Here’s what’s new and interesting in the world of entertainment and the arts today:
- What sent Kanye West to the hospital?
- Netflix offers downloads of some shows, movies
- Will Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ be the late-breaking Oscar spoiler?
‘La La Land’ leads the pack with 12 nominations for Critics’ Choice Awards
The Broadcast Film Critics Assn. announced its film nominees for the 22nd Critics’ Choice Awards on Thursday, with whimsical Los Angeles love story “La La Land” landing 12 nominations.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone both garnered nominations for their performances in the film, as did Damien Chazelle for director and screenplay.
“Arrival” and “Moonlight” scored a hefty 10 nominations each, including nods for picture and director.
Due to the inclusion of genre-specific categories, several actors managed multiple nominations, some for the exact same role.
Review: ‘Jackie’ is a transporting, transfixing biopic
Jackie, we hardly knew you.
Though no more than that single name is needed to bring to mind an entire universe of memories, mythology and celebrity, the woman it conjures had a core mystery that remained unassailable despite media scrutiny of the most relentless kind.
To convincingly pull the curtain back on that kind of a life, to be true to the tragic history and alive to the unexplored drama, to take smart and fearless ownership of what could have been an overly familiar story could not have been more difficult.
But what makes the success of “Jackie” even more remarkable is the paradoxical team that came together to persuasively imagine the behind-the-scenes drama that followed the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
“Jackie” follows First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, played by Natalie Portman, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Crafting the compelling script, which won the screenwriting prize at Venice, was a man best known as a successful television executive. Directing this story of an American legend was a Chilean filmmaker who’d never worked in English before. And the star was an actress who, despite an Oscar already under her belt, seems with this performance to be finally coming into her own.
CMT releases a new ‘Nashville’ trailer
Weddings, babies and teenage emancipations — oh, my! Fans of “Nashville,” rejoice: New episodes of your favorite country music drama are on the way.
CMT, which picked up the TV series for a fifth season after ABC canceled it, released the first official trailer for the return of the show centered around the always-complicated lives of country music stars Rayna James (Connie Britton) and Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere).
Amazon makes a series out of Sid & Marty Krofft’s revamped ‘Sigmund and the Sea Monsters’ pilot
Brothers Sid and Marty Krofft, creators of family television shows “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost,” dicuss their latest creation, “Mutt & Stuff.”
Amazon Studios has picked up the Sid & Marty Krofft-produced series “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” – a remake of their classic children’s TV show from the 1970s – after the show had been presented to viewers as a pilot.
“Sigmund and the Sea Monster” centers on two brothers, Johnny and Scotty, who along with their cousin Robyn befriend Sigmund, a friendly young sea monster. David Arquette stars as Captain Barnabus, a seagoing villain-type who relentlessly pursues the mini sea monster. The show will be part of Amazon’s Prime Video lineup.
As chronicled in an article earlier this year, the Krofft brothers have been on a bit of a roll lately. They have a successful ongoing kids program in “Mutt and Stuff” on Nickelodeon. Their action show, “Electra Woman & Dyna Girl,” launched online on Fullscreen. They are also looking to revive other past hits “The Bugaloos,” “H.R. Pufnstuf” and a new reinvention of “Land of the Lost.”
Kanye West is out of the hospital, but he’s not out of the rumor mill
With Kanye West finally out of the hospital after more than a week of treatment, the speculative drumbeats around “why did he snap?” and “what’s going on?” were still going strong.
First the news: Word that the rapper had checked out of UCLA Medical Center was confirmed by The Times on Wednesday.
Here are some of the tidbits that are circulating about what’s up with Yeezy and his family, and what might have sent him into treatment for exhaustion, sleep deprivation and possibly a few other things.
Amanda Seyfried is expecting a baby with Thomas Sadoski
Amanda Seyfried is pregnant, expecting a child with fiance Thomas Sadoski, her rep confirmed Wednesday.
The “Ted 2” actress and her “Life in Pieces” beau started dating earlier this year and got engaged in September, according to People, which first reported the baby news.
Seyfried showed off her bump in black Givenchy on Tuesday at an event launching the designer’s Live Irrésistible fragrance.
In the not-too-distant future, the parents-to-be will be seen on screen together in “The Last Word,” a comedy scheduled to hit theaters in March.
Drinking and driving? In Canada, you could get punished with Nickelback music
Canadian police officers are turning to an alternative form of punishment in order to deter people from drinking and driving this holiday season.
Police officers in the town of Kensington have concocted a new plan in hopes of preventing people from the offense: music by Nickelback. Are we having fun yet?
“When we catch you, and we will catch you, on top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a year’s driving suspension, we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the offices copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail,” the Kensington police said in a Facebook post, which included tips about planning ahead to avoid drinking and driving.
Adding insult to injury? The post included a photo of a sealed copy of Nickelback’s 2001 album, “Silver Side Up.”
“Please, let’s not ruin a perfectly good unopened copy of Nickelback,” continued the post. “You don’t drink and drive and we won’t make you listen to it.”
The post does not reveal exactly why the Kensington police department owns a brand-new cassette of the Nickelback album, but at least its power is being harnessed for good.
Hopefully, the threat of listening to Chad Kroeger and his fellow Canadian rockers will be enough to keep the streets of Kensington safe this winter.
Concept art for the ‘Power Ranger’ movie’s Alpha 5 reveals an alien-looking new design
It’s no secret that “Power Rangers” is a departure from the original TV series, and the latest concept art for the movie’s new Alpha 5 is further proof.
Even fans who thought the updated looks for Rita, the Rangers’ suits and the Zords were adequate mental preparation for any other redesigns were likely surprised by Alpha’s new design. To borrow some words from Alpha: “Ay yi yi yi yi.”
Revealed by IGN, this new take on the Power Ranger ally is more than a bit of a departure from the character’s original look.
In the TV series, Alpha was Zordon’s panicky but devoted robotic assistant who served as the Rangers’ adviser and friend. While the new Alpha retains the gold saucer-shaped helmet as well as the red body, not much else is recognizable. It looks like Alpha is now less of a robot and more of an actual alien.
After seeing the Alpha’s new look, one can only wonder how Zordon might be reimagined for “Power Rangers.”
Bill Hader will be providing the voice for Alpha in the upcoming movie, which is set to hit theaters March 24.
MORE: ‘Power Rangers’ fans respond to new Alpha 5 design with a resounding ‘no’
A tour through dark chapters of American history hits close to home at site of internment camp
Over the last month, I’ve logged some serious mileage across California for a story about race and the national parks that was published on Sunday. It explores the ways in which the National Park Service, a federal agency originally charged with protecting wilderness, has come to conserve places that have been the sites of both contentious and inspiring incidents related to race in American history.
As part of the assignment, I toured the Port Chicago Naval Magazine outside San Francisco and sat next to the graves of labor activists Cesar and Helen Chavez in the bucolic Tehachapi Mountains outside Bakersfield. I visited the sites of the former Japanese American internment camps at Tulelake and Manzanar.
On one of those journeys, I casually posted a photograph of an old theater on Tulelake’s main street on social media. My pal Nate Chinen, a New York-based jazz writer whose father was Japanese American, left me a comment: “This is the town where my father spent his first four years, in internment.”
When I saw it, my heart sank.
Netflix offering downloads of some shows to watch offline
Netflix Inc. will now allow users to download shows and movies to their smartphones and tablets to watch when they’re offline, the company said Wednesday.
Netflix said many popular movies and series are already available for download, including its original shows “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Crown.”
Besides garnering some amount of goodwill from customers, Netflix may also benefit from the data it can gather from users of the new feature.
Miley and Dolly are begging of you, please don’t take their man
NBC’s celebration of all things Dolly Parton continued Tuesday night as the country music legend joined “The Voice” to perform her classic song “Jolene” with goddaughter Miley Cyrus (with an assist from Pentatonix.)
Parton was perfect, but the collaboration was really Cyrus’ moment to shine, her voice nicely suited for the song’s soulful lyrics.
Fans yearning for more Dolly content can check out her NBC film, “Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love,” premiering tonight at 9.
See how awards shows rank, from must-see to pass
We’re just turning the calendar to December, and already awards shows are popping up fast and furious, keeping statue assembly line elves working long into the nights. The Gotham Awards were Monday. Something called the National Board of Review announced its nominees Tuesday. The New York Film Critics Circle and Broadcast Film Critics Assn. will reveal their slates Thursday.
And on Friday they rested. Because even God probably can’t keep up with awards season.
Which is why we decided to rank the awards shows, letting you know which groups to watch and which to ignore. No need to thank us … unless you win one of these things someday. Then you damn well better mention us in your acceptance speech. (Except if it’s a Hollywood Film Award, that is.)
JoJo, Bebe Rexha and Serayah join VH1’s ‘Divas’ holiday special
VH1 is returning from its four-year “Divas” hiatus with a vengeance.
The network announced Wednesday that JoJo, Bebe Rexha and Serayah will be performing a live version of Darlene Love’s “All Alone on Christmas” on “VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night.”
The artists join an already-stacked lineup of powerhouse voices for the special, including Mariah Carey, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Vanessa Williams and Teyana Taylor.
“VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night” airs Monday.
Hillary Clinton surprises Katy Perry with an intro at UNICEF Snowflake Ball
Katy Perry was there for Hillary Clinton during the presidential campaign, and on Tuesday night in New York City, the politician was there for the pop star in return.
“We need champions like Katy,” surprise guest Clinton said as part of the presentation of UNICEF’s Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award to Perry, who has been an international goodwill ambassador for the children’s charity since 2013.
The former presidential candidate got a sustained standing ovation at the fundraising gala when she appeared onstage, plus more cheers when she said that the “Roar” singer’s lyrics “remind us when you get knocked down to get back up,” the Associated Press reported.
In her acceptance speech, Perry credited Clinton with motivating her to do more than just sing.
“Hillary has lit that voice inside of me,” Perry said, “and that light will never go out!”
The “California Gurls” singer attended the gala with a British guy: boyfriend Orlando Bloom, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 2009 and last year’s Hepburn award recipient.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Grant Tinker, former NBC boss and MTM Enterprises founder, dies at 90
Grant Tinker, who brought “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and other hits to the screen as a producer and a network boss, has died.
Tinker died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his son, Mark Tinker. He was 90.
Though he spent years at NBC, Tinker is best known for his work at MTM Enterprises. He founded the company in 1970 with then-wife Mary Tyler Moore. In addition to Moore’s own groundbreaking situation comedy, MTM scored with series including “Rhoda,” “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Hill Street Blues.”
Tinker became NBC chairman in 1981 and led the network out of the cellar with hits such as “The Cosby Show” and “Cheers.”
‘Hawaii Five-O’ actor Keo Woolford dies at 49
Actor and filmmaker Keo Woolford, known recently for his role as Detective James Chang on CBS’ remake of “Hawaii Five-0,” died Monday after suffering a stroke three days earlier, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Publicist Tracy Larrua confirmed his death, noting also that he died at Pali Momi Medical Center in West O’ahu.
His other credits included 2012’s “Act of Valor” and 2014’s “Godzilla.”
He was also recently appointed kumu hula (teacher of hula, basically) of Kumu Hula Robert Cazimero’s award-winning performance Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua.
“Hawaii Five-O” co-star Daniel Dae Kim and actress Kelly Hu were among those adding tributes on Twitter.
Lin-Manuel Miranda joins ‘The Kingkiller Chronicle’ film and TV adaptations
Looks as if Lin-Manuel Miranda has no plans to slow down anytime soon. The “Hamilton” mastermind has added the film and TV series adaptations of “The Kingkiller Chronicle” to his ever-expanding list of projects.
Miranda will be the creative producer behind Lionsgate’s adaptations, in addition to serving as a producer. Miranda will also compose original music and write the songs for the project.
A fantasy trilogy by Pat Rothfuss, “The Kingkiller Chronicle” tells the story of the master sword fighter, magician and musician Kvothe. So Miranda will only be creating music for the greatest musician in the world -- no big deal.
The film adaptation will be based on “The Name of the Wind,” the first book of the trilogy, and will be written by Lindsey Beer.
The TV series, on the other hand, will look beyond the books’ storyline. Miranda will join Rothfuss in developing new characters and storylines for the show. The film and TV show will be developed simultaneously.
Miranda, of course, has previously revealed that there is a connection between “Hamilton” and “The Kingkiller Chronicle.”
“‘The Story of Tonight’ is me trying to capture the feel of Kvothe & his friends leaving the Eaolian,” Miranda tweeted, before sharing the specific passage from “The Name of the Wind.”
In addition to the film and TV adaptations, Miranda has the option to be involved in future stage adaptation of the books.
Grab a tissue: Idina Menzel sings ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ in new ‘Beaches’ trailer
Lifetime has released a trailer for “Beaches,” giving viewers their first extended look at the upcoming TV remake starring Idina Menzel and Nia Long. Of course, the trailer is set to Menzel’s rendition of the tear-jerker “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Like the original, the new “Beaches” follows the lifelong friendship of aspiring performer C.C. Bloom (Menzel) and wealthy heiress Hillary Whitney (Long). Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey originated those respective roles in the 1988 film.
“Beaches” will air on Jan. 21, giving you plenty of time to stock up on tissues.
‘Bachelor in Paradise’? Not so much for Grant and Lace, who have split
Grant Kemp and Lace Morris, the high-strung couple known as “Grace” on the most recent “Bachelor in Paradise,” are affianced no more, according to “Entertainment Tonight.”
“We have so much love for each other, and it’s weird because the chemistry is there,” Morris said, “and I’m thinking, ‘Why can’t we make this work?’”
“Issues” were part of what pumped up the drama between the two before they got engaged on the most recent incarnation of “BIP.” That and the matching wrist tattoos.
Their post-”Paradise” adventures have included an appearance on “Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?” in which Grant had to lead a blindfolded and terrified Lace through a relationship-retreat high-wire ropes course.
(Because reality TV makes for a totally normal relationship experience. Also, on “Happily Ever After?,” “Bachelor” Ben Higgins is still talking about his fear of being unlovable -- only now he’s doing it in couples counseling. Turns out it goes all the way back to when he was in second grade.)
“I think the odds are definitely against us,” Grant told “ET.” “But I know the person that she is. That’s the person I wanted to marry.”
Lace moved out of their San Francisco place a few days ago and is back in Denver.
“We both have our issues we need to work on,” she said, “and we can’t really give each other what we need at this time.”
Dolly Parton ‘heartbroken’ by fires in Tennessee, says Dollywood is OK
After raging fires in Tennessee forced thousands to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in and around Gatlinburg, Dolly Parton offered her prayers and support Tuesday and gave fans an update on the fate of Dollywood in nearby Pigeon Forge.
“I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken,” the Tennessee native said Tuesday in a statement. “I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe. It is a blessing that my Dollywood theme park, the DreamMore Resort and so many businesses in Pigeon Forge have been spared.”
