Oscars get it mostly right
Oscars get it mostly right
And the Grammys show us how it's done
What to know
The Oscar nominations are finally here | /Film
Aside from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and One Night in Miami getting shut out of the Best Picture category, and Regina King also missing out on Best Director, the ever-evolving Academy pretty much nailed it. Mank leads the way with 10 nominations, but the big story is representation of women and people of color.
Chloe Zhao and Emerald Fennell made history as the first 2 women to be nominated for Best Director in the same year
Chloe Zhao is also the first woman of color to get a Best Directing nod
Steven Yeun became the first Asian-American lead actor nominee
Viola Davis is now the most nominated Black actress ever
Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim person ever nominated for Best Actor
Judas and the Black Messiah is the first Best Pic nominee to have all Black producers
Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson are the first Black women to be nominated in Best Makeup for Ma Rainey’s
Meanwhile, Glenn Close got nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie for the same role. It’s also cool to see Maria Bakalova get nominated for Borat and “Husavik” for Eurovision. As the Oscars face another ratings decline on April 25, we now wait for details about the ceremony itself. If they’re smart, they’ll take notes from…
The Grammys show us how it’s done | CBS News
After the train wreck that was the Golden Globes, it was nice to see a pandemic award show get it right. The Grammys were excellent and in my opinion, showed why the Oscars should have a host this year. Trevor Noah was crucial in keeping things moving and bringing levity via humor and enthusiasm. In terms of history, Beyoncé became the most awarded woman in Grammys history and Taylor Swift became the only woman to win Album of the Year 3 times. Elsewhere, Ice T won a Grammy for *checks notes* metal performance and Billie Eilish won for a song from a movie that isn’t even out yet.
The reviews for the Justice League Snyder Cut are in and mostly positive | Uproxx
How good could a 4-hour DC superhero movie be? Pretty good, if you ask the critics. From early rumors of the Snyder Cut’s existence to its release this week, fans have to be pretty satisfied with how this all played out. I’m still not sure if I’m convinced enough to watch it though.
Elton John rails against Rocketman investors the Catholic church | Uproxx
Did you know that the Catholic church funded some of Rocketman? Pretty surprising considering their stance on LGBTQ+ people. Now, in light of the church’s recent denunciation of gay marriage, Elton John is calling out the Vatican’s hypocrisy. He’s not wrong — supporting a movie like Rocketman, but being publicly against gay marriage rings hollow and is downright hateful.
Also...
People are loving this fan-mad Batman movie … but I’m not sure how it’s legal 🦇
A new old-school Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game is coming … give it to me 🐢
China built 2,000 new movie screens this year already … the sound you hear is Hollywood execs salivating 🇨🇳
Kingsley Ben-Adir joins Marvel’s Secret Invasion … he didn’t get an Oscar nod, but a Marvel job isn’t a bad consolation prize 👽
Zack Snyder is done making DC movies … so don’t ask for the Snyder Cut 2 🦸♂️
The Father director will direct The Son next … and if The Grandson isn’t after that I’m going to be mad 👨👦
What to watch
Trailer(s): In the Heights — June 18 (Theaters & HBO Max)
You know what’s cooler than one trailer? Two trailers. Look, if you’re not excited about In The Heights, you either HATE musicals or have no pulse. These new trailers promise a lot of color and big production numbers. What more could you want?! Getting to see this on a big screen would be quite the delight.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!
New notables this week:
Waffles + Mochi season 1 (Mar 16) — Netflix family food show with Michelle Obama | No RT yet
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (Mar 17) — Netflix documentary | 100% RT
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (Mar 18) — HBO Max DC superhero movie | 77% RT
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier season premiere (Mar 19) — Disney+ Marvel series | No RT yet
Calls (Mar 19) — Experimental Apple TV+ audio/visual series | No RT yet
Genius: Aretha season premiere (Mar 21) — Nat Geo & Hulu biopic miniseries | 80% RT
Before you go… I continue to be impressed by Cruella
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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.