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Gal Gadot Was the Only Hollywood Star from the Vanity Fair Oscar Issue to Attend Their Annual Party

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Wonder Woman was the only star from Vanity Fair’s 2018 Hollywood issue to actually attend their party. Sharp eyed guests rang me after the party to comment that Gal Gadot was the single member of that cover gang to set foot on VF’s red carpet.

From left to right those who didn’t make the date were Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hanks, Michael B. Jordan, Zendaya, Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Claire Foy, Harrison Ford, former VF editor in chief Graydon Carter, and Robert DeNiro.

Where were they? Somewhere else, I guess.

2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Notable Guest List
Host:
Radhika Jones & Max Petersen
2018 Oscar Winners:
Actor in a Leading Role: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside
Ebbing, Missouri
Actor in a Supporting Role: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,
Missouri
Actress in a Supporting Role: Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Animated Feature Film: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina, Darla K. Anderson, Coco
Costume Design: Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread
Documentary (Feature): Bryan Fogel, Icarus
Short Film (Animated): Kobe Bryant, Glen Keane, Dear Basketball
Short Film (Live Action): Rachel Shenton, Chris Overton, Silent Child
Foreign Film: Sebastiàn Lelio, Fantastic Woman
Visual Effects: John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer,
Blade Runner 2049
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name
Writing (Original Screenplay): Jordan Peele, Get Out
Makeup: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowsky, Lucy Sibbick, Darkest Hour
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
Production Design: Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau, Paul D. Austerberry, The
Shape of Water
Film Editing: Lee Smith, Dunkirk
Actor:
Mindy Kaling
Emma Watson
Timothee Chalamet
Frances McDormand
Allison Janney
Gary Oldman
Margot Robbie
Willem Dafoe
Daniel Kaluuya
Octavia Spencer
Gael Garcia Bernal
Matt Bomer
Patricia Clarkson
Laura Dern
Caleb Landry Jones
Armie Hammer
Kathryn Hahn
Oscar Isaac
Gabrielle Union
Lena Waithe
Zoe Kravitz
Richard Jenkins
Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor
Rachel Bloom
Grace Gummer
Jon Hamm
Olivia Munn
Megan Mullally & Nick Offerman
Sarah Silverman
Amanda Seyfried
Miles Teller
Ansel Elgort
Ben Mendelsohn
Hailee Steinfeld
Emma Stone
Darren Criss
Sienna Miller
Jared Leto
Sacha Baron Cohen & Isla Fischer
Will McCormack
Emma Roberts
Sam Heughan
Halston Sage
Orlando Bloom
Tiffany Haddish
Anjelica Huston
Edgar Ramirez
Tyler Perry
Emily Ratajkowski
Allison Williams
RuPaul Charles
Minnie Driver
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Jason Sudeikis & Olivia Wilde
Donald Glover
Amy Adams
Kate Bosworth
Saoirse Ronan
Gal Gadot
Tracee Ellis Ross
Trevante Rhodes
Pom Klementieff
Marisa Tomei
Ali Fazal
Tatiana Maslany
Rita Moreno
Ellen Pompeo
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
James Marsden
Mira Sorvino
Kelsey Grammer
Anthony Anderson
Andy Samberg & Joanna Newsom
Jackie Cruz
Kerry Washington
Kumail Nanjiani & Emily V. Gordon
Michael Stuhlbarg
Sir Patrick Stewart
Elizabeth Banks
Emily Blunt
Mamie Gummer
Matt Smith
Donald Sutherland
Rashida Jones & Ezra Koenig
Nick Kroll
Michelle Monaghan
Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Sam Taylor-Johnson