The fires, which were fueled by wind after burning for weeks in Tennessee and nearby drought-stricken states, were believed to have wiped out an entire resort of more than 100 buildings in the Great Smoky Mountains as National Guard troops arrived early Tuesday to help overwhelmed firefighters, the Associated Press reported.
Read More“Last night, for the safety of our guests, resort staff evacuated families in 50 rooms staying at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and families staying in 19 cabins at Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins,” the park said Tuesday on its website. It’ll be closed at least through Wednesday, though DreamMore Resort will be open “on a limited basis for those in need and for registered guests.”
Emergency officials ordered evacuations in downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and in other areas of Sevier County near the Great Smoky Mountains, the Associated Press reported. About 14,000 residents and visitors were evacuated from Gatlinburg alone, officials told the AP.
Review: ‘Drunk History’s’ funny and inspiring all-’Hamilton’ episode with Lin-Manuel Miranda
Tuesday night on “Drunk History,” Lin-Manuel Miranda joins host Derek Waters in a very special all-”Hamilton” episode. Unlike the sold-out-until-the-Cory-Booker-administration Broadway hit, which Miranda wrote and performed in — lately in the news when the presence of vice president-elect Mike Pence caused a clamor — there is no rapping. But there is a performance of Semisonic’s “Closing Time.”
Emmy contender Derek Waters explains how Jake Johnson’s booze-fueled story about Otis Redding inspired the creation of “Drunk History,” which will soon feature Lin-Manuel Miranda drunkenly discussing Alexander Hamilton.
Review: Leah Remini’s Scientology docuseries is a compelling, if unsophisticated, investigation of church
It’s hard to imagine it now, but there was once a time when few Americans outside the Celebrity Centre knew what an E-meter was.
For decades, Scientology was known as a mysterious religion popular with Hollywood A-listers such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta. But in recent years, the church, founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, has spawned a cottage industry of journalistic exposes and jaw-dropping memoirs in which former devotees allege abusive, cult-like behavior and outlandish beliefs.
At this point, Scientology is as much an active religion as it is fodder for the various juicy tell-alls that have familiarized readers of People magazine with once-obscure concepts like Operating Thetans and the Bridge to Total Freedom.
The latest entry in this flourishing sub-genre is “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.” Premiering Tuesday on A&E, the eight-part docuseries follows actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini as she meets with other church defectors and listens to their often-harrowing stories.
‘I hate it’: Shannen Doherty starts radiation for breast cancer
“First day of radiation treatment. I look like I’m about to make a run for it, which is accurate.”
That’s what Shannen Doherty wrote on Instagram as she documented her experience Monday, giving the world glimpses of both her bald head and her trepidation.
The former “Beverly Hills, 90210” actress said radiation therapy was “frightening.”
“Something about not being able to see the laser, see the treatment and having this machine moving around you just scares me,” said Doherty, 45.
“I’m sure I’ll get used to it but right now,” Doherty concluded, “I hate it.”
Doherty has been fighting breast cancer since March 2015 and had a single mastectomy in May 2016. In August, she shaved her head and explained that because the cancer was in at least one lymph node, she was going through chemotherapy and then radiation.
Her diagnosis came to light because of a lawsuit Doherty filed against her former management company in which she alleged, among other things, that the firm failed to pay her 2014 insurance premium on time, resulting in a lack of medical coverage until she could re-enroll in 2015. The firm has denied the allegations.
Lauren Graham wrote her new book on the familiar sets of the ‘Gilmore Girls’ revival
Lauren Graham explains how she managed to write a book while simultaneously reprising her career-defining role as fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore in “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” which die-hard fans gobbled up over Thanksgiving weekend.
It’s what she did just outside Luke’s Diner, in the bounds of Miss Patty’s dance school, even while at the Dragonfly Inn. There is hardly a place in Stars Hollow, the fictional setting of “Gilmore Girls,” that didn’t serve as a makeshift writing sanctuary for Graham as she crafted a collection of essays.
Kanye West reportedly isn’t stable enough to leave the hospital
A week after Kanye West was reluctantly hospitalized, the rapper reportedly doesn’t appear ready to head home anytime soon.
Despite rumors that West would check out after the holiday weekend under the care of his personal physician, people “with direct knowledge of the situation” told TMZ on Monday that West still wasn’t stable enough leave Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
A West rep had no official update on the rapper’s status early Monday, but insiders’ clues have been filling in some of the blanks. One major topic of discussion has been Kim Kardashian West’s role as a stabilizing factor in her husband’s life.
Sources involved with the situation told The Times last week that it had taken two hours to persuade Yeezy to agree to hospitalization — ostensibly for dehydration and sleep deprivation.
Paisley Park will mark the anniversary of Prince’s death with a four-day celebration
The first anniversary of Prince’s death will be a big deal at his former home in Minnesota, where friends, musicians and others will come together for four days of programming and music in honor of the artist, Paisley Park Studios announced Monday.
In addition to live music, Celebration 2017, from April 20 to 23, will include panel discussions, guided tours and other presentations focusing on Prince’s creative contributions.
General admission runs $499 for 20 hours of access; a $999 VIP ticket includes that plus reserved seating, autograph opportunities, meals and more. Tickets went on sale Monday.
Prince was found dead at his Chanhassen, Minn., home on April 21, 2016. He was 57.
Food Network is rebooting ‘Iron Chef America’ franchise
Culinary titans will clash once again in Kitchen Stadium. The Food Network is planning a new “Iron Chef America” series called “Iron Chef Gauntlet.”
According to Variety, “Iron Chef Gauntlet” is expected to start production early next year. While details about the new show are sparse, the series will bring back longtime Food Network host Alton Brown.
Brown, who was the host and commentator of both “Iron Chef America” and “The Next Iron Chef,” confirmed his involvement with a photo teasing his new role for “Gauntlet.”
For the uninitiated, “Iron Chef America” (based on the Japanese “Iron Chef” TV show) saw chefs from around the world challenge various Iron Chefs to a 60-minute showdown involving a secret ingredient. The two teams present judges with five courses that were scored based on taste, plating and originality.
H&M wishes you a very Wes Anderson Christmas
Wes Anderson fans are in for a Christmas treat. The filmmaker has brought his distinct flair -- and recurring collaborator Adrien Brody -- to a holiday ad for the clothing company H&M. And it’s basically exactly what you think a Wes Anderson H&M commercial would be.
Set on a train, the short film stars Brody as Conductor Ralph, who has the unfortunate task of informing passengers that, due to circumstances beyond his control, the train will be arriving 11 hours late. As the delay will likely ruin most holiday plans, Conductor Ralph invites all the passengers to a brunch complete with seasonal decorations and “chocolate-flavored hot beverage with whipped topping.”
The short, titled “Come Together,” definitely bears Anderson’s quirky hallmarks, with the train and Brody conjuring a “Darjeeling Limited” feel. You almost forget that it’s an H&M ad until you realize the passengers’ wardrobe doesn’t quite match the rest of the Anderson aesthetic. Watch the full short above.
Black film critics predict the end of #OscarsSoWhite
The African American Film Critics Assn. released a statement Monday naming 2016 the best year ever for black people in cinema. The national organization also predicted an end, albeit potentially temporary, to #OscarsSoWhite.
“The studios and major film distributors really gave it to us this year,” said Gil Robertson, AAFCA’s co-founder and president. “By any measurement, it’s been an exceptional year for blacks in film. From comedies to high-quality dramas and documentaries, 2016 will forever represent a bonanza year for black cinema, and all cinema really.”
Black films in 2016 have ran the gamut from comedies and romantic thrillers to dramas and documentaries.
Tom Ford crafts a layered thriller-within-a-thriller with ‘Nocturnal Animals’
Tom Ford’s day job as one of the world’s best-known and most successful fashion designers puts him in an unusual position regarding his filmmaking. While audiences and critics may bring expectations that his movies occupy the same precise world as his fashion work, Ford sees them as very different endeavors with very different purposes for him.
“Well, I’m not doing it to make money. I make my money doing other things,” he said. “Fashion is where I make my living, and so consequently, when I design a fragrance, I think, ‘Is this going to sell? I love it, OK, but is it going to sell?’ And that’s not the way I think when I approach film. It’s ‘What do I want to say?’ ”
In the coolly unnerving “Nocturnal Animals,” Ford takes on the empty consumerism and lack of personal connection in modern life, which might also be seen as something of a rebuke of his other career. Amy Adams plays Susan Morrow, a Los Angeles fine-art dealer weary of her high-end world, who receives a package from her ex Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal) containing a novel dedicated to her.
Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Armie Hammer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals.”
Fashion, I’m just making surface... Whereas film can be about what you are deeply inside.
— Tom Ford
‘Moana’ bests ‘Fantastic Beasts’ with $81-million five-day Thanksgiving box office haul
Disney’s “Moana” sailed to No. 1 at the box office over the long holiday weekend, with estimated ticket sales of $81.1 million — more than enough to bump last week’s chart-topper, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” to No. 2 on the U.S. tally.
Even more encouraging for Disney, though, might be that “Moana” — an animated musical about a Polynesian princess on a mission to save her island — now holds the record for the second-biggest five-day Thanksgiving opening.
Its haul from Wednesday to Sunday beat that of Pixar’s “Toy Story 2,” which raked in $80.1 million in 1999. Early box-office returns for “Moana” came close to matching figures for 2013’s “Frozen,” which leads the five-day Thanksgiving list. But in the end, Disney’s summery adventure fell short of the wintry crown holder’s unsurpassed $93.5-million opening.
Anne Rice looks to bring ‘Vampire Chronicles’ to TV, ‘Game of Thrones’-style
Anne Rice is once again in control of the vampire Lestat and her other creations from the “Vampire Chronicles,” and she’s looking to expand on the legend through an epic television series.
Posting on her Facebook page, Rice talked openly about how Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment had optioned the series, but the deal did not work out. Now, she and her son Christopher plan to develop “a detailed outline for an open ended series,” and they already have a good idea where their story will be heading.
“We will likely begin with ‘The Vampire Lestat’ and move on from there. ----- When we sit down finally to talk to producers, we will have a fully realized vision of this project with Christopher as the executive producer at the helm. I will also be an executive producer all the way,” said Rice on Facebook.
The “Vampire Chronicles” book series centers on Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18th century, and it has made onscreen appearances. The 1994 film “Interview with the Vampire,” starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, focused on Lestat (Cruise) himself, while a 2002 film presented a loose adaptation of the third novel of series, “The Queen of the Damned.”
The ‘Firefly’ cast and more pay tribute to Ron Glass
The death of Ron Glass, who most recently endeared himself to television fans as Shepherd Book in Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” series, spurred remembrances from around the Internet — and around the Whedonverse.
Co-stars in the “Firefly” series and “Serentity” film, plus other actors and producers such as Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg went online to offer tribute to the “Barney Miller” actor.
‘Brady Bunch’ co-stars and many more in Hollywood react to the death of Florence Henderson
The outpouring of sadness and fond memories over the death of Florence Henderson at age 82 has come from all parts of Hollywood.
Three of her “Brady Bunch” co-stars expressed heartfelt messages for the actress known to generations of TV viewers as mom Carol Brady.
Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on the iconic ‘70s TV show, wrote on Twitter, “Florence Henderson was a dear friend for so very many years & in my <3 forever. Love & hugs to her family. I’ll miss u dearly.”
Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady, wrote, “Deeply saddened. Florence was one of the most gracious people I have ever known, Proud to call her Mom and life long friend.”
And Christopher Knight, who played Peter Brady, wrote, “I grieve for the passing of my dear friend, Florence. Privileged to have known her and the kindness of her heart. She will be missed.”
Earlier this week, just days before her death, Henderson was on the set of “Dancing With the Stars” to cheer on McCormick, who is competing on the show. Henderson was a contestant on the show in 2010 and was held in high regard by many at “DWTS.” Host Tom Bergeron and judge Len Goodman tweeted RIP messages.
Among the many other Hollywood personalities to tweet their love and remembrances of Henderson are Carl Reiner, Michael McKean, George Takei, Larry King, Debra Messing, Patricia Arquette, Al Yankovic and Jason Alexander.
Why Steve Harvey left stand-up to become the ‘hardest working man’ in showbiz
The taping for “Steve Harvey’s Funderdome,” an upcoming “Shark Tank”-style ABC competition series in which two entrepreneurs vie for the approval of a live audience, was just ending. But as the crowd started to leave the Television City studio in Hollywood, Harvey, the host who has unofficially inherited the late James Brown’s title of “the hardest working man in show business,” made it clear he was not done with them yet.
Florence Henderson, TV’s ‘Brady Bunch’ mom, dies at 82
Florence Henderson, whose portrayal of Carol Brady on the iconic television show “The Brady Bunch” created an idealized mother figure for an entire generation, died Thursday. She was 82.
Henderson died from heart failure about 7:30 p.m. while surrounded by her four children, her longtime manager and publicist, Kayla Pressman, said.
As Pressman’s telephone continued ringing, the woman who has worked with Henderson for 43 years — starting as her personal assistant — said the actress was “the most vibrant, beautiful inside and out person I’ve ever known in my entire life. We just never left each other. She was so wonderful to be with, and she was most loyal.”
Maybe I should thank that terrible makeup man because in a way, his botch job helped me get the part.
— Florence Henderson on her ‘Star Trek’ makeup job before her ‘Brady Bunch’ audition
The ‘Alien: Covenant’ poster has a warning for viewers
We’ve slowly been getting small glimpses of Ridley Scott’s “Alien: Covenant” over the last year or so, and now the film’s title beast gets its closeup.
Twentieth Century Fox today tweeted the film’s minimalist -- but maximally creepy -- poster with one word of advice: “Run.”
Although shrouded in shadows, the xenomorph in question appears to be very similar to the one seen in the very first “Alien.”
The latest installment in the long-running franchise, “Covenant” acts as a follow-up to the 2012 “Alien” prequel “Prometheus” and will presumably provide a bridge between that film and 1979’s “Alien.” It reunites the film’s stars Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce, and adds newcomers Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir and Billy Crudup.
Lady Gaga sees ‘bravery & courage’ in Kanye West’s decision to stop his tour
Lady Gaga reached out to Kanye West on Wednesday, offering her support in his decision to cancel the rest of his Saint Pablo Tour and urging others not to joke about him right now.
“I see in you bravery & courage to stop this tour & take care of YOU,” she said in a series of tweets. “You are a GREAT artist.”
In September, the “Born This Way” singer -- whose new album, “Joanne,” was released last month -- revealed via the Mirror that she has battled depression and anxiety and takes medication daily.
“I needed a moment to stabilize” after releasing her 2013 album, “Artpop,” she told the publication. “When my career took off, I don’t remember anything at all. It’s like I’m traumatized. I needed time to recalibrate my soul.”
