Diet Pills retailer possess a lot of healthful diet program products for you to pick. Such as Letpin Slim Coffe.
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money ; it lies in the joy of achievement , in the thrill of creative effort.nike shox r4