Salma Hayek
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Julianne Hough
Zooey Deschanel
Lupita Nyong’O
Constance Wu
Mark Hamill
Tom Bateman
Danai Gurira
Ana De Armas
Michael Keaton
Judith Light
Luke Bracey
Zoe Lister Jones
Sofia Boutella
Kate Beckinsale
Faye Dunaway
Eiza Gonzalez
Danny Huston
Sam Rockwell & Leslie Bibb
Sofia Vergara & Joe Manganiello
Zendaya
Kendall Jenner
Rupert Friend
Peter Fonda
Halle Berry
Jennifer Garner
Sarah Hyland
Abbie Cornish
Alicia Silverstone
Aaron Paul
Connie Britton
Angela Bassett
Jack Huston
Christopher Walken
Tony Goldwyn
Chadwick Boseman
Adam Scott
Eric Roberts
Odeya Rush
Eva Marie Saint
Jessica Williams
Pedro Pascal
Jenna Dewan Tatum
Beanie Feldstein
Betty Gabriel
Camila Mendes
Kelly Marie Tran
Hari Nef
Evan Peters
Sasha Lane
Tom Holland
Terry Crews
Madeline Brewer
Adrien Brody
Nina Dobrev
Colin Hanks
Abigail Spencer
Jon Voight
Sebastian Stan
Sam Humphrey
Keegan Michael Key
Dylan McDermott
Activist:
Tarana Burke
Monica Lewinsky
DeRay McKesson
Caitlyn Jenner
Ai-jen Poo
Cecile Richards
Janet Mock
Patrisse Cullors
Arts/Literary:
Michael Govan
Rachel Kushner
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
André Aciman
Gillian Flynn
Comedy:
Nick Kroll
John Mulaney
Marlon Wayans
Billy Eichner
Judd Apatow & Leslie Mann
David Spade
Business:
James Murdoch
Lachlan Murdoch
Robert Kraft
Robert Iger & Willow Bay
Anne Wojcicki
Bill McGlashan
Marc Benioff
Sir Martin Sorrell
Brian Roberts
Francois-Henri Pinault & Salma Hayek
Paul Allen
Tom Freston
Yuri Milner
Bozoma Saint John
Fatma Al Remaihi
Jeff Bezos
Bob Sauerberg
Fashion:
Alexander Wang
Roberta Armani
Zac Posen
Kate Mulleavy
Ozwald Boateng
Producer/Writer:
Shonda Rhimes
Roger A. Deakins C.B.E.
Rachel Morrison
David Steinberg
Martin McDonagh
Alan Bergman
Mary Parent
Jason Blum
Jennifer Todd
David Nevins
J. J. Abrams
Brian Grazer
Stephen Levinson
Jordan Horowitz
Virgil Williams
Studio:
Ron Meyer
Jon Feltheimer
Scott Stuber
Jim Gianopulos
Alan Horn
Donna Langley
Steve Tisch
Matthew Blank
Jeff Shell
Tom Bernard
Michael Barker
Dawn Hudson
Media:
James Corden
Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos
Gretchen Carlson
David Remnick
Phillip Picardi
Jodi Kantor
Emily Steel
Megan Twohey
Ronan Farrow
Jon Lovett
Catt Sadler
Director:
Ava Duvernay
Greta Gerwig
Ryan Murphy
Damien Chazelle
Jordan Peele
Feras Fayyad
Sam Taylor Johnson
John Singleton
James Ivory
Ron Howard
Eric Fellner
Joe Wright
Michael Mann
Spike Lee
Paul Feig
Luca Guadagnino
Sean Baker
Model/Socialite:
Naomi Campbell
Joan Smalls
Padma Lakshmi
Kate Upton
Adriana Lima
Martha Hunt
Alessandra Ambrosio
Taylor Hill
Jasmine Tookes
Hailey Baldwin
Lily Aldridge
Lydia Hearst
Stella Maxwell
Toni Garrn
Sara Sampaio
Cami Morrone
Heidi Klum
Molly Simms
Kelly Rohrbach
Nina Agdal
Amber Valetta
Ashley Graham
Karolina Kurkova
Sports:
Kobe Bryant
Garbine Muguruza
Maya and Alex Shibutani
Adam Rippon
Mirai Nagasu
Russell Wilson & Ciara
Gus Kenworthy
Caroline Wozniacki
Lindsey Vonn
Music:
Adam Levine
St. Vincent
Miley Cyrus
Janelle Monae
Ciara
Sufjan Stevens
Ezra Koenig
Andra Day
Justin Paul
Benj Pasek
Quincy Jones
Calvin Harris
Sean Combs
Wiz Khalifa
Irving Azoff
Ellie Goulding
Rita Ora
Paris Jackson
Mary J. Blige
Eddie Vedder
Ricky Martin
Carter Burwell
Reggie Watts
Shawn Mendes
Este Haim
Danielle Haim
Alana Haim
Katy Perry
Rufus Wainwright
Mark Ronson
Diplo
Jimmy Iovine & Liberty Ross
Drake
Jimmy and Jane Buffett
French Montana
Zedd
Halsey and G-Eazy
Bebe Rexha
Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth
Miguel
Eddie Vedder