OK Go outdoes itself with ‘The One Moment’ video
OK Go has released its latest music video, further proof that nobody else in music approaches videos quite like this L.A.-based band.
The video for “The One Moment” is a colorful exploration of time and the splendor of fleeting moments caught in about 24 seconds total.
“We constructed a moment of total chaos and confusion, and then unraveled that moment, discovering the beauty, wonder, and structure within,” the band explained on its website.
This moment of chaos features 327 total events including bursting balloons and exploding paint buckets. And, much like its 2006 treadmill video for “Here It Goes Again,” the events unfold in one continuous take.
Watch “The One Moment” above.
Doctor indicted in overdose death of founding 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts
An Alabama doctor has been indicted in the August overdose death of original 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts, who helped found the “Kryptonite” band in 1996.
Dr. Richard Snellgrove was charged in October with prescribing opioid drugs illegally to Roberts, according to a federal indictment unsealed last week and obtained by the Associated Press.
Snellgrove’s attorney told the AP that the doctor had done nothing wrong, saying any possible connection between drugs and the musician’s death was due to “improper use.”
Police found Roberts dead in the hallway of a West Bend, Wis., hotel the morning of Aug. 15. The 38-year-old had been in town to perform at a benefit concert for veterans.
According to a sworn statement by a Drug Enforcement
Administration agent, the musician was wearing a Fentanyl patch like one prescribed by Snellgrove two days earlier, and he also had pills matching ones the doctor prescribed, the AP reported. (The synthetic opioid was the same drug found in Prince’s home in pill form after the singer’s overdose death.)
The guitarist, who launched 3 Doors Down with vocalist Brad Arnold and bassist Todd Harrell, left the group amicably in 2012 to take care of health and circulation issues.
“I know he had prescription drug addiction. He suffered greatly from anxiety,” the guitarist’s father, Darrell Roberts Sr., told CNN in August. “I thought he had beaten it all.”
‘Moana,’ ‘Allied’ and other new films to see this weekend
A number of new movies will compete for your attention over the long weekend. Here are the LAT reviews to help you decide what to see:
- Those seeking a vacation from everyday reality without springing for that last-minute island getaway will appreciate the bright, bouncy animated Disney film “Moana.”
- “Allied,” starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, is a handsomely crafted, fitfully effective throwback to epics of love, betrayal and wartime espionage.
- Warren Beatty’s Howard Hughes film “Rules Don’t Apply” is not without its charms, but there aren’t enough of them and they don’t readily cohere. It’s interesting rather than involving.
- The dark comedy sequel “Bad Santa 2” doubles down on the naughty of the original, without enough nice to balance it out.
Tom Holland visits a children’s hospital as Spider-Man
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” isn’t hitting theaters until July, but Tom Holland, its titular star, is already making some young fans smile.
Holland stopped by the New York-Presbytarian Hospital along with “Homecoming” costars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon on Tuesday to visit some patients. Holland was in full Spider-Man mode.
A visit with one young fan was caught on video by Zendaya, showing the patient, Nicolas, telling Spider-Man that he likes Batman better. Holland took the child’s honesty with class befitting a superhero. Watch the clip above.
‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ returns with new blood for Turkey Day marathon
Twenty-eight years ago the little science fiction show that could, “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” premiered on Thanksgiving Day. It all started with one Earthling, series creator Joel Hodgson, and his gang of lovable robot puppets.
It was an odd show whose shoe-string budget and screwball tone often mimicked the very movies it skewered. The misfit humor struck a note with fans and despite multiple cancellations and resurrections (including a recasting of Hodgson with Mike Nelson), the series endured for 197 episodes. And now, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, “MST3K” will rise again -- this time on Netflix with Hodgson once again steering the ship and new host Jonah Ray (the Nerdist Podcast). They will be joined on their new adventures by Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt.
But before the new episodes premiere in 2017, Ray and Hodgson will engage in the time-honored tradition of hosting the “MST3K” Thanksgiving marathon, featuring six fan-selected classic episodes (beginning at 9 a.m. PT at ShoutFactoryTV.com). The two recently reunited by phone to talk turkey.
Review: ‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’ is a welcome slice of smart holiday escapism
From Bedford Falls of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to Mayberry of “The Andy Griffith Show,” the idyllic small town has always held a special place in American pop culture, providing fictional refuge in times of real-life turmoil.
On Friday, anyone exhausted by the effort of avoiding political conversations with that one uncle should consider a visit to Stars Hollow, Conn., the impossibly quaint and harmonious community at the center of “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.”
Nearly a decade after “Gilmore Girls” concluded its seven-season network run, the whimsical dramedy about quick-witted single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), her overachieving daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) and WASPy mother Emily (Kelly Bishop) returns in a much-anticipated Netflix revival.
Another Olympian wins on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ as Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy are crowned champions
An Olympian has taken home the Mirrorball Trophy once again as Laurie Hernandez joins Apolo Anton Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson and Meryl Davis as champion of ABC’s 23rd season of “Dancing With the Stars.”
The Final Five member is the youngest competitor (16) ever to win the reality dance competition. This the second time that professional dancer Valentin “Val” Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy grabs the trophy.
The teams of James Hinchcliffe and dancer Sharna Burgess, and Calvin Johnson Jr. with dancer Lindsay Arnold, came in second and third.
-----------------------------------------------------
FOR THE RECORD, 4:13 p.m.: It was incorrectly stated that Laurie Hernandez was part of the Fierce Five. She’s a member of the Final Five.
------------------------------------------------------
Ellen DeGeneres reacts to receiving presidential medal and takes part in celeb-heavy Mannequin Challenge
A visibly moved Ellen DeGeneres was one of the 21 celebrity recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, and she took to Twitter to celebrate what had to be a surreal experience at the White House.
First, she took part in a large-scale Mannequin Challenge, along with fellow honorees Michael Jordan, Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Diana Ross, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more:
After the ceremony, DeGeneres shared a selfie with wife Portia de Rossi.
Hear the unreleased Prince song ‘Moonbeam Levels’ from 1982
The vault is opening. Very slowly.
When Prince passed away on April 21, he reportedly left hundreds of unreleased songs in a vault at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minn.
The very tip of that musical iceberg is now visible, as NPG and Warner Bros. today released “Moonbeam Levels,” a song originally recorded in 1982 during the same recording sessions for his smash album “1999.” While it was later considered for inclusion on the 1999 album “Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic” and has been bootlegged in the past, the song never officially saw the light of day until now.
The mid-tempo tune is largely piano-driven but features some vintage Prince guitar flourishes and subtle synth. Overall, it would fit comfortably on either “1999” or 1984’s “Purple Rain,” although it’d be a sin to break up the already well-established flow of those beloved records.
ABC News premiered the song for fans at a listening session at New York’s Cutting Room Recording Studios.
“Moonbeam” can be found on the new collection titled “Prince 4Ever,” which was released today, and features 40 songs including “Kiss,” “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain.”
A deluxe reissue of “Purple Rain” will be released next year and will include a second album of previously unreleased material.
Chance the Rapper extends a special prayer to Kanye
During a U.K. radio appearance, Chicago artist Chance the Rapper extended a special prayer to Kanye West, who was hospitalized in Los Angeles on Monday.
On Tuesday, Chance stopped by Trevor Nelson’s BBC Radio 1Xtra and performed two songs with the Social Experiment.
During the performance of “All We Got” from his mixtape “Coloring Book,” which opens with the lines: “This ain’t no intro, this the entree/ Hit that intro with Kanye/ And sound like André,” Chance took a moment to offer some words to his mentor.
“I want to extend a very special prayer to my big brother, Kanye West,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of weird folks out there. But you already know that I’m a hundred grand. I want to just extend this prayer and extend this love from all the way in Britain. We might come home early to see this man. Happy Thanksgiving.”
Chance also spoke about his friendship with and appreciation of West. When asked what he thinks West is going through, Chance said, “I think everybody goes through it. And I think right now, probably what he needs more than anything is his real, close friends and family around.”
Listen to Chance’s prayer for West here or listen to the full segment and performance here. Chance the Rapper’s appearance kicks off at around the 2:16 mark.
James Corden will replace LL Cool J as host of next year’s Grammys
CBS has announced its host for the 59th Grammy Awards, and for the first time in five years it’s not LL Cool J.
Instead, James Corden, “The Late, Late Show” host and star of the wildly successful “Carpool Karaoke” videos, will lead music’s biggest award ceremony when it airs on Feb. 12, 2017.
The British comedic actor, who took over his late-night slot from Craig Ferguson in 2015, has become a breakout success, and part of the reason is his unabashed enthusiasm for pop music.
I am truly honored to be hosting the Grammys next year. It’s the biggest, most prestigious award show in music and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of such an incredible night.
— James Corden
Kanye West ‘exhausted,’ Kris Jenner says; rapper hospitalized after LAPD visit
The Los Angeles Police Department visited Kanye West as part of a disturbance call Monday, according to law enforcement sources, a day after the rapper abruptly canceled the rest of his tour.
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not provide details about the incident but confirmed that police were called about 1:20 p.m. The case turned into a “medical emergency” and was handed off from the LAPD to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the sources said.
West agreed to seek medical treatment, according to a law enforcement source, and he was treated for stress and exhaustion at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Realty TV star Kris Jenner, who is West’s mother-in-law, told Vanity Fair on Monday night that West as “exhausted” but doing “good.”
Angela Bassett joins the cast of Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’
“Black Panther” has added Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett to its cast.
Marvel Studios has announced that Bassett will be playing Ramonda, mother of T’Challa (a.k.a. Black Panther).
In the comics, Ramonda was T’Chaka’s second wife and one-time queen of Wakanda. Originally from South Africa, T’Chaka married Ramonda after his previous wife, N’Yami, died giving birth to T’Challa. She was abducted and held captive by a man named Anton Prestorius until T’Challa rescued her and welcomed her back to Wakanda.
Bassett was most recently seen in the latest season of “American Horror Story” as Monet Tumusiime.
“Black Panther” will see Chadwick Boseman reprise his role as the titular superhero. The film also stars Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke and Florence Kasumba.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, “Black Panther” is scheduled to hit theaters Feb, 16, 2018.
The spice must flow: New ‘Dune’ adaptations might be in the works
Legendary Entertainment has reached an agreement with the estate of Frank Herbert for the television and film adaptation rights to Herbert’s “Dune,” the iconic sci-fi book released in 1965.
Herbert’s tale centers around Paul Atreides and the politics of controlling the desert planet Arrakis and its resources.
Adapted into a 1984 film by David Lynch -- as well as a 2014 documentary about cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s failed attempt to bring it to the screen in the ‘70s (“Jodorowsky’s Dune”) -- “Dune” has been an obvious influence on “Star Wars” and “The Matrix.”
The projects, whatever they might eventually be, would be produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent and Cale Boyter, with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert serving as executive producers.
Dave Chappelle to star in three Netflix comedy specials
First he tackled “Saturday Night Live,” and now groundbreaking comedian Dave Chappelle has his sights set on Netflix.
The Internet TV network announced Monday that the comedian, along with director Stan Lathan, would produce a new stand-up comedy special for Netflix in 2017.
But wait, there’s more.
Trump won’t be getting an apology from ‘Hamilton’ actor anytime soon
On Monday, “Hamilton” actor Brandon Victor Dixon took to “CBS This Morning” to discuss the events that occurred Friday night at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, which President-elect Trump called “rude” and “terrible behavior” toward Mike Pence.
Conversation is not harassment. I know some people have said that a one-sided conversation, or a lecture, is not conversation, but it was the beginnings of a conversation I hope that we can continue to have.
— ‘Hamilton’ actor Brandon Victor Dixon
Kanye West cancels Forum concert, and more dates on the tour could follow
UPDATE: Kanye West canceled the remainder of his tour Monday morning.
Just days after pledging allegiance to President-elect Donald Trump — and hours after cutting short a concert in Sacramento — Kanye West called off his L.A. date Sunday night at The Forum.
The concert was canceled about three hours before showtime. No statement from West’s label or the tour’s promoter, Live Nation, was immediately available.
The Forum sent out a tweet Sunday about 5 p.m. noting that the show had been axed. Refunds, the venue’s announcement said, would be available at the point of purchase.
Read MoreNow word comes from Times staff writer Gerrick Kennedy that the artist will be cancelling more of his concert dates.
Green Day gets political at the AMAs: ‘No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A.’
Green Day is at its best when a widely divisive president ascends to power.
That was true in 2004 for “American Idiot,” and it’s maybe even more true in 2016 for “Revolution Radio.” At Sunday’s American Music Awards, where Green Day played the double-time barnstormer “Bang Bang,” the band had the one truly political moment of the night when its members led a chant of “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A.”
It wasn’t quite a real risk for the band, which enjoyed a mid-career renaissance for saying similar things about George W. Bush. Nor were too many in the audience inclined to disagree with the group.
Lady Gaga, Gigi Hadid, Ciara and more hit the red carpet at the American Music Awards
This year’s American Music Awards are being held at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, and the stars -- musical or otherwise -- showed up in style. Check below for a few of the celebrities hitting the red carpet, and view our entire gallery of arrivals.
‘Game of Thrones’’ Emilia Clarke joins the ‘Star Wars’ ‘Han Solo’ movie
In a truly astonishing crossover, Emilia Clarke of “Game of Thrones” will be joining the “Star Wars” universe. This is not a drill, we repeat, the Mother of Dragons is going to join “Star Wars” canon forever.
Clarke, known for her current role on HBO’s fantasy series, will be joining the still yet-to-be-named Han Solo origin story.
‘Patriots Day’ closes the 2016 AFI Fest in moving fashion
One of this holiday season’s most anticipated – and most timely – films, director Peter Berg’s Boston Marathon bombing drama “Patriots Day,” had its unveiling Thursday evening, drawing a warm reception from the audience at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood that could portend a potent run at the box office and perhaps in this year’s awards race as well.
The special closing-night presentation of this year’s AFI Fest, the debut of “Patriots Day” came just 3½ years after the events the movie dramatizes – and barely more than a week after a bitterly divisive presidential election in which thorny questions of the proper response to terrorism loomed large.
“Patriots Day” is an account of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Read MorePHOTOS: AFI Fest red carpet
Cellphone included directions for reaching family in suspected suicide death of actress Lisa Masters
Lisa Masters, an actress who appeared in shows including “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Law & Order: SVU,” was found dead earlier this week in her hotel room in Peru, her manager confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Friday. She was 52.
Police in Lima told the Associated Press that they are investigating the case as a possible suicide. Her cellphone included directions on how to reach her family in the United States, the AP said Thursday.
“In these darkening days, we hope those who have had the pleasure of knowing her will see how brightly she shined and will find that light within themselves and continue to share it with others — just as she would have,” manager Christopher Silveri said via email from New York.
