BET News Announces "Inauguration 2021"

BET Announces Its Multiplatform Programming Strategy for Inauguration 2021

“BET NEWS Presents: Inauguration 2021” January 20th Starting At 11am/10c – an Exclusive News Special Co-Hosted by Soledad O’Brien and Marc Lamont Hill will Broadcast LIVE Extended Coverage of Presidential Inauguration and Feature Special Interviews with Representative James Clyburn, Representative Maxine Waters, National Action Network Founder Reverend Al Sharpton, NAACP President Derrick John, National Urban League President Marc Morial, Black Voters Matter Fund Co-Founder LaTosha Brown and Others

BET Digital to Launch Dedicated Website that Celebrates Black Women’s Achievement with Special Highlight on Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET announces coverage plans of the historic Biden/Harris inauguration with “BET NEWS Presents: Inauguration 2021.” Co-anchored by Soledad O’Brien and Marc Lamont Hill, this news special will feature exclusive commentary and analysis provided by live guests, on-site reports and special interviews. Live coverage is scheduled to begin Wednesday, January 20 at 11:00 am ET/10c on BET.

    “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All”

“BET NEWS Presents: Inauguration 2021” will feature live coverage of the Inauguration Day events including the official swearing-in and inauguration speech of the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden. This BET News broadcast special will also feature on-the-ground reports and taped packages spotlighting Kamala Harris and the powerful and undeniable impact of Black voters in the 2020 election.

Hosts Soledad O’Brien and Marc Lamont Hill will be joined by special guest commentators Presidential historian, Professor Martha Jones (author of “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All”), noted activist, author and Black Lives Matter co-founder, Alicia Garza and CBS News political analyst Jamal Simmons.

In addition, “BET NEWS Presents: Inauguration 2021” will feature interviews with notable Black activists and political figures, including Congressman James Clyburn, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, National Action Network Founder Reverend Al Sharpton, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, National Urban League President Marc Morial, Black Voters Matter Fund Co-Founder LaTosha Brown and others, all of whom discuss the historic 2020 election and the challenges facing the incoming Biden/Harris administration.

BET Digital will commemorate the inauguration by launching a microsite, BETCelebratesHer.com, that honors Black women’s achievement starting with our ground-breaking new Vice President Kamala Harris. The microsite will pay tribute to Vice President Harris’ accomplishments while celebrating other change agents and achievers. BET Digital is proud to collaborate with Unilever/Dove as the launch partner on this new initiative.

For more information visit www.bet.com and follow @bet and @betnews to engage across social media platforms.
 

ABOUT BET:
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 10th to 16th, 2021 - Update #34

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STIMULUS - From YahooMoney:   Here's who gets a payment under Biden's $1,400 stimulus check proposal

From Truthout:  As part of his COVID stimulus package, President Biden wants a $15 minimum wage.

COVID-19 - From YahooNews:   Coronavirus death toll tops 2 million worldwide

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Even more stars, including Robert De Niro and Chris Rock, join David O. Russell's new untitled film for New Regency.

TELEVISION - From TVInsider:   Jared Padalecki, formerly of the long running, "Supernatural," will star in The CW's "Walker," a reboot of the long-running CBS series, "Walker, Texas Ranger."  Padalecki was initially developing the series for his Supernatural co-star, Jensen Ackles, before taking the lead himself.  He says that Jensen may still be involved in the series.

TELEVISION - From TCM:  To commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday 2021, TCM has scheduled a day of reality-based films to document and celebrate the Black Experience.

MOVIES - From EW:    Here is a first look at the R-rated reboot of the "Mortal Kombat" franchise.

AWARDS - From Variety:  Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" tops the 2020 Gotham Awards.  At the virtual ceremony, Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman tearfully accepted the tribute to her late husband, Chadwick Boseman, that was delivered by actor Andre Holland.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Zoe Saldana and Oscar-winner Rami Malek join director David O. Russell's untitled New Regency film.  Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington are already on board.

POLITICS - From YahooNews:   The U.S. House of Representative impeaches President Donald... again.  This time it is on one charge, "incitement to insurrection."  He becomes the first U.S. president to be impeached twice.

From LATimes:  232 to 197 - 232 is the largest numbers of votes ever tallied to impeach a U.S. president.

From RSNWashPost:  Don't forget when President Donald called the Georgia Secretary of State and berated him to change the vote...

