Academy Awards

Hey, Oscar Winners! Here Are Some Speeches You Should Avoid

The Oscars are this Sunday and I'm trembling with anticipation but a little queasy, knowing that certain acceptance speech patterns will surely crop up on the telecast along with bad surgery and uneven bosoms. In case it's not too late to avert them--the speeches, that is--the nominees should read ... More >>

The Oscars Should Be More Like The Golden Globes

The recent Golden Globes telecast was so rivetingly entertaining that the Oscars need to do exactly what they did in order to approach watchability on February 24. IMHO, they should: *Tell Seth MacFarlane that he will now have two cohosts--Tina and Amy. They were brilliantly wry and need to be ad ... More >>

Wolfgang Puck Shows Off the Governor's Ball Menu

Inaugural Balls are so last week. Next on the gala circuit is Governor's Ball, the swanky Academy Awards after party, featuring 1,500 of the Academy's closest friends. Yesterday Chef Wolfgang Puck previewed the menu he's been working on for the annual affair and spoke with Entertainment Tonight abou ... More >>

Venues Can't Serve Alcohol To Women With No Underwear on and Other Things You Learn Talking To R.A. the Rugged Man

Tonight, one of underground rap's most notorious legends, R.A. the Rugged Man, throws his own birthday bash at Drom. Joining him for tonight's shindig are critically acclaimed West Coast MC Blu and politically charged syllable killer Diabolic. We spoke to R.A. about completing another Rugged year, r ... More >>

Could Nicole Kidman Get An Oscar AND A Razzie For The Same Performance?

I discussed that in a spicy and informative webcam interview with Goldderby.com's Tom O'Neil. I pointed out that Nicole Kidman is getting Oscar nomination buzz for her role as a human Barbie in The Paperboy, even though her perf wasn't terribly good--with the emphasis on terribly. Tom points out t ... More >>

Did Barbra Streisand Re-Use An Old Version Of "My Man" For The Funny Girl Movie?

The answer seems to be yes, judging from the below video posted by Townhouse pianist Rick Unterberg. The version of "My Man" used in the 1968 Oscar-winning film sounds eerily like the one Babs had already recorded in 1965 for her My Name Is Barbra album. I mean, it's note for note.

It's A Vacation Week For Mikey Musto!

This week, I won't be smoking, drinking, wrong-way driving, or ordering large sodas. I won't be working either! I'm taking a vacation week, and I implore you all to be as responsible as I am, even without me watching over you with my incredible conscience as your guide.

Michael Fassbender's Penis Cost Him An Oscar Nomination

That's the contention of this GQ profile of the actor, who was getting lots of Oscar buzz for Shame until constant focus on his privates took away from the film's golden glow. The author notes "the surreal, feverish totemization of penis size in our culture: People feel free to harp on about someo ... More >>

"Meryl's A Terrible Neighbor" Say The Whiners

Sour grapes make for flat champagne once again. Bitter neighbors in Salisbury, Connecticut are claiming that Meryl Streep is more "Nasty Lady" than "Iron Lady." According to this writeup, "She lives on a very big multimillion dollar property in the area, but she doesn't give back."

The Hookie Awards Are Coming! Get Out Your Credit Cards!

Oscars, Shmoscars. The young, hip, and happening awards show is the Hookies--"the Oscars of escorting"--slated for a very steamy March 23 at Roseland.

Nostalgia Has Wussified Our Culture! Make It Stop!

It's getting out of control—hear me out

Oscars 2012: Best Dresses With the Meh Factor

Dear Ladies of the Red Carpet: Where's the shock of the swan dress or the pizzazz of the goth showgirl of yesteryear? Come on, ladies, this is the Oscars, and it's 2012! Why are so many of you million dollar actresses playing the Grace Kelly card? We are fully aware that all of you can't pull off ... More >>

Oscars Live Blog: Finally, Some Attention for Our Nation's Celebrities

​Tonight, we'll be covering the 84th Annual Academy Awards, live from a computer. Stay here on Runnin' Scared for exclusive insight and commentary from a Hollywood insider who has seen THREE movies this year (not including a two-part episode of The Mentalist that looked pretty big-budget). Who ... More >>

Oscar Comes To Grand Central

I'm going to be honest. I have a certain affinity for the Oscars, despite all of the oft-mentioned problems with the event (too long, too off-base with the films it honors). My frequent go-to procrastination technique involves searching for clips from old ceremonies on YouTube. (Billy Crystal as Gol ... More >>

Octavia Spencer Is Getting Her Breasts Done!