Trump outcry was missing from Latin Grammys. It was all J. Lo and Marc Anthony
For two years running, the Latin Grammy Awards show has offered high moments of political drama.
In 2014, the telecast was delayed by 20 minutes to show President Obama delivering a speech on immigration. Once the show got rolling, the politically minded Puerto Rican band Calle 13 sang a rousing political anthem that ended with a show of support for the 43 disappeared Mexican students from Ayotzinapa.
Last year, the gala featured a lively performance of “Somos Más Americanos” (We Are More American) — a defiant song about immigrant life — by the Mexican bands Los Tigres del Norte and Maná. At the end of the tune, the two bands held up a sign that read “Latinos Unidos No Voten Por Racistas” (Latinos United, Don’t Vote for Racists), a reference to Donald Trump’s declarations about Mexican immigrants being criminals and rapists.
So expectations were high that this year’s awards, held Thursday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, would offer an impassioned outcry over Trump’s election to the presidency — which has already spurred talk of mass deportations and the construction of a border wall.
Not so much. ....
The 17th Latin Grammys are more likely to be remembered for the dramatic laser-light-filled duet between former couple Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez.
Kanye West didn’t vote, but would have gone Trump -- and thinks people should stop focusing on racism
You thought Kanye West would stay quiet about the election? You thought wrong. (Seriously, if you did take that bet? Lousy odds, kids. Bad move.)
Yeezy cut loose at the San Jose stop of his Saint Pablo Tour on Thursday night, revealing he would have gone against his wife’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton and picked the president-elect -- if he’d voted at all.
“I told you I didn’t vote ... but if I would’ve voted, I would’ve voted on Trump,” he said, earning a chorus of boos and a wee smattering of support. According to the San Jose Mercury News, folks threw things at him -- hats, shoes, T-shirts -- and complained that he talked too much during the show.
Video clips and quotes can be seen on social media and in roundups like the ones from Quartz and the Boom Box, though it’s not possible to string the snippets together in order with certainty. But even as stand-alones, they’re little bundles of dynamite as he warms up toward supposedly running for prez himself in 2020.
“I hate the fact that because I’m a celebrity, everybody told me not to say that I loved the debates. I loved his approach,” the rapper said.
West reportedly orated for 25 minutes and included a comment “specifically to black people”:
“Stop focusing on racism,” he urged. “This world is racist, OK? Let’s stop being distracted to focus on that so much. It’s just a ... fact. We are a racist country, period. Do not allow people to make us talk about that so ... long. ... It’s a racist ... country. And not one or the other candidate was going to instantly be able to change that because of their views.”
Kanye also seemed a little frustrated by the continuing protests in the wake of the vote.
“Sometimes things you might think are bad have to happen in order for change to ... happen,” he said. “Sometimes you might have to not get your way to really understand what to do in the future to be able to get your way.”
READ MORE: Kanye West, a Trump supporter? As always, it’s complicated
Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling to be honored for ‘La La Land’ performances at Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone better get their “La La’s” out -- they’re going to be honored for their work in “La La Land” at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February.
Stone and Gosling, who won the festival’s first Cinema Vanguard Award in 2008, will be given the 2017 Outstanding Performers of the Year award for their work in writer-director Damien Chazelle’s film, the festival announced Friday.
“Ryan and Emma’s luminous performances in ‘La La Land’ remind us of the transformative and magical role of cinema,” said film festival executive director Roger Durling, who will moderate the Feb. 3 tribute. “We are so proud to celebrate them and this incredible film and its nod to the classic love stories of old Hollywood with a contemporary twist.”
Recent winners include Brie Larson for “Room” and Saoirse Ronan for “Brooklyn,” Steve Carell for “Foxcatcher,” Jennifer Lawrence for “The Hunger Games” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” Viola Davis for “The Help,” Angelina Jolie for “A Mighty Heart” and Helen Mirren for “The Queen.”
The 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place at multiple theaters in the beach city from Feb. 1-11, 2017.
Jennifer Lopez, Juanes and more stroll the red carpet in Las Vegas for the Latin Grammys
The 17th Latin Grammy Awards, held this year at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is a good bet to bring a fashion-forward crowd to the red carpet. Here are a few images, including another Jennifer Lopez statement outfit, and a gallery with more beyond that.
First ‘Lemony Snicket’ trailer has all the Neil Patrick Harris you could want ... and more
Netflix released the first full trailer for its upcoming series “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” on Thursday morning, giving fans their first real look at what’s to come.
Based on the series of children’s novels by Daniel Handler, whose pen name character of Lemony Snicket is the narrator of the books, Netflix’s new series centers around the newly orphaned Baudelaire children and their mysterious, nefarious relative, Count Olaf, played by Neil Patrick Harris.
The Crystal Cathedral redesign: Why tasteful updates add up to architectural disappointment
Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne evaluates plans by Johnson Fain to remake the Crystal Cathedral, Philip Johnson’s temple of 1980s glory in Garden Grove:
I was surprised, amused and briefly heartened when I arrived for a news briefing a few weeks ago inside the stripped-down, renamed Christ Cathedral to find diocese media officials handing out virtual-reality headsets. Were Johnson Fain and the Catholic Church ready to embrace the same kind of trippy futurism that Philip Johnson and Robert Schuller had? Was this another strange combination of client, building and architect that would in the end pay exhilarating dividends?
No such luck. What we all saw when we strapped those headsets on was a digitized version of the remade cathedral interior that is heavy, earthbound and handsome to a fault.
It is a design more suggestive of the offices of a high-end law firm than the kinds of early experiments in postmodernism that Johnson was beginning to pursue when he met Schuller.
— Christopher Hawthorne
The Crystal Cathedral is undergoing a major transformation in both design and ownership.
‘Fantastic Beasts,’ ‘Manchester by the Sea,’ and more new movie reviews
Looking for something to see this weekend? Catch up on the reviews of all the new releases, including the “Harry Potter” prequel “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Kenneth Lonergan’s drama “Manchester by the Sea,” the Isabelle Huppert-Paul Verhoeven revenge thriller “Elle,” the boxing drama “Bleed For This,” and more.
Megyn Kelly’s ‘Year of Trump’: Armed guards at Disney World and ‘violent’ feedback from Trump supporters
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s new book, “Settle for More,” gives a behind-the-scenes look at her dealings with two of the most influential men in media and politics — Roger Ailes and Donald Trump.
Kelly’s book, released Tuesday, is meant to be an uplifting memoir about her impressive rise from middle-class Syracuse, N.Y., girl to one of America’s most successful news anchors. But it’s her painful and disturbing account of what it means to be a high-profile female journalist in the age of Fox News, Twitter and Trump that resonates.
Kelly writes that she became the target of Trump’s “relentless” personal attacks in 2015 after she reported that his second wife, Ivana, had testified in divorce proceedings that he raped her (an accusation later retracted).
She explains that his fury was further stoked during a heated exchange in the August 2015 Republican primary debate in which Kelly, as moderator, asked Trump about the derogatory way in which he’d referred to women as “‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and ‘disgusting animals.’”
Like many before and after her, Kelly became the target of Trump’s now infamous social media assaults. She figured it would blow over. It did not.
When Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, retweeted a supporter who wanted to “gut her,” she writes, things turned dangerous.
Most disturbing were the overwhelming and violent nature of the messages [I] was receiving — and the way Trump’s anger was evidently seen by some as a call to action.
— Megyn Kelly
By the time the mother of three flew to Disney World for vacation, it was with her “family — and our security guard,” she writes.
Yes, we took an armed guard to the Magic Kingdom. More guns, more guards. My year of Trump.
— Megyn Kelly
You can own a Haunted Mansion stretching portrait from Disneyland — for a price
The portrait is tall and stately, its subject a distinguished gentleman who stands with chest puffed out, proudly. But here’s the thing: He wears no pants. The man, it turns out, stands atop a barrel of lighted dynamite, in striped boxers.
If this image stirs childlike glee in the depths of your soul, you are not alone. Disneyland’s famous “stretching portraits” inside its Haunted Mansion elevator are among the most beloved of the park’s images. And now one of them is up for grabs.
Van Eaton Galleries in Sherman Oaks will hold on Saturday the Souvenirs of Disneyland sale, the largest auction to date dedicated to Disneyland memorabilia, it says. Among more than 1,000 rare artifacts, from about 30 collectors nationwide, is an original, hand-painted stretching portrait — our man, sans his pants.
They’re pretty rare. If I had to guess, I’d say there are only 15 or 20, total, of the hand-painted ones out there.
— Mike Van Eaton, gallery co-founder
Get a better look at ‘Kong: Skull Island’ in new trailer
The new trailer for “Kong: Skull Island” premiered on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wednesday night and gave viewers a much more expansive look at Skull Island.
The film is beginning to look like a pastiche between “Jurassic Park” and “Platoon,” which, though it seems unlikely, may actually be a combination that pays off.
With John Goodman channeling “Richard Attenborough in ‘Jurassic Park’” realness and John C. Reilly bringing his quirky comedic sensibilities, the film’s cast of characters is shaping up to be pretty interesting.
That said, it’s worth noting that it’s still pretty unclear what Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are doing in the film, beyond looking pretty while sweaty.
But the trailer’s reveal that Skull Island is home to enormous creatures beyond just Kong was a great one, particularly if it means we’re heading to a Godzilla vs. Mothra-type blood feud.
“Kong: Skull Island” lands in theaters March 10, 2017.
Archie and the gang will get ‘dark’ on CW’s ‘Riverdale’ on Jan. 26
The new year will bring a new TV take on the Archie Comics gang, now that CW’s “Riverdale” has a premiere date.
“Riverdale,” inspired by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s recent comic book revamp of the storyline, is set to premiere Jan. 26 at 9 p.m. EST/PST, and will continue to air Thursday nights thereafter.
“Riverdale” has been described by the show’s creators and cast members as a “dark,” “noir” and “subversive” version of the colorful and kid-friendly Archie Comics saga, initially launched in 1941.
The series stars K.J. Apa as Archie, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Camila Mendes as Veronica and Lil Reinhart as Betty.
“This is a historic moment for Archie Comics -- and it’s been a long time coming,” Archie Comics CEO and publisher Jon Goldwater said in news release. “Partnering with Roberto, Greg Berlanti, Warner Bros. and the CW has been a wonderful experience, and it’s been stunning to see the show bring our iconic characters to life, adding to the mythos and legend of Archie and his gang. You will be hooked from the first scene, I promise you.”
The show will be written by Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Warner Bros. Studios and Berlanti Productions.
A special one-shot comic book tie-in will follow one week later on Feb. 1 and will fill in some backstory. Here’s a sneak peek at the issue’s cover:
Watch the cast discuss the show and the new versions of the classic characters here:
The cast of “Riverdale” talk about the new look for the “Archie.”
Rae Sremmurd on embracing the Mannequin Challenge
In the 2½ years since Rae Sremmurd broke out with the rowdy hit single “No Flex Zone,” this Southern hip-hop duo has established itself as a reliable source of renewable energy.
Its two studio albums — 2015’s “SremmLife” and August’s “SremmLife 2” — are full of boisterous thrills, with brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy shouting sticky catchphrases over lurching beats. And the twentysomething rappers are even livelier in concert: Bouncing across the stage like each had inhaled a bag of Halloween candy, the two use those catchphrases to encourage their young fans to go wild (or turn up, as the saying goes).
Yet Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy had a different goal in mind Monday afternoon on the set of ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” and that was to go as un-wild as possible — to stand completely still while a guy with a camera weaved between them.
Taking risks and not playing it safe are what draw Jonah Hill to those non-’bro’ roles
Efraim Diveroli, the character Jonah Hill plays in the summer film “War Dogs,” is probably not a guy you’d want to meet for lunch.
The character from Todd Phillips’ based-on-a-true-story film about two Yeshiva-educated Miami twentysomethings (Miles Teller plays the other) who rake in millions with a shady business supplying arms to the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan, is loud, duplicitous and greedy in the extreme. Diveroli is a character who, if initially charming, would almost certainly leave you feeling compromised. You could imagine him ordering heaps of the priciest thing on the menu and then — laughing — leaving you holding the check.
Hill, apart from the charm, is nothing like that. Over lunch on a rainy Thursday in New York City, at his usual table at the rustic-Italian restaurant Il Buco, the 32-year-old actor, who has memorably appeared in such films as “Superbad,” “21 Jump Street,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Moneyball,” earning Oscar nods with those last two, is polite, thoughtful and engaging. He’s the kind of guy who will hold your chair and offer you the first bite of his risotto. (“Want some?” he asks, with apparent sincerity.)
Burned by the news media for not being as bro-ish as some of his roles might indicate, Hill comes off as careful, perhaps a bit chastened, yet candid and generous as he entertained questions about, among other topics, a performance critics have hailed as a standout in an otherwise dismissable film.
For Efraim, part of the sexiness of the scam is burning people, and that’s a scary kind of person.
— Jonah Hill
Bob Dylan won’t be going to Stockholm to pick up his Nobel Prize after all
Bob Dylan won’t be coming to Stockholm to pick up his 2016 Nobel Prize for literature at the Dec. 10 prize ceremony, the Swedish Academy said Wednesday.
The academy said Dylan informed it that “he wishes he could receive the prize personally, but other commitments make it unfortunately impossible.”
The singer-songwriter previously stated he planned to attend the ceremony “if it’s at all possible.”
Dave Lewis contributed to this post.
‘The Green Hornet’ looks to ‘wipe away the camp’ in another return to the big screen
“The Green Hornet” is taking a Dark Knight path back to the big screen courtesy of Paramount and Chernin Entertainment.
Gavin O’Connor, who recently directed Ben Affleck in “The Accountant,” is set to direct the film, which aims to veer away from the ‘60s camp that established vigilante Britt Reid on screen, according to an interview with Deadline. Sean O’Keefe will write the script.
Paramount and O’Connor follow the road trod by Batman in the 1989 movie that darkened and modernized the comic book hero’s established on-screen ‘60s image.
This will, though, be the second recent relaunch of the character; Seth Rogen attempted to revive him in 2011 alongside his partner, Kato -- played in the film by Jay Chou. The results weren’t well-received, to put it mildly by Rogen’s own standards. But O’Connor has a different vision for the world of the Green Hornet.
“With the rights now in our loving hands, I’m beyond excited to bring the Green Hornet into the 21st century in a meaningful and relevant way; modernizing it and making it accessible to a whole new generation. My intention is to bring a gravitas to the Green Hornet that wipes away the camp and kitsch of the previous iteration,” said O’Connor.
‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ will journey from classic novel to TV as a Syfy series
Stories about Mars are getting some attention these days with “The Martian” and the upcoming film “The Space Between Us,” and now television is joining in: A series adaptation of Robert Heinlein’s 1961 science fiction novel “Stranger in a Strange Land “ is headed for Syfy.
