Anne Hathaway's Oscar promos: Is the slapstick working?

Joan Rivers just tweeted: "This Sunday millions of people will tune in to watch the Oscars, and only two of them will laugh at Anne Hathaway's jokes--her parents." The veteran comic has got a point. Check out the latest Oscar promo below featuring Anne as Evita in a bit of a "Rump Shaker" mashup.

The 28-year-old actress is clearly talented as we've seen from her roles in "Rachel Getting Married" and this year's dramedy "Love & Other Drugs." But straight comedy? 

The Oscars producers are clearly smitten with the young woman's talent. Both Don Mischer and Bruce Cohen gushed over the ability of her "comic writer's mind" to come up with alternate lines during rehearsals with James Franco in our story on them here. Perhaps slapstick just isn't her thing.

Rather than amusing, the promos, especially the Evita one, are becoming grating and leave me dreading the extended version we're destined to see Sunday night. Am I wrong? Let me know below. Just a thought: If they wanted a comedian to host the show, they should have hired a comedian.

 --Nicole Sperling

Around the awards track: Anne Hathaway won't be mean like Ricky Gervais | More experts' Oscar predictions (like it or not)

• Don't expect Anne Hathaway or James Franco to pull a Ricky Gervais while hosting the Oscars. Hathaway says, "I can guarantee that if you're looking for someone to call people out, we're not your hosts. I think that humor is really difficult to pull off, and I'm not particularly adept at it. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. Also, I don’t mean to sound overly serious, but I am the youngest host in history and I have no business being cynical or calling anyone out. I certainly haven’t earned the right to do that." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

• "Inception" leads with the most nominations (nine) at the Saturn Awards, which are bestowed to the best of sci-fi and fantasy fare. AMC network's "The Walking Dead" leads TV contenders with six bids. VARIETY

• Sasha Stone says, "I don't think it's a shoo-in for Natalie Portman. She's certainly the front-runner, but I think Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right" could have a good chance and if there is an upset, that's the category it could be in." AWARDS DAILY

• Kris Tapley gives his take on the races for best picture (part one and part two) and best actor. IN CONTENTION

• Steve Pond says, "'The King's Speech' will win six Academy Awards on Sunday, double the number for the runner-up, 'Inception.' 'The Social Network,' 'The Fighter' and 'Toy Story 3' will each take home a pair, with the rest of the statuettes divided up between several other films." THE ODDS, THE WRAP

• "The King's Speech" gets 2 to 5 odds to win best picture based upon the predictions of nearly 30 experts. "The Social Network" gets 4 to 1 odds. GOLD DERBY

• Kenneth Turan bemoans all of the Oscar crystal-balling that goes on, including here at Awards Tracker: "The problem with all this Oscar predicting is not that the pundits are often wrong but, frankly, that they are often right. For the truth about the Oscars is that they are, to a large extent, predictable.... That's how I feel about the never-ending parade of pre-event Oscar dissection. I know that genie is never, ever going back into the bottle, but part of me, the part that remembers being young, innocent and full of eager anticipation back in Brooklyn, wishes that it could." LOS ANGELES TIMES

• When asked for her view of Melissa Leo's self-promotional Oscar ads, Kathy Griffin replied, "I think it's brilliant. The only thing I would have changed is the robe. She should have done a completely nude campaign. Now I really hope she wins." MOVIELINE

• Many experts believe that the inclusion of palaces, royalty and posh British accents boosts chance of "King's Speech" winning Oscars. REUTERS

• However, David Germain notes that no film about the British monarchy has ever won best picture. ASSOCIATED PRESS

-- Tom O'Neil

Are the Oscars copying the Golden Globes' cyber strategy?

"Why are the Oscars going so crazy using social media to promote the show?" another Oscar reporter asked me yesterday. "Are they just trying to reach a younger, hipper audience?"

