I am one of those naive suckers who hopes for great things from Eddie Murphy when he hosts the Oscars---I pray the live stage will revive the Funniest Man Alive in him.  I am in good company among the believers now that Bowfinger co-star and three-time Oscar host Steve Martin penned an open letter to Murphy with advice on how to handle the ceremony.  This is my favorite line:

"If you feel tired midway through, give Neil Patrick Harris a Red Bull and throw some sheet music at him."

The full letter---including a dig at Norbit and a dick joke---is up at Martin's official site.  It's hilarious, as you would expect from a fellow perennial Funniest Man Alive contender.  Given Martin's past history with the Academy, it's a safe bet he will be involved in the telecast in some form.  It would be great to see Martin and Murphy work together again, especially since 1999's Bowfinger is often cited as Murphy's last solid comedic performance.  I'll try to keep my expectations in check for now, but at the very least, Murphy should be able clear the low bar set by Sunday's Emmy telecast. Right? ... Right? ... Guys?