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PoliticsVarietyCaitlyn Jenner to Run for Governor of California
Caitlyn Jenner announced Friday that she has filed initial paperwork to run for governor of California in the expected recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom. “California has been my home for nearly 50 years. I came here because I knew that anyone, regardless of their background or station in life, could turn their dreams into […]
EntertainmentVarietyAlice Rohrwacher, Pietro Marcello, Francesco Munzi Team on Doc ‘Fortuna’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Italian directors Alice Rohrwacher (“Happy as Lazzaro”), Pietro Marcello (“Martin Eden”) and Francesco Munzi (“Black Souls”) have teamed up on high-profile doc “Futura,” a portrait of how Italy’s adolescents look at the future. “Futura,” which is being co-produced by pubcaster RAI’s RAI Cinema film unit with Marcello’s own Avventurosa shingle, is billed as a “collective […]
SportVarietyMLB Network Sends CC Sabathia, Carlos Pena and Others to Cover Game ‘Clubhouse’ Style
Baseball’s own cable network plans to test a new way of broadcasting the national pastime. When the Cleveland Indians take on the New York Yankee this Sunday at 1p.m. from Progressive Field, a group of former players and current broadcasters on MLB Network will describe the action in a different way. CC Sabathia, Carlos Pena, […]
EntertainmentVarietyThree 6 Mafia Remember Their Shocking Oscar Win for ‘It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp’: ‘Nobody Saw That One Coming’
“It was fifteen years ago, and I still don’t believe it,” says DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia, possibly the most shocking Oscar winners in history. The Memphis-spawned hip-hop group won Best Original Song in 2006 for the theme track from the Terence Howard-starring film “Hustle & Flow,” which bears the spectacularly unsubtle title of […]
EntertainmentVarietyNetflix’s ‘Halston’ To Premiere In May (TV News Roundup)
Netflix announced that the new limited series “Halston” will premiere on May 14. In the series from Daniel Minahan, Ewan McGregor stars as legendary fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick as he builds a worldwide fashion empire in 1970s and ’80s New York until he must fight for control of his own name. “Halston” also stars […]
EntertainmentVarietyPatrick Dempsey, Alessandro Borghi in First-Look Images of ‘Devils’ Season 2, Now Filming in Rome – Global Bulletin
In today’s Global Bulletin, Sky announces production for “Devils” season two; Keshet 12 commissions season two of “Line in the Sand”; ITV News’ Robert Moore revisits the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks in “After the Storm: America’s Enemy Within?”; famed Japanese arthouse cinema Uplink Shibuya closes its doors; Happinet Phantom Studio launches in Japan; ABC in […]
EntertainmentVarietySara Bareilles Returns to Hollywood Bowl, Sans Audience, to Promote Live Album
Returning to the scene of the crime seemed to Sara Bareilles like a good way to promote her just-announced live album, “Amidst the Chaos: Live at the Hollywood Bowl,” and so the singer-songwriter will be boosting the release with a livestream return gig at the Bowl, albeit with about 17,500 fewer people in attendance than […]
EntertainmentThe WrapDoes ‘Mortal Kombat’ Signal New Life for Video Game Movies in Hollywood?
“The audience is real and the business scales to the quality of the entertainment,” “Borderlands” executive producer Randy Pitchford says Video games have come a long way since “Super Mario Bros.” More than 30 years since its release, a game like “The Last of Us” doesn’t look or feel a thing like the 8-bit adventures of an Italian plumber in the Mushroom Kingdom. So how come the movies based off video games are still stuck in the 8-bit era? Despite the genre’s rough reputation and mixed box office results, Hollywood is now looking to adapt the biggest gaming franchises as well as artful indie games and more serious, critical darlings. The hope is that the industry’s attitude toward video game movies and shows is changing, and that critics and audiences will be more receptive. “Hollywood is definitely taking video games more seriously than they ever have before,” Randy Pitchford, executive producer of the “Borderlands” franchise at The Gearbox Entertainment Company and the executive producer of the “Borderlands” film, told TheWrap. “The audience is real and the business scales to the quality of the entertainment. The most successful people in the film and television business understand this and are taking video...Read original story Does ‘Mortal Kombat’ Signal New Life for Video Game Movies in Hollywood? At TheWrap
TechnologyYahoo Movies UKThis £379 43-inch Samsung TV is a very smart buy, says our tech expert
This affordable expert-approved TV is not one to miss.
