New this week: 'Day Shift' and 'Five Days at Memorial'
This weekโs new entertainment releases include music from the union of The Rootsโ Black Thought and super-producer Danger Mouse, a PBS โFrontlineโ investigation into womenโs rights in Afghanistan a year after the U_S_ withdrawal and Jamie Foxx playing a vampire hunter in โDay Shift.โ.
New this week: 'The Sea Beast,' early Elton John, 'Maggie'
This weekโs new entertainment releases include two lost albums from rock superstars Neil Young and Elton John, more than two dozen contestants of reality shows like โSurvivor,โ โThe Amazing Raceโ and โBig Brotherโ facing off in the contest โThe Challenge: USA,โ and Netflixโs โThe Sea Beastโ brings a โMoby Dickโ-like tale down to kid size.
New this week: 'Only Murders in the Building,' 'More Power'
This weekโs new entertainment releases include a new album from Imagine Dragons, the reuniting of โHome Improvementโ sitcom buddies Tim Allen and Richard Karn for โMore Powerโ and the return of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as unlikely crime-solving New York City neighbors in Huluโs โOnly Murders in the Building.โ.
Spike Lee, 'Annette' kick off 74th Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival rolled out the red carpet for the first time in more than two years on Tuesday, launching the French Riviera spectacular with the premiere of Leos Caraxโs โAnnette,โ the introduction of Spike Leeโs jury, and with high hopes for shrugging off a punishing pandemic year for cinema.
Jamie Foxx to play Mike Tyson in boxer's take on his life
Foxx will play the boxing great in the project that also counts Foxx and filmmaker Martin Scorsese as producers. (Photos by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, left, and Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)LOS ANGELES โ Mike Tyson is getting in the TV drama ring against himself. On the heels of Hulu's announcement of a Tyson miniseries to be made without his involvement, the boxing great said he's producing a limited series starring Jamie Foxx. Filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Foxx also are among the producers. Last month, Hulu said it had ordered the eight-episode series โIron Mike,โ saying it would explore the โthe wild, tragic and controversial life and careerโ of a polarizing athlete.
Ex-FBI agent linked to Whitey Bulger to be freed from prison
FILE- In this Oct. 15, 2008 file photo, former FBI agent John Connolly listens to the testimony during his trial in Miami. The imprisoned former FBI agent serving a 40-year prison sentence for alerting former Boston mobster Whitey Bulger that he could implicated in a mob murder wants to be released from prison on medical grounds. The Florida Commission on Offender Review voted 2-1 in favor of releasing 80-year-old John Connolly, who has cancer and is believed to have less than a year to live. Connolly tipped off Bulger and another gangster, Stephen โThe Riflemanโ Flemmi, that Callahan was about to implicate the gang in a killing, authorities said. In a statement read to the commission, Callahan's son said he is not opposed to Connolly's release, given his prognosis.
Despite bleak 2020, celebrities make effort to brighten year
(AP Photo)LOS ANGELES โ Yes, 2020 may seem like a complete fail with all the constant bad news and tragic moments. Itโs been filled with gloom and doom, but some celebrities and those inspired by them have tried to brighten a bleak year. He reassigned his 10 seamstresses in New York to produce thousands daily for health care workers on the frontlines. The singer and husband Emilio Estefan's restaurant Estefan Kitchen served up homemade meals for health care workers in Miami. The challenge coordinated offers by celebrities and athletes to raise funds to feed those in need during the pandemic.
Clooney honored by MoMA as actor, director and humanitarian
Clooney was honored Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, by co-stars and colleagues at the annual film benefit for the Museum of Modern Art, held virtually. MoMAโs annual film benefit raises funds to bring great works of film to the museumโs collection. Also giving virtual tributes Monday evening were actors Felicity Jones, Tiffany Boone, Kyle Chandler and Demian Bichir, who appear in โA Midnight Sky,โ which Clooney stars in and directs. The benefit featured clips from some of Clooneyโs many films: โMichael Clayton,โ โSyriana,โ "The Descendants,โ โGravity,โ and โGood Night, and Good Luck,โ among others. In earlier comments to The Associated Press, Clooney said โGood Night, and Good Luckโ was probably his proudest professional accomplishment.
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020
The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.
New this week: 'I Am Greta,' Chris Stapleton & CMA Awards
This image released by Hulu shows activist Greta Thunberg, center, in a scene from the documentary "I Am Greta" the story of Thunberg, the teenage Swedish schoolgirl who is leading the global school strike for action on climate change. The film premieres Friday on Hulu. (Hulu via AP)
New this week: 'I Am Greta,' Chris Stapleton & CMA Awards
This image released by Hulu shows activist Greta Thunberg, center, in a scene from the documentary "I Am Greta" the story of Thunberg, the teenage Swedish schoolgirl who is leading the global school strike for action on climate change. (Hulu via AP)Hereโs a collection curated by The Associated Pressโ entertainment journalists of whatโs arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIESโ When Greta Thunberg began protesting outside Swedish Parliament two years ago, it only took days for director Nathan Grossman to start trailing her in her mission to prod government leaders on the climate crisis. โI Am Greta,โ which premieres Friday on Hulu, documents the enormous movement fueled by Thunbergโs one-person school strike, and a few very surreal years for the Swedish teenager. โ After releasing two chart-topping albums in 2017, superstar country singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton is back with a new collection of songs coming out Friday.