Vanity Fair Oscar Party Welcomes James and Lachlan Murdoch, Eschews Romanticizing of Hollywood Past

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Once upon a time. the Vanity Fair Oscar party was “the” place to be after the Academy Awards.

It’s where Ellen Degeneres met Anne Heche. It’s where Monica Lewinsky made her debut after the Clinton scandal. Old Hollywood mixed with new.

Graydon Carter, you see, had that sensibility. He took from Swifty Lazar and Dani Janssen, who knew the players. The Vanity Fair was so good up til last year that Elton John would come on over after his party peaked. (Not so this year, btw.)

Last year, there were all kinds of cool interesting guests apart from the Oscar nominees. I walked in with Mariah Carey and Pharrell (they weren’t together), Justin Timberlake was hanging out, LA Reid and Smokey Robinson had a whole corner.

The year before, it was Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio and whole gangs of the curious. Mick Jagger was a regular. There was frisson.

Alas, the party is over. The guest list read like the Indie Spirit Awards meets a trip to Target in Beverly Hills. A bunch of people didn’t show or weren’t invited, from French artist JR and Agnes Varda (nominated for Best Doc– I heard they weren’t invited) to Barbara Davis, the city’s most beloved philanthropist.

Legends like Jane Fonda and Warren Beatty were nowhere to be seen. Nicole Kidman probably went home.

If there were hot people in town, they gave their own parties. Jay Z rented out the garage at Chateau Marmont and invited 300 friends including, presumably, Beyonce and maybe even Solange. Quincy Jones went there and held court. Big black screens covered the entrances to the garage so even hotel guests couldn’t see who was coming or going. The music pounded like it was an express train rocking through a local station.  Extra security– big beefy guys with ear pieces– were stationed in even the strangest places.

Meanwhile, Madonna and manager Guy Oseary had their bash. This would explain where people Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone would have been (but not Warren Beatty– not at Madonna’s).

But back to Vanity Fair. The list of actors on the tip sheet read more like In Touch or TV Guide than…Vanity Fair.

It’s the end of an era maybe. I hope not. But we may have reached a generational change and there’s no going back.

Graydon’s Oscar party and sensibility was Old Guard- it came from Swifty Lazar and the original Spago-Ma Maison-Le Dome era. But almost every one is dead, or they’ve gone home. And no one at Vanity Fair has any kind of spiritual connection to the Old Guard– who would romanticize it now?

PS Guests included James and Lachlan Murdoch? Huh?

And PPS– Byron Allen’s party last night raised $1.5 million for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Elton John’s party raised $6 million for AIDS research. Vanity Fair’s party was…a party.

 

Oscar Ratings May Be Lowest Ever, Down 26% from Last Year as Viewers Tune Out

The ratings for the Oscars are, unsurprisingly, pretty awful. Early estimates are that the show was down 26% from last year. And THOSE ratings were down 31% from the prior year.

The upside of the show last night– great musical performances, lots of new and fresh faces, and Tiffany Haddish.

But there were many issues with how the show came off. My biggest question was why, after Best Supporting Actor was given, we went into a black hole for 90 minutes. The next categories were one after another as boring as they could have been despite the efforts of the producers to use interesting presenters.

