Why Eddie Murphy Hosting The Oscars Is A Great Choice

Eddie Murphy will be hosting the 2012 Academy Awards and I am already wicked excited. (I’m busting out the adopted Bay Stater in me, that’s how pumped I am.)

Murphy, who has laid low since Dreamgirls, is an unexpected choice, though he is starring in Oscar producer Brett Ratner’s fall comedy Tower Heist.

While you should never get too excited about the Oscars host to avoid the eventual disappointment, there are plenty of reasons why Eddie Murphy can be a good one – he’s a stand up legend, he is in need of a career resurgence, he will actually be funny. As one Oscars commentator has pointed out, “I’m hopeful that with Ratner behind him, Murphy will exude that unique combination of cheshire-cat grin and naughty humor that he used to such great effect in the Beverly Hills Cop films.”

But this is really the best reason:

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Oscars 2007: Best Supporting Actor Nominees

Today I am taking a look at the Best Supporting Actor nominees, many of whom are first time nominees. Alan Arkin, despite this being his third nomination, has not been nominated since 1969. In some cases, it is nearly impossible to find a screen caption of the actor, hence the two youtube videos.

Here are the 2007 Best Performance by an Actor Supporting Role nominees.

Alan Arkin as Grandpa, who is a cantankerous, drug-addict, but incredibly caring, in Little Miss Sunshine.

This is Arkin’s third Oscar nomination; he has never won.

What the critics have said:

“The casting is flawless. … Arkin has the best lines, and delivers them with the timing of a vaudeville pro.” –Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

Jackie Earle Haley as Ronnie McGorvey in Little Children

This is Haley’s first Oscar nomination.

What The Critics Have Said

“Besides Winslet, the actor most deserving of Oscar recognition is Jackie Earle Haley as the despised Ronald James McGorvey. ” — Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews

Djimon Hounsou as Solomon Vandy in Blood Diamond

This is Hounsou’s second Oscar nomination; he has never won.

What The Critics Have Said:

“What keeps you watching is the level of acting, especially between the two male leads [DiCaprio and Hounsou].” — Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News

Eddie Murphy as the James Brown-esque performer Jimmy “Thunder” Early in Dreamgirls

This is Murphy’s first Oscar nomination; he is the favorite to win.

What the critics have said:

“An entertaining movie made an event by Murphy — an actor some have deemed a has-been — and Hudson — a newcomer many in the industry misjudged as a never-will.”– Steven Snyder, Zertinet Movies

Mark Wahlberg as Sergeant Dignam in The Departed

This is Wahlberg’s first Oscar nomination.

What The Critics Have Said:

“Sensational. Before Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio, Damon, and Wahlberg were movie stars, now they are “Class A” actors. The only woman is the weak link. –Victoria Alexander, FilmsInReview.com