Tokyo festival opens with grueling boxing 'Underdog' film
This undated photo provided by 2020 UNDERDOG FILM PARTNERS shows film director Masaharu Take at the movie set of Underdog. Underdog opens the Tokyo International Film Festival, which starts Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. (2020 UNDERDOG FILM PARTNERS via AP)TOKYO โ Masaharu Takeโs films have always focused on painful stories about Japan's โunder-class,โ people who are often overlooked in a nation stereotyped as monolithically well-to-do. The heroes of his latest work, โUnderdog,โ couldnโt be more beaten down, stoically hardworking yet hopelessly under-class: They are boxers. โUnderdogโ premieres as the opener for the Tokyo International Film Festival, which starts Saturday and runs through Nov. 9.
Japanese director known for single shots releases Zoom film
This undated photo provided by the @One Cut of the Dead Mission: Remote shows Shinichiro Ueda, director of One Cut of the Dead Mission: Remote, a YouTube spinoff of his 2017 award-winning film. A comedic horror film centered around teleworking, "One Cut of the Dead Mission: Remoteโ was released earlier this year and shared for free on YouTube. It features the same characters from his award-winning 2017 film โOne Cut of the Dead,โ which has one shot that was 37-minutes long. Uedaโs style incorporates slapstick comedy and focuses on visual, rather than explanatory verbal storytelling, an approach relatively rare in contemporary Japanese film. โItโs only after 200 or 300 bad films you will have that one great film,โ he said.
A largely virtual New York Film Festival unveils lineup
NEW YORK This year's New York Film Festival will be held largely virtually and in outdoor screenings, organizers said Thursday while unveiling a lineup featuring new films from Chloe Zhao, Steve McQueen and Azazel Jacobs. Many of the films selected by Film at Lincoln Center, which presents the New York Film Festival, will also play at the Venice and Toronto festivals. As previously announced, the 58th New York Film Festival will kick off with McQueen's Lovers Rock"; Chloe Zhao's Nomadland is the centerpiece; and Azazel Jacobs' French Exit, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges. Last year, Martin Scorsese's Irishman debuted opening night at the New York Film Festival. The 58th New York Film Festival will run a week earlier, from Sept. 17Oct.
Sharon Stone writes memoir that doesn't 'pull any punches'
This cover image provided by Alfred A. Knopf shows "The Beauty of Living Twice" by Sharon Stone, expected in March 2021. Shell also write about her near-fatal stroke in 2001 and her humanitarian work on behalf of AIDS research and other causes. (Alfred A. Knopf via AP)NEW YORK Sharon Stone has taken on a new, real-life role memoir writer. I have learned to forgive the unforgivable," says Stone, whose The Beauty of Living Twice" comes out in March. She'll also write about her two marriages, her near-fatal stroke in 2001, and her humanitarian work on behalf of AIDS research and other causes.
Coppola and Henson companies get loans for winery, puppetry
A statue of Kermit The Frog stands at the entrance to The Jim Henson Company, Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. The U.S. government's small business lending program sent pandemic relief money into unexpected corners of the entertainment industry. The Muppet makers say they received about $2 million to keep their 75 workers employed through the coronavirus shutdown. While legendary names like Francis Ford Coppola and Jim Henson hardly evoke the image of small business, the leaders of modestly sized companies that bear their names say the funds have been essential to keeping ordinary workers afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. The Jim Henson Co. employs about 75 people, company spokeswoman Nicole Goldman said in a statement.
In a win for the world, โParasiteโ takes best picture Oscar
LOS ANGELES โ Subtitle this: โParasiteโ is the first non-English language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards. Bong Joon Hoโs masterfully devious class satire took Hollywoodโs top prize at the Oscars on Sunday night, along with awards for best director, best international film and best screenplay. In winning best adapted screenplay for his Nazi satire โJojo Rabbit,โ the New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi became the first indigenous director ever to win an Oscar. โJokerโ composer Hildur Gudnadottir became only the third woman to ever win best original score. After a year in which women made significant gains behind the camera, no female directors were nominated for best director.