Yes, the Oscar front-runner for The Help thinks the help she needs is to get a rack lift. And you gotta love her for the honesty. As she tells Parade magazine about her post-Oscar plans:

Meryl Will Lose Again, And Other Fail-Safe Oscar Predictions

Check out my new column, in which I detail my exclusive, highly knowledgeable takes on who will win the major categories at the Oscars this Sunday, causing them to exude a kindly glow at least through Tuesday. Not among the victorious for the kazillionth time in a row is my gal Meryl Streep. She w ... More >>

BILLY WHO?

Murray Hill wins the Oscar for Best Host

The Saddest Celebrity Deaths of 2011

​Who will you miss the most? *Elizabeth Taylor. A legend, a goddess, an activist. *Steve Jobs. Ditto, except for the goddess bit.

SEASON’S FREAKINGS

Sample from a cornucopia of nastiness

Who Should Be The Oscar Host? Here Are My Picks

​Eddie Murphy has followed his homophobic pal Brett Ratner out the gay door, and now the Oscars are starting from square zero again, much like the Democrats did when John Edwards was revealed to have fathered a love child. So who should swoop in and save the show's ass? Naturally, I'm going ... More >>

Billy Crystal, Not the Muppets, Will Be Hosting the Oscars

​It took a lot of imagination and thinking-outside-the-box for the Academy to come up with this year's Oscar host after Eddie Murphy said no thanks: it's Billy Crystal, who has hosted the Oscars approximately 40 times already. The number is actually eight, but still. This is a safe choice, an ... More >>

Now That Eddie Murphy's Out, Should the Muppets Host the Oscars? Q&A

​Eddie Murphy announced that he was bowing out of hosting duties for next year's Oscars today. This came on the heels of Brett Ratner's resignation as the show's producer following an unfortunate gay slur. Oscar hosting duties are now up in the air. Who will take the reins?! Maybe the Muppet ... More >>

I Met Elvis's Costar Who Became A Nun!

​And three Oscar winners! And Pam Grier, Valerie Perrine, a former porn star, a lesbian movie star, Michael Pare, and Martine Beswick. They were all in the same room at the Chiller Theatre autograph show at the Parsippany, New Jersey Hilton. And they're all in this week's column.

Celebrity Photos From Chiller Theatre!

Me and the always fierce Pam Grier. She lit up the place like a Roman candle.​Today's column is all about my interactions with various Oscar winners, ex child stars, sitcom survivors, and other culty icons at the Chiller Theatre autography show in New Jersey the other night. Well, here's a go ... More >>

Emerging from Toronto, No Oscar Frontrunner in Sight

Jane Fonda's Body In Harper's Bazaar

​The two-time Oscar winner looks positively smashing in the diaphanous side view. You'd think she'd just done Barbarella or something. The woman could definitely charge for tricks again, just like in Klute. They shoot horses, don't they, but older actresses simply age like fine wine. Agree ... More >>

Oprah Winfrey Rumored to Be Possible Host of Next Year's Oscars

​[Insert obligatory "And you get an Oscar! And you! And you!" joke.] Oprah Winfrey, ruler of Earth, is rumored to be a candidate to host next year's Academy Awards, although nothing is official at this stage in the game. Look, anything beats Franco and Hathaway. At the Oprah Oscars, winners won't ... More >>

Staten Island's PS22 Chorus Were The Only Remotely Competent Performers At The Oscars

Oh my dogg, the Oscars were terrible this year: Anyone who is not Trent Reznor, Randy Newman, or Cate Blanchett ("That's gross") is invited to take a seat. The only other entity that came out ahead: Staten Island's own PS22 Chorus, taking a break from prettying up tunes from Katy Perry, MGMT, Arie ... More >>

Oscars 2011: Ranking the Red-Carpet Fashion Highs and Lows

You had us at beard. ​At Refinery 29's Oscar Viewing Party at the W Hotel in Union Square last night, we waited eagerly to be wowed by the celebs on the red carpet. Alas, that moment never came. We mostly shrugged, "meh"ed, and nodded. Not even Helena Bonham Carter, whose eccentricity has kept ... More >>

