Marlon Brando – the man whom Time magazine crowned the greatest actor of the 20th century back in 1998 – would be celebrating his 100th birthday today had he not died 20 years ago. Born on April 3, 1924, Brando was a fascinating if divisive character, a perpetually enigmatic figure whose impact not only on the acting profession but on American popular culture itself can’t be overstated. He starred in numerous iconic roles, from Stanley Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire” to Terry Malloy in “On the Waterfront” to Julius Caesar in “Julius Caesar” to Vito Corleone in “The Godfather.”
While he wound up nominated for eight Academy Awards and six Golden Globes and won two of each, it was the one honor Brando rejected, of course, that came to define his awards legacy: his Best Actor win for “The Godfather” in 1973 in which he sent actress and purported Native American representative Sacheen Littlefeather (a.
While he wound up nominated for eight Academy Awards and six Golden Globes and won two of each, it was the one honor Brando rejected, of course, that came to define his awards legacy: his Best Actor win for “The Godfather” in 1973 in which he sent actress and purported Native American representative Sacheen Littlefeather (a.
- 4/3/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Rather than fulfilling general expectations by becoming the first film since “Slumdog Millionaire” (2009) to win eight Oscars, “Oppenheimer” left the 2024 Academy Awards with seven, including the coveted Best Picture prize. Although its eventual haul was far from the most impressive ever, it still comfortably ranked as the biggest winner of the night and officially joined a stellar, eight-decade-spanning roster of 12 movies that each merited a lucky seven competitive academy honors.
In addition to the top award, “Oppenheimer” racked up victories for Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score. Of the dozen films that preceded it in winning seven Oscars, the one that comes closest to matching its exact haul is “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1958), which took Best Adapted Screenplay rather than Best Supporting Actor (Sessue Hayakawa).
“The Bridge on the River Kwai...
In addition to the top award, “Oppenheimer” racked up victories for Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score. Of the dozen films that preceded it in winning seven Oscars, the one that comes closest to matching its exact haul is “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1958), which took Best Adapted Screenplay rather than Best Supporting Actor (Sessue Hayakawa).
“The Bridge on the River Kwai...
- 3/12/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Among the various distinctions “Everything Everywhere All at Once” incurred by winning seven awards at the 95th Oscars was becoming the first film in a dozen years (and ninth overall) to conquer both supporting acting categories. This rare occurrence involved Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis preventing their respective “The Banshees of Inisherin” competitors from accomplishing the same goal, as the sets of featured nominees from “Belfast” and “The Power of the Dog” had both failed to do one year earlier. Now, two more pairs of cast mates – who happen to hail from the two highest-grossing live action movies of 2023 – are gunning for entry into this exclusive club.
The concurrent nominations of Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera (“Barbie”) and Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”) bring the total number of films that have ever vied for both Best Supporting Actor and Actress to 110. Although this marks the third...
The concurrent nominations of Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera (“Barbie”) and Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”) bring the total number of films that have ever vied for both Best Supporting Actor and Actress to 110. Although this marks the third...
- 2/5/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
In our Q&a feature series Tell Me Más, we ask some of our favorite Latine artists to answer the questions only their BFFs know about them, revealing everything from their most recent read to the songs that get them hyped. This month, we sit down with Puerto Rican alternative reggaetón artist Álvaro Díaz.
Álvaro Díaz has a secret ingredient that makes his musical recipe superb. The Puerto Rican artist, known by family and fans as Alvarito, is simply being himself. As fans anticipate the release of his sophomore album, "Sayonara," Díaz confirms the sound may be different from his first album, but his authenticity will always be his main sabor.
Related: Tell Me Más
"If you took my last album 'Felicilandia' and said 'this is a reggaetón album,' when they listen to it, it's not what they expect from a reggaetón album," he tells Popsugar Juntos. "If you...
Álvaro Díaz has a secret ingredient that makes his musical recipe superb. The Puerto Rican artist, known by family and fans as Alvarito, is simply being himself. As fans anticipate the release of his sophomore album, "Sayonara," Díaz confirms the sound may be different from his first album, but his authenticity will always be his main sabor.
Related: Tell Me Más
"If you took my last album 'Felicilandia' and said 'this is a reggaetón album,' when they listen to it, it's not what they expect from a reggaetón album," he tells Popsugar Juntos. "If you...
- 8/28/2023
- by Zayda Rivera
- Popsugar.com
Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Oscar-winning film editor who collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on 10 films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back to the Future trilogy, has died. He was 86.
Schmidt died Saturday of an unknown cause at his home in Santa Barbara, his brother Ron Schmidt told The Hollywood Reporter.
The second-generation film editor also cut three Mike Nichols features — The Fortune (1975), The Birdcage (1996) and Primary Colors (1998) — and two helmed by Michael Apted — Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), for which he received his first Oscar nom, and Firstborn (1984).
