News

Is the Golden Globes reclamation project actually working?

For the second year in a row, the embattled awards show and its hundreds of new voters got through nominations morning without the kind of embarrassments that used to be de rigueur in these parts. Its slate of nominees went largely as expected and was largely sensible, no doubt aided by the fact that all of its categories remained super-sized after being bumped up from five to six nominees last year.

And that makes it easier for the industry to shrug off the scandals that caused a wholesale reorganization of the awards show three years ago and took it off the air for one year. There’s still a lot to worry about with a show rife with conflicts of interest – but if the industry really wants to look the other way, voters gave them a reason to play along.

Yes, it...

New network, new bosses, brand new deal for venue the Beverly Hilton with striking hotel workers, and really hoping to turn a new page, the Golden Globes this morning rolled out their nominations. There was something for everybody, almost.

Back on CBS for the first time since 1982 when the now disbanded Hollywood Foreign Press Association scandalously crowned Pia Zadora as the new star of the year, the 2024 Globes will have the added juice of coming off an NFL doubleheader on January 7. Today, as performers, agents and flacks all over LA put an extra shot of caffeine in their pre-dawn coffee and some hot mic delays, Cedric the Entertainer and NCIS star Wilmer Valderrama unveiled the contenders live for the first major award show of the new year.

There were a lot of familiar names and familiar nominations today, but this year the Globes also introduced two new categories. For the first time,...

Show set for January 7, 2024.

CBS has been unveiled as the broadcast partner for the 81st Golden Globe Awards on January 7, 2024.

The ceremony will also stream live on Paramount+.

Friday’s announcement ends a long search after regular broadcaster NBC decided not to renew a one-year deal covering the January 2023 ceremony.

NBC had been the broadcast partner since 1996 and reviewed its commitment after a 2021 Los Angeles Times expose uncovered financial and ethical impropriety and a lack of diversity at voting body the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

The ceremony was cancelled in 2022 and HFPA began a charm offensive and reconstituted its membership and governing rules.

The Golden Globe Awards have found a TV home for 2024 at CBS.

The 81st edition of the awards show will air Jan. 7 on the broadcast network immediately after an NFL on CBS doubleheader. The show will also stream on Paramount+ and be available on the CBS app as part of a new deal between CBS and the Golden Globes.

“We’re so proud to bring the Golden Globes to CBS to celebrate 81 years of awards show history,” said Jay Penske, CEO, chairman and founder of Penske Media and owner of Dick Clark Productions. “CBS has demonstrated an impressive 30-year commitment to the Grammys and been instrumental to their long-term success. In CBS, we found an ideal partner who understands the value of live entertainment programming and whose multiplatform distribution model is reflective of how global audiences choose to consume content today.”

The three-hour show will air live from 8 to 11 p.

J.R. was waiting in line with maybe 200 fellow fans to spend a moment getting the autograph of – and perhaps taking a selfie with – Christina Ricci, the actress who made her debut in the “Addams Family” movies in the 1990s who is now an Emmy-nominated star on the Showtime series “Yellowjackets” as well as a regular on Netflix’s “Wednesday.” The setting on Saturday was the Hollywood Autograph Show at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, a three-times-a-year movie and memorabilia event where fans can come to lay eyes on some old-time celebrity favorites, get their name in ink, pose for a selfie and maybe pick up a book or vintage photograph.

Eighty or so celebrities staked out tables to sign their name and pix for a fee. J.R. was one of those who got hooked on attending these shows a few years back and now never misses one.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Winning Time season 2, episode 2!

A frequent location in Winning Time season 2 is Jerry Buss' Pickfair mansion, a historically significant estate in Hollywood known for extravagant parties in the 1920s. The mansion was originally owned by actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, who entertained famous guests like Charlie Chaplin and F. Scott Fitzgerald. After Jerry Buss purchased the estate in 1980, he continued the tradition of hosting parties with NBA stars and Hollywood celebrities until selling it in 1988 to singer Pia Zadora.

Winning Time season 2 sees Jerry Buss host an event at his Pickfair mansion, a lavish estate with a wild history from its notoriety in 1920s Hollywood. The HBO series follows the true story of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, kicking off after Jerry Buss buys the team. With Winning Time season 1’s ending seeing the Lakers...

Clockwise from top left: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (MGM), Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures), The Birdcage (MGM), Moonlight (Lionsgate)Graphic: AVClub

June means Pride Month, and Pride Month means celebrating queer art—which we could all use more of given the current state of things. In the spirit of 2023 Pride,...

