Steve Pond

Steve Pond
Steve Pond’s inside look at the artistry and insanity of the awards race, drawn from more than three decades of obsessively chronicling the Oscars and the entertainment industry.
-
‘Raya and the Last Dragon,’ ‘Encanto’ Lead Annie Awards Nominations
Disney dominates the film categories, while Netflix leads TV categories
-
Los Angeles Film Critics Awards: ‘Drive My Car’ Named 2021’s Best Film
Acting awards go to Simon Rex for “Red Rocket,” Penelope Cruz for “Parallel Mothers,” Vincent Lindon for “Titane,” Kodi Smit-Phee for “The Power of the Dog” and Ariana DeBose for “West Side Story”
-
Oscar Shortlists Are Coming: Here’s What to Expect, Especially in International Film and Doc Categories
10 categories are about to dramatically narrow their field of contenders
-
‘Old Henry’ Star Tim Blake Nelson on the Best Career Advice He Ever Got
TheWrap magazine: “You’re a character actor. It’s not about everything changing for you in one moment,” Nelson says Lois Smith told him early in his career
By
Steve Pond | Photograph by Embry Lopez -
How Theater Veteran Kathryn Hunter Made Joel Coen’s ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ Extra Spooky
TheWrap magazine: “I’m happy working physically,” Hunter says of playing all three witches in Coen’s version of the Shakespeare tragedy
-
‘King Richard’ Stars Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton Weren’t Fooled by Audition for Phony Spelling-Bee Movie
TheWrap magazine: “It was pretty obvious what the story was really about,” Singleton recalls
-
‘Red Rocket’ Star Simon Rex Reveals the Secret to Playing a Likable Horrible Person
TheWrap magazine: “I liken him to a cute puppy who’s chewing the newspaper and s—ting on the rug,” he says of his hyperactive hustler character
-
How the ‘Mass’ Cast Navigated an Intense School-Shooting Drama – and Is Still Bickering About It
TheWrap magazine: Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton and Reed Birney talk (and argue) about the art of ensemble acting
-
Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Analysis: Voters Had No Choice But to Get Really Independent
With most Oscar contenders ineligible for the Spirit Awards, the nominations turned to smaller films that could use the exposure
-
Inside ‘Zátopek’ Director’s 15-Year Journey to Spotlight a Forgotten Czech Olympic Hero
TheWrap magazine: “People say to me, ‘He must have been a star when you were young,’ but nobody spoke of him,” director David Ondricek says of runner Emil Zátopek
-
How Sparks Followed a Hit Documentary by Messing With Movie Musicals in ‘Annette’
TheWrap magazine: “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but we’re trying to reinvent the modern movie musical,” Ron Mael says of their work on “Annette”
-
Why ‘Drive My Car’ Director Rewrote Haruki Murakami for His Surprise NY Film Critics Winner
TheWrap magazine: “There wasn’t enough material to fill a two-hour film,” director Ryusuke Hamaguchi says of the celebrated Japanese novelist’s short story he adapted
-
‘Belfast,’ ‘West Side Story’ Lead Critics Choice Awards Nominations
The two films land 11 nominations each, one more than “Dune” and “The Power of the Dog”
-
‘Street Gang’ Film Review: Documentary Celebrates How ‘Sesame Street’ Changed the World
Let’s face it, blooper reels in which Muppets blow their lines and curse will always be priceless
-
Kenneth Branagh on How the Story of ‘Belfast’ Echoes Today, From Brexit to Washington
TheWrap magazine: “This position of ‘Either with us or you’re against us’ doesn’t allow for understanding or movement,” the writer-director says