BusinessVarietyBack at Work? Global TV Industry Survey Reveals Office Anxiety, Virtual Fatigue and Hopes For Mipcom (EXCLUSIVE)
Fewer than one in 10 executives working across the international TV industry wants to go back to full-time office work following the pandemic, and 60% think in-person industry events should require COVID-19 testing, a new survey has found. The inaugural Content Industry Monitor from podcast TellyCast and fledgling agency WorkShare Consulting surveyed around 500 people […]
EntertainmentThe WrapThe Incredible Journey of Chloé Zhao and Other Reasons to Celebrate Diversity at the Oscars
For those who still think the glass is half-empty, I see it filling up I remember the first time I met Chloé Zhao. She was this tiny thing who showed up to a private Wrap dinner for directors and writers at the Sundance Film Festival on Main Street in 2015, tucked under the protective arm of Forest Whitaker. She was in competition at the festival with her first feature, “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” which Whitaker produced. I remember her and the film especially because it was an unusual combination. Zhao, a Chinese-born filmmaker, telling the story of a Native American family on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, a place I had happened to visit as a reporter and knew to be one of the poorest places on Earth. Of all places, she chose this one to set her story. And of all stories, she chose to focus on Johnny and his sister Jashuan, young Native Americans struggling in a family fractured by a tragic legacy of the Lakota nation. Writer-director Chloe Zhao with producer Nina Yang and a friend at TheWrap’s Sundance dinner in 2015. (Photo by Patrick Fraser for TheWrap) I thought that this writer-director must be a person of uncommon empathy. The film wound up grossing $147,000 worldwide. So it is quite a wonder to consider Zhao’s journey from then until now, nominated for a stunning four Academy Awards and poised to become the first Asian woman in history to win Best Director on Sunday night for her film “Nomadland.” She is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Editing. It almost takes your breath away. Also Read: From Chadwick Boseman to Chloe Zhao – 19 People Who Could Make History on Oscar Night But if that trajectory makes your pulse race (as it does mine), consider the other firsts that are happening at this year’s Academy Awards: • The first time two women are nominated for Best Director, Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell. • The first time an Asian woman is nominated for Best Director. • The first time any woman of color is nominated for Best Director. • The first time a British woman is nominated by Best Director. (Fennell is also nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.) * The first time an all-Black team of producers is nominated for Best Picture (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). * The most Black nominees for a single film in Oscar history (10 for “Judas and the Black Messiah”). And with the votes in and expectations already set, most people anticipate another first on Sunday night: that three nonwhite actors may take the top acting prizes, namely, Yuh-Jung Youn for Best Supporting Actress (“Minari”), Chadwick Boseman for Best Actor (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Daniel Kaluuya for Best Supporting Actor (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). That list could expand if Viola Davis, beloved but in a tough competition, manages to snag Best Actress for playing “Ma Rainey.” Also Read: Oscar Predictions: In a Weird Year, Will We See Weird Winners? In a world where diversity has sometimes become a slogan rather than a meaningful goal, it is worth taking a moment to appreciate where we are here in Hollywood, on the cusp of setting new standards and embracing change that we hope may become a new normal. Many may look at the Oscar race this year and see a glass half-empty. Some important projects about and by filmmakers of color, did not make Best Picture — namely, Spike Lee’s “Da Five Bloods,” and notably the missing nomination for Delroy Lindo’s masterful lead performance. As an observer of this process for more than two decades, I choose to see this moment as a glass that is steadily filling up. The process of choosing to make diversity a goal of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership has played a role. And public pressure about the lack of inclusion in our industry, the lack of gender equity and the need to finally open the gates wider has forced more diverse projects