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   OWN and Tyler Perry's drama, "The Haves and the Have Nots," will end after its current eighth season.  It is the last series created under Tyler Perry's deal with OWN.

BOND - From Deadline:   The upcoming James Bond film, "No Time to Die," is moving again - from Easter weekend 2021 to some time in the fall not yet specified.

BIDEN! - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Tom Hanks will host the primetime "Celebrating America" special that will culminate the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on January 20, 2021.

COVID-19 - From PageSix:   Action movie icon, Bruce Willis, asked to leave a Rite-Aid pharmacy in Los Angeles after he refused to wear a mask.  He left without making a purchase.

STREAMING - From THR:   Netflix says its 2021 slate will feature "a new movie every week."

CULTURE - From BET:  "Brough Brothers Distillery" in Louisville, Ky. made history in 2020 as the first Black-owned whiskey distillery in the state. On New Year’s Eve, the three brothers, Victor, Christian, and Bryson Yarbrough produced their first 5-gallon barrels, according to Whisky Advocate."

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team beat the Ohio State University Buckeyes 52-24 to win the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.  It is Alabama's third title in the College Football Playoff era, and its sixth national title in 12 years.  By Alabama's count, this is their 18th national college football championship.  The Crimson Tide finish the 2020 season with a 13-0 record.

From YahooSports:  Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach has won his seventh national championship with Alabama's 52-24 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.  He has won six with the Tide: 2009, 2011, 2012 2015, 2017, 2020.  His first national title was in 2003 as head coach of the Louisiana State University Tigers.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 1/8 to 1/10/2021 weekend box office is "Wonder Woman 1984" with an estimated take of 3 million dollars.

STREAMING PREVIEW - From BleedingCool:  Apple TV has released the first teasertrailer for "Cherry," a new film from brothers Joe and Anthony Russo ("Avengers: Endgame") and starring Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland.

ASSAULT ON THE CAPITOL:

From Buzzfeed:   BuzzFeed News spoke to two Black officers who described a harrowing day in which they were forced to endure racist abuse — including repeatedly being called the n-word — as they tried to do their job of protecting the Capitol building...

From NBCNews:   Some Democrats in Congress are worried their colleagues might kill them

From Truthout:   At least 28 law enforcement officers from 12 states have been identified as attendees of the so-called “Save America” rally in support of Donald Trump that sparked the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6

From RSNWashPost:   President Donald watched TV while the U.S. Capitol Building was under siege.

From YahooSports:   A so-called "Olympic hero" was part of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th.  Swimmer Klete Keller won silver and bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Games; gold and bronze at the 2004 Athens Games; and gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.  Now, he has won Nazi gold for appearing at the white supremacist games.

From RSNNewYorker:  What Should We Call the Sixth of January 2021?

From Truthout:  The Right Is Planning More Armed Coup Attempts, According to the FBI

From NBC2:  Police found a pickup truck full of bombs and guns near Capitol, feds say

From YahooNews:  Arnold Schwarzenegger invokes Nazi Germany in powerful video denouncing Capitol Hill riot

From Fox5DC:  A second police officer who responded to the Wednesday, Jan. 6th Trump-incited riot at the U.S Capitol building.  Some media outlets are reporting the death of Howard Liebengood, 51-years-old, as an "off-duty" death.  The local Fox affiliate, "Fox 5" TV station, is among those reporting Liebengood's death as a suicide connected to the riot.

OBITS:

From YahooSports:   Former NFL player, Tim Lester, has died at the age of 52, Tuesday, January 12, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  Lester was a running back/fullback and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1992.  He played from 1992 to 1999 for the Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys.  Lester was best known for his four-year tenure with the Steelers (1995-98), where he blocked for legendary Steeler, Jerome Bettis, for three of those seasons.

From YahooLATimes:  British film director, Michael Apted, has died at the age of 79, Thursday, January 7, 2021.  One of the most prolific English directors of his generation, Apted may be best known for the groundbreaking "Up" documentary series — which chronicled the lives of 14 British men and women starting at age 7 in seven-year increments, from 1964's "Seven Up!" to 2019's "63 Up."  He also directed such films as "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980), "Bring on the Night" (1985), "Gorillas in the Mist" (1988), and the James Bond movie, "The World is Not Enough" (1999), to name a few.

