"Miley, What's Good?"

The biggest takeaway from last night's laughably horrendous VMA's was definitely Nicki Minaj calling Miley Cyrus out on her bullshit after winning Best Hip-Hop Video.

The Weeknd "Beauty Behind The Madness": A Triumph

There's that rare moment in every singer's career where the stars align to give way to mind boggling superstardom. We've seen it many times, most recently with Iggy Azalea. Her monster hit 'Fancy' follow up 'Black Widow', guest verse on Ariana Grande's 'Problem' and several Grammy nominations saw her in high demand. This ultimately led to her demise when the general public realized that Azalea was purely label constructed, and possessed zero talent whatsoever.

Sometimes it's not so fleeting, as Taylor Swift is currently discovering. Sure, Swift has always been a reliable seller (her opening week sales just keep growing), but she struck a sweet spot with her latest album '1989', an album that almost a year after its release is still in the top 10 on Billboard. Each single has been a hit (three #1's and one top 10 hit, with next single 'Wildest Dreams' perched for similar success). Her world tour is on its way to becoming one of the highest selling tours in history, and though she's attracted some criticism lately, it seems Swift is gearing up for an Adele like awards season sweep.

So that brings us to the crazy talented Abel Tesfaye, or The Weeknd, who finally broke through to the mainstream last year after wallowing around in the land of the indie darlings. After landing a guest spot on Ariana Grande's successful 'Love Me Harder' and 'Earned It', one of the hit singles from the "Fifty Shades of Grey" soundtrack, Tesfaye didn't waste any time at seizing his moment; He followed up with the one two punch of 'The Hills' and 'Can't Feel My Face'. Both songs are sitting pretty in the top 5 of Billboard's Hot 100, and with his album dropping in a few days, I can tell you that this is the moment where Tesfaye becomes a household name.

"E•MO•TION" is Carly Rae Jepson's Masterpiece

When Carly Rae Jepson released 'All That' a few months ago, it was clear that she had grown as an artist since her 'Call Me Maybe' days. The Dev Hynes produced track sounded like something straight out of the 80's; a previously unearthed pop gem buried deep in a time capsule, ready to be discovered by today's listeners. Where Jepson's songs previously relied on inescapable hooks, this song was rooted deeply in its sound, with Jepson's voice twinkling throughout, slowly building to the song's masterful thrilling climax. It suggested that with the release of this album, Jepson was dropping something special.

Meryl Streep Shines in "Ricki and the Flash"

There's not much to say about Meryl Streep that hasn't been said already; as the actress with the most Academy Award nominations in history, and one of six actors ever to win three or more Oscars, it's clear she's one of the greats. Her ability to disappear into nearly any role is an ability not held by many, and she possesses the rare mastery with accents.

It's funny that Streep's most critically embraced roles are the ones you can see her sweating the most in. Her most recent Oscar win came from playing Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady", which other than Streep's technically perfect performance was a complete misfire. Sure, Streep looked and sounded like Thatcher, but there was no soul; it was evident she was putting all of her effort into pulling off the mannerisms and Thatcher-ness.

So what a joy it is that in "Ricki and the Flash", Streep looks to be having more fun onscreen than she's had since playing Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" back in 2006. There's an effortlessness to this performance that has eluded her recent work; even her turn in last year's "Into the Woods" seemed too much. It seemed as if she was trying to outdo Bernadette Peter's legendary portrayal of The Witch, but here, Streep is right at home in this world crafted by Diablo Cody ("Juno", "Jennifer's Body") and Jonathan Demme ("Silence of the Lambs", "Rachel Getting Married").

Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" Trailer Surfaces Online

Quentin Tarantino has assembled a starry ensemble for his latest (eighth!) feature film. Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Damián Bichir, Bruce Dern, and even Channing Tatum will star in the western.

Set sometime after the Civil War, the plot revolves eight westerners who seek refuge in a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass during a blizzard.

