AP Entertainment

January 15, 2025

As Los Angeles burns, Hollywood’s Oscar season turns into a pledge drive

When the Palisades Fire broke out in Los Angeles, Hollywood’s awards season was in full swing. The Golden Globes had transpired less than 48 hours earlier and a series of splashy awards banquets followed in the days after. But the enormity of the destruction in Southern California has quickly snuffed out all festiveness in the movie industry’s high season of celebration. The fires have struck at the very heart of a movie industry still trying to stabilize itself after years of pandemic, labor turmoil and technological upheaval. Not for the first time this decade, the Oscars are facing the question of: Should the show go on? And if it does, what do they mean now?

Music streams hit nearly 5 trillion in 2024. Women pop performers lead the charge in the US

Did you stream more music in 2024? You are not alone. The global music industry hit 4.8 trillion streams in 2024, setting a new single-year record. The figures are from Luminate’s 2024 Year-End Report. Pop music may have something to do with that increase. Midway through 2024, Luminate determined Latin music had become the fastest growing streaming genre in the United States. But a lot can change in half a year because now pop leads. Luminate says also in 2024, regional Mexican music overtook Latin pop as the largest Latin streaming subgenre in the U.S. R&B and hip-hop still dominate, accounting for more than one in four streams stateside.

Supreme Court will hear Texas anti-pornography law that challengers say violates free-speech rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas anti-pornography law is going before the Supreme Court in a collision of free speech rights, regulation of online content and how to protect children. The high court will hear the case on Wednesday. Texas is among more than a dozen states with similar laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography. The states say the measures are necessary to protect children from the current near-instantaneous access to porn on smartphones. But an adult-entertainment industry trade group called The Free Speech Coalition says the Texas law wrongly affects adults by requiring them to submit personal identifying information online, making it vulnerable to hacking or tracking.

‘Conclave’ leads race for British BAFTA awards with 12, one more than ‘Emilia Perez’

LONDON (AP) — Papal thriller “Conclave” leads the race for the British Academy Film Awards, with nominations in 12 categories, just ahead of the genre-busting musical “Emilia Perez” with 11. But with the images of the wildfires in Los Angeles over the past week fresh in the minds of everyone in the movie industry, Wednesday’s announcement of the latest BAFTA nominations was understandably subdued. Other leading contenders include the 215-minute postwar epic “The Brutalist,” with nine nominations, including best film and leading actor for Adrien Brody. The Palme d’Or winning “Anora,” the sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked” received seven nominations.

Movie Review: ‘Wolf Man’ is a toothless reboot that’ll make you bark at the moon

Another classic cinematic monster has been dusted off in “Wolf Man,” an R-rated Blumhouse movie which hits theaters on Friday. Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy is not a fan, saying it is slack when it should be terrifying, and argues it suffers from cheap sentimentality, laughably obvious script reveals, poor continuity and a creature that is less predatory than painful. Pity comes to mind. Writer-director Leigh Whannell, who co-wrote the story with Corbett Tuck, leans on creepy sounds way too much, and Kennedy says it’s a terrible misfire, a pop culture icon poorly rebooted by the modern home of horror.

Octavia Butler imagined LA ravaged by fires. Her Altadena cemetery survived

ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — Since the Los Angeles fires began last week, “Parable of the Sower” and other Octavia Butler works written decades ago have been cited for anticipating a world wracked by climate change, racism and economic disparity. “Parable of the Sower” was written in 1993 and set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles ravaged by fire in the 2020s. Butler died in 2006. The Altadena cemetery in which she is buried did catch fired but suffered “minimal damage.” She once explained her method for seemingly predicting the future: “Look around at the problems we’re neglecting now and give them about 30 years to grow into full-fledged disasters.”

Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs say sex acts are distorted by ‘sexist and puritanical’ prosecution

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs are labeling the prosecution against the hip-hop star as “sexist and puritanical.” The lawyers submitted a letter to a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. They say recordings of sex acts considered important evidence in the case show only consensual sex between willing adults. They are asking that the recordings be turned over to defense lawyers for additional investigation. They say defense lawyers have only been allowed to view them twice in the last two months. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges. A spokesperson for prosecutors declined to comment.

British author Neil Gaiman denies ever engaging in non-consensual sex as more accusers come forward

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Best-selling British author Neil Gaiman has released a statement denying he has ever engaged in non-consensual sex after a magazine published allegations from several women, accusing him of sexual assault. The 64-year-old author of “The Sandman” comic book series and novel “American Gods” was responding on Wednesday to a New York Magazine article that detailed allegations of assault, abuse and coercion made by eight women. The allegations of four of them had been broadcast in July last year in a podcast and most relate to occasions when Gaiman was in his 40s or older and living in the United States, Britain and New Zealand.

Lucy Walker made a searing film about wildfires in 2021. Now, people may be more inclined to listen

NEW YORK (AP) — When Lucy Walker debuted her harrowing documentary about California wildfires, “Bring Your Own Brigade,” at Sundance in 2021, it was during peak COVID. Not the best time for a film on a wholly different scourge. And so the film, though acclaimed — it was named one of the 10 best films of the year by the New York Times — didn’t reach an audience as large as Walker had hoped, with its urgent display of the human cost of wildfires and its tough, crucial questions for the future. Walker thinks people may now be more receptive to her message, given the devastating wildfires that have wrought havoc on Los Angeles.

Melissa Rivers recounts grabbing valued possessions before Pacific Palisades fire burned home down

Melissa Rivers recalls how quickly the California wildfires spread, leaving her little time to gather cherished belongings before fleeing. Rivers quickly evacuated with her pets and some sentimental items, including her late mother Joan Rivers’ Emmy Award and her parents’ watches. Her belongings were packed into a few bags. The wildfire destroyed her property entirely, leaving only the front gate and barbecue intact. Rivers described the loss to The Associated Press on Tuesday as overwhelming, affecting not just homes but also family-owned businesses and livelihoods. She says she’s relying on her “dark sense of humor” and ability to make people laugh to get her through.