Runnin' Scared Liveblogs the Oscars

These aren't blurry Facebook photos or anything.​Hey -- the Oscars are tonight. Jen Doll and I will be liveblogging it here, so read it or else. We have a lot of opinions even though we've seen four of the Best Picture nominees between us, and I'm the one who has seen those four. White wine wi ... More >>

Brief Encounters in Oscar-Nominated Shorts 2011

Cults and Ingenue Fever at Sundance

The Oscars Will Be More Boring Than Dirt

​Is there any living being alive -- even a slug -- who doesn't know by now that the same four people who've won every acting award in tarnation are going to win the Oscars too? Yes, as sure as silk, Colin Firth will be stoic, Natalie Portman will cry, Christian Bale will have bulging eyes, an ... More >>

Anne Hathaway and James Franco? Here Are 5 Pairs Better Suited to Host the Oscars.

via NY Daily News​Today, Anne Hathaway and James Franco were named the hosts of this year's Academy Awards. The Daily News reports that Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer (the producers of the Oscars) said, "James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons -- fresh, exc ... More >>

FREE FLIPPER

Protest the killing of dolphins in Japan

Is Leonardo DiCaprio the New De Niro?

​Who ever thought that little Leonardo DiCaprio from Growing Pains would emerge as one of the most sought-after actors of his generation? After showing enough quirk appeal to get an Oscar nomination with What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, he developed into heartthrob material, almost making us bel ... More >>

Sandra Bullock's First Public Appearance Since The Oscars

​It was at Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards--a slight step down from the Academy Awards. But I guess Sandy felt it was finally time to face the world with a mixture of gratitude and humor, and this op came up, so she showed up. And, like the charmer she is, Sandy managed to get in a joke about ... More >>

My Heart Goes Out To Sandra Bullock

​How painful to step to the podium and caress your Academy Award while knowing that you're man is a dog who's playing around with a neo-Nazi motorcycle chick and your personal life has fallen to utter shit. Similarly, my auricles and ventricles go out to poor Kate Winslet, who's also suddenly ... More >>

The Worst Oscar Speeches

via Wikipedia​Supposedly this year, Oscar winners are forewarned to save their gratitudey lists of agents and preachers for backstage. On the telecast, they'll be advised to actually say something meaningful about the work they're being rewarded for. I don't necessarily agree that the Oscars ... More >>

Patricia Clarkson, I Need You!

​I've been trying to invite you to an event I'm having, and it's important because I worship you, and you've always been delightful about MY work too, unlike a lot of other Oscar nominees. And your publicists don't answer calls! Or emails! WTF? Is that any way to treat someone recently lion ... More >>

Oscar Nominees Announced; Extended Best Picture List Includes Up, Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man

In another February 2 ritual, the 2010 Oscar Nominees were announced this morning. The Best Picture list, expanded to ten nominees this year, are: An Education Avatar The Blind Side District 9 The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire A Serious Man Up U ... More >>

Which Movies Make You Cry?

​One of the awful things about getting a teeny bit older is that you start becoming sentimental about everything to the point where movies and plays that used to have you rolling your eyes suddenly make you break into more tears than an actress trying to get an Oscar nomination. In the theate ... More >>

Pussycat Dolls Sing Oscar Winning Song!

Embedding disabled by request; watch here. Did you ever think you'd hear Pussycat Dolls and Academy Award in the same sentence? Well, the gammy gals have redone the Oscar winning tune from Slumdog Millionaire, that bit of Bollywood bombast called "Jai Ho," while adding their own inimitable trollopy ... More >>

Oscar Night Reminder! It's Tonight!

No, it's not the actual Academy Awards that are tonight--that's this Sunday, as gays everywhere have known for a year--but this evening marks an even more spectacular gala: the me-hosted panel talking about the Oscars at the LGBT Center, as we span both gay heroes (Milk) and gay molesters (Doubt). T ... More >>

Best Oscar Party

Murray Hill has the Academy to thank

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

It's On!

'2006 Academy Award Nominated Shorts'

Rack Focus

Flabby White Guys Wrestling With Racism