Can’t wait for the inevitable “Austin Powers 4“? Oscar’s latest attempt at humor — starring Mike Myers and Kevin Kline — may be enough to tide you over. Fair warning: Only die hard Myers fans need apply.
In a move that appears to be intended to make the Oscars look a bit more “fun,” the Academy has enlisted the help of Myers and Funny or Die to create this “Oscar Etiquette” video, as seen on the Oscar site. It’s an amusing premise that, for some reason, runs for nearly five insufferable minutes.
Oscar winner Kline is accused of mishandling his “A Fish Called Wanda” trophy (richly deserved, by the way), and only the stuffy British aristocrat Sir Cecil Worthington (guess who) can help re-educate the actor in the art of holding and storing the prized award. Sporting a bad comb over, fake teeth, and dressed like a refugee from “Masterpiece Theater,” Myers resurrects his shop-worn schtick, seen in everything from “Saturday Night Live” to “Inglourious Basterds,” as he schools a bewildered Kline in Oscar etiquette using convoluted mnemonic devices, Snickers bars and flat jokes. It may be the closest Myers ever gets to an Oscar.
What do you think of the video? The Oscars air this Sunday, February 26 on ABC at 7 ET/4 PT.