Of the many celebrity deaths in recent years, Ray Liotta’s is certainly among the ones that hit movie fans the hardest. The actor died in May 2022 at 67 years old, leaving behind an impressive, beloved body of work. And as Liotta’s fans reflect on his legacy, it’s worth remembering that time he gave Bradley Cooper a hard time on The Place Beyond the Pines.

Ray Liotta starred in a wide variety of movies over the years

Liotta made his film debut in the 1983 drama The Lonely Lady starring Pia Zadora. And while he’d play a variety of roles over his nearly 40-year career, the actor became best known for playing tough guys. In fact, his best-known film remains Martin Scorsese’s 1990 hit Goodfellas, in which he plays gangster Henry Hill. That became the role that defined Liotta’s screen persona.

Over the years, Liotta would lean into his Goodfellas reputation,...

Running a mere 42 minutes, James Gunn's "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" has a simple premise. The alien characters Mantis (Pom Klemetieff) and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) have noticed that their friend, the human Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), has been sullen of late. As aliens, they have little knowledge of Earth customs, but have put together that on Star-Lord's home planet they are about to engage in an oblique local holiday called Christmas. Mantis and Drax know that giving gifts is a central part of the holiday, and they elect to go to Earth in secret to acquire the ultimate present: Kevin Bacon (Kevin Bacon). Evidently, Star-Lord, who was kidnapped from Earth as a boy in the 1980s, has spoken at length about Bacon and his talents, and Mantis and Drax think nothing of kidnapping the actor and putting him in a box as a favor to their friend.

Susan L. Schulman, a longtime Broadway publicist whose five-decade career included such theater milestones as Applause starring Lauren Bacall, Death of a Salesman with George C. Scott and Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, died Wednesday, October 18, at Mt. Sinai West Hospital in New York City following a brief illness.

Her death was announced by friends Leslie Krakowe, actor Kathleen Chalfant and Roy Bernstein. Her age was not immediately available.

A member of the theatrical union Atpam (Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers) since 1973, Schulman, a New York native, opened her own theatrical Times Square press office in 1978, with early clients including Jack Gilford, Manhattan Theatre Club, Joffrey Ballet, and Garrison Keillor.

Over the years she would take on clients from Broadway, Off Broadway, dance, film, TV and books. A small Broadway sampling: Requiem For A Heavyweight (with John Lithgow and George Segal), City Of Angels, Death And The Maiden with Glenn Close,...

Some screen actors sneak up on you over the course of multiple memorable supporting roles, while others jar your consciousness like a crack of lightning. The latter was my experience with Ray Liotta, in a movie I walked into not even knowing his character would be part of the plot.

The film in question was Jonathan Demme’s 1986 “Something Wild,” which starts as a kooky urban comedy about bad girl (or is she?) Audrey, played by Melanie Griffith, who convinces Jeff Daniels’ upright businessman (or is he?) to go further and further out of his comfort zone. The movie switches from screwball to thriller with the appearance of Liotta as Audrey’s ex Ray, a recently-released convict who will go to any lengths to get her back.

It’s one of those performances that benefit from a new face in the role; without the comfort of familiarity, viewers don’t...

Emmy award winning show runner Mitch Watson discusses some of the movies he saw when he was a kid that ruined him for life.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

A History Of Violence (2005)

On The Border (1998)

Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness celebration

E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)

Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964)

Harold and Maude (1971) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary

Witchfinder General (1968) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s review

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Shampoo (1975) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Swashbuckler (1976)

Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s Shark Attack At Hero Complex Gallery

The Neverending Story (1984)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

Videodrome (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary

Don’t Look Up (2021)

Starship Troopers (1997)

They Live (1988)

Magic (1978)

Dead Of Night...

Since 1980, UCLA film grads and industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy have honored the very worst in cinema with the Razzie Awards. Here’s a look back to the worst pictures of the last four decades.

“Can’t Stop the Music” (1980)

The Golden Raspberry Awards got their start by recognizing this musical comedy, a justly mocked quasi-biopic of the Village People.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

“Mommie Dearest” (1981)

Faye Dunaway goes full camp as Joan Crawford in a docudrama whose comedy was often unintentional.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%

“Inchon” (1982)

This bloated, over-budget Korean war film starring Laurence Olivier as Gen. Douglas MacArthur was an epic turkey.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

“The Lonely Lady” (1983)

Pia Zadora followed her mysterious (and widely mocked in retrospect) Golden Globe win for “Butterfly” with this adaptation of a trashy Harold Robbins novel about a schoolgirl/wannabe screenwriter.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

“Bolero” (1984)

Bo Derek ditches her “10” cornrows to...