Also, the audience at home, in the theater, could have used some good parodies. I loved the old fashioned black and white introduction. But why did not come out dressed as the Sea Creature from “Shape of Water”? Why weren’t there three funny billboards on stage? Nothing from “Black Panther,” the biggest movie in the world right now? (Believe me, waiting a year to do that next February — no.)

You could feel it in the Dolby Theater: the bars on the ground floor and the one near the stage filled up with stars like crazy. Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone were in deep conversation almost from Supporting Actor to Supporting Actress. In time I spotted just about all the nominees and all the interesting people from the orchestra section.

This included Saoirse Ronan and her mom with Beanie Feldstein, Oscar Isaac chatting up Martin McDonagh, Netflix chief Ted Sarandos and wife Nicole Avant, Annabella Sciorra, “Birdman” director Alejandro Innaritu, Margot Robbie, artist JR from “Faces Places,” Allison Janney with her Oscar, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, and so on. When Jordan Peele won Best Original Screenplay there was an audible gasp, then huge applause.

But that first 90 minutes of what turned out to be four hours helped to kill the show’s ratings. If the audience in the house drifted away, what could you expect from the world outside? Also, there were no surprises among the winners– it was more of a coronation. There was no big reveal. But also, there are big stars really.

In that sense, Jane Fonda represented Old Hollywood– and looked beautiful doing it. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were fine and fun at the end of the show. But look what’s happened: Jack Nicholson is out of it, he’s done with public appearances. Gene Hackman is long retired. Dustin Hoffman had a bad year. Clint Eastwood– not his thing. Pacino and DeNiro were AWOL, waiting for “The Irishman” next year. So who are the big draws?

And then– Disney/ABC sent their guy, Jimmy Kimmel, to a screening of their next movie “A Wrinkle in Time” to “surprise” that audience next door with goodies, mostly candy. That may have been too sugary for anyone at home.

Oscar Parties: Elton John Raises $6 Mil for AIDS Research, Katy Perry & Jamie Foxx Rock Beverly Hills, Fox Celebrates Huge Wins

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The swirl of post- Oscar parties wasn’t quite what it used to be, but you can count on Elton John to give the night some pizzazz. Sir Elton performed with Miley Cyrus at his tented party for EJAF, his AIDS Foundation with David Furnish, and also featured hot new group Greta van Fleet. Miley posted her happiness with the whole thing Instagram *see below. It was a rare public appearance for Miley and (husband?)Liam Hemsworth.

The most important element of Elton and David’s dinner and concert is that it’s to raise money for an important cause– it’s not just a slap on its own back. So millions were raised again for AIDS research– just under $6 million– and everyone had fun participating in the process.

My favorite men :) @eltonjohn @liamhemsworth

A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on

Over at the Beverly Wilshire, movie mogul and comedian Byron Allen presented Jamie Foxx and Katy Perry to a crowd that included Quincy Jones, Paris Hilton and fiancee Chris Zylka, and a ton of stars who danced like crazy to “Chained to the Rhythm.” Byron’s Entertainment Studios just released the much praised “Hostiles.” In April they’re putting out “Chappaquiddick,” which should make some noise

When the Oscars ended, the 20th Century Fox party started at Tao in Hollywood, where the studio celebrated winning Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor, Best Score, and so on with “The Shape of Water” and “Three Billboards.” Most of the tasty sushi was gone by the time Guillermo del Toro arrived, so composer Alexandre Desplat, Andy Serkis, and other stars got the best of it. No one knows what will happen to Fox or Fox Searchlight, but it was a grand night to toast their huge Oscar accomplishments of recent years including “The Revenant,” and “Birdman.”

Oscars: “Shape of Water” Wins Best Picture, Director But Acting Nods Go to Oldman, McDormand, Rockwell and Janney

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No big surprises tonight at the 90th Academy Awards. Guillermo del Toro won Best Director for directing the Best Picture, “The Shape of Water.”

