Entertainment

The Guardian reports: Green Book has won the Oscar for best picture at the 91st Academy Awards. Based on a real-life road trip through the deep south in the early 1960s, Green Book triumphed in a field considered the most wide-open in years, containing the likes of Alfonso Cuarón’s 70-set drama Roma, period black comedy The Favourite, and Marvel superhero …

The San Jose Mercury News reports: A medical emergency at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco triggered an alarm about a potential active shooter during a performance of the hit musical “Hamilton,” leading the audience to evacuate. There was no shooter, and the evacuation was set off by a woman’s unspecified medical emergency about 9:50 p.m. Friday, said Officer Joseph …

NBC News reports: Steve Martin returned to “Saturday Night Live” this week to display his version of former adviser to President Donald Trump, Roger Stone. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, played by Alex Moffat, portrayed Stone, a sometimes weight lifter, as a man so old and decrepit that he’s “barely able to post shirtless photos of his jacked body.” Stone was …

The New York Times reports: For the first time in history, a film with no box-office gross could win the top prize at the Academy Awards. Netflix received its first-ever nomination for best picture on Tuesday, with Oscar voters naming “Roma” as one of the best movies of 2018. The meditative black-and-white film about life in Mexico in the 1970s …

The Huffington Post reports: Actress and singer Carol Channing died early Tuesday morning at the age of 97 at her home in Rancho Mirage, California. Her longtime publicist B. Harlan Boll confirmed she died of natural causes. Whether you knew her as Dolly, Lorelei, Muzzy or just Carol, Channing was a one-of-a-kind talent who captivated any audience. Her razor-sharp wit, …

Entertainment Weekly reports: After taking home Golden Globe Awards for Best Drama and Best Actor on Sunday, Bohemian Rhapsody is inviting fans to sing along. On Wednesday, Fox and New Regency announced that they will release a special sing-along version of the Queen biopic in 750 locations across the U.S. and Canada beginning Friday, Jan. 11. “We are delighted to …

Deadline Hollywood reports: “I’m over it,” Kevin Hart told Good Morning America multiple times when asked about the Oscar-hosting controversy that has dominated headlines for weeks. Hart appeared on ABC  to talk about his new movie The Upside, but, given that ABC broadcasts the ceremony, took more questions about being offered the Oscar job, then stepping away when homophobic remarks …

NBC News reports: An awards show long known for its iconoclastic choices didn’t disappoint, not only choosing “Bohemian Rhaposody” over “A Star is Born” for best dramatic film, but picking several lower profile performances — like British actress Olivia Colman as best actress in a comedy/musical for her role as Queen Anne in “The Favourite,” over Emily Blunt in “Mary …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Ellen DeGeneres’ attempts to play peacemaker between The Academy and Kevin Hart has engendered a social media backlash. Hart, who stood down as Oscars host after the resurfacing of past homophobic tweets, taped an interview with DeGeneres on Thursday that was originally due to air on Monday, but the producers of Ellen deemed it newsworthy enough …

Lawyers for actor Kevin Spacey say the groping incident that has resulted in a felony sexual assault charge was actually a consensual encounter initiated by the young man. Law & Crime reports: They pointed to an investigators’ report where the alleged victim said the groping went on for approximately three minutes without the him moving away or telling Spacey to …

Last night CBS aired the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors, which took place early this month. From a highlights review: Whoopi Goldberg pays affectionate tribute to Cher in word and wardrobe. Little Big Town presents a medley of “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” “I Found Someone” and “Baby Don’t Go.” Cyndi Lauper struts through a ferocious “(If I Could) Turn Back Time” …

Variety reports: Kendrick Lamar led the nominations for the 61st Grammy Awards, with eight nods recognizing his work for the “Black Panther” soundtrack, including the hit song “All the Stars,” with SZA. Drake is right on his tails with seven nominations, and producer Boi-1da and Americana singer Brandi Carlile are just behind them with six apiece. Cardi B, Lady Gaga, …

Variety reports: Wednesday afternoon, comedian Kevin Hart was announced as the host for the upcoming 91st annual Academy Awards. By Thursday night, he had stepped down. The turn of events followed outcry over previous anti-gay tweets, and comments Hart made during stand-up routines nearly 10 years ago. Some of the tweets were feverishly deleted throughout the day on Thursday, leading …

Variety reports: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its new planned “popular” Oscar “merits further study” and will not present the new category at the upcoming 91st Academy Awards. The organization stated that “while remaining committed to celebrating a wide spectrum of movies,” it recognized that implementing any new award nine months into the year “creates …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Burt Reynolds, the charismatic star of such films as Deliverance, The Longest Yard and Smokey and the Bandit who set out to have as much fun as possible on and off the screen — and wildly succeeded — has died. He was 82. Reynolds, who received an Oscar nomination when he portrayed porn director Jack Horner …

Clip description: In Norman Jewison’s Oscar wining Best Picture of 1967, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, racial tensions come to a head when a Northern detective, played by Sidney Poitier, becomes stranded in a small southern town following a murder. This particular town is run by a bigoted sheriff, Rod Steiger in an Oscar winning performance, who may or …

TMZ reports: Neil Simon, one of the most prolific playwrights in American history, has died, TMZ has learned. Sources tell TMZ, Simon died Sunday morning at 1 AM ET after being on life support. We’re told he had a failing kidney and also Alzheimer’s. Simon had a kidney transplant in 2004 and the donor was his longtime friend and publicist …

Deadline reports: Considering it was the MTV Video Music Awards, one would think that they would have some sort of tribute to the late, great Aretha Franklin — and they did. Madonna stepped out on the stage at the VMAs adorned in a graduation robe and what looks like everything from her jewelry box paid homage to the Queen of …

The New York Daily News reports: Disney Channel star Garrett Clayton, who starred in “Teen Beach Movie” as well as NBC’s “Hairspray Live,” came out as gay Monday in a moving Instagram post. Clayton, 27, penned the post as an explanation as to why he signed on to the upcoming film “Reach,” and quietly slipped in the fact that he …

TMZ reports: Aretha Franklin, known for having one of the greatest voices in music history, and for hits like “Respect,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” died Thursday after a long battle with cancer, TMZ has learned. Sources close to the singer tell us Aretha passed away in her Detroit home where she was under hospice care. …