Movies

In a not-so-surprising situation, Robert Blake, the late actor who was infamously charged with his second wife's shooting death, was left out of the Oscars "In Memoriam" tribute.

There were lots of names shown during Sunday's TV broadcast as part of the award show's annual segment intro'd by John Travolta with a song from Lenny Kravitz ... but noticeably absent was Robert's name and contribution to the industry.

Robert's career in Hollywood spanned more than 5 decades, acting in scores of films ... most notably his breakthrough starring role in "In Cold Blood," plus other flicks like "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and "Lost Highway."

Earlier in the broadcast, Jimmy Kimmel joked that the audience could vote whether or not to include Blake in the tribute.

Kirstie Alley, Olivia Newton John and Robbie Coltrane were among some of the big names included in tribute ... but no dice for Robert.

We should say, there's also outrage actress Charlbi Dean -- who starred in "Triangle of Sadness" -- wasn't included in the broadcast tribute, though she is named in the online tributes.

Robert died Thursday from heart disease at age 89 ... so the award show's producers had time to work him into the show, if they wanted.

Of course, Robert's film career often took a back seat to his off-screen drama ... he was charged with the murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, after she was found dead in 2001 outside Vitello's restaurant in Los Angeles. She was shot in the head while sitting in Robert's car.

Robert told police he'd gone back inside the eatery to get a pistol when Bonny was gunned down ... and it was later determined Blake's gun was not the murder weapon.

Lukas Gage has made quite a name for himself in Hollywood -- carving out a career that, oftentimes, includes him playing LGBTQ+ characters ... even though he won't self-identify.

The actor recently did an interview with NYT, where he was asked about backlash he's received over the years from people and critics who say he's stealing opportunities from others who are actually in the LGBT community -- while playing coy about his own sexuality.

The interviewer referenced a moment last year where he responded to someone on Twitter accusing him of exactly that, to which he replied at the time ... "u don't know my alphabet."

In response to pressure about labeling himself now and going forward, Lukas says he gets it from all ends, explaining ... "All the time. An agent that dropped me was like, 'Stop dyeing your hair, stop wearing weird clothes and pick a lane: gay, bi or straight. It’s too confusing.'"

He adds, "I understand representation and voices that need to be heard, but I don’t want to do anything on anyone’s accord but my own. Let me do it when I’m ready. And it’s acting. I feel like everyone should get the opportunity to play whatever they want."

LG has portrayed LGBTQ+ characters and/or LGBT-adjacent in shows like 'White Lotus,' 'You,' 'Euphoria,' 'Love, Victor' and in movies like 'Down Low.' The dude has bared it all too on camera, including one from 'WL' where he stripped down for a racy gay sex scene.

Amid all the speculation on where he lands, he's also been rumored to have been romantically involved with some famous dudes in Hollywood ... but he hasn't confirmed anything on the record thus far ... just leaving it to speculation.

Neve Campbell skipped out on the latest 'Scream' movie due to money negotiations -- but the studio's decision to move on seems to have paid off regardless ... big time, in fact.

'Scream 6,' which just hit theaters Friday, smashed through an opening weekend box office record that the films before it had set ... raking in about $44.5 million domestically through Sunday, which blows out the previous benchmark set by 'Scream 2' years ago -- $32 mil.

Last year's "Scream V" came close to touching that, with about $30 mil through 3 days of a 4-day holiday weekend ... but this new figure is by and far the best any of these movies have ever done. Paramount's gotta be happy -- it only cost $35M to make this latest slasher.

Interestingly ... they achieved this without Neve, which was a gamble. Fact is, she's been the face of the 'Scream' franchise since the start ... and her decision to exit last year was controversial. She claimed Paramount wouldn't pay her what she thought she was worth.

At the time, Neve was quoted as saying ... "As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to 'Scream.' I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my 'Scream' fans, I love you." Yeah ... scathing.

And yet ... her former costar, Courteney Cox, did take the money and sign on again -- reprising her role as Gale Weathers, and referencing NC's character, Sidney, in passing.

