There seems to be a bit of a controversy-not-controversy brewing online. Sebastian Stan has said that he wanted to do a Variety's Actors on Acting but none of the publicists wanted their clients associated with him so he could not do it. I hate to break it to Mr. McKay but welcome to the new normal. This is the monster you and everyone else have created where it's perfectly...

Oscar winner Viola Davis will be honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award when the Golden Globes air Sunday, January 5, 2025. The press release follows:   LOS ANGELES, California – November 20, 2024 – The Golden Globes® announced that actress, producer and Golden Globe winner Viola Davis has been named the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree for 2025. Davis earned her first Golden Globe award for Best Supporting...

Welcome to the Buzzmeter, a report every few days of what makes my radar. Universal did it right by slow-screening Wicked to the right people. First, just a handful of "friendlies." Their response was ecstatic. Then, they rolled it out to those we call the "junket whores," we say it with love. And they, too, were ecstatic. By the time Wicked dropped on Rotten Tomatoes, somehow, 2,500 people rated...

For the next few weeks (leading up to the Golden Globe nominations), the focus will primarily (most likely) be on the categories outside of the top eight that are above the line. Focusing on these three, in particular, is appropriate as they seem to bridge the previous eight and the remaining 16 categories. 1) Animated Feature Voted on by the entire academy, what makes the Best Animated Feature category...

One of these two movies, Gladiator II or Wicked, or both, will be getting into the Oscars. They are set to drop on this Friday opposite each other, Barbenheimer style. Both should do very well. I don't know who will win the box office between these two. I could even venture a guess at this point. Barbie trounced Oppenheimer but Oppenheimer won all the awards. It doesn't matter. I...

Despite the many films in release this year, there are just a small handful that are actually good movies. Of course, it's a matter of taste; everyone has their own. I once asked an Academy member years ago how they awarded Best Picture and he said to me, "We pick the best picture." What he meant was that they choose what they like the best. You'd be surprised how...

Well done, Academy. They chose well. Just when we thought they were down for the count, they picked a really strong host in Conan O'Brien. He's not someone who is not in the bubble of Hollywood. He's smart. He's funny. He won't be too partisan. The Oscars will live to see another day! Bravo. THE OSCARS SET TO AIR LIVE MARCH 2, 2025, AT 7 P.M. ET/4 P.M. PT,...