Yes, that's part of it. James Franco and Anne Hathaway are young, sexy hipsters who love to communicate with fans via Twitter and Facebook, so why not let the Oscarcast cohosts run amok in cyberspace to help promote the event?

But, take note: doing so does set up one twist. If most pundits are correct and "The King's Speech" wins best picture, then that means "The Social Network" -– the movie about Facebook and, well, social networking will lose the top award even while the academy is going wild on Facebook and Twitter and other social networking venues to lure viewers into tuning in to watch the Facebook movie lose.

Ah, well, that's showbiz. The more likley reason the Oscars is tapping social media so much is because of the success experienced recently by the Golden Globes, which credited heavy digital promotion for
helping to pull in 17 million TV viewers on Jan. 16.

Below are some stats issued by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.:

• On Twitter: More than 730 million impressions for the Golden Globes topic were created and 466,000 tweets sent. These tweets reached more than 39 million accounts.

• HFPA’s @goldenglobes account was the No. 1 mentioned account on Twitter. It received nearly twice the mentions of the next most mentioned account (@JustinBieber)

• HFPA’s @goldenglobes account was the No. 1 retweeted account

• The number of messages from the HFPA's @goldenglobes account that were retweeted were more than the other top nine accounts -– combined

• On Facebook: After only a two-month period, the HFPA was able to add more than  144,000 fans to its official Facebook account.

James Franco and Anne Hathaway in Oscar boot camp

In their latest Oscar promos, James Franco dodges mannequins as he "attempts to break the record for the Oscar run," notes an announcer. Bottom video: Anne Hathaway seems a little too concerned about the possibility that the telecast might run overtime.

-- Tom O'Neil

Oscars: Anne Hathaway owes thanks to Penelope Cruz

 

Penelope Cruz might not be accompanying Oscar-nominated husband Javier Bardem to the Kodak Theatre on Feb. 27. She just gave birth to their baby boy last month and might not be ready to leave the little guy, much less go through the daylong preparation necessary for the red-carpet wringer.

But if Cruz does attend, she should expect some kind words from Oscar co-host Anne Hathaway, who credits the Spanish actress for freeing her up mentally to do the sex scenes in her last movie, "Love and Other Drugs."

"I was watching a lot of her work while I was working on the movie," Hathaway said. "Because doing nudity is a little nerve-wracking ,and I had to remind myself that plenty of actresses have done it before me and kept their dignity intact. She has done a ton of love scenes, and no one ever talks to her about it. It's always in the service of the work."

Asked if she found herself replaying one of Cruz's movies in particular, Hathaway, without hesitation, mentioned "Abre Los Ojos," Alejandro Amenabar’s 1997 thriller that Cameron Crowe remade four years later as "Vanilla Sky."

"That was an example of sensuality and trust between actors and an openness and a lack of self-consciousness that raised the stakes for the performers and got me more invested as an audience member," Hathaway said. "It's an incredible movie, one of my favorites, and I can't tell you how much it helped me with my movie."

-- Glenn Whipp

Photo: Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal in "Love and Other Drugs." Credit: 20th Century Fox

Around the awards track: Cate Blanchett joins Oscar presenters | Anne Hathaway to croon and hoof | Was Nic Cage really robbed?

• Cate Blanchett joins the list of other stars — including Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Oprah Winfrey — who will be doling out trophies on Oscar night. See the most updated rundown of ceremony presenters and performers in our ENVELOPE FORUMS.

