New this week: Taylor Swift, 'Descendant' and 'Ghostwriter'
This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Babyface, Arctic Monkeys and a Taylor Swift original, a documentary about the last known ship to bring African captives to the American South for enslavement and “Doc Martin” gets a proper farewell on Acorn TV.
Awkwafina, Zendaya among 819 invited to join film academy
Cynthia Erivo, John David Washington, Eva Longoria, Zendaya and Awkwafina are among the 819 people who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. If they accept, which most do, those in the new class will have voting privileges at this years Oscars. A handful of actors from this years best picture winner Parasite, including Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Park So-Dam and Lee Jung-Eun, were also invited to join. The Academy said that 49% of the new invitees are international and represent some 68 countries. It has since surpassed those goals and continues to infuse membership classes with both women and people from underrepresented communities.
The Real Festival That Inspired Horror Flick 'Midsommar'
"Midsommar," from director Ari Aster, is about a young couple whose relationship is on the rocks. They decided to reconnect on a trip to Sweden for the annual Midsommar festival. The real Midsommar is a celebration to welcome the arrival of warm weather, and the festival goes back centuries. While the new movie may put the Midsommar festival in a horrifying light, the Swedish Council of America isn't too worried about people getting the wrong impression about the celebration. ... Is it capturing the realism of Swedish Midsommar?