Granted, this year’s Oscars were by no means the most exciting, scandalous, or even most amusing we’ve seen in a while. But that’s not to say the evening didn’t have some great moments. Because honestly, at over three hours long what program is ever going to seem to be a hit in its entirety? The Oscars always have us talking about something, here’s the top moments from the 2015 Oscars that stood out.

#1. The Opening Number

Obviously Neil Patrick Harris is most known for his amazing Tony Awards hosting where he always does musical numbers. Which are of course expected for an evening celebrating theater. The Oscars also have a long history of musical openings, so this was an obvious but excellent decision. NPH sang a touching and catchy tune celebrating movies (of course) but the whole number was stepped up several notches when he was joined by current American Sweetheart Anna Kendrick donning her lovely Cinderella dress from Into the Woods. Just in case anyone worried it would get in schmaltz territory, Jack Black brought some dark moodiness to the affair joining the two on stage and bringing us back to the modern era by reminding us most people watch movies on their “screens in their jeans.” It’s our new favorite hashtag (#screensinjeans).

#2. J.K. Simmons Uses His Acceptance Speech to Get Us All to Call Our Parents

One hears a wealth of emotional and inspiring things in acceptance speeches, and often parents are thanked and appreciated in such speeches, but its more rare for the audience to be chided for neglecting their parents. Not that Best Supporting Actor winner J.K. Simmons meant to make us all feel super guilty that we only call our parents every once in a while, but when the man who threw stools at Miles Teller’s head tells you to call your parents you get the impression he means NOW. On it, sir.

#3. Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island’s Performance of “Everything is Awesome”

Considering we all knew they weren’t nominated and weren’t likely to win anything at the Oscars, the people behind The Lego Movie still got the point across that they know their film is awesome and nothing has changed. Complete with dancers dressed as characters from the film and with that awesome energetic beat, “Everything is Awesome” was one of the bigger spectacles of the night and by far one of the lighter and more fun moments. When Will Arnett came out to do his solo as Lego Batman, the awesome levels truly were at an all-time high. The real winners were lucky audience members who were handed Lego statuettes, a throwback to director Philip Lord’s tweet that an Oscar nomination mattered not, he could make his own.

#4. NPH’s Birdman/Whiplash Mashup

Running around in his tightie-whities was good enough. Making the connection between Birdman’s erratic drums soundtrack and Miles Teller in Whiplash was perfect. A mostly naked NPH telling Teller his playing was “not my speed” made for some of the biggest laughs of the evening. And those feeling slightly scandalized by the whole thing are just silly. It’s the perfect meta-moment when a live television program references a film scene in which a celebrity endures a ridiculous moment during another piece of live theater. It’s a great scene in the movie and was great when NPH did it as well.

#5. Patricia Arquette’s Simple But Passionate Acceptance Speech/Meryl Streep’s Reaction

These two tie, mostly because they happened at the same time. Upon winning her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Patricia Arquette thanked all the appropriate people, referenced the sanitation organization she’s involved with and then somewhat unexpectedly threw out that it was time for equality for women in the workplace. Nothing new, granted, but during a night when everyone seemed to have left their soapboxes at home, it was a refreshing reminder that women especially need to use the spotlight whenever it’s given to them to remind others of where we stand. Almost just as stirring was Meryl Streep’s instant reaction, jumping to her feet and raising her arms in support (now our new favorite gif). The fact that such simple statements still get a rise out of those who hear them, means we’re not quite there yet with women’s equality—(not to mention the clarity the Sony hacking gave us in the differences in paychecks still happening in the industry). Thank you Patricia for the needed reminder.