• "I'm terrified that Ernest Borgnine will come dressed as a Black Swan," confesses Oscarcast writer Bruce Vilanch when asked what we can expect to see at the ceremony. Producer Bruce Cohen reveals that Anne Hathaway will sing and dance in a big, splashy opening number that will include "a special guest star or two." What Cohen is most nervous about: "We have these highly complicated scenic transitions that we're using to tell some of the great moments in film history and Oscar history. There are about six or seven times in the show when we’re going to metaphorically leave the stage of the Kodak today, and the stage is gonna transition through lighting, music, sound, and set back to an old movie, a classic performance, an event, a time period." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

• Sasha Stone notes, "There has never been an Oscar year on record that had such strong opposing forces at play — when the critics stand in unison behind one movie, as they did with 'No Country for Old Men,' 'The Hurt Locker' and now, 'The Social Network' " and the industry awards lined up behind one rival ("The King's Speech"). The closest analogy was the year that "Chicago" won best picture. AWARDS DAILY

• Kris Tapley explains the Oscar race for best sound mixing  — how it differs from sound editing and which contenders are ahead to win this year. Then he tunes into the big surprise among nominees: "The King's Speech." IN CONTENTION

• Back in 1989, "Academy voters were way wrong in denying Nicolas Cage a best actor nomination — at least that! — for his hilarious landmark performance in 'Vampire's Kiss," insists Jeff Wells. HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE

• Anne Thompson uses her trusty flipcam to chat with "Inception" director of photography Wally Pfister, who just pulled off a shockeroo upset at the American Society of Cinematographers’ awards over Roger Deakins ("True Grit"). Can Pfister beat Deakins at the Oscars next? INDIEWIRE

— Tom O'Neil

Photo: Anne Hathaway sings and dances with host Hugh Jackman at the Oscars two years ago. Credit: ABC.

Comedy Central/MTV Networks Comedy Awards nominations announced

 
So you thought the awards' season was officially over on Feb. 27, Oscar Sunday?

Think again. Comedy Central and MTV Networks have created the Comedy Awards, which will be telecast on April 10 on Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land, VH1, CMT and Nick at Night.
 Nominations in 15 categories were announced Tuesday. The nominees were chosen by the "Comedy Awards' Board of Directors,'' which includes director James Burrows, Stephen Colbert, Brad Grey, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers and Seth MacFarlane. The winners will be chosen by an invitation-only voting body from members of the comedy community.

The nominees are:

Comedy Series

"30 Rock"

"Eastbound & Down"

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

"Modern Family"

"The Office"

Comedy Actor-TV

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

Ty Burell, "Modern Family"

Steve Carell, "The Office"

Danny McBride, "Eastbound & Down"

Tracy Morgan, "30 Rock"

Comedy Actress-TV

Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock"

Jane Lynch, "Glee"

Betty White, "Hot in Cleveland"

Kristen Wiig, "Saturday Night Live"

Comedy Actor-Film

Russell Brand, "Get Him to the Greek"

Will Ferrell, "The Other Guys"

Zach Galifianakis, "Dinner for Schmucks"

Paul Giamatti, "Barney's Version"

Jonah Hill, "Cyrus"

Comedy Actress-Film

Tina Fey, "Date Night"

Anne Hathaway, "Love & Other Drugs"

Helen Mirren, "Red"

Chloe Moretz, "Kick-Ass"

Emma Stone, "Easy A"

Late Night Comedy Series

"The Colbert Report"

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

"Jimmy Kimmel Live"

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

"Late Show with David Letterman"

Sketch Comedy/Alternative Comedy Series

"Children's Hospital"

"Funny or Die Presents"

"Saturday Night Live"

"Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job"

"Tosh.O"

Stand-Up Special

"Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening"

"Bill Maher...But I'm Not Wrong"

"Louis C.K.: Hilarious"

"Ricky Gervais: Out of England 2"

"Whitney Cummings: Money Shot"

Comedy Film

"Cyrus"

"Easy A"

"Get Him to the Greek"

"Kick-Ass"

"The Other Guys"

Animated Comedy Film

"Despicable Me"

"Megamind"

"Shrek Forever After"

"Toy Story 3"

Animated Comedy  Series

"American Dad"

"Archer"

"Family Guy"

"The Simpsons"

"South Park"

For a complete list of nominees, go to Thecomedyawards.com

-- Susan King

Photo: Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin star in NBC's "30 Rock," which garnered seven Comedy Awards nominations. Credit: Nicole Rivelli / NBC Universal

Video sneak peek: James Franco and Anne Hathaway as Oscar co-hosts

James Franco and Anne Hathaway display an awkward chemistry full of playful, gee-whiz charm in this Oscar promo video. Hathaway has strong faith in that pairing to prevail on Feb. 27. She reveals that she initially turned down the job of co-hosting before she heard that she'd share the stage with Franco.

