Following Films Podcast: Will Smith Assaults Chris Rock - Aron Solomon Provides Legal Insight

Last night at the Oscars, in a truly unprecedented moment, Will Smith left his seat, walked on stage, and hit Chris Rock in the face. While many wondered for a second (including me) whether this all might have been staged, it clearly was not.

According to Aron Solomon, chief legal analyst for Esquire Digital, “The question that millions of people are asking today is whether Will Smith’s actions legally constituted assault and battery. While the Oscars are broadcast to a massive audience around the world, they are held in California where assault and battery are, by statute, two different crimes. It is clear that what happened at the Oscars was an assault under the California statutory definition.”

Today I’m joined by Aron Solomon to discuss the legal ramifications of last night's Best Actor winner's impulsive reaction to a joke. Thanks to Aron for jumping on this call so quickly and thanks to Fort Worth for letting me use the song.

Comments

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic films ever made. It operates like a riddle that refuses to be solved, luring the viewer into a world where time, memory, and identity dissolve into one another. What begins as a mysterious, almost whimsical Hollywood fairy tale gradually transforms into a psychological nightmare. By the end, it’s clear that what we’ve been watching is not a mystery to be unraveled but an emotional landscape, the mind of a woman caught between fantasy and despair. The film tells the story of two women, Betty Elms and Rita, whose lives intertwine after Rita survives a car crash and loses her memory. Betty, a bright and optimistic aspiring actress freshly arrived in Los Angeles, takes her in. Together, they embark on an investigation into Rita’s identity, which unfolds like a noir detective story bathed in dreamlike light. Everything about this world feels heightened: Betty’s charm, the coincidence of events, and the ease with w...

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...

LOCKED Release Info

LOCKED follows Eddie (Bill Skarsgård), a desperate man who breaks into a seemingly empty luxury SUV, only to find himself ensnared in a meticulously crafted trap. His captor? William (Anthony Hopkins), a vigilante with a twisted sense of justice. What starts as a simple break-in quickly spirals into a nightmare, as Eddie struggles to escape a vehicle designed to be his prison. With no way out and an unseen force pulling the strings, survival becomes a race against time in a ride where justice is anything but blind. This 95-minute thrill ride promises to keep audiences on edge by blending elements of survival horror and psychological warfare. Its confined setting turns an everyday luxury vehicle into an inescapable nightmare, and the ride explores themes of morality, punishment, and the true cost of justice. Only in Theaters on March 21. I love a limited-setting horror thriller. With limited settings, the film must rely more on character interactions and internal conflicts to create ten...

FOLLOWING FILMS

Search This Blog