Acting prizes were as predicted– to Gary Oldman for “Darkest Hour,” Frances McDormand for “Three Billboards,” Allison Janney for “I, Tonya” and Sam Rockwell for “Three Billboards.”

The Jimmy Kimmel hosted show was long — four hours– and its ups and downs like every Oscar cast. The biggest issue was the sequencing of awards– there was a good hour in there that was wretchedly dull. The bars in the Dolby Theatre lobby filled almost to capacity with nominees, celebrities and so on.More on that later tomorrow.

Best Picture: “The Shape of Water”

Director: Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”

Actor: Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”

Actress: Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Supporting Actress: Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”

Adapted Screenplay: “Call Me by Your Name”

Foreign Language Film: “A Fantastic Woman”

Animated Feature: “Coco”

Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049”

Film Editing: “Dunkirk”

Animated Short: “Dear Basketball”

Live Action Short: “The Silent Child”

Documentary Short: “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405”

Score: “The Shape of Water”

Song: “Remember Me” from “Coco”

Production Design: “The Shape of Water”

Cinematography: “Blade Runner 2049”

Costume Design: “Phantom Thread”

Makeup and Hairstyling: “Darkest Hour”

Documentary Feature: “Icarus”

Sound Editing: “Dunkirk”

Sound Mixing: “Dunkirk”

Tennis Great Billie Jean King on How Men Should Behave: “Loosen up, cry like Roger Federer. He sobs whether he wins or loses”

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Cathy Schulman, noted producer and Women In Film (WIF) President hosted a revival service of sorts Hollywood style last evening: the 11th Annual WIF Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party at Crustacean in Beverly Hills. Academy Award Winner Viola Davis played her role perfectly as the Inspirational Preacher.  Tireless advocate Cathy got the night started by saying, “We’re at an absolute tipping point with this moment right now.  It takes all of us to do all the important work necessary to turn this tipping point into actual progressive and systemic change so that women’s careers can be long sustainable and successful.” 

Schulman then introduced her “woman king” Viola Davis and as usual Davis captivated the room.  “With all the women in this room feeling like we have a little extra weight on us, feeling like especially in this past year that we have testimonies of sexual assault, feeling like we are less than, and always at the caboose, burgeoning.  We’re still worth it.  With all of our imperfections complexities and confusion, we’re worth it.  This is a year of owning who we are.  You either own your story and you share it or you stand outside of it, always hustling for your worth.  I am a proponent of the moment you came out of your mother’s womb, you are worthy.  That’s what we are learning this year. Even the women who are still in silence and the women who stepped up and spoke up.  All the women nominees and all the women that could have been and should have been nominees, we’re all worth it.  That’s what we need to come into the room with and what we need to go into 2018, 2019 with. That the privilege of a lifetime is being exactly who we are.” 

Emma Stone then took the stage and quipped, “No one should have to follow Viola Davis, ever.” Stone then introduced Billie Jean King whom she portrayed in “Battle Of The Sexes.”  Billie noted that “women are taught to be perfect, and boys an men are taught to be brave.  So women stop apologizing and men you don’t have to be brave all the time.  Loosen up, cry like Roger Federer. He sobs whether he wins or loses.”  

Other VIPS sipping on Jane Walker (yes, the companion now to Johnnie Walker,) were Keegan Michael Key, Songwriter Diane Warren, Agnes Varda, whom everyone wanted to meet, Margot Robbie, Mary J Blige, Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde, Bradley Whitford, Sharon Lawrence, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, Greta Gerwig and more.  With Cathy at the helm and women more determined than ever to achieve equal rights in Hollywood, change is happening.

Oscars Saturday Night: Elton John Dines Quietly “Before the Storm,” Ricky Martin Meets Guillermo del Toro, Everyone Complains About Vanity Fair

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On the night before the Oscars, and what did they do…

Well, you know dozens of stars went to the Night Before, on the Fox lot, to raise money for the salaries of the staff at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills– and for legal fees in upcoming trials.