NBC’s swift decision May 10 to cancel the 2022 Golden Globes telecast took most in Hollywood by surprise — even inside the network, where the announcement was made so fast (to avoid news leaks) that it wasn’t widely shared internally beforehand. Days earlier, NBC had placed its support behind the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s plans for reform, and had expressed optimism that the beleaguered organization was on the right path.

But it soon became clear that many in the industry had heard these promises before — and were extremely skeptical that true change was on the way. At NBCUniversal, corporate executives grew weary as forward motion seemed to slow down and they still hadn’t seen a timeline for change.

As the scandals around the HFPA have snowballed over the past two months, the industry’s frustration has mounted. Anecdotal stories of egregious behavior by HFPA members are seen as a...

What a week it’s been for the embattled HFPA, as Hollywood’s personal publicists banded together in a rare show of unity, demanding change and threatening to hit the group where it hurts most by denying it access to the glitterati of film and television. Ava DuVernay took to Twitter to recall an HFPA press conference for her show When They See Us, in which few in the room appeared to have watched the episodes, and others filed in afterward to press the flesh, pose for selfies and—unfathomably—pitch their screenplays. And now NBCUniversal has weighed in after a long silence, with EVP and Chief Diversity Officer Craig Robinson telling the Los Angeles Times that they are “taking the issues seriously,” and intend to use their influence to encourage the HFPA “to make what we deem to be necessary changes.”

And it’s quite some influence. Despite declining ratings,...

What a week it’s been for the embattled HFPA, as Hollywood’s personal publicists banded together in a rare show of unity, demanding change and threatening to hit the group where it hurts most by denying it access to the glitterati of film and television. Ava DuVernay took to Twitter to recall an HFPA press conference for her show When They See Us, in which few in the room appeared to have watched the episodes, and others filed in afterward to press the flesh, pose for selfies and—unfathomably—pitch their screenplays. And now NBCUniversal has weighed in after a long silence, with EVP and Chief Diversity Officer Craig Robinson telling the Los Angeles Times that they are “taking the issues seriously,” and intend to use their influence to encourage the HFPA “to make what we deem to be necessary changes.”

And it’s quite some influence. Despite declining ratings,...

It’s only fitting that the Time’s Up organization this week joined in the outcry against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and its awards show, the Golden Globes. For the Hpfa and the Globes, after decades of being humored and mocked without having to make any substantial changes, time really is up.

If one thing has become clear over the last few days, it’s that the HFPA doesn’t get a free pass anymore. If it doesn’t change and embrace substantial reform, the group will lose the support of the industry that knows it has looked the other way for far too long.

As Ava DuVernay wrote on Twitter on Friday, using the #TimesUpGlobes hashtag, “Old news. New energy.”

Sunday’s Golden Globes show has to be the last one ever presented from the HFPA in its current form — a group of fewer than 90 full- and part-time journalists...

The 78th annual Golden Globes take place virtually Sunday night on NBC with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey returning as hosts. “Mank,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “The Crown,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Ted Lasso” are among the top nominees in the feature film and TV categories.

Also in contention is a movie called “Music” that was shot in 2017 and marks the directorial debut of the singer Sia. While it merits a mere 11% at Rotten Tomatoes, it reaped nominations for Best Musical/Comedy and star Kate Hudson. These bids harken back to 1982 when Pia Zadora won New Star of the Year for the well-stuffed turkey “Butterfly.” She also won the Razzie Award for the film which also starred Orson Welles.

And just who was Zadora’s competition for New Star of the Year? Elizabeth McGovern and Howard Rollins Jr. for “Ragtime”; Kathleen Turner for “Body Heat” Rachel Ward for...

A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit.

Now it should all get interesting.

Two months later than usual, thanks to Covid, the Golden Globes are finally being handed out Sunday night in a ceremony that is likely to look different than any Gg party in the previous 77 years. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association swooped in and grabbed this date after the Oscars, also battling the coronavirus lockdown, moved to April 25.

Coming off a week in which the Los Angeles Times brought up, through three separate articles, complaints about a lack of diversity in the HFPA and lucrative compensation for its 90 or so members who vote for the Golden Globes, some of which had been circulating for decades (the current name recognition of Pia Zadora now seems solely dependent on these kinds of pieces). In response, the organization promised it will do better and diversify its membership — a good thing to be sure.

A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit.

Will this now-eight-month awards season ever end?

In a normal year, the way it was originally planned, we’d be spending this Valentine’s Day weekend checking out the BAFTA Awards and prepping for the Oscars just two weeks from now. Instead Monday, the President’s Day holiday, is exactly one month away from the announcement of Oscar nominations, and we still have just a little less than two and a half long months until the Oscars themselves take place on their latest date ever, Sunday April 25, 2021, colliding directly with Emmy season in a never ending whirlwind of zoom panels, virtual screenings, and occasional invites out to a drive-in to see Ammonite. I miss the good old days.