From LATimes:  Retired Major League Baseball pitcher and manager, Tommy Lasorda, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, January 7, 2021.  Lasorda, of course, is best known as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976 to 1996.  He managed the team to eight division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships (1981 and 1988).

NatGeo Names Tony Goldwyn and Daniel Dae Kim as the Leads in "The Hot Zone: Anthrax"

National Geographic Names Leads For ‘THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX’

TONY GOLDWYN (‘KING RICHARD,’ ‘SCANDAL’) AS BRUCE IVINS
DANIEL DAE KIM (‘HAWAII FIVE-0,’ ‘LOST’) AS MATTHEW RYKER

From 20th Television and Scott Free Productions, the Six-Episode Limited Series Will Focus on the Anthrax Attacks of 2001

Production To Begin This Winter 2021 in Toronto

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic, with Scott Free Productions and 20th Television, announced today that Tony Goldwyn (“King Richard,” “Scandal,” “Lovecraft Country”) and Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Lost,” “The Good Doctor”) will star in the next installment of the scripted anthology series THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX. Previously announced, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will return as executive producers and showrunners, focusing this season’s limited series on the harrowing anthrax attacks of 2001. Principal photography will begin this winter 2021 in Toronto.

    “Tony Goldwyn and Daniel Dae Kim have such tremendous depth as actors and are the perfect duo to dive into the twists and turns of the deadly attacks that sent the country into panic”

In a timely limited series that depicts the plight and eventual triumph over a National threat, THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX takes place in 2001, just weeks after 9/11, where the United States was rocked by another deadly act of terrorism. Letters containing anthrax were sent to unsuspecting victims in Florida, Washington, D.C., and New York. The anonymous assault claimed five lives and caused panic throughout the U.S. Despite interagency turf wars and many false leads, an unlikely team of scientists, FBI agents and government departments slowly closed in on a shocking prime suspect.

“Tony and Daniel are both wonderfully versatile and dimensional actors who will bring complexity and depth to these characters,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president of scripted and documentary films, National Geographic. “We can’t wait for their star turns in this startling, authentic and timely scientific thriller.”

Goldwyn joins the series as Bruce Ivins, a brilliant microbiologist who becomes embroiled in the hunt to find the 2001 anthrax killer. While he works closely with the FBI to uncover who is behind the deadly anthrax letters, his growing instability and paranoia give way to even deeper and unnerving discoveries. An actor, director and producer, Goldwyn recently completed production on King Richard and starred in back-to-back critically acclaimed Broadway productions: Olivier Award-winner The Inheritance and Network. He gave a scene-stealing guest appearance in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” and also co-starred in the Netflix series, “Chambers.” Additionally, he concluded his role as President Fitzgerald Grant in “Scandal” after its seven-season run.

Kim will portray Matthew Ryker, an FBI agent with a specialty in microbiology, who, just three weeks after the 9/11 attacks, risks his career to convince his superiors of the unthinkable, that the United States is under attack again. Currently Kim can be seen in NBC’s “New Amsterdam”. Later this year, Kim stars opposite Toni Collette and Anna Kendrick in Netflix’s feature “Stowaway” and in Sundance film “Blast Beat”. Kim also is an executive producer on the critically acclaimed series “The Good Doctor.” Previously, he starred in the film “Hellboy”. In 2006, Kim received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble for his role on the hit series “Lost.” After starring as Chin Ho Kelly in the juggernaut series “Hawaii Five-0” for seven-years.

“Tony Goldwyn and Daniel Dae Kim have such tremendous depth as actors and are the perfect duo to dive into the twists and turns of the deadly attacks that sent the country into panic,” said Souders and Peterson, showrunners and executive producers.

For THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson serve as executive producers and showrunners. Scott Free Production’s Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker are executive producers, with Jordan Sheehan also serving as executive producer. Lynda Obst is an executive producer. Richard Preston is a co-executive producer on the series. The series is produced by 20th Television and Scott Free Productions.

The six-hour scientific thriller follows last year’s “The Hot Zone,” which starred Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award winner Julianna Margulies and was National Geographic’s most-watched scripted series of all time. For more information, visit our press room at www.natgeotvpressroom.com and follow @NatGeoPR on Twitter.

Goldwyn is represented by CAA, Untitled, and attorneys Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham. Kim is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and UTA as well as Gang Tyre Ramer ETC.