Paramount Television, in partnership with Universal Cable Productions, will develop the series from a seminal story set on the Red Planet about a human born on Mars who comes to Earth and eventually helps transform the whole culture. The book is considered by many to be a science fiction staple in American literature.
“From my point of view, ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ isn’t just a science fiction masterpiece. ... It also happens to be one of my favorite books ever!” NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Chairman Bonnie Hammer said in a statement.
The tome is even said to have predicted many of the movements and messages of the 1960s — including free love, hippie communes and organized attempts at world peace.
Here’s to Mars.
Straight up: Paula Abdul announces first tour in years with NKOTB and Boyz II Men
Paula Abdul is ready to step out from behind the judges’ table and back into the spotlight, as the singer announced Tuesday’s on NBC’s “Today” that she will be going on tour for the first time in nearly 25 years.
Abdul is heading back on the road in good company, joining fellow 1980s and ’90s hitmakers New Kids on the Block (now known as NKOTB) and Boyz II Men for a 2017 North American tour. The Total Package tour will stop in more than 40 cities, including a show at the Hollywood Bowl on June 2.
“Our fans know we love to bring them a party, and this tour is no exception,” NKOTB’s Donnie Wahlberg said in a statement released Tuesday. “It’s not just a show, it’s an experience.”
Megyn Kelly thinks Roger Ailes would still be running Fox News if he hadn’t been sued for sexual harassment
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly believes Roger Ailes would still be her boss today if former colleague Gretchen Carlson had not sued him for sexual harassment.
Appearing Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the first stop on the tour for her new book “Settle for More,” Kelly noted that Fox News contracts include arbitration clauses preventing on-air talent from filing lawsuits. Carlson, who claimed that Ailes hurt her career at Fox because she rebuffed his sexual advances, went public with her complaint after her deal with Fox News expired. The suit, which has been settled, led to an internal investigation and the departure of Ailes in July.
“Gretchen filing publicly was a big deal and an important step in this whole process,” Kelly told “GMA” co-anchor George Stephanopoulos.
[Ailes] tried to kiss me three times. So I rejected that, and when I rejected that he asked me when my contract was up.
— Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly on ABC’s “Good Morning America”
When asked if Ailes would still be running the top-rated cable news channel if Carlson’s lawsuit had not been filed, the star anchor said, “I think so.”
Kelly acknowledged that Ailes was a loyal and supportive boss during most of her tenure at Fox News. But she added that such situations are not unusual for women subjected to sexual harassment.
A woman can be harassed and go on to have a good working relationship with the man harassing her, and that is what happened in my case.
— Megyn Kelly
See Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf in new ‘Lemony Snicket’ sneak peeks
Who wore it better -- Neil Patrick Harris or Jim Carrey?
The upcoming Netflix adaptation of Daniel Handler’s “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” has revealed a new look at Harris as the nefarious Count Olaf, who will stop at nothing to get his greedy hands on the Baudelaire orphans’ inheritance.
Carrey played the character in the 2004 film version, which also starred Jude Law as the tale’s narrator, Lemony Snicket.
Harris tweeted pics of himself as Stefano and Captain Sham, two of Olaf’s sneaky disguises.
Handler himself tweeted a photo of Joan Cusack as Justice Strauss and Catherine O’Hara as Dr. Georgina Orwell. Later, he followed up with one displaying Don Johnson and Aasif Mandvi’s mystery characters.
The show, which will run for eight episodes, premieres Jan. 13 on Netflix.
Here’s the initial teaser trailer, featuring Patrick Warburton as Snicket:
Guess who People just named its ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
Dwayne Johnson no longer has to stare into the mirrors at his gym, poring over his reflection, asking himself: “Am I sexy?”
People just confirmed it Tuesday, declaring Johnson 2016’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” With the tagline, “He’s sweet, smart & sculpted!” the magazine splashed his image on the cover of its annual special issue.
With the award, the man formerly known as the Rock joins an elite club of beautiful men including Chris Hemsworth, Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford.
‘Westworld,’ ‘Insecure,’ ‘The Great Outdoors’ and more are renewed as HBO, CBS and Amazon announce plans
HBO, CBS and Amazon announced on Monday plans to extend some shows to full-season orders, while others are getting renewed for next season.
HBO is renewing its three fall series for second seasons, which includes the hit “Westworld,” a futuristic drama that explores sin and the complexities of consciousness. The show has proved a ratings hit for HBO, averaging a gross audience of 11.7 million viewers through its first seven episodes.
The renewal also includes critically acclaimed comedy series “Insecure,” created by and starring Issa Rae, and “Divorce,” the series that brought “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker back to the network.
CBS announced that it was giving full-season orders to the new sitcoms “Man With a Plan” and “The Great Indoors,” and completing the renewal trifecta was Amazon, which announced a second-season renewal for Tig Notaro’s semi-autobiographical series “One Mississippi.”
How does ‘The Simpsons’ feel about predicting our new president? ‘Being Right Sucks’
As noted around the Internet last week (and throughout the 2016 campaign), “The Simpsons” made a throwaway joke in 2000 about a Donald Trump presidency that just happened to come true.
And just how does the series feel about this bit of accidental prognostication?
Not great.
John Oliver on Donald Trump: ‘He is not normal’
During its first three seasons, “Last Week Tonight” and host John Oliver have never shied away from going after Donald Trump with both barrels.
But how would last week’s election and subsequent victory for Trump change things on the weekly late-night show known for its pointedly liberal intelligentsia?
Not much, it turns out.
In Sunday’s episode, which also served as the third-season finale, Oliver dissected Trump and America, examining how the country got to this juncture and where those horrified by the election go from here.
Stagecoach 2017 will welcome country stars Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney and ... Kiefer Sutherland?
Shania Twain, Dierks Bentley and Kenny Chesney will top the bill at next year’s Stagecoach country music festival, joining a diverse lineup that will likely attract broader crowds.
The bill pairs two pop-friendly male acts with a relative rarity at Stagecoach: a ’90s-veteran female artist at the very top of the roster.
Farther down the Stagecoach lineup the acts are a mix of contemporary chart staples, rising acts with Nashville-outsider vantage points, and classic acts.
There’s also a fair share of veteran, cross-genre acts, including Cyndi Lauper, Los Lobos, Tommy James and the Shondells, and the Zombies, whose appeal to rock and vintage pop crowds may make for a more adventurous bill than usual. An early-day Kiefer Sutherland set on Sunday will likely be a must-see curiosity as well.
Seth Meyers cracked jokes about a Trump presidency in 2011. Now he’s a critic of the reality
In May 2011, Seth Meyers, then-head writer on “Saturday Night Live” and anchor of “SNL’s” “Weekend Update,” hosted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a frivolous schmoozefest that would go on to take huge historical importance — in more ways than one.
At the time, Donald Trump’s political profile was on the rise thanks to his status as an outspoken birther, and he’d been toying with the idea of a 2012 presidential run. He was a guest — and the butt of many a joke — at the annual celebration, attended by power players from the world of media, showbiz and politics.
Several sources, including the New York Times, “Frontline” and the New Yorker, have cited the dinner as a turning point that inspired Trump, roasted before the Washington elite, to run for the White House.
Five and half years later, Meyers’ remarks now seem uncomfortably prescient, reflecting the bewilderment of the 60 million or so Americans who voted for Clinton on Tuesday, many of whom considered the idea of a Trump presidency too ludicrous to contemplate.
While that reality is still sinking in, Meyers has already positioned himself as one of late night’s most outspoken Trump adversaries.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ trailer: See Emma Watson as Belle, living your childhood dreams
After weeks of eager anticipation, fans of the “tale as old as time” can finally feast their eyes on the first trailer for Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast.”
Emma Watson and Dan Stevens fill the eponymous roles and both look the part (even if Stevens’ makeup resembles that of Beast from the 1980s TV series more than the animated version’s).
There are talking teacups and swirling dance numbers and the theme underscoring the entire trailer, but does this live-action retelling have the magic of Disney’s first go-round?
Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans star in the live-action movie “Beauty and the Beast.”
Jackie Chan, Anne V. Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman are awarded honorary Oscars
Months after weathering the tumultuous #OscarsSoWhite controversy — and just days after an earth-shaking and deeply divisive presidential election — Hollywood insiders largely set aside politics Saturday evening at the motion picture academy’s eighth Governors Awards to pay tribute to four very different talents: editor Anne V. Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster, documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman and action-comedy star Jackie Chan.
A chance to honor filmmaking luminaries for their lifetime contributions to the art form and a key early stop on the awards-season campaign circuit, the ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in the Hollywood & Highland Center brought together many of the industry’s biggest power players as well as actors and filmmakers looking to gain traction in this year’s Oscar race.
Despite controversies that have roiled the industry and the country at large over the last year and red-carpet questions about Donald Trump’s ascension to the presidency, the mood at the nontelevised ceremony was generally relaxed and upbeat.
After 56 years in the film industry, making more than 200 films, breaking so many bones, finally this is mine.
— Jackie Chan
Trump supporters target ‘Silicon Valley’ actors in a Silver Lake bar
Actors Kumail Nanjiani and Thomas Middleditch, both of HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” were confronted by a few emboldened supporters of President-elect Donald Trump while hanging out in a local bar.
The group does seem to be asserting themselves more, even amidst national and local protests, and even in a generally liberal area like L.A’s gentrified Silver Lake area.
Nanjiani chronicled the event through a series of tweets, with some compiled below.
Warren Beatty’s ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ kicks off AFI Fest
10 films to see at the AFI Fest
Held in Hollywood each November — well after the Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York film festivals have come and gone — the American Film Institute’s annual showcase is invariably well-positioned to showcase a handful of the year’s late-breaking awards hopefuls for the first time, as it did with 2014’s “American Sniper” and “Selma,” and last year’s “The Big Short.”
The 2016 edition got off to a similarly high-profile start on Thursday night with Warren Beatty’s “Rules Don’t Apply,” a romantic drama torn from a chapter of the life of Howard Hughes (played by Beatty). The festival closes on Nov. 17 with the world premiere of “Patriots Day,” a dramatization of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings that marks the latest collaboration between director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg after “Lone Survivor” and this year’s “Deepwater Horizon.”
The festival has long embraced a programming methodology that prioritizes excellence over exclusivity, and that routinely seeks out some of the finest titles from the international festival circuit. Here are 10 that you shouldn’t miss — not the only 10, by any means, but a good 10 to start with.
Rufus Wainwright honors his hero, the late, great Leonard Cohen
Musician Rufus Wainwright, who recorded one of the famous versions of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” performed the song in concert Thursday night in homage to the late, great singer-songwriter.
“I promised a couple of months ago that I wouldn’t sing this song if Trump won the election,” Wainwright said as a preface at his Mesa, Ariz., concert. “And I was actually planning on not singing it tonight, but obviously, that has been trumped.”
Wainwright shared a video of the performance on his Twitter feed Friday, along with several tweets detailing his appreciation for Cohen during their brief moments together.
See more of The Times’ Leonard Cohen coverage below.
Leonard Cohen dies at 82, singer-songwriter of ‘Hallelujah’ had a literary sensibility
So long, Leonard Cohen. We need you now more than ever
A look back at Leonard Cohen’s career
Listen: Leonard Cohen sings ‘Almost Like the Blues,’ from new album
Leonard Cohen on new ‘You Want It Darker’ album: He’s not done yet
So long, Leonard Cohen. We need you now more than ever
Of all days, of all years. What a time for one of music’s greatest, wisest and kindest points of light to go dark.
At 82, Leonard Cohen became the second epochal songwriter to foresee his own death on an album released this year.
“You Want It Darker,” like David Bowie’s “Blackstar,” tried to find some grace and meaning — and even some obsidian humor — in the inevitable. Under different circumstances, that may have been occasion for a bit of Cohen-ish irony, one last wink from one of music’s greatest poets in the face of the abyss.
But not today.
Cohen, the only songwriter whom Bob Dylan would place himself beneath, who could make the Old Testament sexy, could have maybe seen us through this divisive political time.
Leonard Cohen dies at 82; a singer-songwriter who was as much a poet as a musician
Leonard Cohen, a singer-songwriter whose literary sensibility and elegant dissections of desire made him one of popular music’s most influential and admired figures for four decades, has died. He was 82.
“Unmatched in his creativity, insight, and crippling candor, Leonard Cohen was a true visionary whose voice will be sorely missed,” said his manager Robert Kory, confirming Cohen’s death in statement. “He leaves behind a legacy of work that will bring insight, inspiration, and healing for generations to come.”
The cause of death was not released.
In songs such as “Suzanne,” “Bird on the Wire” and “Hallelujah,” and in his poems and two novels, the Montreal-born artist provided a rarefied alternative to more accessible troubadours, employing meticulous language to plumb the vagaries of the human condition.
Late-night’s Seth Meyers, Samantha Bee and others offer post-election encouragement
Free from the quick turnaround required by the live comedy shows that aired on election night, the late-night hosts regrouped Wednesday to offer their thoughts on Donald Trump’s presidential victory.
Seth Meyers, who quickly became one of the best sources for political comedy during the long campaign, came back strong with a thoughtful, emotional tone.
With a special Wednesday night episode on TBS, Samantha Bee opened with a hazy dream sequence that featured giddy cameos from CNN’s Van Jones as well as her fellow “Daily Show” alumni Larry Wilmore, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. After the inevitable rude awakening, Bee, in her monologue, quickly refuted an idea that a Trump victory would be good for late-night hosts, that the jokes would basically write themselves. (Warning: The video below uses explicit language.)
What did Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna name their new daughter? Take a wild guess.
Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna made their dream a reality on Thursday morning with the birth of their daughter, according to E! News.
And speaking of dream, that’s what they named their newborn. Yes, Dream.
The reality stars have been in a tumultuous relationship since January, announcing their engagement in February and pregnancy in May.
E! News sources report that Dream Renee Kardashian was delivered Thursday morning via cesarean section, weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces.
5 documentaries to watch for this Oscar season
There’s no Oscar category tougher to predict than documentary feature, but at this point in the year, it’s clear the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has an embarrassment of riches to choose from — 145 have been submitted this year. There are no sure things, but here’s a look at just a handful of the contenders.
- “Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened”
- “I Am Not Your Negro”
- “Weiner”
- “Fire at Sea”
- “Cameraperson”
Ava DuVernay raises cry against racism with ‘13th’
Wih its focus on mass incarceration and the criminalization of African American men, Ava DuVernay’s “13th” seems tailor-made for the era of Black Lives Matter.
But a key part of the movie’s thesis is that there’s never been a moment when its critique of systemic racism wouldn’t have been timely: The 13th Amendment may have outlawed slavery, but the “loophole” allowing those convicted of crimes to be forced into involuntary servitude allowed the system to be rebuilt under another name.
It’s a film of big, bold ideas, articulated by a slew of subjects including activist Angela Davis and scholar Henry Louis Gates, spanning centuries of American history and cutting through the fog of political rationalizations.