Thanks you Covid 19. Thank you very much.

Nomadland Of Premieres

Does this season seem like Groundhog Day to you, or am I just too close to it?...

Just when this awards season was starting to look like one that might be almost bereft of surprises, a few nominations and some shortlists have thrown some wild cards into the mix. And that’s added a small note of uncertainty to a year that badly needed one.

Granted, nothing earthshaking came out of last week’s Golden Globes and SAG nominations or this week’s Oscar shortlists in nine different categories. The Best Picture front runners are still the ones we’ve known about since the fall: “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Nomadland” and a handful of others.

But in small ways, some weirdness entered the race over the past week and a half. If you’d have asked me on Tuesday morning which films would receive the most notice on the Oscar shortlists — which cover original score, original song, makeup and hairstyling and visual effects, along with international feature,...

"Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", the cult classic, 1964 science fiction comedy feature directed by Nicholas Webster, ranking as one of the worst films ever made, includes the debut of actress Pia Zadora as 'Girmar', one of the 'Martian' children:

"...Martians 'Momar' and 'Kimar' are worried their children 'Girmar' and 'Bomar' are watching too much Earth TV, including an interview with 'Santa Claus' in his workshop at Earth's North Pole. 

"Ancient 800-year-old Martian sage 'Chochem'  advises that because the children of Mars need their own 'Santa Claus', they agree to abduct one from Earth and bring him back to Mars..." 

Click the images to enlarge...

Chicago – It’s the Eve of Christmas Eve, and what better time to figure out what the holiday film what-to-watch list will be. Enter “Pat & Ken At the Holidays,” featuring Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com and his faithful companion Ken Candela, whose off-kilter commentary has blessed him with the nickname, The Movie Wag.

Since 2009 on their YouTube channel, the holiday duo has been assessing the myriad numbers of Christmas-themed films … old, new and weird. Embedded below is an example from 2019, “The Hollywood Palace.’ In the tumultuous and divisive year of 1968, ABC-tv turned to its old pal Bing “Der Bingle” Crosby and his second family to get the nation through its year of riots, assassinations and war, with a Christmas TV special for the ages. Ho ho ho …

For the rest of the 2019 line up, click the appropriate link …

“A Christmas Carol” (1984) With George C. Scott as Scrooge, click here.

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians...

Actor Ken Kercheval, best known as Texas businessman Cliff Barnes on the CBS series Dallas, has died. A cause of death is not known, but a spokesperson at the Frist Funeral Home in the actor’s hometown of Clinton, Indiana, told Deadline that Kercheval died Sunday. He was 83.

Kercheval’s character was a signature presence on Dallas — along with his bitter rival J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), Barnes was the only character to appear in all 14 seasons (1978-1991) of the soapy saga about Texas crude and crude Texans. The character was originally modeled on Robert F. Kennedy but that template didn’t hold for long. Instead Barnes was defined by his family’s rivalry with the Ewings and his character was spun in varied directions as needed — his job title, for instance, changed a dozen times over the course of the series.

Kercheval was also in the 1986 prequel Dallas: The Early Years, a TV movie that fleshed out the franchise’s central conflict, the rivalry between the two oil industry families. Kercheval also returned to the character for the 1996 television movie Dallas: J.R. Returns and then again for three seasons (2012-2014) of a Dallas revival, which presented the career-bouncing Barnes as a casino industry player.

Dallas also gave Kercheval a chance to experiment with job directions himself: He went behind the camera to direct an episode of the series in each of its final two seasons.

Kercheval was born July 15, 1935, in Wolcottville, Ind., and raised in nearby Clinton. A music and drama major at Indiana University he later studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Kercheval began his professional acting career on the stage, making his Broadway debut in the 1962 play Something About A Soldier. He went on to appear Off-Broadway in 1972’s Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill revue. His other theatre credits include The Apple Tree, Cabaret (replacing Bert Convy as Cliff), and Here’s Where I Belong. He also appeared as the title character in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, co-starring with Herschel Bernardi, Maria Karnilova, Julia Migenes, Leonard Frey, and Pia Zadora.

It was television, however, where Kercheval became a face familiar to millions. His credits included appearances on E.R., L.A. Law,, Murder She Wrote, CHiPs, Highway to Heaven, Kojak, The Love Boat, Matlock, and Starsky & Hutch. His film credits include Network, The Seven-Ups and F.I.S.T. in the 1970s.

Morris I. Diamond, who promoted Michael Jackson concerts, ran a record label and served as a music supervisor on movies including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, died April 7 of natural causes in Rancho Mirage, California, his family announced. He was 97.

