James Franco -vs- Bruce Vilanch

[LuvOrlando]

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/artic...-Bruce-Vilanch-panned-Oscars-performance.html

So when something tanks in a big way, or succeeds in a big way, who carries the acclaim or blame writers or the actors/actresses?

My 2 cents, to me it's the writers. Charlie Sheen, Will & Grace, That 70's Show, 30 Rock were/are great because the one liners were so fantastic and these award shows, ALL of them, rot because the writers are sooooooo tired and try to pass off third rate comic book work for trendy... uggh.

James Franco is plainly talented as evidenced by the guys work but that scary lunch lady looking mess Vilanch, well if past awards shows are evidence of his work I don't think anyone needs to say anything else.

FWIW, the entire concept behind this years awards was a monstrous mess more in line with a high school production than something worthy of the entire industry, I couldn't even sit through it; in a word - painful

 

[FergieTCat]

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/artic...-Bruce-Vilanch-panned-Oscars-performance.html James Franco is plainly talented as evidenced by the guys work but that scary lunch lady looking mess Vilanch, well if past awards shows are evidence of his work I don't think anyone needs to say anything else.

Bruce Vilanch has been in the business a very long time. I think he's a very talented comedy writer. Also, he wrote material for other Oscar hosts (most notably Billy Crystal) and those shows were very well received.

I think James Franco might need to work on his comedic timing. Anne Hathaway wasn't great, but she did a better job than her co-host.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I hear you but my spin on it is a bit different. Billy Crystal was a looong time ago. Yes he did well but even Billy Crystal knew when his schtick was over and it was time to get out of the spotlight. That is why when I think of him I still think "FUNNY GUY". Just because you know people doesn't mean you are going to forever be cutting edge, isn't that sort of the whole point behind cutting edge... it changes? Funny stops being funny when it gets old. Remember that old Hollywood saying, "Always leave 'em laughing" (aka wanting more) I think the entire entertainment industry has forgotten that leaving when you are on top is the only way to stay a star. Elizabeth Taylor's generation understood this. Time for new blood all around, so many young talented people out there never get a shot because the old timers have connections... its a shame.

 

[Deb in IA]

Oscars hosts should be comedians, or at the very least, actors who can do comedy.

That said, I think Franco's style (blank, laid-back, vapid, low-key, what ever you want to call it) was just not a good fit for the "keep 'em laughing, keep it moving" needs of an Oscar host. Poor Anne tried her best, but it was like she was dancing with only one shoe.

But I think the "worst Oscar host ever" title is a bit harsh.
That belongs to David Letterman.

 

[Imzadi]

Bruce Vilanch has been in the business a very long time. I think he's a very talented comedy writer. Also, he wrote material for other Oscar hosts (most notably Billy Crystal) and those shows were very well received.

I think James Franco might need to work on his comedic timing. Anne Hathaway wasn't great, but she did a better job than her co-host.

I just don't think James Franco is much of a comedic actor. Comedic timing is innate. He just doesn't have it. He also can't seem to do spontaneous, off the cuff, improved stuff. Billy Crystal make stuff up out of thin air. There is a certain talent to that and a certain training acquired in front of the audience.

James Franco is a good serious actor, not very comedic. But for this, he missed a lot of much needed rehearsals, and it showed. He was stiff, uncomfortable on HIS own stage and wasn't smooth.

A fantastic writer can write the funniest stuff, but in an actors hand who doesn't know how to deliver it correctly, the writing can turn into an abysmal bomb.

James Franco's Tweet also showed an immense immaturity and unprofessionalism.

 

[FergieTCat]

I hear you but my spin on it is a bit different. Billy Crystal was a looong time ago. Yes he did well but even Billy Crystal knew when his schtick was over and it was time to get out of the spotlight. That is why when I think of him I still think "FUNNY GUY". Just because you know people doesn't mean you are going to forever be cutting edge, isn't that sort of the whole point behind cutting edge... it changes? Funny stops being funny when it gets old. Remember that old Hollywood saying, "Always leave 'em laughing" (aka wanting more) I think the entire entertainment industry has forgotten that leaving when you are on top is the only way to stay a star. Elizabeth Taylor's generation understood this. Time for new blood all around, so many young talented people out there never get a shot because the old timers have connections... its a shame.

I don't follow you.

If Bruce Vilanch has written for past performers, all of whom did a good job with his material, then the fact that James Franco bombed probably isn't Bruce Vilanch's vault.

BTW, the last time Billy Crystal hosted was in 2003 (yes, I checked: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Academy_Awards_ceremonies#Ceremonies)

I think the worst Oscar moment goes to Rob Lowe and Snow White.

 

[LuvOrlando]

OK, I can see what you guys are saying still, a good writer should have been able to work with deadpan and make it funny. When I think of some of the great comedy duos they always had a funny person and a straight man to work off of, think "Who's on first", George Burns and Gracie Allen, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. The set-up is timeless but the writers just didn't work it and when deadpan isn't done properly it all falls flat. I can only imagine this dynamic was what they were going for when they cast the two.

As for who Vilanch has worked with recently, correct me if I'm wrong but haven't the Awards been sliding down a hole for viewership for a very long time now. I can't think of anything fabulous in recent memory. I don't think Franco & Hathaway stand alone. Could be what you call funny and I call funny/entertaining are 2 different things, thats all

 

[Planogirl]

James Franco was pretty good in Pineapple Express.

I don't think that he was the worst by any means. He is a laid back guy - that's just his style.

Bruce Vilanch knows comedy? OK....

 

[Scurvy]

I just don't think James Franco is much of a comedic actor. Comedic timing is innate. He just doesn't have it. He also can't seem to do spontaneous, off the cuff, improved stuff. Billy Crystal make stuff up out of thin air. There is a certain talent to that and a certain training acquired in front of the audience.

I agree. I thought the show was painful to watch. I haven't enjoyed many awards shows in recent years but I thought this one was particularly bad. I think someone who is really comfortable with comedy and improv can make even badly written material tolerable. They know when to ad-lib and how to convey that they know something is lame with a facial expression or tone of voice, which can make the show funnier. Franco seemed very uncomfortable and unnatural, and almost wooden in his performance.

I think when it comes to a movie, the writing is more important than the acting. A well written script can be good even if the actors aren't the best. A good actor can take the movie from good to great. But even the best actors can only do so much with badly written dialogue or a poor story, if they have to stick with the script. With something live, when you have the ability to ad-lib, the acting is much more important. Even well written material can bomb if the presentation isn't good. A great comedian can salvage poorly written material in a live show. James Franco is a good actor, but I don't think live comedy is at all his forte. Whether the material he was working with was great or not, his presentation is what made it truly awful. If he'd been there for rehearsal as much as he apparently should have been, maybe some of it could have been rewritten to better fit his style. But if he wasn't rehearsing when he should have been, or if his real problem was that he was uncomfortable with the live audience, the writer couldn't do much to change the situation.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

James Franco had no business hosting the Oscars. What a poor choice.

Whether Bruce wrote him some garbage lines or not, Franco is just too laid back.