Specifics on the plot are still a little thin, with the latest trailer doing a far better job at introducing the colorful characters than telling us what the story is. But if there's anything Tarantino is good at doing (for better or worse), it's spinning a very intricate story filled with memorable characters. We know he can deliver that at the very least, so whatever the  end result is, it won't be boring.

Judging from the trailer, it seems to be meaty opportunity for Jackson, who was the best part about the otherwise meanderingly long "Django Unchained". Leigh's involvement also intrigues me, as it's been some time since the actress has had anything to do. Both actors are vastly underrated in terms of critical adoration, so let's hope that Tarantino hasn't saddled them with a thankless role like he did to Kerry Washington.

Who knows if the Academy will go gaga for this in the same way they did with "Inglorious Bastards" or "Django", but seeing as it's Tarantino and Weinstein is distributing, it's definitely a contender.

"The Hateful Eight" will be released on Christmas Day, just in time for awards season. You can watch the trailer below.

Boycott Roland Emmerich's "Stonewall"

After the landmark decision by the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States, and all of the progress the LGBT community has made, Roland Emmerich's "Stonewall" is a slap in the face. Based on the pivotal 'Stonewall Riots' in 1969 (the event that started the LGBT movement in this country), the film stars Jeremy Irvine (from 2011's "Warhorse"), Ron Perlman, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Joey King and Jonny Beauchamp.

One thing that's instantly noticeable about the cast, is how overwhelmingly white it is, which is not only just flat out ignorant, but historically inaccurate. People of Color not only have historically been huge players in the fight for LGBT rights, but People of Color specifically started the Stonewall Riots. Specifically a black Trans woman named Marsha P. Johnson. Johnson is credited by many with starting the riots. Curiously, Johnson is not a character in the film, and Irvine's character is not based on a real person; he has been created for the film.

Eddie Redmayne is Front and Center on "The Danish Girl" Poster

We're still on the fringe of Oscar season, but all of the contenders are beginning to fall in place. Eddie Redmayne, our most recent Best Actor winner, is already predicted by many experts to be our frontrunner.

Redmayne's back with another transformative performance, this time as Lili Elbe. Elbe was the first recipient of sex reassignment surgery in the 1920s after being a stand in for a female model in one of her wife's paintings.

Though we've discussed why Redmayne's casting over actual Trans actresses is problematic, there's no doubt in my mind the Academy will take notice. Again, Redmayne won an Oscar just a few months ago, which means a buzzy role like this is likely to provide an 'afterglow' nomination. Not to mention that the film is being directed by Academy Award Winner Tom Hooper.

The film also stars Alicia Vikander, who is being poised as the newest it girl; hot off her success with "Ex-Machina", she will also star in the newest installment of the "Bourne" series. It's also possible she will follow in Felicity Jones' footsteps and land a nomination for playing Redmayne's wife.

Take a look below at the poster for the film, which will screen at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival before being released on November 27.

"Room": Brie Larson's Best Actress Play?

I've been waiting for Brie Larson to break out since her time on the criminally underrated "United States of Tara". She came very close in 2013 with "Short Term 12", delivering a performance that warranted serious Oscar attention.

After laying low for a bit, she's coming back with one of the buzziest projects of the year. "Room" (based on the novel of the same name) has been picked up by distributor A24, and is directed by Lenny Abrahamson ("Frank") and written by the novel's author Emma Donoghue.

The film's premise revolves around a woman (Larson) who has been held captive in a room with her five-year old son for an undetermined amount of time. I haven't read the novel, but it was critically acclaimed back in 2010 when it was released. The trailer leaves the perfect amount of mystery, and creates enough tension while making it clear this will be a great vehicle for Larson's tremendous acting talents. It's hard to remember the last time a trailer was so effective in generating interest in a film.

Though A24 has yet to nab an acting nomination for actors in their movies (they came close last year with Jessica Chastain in "A Most Violent Year"), I think with enough support from critics, Larson could crack be the first. It'll be tough though, as veterans like Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep all have movies coming out this season.

Nevertheless, the trailer seems very promising (which you can watch below). The film also stars Academy Award nominees Joan Allen and William H. Macy, and will be released on October 16th after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.