Film Awards

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 >>

Liza Didn't Think She'd Get The Oscar

At last night's Warner Bros. Home Entertainment/TCM presentation of Cabaret at the Ziegfeld, Liza Minnelli said she thought Diana Ross was going to win the Oscar for Best Actress of 1972, for Lady Sings The Blues. "So I'd adjusted to that," she explained. "They said my name, and my father [Vincent ... More >>

Hear Me Talk Academy Awards Dish! Juicy And Fun Stuff!

Oscar know-it-all Tom O'Neil asked me to chat with him on his site goldderby.com for updates on the Oscar race and how it's been morphing by the minute. But it turned out to be just a trick to get me there so he could bitchslap me for my boring predictions!

New Hope For Ben Affleck and Argo?

Ben Affleck was surprisingly shut out of an Oscar nomination for Best Director last week, but he's not down yet. He stunned all the experts by copping Best Picture and Best Director at last night's Golden Globes as Lincoln looked distinctly un-Presidential. (As I just noted on CNN, the only award t ... More >>

Will Seth MacFarlane Be A Good Oscar Host?

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were a scream as hosts of the Golden Globes last night. They were wicked, witty, and spontaneous, and added some lovely tones of mirthful mockery to the proceedings, which could otherwise bog down in self congratulation. If Seth MacFarlane can do even half as well at the Os ... More >>

I Was So Good On CNN Yesterday

Pungent and informative and so cute I wanted to pinch my cheeks through the screen when I got home and watched it. On CNN International, I was the featured guest brought on to prognosticate about the Oscar nominations, which are coming this Thursday like a whole other Christmas morning.

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 >>

Paper Moon

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 >>

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.

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 >>

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 >>

Meryl Won't Win, and Other Surefire Oscar Predictions

This is the only ballot you'll need at your viewing party

Hollywood's Happy Ending: Why the Academy Has to Love The Artist

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

Octavia Spencer: What Do We Know About Her?

Mug shot from Comedy Central's "Halfway Home"​She's the favorite to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Minny in The Help, so it's only natural we learn a little more about the woman, right? Well, she's 39, 5'2", and hails from Montgomery, Alabama. Her mother worked as a ma ... More >>

This Year's Oscar Movies Are Not Big Money Makers At All!

BoxOfficeMojo.com reports that of the nine Best Picture nominees, only one -- The Help -- has made over $100 million. In second and third place are Moneyball and War Horse, with over $70 million, and while everyone's too polite to say this because they love Martin Scorsese, Hugo has only made $55.9 ... More >>

An Oscar For a Mute Performance? Can Happen

A lot of oddsmakers are talking up Jean Dujardin for his silent turn in the mostly speechless The Artist. And Max Von Sydow is getting a supporting push for playing a traumatized man who communicates via facial expressions and note writing in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. But a friend of mine ... 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 >>

A One-Two Punch For The Oscars

​ The Oscars desperately need to get some glory back after their last dismal telecast. But when they announced Eddie Murphy as a host, we all wondered, "Isn't he on a bit of a career slide? Is he really the kind of piping-hot star they need right now?" Besides, don't Eddie's hideous homophob ... More >>

Eddie Murphy Finally Talks To The Press

David Shankbone/Wikipedia​Ever since Eddie Murphy's 1997 good samaritan incident when he was caught generously driving a transsexual hooker home, Eddie has been reticent to talk to the print media.

The French Connection

Natalie Portman Outraged Over Galliano's Jew Hating

​ Leading up to the Oscars, the big fashion speculation was whether Natalie Portman would wear Dior, which she's under contract to promote, or Rodarte, who did the costumes for Black Swan. Well, it's a good thing she chose Rodarte, because as she walked the red carpet to the awards, the huge ... 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 >>

I Talked Oscars On CNN This Morning

​ And here are some saucy samplings of what I said. About Melissa Leo's F word: "It was in keeping with her character in The Fighter. And it was the only sign of life all night. It's just sad that it was the highlight of the whole telecast and you couldn't hear it! You had to read her lips! ... 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 >>

The Academy Awards: A Triumph for Oscar Mild

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 >>

Laurence Harvey: An Actress's Best Friend

​Thin, dry, and sexy, 1960s British actor Laurence Harvey may be best remembered as the guy who helped various actresses to Oscar glory. Something about his minimal acting and sardonic presence obviously encouraged his female costars' rise to golden heights of achievement. Harvey was the soc ... More >>

The French Connection

Performances Lost in the Awards Shuffle

​The Oscar nominations aren't out yet, but the Golden Globe ones were announced and all the critics' groups have declared their faves, so it's becoming clear who's being royally shafted this year. These are the best performances that I feel are sadly being pushed under a truck in favor of big ... More >>

LA, NY Film Critics Launch Award Season, Favor Hurt Locker

​What a relief -- the 2009 movie awards are rolling out, drawing our attention away from tedious realities and toward tinsel dreams of Oscar Night. The New York Film Critics Circle has just stepped up with The Hurt Locker for Best Picture and Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow); George Clooney (Up ... More >>

Take Back an Oscar!

​The Academy Awards are planning all kinds of ways to jazz up and reinvent their ceremony--like making the Best Picture category include 10 entries, no doubt so G-Force can catapult to the nominees' list. But I have a great idea for rejuvenating the show. How about if every year they announce ... More >>

The Godfather

Oscar Winners Storm Broadway

To combat the dull economy, big movie stars have taken over Broadway's stages, trophy in hand, hoping people will see them in just about anything. And they pretty much will, though some of these stars are offering way more than just reading the phone book. Their lustrous likes include:

It's Oscar Night: The Liveblog!

Welcome to the Village Voice's not-really-annual Oscar liveblog! Feel the electricity. Not sure if you've heard, but: This year's Academy Awards will be UNLIKE ANY YOU'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE! First of all: They've hired an architect to design the set. Money well spent. Next: Taking a page from The M ... More >>

Which Half of Brangelina is Getting Shafted by Oscar?

You read it here first! You'll be all chirpy and happy!

Anne Hathaway Fix Evaporates at Golden Globes

We weren't even going to mention the Golden Globes until we saw it on the front page of the New York Times -- who ever thought the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, once described as "100 stringers living off hors d'oeuvres," would gather such respect! -- but now we're duty-bound to mention tha ... More >>

Waltz with Bashir Wins National Critics' Award

The National Society of Film Critics named Waltz With Bashir, an animated fable of the 1982 Lenanon war, its Best Film of 2008. Critics including our own J. Hoberman ("a documentary that seems only possible, not to mention bearable, as an animated feature") praised the film highly, though its chance ... More >>

SAG Nominees Include One Pleasant Surprise

Milk, Happy-Go-Lucky Top NY Film Critics Awards

Separated At Birth?

Chapter 27

Jared Leto kills John Lennon. Yup.

TABLOIDED: The Oscars (and Maybe a Little Hard News)

Oscar Wild! Predictions For This Year's Award Winners

When Doves Cry

Oscar Declares War on the War

Oscar Undressed

The Starmaking Machinery Behind the Popular Gown

Oscar Wild!

My Ongoing Love Affair With Those Twisted Awards