David Arquette -- another longtime fan fave, who was killed off in the last movie -- has actually been somewhat promoting "Scream VI" on IG -- but Neve hasn't uttered a peep about it ... focusing instead on other projects she's working on, including more horror stuff.

Funny enough, legacy characters (like Neve's) are actually alluded to in the new installment (yes, we've seen it). Ghostface, at one point, talks about how nobody cares about long-standing heroes from decades past ... and that the "rules" of re-quels have totally changed.

It would appear that sentiment held true in offscreen in real life as well, especially with a solid new young cast that everyone likes -- Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, etc. Oh, and Ghostface himself ... he's kinda the one who gets asses in seats ... or so it seems, anyway.

Glenn Close won't make the Oscars this year -- this after being tapped as one of the many presenters -- because she caught COVID ... which kinda leaves Harrison Ford hanging.

The actress contracted the virus just ahead of showtime and will be forced to miss Sunday's broadcast -- this according to her rep. Word is, she's fine, currently resting and isolating ... and, of course, is totally bummed out. It's unclear who, if anyone, will replace her.

Close was one of 40 different famous presenters who are set to take the stage and hand out statuettes -- and according to Vanity Fair, which says it caught the Oscars rehearsal this week, she was actually scheduled to be side by side with her old "Air Force One" costar.

Some might recall ... GC was the Veep in that one, while Harrison was the Prez. They didn't share much screen time together, but it was a pretty iconic flick with larger-than-life actors. Their Oscars appearance was meant to be a reunion of sorts, but now Ford might fly solo.

Other presenters for the Oscars include Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Chastain, Hugh Grant, Sigourney Weaver, Antonio Banderas, Michael B. Jordan, Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal, Melissa McCarthy, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Garfield, Halle Berry, John Travolta and more.

Michelle Yeoh was honored at a very fancy, star-studded pre-Oscars party Saturday night ... this as her movie, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is a favorite to take home a boatload of awards.

The bash was hosted by Roberts Armani at the Giorgio Armani store in Bev Hills. Among those on hand ... Jamie Lee Curtis, Samuel L. Jackson and Brendan Fraser.

Michelle seemed almost overwhelmed by the honor and attention. She spent time with her co-star Jamie Lee, enveloping her with gratitude.

For Jamie Lee Curtis's part ... she confessed her feelings about her "bae" -- "even her husband {Michelle's]approves of our love for each other."

Maitland Ward says the adult film industry's awards show is far superior TV than anything the Academy Awards is offering ... and she thinks it boils down to who's doing the voting.

We got the former "Boy Meets World" actress-turned-porn star in Bev Hills and asked why she thinks traditional awards shows like the Oscars are losing interest and viewers.

Maitland says the folks voting for the Oscars are way too old and aren't in touch with the country ... and she thinks the nominations this year once again show a lack of diversity.

On the flip side, Maitland says porn is rife with female directors and performers from all walks of life ... and she thinks the AVN Awards does a better job reading the room and going with the most deserving candidates, with no politics involved.

While awards shows are mostly losing viewers year after year, Maitland has an idea for how the Academy Awards could get a shot in the arm and a ton more eyeballs with a new category ... yep, she wants to see someone win an Oscar for having sex on camera!!!

Maitland has won seven AVN awards since joining the porn industry in 2019, including Best Leading Actress this year.

Brendan Fraser's looks over the years are award-worthy!

Here is a 35-year-old version of the chiseled actor lookin' cool and casual at a movie premiere in Los Angeles back in 2004 (left). This was the same year he played the role of Rick Cabot in the film "Crash" ... which took home three Academy Awards!

And, 19 years later ... the now 54 year old suited up at this year's Oscars Nominees Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton hotel (right). Brendan is nominated for an Academy Award for his leading role in "The Whale" but will he snag the trophy?!

His charming looks have definitely been a huge win over the years, but the question is ...

Ke Huy Quan has just about everyone in Hollywood in his corner as he roars toward the Oscars -- not to mention his old 'Goonies' pals ... including one Corey Feldman.

