by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
OSCARS - From EW: EW.com interviews four anonymous assholes who also happen to be Oscars voters about their "brutally honest ballots" - how and why they made the choices they did. What they say reflects why the Oscar have always been overrated and why they are becoming trashier.
From Deadline: Lady Gaga will not perform her "Best Song" nominee “Hold My Hand” from "Top Gun: Maverick" at Sunday’s 95th annual Academy Awards. She will, however, attend the ceremony.
From Variety: Goldie Hawn was not in attendance at the 42nd Academy Awards on the night of April 7, 1970. So Raquel Welch had to accept the "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar on her behalf for her win for the film, "Cactus Flower."
AWARDS - From Deadline: The winners/losers at the 2023 / 43rd annual Razzie Awards have been announced. The controversial "Blonde" is "Worst Picture," and Tom Hanks "wins" two Razzies.
ANIMATION - From Deadline: Fox is moving head with "Bedrock," an adult animated comedy series that is a spinoff of the classic prime time animated TV series, "The Flintstones" (ABC, 1960-66). Elizabeth Banks will lead the voice cast.
TELEVISION - From Variety: “Act Your Age,” the Bounce TV sitcom starring Kym Whitley, Tisha Campbell, and Yvette Nicole Brown, is now Bounce's most-watched half-hour series debut. It opened to an audience of 2.14 million total viewers with its two-episode back-to-back premiere on March 4th on Bounce TV, according to figures from Nielsen.
STREAMING - From THR: Nick Kroll talks about getting a call from Mel Brooks and on helping to put together "History of the World, Part II" 42 years after the Brooks film, "History of World, Part I."
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 3/3 to 3/5/2023 weekend box office is "Creed III" with an estimated 58.6 million dollars.
From Here: A review of "Creed III" by Leroy Douresseaux.
From Deadline: The success of "Creed III" at the box office is a game changer for Amazon, which owns MGM, the film's studio.
From Variety: Why is Sylvester Stallone not in "Creed III?" Part of it has to do with him not getting his way.
SCANDAL - From GuardianUK: According to recent reports, in 2018, the FBI interviewed Oscar-winning actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, concerning his friendship and business connnections with fugitive Malaysian financier, Jho Low, who is believed to be hiding in China.
MOVIES - From Variety: A new "Alien" film, the ninth one in the series, will begin filming March 9th under the direction of Fede Alvarez.
MOVIES - From Deadline: In an interview with Stephen Colbert for CBS' "The Late Show," legendary director, Steven Spielberg, describes only one of his films as "pretty perfect," 1982's "E.T. the Extraterrestrial."
STAR TREK - From Deadline: The upcoming fifth season of "Star Trek: Discovery," which arrives in 2024, will be the series' last.
SCANDAL - From Deadline: Actress Jena Malone talks about being sexually assaulted while she was filming one of "The Hunger Games" sequels.
NETFLIX - From Variety: Netflix has released a teaser trailer for the action-comedy, "Fubar," the first TV series for Arnold Schwarzenegger.
OBITS:
From Variety: Film and television actor Tom Sizemore has died at the age of 61, Friday, March 3, 2023. Sizemore was taken off life support Friday. He had suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18. Sizemore was best known for his supporting role in some of the biggest films of the 1990s and early 2000s, including "Heat" (1995), "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), and "Black Hawk Down" (2001). He was also the star of one of my favorite short-lived TV series, "Robbery Homicide Division" (CBS, 2002-03).
From Variety: American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, Wayne Shorter, has died at the age of 89, Thursday, March 2, 2023. He was considered one of the most distinctive voices of his generation and one of jazz's greatest composers. In the late 1950s, he was the primary composer for bandleader Art Blakey's "Jazz Messengers." He was an important collaborator of Miles Davis, and then founded the jazz fusion band, "Weather Report." Shorter was nominated for 23 Grammy Awards and won 12, including a win at the most recent ceremony, the 2023 / 65th Grammy Awards.
From THR: Actor, director, underwater cinematographer, and stuntman, Ricou Browning, has died at the age of 93, Monday, February 27, 2023. Browning was best known for wearing the costume and playing the titular "Gill-man" in the underwater sequences of "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954) and he did the same for the film's sequels, "Revenge of the Creature" (1955) and "The Creature Walks Among Us" (1956). Browning also with Jack Cowden the former NBC series, "Flipper" (1964-67), and he directed at least 37 of the series 88 episodes. Browning and Cowden had written the screen story for the 1963 film, "Flipper," upon which the series was based.
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AWARDS:
From Oscar: The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.
From THR: The winners at the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (original screenplay) and "Women Talking" (adapted screenplay) were the top winners.
From Deadline: The winners at the 2023 / 38th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" won six trophies, including "Best Feature."
From Deadline: The winners at the 2023 / 29th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the big prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture," one of four awards the film won.
From Deadline: The winners at the 2023 / 34th annual Producers Guild Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the top prize, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures."
From Deadline: At the 2023 / 50th annual Annie Awards (for animated productions), "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" wins the "Best Feature" award, one of its four wins. "Best Indie Feature" goes to "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On."
From Variety: The winners of the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards have been announced. The French film, "All Quiet on the Western Front" wins a record seven awards including "Best Film." "The Banshees of Inisherin" won four, including "Best British Film."
From Deadline: The winners of the 75th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced. The top honor, "Outstanding Directorial Achievment in a Theatrical Feature Film," went to Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for "Everything Everywhere All at Once."
From Deadline: The winners at the 2023 / 21st annual VES Awards, handed out by the Visual Effects Society, have been announced. "Avatar: The Way of Water" topped the night with 9 wins.
From Deadline: "Top Gun: Maverick" wins "Best Picture" at the "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards" held Saturday night in Beverly Hills.
From Variety: The nominations for the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced. Winners will be announced Sunday, March 5, 2023.
From Variety: The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.
From Deadline: The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."
From Deadline: The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories. The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.
From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.
From Deadline: The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."
From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece. The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.
From Deadline: The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.
From Deadline: The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.
From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th). "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations. The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.
From Deadline: The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022." The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."
From THR: The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."
From Deadline: The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced. ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.
From Variety: The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced. Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett). Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."
From Deadline: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.
From IndieWire: The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations. The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.
From Variety: The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago. Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations. The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.
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BRITTNEY GRINER:
From CBSNews: WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.
From NBCNews: Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.
From NBCNews: A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.
From Reuters: Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.
From TheDailyBeast: Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.
From Vox: Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.
From ESPN: A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th. Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.
From ESPN: The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
From RSN: "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack
From ESPN: Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.
From CBSSports: The Brittney Griner situation explained.
From RSN: According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."
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, in particularly the hair-raising reenactment of D-Day landings on Normandy beach, much of Black Hawk’s impact comes from its dramatic structure, which emphasizes character and story. In addition to Sgt. Eversmann and Lt. Colonel McKnight’s group, the film also follows the plight of the only survivor of the second downed Black Hawk, Chief Warrant Officer Durant (Ron Eldard), who was a prisoner of Aidid’s forces for a few weeks after The Battle of Mogadishu. Staff Sgt. Ed Yurek (Tom Guiry) leads his decimated Ranger group through gunfire to safety. Scott follows the beleaguered Americans, moving deftly from one group of servicemen to the other, keeping the intensity of the drama very high.