DuVernay took a moment away from that production to talk with us about “13th.”
We need that 100 minutes to take you through the greatest hits of racism, basically, but not leave you there, to be able to say this is important and we’re not letting you off the hook and we need to all look at it — but also please know that side by side with the struggle has been a survival that’s beautiful and should be acknowledged.
— Ava DuVernay
Lady Gaga, Mark Ruffalo and other celebrities join anti-Trump protests in person and online
As thousands of protesters across the country took to the streets for a second night following Donald Trump’s election victory, many celebrities turned to Twitter to register their support (and disdain).
Stars such as Lady Gaga, Mark Ruffalo, the Roots drummer Questlove, and “Saturday Night Live” alum Taran Killam took part in protests, while others made their points through social media.
Trump’s election means bitter new music from Run the Jewels and a new politically charged video from Rick Ross
Donald Trump is not even in the White House yet, but already some in the music community are incensed and reacting the best way they can: through songs.
Hip-hop stars Rick Ross and Run the Jewels, and rockers the Black Angels and Best Coast, react to the election with a variety of ways, all of them anti-Trump.
How election night went sideways for those who were covering it
Even in as strange and gaudy a cycle as this one, modern political moments tend to announce themselves well in advance. The expected train arrives in the station, the tracks lead to the next scheduled stop.
Tuesday was a different, twistier trip.
Like all election days, it was a long haul on television, starting slow, with cable news on the job long before there was anything to know. Though everyone was careful not to predict a winner, discussions took place against a backdrop of polls that indicated Hillary Clinton would be elected president. The stunning lack of support for Donald Trump by the elders and organs of his own party was duly noted, his surrogates treated with a solicitous sympathy. “Don’t forget to enjoy the moment, whatever it is,” MSNBC’s Chuck Todd would say to Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway when it still seemed as likely as not that the moment he referred to would constitute a loss.
A Trump presidency? ‘The Simpsons’ did it first
What served as a throwaway gag in 2000 has become eerily prescient, thanks to President-elect Donald Trump.
In a Season 11 episode of “The Simpsons,” Bart has a vision of the future in which his sister Lisa has ascended to the highest office in the land and is serving as the new president.
However, Lisa’s legacy is already in trouble, thanks to the immense debt left by the previous administration.
The head of the previous administration? None other than Donald Trump.
You can see the gag on the Simpsons World website.
Judging from the site’s own metrics, the episode in question, “Bart to the Future,” has been the most popular video of the day.
Now that Trump will be president, Martin Shkreli may actually share that ‘secret’ Wu-Tang Clan album
Hillary Clinton supporters don’t have much to celebrate today, unless they also happen to be fans of the Wu-Tang Clan.
The much-maligned pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli appears to be making good on a promise to publicly release Wu-Tang Clan’s “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” the “secret,” one-of-a-kind album he purchased for a reported $2 million last year.
Earlier this year, Shkreli said he would make the album available to fans if Donald Trump won the presidency, and late last night he posted audio snippets from the album during a live Periscope video posted on Twitter, according to the Associated Press.
The video has since been deleted, but several fans captured clips and posted them on YouTube (warning, the videos contain explicit language).
Shkreli also noted that in order to release any of the music, he’ll have to arrange it with the New York hip-hop collective. Shkreli obtained the album from a Paddle8 auction on the condition that it not be released commercially for 88 years.
As the chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals, Shkreli came under fire in 2014 when he raised the price of an HIV medication by 5,000%. In 2015, he was charged with securities fraud. After purchasing “Shaolin,” Shkreli also got into a public feud with Wu-Tang founder Ghostface Killah, who publicly criticized Shkreli over the price hike for the drug.
The day after: Clinton’s biggest celebrity supporters respond to Trump victory
They were the most vocal of Hillary Clinton’s celebrity supporters, but on the morning after Trump triumphed at the polls, stars such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Madonna and others have to face the music.
With the election coming down to the wire over the past few days, the Democratic nominee had assembled a dream team of celebrities who backed her in a final push that included musical performances, live appearances and a flurry of social media posts.
Today, many of them returned to social media with a much different message. After some initial shock and sadness, some saw it as a reason to rise up, illustrated by Gaga’s impromptu late-night protest outside Trump Tower in New York.
Others, including Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Jay Z have so far kept silent. Meanwhile, “Girls” star Lena Dunham’s last message was still hopeful, but she has yet to respond to the final results.
‘Freaking out w Stoney!’ Kathy Griffin and Sharon Stone are having their own election watch party
Kathy Griffin’s regular New Year’s Eve partner Anderson Cooper is busy bringing CNN viewers the latest election-night news. No matter. She’s got Sharon Stone by her side at their own election headquarters/slumber party.
The ‘Trump Cake’ immediately becomes an Internet meme
A fairly large re-creation of Donald Trump’s head, made entirely out of cake, appeared outside of Trump Tower in New York City on election day.
The cake oddity was swiftly carted off, but its sweet legacy shall live on forever thanks to the Internet and the folks who promptly turned #TrumpCake into a meme.
Late-night shows take last-minute shots at the election with help from Sarah Paulson and Benedict Cumberbatch
On the eve of the election, late-night TV hosts Samantha Bee and James Corden both invited actors on their shows to do what they do best: read.
On Monday’s episode of “Full Frontal,” Bee called on Sarah Paulson to read Hillary Clinton’s emails, while Corden drafted Benedict Cumberbatch to read him a bedtime story about “a lady who wanted to rule the kingdom very much” and “a big orange monster.”
(Be forewarned: The clips contain some adult language.)
‘This is not a game’: Prince Harry condemns media ‘abuse’ of American girlfriend
It’s the British royals versus the media — again — and Prince Harry thinks enough is enough.
In a highly unusual statement, the prince on Tuesday lashed out at the media for intruding on the privacy of his new girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle. The 32-year-old royal said the media had crossed a line with articles that had “racial undertones,” and pleaded: “This is not a game.”
Stephen Colbert and ‘The Daily Show’ will broadcast election night specials live
Showtime and Comedy Central will mark the end of the presidential race with live election night programs that will allow their hosts to comment on the results in real time.
“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert was bumped from his regular spot on CBS for its news coverage, but he will broadcast a live special on Showtime.
We might have some naked men on set, we were thinking. Because it’s Showtime and you can have full-frontal nudity as long as the men don’t look happy about it.
— Stephen Colbert
Meanwhile, his old stomping grounds, Comedy Central, will feature a special one-hour episode of “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah,” which will air live on both coasts. The show will also be available to stream online and through the network’s app.
Inside CBS News as Scott Pelley, Gayle King, Charlie Rose and more prepare for election night
The CBS News executives kept referring to it as a “Thanksgiving dinner table” on Monday, but there was no turkey or stuffing on the round, clear Lucite surface dominating the studio on Manhattan’s far West Side.
But extra leaves had been added to ensure enough room for the network’s top anchors to take seats Tuesday for what is expected to be an election night for the ages.
Even though it was merely a rehearsal, the “CBS This Morning” studio already radiated the energy that flows through a news operation when the votes have finally been counted after a long and contentious campaign. The network’s team prepared for its coverage, which starts at 3:30 p.m. PST Tuesday -- by using randomly generated (but not actual or projected) results on the votes for presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Covert teen super team ‘Young Justice’ to return for a third season
“Young Justice,” the popular Cartoon Network show featuring a group of teen heroes from the DC Universe, is returning to the air.
Warner Bros. has announced that production has begun for the third season of the animated series.
Created by Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman, the series debuted Nov. 26, 2010 with an hour-long special and ended in the spring of 2013. The initial team consisted of Robin/Nightwing, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Superboy.
The heroic group was mainly made up of the sidekicks of members of DC Entertainment’s Justice League and were used as a covert strike team that Batman would often send on missions. Other members later included Miss Martian, Wonder Girl, Zatanna, Rocket and Artemis.
“The show was first and foremost a spy show, second about teens and only third, a superhero show,” Weisman said on a panel hosted by Hero Complex in 2014.
“The affection that fans have had for ‘Young Justice,’ and their rallying cry for more episodes, has always resonated with us,” said Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series, in a statement.
Further details about the new season — including premiere date and what network it’ll be on — will be announced later.
What is Dapper Day and why do 20,000 people hit Disneyland in vintage couture to celebrate it?
Dapper Day Expo in Anaheim (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Disneyland was extra whimsical last weekend when the Dapper Day celebration rolled in with scads of tulle, waistcoats, coiffed hairstyles and chiffon. The unofficial fashion extravaganza for the fans of Mickey, Minnie and polka dots converged for the biannual event, culminating in a park takeover that filled the Anaheim attraction with retro looks inspired by the house of mouse.
“It’s the biggest cocktail party in the world without cocktails,” Dapper Day founder Justin Jorgensen said on the phone before the event took place.
And what a party it was. This year, Jorgensen estimates that 20,000 to 30,000 visitors participated in the Dapper Day festivities. That’s an impressive jump from the modest 100 who showed up the first time he threw the meet-up in February 2011.
Beyoncé, LeBron and the Boss: The stars are out for the final days of the election
With only a few precious hours standing between the nation and the end of the 2016 election, both the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaigns went to their celebrity bench to boost enthusiasm at swing-state rallies across the country.
Clinton put on the full-court press in Ohio over the weekend, beginning with a Friday concert in Cleveland aimed at bolstering the youth vote in the state and featuring rappers Jay Z, Chance the Rapper and Big Sean.
The men, however, were upstaged by a surprise guest when Beyoncé arrived to support the candidate, telling the audience, “I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless,” said the singer, dressed along with her dancers in pantsuits,a nod to Clinton’s wardrobe staple. “And that’s why I am with her.”
George R.R. Martin slams Donald Trump as ‘unfit to lead this nation’
“A Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin voted early and he left no doubt about his choice: He’s with her.
In a series of posts on his blog (titled Not a Blog), the best-selling novelist tore into Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
In my lifetime, there has never been a presidential candidate more unfit to lead this nation.
— George R.R. Martin
Is it time for Hollywood to ‘get over’ Mel Gibson’s past?
The response to Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly given that Gibson has been largely ostracized from the filmmaking community since he uttered anti-Semitic slurs during a 2006 Malibu drunk driving arrest.
Gibson has shown “Hacksaw Ridge” to Motion Picture Academy members and movie guild audiences on several occasions recently. And when he came on stage following the screenings, most in the audience stood and applauded.
Does all the validation, which included another well-attended screening for academy members Saturday night (and another standing ovation following the film), indicate that Gibson’s time in movie jail has come to an end?
I’m not completely nuts or anything. I had a couple of bad moments. I think it’s called a nervous breakdown? So it’s a pity you get penalized for that. But there you go. I’m not chewing through my restraints. I’m quite capable.
— Mel Gibson
“Hacksaw Ridge” features Teresa Palmer, Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington and Vince Vaughn.
Hollywood Film Awards kick off movie awards season
Tom Hanks, Natalie Portman, Janelle Monae and Mel Gibson were among those honored at the 20th Hollywood Film Awards Sunday. The ceremony marks the start of movie awards season. Here are some highlights from the red carpet and the show.
Election fatigue? Cast your vote and wait out the storm by catching up on these shows
Sweet relief from talking-point pundits, electoral college maps and conflicting poll numbers is just days away, but there’s still the matter of weathering what could be a very long election night before anyone is called the winner.
Sensing that some viewers may be ready for a break, the Weather Channel is one of the few outlets offering some inspired counter-programming. On Tuesday, it will run a nine-hour marathon of visual relaxation in the form of video of natural wonders that it described in a statement as “Clouds! Rainbows! Autumn Splendor! And … yes … smooth jazz!”
Though the last of those could be considered a stress inducer for some, there are ample options in the on-demand and streaming era for those looking to get away from it all while the votes are being counted. So cast your ballot and then set your cares aside for a few hours as you catch up on the fall’s most buzzed-about shows below. (And seriously, Animal Planet: You had four years to pull together some kind of an election night Puppy Bowl — your country needs you.)
System of a Down’s Serj Tankian goes classical with symphonic concerts in Northridge
The “little incident,” as Serj Tankian refers to it, occurred more than six years ago in Atlanta. The rock star and frontman of the popular heavy metal band System of a Down had gone solo and decided to perform his rock tunes, classical style, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
He had done it successfully with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra the previous year in New Zealand, so the singer reasoned, why not take the act stateside? The crucial catch was that his only rehearsal with the orchestra was a simple sound check. The concert that followed was a disaster.
“Drunk people with their beers were hitting the stage while the violin solo was going on,” Tankian recalls with a sly grin. “I couldn’t even turn around.”
Tankian remembers his piano player looking at him out of the corner of his eye and mouthing the word, “uncivilized,” over and over again
I had to go to the outer limits of who I shouldn’t be to finally man up to saying, ‘This is what I want to do.’
— Serj Tankian
Demonstrators protest L.A. Opera over casting of white singer as an Egyptian pharaoh
Ticket holders to Los Angeles Opera’s opening night of Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten” on Saturday were greeted by about 25 peaceful demonstrators who voiced their frustration over a white actor singing the title role of an Egyptian pharaoh.
Protesters carried signs outside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion that read “Our black history matters” and “Akhenaton was a black pharaoh,” the latter using one of the many spellings of the pharaoh’s name. Demonstrators handed out fliers and engaged in friendly conversations with opera-goers while one protester called out, “Akhnaten was not a white man,” as audience members filed into the building.
“We’re here to very peacefully inform people about our great history,” said Legrand Clegg, West Coast president of the Assn. for the Study of Classical African Civilizations, which organized the “Black History Matters” demonstration in collaboration with the Black American Political Assn. of California. Clegg described the protest as a “teachable moment.”
Read More- The falsetto pharaoh: The story behind the powerfully high voice in L.A. Opera’s ‘Akhnaten’
‘Doctor Strange,’ ‘Trolls’ surpass expectations to revive fall box office
Justin Chang reviews ‘Doctor Strange’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, Benjamin Bratt, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Scott Adkins. Video by Jason H. Neubert.
Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange” was the right antidote, when paired with 20th Century Fox’s “Trolls,” to treat a bruising fall box-office season.
The picture from Walt Disney Co. pulled an estimated $85 million in the U.S. and Canada, surpassing even the most liberal analyst expectations of $80 million. It’s also a massive hit internationally, earning an amazing $203.7 million globally this weekend. After opening internationally last week, the film’s global gross after just 13 days is $325.4 million.
“I think it all is a testament of Marvel Studios’ unbroken streak of critical and commercial success, proving that Marvel remains the best of the best in the superhero genre and beyond,” said Dave Hollis, Disney’s distribution executive.
‘The Simpsons’ have been renewed for Seasons 29 and 30, making it the longest scripted TV show ever
In times of great upheaval, it feels good to have something consistent to rely on. And Fox just ensured that “The Simpsons” will be there for us with a 29th and 30th season, making it the longest-running scripted TV show ever.