to be given a chance. Also Read: Louise Fletcher Explains Why She Accepted Her Oscar in Sign Language 45 Years Ago That said, Zhao’s journey is even more remarkable than most. She was born and raised in Beijing, China. Her stepmother was an actress, Song DaDan, but otherwise she had no entry into entertainment. As an adolescent, she reportedly was rebellious and drawn to Western cultural influences. Zhao went to boarding school in London, but finished high school in Los Angeles. She studied political science at Mount Holyoke College, and later went on to study film production at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She made a bunch of shorts before directing her first feature in 2015, and the rest is history. And her next movie will be “The Eternals,” a megabudget Marvel tentpole with Anglelina Jolie that’s due out this November. I have not once had the pleasure of talking to her during this extra-long awards season, which I regret. But I have watched her gather accolades and statues with wonder. And I’m going to stick with this feeling of hope that I get from the nominees at this year’s Academy Awards. The Decade When Hollywood Cracked Open – In Praise of the 2010s Read original story The Incredible Journey of Chloé Zhao and Other Reasons to Celebrate Diversity at the Oscars At TheWrap
EntertainmentVarietyDiane Warren and Reba McEntire Reunite for a New Film Ballad, ‘Somehow You Do’ (EXCLUSIVE)
As 12-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren is in the midst of preparations for the 93rd Academy Awards, she has also found time to release her latest songwriting project, “Somehow You Do,” sung by Reba McEntire. The song is in the Warren tradition of movie-based ballads. “Somehow You Do” is taken from the upcoming film, “Four Good […]
EntertainmentVarietyBollywood Plots Safe Return to Production After COVID-Enforced Pause
The Hindi-language film industry, popularly known as Bollywood, is displaying its resilience after being hit by yet another COVID-enforced pause. India is currently in the throes of the pandemic with 330,000 new COVID-19 cases everyday, with upward of 2,200 daily deaths. The western Indian state of Maharashtra, home to Mumbai and Bollywood, is amongst the […]
EntertainmentThe Wrap‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier': Is US Agent a Bad Guy or Good Guy?
The MCU’s newest superpowered person in a costume faces an uncertain future (This article contains spoilers for the finale of Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+) In a show full of interesting things, John Walker — now going by the title U.S. Agent — is of particular interest. A large part of that is because his story is very disjointed — he goes from sounding pretty much exactly like Steve Rogers at the beginning of the second episode to being a petty, jealous goober who executes his foes while a crowd of people watches without much of a transition. But this week, John has a moment of reflection while he’s fighting with the Flag Smashers, and he then briefly fights alongside Bucky to help take them down. It was a weird thing. Why Bucky would suddenly be OK with him aside, it’s the kind of thing that makes you wonder, “Wait, is he a good guy now?” John Walker is definitely in an ambiguous place right now. He’s clearly not the best guy in the world, and he’s overly emotional and susceptible to people telling him what he wants to hear. And he’s now apparently working for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ mysterious Valentina, who we figure will play a major part in the MCU from here. Also Read: ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Season 2? Kevin Feige Says ‘There’s Certainly Ideas’ Valentina is certainly not the best person either, and judging by her comic book history we should expect her to become either a major villain, or a more morally grey Nick Fury type. If it’s the latter, then John fits in naturally with her, because that’s how he is in the comics as well. A guy who sometimes does good stuff, and sometimes does bad stuff, and has a tumultuous relationship with actual heroes. The way that he was portrayed throughout “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” follows that characterization almost to a T, so it would make sense for him to be the same way as U.S. Agent. Let’s talk about the comic book version of this guy for a second. While it’s not clear whether U.S. Agent is an actual government role in the MCU, that’s exactly what it was in the comics. The idea was basically “What if Captain America was comfortable with black ops.” Among his other jobs, he