Call up your grandma, because in case you forgot, Billy Crystal is back to host the Oscars for the ninth time, stepping in replace Eddie Murphy, after the whole Brett Ratner/shrimpgate fiasco. But just to ensure everyone that they are hip and "with it," a new teaser for the show has just dropped rounding up folks that "the kids" like in a somewhat amusing little spot.
A pretty random assembly inlcuding Robin Williams, Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, William Fichtner and uh, Vinnie Jones for some reason, all star in this brief ad for the show which has them tracking down the Oscar host because he's gone off the grid. Or they lost his cell number. Either way, the comedy here is exactly in line with what you might expect from the usually stodgy suits at the Academy. In other words, your Aunt Madge will think this is a laugh riot. Funny Or Die apparently helped produce this, but it seems pretty interesting they've kept it off their site and put it up on YouTube instead.
But don't worry, the Academy hasn't gone all contemporary on you. Before the end of 2011, they unveiled the most dull poster for the show ever, once again trotting out the same stable of classic movies used anytime cinematic history needs to be portrayed ("The Godfather," "Casablanca," "Giant," "The Sound Of Music," "Gone With The Wind" zzzzz). Were those the only movies ever made before 1980? Anyway, the Super Bowl of movies will air on February 26th at 7 PM. [THR/HeyUGuys]
Go easy on Crystal. Sure, he's old, but that means he's classic. He's never been bad hosting the Oscars. Perhaps this year's experience will trump last year's "aim for youth" debacle.
That is the corniest thing I have ever seen.