Diamond was national promotion director of Mercury Records in the 1960s, and he later headed Beverly Hills Records. That label boasted a roster that included Chet Baker and J.P. Morgan and released Ennio Morricone's soundtrack to Butterfly (1982), a drama that starred Orson Welles, Stacy Keach and Golden Globe winner Pia Zadora.

In the mid-1980s, Diamond began to promote ...

Morris I. Diamond, who promoted Michael Jackson concerts, ran a record label and served as a music supervisor on movies including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, died April 7 of natural causes in Rancho Mirage, California, his family announced. He was 97.

Diamond was national promotion director of Mercury Records in the 1960s, and he later headed Beverly Hills Records. That label boasted a roster that included Chet Baker and J.P. Morgan and released Ennio Morricone's soundtrack to Butterfly (1982), a drama that starred Orson Welles, Stacy Keach and Golden Globe winner Pia Zadora.

In the mid-1980s, Diamond began to promote ...

Meshulam Riklis, a billionaire businessman best known as the husband of actress Pia Zadora and the fulcrum of a Golden Globes scandal in the 1980s, has died in a Tel Aviv hospital, according to his family. He was 95.

Riklis was accused of lavishly wooing members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in advance of the 1982 Golden Globes, sponsoring a junket two months before the event to his Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and a major press luncheon and screening at his Beverly Hills mansion.

Zadora subsequently won a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture in 1982 for her role in Butterfly, which Riklis co-produced. The movie had not opened in the U.S. at the time.

Riklis also raised eyebrows in 1988 when he and Zadora bought the Pickfair mansion from then-l.A. Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss and then went wild with renovations,...

Meshulam Riklis, the wealthy Israeli businessman who was involved in an infamous Golden Globes scandal with his then-wife, actress Pia Zadora, died Friday at a Tel Aviv hospital, his family announced. He was 95.

Riklis, then a part-owner of the Riviera in Las Vegas, invited members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who hand out the Globes each year, for a night of fun at his hotel and casino in November 1981. 

Zadora, whom he had married in 1977, had just completed work portraying a nymphet who tries to seduce her father (Stacy Keach) in Butterfly, an independent drama based ...

Meshulam Riklis, the wealthy Israeli businessman who was involved in an infamous Golden Globes scandal with his then-wife, actress Pia Zadora, died Friday at a Tel Aviv hospital, his family announced. He was 95.

Riklis, then a part-owner of the Riviera in Las Vegas, invited members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who hand out the Globes each year, for a night of fun at his hotel and casino in November 1981. 

Zadora, whom he had married in 1977, had just completed work portraying a nymphet who tries to seduce her father (Stacy Keach) in Butterfly, an independent drama based ...

It’s become an annual awards-season tradition to mock the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. and the Golden Globes. But when xenophobia is on the rise and journalists are considered the “enemy of the people,” this is a good time to give a pat on the back to the HFPA.

For one, philanthropy: the organization has given $3.25 million to 80 nonprofits this year; $29 million over past three decades.

Second, the show on NBC is fun, which is no minor accomplishment.

Third, the HFPA has saluted TV and film work that “highbrow” voting groups ignored, from Gene Wilder in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” to Hugh Jackman in “The Greatest Showman,” while the organization’s voters awarded “The X-Files” and “Mad Men” before anybody else did.

But mainstream media have been sniping for decades. Journalists love to write about other journalists, especially negative stories. The HFPA is an easy target because no...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its summer programming lineup this week for both Los Angeles and New York. A full schedule and tickets for the screenings can be found here: oscars.org/summer-at-the-academy.

Schedule is as follows, participants listed will be in attendance (schedules permitting):

June

Sideways (2004) – June 1 – 7 p.m.

Academy at Metrograph, New York City

With Oscar®-winning co-writer Jim Taylor.

George Stevens Lecture: Alice Adams (1935) – June 4 – 7:30 p.m.

Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills

With Academy Writers Branch governor Robin Swicord.

Acting And Performance Capture:

A Revolution In Technology And Collaboration – June 14 – 7:30 p.m.

Presented by the Academy Science and Technology Council

Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills

Co-hosted by Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor John Nelson and actor Cch Pounder.

With actor Karin Konoval and more.

The Sherman Brothers: A Hollywood Songbook – June 20 – 7:30 p.m.

Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills

With Oscar-winning...

“Santa, you will never return to Earth, you belong to Mars now.”

Santa Claus Conquers The Martians screens Thursday December 7th at 7:00pm at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue Maplewood, Mo 63143).