was for a time put in charge of supervising the West Coast Avengers, where he really found his groove fighting alongside the team and proving himself on multiple occasions. After the West Coast Avengers disbanded, he joined up with other teams, including The Invaders, Omega Flight, and a later incarnation of the main Avengers team. Also Read: How Anthony Mackie Reacted When Falcon Became the Comic Captain America Back in 2014 He never becomes a straight-up villain again, but he remains something of an egomaniac and jingoist dick who clearly wishes he was Captain America even years after he accepted he isn’t up to the job. Like many comic book heroes, U.S. Agent had a bunch of other adventures and went in and out of retirement. He even became warden of The Raft at one point. And most importantly for what might happen in future Marvel shows and movies, he even ends up recruited by a group of US government jerks who don’t like Sam Wilson’s version of being Captain America — though even then he basically ends up siding with Sam anyway. The gist here is that John Walker is the sort of person who wants to do the right thing, but is OK with doing war crimes on America’s behalf to accomplish it. He’s the sort of person for whom determining whether he’s a hero or villain or something else will likely depend on the the situation. Think of it this way. Captain America is supposed to represent America’s stated ideals — but U.S. Agent much more closely resembles what America actually is. How that will play whenever John Walker emerges into the greater MCU is anyone’s guess. Read original story ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier': Is US Agent a Bad Guy or Good Guy? At TheWrap
EntertainmentYahoo Movies UK'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' Episode 6 recap: Six talking points from explosive season finale
The new Captain America is finally here.
EntertainmentThe WrapHow Anthony Mackie Reacted When Falcon Became the Comic Captain America Back in 2014
The new Cap apparently didn’t think it would happen for him 7 years before “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” The finale of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” finally gave the people what they want: Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) confirmed as the new Captain America. And we know a lot of fans are (understandably) finding the whole thing extremely heartwarming. But even more heartwarming is the time 7 years ago, when the comic book version of Sam Wilson became Captain America, and Mackie celebrated the milestone even though he apparently believed it was never going to happen for him. So quick recap: In the final episode, which we need to just say out loud wrapped up the Flag Smashers and John Walker stuff really uh, uncomfortably quick, Sam debuted the hybrid Falcon/Captain America suit we definitely knew the Wakandans made for him last week. Also Read: ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Season 2? Kevin Feige Says ‘There’s Certainly Ideas’ More importantly, while he was very clearly acting on his own and without the sanction of the US Government, by the end he’s been completely accepted as the new Captain America. Even by Isaiah Bradley, who has extremely good reasons (he’s a victim of systemic racism) to reject the whole premise, and the creepy Ted Cruz-esque senator played by Alphie Hyorth, who has bad reasons (he’s a perpetrator of systemic racism). Back in 2014 we were still years away from the MCU’s Sam Wilson becoming Captain America in the MCU. But in July of that year Marvel comics announced on “The Colbert Report” that Sam would be taking over as he new cap starting in 2015. And Mackie, who at that point had appeared as Sam just one time, in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” was ecstatic.“Dreams do come true!!! It’s only the ComicBook, but it’s still amazing!” he tweeted the next day. Here’s that tweet, which includes a very heartwarming photo. Dreams do come true!!! It's only the ComicBook, but it's still amazing! pic.twitter.com/vOUnx8yaCn— Anthony Mackie (@AnthonyMackie) July 18, 2014 Fortunately for Mackie, and legions of *very* happy Marvel fans, in the end it wasn’t only the comic book. Thanks to “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Mackie is, we presume, the MCU’s official Captain America for the foreseeable future. And hell yes to that. In the meantime, we don’t know everything there is to know about the MCU’s version of Sam’s new suit yet — is it made of vibranium? Does it include strength enhancing stuff? But we do know it’s extremely close to the suit designed by comics artist Daniel Acuña for the first issue of “Captain America: Sam Wilson” and we’re down. Read original story How Anthony Mackie Reacted When Falcon Became the Comic Captain America Back in 2014 At TheWrap