In a year that has weathered the losses of David Bowie, Prince and Muhammad Ali, knowing “The Simpsons” will remain in Springfield for our viewing entertainment for another two years is comforting.
Ms. Marvel urges Americans to vote
Looks like everyone wants folks to get out and vote, even superheroes. Ms. Marvel, otherwise known as Kamala Khan, is urging voters to tap into their own superpowers this election season to get to the polls and vote.
Marvel Comics issued a first look at the upcoming release of “Ms. Marvel” No. 13, which focuses on the teenager’s attempt to get out the vote in her Jersey City neighborhood.
Khan made her debut in the Marvel world in “Captain Marvel” No. 14, released in August 2013, before Marvel announced in November of that year that the character would be taking on the mantle of Ms. Marvel beginning in February 2014.
The announcement made Khan the first Muslim character to headline a Marvel comic series, and the reboot allowed the exploration of story lines centering not just around the creation of identity for a teenage girl, but a Muslim American one at that.
Michael Bublé’s 3-year-old son has cancer
Michael Bublé’s son Noah has cancer, the singer confirmed Friday, and he and wife, Luisana Lopilato, have back-burnered their careers while the 3-year-old fights the disease.
The singer released a statement on Facebook.
Finally, the wine you drink while watching ‘Outlander’ can be ‘Outlander’ themed
It’s not unheard of for television audiences to indulge in a little liquid refreshment, particularly wine, while they enjoy their favorite shows.
This is particularly true of shows that make conspicuous consumption a trademark of their main characters, as shows like “Scandal,” or in previous years “The Good Wife” and “Cougar Town,” always did.
But Starz’s “Outlander” is taking its wine connoisseurship to the next level. Sony Pictures Entertainment is teaming up with wine retailer Lot18 to distribute a limited-edition wine collection featuring four hand-crafted blends, featuring “Outlander” specific labels, aimed at capturing the essence of characters from the show.
So what do your favorite “Outlander” characters taste like? Here’s what Lot18 thinks.
Claire Fraser - 2015 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
According to Lot18, Claire Randall is “persistent, adaptable, beguiling,” and has learned to “survive — and thrive — based on her resources,” just like the grapes that make up this pinot noir. No joke.
There’s also an additional Randall pre-time-traveling war nurse white wine, but it is devoid of any good grape jokes.
Jamie Fraser- 2014 Paso Robles Red Blend
Jamie Fraser is a skilled linguist, which correlates nicely with the Grenache, the main grape featured in this blend that “like Jamie, speaks many languages.” Oh boy.
Frank Randall- 2015 Vin de Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon
Resident sad man Frank Randall has been abandoned by his wife in favor of time travel and a strapping Scotsman, yet he clings to his dignity like a well-worn hat. “Frank’s fortitude is celebrated with this dense and brooding blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot,” which is likely cold comfort in the face of his abandonment, but, hey, it sounds good.
Only 2,500 of each bottle of specialty wine has been created. Orders can be placed through Lot18, with shipments beginning Monday, Nov. 7.
“Outlander” is in production on Season 3 in Scotland, adapting the third book in Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” series titled “Voyager.”
Kanye West ditches Forum performance midway through show, citing throat problems
Kanye West has a cold.
Or at least a sore throat. “My voice is so hoarse. I can’t finish the show,” the rapper told his thousands of fans just before ditching Thursday’s sixth gig at the Forum in Inglewood midway through.
The rapper-producer-designer, who was performing his song “Only One” from atop a floating stage that hovered over the audience, informed the crowd that he couldn’t continue. “Turn the lights up,” he said. “Show’s over. I can’t let y’all have a show where I can’t perform. I’m sorry.” He then offered refunds.
He’s baaaack. Dave Chappelle to make ‘Saturday Night Live’ debut
Call it the November surprise: Dave Chappelle is heading back to a television main stage. NBC announced Friday morning that the comedian will be hosting “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 12.
Marking his “SNL” debut, the gig is the latest in Chappelle’s gradual return to the world of comedy after leaving his highly successful Comedy Central series, “Chappelle’s Show,” in 2006.
Chappelle’s appearance will feature musical guests A Tribe Called Quest, who are dropping “We Got It From Here ... Thank You 4 Your Service,” their first studio album in 18 years, on Nov. 11.
First two tracks from ‘The Hamilton Mixtape’ drop; album features Kelly Clarkson and the Roots
A project that’s been in the works for months is slowly becoming available for (rabid) public consumption.
“The Hamilton Mixtape,” which features remixes, covers and songs inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” had been in the works for well over a year before Thursday’s announcement that the album would be released Dec. 2, with presales now underway.
Accompanying the launch of presales is the release of two tracks off the upcoming album, both available for immediate purchase and download, as well as on streaming sites such as Spotify.
The first track is a take on “My Shot [Rise Up Remix]” from the Roots, featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Oritz and Nate Ruess.
That “My Shot” is included as one of the first releases from the album is unsurprising, given the involvement of Roots co-founder Questlove as executive producer of both the Grammy Award-winning “Hamilton” cast album, as well as “Mixtape.”
Sting will be the first to perform at Paris’ Bataclan since deadly terror attacks
Sting will play the first show to be held at the Bataclan theater since coordinated terrorist attacks killed 90 people at an Eagles of Death Metal show there and dozens more elsewhere in Paris nearly a year ago.
In re-opening the Bataclan, we have two important tasks to reconcile. First, to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago, and second to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theatre represents. In doing so we hope to respect the memory as well as the life affirming spirit of those who fell. We shall not forget them.
— Sting, in a statement on his website
Proceeds from the show will go to two charities: Life for Paris and 13 Novembre: Fraternité Verité.
Everybody’s mad for ‘Doctor Strange’ baddy Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen has prominent roles in two of the most anticipated films of late 2016 — the Marvel comic-book movie “Doctor Strange,” opening today, and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Long respected among aficionados of European cinema as a versatile, magnetic actor in films like “Pusher,” “The Hunt” and “A Royal Affair,” Mikkelsen has carved out a somewhat improbable niche in recent years as one of Hollywood’s go-to baddies.
Given Mikkelsen’s ability to blend cool sophistication and steely menace, it was only a matter of time before the chance to play a comic-book villain presented itself. In “Doctor Strange,” Mikkelsen portrays Kaecilius, a sorcerer who threatens to unleash a dark supernatural force on the world for what he sees as the greater good of humankind.
[Director Scott Derrickson] said something about flying kung fu and I said, ‘Whoa, hold on. Rewind. Flying kung fu? I’m in.’
— Mads Mikkelsen
Lena Dunham, Martin Sheen and Chris Pine make their points in the latest political ads
Election day is now less than a week away, and the celebrity-tilted political ads keep cropping up on social media.
Writer and “Girls” creator Lena Dunham, a longtime Hillary Clinton supporter, appeared in a new Funny or Die video released Thursday that brings her together with another longtime pop cultural lightning rod: hip-hop.
Though made with a heaping dollop of winking self-awareness (in the clip Dunham refers to her efforts as “rapped music”), “Sensual Pantsuit Anthem” is serious about its Clinton advocacy with its stark red and blue hues and, of course, Dunham rapping in a pantsuit — which she eventually takes off.
Wanda acquires Dick Clark Productions for $1 billion
Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group is officially buying Dick Clark Productions for about $1 billion, marking its first play in the TV production industry and expanding its reach in Hollywood.
Wanda, led by China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, plans to acquire 100% of the TV production company behind the Golden Globe Awards broadcast, the company said Thursday.
The deal was expected since the companies first confirmed they were in talks in late September. Dick Clark Productions’ management team is expected to remain in place after the acquisition is completed, Wanda said in a brief statement.
Lin-Manuel Miranda reveals ‘The Hamilton Mixtape’ track list
The wait for it is over. Almost.
Lin-Manuel Miranda has announced that “The Hamilton Mixtape” is complete and that the collection will be available for preorder starting Friday.
Miranda previously revealed his plans for the mixtape, which would be comprised of remixes, covers and other tracks inspired by his hit Broadway musical.
Later, the “Hamilton” creator shared the mixtape’s star-studded track list, and it will probably make fans wish they were in the room where it happened. Especially for the third rap battle between Hamilton, Madison and Jefferson that Miranda previously teased, which was cut from the musical itself.
Contributors include Usher, Alicia Keys, Sia, The Roots, Chance the Rapper and Jill Scott.
Prince Michael Jackson is following in his father’s footsteps — sort of
When your father’s name is Michael Jackson, people have expectations. And Prince Michael Jackson does not seem at all concerned about any of them.
Providing a rare tour of his father’s Encino compound, Hayvenhurst, he is, at 19, a young man prepared to set his own course, one that honors his father but does not imitate him.
Music is a big part of my life. It shaped who I am because of my family, but I’ve always wanted to go into production.
— Prince Michael Jackson
Benedict Cumberbatch anchors Marvel’s trippy, transporting ‘Doctor Strange’
Justin Chang reviews ‘Doctor Strange’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, Benjamin Bratt, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Scott Adkins. Video by Jason H. Neubert.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Stephen Strange is imperious and self-absorbed, a reluctant hero by any measure; you can already imagine him exchanging quips with Tony Stark or rolling his eyes at Thor at some later date. For all its frenzied time-turning and dimension-hopping, the movie tells a fairly straightforward yet rewarding story of one man’s emotional and philosophical growth as Strange comes to realize, in the words of another character: “It’s not all about you.”
Read the full review below.
Bill Murray celebrates the Chicago Cubs’ World Series win as only he can
Bill Murray was every Chicago Cubs fan, ever, when his team broke its 108-year drought Wednesday night by winning the World Series. Not every fan, however, gets to pop Champagne in the locker room after the game — and interview the club’s president.
“Is there anyone you want to say hello to that you haven’t thought about lately?” Murray asked Theo Epstein amid the crush of celebration.
“Yeah, you,” Epstein said before shaking up a bottle of bubbly and blasting the actor in the face with it. “Yeah, Bill!,” he shouted. “We just won the World Series!”
“Oh, it does burn,” Murray said as he tried to get the booze out of his eyes. “It’s a good burn. It’s a good burn. I guess that means I get a 20-day tryout or something like that.”
Watch the new ‘Wonder Woman’ trailer
Watch the trailer for “Wonder Woman.”
Warner Bros. has released the first official “Wonder Woman” trailer for the upcoming DC superhero movie starring Gal Gadot.
Gadot made her debut as the Amazonian princess in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and fans got a glimpse of her solo title with a special Comic-Con trailer revealed at the studio’s Hall H presentation in July.
Watch the full trailer above.
Listen to Beyoncé and the Dixie Chicks’ ‘Daddy Lessons’
Beyoncé joined the Dixie Chicks on the CMA Awards stage Wednesday to perform “Daddy Lessons,” a song from her album “Lemonade.”
Shortly after the performance, a studio version of their collaboration was released. Listen to the song above.
Beyoncé gives the Dixie Chicks some superstar help at the CMA Awards
Live from the country-music capital of the world, it’s … Beyoncé?
That was the case during Wednesday night’s Country Music Assn. Awards, where the pop superstar dropped by to perform her song “Daddy Lessons” with the Dixie Chicks.
No Nashville hard-liners themselves, the Chicks made Beyoncé’s string-band jam a regular part of their concerts this past summer, and here they seemed perfectly delighted to share the CMA stage with the night’s flashiest outsider. (Also pleased by the sight: Matthew McConaughey, caught on camera playing some serious chest percussion in the audience.)
Carrie Underwood and others hit the red carpet for the CMA Awards
After the surprise announcement of Beyoncé performing at the 50th CMAs, anticipation for the show has been heightened. You can check here to see all the fashion and starpower hitting the red carpet from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville as host Carrie Underwood and others arrive. No Beyoncé sighting -- yet.
Lil Wayne doesn’t connect with Black Lives Matter: ‘I ain’t no ... politician’
Lil Wayne doesn’t connect with the Black Lives Matter movement — or perhaps he doesn’t connect with being asked about the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It just sounds weird. I don’t know that you put a label on it. It’s not a name, it’s not ‘whatever, whatever.’ It’s someone got shot by police for a [messed] up reason,” the 34-year-old rapper told interviewer Lindsey Davis on the most recent “Nightline.”
“I am a young, black, rich [man],” he said. “If that don’t let you know that America understands black [people] matter these days, I don’t know what it is. Don’t come at me with that dumb ... My life matters.”
Davis pushed further, asking Wayne if he separated himself from the movement.
“I don’t feel connected to a damn thing that ain’t got nothing to do with me,” he said. “If you do, you’re crazy ... you.”
Val Kilmer says he has ‘no cancer whatsoever’ and that Michael Douglas is ‘misinformed’
Val Kilmer says he doesn’t have cancer, despite Michael Douglas’ comment in a recent interview that his costar in the 1996 film “The Ghost and the Darkness” was “dealing with exactly what I had.”
Kilmer addressed Douglas’ comments in a Facebook post, noting that he had no hard feelings about the matter.
“I love Michael Douglas but he is misinformed,” the “Top Gun” actor wrote Tuesday afternoon. “The last time I spoke to him was almost two years ago, when I asked him for a referral for a specialist to get a diagnosis for a lump in my throat, which prevented me from continuing a tour of my play CITIZEN TWAIN. I ended up using a team at UCLA and have no cancer whatsoever. I still have a swollen tongue and am rehabbing steadily.”
Those errant “Kilmer has cancer!” stories were sparked by a Q&A Douglas did Sunday at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, where he talked about “The Ghost and the Darkness.”
Will Beyoncé perform with the Dixie Chicks at the Country Music Awards in Nashville tonight?
The blue-state R&B superstar Beyoncé is slated to perform at tonight’s Country Music Awards, a decidedly red-state affair.
The CMAs seldom welcome genre-dabblers. But Beyoncé is Beyoncé, so the long-running awards show will celebrate its 50th anniversary by crossing the aisle in support of musical unity. According to a tweet by “Good Morning America,” she’ll join already announced performers including Kacey Musgraves, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town (performing their new Taylor Swift-penned song, perhaps?), Garth Brooks and more during the ceremony.
Online chatter is suggesting that Beyoncé will team with the Dixie Chicks for the CMA performance, which is prompting predictable outrage from right-leaning country traditionalists.
Louis C.K. tells Conan O’Brien he’s all in for Hillary Clinton: ‘I’d take her over anybody’
Louis C.K. stopped by the TBS late-night show “Conan” Tuesday night and voiced his full-throated endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president, saying, “If you vote for Hillary, you’re a grown-up. If you vote for Trump, you’re a sucker.” He had a special unprintable word to describe those who don’t vote for anybody.
C.K.’s thoughts on the presidential election came at the behest of host Conan O’Brien, who prefaced the inquiry saying, “I’m not doing my job if I don’t ask you about the election.”