But the really fun party was at the Giorgio Armani store on Rodeo Boulevard, where the designer’s daughter, Roberta, threw a bash honoring “Shape of Water” director Guillermo del Toro. I never heard so many people laughing and having a good time in a fancy store without getting anything for free. Among the guests were Ricky Martin, Matthew Modine (with beautiful actress daughter Ruby), famed producer director George Stevens, Jr. (with beautiful wife Elizabeth) plus the great Samuel L. Jackson and his beautiful actress wife LaTonya Richardson. Darren Criss got kudos from everyone there for  Ryan Murphy’s “Versace,” del Toro got to meet Hollywood’s most beloved philanthropists– mother and daughter Barbara and Nancy Davis. And everyone stayed til the end, which was a good sign…

over at Craig’s on Melrose, the reigning king of hot spots, Sir Elton John commanded a large corner table with partner David Furnish. Their guests included the terrific British director (Nowhere Boy, 50 Shades of Grey) Sam Taylor-Johnson with her actor husband Aaron Johnson (so good in “Nocturnal Animals”), New Yorker Sandy Brandt and her daughter. Elton said: “We’re dining quietly. It’s the calm before the storm,” meaning tonight’s Elton John AIDS Foundation gala, star studded and so important for AIDS research fundraising…not too long after this table settled in, arrived singer John Mayer at the next booth…and in the front booth rock manager, legend Irving Azoff hosted New Yorkers Ronald Perelman and daughter Samantha…around the corner from them former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hosted his own table and talked about his upcoming California governor’s race…

…and wherever you go there are complaints about the Vanity Fair Oscar party. Many regulars not invited now that Graydon Carter and his staff are gone. Many wondering if Vogue’s Anna Wintour has stealthily taken control. With Vanity Fair having its second cover controversy in a row, sales down, and advertisers overflowing the VF tent (they need ads, you know), who knows what’s going on. We’ll get a better idea by tomorrow morning…But the Elton John party will be the place to be…

Other parties looking like fun tonight: comedian, entrepreneur Byron Allen, now a movie mogul, tossing a gala at the Beverly Wilshire with Katy Perry and Jamie Foxx performing…and Jay Z is taking over Chateau Marmont for an after-after party to knock out Madonna’s late night soiree. Jay Z’s party will probably run until 4:44 AM!

“Get Out” Wins Indie Spirit Awards, Which Are Basically Rehearsals for the Oscars

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The sun came out for the Indie Spirit Awards on Saturday in Santa Monica in their famed beach tent. “Get Out” won Best Picture, Jordan Peele won Best Director for Directing it. And that was all pretty wild since “Get Out” — a little movie that wound up making millions– came from Universal, a Very Big Studio.

The Spirit Awards are basically rehearsal for the Oscars. Three of the acting winners on Saturday are likely to win Academy Awards today– Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, and Allison Janney. Greta Gerwig won Best Screenplay for “Lady Bird,” a signal that she may win today, too.

The documentary winner was “Faces/Places” with Agnes Varda and French artist JR. It’s not really a documentary, but it’s so whimsical and fun it’s like a dessert. This film could very well beat more serious fare at the Oscars.

This year’s Spirit Awards, like last year’s, were hosted by the very funny Nick Kroll and John Mullaney. They shredded Harvey Weinstein, Brett Ratner, and other Hollywood names in the news this past year for personal scandals.

In the tent, which is really a bubble metaphor for Hollywood, the mood was upbeat even though several snubs in the nominations– like Willem Dafoe in “The Florida Project”– were head scratchers. For example, Greta Gerwig wasn’t nominated for Best Director for “Lady Bird” despite this being The Year of the Woman, etc.

But Timothee Chalamet– 22 years old and winner of Best Actor for “Call Me By Your Name” — expressed the naive but charming thought of the Bubble– that there’s a new generation coming. Hollywood will change, and so on. God bless. There’s always a chance.

