Alex Trebek leaves heartfelt message in final week
Alex Trebek leaves heartfelt message in final week
And Will Ferrell's wild Oscars hosting idea
What to know
Alex Trebek left a heartfelt message at the start of his final week | NBC News
Alex Trebek’s final Jeopardy! episodes are airing this week and the late host started what will surely be an emotional final run with an inspiring message of love and kindness. "I'd like you to open up your hands and open up your heart to those who are still suffering because of COVID-19, people who are suffering through no fault of their own," Trebek said, "We are trying to build a gentler, kinder society, and if we all pitch in just a little bit, we are going to get there." Get the tissues ready.
Will Ferrell had a wild idea after being asked to host the Oscars | PCB
Plenty of funny people have hosted the Oscars, but none have done it like Will Ferrell would have back in 2012. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter’s Award Chatter podcast, Ferrell revealed that he was offered the Academy Awards hosting gig in late 2011 after Eddie Murphy dropped out. He ended up not taking the job (Billy Crystal would go on to host that year) but he did have a truly wild hosting idea for he and Zach Galifianakis.
The Grammys are being postponed | Variety
The Grammys won’t be happening on January 31. Due to the COVID-19 spike in LA and travel concerns, the Recording Academy is rescheduling the ceremony for March 14, the same day as the SAG Awards. SAG-AFTRA is not happy about it.
Jordan Peele explains why he’s done acting on camera | PCB
Jordan Peele rose to fame on TV screens, but don’t expect him to step in front of a lens again anytime soon. In a new conversation with Bradley Whitford, Peele revealed more about his decision to quit acting and how he feels when he sees himself on screen: "It’s masturbation you don’t enjoy."
This Anne Hathaway quarantine movie takes some twists | ComicBook
HBO Max is releasing the pandemic-inspired Locked Down on January 14. In the film, Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor play a recently separated couple—OK makes sense—forced to live together because of the pandemic—got it, clever—who then team up to pull off a diamond heist—wait, what!? Anyway, there’s a trailer.
Borat 2’s Maria Bakalova had emotional reunion call with the babysitter | Uproxx
Kind-hearted babysitter Jeanise Jones put up with a lot of shit in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, specifically from Tutar as played by Maria Bakalova. So it’s nice to hear that Bakalova spoke to Jones out of character on Thanksgiving and that it brought her to tears. “I was so happy to talk to her that I started to cry,” Bakalova told the LA Times, “She is a really good example of how important it is to be a good person and care about others.” A GoFundMe for Jones has raised $180,000, with $100k coming from Sacha Baron Cohen himself.
In related Borat news, the sequel’s director Jason Woliner explained how Tutar got into the White House and what happened with Giuliani behind the scenes.
Also...
Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby are making a pirate comedy series at HBO Max ☠️
Avengers Endgame grossed more than the entire 2020 U.S. box office 🎟
Whoopi Goldberg might be returning to Star Trek in Picard s2 ✨
Tanya Roberts, Bond girl & That 70s Show star, has diedd at 65
Noma Dumezweni (Cursed Child, The Undoing) is joining Disney’s live-action Little Mermaid 🐟
What to watch
A metal drummer loses his hearing. Amazon’s Sound of Metal might sound like a simple movie, but in the hands of star Riz Ahmed and first-time director Darius Marder, it’s a heartbreaking character study about what we do when what we love is ripped away from us. As Ruben, Ahmed makes a case for himself as one of our finest actors (with this award season in his future), while Marder delivers thought-provoking, at-times harrowing sound design and lingering close ups that will not let you look away. With its resonant themes of loss, purpose, and change, Sound of Metal comes at just the right time.
New notables this week:
Alex Trebek’s final Jeopardy! episodes (Jan 4-8) - Syndication
History of Swear Words (Jan 5) - Netflix doc series with Nic Cage
Pieces of a Woman (Jan 7) - Netflix movie | 78% RT
Mr. Mayor (Jan 7) - NBC comedy from Tina Fey & Ted Danson
Pretend It’s a City (Jan 8) - Netflix doc from Scorsese & Fran Lebowitz
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About the author: Alex Rabinowitz has led the way on social media and story packaging at media outlets big and small. With his acclaimed Tumblr site PopCultureBrain.com, Alex became a leading figure in emerging social networks and entertainment news. Sourced by many top destinations, including New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, and Videogum, Pop Culture Brain was featured by BuzzFeed and TIME as the best pop culture blog on Tumblr. Alex's writing has appeared on The Huffington Post, GQ.com, Mic, and Time Warner Cable.