Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will host the 82nd Academy Awards telecast.
Something to look forward to–especially if they work in some appearances by Tina…
That’s good news, but for us hardcore movie fans, some bad news, too: Some richly deserving Lifetime Achivement Oscars are going to be awarded, but bumped from the Ceremony evening. I know the show tends to go long as it is (and with 10 Picture nominees, that might only add to the “fun”), but having a worldwide venue celebrate the fantastic contributions of Lauren Bacall, Gordon Willis, and Roger Corman (instead of a closed, insular setting) would be wonderful. 
Hey, they needed to make more room for Owen Wilson and Robert DeNiro to do some kind of horrible jokey promotion for Little Fockers.
Plus Adam Shankman is one of the producers, which I’m utterly delighted about.
Sounds like another scam by that devious Gavin Volure.
No, no, it’ll still suck. Just slightly less.
I still fondly remember Steve Martin’s first words when he came out on stage after a ridiculously over-the-top opening production number: “Thank goodness they scaled back on the glitz!” 
My favorite Steve Martin/Oscar moment was the disastrous year (1995) Letterman hosted. Martin came out to present Best Film Editing and brought down the house with two jokes that got more laughs than everything the host that night did combined:
(1) “Whenever I’m doing one of those big-budget, high-powered Hollywood movies, someone always asks me, ‘What is Film Editing?’ And I always reply: ‘How should I know? You’re the director!’”
(2) “We’re here tonight because we love movies. How many memories will we carry with us all our lives because of them? I can still remember sitting in a darkened theater, with my arm around Mary Jo Rasmussen, trying to get to first base. I can even remember the name of the movie: The Lion King.”
I liked Steve Martin’s line about being disappointed in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon because there were no tigers or dragons. Until he realized they were crouching and hiding
I’ve been in the minority on this for years, but I just don’t like Steve Martin. I’m sorry. I like Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid for the great genre spoof and sampling, but that is it. The man never makes me laugh, and I don’t like his banjo pickin’ either. I know, I know, sorry.
They wouldn’t have sucked anyway because (my predictions) Carey Mulligan will be one of the Best Actress nominees for An Education, along with Penelope Cruz for Broken Hugs. The Hurt Locker will dominate with at least 10 nominations, Jeremy Renner will be a favorite to win Best Actor (but he probably won’t, which is ok as long as his competition is worthy), and Kathryn Bigelow will be the first female Best Director winner in Academy history.
I hope all that happens, anyway. I don’t care who the host is, I just care about the movies, but Steve and Alec will be good.
May I join your club?
I lived in Germany for the 80’s and missed the whole “wild and crazy guys” schtick, and when I came back to the USA to visit once, everyone was telling how hysterical this guy was - and sorry, but I didn’t find him even slightly amusing. I guess you had to be there, but I have never found him funny in anything. I don’t hate the guy - just don’t find him funny.
(As fate would have it, I later got to know his business partner very well and often had to shut up and be very diplomatic when Steve’s name was brought up in conversation…)
I loved Steve Martin - up until about Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, which was a terrible movie which he hasn’t and will never ever live up to again.
Alec Baldwin is gold, though.
I actually enjoyed Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, but for great Steve Martin films would place Roxanne, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Shop of Horrors and Planes, Trains & Automobiles ahead of it. Even his Pink Panther remakes have their moments.
Don’t forget “All of Me”.
Not his funniest film by far, but Pennies from Heaven will probably always be the greatest film he’s been associated with.
Neither of those did anything for me. YMMV.
Speaking of Steve Martin–
There was a thread earlier this week about websites that had free movies. One of the suggestions was archive.org. It has a collection of home movies, and a popular selection is “Disneyland Dream” from 1956. It’s a home-spun documentary about a family that wins a week long trip to the Magic Kingdom.
There’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that captured 11 year-old Steve Martin walking along and selling programs in front of Disneyland.
I’m a really big fan of both of these guys, but I’m interested to see how they work together. Kind of worries me that might be fighting for the spotlight and it will turn a little ridiculous.
You picked him out by his silver hair, yes?