From his interview during the pre-show, it looked like James Franco was going to bomb as co-host of the Oscars. The super-laid back guy always looks high. Put him next to the hyper Anne Hathaway and you’re asking for trouble. Indeed, the lovable Franco had a tough night, reading his lines robotically, often looking like he didn’t want to be there, and generally being unfunny. There was even one stretch of twenty minutes where Hathaway went it alone, leading many on Twitter to wonder if he’d been fired. While the opening produced bit was good, there was not a legitimate laugh on stage until Kirk Douglas showed up. He’s 94 years old.

Overall, the awards show contained a few surprises in lesser categories but for the most part went according to prognostications. The King’s Speech and Colin Firth took 3 out of the 4 top awards. Natalie Portman won best actress and won over the entire crowd with her honesty and sweetness. It’s now a toss-up between her and Sandra Bullock for the most beloved starlet in Hollywood. Melissa Leo dropped an F-bomb, Christian Bale seemed to forget his wife’s name, and the makers of Inside Job reminded us that, still, no one in Wall Street has gone to jail for the economic tom-foolery of 2008. The Academy is still struggling with how to present the best songs of the year. This time, they inserted two medleys into the middle of the show. I personally prefer 5 grand performances spread out across the broadcast.

Finally, we have to wonder who Corey Haim must have pissed off to not be included in the 2010 memoriam to deceased personalities. The Lost Boys star made over 40 movies and TV shows and, while he battled with serious drug issues and never was able to clean himself up, he deserved better. The guy dies and he still can’t get a quick headshot in a 5 minute montage. Ouch. Let’s hope James Franco doesn’t end up like that one day.