Movies Are My Life

Golden Globes surprises, snubs and sure things: 6 things you must know about theOscar warm-up

Deservedly nominated is Leonardo DiCaprio with his sensationally over-the-topperformance as a flamboyant plantation owner in Quentin Tarantino’sjaw-dropping, mind-blowing Django Unchained.
Photo by Andrew Cooper/The Weinstein Co.
Lincoln has copped seven Golden Globe nominations, more than any other filmeligible for accolades this year.
Photo courtesy of Touchstone Pictures
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen had a lasting impact of members of the HollywoodForeign Press Association: They honored the movie with no fewer than threenominations.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen/Facebook
Zero Dark Thirty is Kathryn Bigelow’s account of the search for Osama Bin Laden.
Zero Dark Thirty/Facebook
The nominations announcement brought very good news to dark horses Richard Gerefor his role in Arbitrage with Susan Sarandon.
Photo by Myles Aronowitz
On the other hand, the news wasn’t nearly so good for Matthew McConaughey (shownhere with Zac Efron in The Paperboy).
Courtesy photo

First, the bad news: Ricky Gervais won’t be back this year to unleash his snark at the awards show often viewed as the Oscar warm-up. This isn’t meant as a slap at Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who have been signed as co-hosts instead of Gervais for the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards. But for those of us who enjoy hearing rude remarks as much as gushing gratitude at events of this sort, well, we can only hope for at least a cameo appearance by the mischievous Brit wit.

As for the Golden Globes themselves, if you’re an admirer of Lincoln, Argo or Silver Linings Playbook, you’re doubtless feeling jolly, because those films — along with the forthcoming Django Unchained, Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty — are among the most-mentioned on the list of Golden Globe nominations announced Thursday.

Winners won’t be revealed until Fey and Poehler take the stage at the extravaganza set to air January 13 on NBC. But it’s not too early for six utterly random observations.

A PRESIDENTIAL FRONT RUNNER: For the past few weeks now, some Oscar handicappers have pegged Lincoln as the odds-on fave for Best Picture, reasoning that while other films may have their champions, Steven Spielberg’s sweeping yet intimate historical drama would end up being the consensus choice of Academy voters. Those prognosticators will feel even more confident about their prediction now that Lincoln has copped seven Golden Globe nominations — including Best Drama, Best Director, Best Actor in a Drama (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones) and Best Supporting Actress (Sally Field) — more than any other film eligible for accolades this year.

GONE FISHING: On the other hand, no one has been predicting much Oscar love for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, a pleasant romantic comedy that, to be brutally honest, came and went fairly quickly last spring. But it must have had a lasting impact of members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They honored the movie with no fewer than three nominations, for Best Comedy or Musical and for lead players Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt.

As Jon Weisman of Variety has duly noted: That’s three times as many Golden Globe nods as Cloud Atlas, Flight, Anna Karenina or Hitchcock can crow about it.

LEO RISING: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association sure love them some star power. Indeed, the organization’s most virulent critics have long dismissed HFPA members as a shameless bunch of star ... well, as perhaps too obsequious when it comes to dealing with celebrities. But, really, it’s hard to complain too much about any group that celebrates the sensationally over-the-top performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as a flamboyant plantation owner in Quentin Tarantino’s mind-blowing Django Unchained.

It’s worth noting, of course, that in addition to giving DiCaprio a Best Supporting Actor nomination, HFPA voters also nominated his perfectly cast co-star, Christoph Waltz, in the same category. Both actors richly deserve their commendations. Although it’s arguable that Waltz’s shrewdly calculated portrayal of a fastidiously polite yet remorselessly proficient bounty hunter is a subtler piece of work, my money is on DiCaprio.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow’s account of the search for Osama Bin Laden, has been accused — so far, mostly by people who have not actually seen the film — of condoning the use of torture during the “enhanced interrogation” of terrorist suspects by U.S. intelligence agents. It may or may not say something about the validity of those claims that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has given so many nominations to the film.

Likewise, it may or may not say something about those claims if the movie actually takes home a few Globes.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: Getting a Golden Globe nomination can raise the profile (and the hopes) of Oscar hopefuls heretofore considered long shots. So Thursday morning brought very good news to dark horses Richard Gere (Arbitrage), Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea), Jack Black (Bernie) and John Hawkes (The Sessions). On the other hand, the news wasn’t nearly so good for the conspicuously un-nominated Matthew McConaughey, who had been considered a Supporting Actor contender for either Magic Mike or Bernie (or, for that matter, The Paperboy).

Another Texas boy, director Wes Anderson, was similarly slighted, even though his Moonrise Kingdom was nominated in the Best Comedy or Musical category.

EVERYBODY IS A STAR: Unlike the Motion Picture Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association does not offer awards in technical categories. There are no awards for costumes, makeup, editing, production design, special effects and sound effects — categories in which Les Miserables likely will loom large on Oscar night.

Which means, of course, there’ll be more than enough time during the Golden Globes telecast for all those awards that go to nominees who toil in TV. (Hey! Let’s give it up for Alec Baldwin!)

But it also means that, for the most part, people who pick up awards will be people you’ve actually heard of. Unfortunately, this year, Gervais won’t be around to put them in their place.

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Happy New Year

12 epic New Year's Eve celebrations around Dallas to ring in 2026

Photo courtesy of Reunion Tower

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New Year's Eve across Dallas is full of different ways to celebrate the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. We've compiled some of the most fun and interesting ways to have a good time ringing in the new year, from family-friendly daytime events to comedy shows, dance parties, and fireworks galore.