Female directors shut out of 2020 Oscar nominations
The slate of 2020 Oscar contenders for the directing prize were Martin Scorsese ("The Irishman"), Todd Phillips ("Joker"), Sam Mendes ("1917"), Quentin Tarantino ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood") and Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite"), five incredibly talented male directors. Scorsese, Mendes and Tarantino are highly regarded in the industry, but the lack of female directors has been a sore spot for many in recent years. This year, several female directors could have snagged a nomination. Gerwig, whose "Little Women" received six nods, was a top contender heading into the nominations. Wang's "The Farewell," which scored numerous nominations at the Golden Globes and led to an acting award for star Awkwafina, was shut out from all Oscar categories.
cnbc.comNetflix hit 'The Irishman' marks a turning point for how Oscar-caliber movies are distributed, and could speed the demise of movie theaters
We've hit a turning point: Oscar-worthy movies are coming to your living room nearly as quickly as they arrive in theaters. A year after showcasing Best Picture-nominated "Roma," Netflix has made "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story" available to subscribers in November and December around the same time they hit movie theaters in preparation for awards season. "The Irishman" is the latest gangster movie from director Martin Scorsese, featuring veteran actors Joe Pesce, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. The actual number of viewers is probably even higher, as each subscriber represents an account, not a single person, and people often watch movies in a group. It's also terrible news for movie theaters.
cnbc.comNetflix hit 'The Irishman' marks a turning point for how Oscar-caliber movies are distributed, and could speed the demise of movie theaters
We've hit a turning point: Oscar-worthy movies are coming to your living room nearly as quickly as they arrive in theaters. A year after showcasing Best Picture-nominated "Roma," Netflix has made "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story" available to subscribers in November and December around the same time they hit movie theaters in preparation for awards season. "The Irishman" is the latest gangster movie from director Martin Scorsese, featuring veteran actors Joe Pesce, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. The actual number of viewers is probably even higher, as each subscriber represents an account, not a single person, and people often watch movies in a group. It's also terrible news for movie theaters.
cnbc.com'The Wolf of Wall Street' photo, with the real Jordan Belfort, sells for $200,000
An homage to excess, featuring the signatures of two Hollywood legends, quickly banked $200,000 from an unnamed buyer this week. The black-and-white "Wolves of Wall Street I," by famed British photographer David Yarrow, sold at Art Miami within 10 minutes of the art fair's opening. Yarrow was inspired by the 2013 film "The Wolf of Wall Street" and brought in the real Jordan Belfort, whose memoir the movie is based on, to feature in the photo. And that's not all: The photo also bears the signatures of director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. "The Wolf of Wall Street project was an ambitious and important one for me as Martin Scorsese is one of my heroes," Yarrow said in a blog post on Nov. 1.
cnbc.comNetflix is leaving millions on the table by not giving 'The Irishman' a wide theatrical release
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Ray Romano star in Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman." Ninety-day film releases at 3,000 theaters across the U.S. just aren't what Netflix does. Scorsese's most recent film, a gangster pseudo-biopic called "The Irishman," is currently getting a limited run in theaters in New York and Los Angeles. It will roll out to a few more cities over the next few weeks before finally arriving on Netflix on Nov. 27. Tickets for showings at the Belasco Theater in New York are currently on StubHub for between $65 and $85 each.
cnbc.comEd Norton on Martin Scorsese's critique of Hollywood: It was a 'Valentine to my film'
Some big names in Hollywood, however, supported Scorsese's original comments, while others vehemently disagreed. Ed Norton, the writer, director and actor of the upcoming "Motherless Brooklyn," falls squarely in between. "It was almost a Valentine to my film," Norton said told CNBC on Wednesday regarding Scorcese's op-ed. The actor portrayed the Incredible Hulk in the 2008 Marvel film and Scout Master Ward in Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom." "But I think it's important, too, to recognize that for young storytellers and young filmmakers this is also a time of incredible opportunity.
cnbc.comAl Pacino follows this mantra on every acting job
Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro attend "The Irishman" International Premiere and Closing Gala during the 63rd BFI London Film FestivalEven after a movie career spanning half a century, legendary Hollywood actor Al Pacino says he still suffers from imposter syndrome. Pacino was sat beside fellow Hollywood legend Robert De Niro, who he has reunited with for Martin Scorsese's mob epic "The Irishman," out this month. Reflecting on his career, De Niro said that while acting was "different" after all this time, he still liked it "just as much." Pacino said he met De Niro in 1968 and they then "connected from time to time," finding they had shared similar experiences. The "Irishman" is actually the first Scorsese film which Pacino has starred in, despite both having worked with De Niro a number of times.
cnbc.comWarner Bros. says 'Joker' movie is not 'an endorsement of real-world violence'
With a little more than a week before "Joker" is set to be released, Warner Bros. has finally weighed in on the mounting controversy surrounding the R-rated adaptation of DC Comics villainous clown prince of crime. Warner Bros. said in a statement Tuesday that gun violence is a critical issue and that the studio has a long history of donating to victims of violence. "Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind," the statement said. Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for additional comment. Here is Warner Bros. complete statement:
cnbc.comBobby Cannavale and Olivia Wilde talk "Vinyl," Martin Scorsese
Emmy-winner Bobby Cannavale and SAG Award-nominee Olivia Wilde have teamed up for the first time as husband and wife in the new HBO rock 'n' roll series, "Vinyl." The drama follows drug addicted record executive Richie Finestra whoโs fighting to save his label during the 1970s. Wilde and Cannavale join โCBS This Morningโ to discuss their new series.
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