EntertainmentVariety‘Syrian Conflict Is Not a Civil War,’ Oscar-Nominated Signe Byrge Sørensen Says (EXCLUSIVE)
Copenhagen-based Final Cut for Real CEO Signe Byrge Sørensen might be unassuming and soft-spoken, but her vision, will power and fire for urgent stories have made her a world-class producer. Her documentary credits boast countless festival hits and accolades, including two Oscar-nominated films, “The Act of Killing” (2014) and “The Look of Silence” (2016), to […]
EntertainmentThe Wrap‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Season 2? Kevin Feige Says ‘There’s Certainly Ideas’
Anything is possible in the new phase of the MCU, but that doesn’t mean there are any guarantees The Marvel Cinematic Universe is back in full swing now that we’ve reached the end of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and so much has happened — not the least of which is that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is now officially the new Captain America. These new Marvel shows on Disney+ are, unlike “Agents of Shield” and the Netflix ones, full pieces of the MCU that carry as much weight for the big picture of the franchise as most of the movies that aren’t universe-shattering crossover events. So that means sequels are usually going to be a distinct possibility. Or, since we’re talking about TV shows, second seasons. “WandaVision,” though, is the sort of story for which a season 2 wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense — it’s not likely that Wanda is going to make a town live their lives in a TV show again. But “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is a different story. Also Read: ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier': Are We Honestly Supposed to Sympathize With John Walker? Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige sounded more optimistic about a potential second season of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” compared to “WandaVision.” But the studio, which until this year had only made movies, views any future seasons of its growing list of Disney+ series in much the same way as it does film sequels. “It’s a funny question and it’s one that we obviously get asked much more in television because people expect it to be like what people know before. We really did approach it like we do the movies: We better make this great, because we won’t be able to do another one,” Feige said back in March during a virtual press conference. “If we were able to do another one, there’s certainly ideas.” And there are some obvious setups, particularly with John Walker (Wyatt Russell) still alive and kicking at the end, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ mysterious character up to no good. And while the Flag Smasher super soldiers are out of the picture now, their cause still lives on. Plus, you know, we’ve got whatever’s going on with Sharon Carter right now. But with all these characters belonging to the greater franchise, stuff that happens in movies or other Disney+ shows could impact whether another season even makes sense. “Falcon and The Winter Soldier” will be followed by two other series that feature returning MCU actors in “Loki” in “Hawkeye,” along with future projects that will debut new heroes including Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Moon Knight and Ironheart. Feige reiterated the overall plan going forward is for characters and storylines to bounce between Disney+ and the movie theater. Also Read: Incel Captain America Is So Perfect “They really will go back and forth between the Disney+ series and the movies,” he said. “Sometimes will be a Season 2, sometimes will be a feature.” Unlike “WandaVision,” which Feige revealed well before its premiere that it would have a direct tie-in to a future movie — in this case, Elizabeth Olsen will appear in “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” next year — there are no announced plans for either Mackie or Stan to reprise their roles in an upcoming project. That doesn’t mean what happens in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” won’t have ramifications on the MCU, Feige said. “The characters of Bucky and Sam are essential to the MCU — whatever they go through could and should have an impact on the MCU,” Feige said. “It is hard to navigate every fan theory that’s going to pop up. Not everything is