His résumé over four decades included work on Marathon Man (1976), Jaws 2 (1978), Ruthless People (1986), Beaches (1988), The Rocketeer (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Congo (1995), and he was brought in for three months to help tidy up the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003.
Schmidt received his Academy Awards in 1989 for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and in 1995 for Forrest Gump,...
Schmidt died Saturday of an unknown cause at his home in Santa Barbara, his brother Ron Schmidt told The Hollywood Reporter.
The second-generation film editor also cut three Mike Nichols features — The Fortune (1975), The Birdcage (1996) and Primary Colors (1998) — and two helmed by Michael Apted — Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), for which he received his first Oscar nom, and Firstborn (1984).
His résumé over four decades included work on Marathon Man (1976), Jaws 2 (1978), Ruthless People (1986), Beaches (1988), The Rocketeer (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Congo (1995), and he was brought in for three months to help tidy up the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003.
Schmidt received his Academy Awards in 1989 for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and in 1995 for Forrest Gump,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” was exactly that at Sunday’s Academy Awards. The multiverse-hopping smash won seven Oscars and set a whole bunch of records in the process. Here are seven of them, all at once.
1. It has won the most above-the-line Oscars ever
We said this could happen, and it did. “Everything Everywhere” is the first movie to win six above-the-line Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Original Screenplay for the Daniels. The previous record was five, held by the three films who’ve swept the Big Five, “It Happened One Night” (1934), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1976) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991).
2. It’s the first film to win three acting awards, Best Picture and Best Director
Two films have...
1. It has won the most above-the-line Oscars ever
We said this could happen, and it did. “Everything Everywhere” is the first movie to win six above-the-line Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Original Screenplay for the Daniels. The previous record was five, held by the three films who’ve swept the Big Five, “It Happened One Night” (1934), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1976) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991).
2. It’s the first film to win three acting awards, Best Picture and Best Director
Two films have...
- 3/13/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Michelle Yeoh cemented Oscars history on Sunday night as she became the first Asian person to win for lead actress.
Yeoh took home the first Academy Award of her celebrated career, for best actress in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The honor came after a long career in martial arts and action movies like “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and “Yes, Madam.”
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the zany sci-fi adventure centers on Yeoh’s Evelyn Wang, a middle-aged laundromat owner who, while being audited by the IRS, discovers she has to connect with versions of herself from parallel universes to prevent cataclysmic destruction.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” Yeoh said from the stage. “This is proof that dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you that you are ever past your prime.
Yeoh took home the first Academy Award of her celebrated career, for best actress in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The honor came after a long career in martial arts and action movies like “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and “Yes, Madam.”
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the zany sci-fi adventure centers on Yeoh’s Evelyn Wang, a middle-aged laundromat owner who, while being audited by the IRS, discovers she has to connect with versions of herself from parallel universes to prevent cataclysmic destruction.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” Yeoh said from the stage. “This is proof that dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you that you are ever past your prime.
- 3/13/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress are Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Hong Chau (“The Whale”), Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), and Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”). Our odds currently indicate that Bassett (18/5) will emerge victorious, followed in order of likelihood by Condon (37/10), Curtis (19/5), Hsu (9/2), and Chau (9/2).
For the first time since 2012, all five of the women in this lineup are new to the category. The last instance involved winner Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) and nominees Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist”), Jessica Chastain (“The Help”), Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), and Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”). The current group’s complete Oscars newcomer rate of 80% has become common in recent years, with the same percentage also having applied to the nominees of 2022, 2018, and 2016.
The only past Oscar nominee in this bunch is Bassett, who was previously recognized for her lead performance...
For the first time since 2012, all five of the women in this lineup are new to the category. The last instance involved winner Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) and nominees Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist”), Jessica Chastain (“The Help”), Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), and Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”). The current group’s complete Oscars newcomer rate of 80% has become common in recent years, with the same percentage also having applied to the nominees of 2022, 2018, and 2016.
The only past Oscar nominee in this bunch is Bassett, who was previously recognized for her lead performance...
- 3/11/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
For the second year in a row, multiple films have the potential to win Oscars for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Of course, the nominees from “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” are looking to fare better than those from “Belfast” and “The Power of the Dog,” who all went home empty-handed last year. At this point, only eight of the previous 106 films that were nominated for both Oscars have pulled off dual wins. Based on their impressive precursor runs, the current hopefuls are uniquely well-positioned to join the club, but they do face a great challenge in overcoming one another.
Like “The Power of the Dog,” each of these two new films has a three-way stake in the supporting races. Those representing “The Banshees of Inisherin” are actress Kerry Condon and actors Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, while those on the “Everything Everywhere All at Once...