One thing I noticed is that guests at the Spirit Awards with this “new generation”: they’re dressing more like it’s a business gathering in a hotel ballroom. It used to be everyone wore jeans, it was very relaxed. Now, I couldn’t help but notice all the suits and ties, many women really dressed up. It’s a sign of something– maybe that big studios are releasing “independent” films.

BEST FEATURE“Call Me by Your Name”
“The Florida Project”
“Get Out” (WINNER)
“Lady Bird”
“The Rider”

BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)

“Columbus”
“Ingrid Goes West” (WINNER)
“Menashe”
“Oh Lucy!”
“Patti Cake$”

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

“Dayveon”
“A Ghost Story”
“Life and Nothing More” (WINNER)
“Most Beautiful Island”
“The Transfiguration”

BEST DIRECTOR

Sean Baker, “The Florida Project”
Jonas Carpignano, “A Ciambra”
Luca Guadagnino, “Call Me by Your Name”
Jordan Peele, “Get Out” (WINNER)
Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, “Good Time”
Chloé Zhao, “The Rider”

BEST SCREENPLAY

Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird” (WINNER)
Azazel Jacobs, “The Lovers”
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
Mike White, “Beatriz at Dinner”

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Kris Avedisian, Story By: Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman, “Donald Cried”
Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani, “The Big Sick” (WINNER)
Ingrid Jungermann, “Women Who Kill”
Kogonada, “Columbus”
David Branson Smith, Matt Spicer, “Ingrid Goes West”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Thimios Bakatakis, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”
Elisha Christian, “Columbus”
Hélène Louvart, “Beach Rats”
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, “Call Me by Your Name” (WINNER)
Joshua James Richards, “The Rider”

BEST EDITING

Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, “Good Time”
Walter Fasano, “Call Me by Your Name”
Alex O’Flinn, “The Rider”
Gregory Plotkin, “Get Out”
Tatiana S. Riegel, “I, Tonya” (WINNER)

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Salma Hayek, “Beatriz at Dinner”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Shinobu Terajima, “Oh Lucy!”
Regina Williams, “Life and Nothing More”

BEST MALE LEAD

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name” (WINNER)
Harris Dickinson, “Beach Rats”
James Franco, “The Disaster Artist”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Robert Pattinson, “Good Time”

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Holly Hunter, “The Big Sick”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” (WINNER)
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Lois Smith, “Marjorie Prime”
Taliah Lennice Webster, “Good Time”

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Nnamdi Asomugha, “Crown Heights”
Armie Hammer ,”Call Me by Your Name”
Barry Keoghan, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Benny Safdie, “Good Time”

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

“Mudbound”
Director: Dee Rees
Casting Directors: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram
Ensemble Cast: Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

‘The Departure,” Lana Wilson
“Faces Places,” directed by Agnés Varda, JR, produced by Rosalie Varda (WINNER)
“Last Men in Aleppo,” directed by Feras Fayyad, produced by Kareem Abeed, Søeren Steen Jespersen, Stefan Kloos
“Motherland,” directed by Ramona S. Diaz, produced by Rey Cuerdo
“Quest,” directed by Jonathan Olshefski, produced by Sabrina Schmidt Gordon

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

“BPM (Beats Per Minute),” Robin Campillo, France
“A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, Chile (WINNER)
“I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, Zambia
“Lady Macbeth,” William Oldroyd, U.K.
“Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia

BONNIE AWARD – The inaugural Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.

So Yong Kim
Lynn Shelton
Chloé Zhao (WINNER)

JEEP TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 23rd annual Truer Than Fiction Award, funded by the Jeep brand, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Shevaun Mizrahi, Director of “Distant Constellation”
Jonathan Olshefski, Director of “Quest” (WINNER)
Jeff Unay, Director of “The Cage Fighter”

KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 24th annual Someone to Watch Award, funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Amman Abbasi, Director of “Dayveon”
Justin Chon, Director of “Gook” (WINNER)
Kevin Phillips, Director of “Super Dark Times”

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 21st annual Producers Award, funded by Piaget, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films.