What on Earth would we do if martians invaded and kidnapped Santa Claus for their own? Find out Thursday November 7th at Schlafly Bottleworks when The A Film Series presents a screening of the 1964 Christmas classic Santa Claus Conquers The Martians!

Even though Santa Claus Conquers The Martians is often listed as one of the ‘worst movies ever made’, it’s not as bad as you would think. The story is simple: Santa Claus is kidnapped by Martians to provide joy and toys to the children of Mars when they become overly depressed. Sounds like an ingredient for one of the worst movies of all time, right? Wrong! This movie is pure entertainment from beginning to end! It doesn’t ever get Really boring,...

Because we're having fun with this little feature we'll continue. On this day in history as it relates to the movies...

1881 Ahead of her time Clara Barton founds the American Red Cross. She doesn't get a biopic because Hollywood is only interested in "Great Man" biopics

1916 Happy Centennial to author Harold Robbins who penned 25 best-sellers some of which became famous movies like The Carpetbaggers (1964), the Elvis flick King Creole (1958), and the notorious Pia Zadora Razzie winner The Lonely Lady (1983)

Rope (1949) and Swoon (1992) - two great movies inspired by the Leopold & Loeb case

1924 Chicago college students Leopold & Loeb murder a teenage boy in a "thrill killing." Their crime inspires the story of the gay deviants in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1949), the Cannes Best Actor winning Compulsion (1958) and is recreated in the New Queer Cinema classic Swoon (1992)

1926 Kay Kendall of Les Girls (1957) fame is born

1952 Two time Oscar nominee John Garfield (best...

In a commendable effort to save forgotten genre items either cloaked in obscurity or in danger of disappearing completely due to degrading source materials, distributor Arrow Video releases its first volume of a new series called American Horror Project. Fans of vintage indie horror from a game changing golden era should be enthused for this trio of inventive efforts even if not all live up to the excitement promised by the vibrant packaging. Lurid, carnivalesque, and even tawdry, it’s a new formidable platform for films unfairly dismissed upon release and deserving of another opportunity to provoke.

The earliest film here is the ungainly titled Malatesta’s Bucket of Blood, the 1973 debut and solo feature of Christopher Speeth. The plot synopsis promises palpable weirdness, concerning a middle aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Norris (Paul Hostetler, Betsy Henn) who show up seeking employment at a seedy, run down carnival. Their zeal is a ruse,...

For a night known as Hollywood's most notorious open-bar gala, the Golden Globes ceremony remains shrouded in mystery.

Most viewers probably don't even know who presents it (the Hollywood Foreign Press Association), how many voting members it has (only about 90), or what qualifies them to pass judgment on movies and television. Yet movie fans and awards mavens continue to take the Globes seriously as a precursor to the Academy Awards, since some of the Globe honorees will indeed go on to win Oscars. With Ricky Gervais set to reprise his hosting duties this weekend, here are 25 things you need to know about the Globes.

1. Founded in October 1943 by eight foreign-market journalists, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (then called the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association) held its first awards ceremony the following spring, as a luncheon at 20th Century Fox. Instead of trophies, the winners took home scrolls.

2. The next year, the...

I have to say nothing really shocked me about this morning’s film nominations for the 73rd Annual Golden Globes, with one exception being the absence of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s beloved Johnny Depp. Otherwise, it was the usual mix of big stars and deserving acting nominees whose names have been drummed into the heads of HFPA members by various publicists for the past several months.

Predictably, the group spread the love around, with only one movie — Carol — earning as many as five mentions, not even a handful with four and the lion’s share with three or fewer. There were no completely embarrassing omissions or inclusions on the level of a Pia Zadora or their most recent disastrous nominations when the HFPA showered love on the critically reviled The Tourist five years ago.

What could possibly connect the dots between early seventies softcore sexploitation, mid-seventies blaxploitation, and late-seventies giallo horror? Between cult B-flick hellcats Laurene Landon, Mamie Van Doren and Dyanne Thorne (Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS), and the lofty laureled likes of Orson Welles and Rex Harrison? Who else could claim he helped propel histrionic singing divas Pia Zadora and Lola Falana toward movie stardom…even if those efforts failed? Or that he repeatedly directed talents as wildly diverse as Millie Perkins (The Diary of Anne Frank), Hollywood’s favorite “drunk homeless dude” portraitist George “Buck” Flower, or the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (aka G.L.O.W.)? Who but Matt Cimber?>> - Dennis Harvey...