#6. Common and John Legend’s Performance of “Glory”

We’ve seen this one performed a few times, the Golden Globes and the Grammys most recently, but somehow this performance beat out all the rest. For one because Common and John Legend had a powerful group of people walking slowly behind them as though down the road to Selma. The visuals were truly fantastic, but also since Selma was snubbed in many ways for these Oscars, it was as though these two men were committed to giving the film the recognition it deserved. And boy did they move us. There were tears a plenty in the audience, most notably streaming down star David Oyelowo’s face and also Chris Pine’s (causing female hearts around the country to simply snap in two.) The performance made their win for Best Song even more deserved, and the two men spoke so eloquently and with such conviction all the feels just came rushing back. A sincere congratulations to everyone involved with Selma.

#7. First Time Writer/Winner Graham Moore’s Acceptance Speech

As a complete newbie, it was heartwarming to see the young Graham Moore pick up an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Imitation Game, but his speech went even further in making us love him. Falling in line with the slew of “it gets better” style speeches we’ve seen lately, Moore spoke of his attempt to commit suicide at 16 and that anyone out there thinking those same thoughts needs to “Stay weird. Stay different. And when it’s your turn, pass this message on to the next person.” It’s the sort of message we can always use reminding of. And those trolls of the Internet who poked fun at Moore, saying for someone calling for “weird and different” he had one of the more boring scripts of the year, should do well to remember it’s adapted. You can only work with what you got, people.

#8. John Travolta is Ridiculously Creepy to Idina Menzel

So John Travolta made for the best joke of last year’s Oscar show by weirdly mispronouncing Idina Menzel’s name as “Adele Dazeem” before her performance of “Let It Go” from Frozen. An entire meme was formed and we all had a great laugh. Idina Menzel got her much deserved revenge by announcing John Travolta as “Glom Gazingo” when he joined her on stage last night. This was plenty funny and much deserved but as though overly trying to endear the audience (and apparently Menzel) Travolta got extra touchy, weirdly closing in on Menzel and touching her face. It was strange and just reinforced our preconceived notion that Travolta is turning into one of the more eccentric characters in Hollywood.

#9. Eddie Redmayne Wins Best Actor and Oozes Adorableness

Even we were slightly torn over who would take this one home, Keaton and Redmayne had us guessing, even after Keaton took home the Spirit Award the night previous. So when Eddie Redmayne won the award for his role in The Theory of Everything we were happy for him and no one can say he didn’t deserve it. But his baffled expression, his humongous grin, and the exuberance with which he accepted the award sure make him that much more lovable. It’s the sort of excitement one hopes to see from an actor when they’ve truly done work that merits such accolade.

#10. Birdman Wins Best Picture

Ok, so this is obvious, whoever gets Best Picture always achieves one of the bigger events of the evening, but this one feels all the more significant because it didn’t seem likely to happen. Not that Birdman is any dark horse by any means. They were a close second pick in our minds, but Boyhood getting exactly one award (Best Supporting Actress) of its six nominations is a bit shocking. And maybe even a bit harsh. But once again the Academy proves their nostalgia and narcissism picking a film focused on the arts rather than a film that’s artistry was highly involved and historical. Rants aside, Birdman is an excellent picture and pitting two such dissimilar films against one another is hardly an even battle. Congrats to all, and Boyhood, don’t worry. You’ll still make it into all the history books.

Honorable Mentions: Lady Gaga killing it in her performance of songs from The Sound of Music in recognition of its 50th anniversary and then melting our hearts when hugging Julie Andrews. Sean Penn and his awkward and ill-timed joke before announcing Best Picture. Outrage online around Joan Rivers missing from the In Memoriam (despite being far more influential to the red carpet than to film itself.)

This week’s news cycle was dominated by the #Oscars, with the ramp up to the post-show giving us all plenty to read. The morning after the ceremony is always one of my favorite days, with all the opinions on what went right, what went wrong and what got weird.

On The Fence About Neil Patrick Harris

There are two wonderful hot takes from Slate this morning. The first is a biting take-down of host Neil Patrick Harris. Personally, many felt that Harris was more adequate than bad, though the expectations that the ceremony needs to be a comedy show doesn’t help. Finding the perfect Oscar host is basically impossible—or, at least, the nature of what the host is expected to do and is able to do isn’t always going to line up. It’s understandable that people expected a little more out of NPH, with his experience hosting other award shows. See our reactions and our favorite moments from the 2015 Oscars.