"I got the call and they asked me to do it and they said, 'We want you to host with someone, but we don't know who,'" she reveals. "I did say, 'No,' but then I heard that you [Franco] said 'Yes,' then I thought that is kind of crazy enough that it could work!"

"I pulled her in!" he gushes.

"He pulled me in! James Franco, you have the power!"

-- Tom O'Neil

 

Hugh Jackman's advice for Oscar hosts: Start big and move fast

 
EXCLUSIVE: Hugh Jackman has some advice for James Franco and Anne Hathaway, this year's Oscars hosts: Start big and then just move fast.

"I'd tell them, 'Just remember put everything into the opening,' " says Jackman, who hosted the gala in February 2009. "Everyone remembers the start of the show. You do your opening and all of that and then don't worry too much because, after that, it's just a room full of people -- increasingly upset people -- who haven't won."

Jackman, who will present the Oscar for best score this year with his "Australia" costar Nicole Kidman, said the audience at the Kodak Theatre gets increasingly frosty and sour as the envelopes get opened. Plenty of people head to the bars in the lobby, and the ones who stay in their seats aren't in the mood to laugh.

"Don't try to get them on your side, you're just going to lose them," Jackman said. "Be good at the beginning, and after that just be quick."

The 42-year-old Aussie actor feels a connection to one of this year's hosts; Hathaway was a sensation as his surprise singing accomplice during his Oscars opening-musical number.

"Anne was so great working with me when I did mine," Jackman said. "I knew she would be good, but I didn't know she would nail it like that."

Jackman is now preparing to film a new Wolverine movie, this time with "Black Swan" director Darren Aronofsky. The actor has plenty of emcee experience (a three-time host of the Tonys, he won an Emmy for one of those years) but said that the Oscars gig was a tightrope night he won't soon forget.    

"If I blow it because I'm no good, that's fine. I'll live. I just didn't want to blow it because I was nervous. If you blow it because you're nervous, that's hard to live with. That will stay with you."

What would he point to as his defining memory of that night, the year that "Slumdog Millionaire" took home the trophy for best picture?

"The great memory of it I have, the thing I think of most, is standing up there and looking out on all these Hollywood stars and seeing the same look on all their faces. They were all thinking, ''Oh, my God, thank God it's not me up there,' whereas I'm sure when comedians are up there, [the audience is] thinking, 'OK, what have you got?' With me [onstage], it was all, 'I don't believe you're doing this, thank God it's not me, good luck, mate, I wouldn't do it, good on you, mate.'"

-- Geoff Boucher 

Photo: Hugh Jackman hosting the Oscar in 2009. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

James Franco and Anne Hathaway in Oscar promo pix

James Franco and Anne Hathaway sure look great and fresh-faced in these Oscar promo photos that they shot at the crack of dawn on a busy weekend, don't they? Their call time was about 7 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8, after Franco flew in to Los Angeles just hours earlier. He's a budding writer and student who takes his studies seriously. He had been attending the famous writers' workshop in Asheville, N.C., till late Friday, then hopped a plane that arrived in L.A. after midnight. His Oscar cohost graciously accommodated his busy schedule and got up early for hair, makeup and wardrobe preparations.

Their photo shoot continued till mid-afternoon when Franco had to scoot out to the Palm Springs Film Festival where he presented its Visionary Award to his "127 Hours" director Danny Boyle. Early the next day, Franco returned to Los Angeles and resumed posing for more Oscar promos.

-- Tom O'Neil