Giulia Caruso & Ki Jin Kim
Ben LeClair
Summer Shelton

 

Pop Chart Surprise: Bon Jovi’s 2016 Album Makes Stunning Jump to Number 1 with 130K Copies 2 Years After Release

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This house is not for sale–but these concert tickets are. Bon Jovi’s 2016 album “This House is Not For Sale” sold 130,000 copies this week– two years later– and jumped to number 1 out of nowhere.

That’s because it was bundled with ticket sales for upcoming Bon Jovi shows. And if there’s one thing Bon Jovi still does really well is sell out shows. They are one live act everyone wants to see.

Ironically, the album only sold 128,000 copies the week it debuted in November 2016. Pretty funny– in a good way.

Still, ticket and CD bundles usually don’t do this well. But this marketing idea has revived their album– a really good album, by the way– and has given Bon Jovi a new lease on life. It’s good news all the way around.

Tour Dates

March 14 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
March 16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
March 17, Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
March 20, Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
March 22, San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
March 23, Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
March 25, New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
March 26, Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
April 2, Boston, MA @ TD Garden
April 4, Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
April 7, Newark @ Prudential Center
April 8, Newark @ Prudential Center
April 18, Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
April 20, Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
April 21, Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
April 24, Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
April 26, Chicago, IL @ United Center
April 28, St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
April 29, Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Bradley Center
May 2, Allentown, PA @ PPL Center
May 3, Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
May 5, Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
May 7, Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
May 9, New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
May 10, New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Tour Dates

March 14 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
March 16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
March 17, Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
March 20, Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
March 22, San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
March 23, Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
March 25, New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
March 26, Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
April 2, Boston, MA @ TD Garden
April 4, Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
April 7, Newark @ Prudential Center
April 8, Newark @ Prudential Center
April 18, Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
April 20, Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
April 21, Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
April 24, Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
April 26, Chicago, IL @ United Center
April 28, St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
April 29, Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Bradley Center
May 2, Allentown, PA @ PPL Center
May 3, Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
May 5, Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
May 7, Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
May 9, New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
May 10, New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

Rainy, Cold Oscar Weekend: Studio Paranoia Bans Press from Parties, Stars Avoid Fox Searchlight Possible Farewell

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It’s sunny in New York today.

In Los Angeles, it’s rainy and cold. Flooding is the enemy of the Oscars since there’s no runoff here for rainstorms. Water just accumulates. On the radio, the announcers actually have to instruct listeners on how drive in the rain. They don’t know turn on lights or windshield wipers here.

The 2018 Oscar weekend is underway, and it’s a snore so far. The studios– Fox Searchlight, Focus/Universal, little A24, Sony Pictures Classics–are so paranoid about sexual harassment claims and other mysterious notions that they banned the press from their parties. All season they preyed on us for publicity, and now, not even a canape.

At Fox Searchlight that idea boomeranged since the studio’s two Best Actress nominees– Sally Hawkins and Frances McDormand– didn’t bother showing up. Fox Searchlight is also teetering since despite two Best Picture nominees, the little sub studio may be eaten by Disney in weeks to come.

The irony here too is that suddenly wherever you go the odds on favorite to win Best Picture is neither “Shape of Water” nor “Three Billboards.” All anyone talks about is “Get Out,” the Jordan Peele directed thriller-social satire from Universal. Could “Get Out” be the “Moonlight” of 2018?

And then there’s the Academy’s actually brilliant idea of bringing back Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway for a do-over from last year. Will they flub the winner’s name again? No. But they’ll make fun of it. Whoever had this idea– Mike DeLuca? — has created buzz for a show that had none. The whole world now has to watch the very end of the show to see what Warren and Faye. Now we’ve got game.

This afternoon comes the Indie Spirit Awards. Last year, “Moonlight” won Best Feature before scooping up its Oscar. Will this be a replay of the same thing? “Get Out” here, “Get Out” there? The Spirit Awards are also awarding Best Ensemble to “Mudbound,” which already received the same exact award from the East Coast version of the Spirits, the Gotham Awards. But at least that makes two times to see Mary J. Blige in person, so that’s the upside.