Below are the 12 of the best happenings around the Dallas area on New Year's Eve. For a longer list of events, head to our calendar.

Epic Waters presents Epic Family New Year
At Epic Family New Year, families can splash into 2026 during a celebration featuring more than $10,000 in hourly giveaways and prizes, live entertainment, games, and the waterpark’s signature slides and attractions. From 1 pm to 1 am, visitors will enjoy an array of programming, including music and duck races in the lazy river. A highlight of the celebration is the Epic Waters Duck Drop, offered multiple times throughout the day so younger guests can enjoy an early countdown before bedtime. The event takes place at Epic Waters indoor waterpark in Grand Prairie.

DJ Diesel's Cotton Bowl New Year's Eve
Just down the road from the big Cotton Bowl/College Football Playoff quarterfinal game will be DJ Diesel's Cotton Bowl New Year's Eve, which includes all-day access to Texas Live! in Arlington beginning at 10 am, and features the post-Cotton Bowl New Year's Eve celebration with a performance by DJ Diesel (a.k.a. Shaquille O'Neal). Game day activities include a Cotton Bowl tailgate party in the Arlington Backyard, live entertainment, and a watch party of the College Football Playoff game at AT&T Stadium on the massive media wall in Live! Arena.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents New Year's Eve
Assistant conductor Shira Samuels-Shragg will lead the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in this “So long 2025!” and “Hello! 2026” celebratory concert on New Year’s Eve, featuring Principal Second Violin, Angela Fuller Heyde. The high-spirited musical revels will include beloved waltzes, polkas, marches, overtures, favorite operetta excerpts, plus a few surprises to help ring in the new year. The event takes place at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents New Year's Eve Photo courtesy of Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Pegasus City Brewery presents NYE Under the Stars: Pegasus Prom
New Year's Eve is going to look a little different (and much more silly) at Pegasus City Brewery in Dallas. They’re rewriting prom night with beer, music, and zero awkward slow dances. Guests are encouraged to dress in any decade/style/vibe of prom-wear and ask their fav person to the dance. Tickets include beer, cider, seltzer, NA options, and Pegasus prom punch; a champagne toast at midnight; late night munchies; games, arcades, pool, and more; and validated parking.

Emerald City Band presents Rock the '26
Emerald City Band will present their annual New Year's Eve party, Rock the '26, featuring a night of high-energy music. Kicking off the night will be a special performance by Lover: The Unofficial Eras Tour with Charity Eden, singing all the favorite Taylor Swift songs. A percentage of every ticket sold will benefit Wipe Out Kids' Cancer, an organization dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer in Dallas-Fort Worth. The event takes place at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Comedy Trio
If you prefer to laugh while welcoming the new year, you can attend one of three big comedy events. They include New Year’s Eve at Stomping Ground Comedy, featuring Year in Rearview, an interactive improv comedy show fully powered by the biggest life moments of year of the audience members; The Comedy Arena presents New Year's Laughing Eve, featuring a headlining performance by Aaron Aryanpur at the McKinney venue; and Four Day Weekend presents NYE Celebration, taking place at the Dallas location only now that the local improv comedy troupe no longer has a permanent venue in Fort Worth.

Four Day Weekend will perform in Dallas. Photo courtesy of Four Day Weekend

Meow Wolf presents Cosmic Cabaret
Meow Wolf at Grapevine Mills will present Cosmic Cabaret, a New Year’s Eve celebration that brings performance, music, and late-night energy. The exhibition shifts into an after-hours environment shaped by Dallas-Fort Worth performers, roaming characters, and a countdown moment woven through the space. Guests will have full access to explore Meow Wolf Grapevine at night while moving between live DJ sets, special entertainers, and unexpected encounters. The evening’s centerpiece is a feature performance by Nightshade Burlesque.

Gaylord Texan presents Glass Cactus New Year's Eve Bash
Gaylord Texan in Grapevine will ring in the New Year with a performance by Le Freak at their Glass Cactus New Year's Eve Bash. Attendees are encouraged to wear cocktail attire or silver and stone-themed attire; '70s disco/'80s rock 'n' roll flair is acceptable. General admission includes a sparkling rose toast at midnight.

NYE at Hotel ZaZa Dallas
One of a handful of "traditional" New Year's Eve celebrations will take place at Hotel ZaZa in Dallas. At the black and white Masquerade Ball, guests can mask up, mingle, and toast to a sparkling New Year with wine, beer, and cocktails. There will also be a hors d'oeuvres station, live entertainment, midnight countdown, bubbly toast, and photo-ops.

Lone Star NYE at Reunion Tower
Reunion Tower will once again ring in the new year by presenting the annual Lone Star NYE at Reunion Tower fireworks show. The show will feature a display of over 5,000 pyrotechnic special effects, a 259 LED light display, and nearly 300 drones. There is no viewing allowed near the tower; viewing can be done at nearby parties or city streets. Reunion Tower’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube channels will livestream the entire event, allowing viewers from around the world to join the celebration.

holidays kids families drinks music fairs-festivals new years new years eve parties

Movies Are My Life

Golden Globes surprises, snubs and sure things: 6 things you must know about theOscar warm-up

Happy New Year

12 epic New Year's Eve celebrations around Dallas to ring in 2026

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