What could possibly connect the dots between early seventies softcore sexploitation, mid-seventies blaxploitation, and late-seventies giallo horror? Between cult B-flick hellcats Laurene Landon, Mamie Van Doren and Dyanne Thorne (Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS), and the lofty laureled likes of Orson Welles and Rex Harrison? Who else could claim he helped propel histrionic singing divas Pia Zadora and Lola Falana toward movie stardom…even if those efforts failed? Or that he repeatedly directed talents as wildly diverse as Millie Perkins (The Diary of Anne Frank), Hollywood’s favorite “drunk homeless dude” portraitist George “Buck” Flower, or the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (aka G.L.O.W.)? Who but Matt Cimber?>> - Dennis Harvey...

What could possibly connect the dots between early seventies softcore sexploitation, mid-seventies blaxploitation, and late-seventies giallo horror? Between cult B-flick hellcats Laurene Landon, Mamie Van Doren and Dyanne Thorne (Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS), and the lofty laureled likes of Orson Welles and Rex Harrison? Who else could claim he helped propel histrionic singing divas Pia Zadora and Lola Falana toward movie stardom…even if those efforts failed? Or that he repeatedly directed talents as wildly diverse as Millie Perkins (The Diary of Anne Frank), Hollywood’s favorite “drunk homeless dude” portraitist George “Buck” Flower, or the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (aka G.L.O.W.)? Who but Matt Cimber?>> - Dennis Harvey...

What could possibly connect the dots between early seventies softcore sexploitation, mid-seventies blaxploitation, and late-seventies giallo horror? Between cult B-flick hellcats Laurene Landon, Mamie Van Doren and Dyanne Thorne (Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS), and the lofty laureled likes of Orson Welles and Rex Harrison? Who else could claim he helped propel histrionic singing divas Pia Zadora and Lola Falana toward movie stardom…even if those efforts failed? Or that he repeatedly directed talents as wildly diverse as Millie Perkins (The Diary of Anne Frank), Hollywood’s favorite “drunk homeless dude” portraitist George “Buck” Flower, or the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (aka G.L.O.W.)? Who but Matt Cimber?>> - Dennis Harvey...

No one would accuse the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of being a refined institution, but when you think about the kinds of movies, TV shows, actors, and actresses who've ended up with Golden Globes, it's actually staggering how the HFPA has gotten away with maintaining its image as a must-see event. Drunk people at the dais is, I guess, still a sufficient enough reason to tune in. Let's celebrate today's nominations with a fond look back at some silly things that have won Golden Globes. 1. "Green Card" (Best Motion Picture -- Comedy) What a classic. Nothing says "comedic wonderful good times" like Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell mixing it up in an immigration romcom. Fun fact: My aunt saw this movie in Germany, noticed the reaction of the crowd, and was embarrassed on America's behalf. 2. Twiggy (Best Newcomer of the Year, Actress) I love Twiggy! She was great as a...

Sure, it's easy to dismiss an awards show put on by 80 or so journalists you wouldn't know by name and have probably never read or viewed their work. Because they are run by the infamous Hollywood Foreign Press Association, that means the Golden Globes have always ended up just being sort of kitschy fun.  The awards telecast where the nominees and attendees always have a wee too much to drink, upsets abound and acceptance speeches actually still sound fresh and sincere.  Plus, ever since a formal host was brought in with Ricky Gervais and then Tina Fey and Amy Poehler the show has arguably been more entertaining to watch than big brother Oscar.  Then, of course, there are the awards themselves. The HFPA is long past the days of Pia Zadora although a slew of "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" nominations still pop up now and then.  What is most...

Happy Monday everyone! For today’s installment of Daily Dead’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide, we’re bringing you some stellar gift ideas perfect for horror, sci-fi and pop culture fans including collectibles from Neca, a new book celebrating Planet of the Apes, the ultimate box set from Universal and much more.

After you check out today’s gift guide, be sure to enter our Holiday Horrors trivia contest below for your chance to get your hands on some fantastic prizes from our sponsors at HorrorDecor.net, Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Scream Factory.

Vendor Spotlight: Cutestreak Designs

Launched in 2013 by Chelsea Patterson, Cutestreak Designs creates original pop culture infused artwork that’s inspired by some of the most iconic movies and television series of all time (and also creates the killer art for Deadly Magazine each and every month.

And if you’re on the lookout for something non-horror related, Cutestreak...

Pia Zadora was hospitalized with serious head and leg injuries after falling off a motorized golf cart.

Entertainer Pia Zadora ,60, is in intensive care after falling off a motorized golf cart. Her husband Mike Jeffries told the Las Vegas Sun she is "in and out of consciousness and improving."

Jeffries described the incident to the Las Vegas Sun. He said she was thrown from a golf cart driven by her 17-year-old son Jordan on Thursday evening near the family's home in Summerlin, and she suffered from a compound fracture of her right ankle and a head injury that lead to bleeding on her brain.