Like “The Power of the Dog,” each of these two new films has a three-way stake in the supporting races. Those representing “The Banshees of Inisherin” are actress Kerry Condon and actors Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, while those on the “Everything Everywhere All at Once...
- 3/8/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Having already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in “Elvis,” Austin Butler is on a solid path to triumphing on his first Oscar nomination. His film, which covers the entirety of the titular rock star’s two-decade career, boasts a talented cast that includes past Oscar winner Tom Hanks, who collected back-to-back Best Actor trophies for “Philadelphia” (1994) and “Forrest Gump” (1995). He missed out on a supporting bid for “Elvis,” but if Butler clinches the lead award, Hanks will become the 15th man to have acted in a film that won the same Oscar he previously received.
Hanks has a total of five Best Actor nominations to his name, with the three unsuccessful ones having come for his work in “Big” (1989), “Saving Private Ryan” (1999), and “Cast Away” (2001). Until Butler was recognized for “Elvis,” Hanks had never appeared in a film for which someone...
Hanks has a total of five Best Actor nominations to his name, with the three unsuccessful ones having come for his work in “Big” (1989), “Saving Private Ryan” (1999), and “Cast Away” (2001). Until Butler was recognized for “Elvis,” Hanks had never appeared in a film for which someone...
- 3/7/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Oscar Outrages: Tom O’Neil and Ray Richmond sound off on past Academy Awards head-scratchers [Watch]
When a couple of Hollywood awards veterans (read: Medicare recipients) get together to slug it out on Zoom about their issues with some past Oscar decisions in advance of the 95th Academy Awards next Sunday. well, let’s just say the dust tends to fly. That’s what happened a few days ago when Gold Derby editor, president and founder Tom O’Neil and news and features editor Ray Richmond met up to weigh in on some of the things that have stuck in their craw during the first 94 years of the ceremony. Watch the video slugfest above.
What did they talk about? Well, O’Neil tossed out the opening salvo in asking if there’s ever been a worse decision and bigger outrage than the one in 1942 that found “Citizen Kane” – “The greatest movie ever made according to every AFI survey,” he noted – losing out for Best Picture to “How Green Was My Valley.
What did they talk about? Well, O’Neil tossed out the opening salvo in asking if there’s ever been a worse decision and bigger outrage than the one in 1942 that found “Citizen Kane” – “The greatest movie ever made according to every AFI survey,” he noted – losing out for Best Picture to “How Green Was My Valley.
- 3/6/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” star Michelle Yeoh has made history with her win for best performance by a female actor in a leading role at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, becoming the first Asian woman to win a leading film acting award.
“I think if I speak my heart will explode,” an emotional Yeoh said on stage while accepting her award. “SAG- AFTRA, to get this from you who understand what it is to get here… everyone of you know the journey, the roller coaster ride, the ups and downs. But most importantly we never give up. I thank you… This is not just for me, this is for every little girl who looks like me.”
The actress then paused, turning away from the podium to compose herself but eventually relenting with an excited litany of curses screaming “shit” and “fuck” to an elated crowd. “Thank you for giving...
“I think if I speak my heart will explode,” an emotional Yeoh said on stage while accepting her award. “SAG- AFTRA, to get this from you who understand what it is to get here… everyone of you know the journey, the roller coaster ride, the ups and downs. But most importantly we never give up. I thank you… This is not just for me, this is for every little girl who looks like me.”
The actress then paused, turning away from the podium to compose herself but eventually relenting with an excited litany of curses screaming “shit” and “fuck” to an elated crowd. “Thank you for giving...
- 2/27/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Mike Flanagan threw viewers a bit of a curveball with the second entry in his "Haunting" anthology series, 2020's "The Haunting of Bly Manor." Where the show's revered first outing, 2018's "The Haunting of Hill House," is horror through and through, its mostly well-received but slightly more divisive second entry is really a gothic romance that just happens to include literal ghosts. Yes, I'm using what you might call the "Crimson Peak" defense, but it applies here all the same.
Perhaps even more than "Hill House," "Bly Manor" plays fast and loose with its source material. Mainly a retelling of Henry James' classic 1898 gothic horror novella "The Turn of the Screw," the series adds elements from James' other works while also filling in the gaps in the romance between doomed lovers Peter Quint and Miss Jessel prior to the story's events. Interestingly, though, it wasn't the first off-shoot of James' novella to do this.
Perhaps even more than "Hill House," "Bly Manor" plays fast and loose with its source material. Mainly a retelling of Henry James' classic 1898 gothic horror novella "The Turn of the Screw," the series adds elements from James' other works while also filling in the gaps in the romance between doomed lovers Peter Quint and Miss Jessel prior to the story's events. Interestingly, though, it wasn't the first off-shoot of James' novella to do this.