going to be as world-shattering.” Also Read: Here’s How Much ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Debut Topped ‘WandaVision’ in Viewership He later added: “There can be character shifts that have massive, massive implications for the future.” Those two have gone through a ton across these six episodes. Sam is Captain America. Bucky finally crossed everyone off his apology list. They both worked through a lot of their baggage that they’ve been wrestling with for several movies and seem a lot more emotionally prepared to deal with being superheroes in a world as insane as the MCU. Sam’s sister got the boat situation handled, and maybe Bucky is gonna stick around since he really seems to like her. While we don’t know when we’ll see these guys next, Mackie does at least have an idea for one place he’d like to pop up. “I would really — Kevin — like to spend some time in the ‘Blade’ world,” Mackie said. The finale of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” dropped on Friday, April 23 on Disney+. Read original story ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Season 2? Kevin Feige Says ‘There’s Certainly Ideas’ At TheWrap
EntertainmentVariety‘Quantico’ Star Tracy Ifeachor and ‘Star Trek’s’ James Frain Set For BBC’s ‘Showtrial’ (EXCLUSIVE)
“Quantico” star Tracy Ifeachor (pictured, right), “Star Trek: Discovery’s” James Frain (left) and “Rocks” actor Sharon D. Clarke are set to star in BBC drama “Showtrial” from “Bodyguard” producer World Productions. The five-part series, which will air on flagship channel BBC One, is now in production. Ben Richards (“The Tunnel”) writes, while Zara Hayes (“Poms”) […]
EntertainmentYahoo Movies UK'Stowaway', 'Unhinged', 'War of the Worlds': The films to stream this weekend
Netflix has another new film to get stuck into, while Russell Crowe gets his crazy on in road rage thriller Unhinged.
EntertainmentThe WrapDoes ‘Mortal Kombat’ Have a Post-Credits Scene?
We know Warner Bros hopes to make more “Mortal Kombat” movies, but do they tease a sequel with a bonus scene after the credits? It’s been more than two decades, but the “Mortal Kombat” movie franchise is back in theaters and on HBO Max with a reboot that skews much more closely to the ultraviolence of the video game series than the PG-13 movies from the ’90s did. The hope for Warner Bros is clearly that they want to make more of these. Joe Taslim, who plays Sub-Zero in the movie, has said he’s signed on for four more “Mortal Kombat” movies. And the movie is missing a big part of the story — the actual Mortal Kombat tournament — which presumably they plan to tackle in a future film. And while the character of Johnny Cage isn’t present here, the movie does end by teasing his imminent arrival. All of that adds up to an easy conclusion: that we’ve probably got more “Mortal Kombat” movies on the way, because they’re clearly planning a franchise here. Also Read: ‘Mortal Kombat’ Would Be Great if It Didn’t Look Like a Cheap TV Show The question is just whether there are any more teases once the credits begin that are worth sticking around for if you went out to a theater to watch it. Does “Mortal Kombat” feature a mid-or post-credits scene? The answer is no, there’s not mid-credits or post-credits scene in “Mortal Kombat.” The little Johnny Cage tease, showing him on a poster at Cole’s (Lewis Tan) gym, is the only forward-looking tease we get at the end of the movie — there’s nothing else after that except for a solid 11 minutes of credits. So, no, we’re not given any sort of glimpse as to what, if anything, Shao Kahn (Chin Han) is planning to try before the tournament. We don’t have any clue what to expect from a prospective sequel beyond the Johnny Cage showing up. That’s probably for the best, since it keeps things wide open for the creative team. If they do come back for more, though, let’s hope they do with a bit more visual flair. Read original story Does ‘Mortal Kombat’ Have a Post-Credits Scene? At TheWrap
EntertainmentVarietyChuck Lorre Salutes Former WBTV Chief Peter Roth: ‘Our Happy Hugging Hero’
Producer Chuck Lorre paid tribute to former Warner Bros. TV Group chief Peter Roth as “our happy hugging hero” in a message featured on his custom vanity card that aired tonight at the end of the four Lorre-produced comedies on CBS’ Thursday lineup. For vanity card No. 669, the prolific producer penned a cheeky poem […]
NewsThe WrapTucker Carlson Tries to Joke That Democrats Want Kids to Stab Each Other (Video)