The star of FX’s critically acclaimed comedy “Louie” provided plenty of reasons Clinton was the right choice.
For one thing, he is enamored with the idea that Clinton would be the first mother to preside over the Oval Office.
Disney reveals its Beast from the live action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ movie
Get ready to make like Gaston and “screw your courage to the sticking place,” because Disney has revealed the first-ever image of its Beast from the live action adaptation of the 1991 animated classic fairy tale, “Beauty and the Beast.” The look is certainly something that you don’t see every day.
The cover of this week’s Entertainment Weekly featured both Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”) and Emma Watson (“Harry Potter” series) in full costume, replete with Belle’s diaphanous yellow ball gown and Beast’s navy frock coat with gold embroidery in the arms of Stevens transformed into his beastly character via movie magic.
David Bowie is memorialized in emoji form in latest Apple iOS update
Memorials come in all shapes and sizes, but Apple may have one-upped them all with its iOS 10.2 update to the preexisting male and female singer emojis.
Replacing the staid singer emojis of prior operating systems, Apple instead opted to honor late music legend David Bowie with its latest update.
Both the male and female singer emojis are now outfitted with lightning bolt makeup reminiscent of the cover of Bowie’s sixth album, “Aladdin Sane,” released in 1973.
The irony, of course, of Apple’s newfound initiative to have equal representation for all gender-coded emoji means that Bowie, an artist whose career embraced the fluidity of gender, will be represented in two equal, but separate, emoji.
Mel Gibson visits Stephen Colbert to ask ‘Big Questions’ and discuss the ‘Passion of the Christ’ sequel
Mel Gibson was bright-eyed and bushy-faced when he dropped by “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Tuesday night to promote his latest directorial effort, “Hacksaw Ridge.”
Not only was Gibson willing to talk about his new film, he also indulged Colbert and joined him in a recurring sketch called “Big Questions With Even Bigger Stars.”
During the sketch, Colbert and his guest lie on a picnic blanket, as though gazing up at the stars, and ask each other philosophical questions.
Colbert asked Gibson if he could go back in time and give a younger version of himself advice, what would it be.
Gibson also told Colbert about his long-rumored sequel to “The Passion of the Christ.”
Emma Watson left books in the London subway with secret notes
Books helped make “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson a star. Now she’s paying literature back by leaving free books with personal notes in London subway stations.
Watson planted copies of Maya Angelou’s memoir “Mom & Me & Mom” around the London Underground on Tuesday, she revealed on her Facebook page, 100 copies in all. The book is the latest selection for Our Shared Shelf, the online feminist book club she started in January.
“I’ve been hiding copies of Mom & Me & Mom for Books on the Underground on the tube today!” Watson wrote. “See if you can find one tomorrow!”
Ava DuVernay’s ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ begins production
Ava DuVernay’s history-making adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time” has officially kicked off production in Los Angeles.
With “A Wrinkle in Time,” DuVernay is the first woman of color to direct a live-action film with a production budget over $100 million. Much of the big-budget Disney adaptation will be shot in and around the Los Angeles area and is one of 28 movie projects selected under California’s film and television tax credit program. According to state officials, “A Wrinkle in Time” will bring in $85 million in qualified spending to California and receive an incentive of $18 million, the largest since the state program expanded in 2014.
Based on the Newbery Medal-winning novel by Madeleine L’Engle, “A Wrinkle in Time” follows young Meg Murray and her younger brother Charles Wallace as they travel through space and time to search of their missing father. Joining them in their adventure is Meg’s friend Calvin.
‘I swear to God I ain’t crazy’: Notes from Kanye West’s fourth night at the Forum
A patch of fabric with the number 6 on it had been carefully affixed to a giant banner outside the Forum on Tuesday night, a low-tech means of updating the sign advertising how many sold-out shows Kanye West is performing at the Inglewood arena.
Last week the number was five. But on Friday afternoon, after the rapper had already played three Forum gigs on his “Saint Pablo” tour, the venue announced he’d added one more.
West himself acknowledged the new total during Tuesday’s concert when he informed the crowd he wouldn’t be unloading one of his signature rants, to use his word for those rambling mid-show speeches in which he holds forth passionately about his importance as a musician or a fashion designer or a booster of his famous friends.
“I think doing six nights at the Forum is talking for me,” he said.
Here are five thoughts on Night 4
Review of Night 1: Kanye West takes his fans at the Forum on an experimental trip
Journalists resign in protest over a Critics’ Choice deal with Entertainment Weekly
Some members of the Broadcast Television Journalists Assn. have resigned following an announcement that A&E Network and Entertainment Weekly have united in a content and promotional deal for the upcoming Critics’ Choice Awards, according to Variety.
The entertainment magazine reported that TVLine’s Michael Ausiello, Variety’s Debra Birnbaum, Media Village’s Ed Martin and Buzzfeed’s Jarett Wieselman are among those who have stepped down. Each was on the BTJA’s executive committee. Also leaving are Us Weekly’s John Griffiths, TVLine’s Matt Mitovich, TV Guide’s Matt Roush and Variety’s Maureen Ryan.
The controversy stems from the BJTA’s deal with Entertainment Weekly. For an organization that represents numerous news publications and outlets, choosing just one in a marketing and content union may seem inappropriate.
Ausiello, who once worked at Entertainment Weekly, said in a statement that the Critics’ Choice Awards were “about the entire industry coming together to recognize the best in TV. Unfortunately, it’s now becoming a marketing event built around a single brand, and that’s not a shift I’m comfortable with — even if it’s a brand I happen to love.”
Officials at the BJTA seemed surprised over the stance taken by the journalists.
“A handful of BTJA members did resign today, but the Critics’ Choice nominating committees will continue their work and TV nominations will be announced on Nov. 14 as scheduled,” Joey Berlin, president of BTJA, said in a statement.
- ‘Spotlight’ wins the Critics’ Choice award for best film of 2015
‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ targets kids in Season 2 video
The second season of Amazon’s “Thunderbirds Are Go” launches Friday, and the retooled ’60s marionettes-turned-CG animated show is trying to appeal to kids in a big way with its newest promo.
The “Biggest Little Fans” trailer trots out five kids to explain the show and some of its characters to the viewing audience. They’re cute, giggly and know what they like.
“If Kayo and I teamed up, we would probably stop a lot of bad guys because I do tae kwon do,” says one little girl in the trailer.
The first season met with both cheers and jeers, with many missing the nostalgia of the fully visible strings that were on the puppets in their earlier incarnation. The current show uses a blend of computer-generated animation and model sets.
The new adventures of the Tracy brothers and crew are produced by ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures, in collaboration with Weta Workshop.
Guess who’s moving to Canada if Trump wins?
While being interviewed on “The Bestseller Experiment” podcast, “Breaking Bad” star and Oscar nominee Bryan Cranston says he “would definitely move” to Canada if Donald Trump were elected president. And he doesn’t sound like he’s entirely joking.
It wouldn’t be a vacation. I’d be an expatriate. Absolutely. I would definitely move. It’s not real to me that that would happen. I hope to God it won’t.
— Bryan Cranston
Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’ is expected to give the fall box office a big boost
Benedict Cumberbatch stars in Disney’s “Doctor Strange.”
Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange” is expected to draw a massive audience this weekend, providing some much needed medicine for Hollywood during a bruising fall box office season.
Analysts expect the visually stylish Benedict Cumberbatch comic book movie to collect $65 million to $75 million in ticket sales from the United States and Canada through Sunday.
Together with two other new releases — DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls” and Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” — Marvel’s new offering should offer some relief to cinema owners dealing with a paucity of hit movies in recent months.
Review: Mel Gibson’s pacifist bloodbath ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ is both deeply dishonest and crushingly sincere
“Hacksaw Ridge” features Teresa Palmer, Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington and Vince Vaughn.
Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge,” which tells the story of Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), a God-fearing American pacifist who served as a combat medic during World War II, is a tribute to one man’s courageous adherence to his deepest beliefs, made by a director whose commitment to his aesthetic principles is no less unswerving.
When it comes to showing that war is hell, the opening sequence from “Saving Private Ryan” may still be the gut-clutching gold standard, but for pure virtuosic sadism, Gibson has Steven Spielberg clearly beat.
— Justin Chang
Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne create a magical crossover moment on ‘The Graham Norton Show’
There is only one logical thing that can happen when the Sorcerer Supreme meets a magizoologist on a talk show: Magic.
During an episode of “The Graham Norton Show,” the host shared that “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” actor Eddie Redmayne is actually a real-life magician and had him perform a magic trick involving a “totally ordinary coloring book” on the show.
On hand to assist Redmayne was “Doctor Strange” star Benedict Cumberbatch, as well as Bryan Cranston.
It’s perhaps not the kind of magic fans expect when they hear “Marvel-Wizarding World crossover event,” but watching Redmayne hand Cumberbatch a wand as a part of his act is still a sight to see.
Watch the full segment above.
Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” hits theaters Nov. 4, and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be released Nov. 18.
Variety backs Hillary Clinton in first-ever presidential endorsement
Hillary Clinton can add another publication to her long list of endorsements. Variety has endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate, marking the first time the entertainment trade magazine has made a presidential endorsement in its 111-year history.
Variety acknowledged Clinton’s experience, temperament and her public service record “fighting for the rights of women, children, families, the disabled, farmers, veterans, and the LGBTQ community” in making its endorsement. It called her “not only the best candidate for the job, but the only candidate.”
Director Rick Famuyiwa drops out of ‘The Flash’ movie
“The Flash” has lost its director. Rick Famuyiwa has left the Warner Bros. project, citing “creative differences.”
Famuyiwa had been with the DC superhero film since June and was the second director attached to the project. He even appeared as a part of Warner Bros.’ comic book contingent at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
“When I was approached by Warner Bros. and DC about the possibility of directing ‘The Flash,’ I was excited about the opportunity to enter this amazing world of characters that I loved growing up, and still do to this day,” Famuyiwa said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
“While it’s disappointing that we couldn’t come together creatively on the project, I remain grateful for the opportunity” said Famuyiwa.
Part of Warner Bros.’ DC superhero slate, “The Flash” stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, the Fastest Man Alive. Miller made his debut as the Scarlet Speedster in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” earlier this year and will also appear in 2017’s “Justice League.”
“The Flash” is scheduled for a March 16, 2018, release.
Season 2 of ‘Fuller House’ will arrive just in time for your holiday TV binge
Netflix on Tuesday released a trailer for Season 2 of the reboot series “Fuller House,” which focuses on the continuing misadventures of Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) and DJ (Candace Cameron Bure) and Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin), three characters that originated on ABC’s “Full House” in 1987.
The trailer contains everything you might expect from a “Fuller House” trailer: kissing, comic misunderstandings, an absolutely shocking amount of choreographed dance numbers.
Read MoreMORE: ‘Fuller House’ cast talks goofy outfits, chills on set and the return of Mr. Woodchuck
Samantha Bee asks Obama for a scary Halloween story. He responds: ‘Donald Trump could be president’
Samantha Bee cracked up President Obama during her “Full Frontal” interview last night with the nation’s outgoing chief executive.
In a tinny “millennial voice” she asked him to explain to young voters why they should bother.
“I don’t even know if there’s any, like, point in voting,” she asked. “Like they’re both so totally flawed, like don’t you even think it’s, like, time to upend the whole system and break everything?”
Obama, after he stopped chuckling, said he thought young people should devote at least as much time to voting as the did to “looking through cat videos on your phone.”
And then there is her scary story request near the end of the nearly six-minute segment. Watch the clip above to see the whole interview.
What we think about John McGinley’s new show: ‘Stan Against Evil’
‘Stan Against Evil’ is light, if violent, entertainment. The jokes are moderately funny, the characters two-and-a-half dimensional. Contrasting Stan’s lazy misogyny, the series takes a vague but discernible feminist tack.
— Robert Lloyd, television critic
Where: IFC
When: Premieres at 10 p.m. Wednesday
Rating: TV-14-LV (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14 with advisories for coarse language and violence)
The ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ crew goes over the anatomy of a song, and some quick choreography
Get an inside look at the work that goes into a musical number on the CW’s musical comedy “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
The fantasy hit Rachel Bloom a few months ago, as the co-creator and star of the CW musical comedy “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” was taking a midnight Epsom-salt bath in her Los Angeles home.
“We were searching for an emotional high type of song toward the beginning of episode [three of Season 2],” Bloom recalled.
For the uninitiated, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” now in its second season, follows the travails of high-powered New York lawyer Rebecca Bunch (Bloom), who impulsively moves to West Covina to pursue her former summer camp beau, Josh Chan. As the first season unraveled, she developed feelings for Josh’s best friend Greg, and things ended on a complicated note.
Behind the scenes as ‘Jane the Virgin’ takes a sexual leap -- but will the name change?
It was bound to happen: Jane the Virgin has officially been touched for the very first time.
Yes, really — there’s no telenovela-esque fake-out in this development: Jane Gloriana Villanueva (a.k.a Jane Villanueva Cordero) is no longer a mom and wife who has never had sex.
In Monday’s episode of “Jane the Virgin,” titled “Chapter Forty-Seven,” the titular heroine (played by Gina Rodriguez) turned in her V-card after two seasons of keeping viewers guessing.
The emotions she goes through are real. It’s not like she does it and it’s amazing and suddenly she’s this dominatrix. It takes work.
— Gina Rodriguez
Gustavo Dudamel’s Youth Orchestra L.A. has taken its music and enthusiasm worldwide, and now hits Oakland
What this country needs is a really good $5 concert.
And that is what Oakland got Sunday at the sold-out, 2,800-seat Paramount Theatre as Gustavo Dudamel conducted YOLA, the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, created by the Los Angeles Philharmonic when Dudamel became music director in 2006. The concert, for which all seats were $5, was the climax of YOLA’s first tour, with stops in Northridge, Visalia and Fresno.
Extraordinary as it has been, the YOLA success story should surprise no one. The orchestra has taken its young players (some of whom had hardly ever been out of South L.A.) to Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, London, Tokyo, the Super Bowl and the National Gallery in Washington. Give kids opportunities, and guess what? It’s not rocket science.
The ‘Top Gear’ trio returns for new Amazon series ‘The Grand Tour’
The Times’ Charles Fleming sits down with the hosts of ”The Grand Tour” to discuss the new show.
The three men who anchored the massively successful “Top Gear” automotive TV show will bring their large personalities back to the small screen Nov. 18, when Amazon Prime debuts the new series “The Grand Tour.”
Starring Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, the first season will include 12 one-hour episodes, shot in exotic locations, where the three men drive, discuss and destroy various motor vehicles to comic effect.
As in “Top Gear,” which ended a 12-year syndicated run when the BBC declined to renew Clarkson’s contract following a series of friction-causing incidents involving the outspoken former auto journalist, “The Grand Tour” features globe-trotting highjinks laced with boyish jibes.