2021 First Chinese Film Awards: The First Golden Elm Flower Awards From the Aollywood Film Critics Association Released the Winners in Macau, China
MACAU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Jan 5th, 2021, the first Chinese film awards of 2021, the first Golden Elm Flower Awards from the Aollywood Film Critics Association, released the winners of each award category in 2020 in Macau, China. "One Second" directed by Zhang Yimou won Best Motion Picture, Guan Hu won Best Director for "The Eight Hundred", Pema Tseden won Best Screenplay for "Balloon", Zhang Yi won Best Actor for "One Second", and Gong Li won Best Actress for “Leap”.
Fan Wei won Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding performance in the movie "One Second". In fact, his role as the village teacher Fan in the "Last Lesson" unit of film "My People, My Hometown" also impressed the audience. He is the well-deserved best supporting actor in the Chinese films in 2020. Elaine Jin won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ji Minglan in the film "Spring Tide". Her wonderful performance won the recognition of most judges.
Actress Liu Haocun, who is only 20 years old, is a shining star emerging in the Chinese films in 2020. With her stunning performance in "One Second" and "A Little Red Flower", she won the award for Best Newcomer without any surprise.
Among several technical awards, Cao Yu won Best Cinematography for "The Eight Hundred", Zhang Yibo won Best Film Editing for "Leap", and Lin Mu won Best Production Design for "The Eight Hundred".
The first Golden Elm Flower Awards - Complete list of winners for 2020 Chinese films:
Best Motion Picture
“One Second”
Best Documentary
“Tough Out”
Best Director
Guan Hu, “The Eight Hundred”
Best Screenplay
Pema Tseden, “Balloon”
Best Actor
Zhang Yi, “One Second”
Best Actress
Gong Li, “Leap”
Best Supporting Actor
Fan Wei, “One Second”
Best Supporting Actress
Elaine Jin, “Spring Tide”
Best Newcomer
Liu Haocun, “One Second”, “A Little Red Flower”
Best Cinematography
Cao Yu, “The Eight Hundred”
Best Film Editing
Zhang Yibo, “Leap”
Best Production Design
Lin Mu, “The Eight Hundred”
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Thursday, January 7, 2021
"Golden Elm Flower Awards" Announces Its First Slate of Winners; "One Second" Named Best Picture
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Negromancer Book Review: "AMERICAN GODS: The Tenth Anniversary Edition"
AMERICAN GODS: THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
WILLIAM MORROW
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
ISBN: 978-0-06-205988-8; hardcover (June 21, 2011)
560pp, B&W, $26.99 U.S.
American Gods is a 2001 fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman (author of The Sandman comic book series). In 2002, the book won several “Best Novel” awards from organizations that honor fantasy fiction, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker Awards. The novel centers on a taciturn and mysterious protagonist caught in a struggle between the gods of the old world and the new gods of America.
In celebration of the novel’s tenth anniversary, William Morrow published American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition (Author’s Preferred Text) in June 2011. This edition contains an additional 12,000 words and is the first time that this version of the text has been made widely available. Gaiman also provides an introduction to this edition in which he explains the origins and development of the novel.
The premise of American Gods is that gods, mythological beings, spirits, and figures of legend, folklore, and fairy tales exist because people believe in them. Through their beliefs, immigrants brought these gods and beings from the Old World to the new world of America. Over time, the immigrants’ descendants either forgot the gods or their belief in their ancestors’ gods waned. Now, out of America’s obsession with media, celebrity, technology, and even drugs (among other things) sprang new gods.
The story centers on an enigmatic figure named Shadow, who has just been released from prison after serving three years. He can’t wait to get back to his wife, Laura Moon, but tragedy strikes. With nothing left to which he can return, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A charming rogue who can get ladies in bed with ease and a trickster extraordinaire, Wednesday seems to know a lot about Shadow, the man who becomes his bodyguard, driver, and general errand boy. Wednesday takes Shadow on a long, strange trip across America, as Wednesday attempts to recruit some of the old gods to his cause. But only Shadow can uncover the whole story about “the Storm,” the war between the gods.
THE LOWDOWN: As much as I enjoyed American Gods (and I sooooo enjoyed it), I don’t believe that I have fully grasped its meaning, but I have some idea on that. It is an epic fantasy and a road novel. It is steeped in Americana, but also in folklore and folktales. It is part suspense thriller that dabbles in conspiracy. A side of it is a small town murder mystery complete with eccentric characters; that includes a good-natured and lonely chief of police who is horny enough to plot having sex with a female cousin.
It is a bit of everything and is all over the place, but that makes me wonder if this novel was Neil Gaiman’s attempt at the great American novel. People think of the United States as a melting pot, in which people from different nationalities, backgrounds, and cultures blend into a new ethnic group, the American. In reality, however, some people just don’t “melt” very well, and it is obvious that they can never physically look like what many consider to be an American – a white person. America may be a melting pot, but it is equally a mosaic, a nation made of different pieces that have broken off from old world cultures and other nationalities. [Some would argue that the United States Constitution is the only thing that unites us.]
American Gods is a mosaic novel made from pieces broken off other stories, or maybe it is a melting pot of different kinds of fiction – the American novel for a melting pot/mosaic nation. Gaiman reconciles the melting pot and mosaic of America by bringing them together and recognizing that American culture is about the tension between old and new. It may be a jumble, but they can live side by side. All that we need recognize is the forces that would tear us apart and use our strife to benefit themselves. We can be different and even not united, but all be American.
Frankly, I did find a few sections of this novel to be dry and even dull, but the further you go into the novel, the tighter its hold on you. Gaiman fills American Gods with inventive scenarios, imaginative characters, and ingenious concepts, although the new American gods are mostly flat and vague characters. Still, it feels like this novel reinvigorated the fantasy genre, making fantastic literature that is not about escapism. American Gods speaks of the soul of this country by delving into the dreams and the beliefs of the people and the supernatural that call this great land home.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Neil Gaiman will want to read American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition.
A
8 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
https://twitter.com/neilhimself
https://www.neilgaiman.com/
https://twitter.com/WmMorrowBooks
https://www.facebook.com/WilliamMorrowBooks
https://twitter.com/HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com/
The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2021
ViacomCBS Announces Deal to Add More Content to "Hulu + Live TV"
ViacomCBS Announces Expanded Distribution Agreement with Hulu
New Deal Brings 14 Additional ViacomCBS Cable Networks to Hulu + Live TV, Including BET, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) announced a new distribution agreement that adds more content from ViacomCBS’ leading portfolio of news, entertainment and sports networks to Hulu’s live TV subscription streaming service, Hulu + Live TV.
The comprehensive, multi-year deal includes continued carriage of CBS broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and The CW, as well as continued distribution of ViacomCBS’ premium subscription service, SHOWTIME®. The deal will also introduce fourteen additional ViacomCBS networks to Hulu + Live TV, including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, CMT, Nick Jr., TV Land, BET Her, MTV2, NickToons, TeenNick and MTV Classic.
“We are excited to have reached an expanded agreement with Hulu that underscores the value of our powerful portfolio of brands to next-generation TV platforms and viewers,” said Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS. “Hulu continues to be a great partner, and this agreement ensures that Hulu + Live TV subscribers are now able to enjoy the full breadth of our leading content across news, sports and entertainment for the first time.”
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About ViacomCBS:
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the US television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
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Monday, January 4, 2021
BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for January 6, 2021
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