Fox News star responds to Ma’Khia Bryant shooting with, uh, comedy The essence of satire is that it actually reflect at least a kernel of truth, which doesn’t explain why conservative pundits like Tucker Carlson are so very often not actually good at it, but at least explains the specific way they aren’t. Case in point, a sarcastic rant Tucker delivered at the top of his most recent episode, in which he used the shooting of Ohio teenager Ma’Khia Bryant as the jumping off point for a weird joke about how the Democratic Party wants kids to murder each other with knives. And no, typing it out doesn’t make it make sense. Bryant, a 16-year old Black Columbus girl living in a foster home, was shot and killed by police on Tuesday after police responded to a 911 call about a knife attack. The details of the case are not fully understood, and there have been conflicting reports about who made the call and why. But body cam footage shows Bryant holding a knife and lunging at another girl just before police shot her. Whatever the situation proves to have been, it’s generally agreed that the whole thing is tragedy that ended with the death of a 16-year-old. Also Read: LeBron James Deletes Tweet Saying ‘You’re Next’ to Officer Who Shot Ma’Khia Bryant Tucker however decided this was a good time to test out some jokes. “Good News: After a decades-long search by a blue-ribbon commission of internationally renowned experts from McKinsey & Company and Yale Law School, the Democratic Party announced that it has finally identified the single most grotesque, most dystopian, most anti-human policy ever adopted by a Western government. They’ve been looking hard to find it, as you may have noticed,” Tucker began. “At a triumphant press conference Wednesday, leading Democrats unveiled their findings, which are now a plank in the party’s platform: They’re going to allow children to stab each other,” Tucker continued. Obviously, this press conference didn’t actually happen. It was just part of the joke. Tucker continued by saying that “stabbing people has long been taboo in this country, especially for those under 18,” but now, thanks to his fictional version of the Democratic Party, “Knife fights are human rights. Stabbing can finally come out of the closet.” To be clear, we aren’t sure what this is supposed to be parodying. No one has expressed outrage about Bryant’s death with the argument that stabbing people is good. But anyway, Tucker then made a reference to Mesoamerican history that really didn’t make any sense in or out of context, then said that this new stabbing thing he attempted to wring laughs out of will be a fundamental right alongside “the right to commit voter fraud, the right to free body piercings, the right of trans illegal aliens with pituitary disorders to become fighter pilots.” Also Read: Tucker Carlson’s College Yearbook Says He Belonged to Club for Harvey Milk’s Murderer Tucker continued along these lines for a couple more minutes before finally putting all of this in a kind of context. Describing the shooting of Bryant with a ton of sarcasm, Tucker derided people who have criticized police for shooting her, using as an example a woman named Kiara Yakita of the Black Liberation Movement of Central Ohio, who said to the Washington Post: “As soon as the officer got out of the car, he had the gun ready to shoot somebody. Law enforcement and city officials are rushing to make excuses because she had a knife. Those excuses are not valid to me.” Tucker of course didn’t much care for that and to make his displeasure known, he referenced Bruce Lee’s 1971 film “The Big Boss,” in order to make the case that police officers are not generally known as elite martial arts experts. “Someday soon, Merrick Garland’s Justice department will likely send down a consent decree mandating just that, we have no doubt,” Tucker continued as he brought the gag to a close. “In the meantime, MSNBC pointed out, we know for a fact that the cop was a racist, because he didn’t even bother to ask Ma’Khia Bryant what her grade point average was, or whether she had a popular TikTok account, if you can even imagine.” Suffice to say, the whole thing functions more like a grab bag of things conservatives like Carlson enjoy complaining about, regardless of whether they’re true or not, rather than a clear joke. Then again, in 2020 Fox News argued in court that Tucker Carlson should not to be treated like a credible news person, and a judge agreed. And since topical comedy is very much based in news, that might explain it. Read original story Tucker Carlson Tries to Joke That Democrats Want Kids to Stab Each Other (Video) At TheWrap
EntertainmentVariety‘Midnight Sun’ Shines Again as K-Pop Stage Musical Aimed at Cinemas