The former child star -- who acted alongside Ke in the 1980s classic -- told Page Six that he'll be rooting for KHQ come Sunday, when he'll be watching from home and hoping his former costar can pull out a win for Best Supporting Actor, for which he's nominated.

He says, "I see Ke as a winner, he’s never stopped being one to me … The Goonies are family. People don’t really realize the depth of that blood, it runs deep."

Feldman goes on to say that he's kept up with Ke through the years, and notes that while he may have stepped back from acting for a time ... the guy stayed working in showbiz, even if it was just tangentially at times, and that he'd done great stuff in his own right.

Now that Ke Huy is back in the spotlight with his movie, 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' Corey's all for it. He says he saw 'EEAAO' and knew it was special ... adding that he gave Ke some advice -- namely, "keep your head up and don’t let them get to you."

Welp, Ke Huy's taken that in stride ... winning just about everyone over with every award show appearance (and win) of late. He's also been taking a TON of selfies along the way, documenting his journey ... which most think will end with a statuette tomorrow.

BTW, other 'Goonies' stars have been wishing Ke well along the way -- Josh Brolin has chimed in via his reps, and so has Jeff Cohen (Chunk), Kerri Green and Martha Plimpton.

Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh seem to have moved past their rumored movie set beef a year later -- 'cause they went to the same party this weekend ... but weren't together, per se.

The two actresses were among many celebs who attended CAA's pre-Oscars party Friday night in L.A. ... and while it's interesting to see them in the same space -- this after they reportedly squabbled while making "Don't Worry Darling" -- it's possible things are still icy.

Fact is, there isn't a photo of them posing together or even hanging around the same group of people at any given time during the shindig -- which was star-studded and packed. That kinda jibes with what they were doing at Venice last year ... namely, keeping distance.

It could mean nothing, of course. However, by the same token, it could also mean they're still not that cool with each other ... and choose not to fraternize, even now.

Not to kick up the Team Flo/Team Wilde camps again, but it was quite clear there was friction at the time.

In any case ... they seem to be able to play nice in the same building, which is all you can really ask for, we suppose. BTW, they were far from the only famous faces on the scene.

Other stars in attendance ... Pedro Pascal, Zoe Kravitz, Cate Blanchett, Allison Janney, Andrew Garfield, Halle Bailey, Rita Ora, Taika Waititi, Miles Teller, Chloe Grace Moretz, KiKi Layne, Elton John and husband David Furnish, Sandra Bullock and Brian Tyree Henry.

All the others ... Demi Moore, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman, Maria Sharapova, Amy Adams, Vin Diesel, Hailee Steinfeld, James Corden, Richard Madden, Trevor Noah, Lily James, Paul Mescal, Jon Hamm, Zooey Deschanel, B.J. Novak, Danny DeVito, Simone Ashley, HAIM, Ana de Armas, DeWanda Wise, Eiza Gonzalez, Ariana DeBose and lots more.

Some of Hollywood's elite hit up a pre-Oscars party Friday night ... and they celebrated in old-world style at a Bev Hills mansion where an all-time classic movie was shot.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Sandler, Austin Butler, Travis Kelce, Brooklyn Beckham and Nina Dobrev were just some of the celebs on hand at "The Beverly Estate", where director Francis Ford Coppola filmed the famous horse's head scene for "The Godfather."

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing the celebs mingling and chatting with drinks in hand at the William Morris/Endeavor soiree.

Leo, of course, went incognito with his baseball cap pulled down over his face. No surprise there.

Adam and Travis had a little convo off to the side.

Brooklyn was hangin' out with some people and just chillin'.

Nina stood out from the pack, looking glamorous in her red dress.

Bill Maher was more subtle than usual Friday night ... tipping his hat to evolutionary social change and asking everyone to chill if things aren't perfect RIGHT NOW.

The "Real Time" host used Oscars weekend to make his point -- that even in liberal Hollywood there's a learning curve on the scales of social justice.