About Scott Free Productions:
Scott Free Productions, founded in 1995, is the film and television production vehicle of acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott. In the 25 years since Scott Free was formed, the company has earned over 100 Emmy nominations with 22 wins, and 28 Golden Globe nominations for its television projects. Current productions include the HBO Max sci-fi epic, RAISED BY WOLVES, the first-ever American television series helmed by Ridley Scott, a drama about androids raising human children in an outer space colony; THE GOOD FIGHT, the critically-acclaimed CBS All Access spin-off of THE GOOD WIFE recently ordered to season five; an inventive heist anthology series, JIGSAW, to shoot in 2021 for Netflix; the investigative drama series THE BEAST MUST DIE for U.K.’s Britbox, starring Jared Harris; and an upcoming adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS for FX/BBC1. Other hailed Scott Free productions include the THE HOT ZONE; THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE; THE TERROR; THE GOOD WIFE; TABOO; NUMB3RS; THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH; THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN; THE COMPANY; CRIMES OF THE CENTURY; GETTYSBURG; RE: GENERATION MUSIC PROJECT; I AM DYING; CLIVE DAVIS: THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES; and the acclaimed Emmy-nominated National Geographic channel series of “Killing” telefilms: KILLING JESUS; KILLING KENNEDY; KILLING REAGAN; and KILLING LINCOLN.

ABOUT 20TH TELEVISION:
A part of Disney Television Studios, 20th Television is one of the industry's most prolific suppliers of entertainment programming, including the No 1. Series on all of broadcast, NBC’s THIS IS US from Dan Fogelman; Fox’s No. 1 drama, 9-1-1 and its spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, its No. 1 comedy LAST MAN STANDING starring Tim Allen; Hulu’s recent smash hits SOLAR OPPOSITES from Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan and LOVE, VICTOR from Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger and Brian Tanen; FX’s No. 1 series AMERICAN HORROR STORY from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; TBS’ No. 1 series AMERICAN DAD created by Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Seth MacFarlane; and the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television, THE SIMPSONS, in addition to dozens of others. 20th Television shows have amassed a collective 2000 Emmy nominations and 263 Emmy wins, as well as multiple Golden Globes, Humanitas Prizes and Peabody Awards. The studio’s landmark series from its 70 year library include such classics as BATMAN, M*A*S*H, GLEE, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, BONES, BOB’S BURGERS, EMPIRE, FAMILY GUY, 24, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FUTURAMA, KING OF THE HILL, NEW GIRL and THE X-FILES.

About National Geographic Partners LLC:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 132 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27% of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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2021 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards Announced; Tejano Legend, Selena, Among Honorees

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena, and Talking Heads to Be Honored With Recording Academy® Lifetime Achievement Award

Ed Cherney, Benny Golson and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds To Be Honored With Trustees Award; Daniel Weiss To Receive Technical GRAMMY® Award

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Recording Academy® has announced the honorees for its 2021 Special Merit Awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena, and Talking Heads. Ed Cherney, Benny Golson and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds are Trustees Award honorees; and Daniel Weiss is the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipient. The honorees will be recognized on the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® on Sunday, January 31, 2021. Given the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, more details about the special award presentation event will be announced at a later date.

    “As we welcome the new class of Special Merit Award honorees, it gives us a chance to reward and recognize the influence they’ve had in the music community regardless of genre”

"As we welcome the new class of Special Merit Award honorees, it gives us a chance to reward and recognize the influence they’ve had in the music community regardless of genre," said Harvey Mason jr., Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "As a music creator and music lover, I am grateful that we are able to look back at our influences and see the impact that they have made on our community. In a year where music has helped keep us together, I look forward to honoring this iconic group of music creators.”

Formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five are among the pioneers of hip-hop. The group's use of turntablism, break-beat deejaying, choreographed stage routines, and lyricism was a significant force in the early development of the genre.

Lionel Hampton* started his career as a drummer in Chicago in the 1920s before he played the vibraphone with Louis Armstrong. In the 1930s, he broke barriers with the Benny Goodman Quartet, one of the first integrated jazz bands in America. In the 1940s, he formed his own Lionel Hampton Orchestra, which became one of the longest running orchestras in jazz history.

