hollywood Archives

Mar42025 by cineverseNo Comments

Rats!’ Review: Absurdist Suburban Nightmare Suggests Comic Surrealism Is Also Bigger in Texas

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By Dennis Harvey According To The variety The same appealingly anarchic, punk-scented strain of indie comedy that made cult favorites of “Repo Man” and the more recent “Dinner in America” also marks territory for “Rats!” Maxwell Nalevansky and Carl Fry’s debut feature is a sustained goof whose nonsensical progress scores higher for energy and attitude than wit, let alone substance. Truth to tell, the humor here is frequently at a pretty crass level that might induce mere eye-rolls if less deftly handled. But the writer-director duo lend it all a certain deadpan panache that’s diverting even when the material is less than inspired. At its best, often spiked by gleefully gratuitous gore, this very tall Texas tale trades in a kind of snarky absurdism likely to leave suitably...

Mar32025 by cineverseNo Comments

L.A. Firefighters Roast ‘Joker 2’ at Oscars: ‘Our Hearts Go Out to Those Who Lost Their Homes. And I’m Talking About’ the ‘Joker’ Producers

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By Rebecca Rubin According To The variety Oscar host Conan O’Brien gave Los Angeles firefighters the opportunity to deliver a few zingers during Hollywood’s biggest night. On stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, O’Brien told the audience of A-listers, “Now, I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, but there are some jokes even I’m not brave enough to tell.” So he enlisted a number of first responders — members of the fire service who battled this year’s devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires — and instructed: “On behalf of myself, would you please read what’s in the prompter?” O’Brien first them turned back to the crowd to say, “Remember — everyone in this audience has to laugh; these are heroes!” Los Angeles Fire Department captain Erik Scott kicked things of...

Mar32025 by cineverseNo Comments

Oscars 2025 Winners: ‘Anora’ Leads With 5 Wins Followed by ‘The Brutalist’ With 3

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By Brent Lang, Jordan Moreau According To The variety Anora,” a dramedy about a sex worker who marries the pampered son of a Russian oligarch, triumphed at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, winning five Oscars, including the prize for best picture. Its victory capped a tumultuous awards season, one that cycled through frontrunners at a dizzying pace with contenders like “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist” seeing their fortunes rise and fall as controversies over everything from offensive tweets to the use of AI upended their campaigns. It was also a race that unfolded during one of the worst natural disasters in Los Angeles history, something that the Oscars reflected with tributes to the firefighters who came to the aid of communities impacted by the wildfir...

Mar22025 by cineverseNo Comments

Harrison Ford No Longer Presenting at Oscars

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By Jack Dunn According To The variety Harrison Ford will no longer be presenting at Sunday night’s Academy Awards, Variety has confirmed. Variety has confirmed through Ford’s rep that his last minute exit Saturday was due to a shingles diagnosis received on Friday. The Mayo Clinic describes shingles as a non-life threatening incurable viral infection that causes “a painful rash” which looks like “a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso.” Entertainment Weekly was the first to report Ford’s exit. Presenters still slated to walk the stage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater on Sunday night for the 97th Academy Awards include Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson...

Mar22025 by cineverseNo Comments

2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action’ Review: Optimism and Outrage Battle It Out in Solid Shorts Crop

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By Peter Debruge According To The variety Over the past two decades, the Academy Awards have been in a constant state of flux: There are now 10 best picture nominees instead of five, the membership has grown (and diversified) by more than 50% in that time, streaming releases now routinely vie for the top prize. Amid all that change, one constant remains: For 20 years, ShortsTV has been working with the short film nominees to get their work seen around the country. The theatrical audience for those releases grows each year, to the point that the “2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action” package is on track to outgross best picture nominee “Nickel Boys” at the box office. First up in an all-around strong (and impressively international) selection is the Croatian short that won th...

Mar22025 by cineverseNo Comments

Box Office: ‘Captain America’ Staying Above ‘Last Breath’ as Theaters Go Quiet Over Oscars Weekend

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By J. Kim Murphy According To The variety Sunday might be billed as Hollywood’s biggest night, but it certainly won’t be outside of the Oscars ceremony. As the town readies for the last evening of awards season, theaters are seeing another muted weekend. Focus Features’ underwater thriller “Last Breath” is projecting a measured opening at $7.3 million. Meanwhile, Disney’s “Captain America: Brave New World” is expected to maintain No. 1 for the third weekend in a row, despite quickly losing momentum among moviegoers. “Last Breath” dived into $3 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,018 venues. The survival thriller, about a real rescue operation by deep sea divers, is projected to earn $7.3 million through its opening frame. Alex Parkinson directs a cast that includes Wo...

Mar12025 by cineverseNo Comments

New York Times Asks Court to Dismiss Justin Baldoni’s Defamation Lawsuit

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By Angelique Jackson, Brent Lang According To The variety The New York Times is asking a federal judge to dismiss Justin Baldoni‘s defamation suit against the paper for its role in publishing a bombshell report that ignited his legal battle with Blake Lively. Baldoni has accused the Times of working in coordination with Lively and her PR team on the Dec. 21 article entitled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” that revealed the actress had filed a civil rights complaint accusing her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star of misconduct. The piece also contained allegations that Baldoni and his representatives engaged in an elaborate effort to tarnish Lively’s reputation in retaliation after she raised her concerns about his on-set behavior. In its filing,...