Alternative content for cinema screening is getting a K-pop spin, giving it a chance of success in parts of Asia, even as distributors and audiences remain hesitant about movies’ return to theaters. Hong Kong’s Megaton Entertainment will be holding a series of screenings in early May of the tear-jerking tale “Midnight Sun,” which has been […]
EntertainmentThe WrapIndie Spirit Awards Add a Surprise or 2 to Their Oscar Warmup
Riz Ahmed and Carey Mulligan’s wins bring a touch of energy to yet another awkward virtual awards show Back in the early days of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the operative cliché about the show’s relationship with the Academy Awards was “win on Saturday, lose on Sunday,” because the indie films that won Spirit Awards typically came up short at the Oscars. Spirit Award organizers made sure that the first part of that phrase wouldn’t apply this year, because they moved the show to Thursday night from its usual spot on Saturday afternoon. And then voters did their best to make sure that the second half of the phrase wouldn’t apply, either, voting almost across the board for the nominees that seem likeliest to also win on Sunday, when the Oscars take place. Also Read: 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners (Complete List) Sure, Riz Ahmed winning Best Male Lead for “Sound of Metal” over Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was a mild surprise, though Ahmed has a shot at doing the same thing at the Oscars on Sunday. Otherwise, though, from Best Feature winner “Nomadland” to director Chloe Zhao, actresses Carey Mulligan and Yuh-Jung Youn and the screenplay to “Promising Young Woman,” the Spirit Awards felt like a warmup for the Oscars, not an alternative to them. (And yes, Mulligan’s victory for “Promising Young Woman” over Viola Davis for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Frances McDormand for “Nomadland” is far from a sure thing at the fiercely competitive Oscar Best Actress race, but she’s a formidable contender there.) Twelve of the 14 film categories contained at least one Oscar nominee – and in every one of those categories, an Oscar nominee won. “Nomadland” went into the show as the clear favorite for both the Spirits and the Oscars, and it came out as exactly the same thing. Also Read: From Chadwick Boseman to Chloe Zhao – 19 People Who Could Make History on Oscar Night That’s not surprising: In recent years the Spirit Awards have often veered close to the Oscars, including a four-year streak in which the same films won the top prize at both ceremonies: “12 Years a Slave,” “Birdman,” “Spotlight” and “Moonlight.” But a show that struggles to display an identity of its own is a tough sell this year in particular, when we’ve seen one group after another grappling with the idea of giving out awards without being able to gather people together. In that environment, Film Independent became the latest awards body to put on an awkward show that honored good work but seemed a little pointless in the process. Granted, it was nice to see “Sound of Metal” stars Ahmed and Paul Raci receive awards, and to have the potent Bosnian film “Quo Vadis, Aida?” win in an international-film category where it wasn’t going to head-to-head against the likely Oscar winner, “Another Round.” But the virtual show, which was hosted by “Saturday Night Live” cast member Melissa Villasenor, couldn’t really capture the spirit of the usual tent on the beach, and the winners weren’t distinctive enough to make up for comedy bits that sometimes seemed endless. The show did manage to get everything wrapped up in two hours, though to do so it had to dispense with five awards in rapid succession with little fanfare at the 90-minute mark. (Sorry, winners in the cinematography, editing, international, John Cassavetes Award and non-scripted TV categories.) Also Read: Is WarnerMedia’s Dual Theater-HBO Max Film Strategy Really Working? The five new television awards might have given a boost to kickoff the Emmy campaign for Michaela Cole’s “I Will Destroy You,” which won two awards, though it’ll take a while to get used to the Spirit Awards wading into the TV waters. Then again, this is a year in which the Spirit Awards and every other show probably deserves the benefit of the doubt. Pandemic awards are a strange and unsatisfying beast, so it’s best to look at this as a show that managed to tread water while we all wait for better times. Read original story Indie Spirit Awards Add a Surprise or 2 to Their Oscar Warmup At TheWrap
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