Marilyn Horne is one of the most prolific opera singers of our time. Over her six-decade career, she has garnered numerous honors, including four GRAMMY Awards, a Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters from France’s ministry of culture, and a National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors.

As one of the first all-female rap groups, Salt-N-Pepa broke down a number of doors for women in hip-hop. Formed in Queens, New York, in 1985, the group crafted hits such as “Push It,” “Shoop,” “Whatta Man,” and the GRAMMY-winning “None Of Your Business.” They were also one of the first rap artists to crossover, laying the groundwork for the hip-hop’s widespread popularity in the early '90s.

The Queen of Tejano, Selena* became a household name not long after her career took off in the 1980s. Her 1993 album, Live, won Best Mexican-American Album at the 36th Annual GRAMMY Awards, marking the first time a female Tejano artist won the category. Though her life was tragically cut short in 1995, Selena’s crossover album, the posthumously released Dreaming Of You, sold 175,000 on the day of its release, a then record for a female vocalist.

Talking Heads, formed in 1975 in New York City, helped to pioneer new wave music by blending elements of punk, rock, art pop, funk, and world music with an avant-garde aesthetic. In 2002, 11 years after the group disbanded, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Ed Cherney* was one of the most sought-after engineers in the industry. His four-decade career began as an assistant engineer working with Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones on Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall. Cherney went on to record, mix and engineer albums for artists such as the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, and Fleetwood Mac, among others. A four-time GRAMMY winner, he also founded the Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing®.

Benny Golson is an international jazz legend who has composed more than 300 works over his 70-year career. He has composed and arranged music for artists such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Hampton, and is the only living artist to write eight jazz standards. His prolific writing also includes scores for many hit TV series and films.

Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds is a poignant tunesmith, prolific producer, superstar recording artist, and revolutionary label owner. An 11-time GRAMMY winner, including a record four Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical awards, Babyface has been instrumental in the careers of artists such as Toni Braxton, Usher and TLC and has crafted hundreds of pop and R&B hits with artists including Whitney Houston, the Whispers, Brandy, Boyz II Men, Madonna, and Eric Clapton.

Daniel Weiss is one of the true pioneers of digital technology. In 1985, he founded Weiss Engineering Ltd. in Zurich, Switzerland. The company has designed and manufactured groundbreaking digital audio equipment for mastering studios, including the IBIS digital mixing console and the ultra-high quality Gambit Series digital products.

The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award honors such contributions in areas other than performance. The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees determines the honorees of both awards. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are voted on by the Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by the Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording industry.

*Denotes posthumous honoree.

About the Recording Academy:
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Review: "The Addams Family" Gives the Middle Finger to Assimilation

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 of 2021 (No. 1739) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Addams Family (2019)

Running time:  86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)

MPAA – PG for macabre and suggestive humor, and some action.

DIRECTORS:  Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon

WRITERS:  Matt Lieberman; from a story by Matt Lieberman, Erica Rivinoja, and Conrad Vernon (based on the characters created by Charles Addams)

PRODUCERS:  Gail Berman, Alison O'Brien, Alex Schwartz, and Conrad Vernon

EDITORS:  Kevin Pavlovic and David Ian Salter

COMPOSERS: Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  (voices) Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Tituss Burgess, Jenifer Lewis, Elsie Fisher, Conrad Vernon, and Pom Klementieff

The Addams Family is a 2019 computer-animated comedy from directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan.  The film is based on the characters created by The New Yorker cartoonist, the late Charles Addams (1912-1988).  The Addams Family the movie focuses on an eccentrically macabre family and their interactions with the denizens of a colorful, but bland suburb.

The Addams Family opens as Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) prepare to marry in front of their eccentric, odd, and weird family members.  However, the people of the local town despise the macabre nature of the happy couple and their family, and chase them away.  Luckily, the newlywed Morticia and Gomez and their companion, Thing (sentient hand), escape to New Jersey.  There, the trio finds two things.  The first is a home in an abandoned and decaying manor-style building that was once an asylum, and the second is a butler in the hulking Lurch (Conrad Vernon).

Thirteen years later, Morticia and Gomez have two children – a precocious and mordacious, Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz); and an explosives-loving son, Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard).  The family is in kind of a state of crisis.  Gomez struggles as he prepares Pugsley for his upcoming “Sabre Mazurka,” a rite of passage that every male Addams family member must pass.  Morticia struggles to keep Wednesday from wanting to experience the world outside the mansion, which includes the girl's desire to go to school.