He points to 1973, when Marlon Brando snagged the Oscar for "The Godfather" and sent a surrogate in his place to accept -- Sacheen Littlefeather, who got up onstage to talk about injustices against Native Americans. She was met with boos and even tomahawk chops from people in the audience.

Today, BM says, she'd clearly be met with cheers, not jeers ... and that, he says, is progress.

Bill then broadens out his point ... Reagan was late on AIDS, but he came around. Obama was late with gay marriage, but he too came around. And, Bill wishes, Biden or his successor will step up and advocate the legalization of weed.

Being late doesn't make people bad, Bill says. Progress tends to be evolutionary, but it happens.

Check out what he says about a very famous movie that was shot just a few years back -- populated by diehard liberals in Hollywood. If that movie were made today, they'd be skewered.

Versace's fashion show was an absolute hit -- despite a last minute call to move it up one day -- with some of the biggest names in Hollywood dressing to the nines to attend.

The fall/winter show wound up getting rescheduled from Friday to Thursday due to rain -- it was an outdoor event on the roof of the Pacific Design Center in WeHo. Based on the turnout ... everyone cleared their schedules.

Among folks in the building ... Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Channing Tatum, Anne Hathaway, Lil Nas X, Allison Williams, Pamela Anderson, Matt Bomer, Ke Huy Quan, Lily James, Gabrielle Union and hubby Dwyane Wade, and Jeff Bezos and partner Lauren Sanchez.

Paris Hilton attended with her sister Nicky and mom Kathy ... as well as Demi Moore and  her daughter Rumer Willis -- and Elton John, Cher and her fiancé Alexander Edwards had front-row seats.

The models for the highly-anticipated show were also A-list ... Gigi Hadid opened the runway action, while Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski and Kendall Jenner also did their thing.

Jane Fonda's looking phenomenal months after announcing her cancer went into remission ... and she's giving us some hilarious advice on how to look as great as she still does.

We got the legendary actress Thursday in NYC as she was heading into "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" ... she said she's doing okay, and tossed up a peace sign for fans and photogs.

We asked the obvious question, in light of how great she's looking ... "What's the secret?" Newcomers gotta see this, because JF kept it 💯!!!

She told us all ya need is, "Good genes and a lot of money."

Yeah, you can tell her spirits are up after revealing last September she had non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She underwent chemotherapy for 6 months, and then announced the cancer's in remission.

As she described the good news, at the time, "BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!!!"

American actress Julie Michaels was only 19 years old when she was cast as the blonde beauty Denise -- who spends her nights dancing topless at The Double Deuce dive bar and in quarrels with her abusive boyfriend Jimmy -- in the 1989 spin-kicking Patrick Swayze action film "Road House."

While Julie's character sided with the crooked politics of Brad Wesley -- played by Ben Gazzara -- there were lots of good guys worth noting ... like Sam Elliott as the wily bar-brawling vet, Wade Garrett, Kelly Lynch as the quick-stitching love interest, Elizabeth "Doc" Clay ... and of course Patrick Swayze as the cool and calm bouncer with a hot bod, Dalton.

Take your best shot, Jake Gyllenhaal!

Robert Blake, the actor whose life was just as talked about off the screen as it was on, has died.

According to a statement released to the Associated Press on behalf of Blake's niece, Noreen Austin, Blake died Thursday from heart disease at home surrounded by loved ones.

Blake was infamously charged with the murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, after she was found dead outside Vitello's restaurant in Los Angeles in 2001. Bakley had been shot in the head while sitting in Blake's vehicle.

Blake told investigators he had gone back inside the restaurant to retrieve a pistol when Bakley was shot and killed. It was later determined his pistol was not the murder weapon.

Blake's trial lasted about three months, but he was eventually found not guilty of murder and not guilty of one of the two counts of solicitation of murder ... the second solicitation of murder charge was also eventually dropped.

Blake's career in Hollywood spanned more than 50 years, starring in movies like "In Cold Blood," "Lost Highway" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." He also played Tony Baretta in "Baretta" ... a role that won him an Emmy in 1975.