Biggest Mistake By The Academy In 20 Years?

Slate’s Oscar opinion slams the Academy for its failing to recognize Boyhood as the best picture of the year. Writer Dan Kois thinks Boyhood should have won, and we also have the feeling that in 20 years this decision will look more glaring, but picking Birdman is no great tragedy. He notes that this is the worst mistake the Academy has made in 20 years, but doesn’t even mention Crash, which is already considered a huge misstep.

Independent Spirit Awards

If the Independent Spirit Awards are more your style, Way Too Indie has you covered with the full list of winners, all of the night’s acceptance speeches, and a list of the 7 best moments of the evening. Boyhood received a little more recognition at the Spirit Awards than it did from the Oscars, as Richard Linklater won for Best Director, but strangely wasn’t in attendance to accept the award. Though it was Birdman that flew away with the top prize at the indie awards show as well.

Kristen Bell & Fred Armisen hosted the Independent Spirit Awards

Fifty Shades of Grey Continues To Dominate

Fifty Shades of Grey was #1 at the box office again this weekend bringing in an additional estimated $23 million. From The Telegraph, here is a bizarre story of three women who were arrested after allegedly attacking a man during a screening in Scotland when he asked them to quiet down.

Scream Factory & IFC Midnight Team Up

One awesome bit of news you may have missed last week was the exclusive home media deal between Scream Factory and IFC Midnight. As reported by Fangoria, the new partnership will begin with a special edition Blu-ray of Way Too Indie favorite The Babadook this upcoming April. We’re long time fans of what Scream Factory has put out—even when the films aren’t particularly appealing—as they have always do a superb job of restoring older genre films and always add excellent special features. The upcoming Babadook features Jennifer Kent’s short film Monster and Deleted Scenes that will be exclusive to the Special Collector’s Edition.

Mo’Nique Talks About Being Blackballed From Hollywood

Last week actress Mo’Nique spoke out about her disappearance from Hollywood after her Oscar win in 2010. The Hollywood Reporter interviewed the comedian and actress, covering her perspective of being blackballed by Hollywood following a rocky relationship with filmmaker Lee Daniels. Though the situation is obviously headline-grabbing, there is a plenty else in the interview of worth, including Mo’Nique’s spiritual connection with Hattie McDaniel, as well as a first-hand look into the Oscar campaign season.

Trailer of the Week: Welcome to Me

Kristen Wiig’s next project, Welcome to Me, looks so weird and charming, just like its star. Wiig plays Alice Klieg, a troubled young woman who wins the lottery. She decides to spend her winnings in inspired ways, including creating her own talk show that seems to break every formula of the business. Welcome to Me premiered at TIFF to strong reviews and will have a limited release on May 1st. Check out the trailer below:

It’s been 25 years since Billy Crystal first hosted the Academy Awards in 1990, an incredible show that received great praise for Crystal and allowed him to come back for an additional eight times in years since. Crystal’s always energetic work with the Academy Awards has garnered him 3 Emmy Awards (2 for writing, 1 for hosting) and he’s always been relied on to deliver a great performance. His shows were some of the most enthusiastic and entertaining, filled with an appreciation for the magic of cinema as well as an incredible ability to mine laughs out of anything or anybody in the film industry.

In the video below, Billy Crystal reveals big secrets from the 1990 Academy Awards, including the moment Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty visited him in his dressing room mid-show, Paula Abdul’s choreography, live crosses to five different cities worldwide and what it’s like to host for the first time. Neil Patrick Harris certainly has a lot to live up to.

Watch Highlights From Billy Crystal & the 1990 Academy Awards

David Fincher‘s latest endeavor Gone Girl may be his coldest entry yet into a filmography already full of cold works. A deeply misanthropic, thrilling, unpredictable take on a missing person’s case and ensuing media storm that surrounds it.