Elsewhere, reality TV host, Margaux Needler (Allison Janney), is in the middle of building a perfect planned community that she is calling, “Assimilation.”  This is supposed to be the highlight of her television series' season finale.  However, when she discovers that the Addams' dilapidated home overlooks Assimilation, Margaux is determined to give their home an extreme makeover, whether they like it or not.  Meanwhile, many members of the Addams clan are gradually arriving in order to celebrate Pulley's big day.

I have been a fan of ABC's 1960s television series, “The Addams Family” (1964-66), since I was a child.  As a child, I was also a fan of NBC's Saturday morning cartoon series, “The Addams Family” (1973).  I have mixed feelings about Orion Pictures' two 1990s live-action films, The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).  As an adult, I became a huge fan of the work of Charles Addams, especially of his delightfully macabre cartoons that featured the characters that would become known as “The Addams Family.”

The latest media iteration of these characters, the computer-animated The Addams Family, borrows elements from the Addams Family media that has come before it.  Here, the illustrative and graphic design of the characters and their world recall both Addams cartoons and the 1973 TV series, although I find the way this film's Morticia and Gomez look to be a little off-putting.  Overall, however, I find the look of this film visually appealing, and I think the Addams family's relatives are an interesting lot of inventively designed characters.

One thing that I think The Addams Family 2019 has over The Addams Family 1990s film franchise is that this animated film gets it right in the way it contrasts the Addams family against the outside world.  Charles Addams' best cartoons juxtaposed his creepy characters and their playfully insidious actions with the normal human world.  Much about the 1990s films was insular and did not send the family out into the normal world.  The second film did, at least, send Wednesday and Pugsley to summer camp, which is why I think the second film is much better than the first.

By sending the Addams down the mountain to meet their neighbors in this film, the filmmakers get to play with themes and ideas of individuality, conformity, acceptance, change, and family, which makes this movie more than just another cartoon romp featuring a bunch of strange characters.  Ultimately, The Addams Family 2019 emphasizes that a family can be made up of both different people and of people who live and act differently from the rest of the family.

This film's standout voice actor/character pairs are Chloe Grace Moretz as Wednesday and Allison Janney as Margaux Needler.  Nick Kroll delivers a killer turn as Uncle Fester, and Bette Midler takes what is a small role in Grandmama Addams and makes it feel like a major part.  Jenifer Lewis, with her commanding voice and delivery, turns Great Auntie Loom into a character that steals scenes.

The Addams Family 2019 is my favorite media adaptation of “The Addams Family” characters outside of the 1960s and 1970s.  I highly recommend this film to fans of the characters.  It does take a while for the film to get going – about 20 minutes into the story, but it manages to be sweet, charming, heartwarming, and, of course, macabre – the way it should be.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, November 8, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for January 13, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

NOV200897    MIGHTY MORPHIN #3 CVR A MAIN    $3.99
NOV200898    MIGHTY MORPHIN #3 CVR B CARLINI LEGACY VAR    $3.99
NOV200899    MIGHTY MORPHIN #3 CVR C BLACK BLANK SKETCH    $3.99
NOV200945    ORIGINS #3 (OF 6) CVR A MAIN    $3.99
OCT209149    POWER RANGERS #2 2ND PTG    $3.99
NOV200947    RED MOTHER #12    $3.99
NOV200924    SEVEN SECRETS #6 CVR A MAIN    $3.99
NOV200925    SEVEN SECRETS #6 CVR B BARTEL VAR    $3.99
NOV200926    SEVEN SECRETS #6 SECRET SPOILER VAR    $4.99
OCT209150    WE ONLY FIND THEM WHEN THEYRE DEAD #4 2ND PTG    $3.99

Dark Horse Comics Shipping from Diamond Distributors for January 13, 2021

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP200306    47 RONIN TP (RES)    $19.99
OCT200253    STRANGER THINGS SCIENCE CAMP #4 (OF 4) CVR A KALVACHEV    $3.99
OCT200254    STRANGER THINGS SCIENCE CAMP #4 (OF 4) CVR B PIRIZ    $3.99
OCT200255    STRANGER THINGS SCIENCE CAMP #4 (OF 4) CVR C BAK    $3.99
JUN200305    XRAY ROBOT TP    $19.99