Another year, another Armond White controversy. The famously against-the-grain critic routinely gets people’s backs up with his reviews, but he’s also taken in recent years to making a nuisance of himself at the New York Film Critics’ Circle Awards, denigrating his colleagues’ choices in the presence of the winners themselves. Last night saw his ugliest display yet, as he disrupted Best Director winner Steve McQueen’s speech by calling him “an embarrassing doorman and garbage man.” McQueen classily ignored him; the NYFCC, of which White is a former chair, should not do the same. A critic’s opinions are his to freely express in print; personal public abuse is another matter. [Variety]
A tweet by A.O. Scott is used — against his wishes — as a campaign ad for “Inside Llewyn Davis.” This is a weird business. [New York Times]
Liza Minnelli promises Matthew McConaughey her Oscar if he doesn’t win one of his own for “Dallas Buyers Club.” He’d be a pretty good Sally Bowles. [Hollywood Reporter]
Mike D’Angelo turns the clock way back to an acting race he believes the Academy got right: Best Supporting Actor of 1950. [The Dissolve]
John Legend will perform at the Academy’s post-Oscar Governors’ Ball. [AMPAS]
Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Downey, Jr. are among the first wave of confirmed Golden Globe presenters. [Entertainment Weekly]
Tess Lynch on the battle between SeaWorld and the Oscar-shortlisted documentary “Blackfish.” [Grantland]
Tim Gray weights up the Golden Globe nominees on the BuzzFeed movie tracker. [Variety]
Historian Alex von Tunzelmann gives a resounding thumbs-up to “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” [The Guardian]