Ben Affleck stars as Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike, with a breakout performance) goes missing on their 5th wedding anniversary. The mystery of her sudden disappearance is compounded by the trail of breadcrumbs left in her absence, the sum of which only leads to more confusion as to her whereabouts. As the search for “Amazing Amy” intensifies, the spotlight turns to Nick Dunne when his character comes under scrutiny that leads others to question his innocence.

Each new detail adds a new turn to the story and this branch of the news media is always ready to pounce on the allegations. Fincher’s handling of the satirical elements is some of the most biting commentary in his career, and fills a largely disturbing film with hearty laughs. Missi Pyle plays news show host Ellen Abbott, a scandal-monger so infuriating she’ll make you miss Nancy Grace, a clear inspiration for her role.

Gillian Flynn adapted her own best-selling novel here into a terse, fast-paced screenplay. Gone Girl lives in the ethical grey areas that Fincher habitually explores, but thrives on its ability to show you new information and then illustrate how that revelation can be manipulated or not representative of the full truth. Gone Girl is a fully immersive procedural, and likely one of the most entertaining films of 2014. Fincher proves he is at the top of his game and in full command of his craft with Gone Girl.

Read our full Gone Girl review.

Gone Girl is the film adaptation of the Gillian Flynn best seller of the same name. The first official trailer for the film released earlier this week. Gone Girl stars Ben Affleck as Nick, who on his 5th wedding anniversary finds his wife Amy has gone missing from their home. As the search for Amy begins, a case of suspected murder is building as lies and deceit come to the fore and fingers gradually point to beloved husband Nick. This all leads to that burgeoning question: is he guilty or innocent? With David Fincher at the helm of this thriller set to hit theatres on October 3rd, Gone Girl looks to have viewers gripping their seats in suspense.

Watch Gone Girl trailer

In The Out List—the newest entry in the forward-thinking HBO interview series that started with The Black List Volumes 1-3 and The Latino List—director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders sits both high and low-profile members of the gay community in front of a camera and asks them to share their life experiences, being members of the LGBT community. They’re framed squarely against a simple grey background, and they talk directly into the camera. It’s as simple as that, and though it may sound overly minimalistic or even dull on paper, the results are contrarily electric, riveting, and anything but ordinary.

The group of 16 interviewees range from “out” icons like Ellen Degeneres, who recalls her controversial coming-out which almost ruined her career, to Lupe Valdez, Dallas County’s first ever lesbian Sherriff. The anecdotes—some achingly poignant, some funny, some tragic, all bracingly honest—link up to create an intimate and vividly personal snapshot of LGBT America. Lady Bunny, a seasoned drag queen who’s seen it all, drops strikingly real knowledge when she insists that wearing women’s clothing has nothing to do with women at all—“It’s about wearing the clothes that I like to wear.” Christine Quinn, the first openly gay Speaker of the New York City Council, is a rush of attitude and boisterous conviction, articulating her frustrations about marriage equality with furious wit, referring to marriage as a tradition that’s been around “since they made dirt.”

Greenfield-Sanders employs the same two-way mirror/camera configuration that Errol Morris did in The Fog of War which allows the subjects to look directly at the camera while simultaneously seeing the interviewer, as if there’s no camera between them at all. The effect is stunning—it feels like they’re looking right into our eyes, which makes the interviews that much more penetrating and real. The clarity and immediacy of Greenfield-Sanders’ images make them feel like moving portraits, and they should—he’s one of the most accomplished photographers in the world. He’s done portraits of Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter, and regularly contributes to Vanity Fair, so it goes without saying that he knows how to make people look good.

The hope is that this film will help to further familiarize our country with the LGBT community and push us toward the ultimate realization of one of our founding principles—equality. Like Neil Patrick Harris says in the film: “You can’t just put the gay in a little gay box anymore.”

The Out List airs tonight on HBO at 9:30.