Hey, this is the first of what should be our weekly update on what’s going on in the Film/TV/entertainment stuff each week. I’ll be as thorough as I can with the space I have, or maybe just the big stories, or hey, maybe just the stories that pique my particular interest. I guess you’ll just be stuck with whatever the fuck I write about here, so there.
So, can we have more Academy Award drama, please? There are no African American actors nomimated this year for an award in ANY acting category. People are pissed. Of course, this is not an entirely new problem, and THAT’S the problem. All the nominees this year are white. You can tell from the way the light reflects off all of the nominees skin. If it weren’t for the Indigenous People in The Revenant, you wouldn’t think there were ANY people of ANY other color on the planet.
I whole-heartedly agree that we need more diversity in the Academy judging members. Most definitely. And as it turns out, the Academy is now making some changes to their membership and voting rules to promote Oscar diversity. Adding three new seats to the already 51-person board is one way they are planning on reaching their goal of doubling the number of women and diverse members by the year 2020. They are also implementing a new global campaignto recruit new members who represent greater diversity. Apparently the Academy had an emergency meeting last Thursday to make all these changes. Will it be too little, too late?
Various industry people are boycotting the Oscars this year. Spike Lee, Will and Jada-Pinkett Smith among them. Chris Rock is hosting, saying that he can do more from the stage there since millions will be viewing it.
Earlier today in an interview, legendary actress and Academy member Charlotte Rampling said “It is racist to whites,” in regards to the boycott, according to The Guardian‘s translation. “One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list.”Continuing, she said, “Why classify people? We live now in countries where anyway people are more or less accepted,” the first-time Academy Award nominee said. “There are always problems: ‘He’s less handsome’ or ‘He’s too black’ or ‘He’s too white.’ There will always, always be someone who will say, ‘Oh, you’re too…’ What are we going to do? We’re going to classify all that to create thousands of little minorities everywhere?
Oh – as of 20 minutes ago, Ms. Rampling says she was “mis-interpreted”. “I regret that my comments could have been misinterpreted this week in my interview with Europe 1 Radio. I simply meant to say that in an ideal world every performance will be given equal opportunities for consideration,” she told “CBS Sunday Morning” in an interview. ” I am very honored to be included in this year’s wonderful group of nominated actors and actresses.”
Nice save, Charlotte. Turns out actor Michael Caine also said some “mis-interpretable” things as well. What’s with white, elderly British actors? Caine DID day some nice things about actor Idris Elba, but then it got weird again, so…
Check out Variety’s website for more of that Charlotte Rampling stuff. Yikes.
Looks like the Deadpool numbers are said to be encouraging for it’s Feb. 12 opening. They think it could take in 50 – 60 million in ticket sales. Yeah, we’ll see about that.
For you Doctor Who fans (like me), the big news today is that showrunner Steven Moffat will be stepping down from that role after season 10 of the show, and writer Chris Chibnall will take over starting with season 11. Chibnall created the series Broadchurch. He’s got other credits including Torchwood, Life On Mars, and writing credits on some Doctor Who episodes, too. I’m good with this because I think the Doctor needs some fresh eyes and minds on the show. As much as I like Moffat’s time there, I’m ready for some new(ish) blood.
So apparently there is some renewed interest in demonic possession and exorcism, because Fox has decided to order a pilot for a series based on The Exorcist. Yes, you read that right. The drama will be a modern retelling of the best selling book from 1971. It’s being touted as “a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.”
It will be written and produced by Jeremy Slater, who wrote the script for the recent and awful Fantastic Four film. Does anyone really need me to conitnue? Yeah, I thought not.
Hey, what’s with this Die Hard 6 news? Len Wiseman is to direct it and it’s called Die Hard: Yea One. It’s about Burce Willis’s character, John McClane in his early days as a cop and when he met his wife and who the fuck cares? They say Willis will appear in parts but the film will be primarliy with two actors playing those roles in their younger selves. And here i was hoping they’d try to make this last one REALLY awesome becuae this franchise should go out with a ‘bang’, but nope. Already sounds stupid.
And now for a story that couldn’t possibly be farther from my interest: Hot Topic has partnered with Sony Pictures for a new lingerie collection based on the upcoming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie.
Thanks and see ya next week!
~ Neil T. Weakley, your average movie-goer, letting you know that this column is a work in progress. Don’t get your panties in a bunch about it yet.
