Worst Oscar hosts EVER?

[Tallest1]

What a train wreck last night! When Billy Crystal came on stage or even the hologram of Bob Hope, I was praying that either one of them would just finish out the show. I like Franco and Hathaway as actors and all but they were way out of their element as hosts. They really need a comedian to host that show.

[J.M. Vargas]

^^^ Or at least an actor with the ability to improvise like Alec Baldwin, who can both act and be improvisational/funny. Looks like Anne's and James' attempts to pick into Alec's brain didn't quite work.

[Burson_Fouch]

I bailed after they drug out the 90+ year old Kirk Douglas, who then proceeded to be more lively and funnier than Franco.

[Andrew Forbes]

Oh, god. Billy Crystal? Really? Don't you think it was telling that the funniest thing he could think to saw when he came out was "We're running long." Sure, Franco was pretty much just reading the prompt and looking baked, but Hathaway was energetic and natural. I've never been much of a fan, but her personality really came out last night, and she injected real, spontaneous energy to the show, which is what's usually missing.

As for the rest, it was an Oscar show. Not much better or worse than any other year: lots of bland with a Brit giving the only really good speech.

[Tallest1]

Say what you want about Billy Crystal, but at least he has a natural presence and natural sense of humor, something both Hathaway and Franco lack. Hathaway came off as real as Joan Rivers face, and Franco couldn't get thru a sentence without stumbling over his own tongue. I just felt bad for him.

[Bryan Pope]

I thank "F This Movie," "DVD Verdict" and Paula Poundstone for tweeting the entire telecast, otherwise it would have been unbearable.

[Jim_Thomas]

Blame on the writers, not the hosts. You can't make chicken salad, yada yada yada. At some point, Franco just said "screw it" and tuned out, while Hathaway just decided to just have fun.

[Andrew Forbes]

It's kind of amazing that every year a sizable group of people is vocal in its surprise that Bruce Vilanch writes terrible material.

[J.M. Vargas]

^^^ In Bruce's (tepid) defense though, look what/who he had to work with this year. Ratings are in and viewership was down across the board from last year, especially in the coveted 18-49 demo that Franco and Hathaway were supposed to attract: http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/early-oscar-ratings-down-from-last-year/#more-109711. Yes, "Avatar" in the running for Best Picture was a big reason why ratings were up considerably over the two previous seasons.

2011 37.6 million The King's Speech
2010 41.3 million The Hurt Locker
2009 36.3 million Slumdog Millionaire
2008 32.0 million No Country For Old Men
2007 40. 2 million The Departed
2006 38.9 million Crash
2005 42.1 million Million Dollar Baby
2004 43.5 million Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
2003 33.0 million Chicago
2002 41.8 million A Beautiful Mind
2001 42.9 million Gladiator

[mavrach]

I think Hathaway would've done better with a different co-host, and I'm shocked that Franco did so poorly. I guess live work isn't where his talent lies. Either way, I still prefer when they have actual actors hosting, as opposed to commedians or talk-show hosts. And I'm further happy when the actors are relevant and not safe life Billy Crystal or Whoopi Goldberg. Who was seriously amused when Billy Crystal would make a song out of the Best Picture nominees?


It's just getting sad because it's dawning on me more and more each year, that the current movies will just be forgotten. Last night had tributes to Gone With the Wind, E.T, etc. 20 years from now, will there be any nostalgic looks back at the great early 21st century, and its masterpieces like The King's Speech & Crash?

[BenShultz]

It's just getting sad because it's dawning on me more and more each year, that the current movies will just be forgotten. Last night had tributes to Gone With the Wind, E.T, etc. 20 years from now, will there be any nostalgic looks back at the great early 21st century, and its masterpieces like The King's Speech & Crash?

I could see people still looking back on films like There Will Be Blood, Mulholland Dr., most of the Pixar films, Adaptation and The Social Network, to name a few. But I'd hazard a guess that No Country for Old Men and The Departed are going to be the only "Best Pictures" that will endure.

[mavrach]

It's just getting sad because it's dawning on me more and more each year, that the current movies will just be forgotten. Last night had tributes to Gone With the Wind, E.T, etc. 20 years from now, will there be any nostalgic looks back at the great early 21st century, and its masterpieces like The King's Speech & Crash?

I could see people still looking back on films like There Will Be Blood, Mulholland Dr., most of the Pixar films, Adaptation and The Social Network, to name a few. But I'd hazard a guess that No Country for Old Men and The Departed are going to be the only "Best Pictures" that will endure.

I'll give you Pixar, but the rest aren't movies that the general public will revere for a long time. Film buffs might hold those dear (along with most of the really good recent movies), but you'll never hear the There Will be Blood theme accompany somebody walking onstage to present an award.

[Dan Mancini]

It's just getting sad because it's dawning on me more and more each year, that the current movies will just be forgotten. Last night had tributes to Gone With the Wind, E.T, etc. 20 years from now, will there be any nostalgic looks back at the great early 21st century, and its masterpieces like The King's Speech & Crash?

I could see people still looking back on films like There Will Be Blood, Mulholland Dr., most of the Pixar films, Adaptation and The Social Network, to name a few. But I'd hazard a guess that No Country for Old Men and The Departed are going to be the only "Best Pictures" that will endure.

I'll give you Pixar, but the rest aren't movies that the general public will revere for a long time. Film buffs might hold those dear (along with most of the really good recent movies), but you'll never hear the There Will be Blood theme accompany somebody walking onstage to present an award.

There are plenty of modern movies that will be fondly remembered in 20 years. But, like E.T., most of them aren't Best Pictures winners...and most of the Best Pictures winners will not be fondly remembered. But that's always been true of the Oscars.

[HGervais]

Craig Ferguson's monolouge from last night.

[hoytereden]

I'm just hoping that Charlie Sheen will be the host next year-"Wow!" "I get to spend the next three hours saying-WINNERS!"
That is, of course, if Charlie himself is around next year.

[the5thghostbuster]

Franco ad Hathaway were bad, but not Whoopi Goldberg bad, which is still the most painful Oscar show I have sat through.

Let's just bring back hugh Jackman and be done with it. Or if we are going to get someone who has never hosted before, Neil Patrick Harris.

[Attrage]

Hosts? They were allright. The highlight of the night for me was when Christian Bale went to the bathroom and his seat filler was a girl!!