Zadora is recovering at University Medial Center. She was supposed to perform live at Piero's Italian Cuisine on Friday and Saturday. Her performances for next weekend have also been canceled. 

Staring her career as a child on Broadway, Zadora is both a singer and an actress. She won the...

Pia Zadora is in intensive care after suffering a head injury on Thursday, Sept. 11, her husband, Mike Jeffries, tells Las Vegas Sun News. The singer-actress got hurt after falling from a golf cart near her home in Summerlin. Zadora, 61, was thrown from the cart after the couple's 17-year-old son Jordan made a left turn on a street at about 5:45 p.m. She suffered bleeding on her brain and a compound fracture on her right ankle. She's currently at University Medical Center. According to Zadora's Twitter account, [...]...

Get well soon, Pia Zadora! The 60-year-old entertainer has been hospitalized in intensive care after falling from a golf cart and suffering a head injury on Thursday night near their home in the Las Vegas community of Summerlin, her rep confirmed Friday to E! News. "Pia is resting comfortably and has been moved out of trauma care, but still remains in ICU," the rep said. "When she improves, she will have ankle surgery in Los Angeles in the next week or so." Her husband, Mike Jeffries, had told the Las Vegas Sun that Zadora had suffered bleeding on her brain and a compound fracture of her right ankle. She was in and out of consciousness but showing signs of improvement, he...

Here is last week’s caption pic winner. This week’s caption pic is at the bottom of the page.

“Yet somehow he’s still overdressed”

Thanks to Darrien for this week’s winning caption!

Weekend Birthdays! David Beckham (above) is 39, Lance Bass is 35, Pandora Boxx is 42, and the incomparable Pia Zadora is 60.

Matt Smith will star in the upcoming Terminator trilogy reboot, as a “new character with a strong connection to John Connor,” that will grow in the second and third films.

Japanese fans complain local hero Godzilla too fat. “Japanese fans of Godzilla say the newly-unveiled monster, set to star in a Hollywood reboot of the post-war classic, is too fat and has been “super-sized” by a country used to large portions.”

James Franco’s Nearly Nude Instagram Photo Is Proof He Needs More Of Your Attention

Nick Zano has buffed up since Happy Endings

Uruguayan actor Federico...

Birthday shoutouts go to Matt Lanter (above), who is 31, Sam Huntington is 32, Rachel Maddow is 41, and Debbie Reynolds is 82.

EW has a clip of Klaine singing “You Make Me Feel So Young” from tonight’s Glee

Anderson Cooper talks to Howard Stern about his feud with Alec Baldwin, coming out, relationships, and much more.

Carmen Carrera weighs in on the Drag Race controversy.

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of legendary gay DJ Frankie Knuckles, who has passed away at the age of 59.

So this story about James Franco has been making the rounds today, but no one can determine if it’s an April Fool’s joke.

Michelle Visage talks to this week’s eliminated Queen

here’s the Red Band trailer for Sex Tape, a variation on the “Couple makes porn tape and accidentally returns it to Blockbuster” story.

And here’s The Weekly ShoutOUT™. Each...

Amy Fisher, Pia Zadora, Joe Sarno, Public Access Television Oddities, Trick Baby, Classic Nikolodeon Game Shows, Underdog, and Low Fi Action Films Directed by Lawyers? Cinedelphia Film Festival Returns to Philadelphia April 10- 26th!It might be late March right now as I write this, but every time I step outside of the bar for a smoke, the cold air hits my face, and it's cold enough that it hurts. I can't help but wonder why I haven't hopped on a plane to get my ass out of this miserable city and tail to it Bali, Monaco, or Puerto Rico where I have friends and family living exceptionally well as broke ex pats. And it seems to me that I keep running across the same dead...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

From John Travolta to Bob Dylan, from Ed Wood to Orson Welles: ‘The Greatest Bad Movies of All Time’ (photo: John Travolta in the Scientology-inspired movie ‘Battlefield Earth’) Phil Hall’s The Greatest Bad Movies of All Time, tagged as a "new celebration of cinematic inanity," was published by Bear Manor on August 12, 2013. According to the book’s press release, the Greatest Bad Movies "are the films that inspire wonder" — of a unique variety: "You are left wondering how seemingly intelligent people could gather together and spend money to create such bizarre productions." According to Phil Hall, among the most wonder-inspiring movies ever made are John Travolta’s Roger Christian-directed Scientology-inspired megabomb Battlefield Earth; John Huston’s sort of The Maltese Falcon send up Beat the Devil, starring Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, and Gina Lollobrigida; Robert Altman’s Health, featuring a classy cast that includes Glenda Jackson, James Garner,...