- 9/6/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The titles of Fukada Koji’s films almost drip with bitter irony. “Sayonara” seemed to be a farewell to human actors. Instead of being harmonious, Cannes Un Certain Regard jury prize-winner “Harmonium” was pitch black and steeped in quiet violence.
Fukada’s latest, Venice Film Festival competition title carries the moniker “Love Life.” But its subject matter is loneliness.
The story starts out on familiar lines, involving a married couple where suddenly the ex-husband of the wife appears, potentially setting up the melodrama of a triangular relationship. But in Fukada’s hands things are colder and more painful. The newcomer is burdensome, deaf and homeless. His arrival triggers, not love, but fragmentation, individualism and loneliness.
“We come into life alone and we die alone. Along the way, we try to forget about this loneliness by having families, taking lovers or sometimes even having religion. But loneliness is at the core of humanity,...
Fukada’s latest, Venice Film Festival competition title carries the moniker “Love Life.” But its subject matter is loneliness.
The story starts out on familiar lines, involving a married couple where suddenly the ex-husband of the wife appears, potentially setting up the melodrama of a triangular relationship. But in Fukada’s hands things are colder and more painful. The newcomer is burdensome, deaf and homeless. His arrival triggers, not love, but fragmentation, individualism and loneliness.
“We come into life alone and we die alone. Along the way, we try to forget about this loneliness by having families, taking lovers or sometimes even having religion. But loneliness is at the core of humanity,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The best movie involving a boat since “Titanic” with the best vomiting sequence since “Team America: World Police,” Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” is an energetic and wacky examination of class, gender norms and culture, woven into a dynamite script. After debuting at Cannes, Östlund’s English-language debut will finally introduce the Swedish writer and director to more mainstream American audiences, and possibly even Oscar voters.
The film tells the story of Carl (Harris Dickenson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), two fashion models and a celebrity couple who in three narrative chapters explore their roles in each other’s lives — following a dinner date, a luxury cruise and a shocking x-factor that presents an interesting turn of events.
There are two noteworthy aspects to the dark comedy that are low-hanging fruit for Academy Awards attention. The original script by Östlund, with its whimsical premise, harnesses the type of engaging qualities...
The film tells the story of Carl (Harris Dickenson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), two fashion models and a celebrity couple who in three narrative chapters explore their roles in each other’s lives — following a dinner date, a luxury cruise and a shocking x-factor that presents an interesting turn of events.
There are two noteworthy aspects to the dark comedy that are low-hanging fruit for Academy Awards attention. The original script by Östlund, with its whimsical premise, harnesses the type of engaging qualities...
- 5/23/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Seven decades ago, “A Streetcar Named Desire” not only became the first film to win three acting Oscars, but also the first to take both supporting prizes. These featured victories were achieved by Kim Hunter and Karl Malden, whose film was preceded by 13 others that received nominations for both awards. That total is now up to 103, but there have only been seven more cases of double supporting wins. Now, for the first time in five years, multiple films have shots at being added to the exclusive list.
This year, Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds both earned bids for their supporting performances in “Belfast,” while featured players Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee were all recognized for their work in “The Power of the Dog.”
Dench and Hinds or either possible “Power of the Dog” pair would be the first dual supporting Oscar winners since 2011, when the prizes went to...
This year, Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds both earned bids for their supporting performances in “Belfast,” while featured players Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee were all recognized for their work in “The Power of the Dog.”
Dench and Hinds or either possible “Power of the Dog” pair would be the first dual supporting Oscar winners since 2011, when the prizes went to...
- 3/16/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
If we could summarize Koji Fukada’s cinematic style in four terms, these would definitely include his love for French cinema, his knack for experimentation, theatricality, and the concept of the stranger who appears suddenly and turns everything upside down. “Sayonara” seems to embody all of the four, with the last one having a meta hypostasis here, since the ‘stranger’ is not part of the story, but of the actual production, with Geminoid F, a female android created by Hiroshi Ishiguro, having a protagonist role. The story is based on a play by Oriza Hirata, and was promoted as “the first movie to feature a Gynoid performing opposite a human actor”
“Sayonara” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
The story takes place in a not so distant future, when Japan has experienced another nuclear incident and is gradually becoming uninhabitable. The whole population has to evacuate to avoid radiation poisoning,...
“Sayonara” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
The story takes place in a not so distant future, when Japan has experienced another nuclear incident and is gradually becoming uninhabitable. The whole population has to evacuate to avoid radiation poisoning,...
- 2/8/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Love Life
Just a couple of weeks back we saw Japan’s Koji Fukada name attached to a market project going by the title of Love on Trial. Is this project and Love Life one of the same? After a 2020 that saw the helmer work in the short form with a three film output, production on Love Life (inspired by a song by Japanese artist Akiko Yano and the consequences of the pandemic) would have began in September of 2021 with some French production money. We know Fukada best from a string of popular film fest items in Sayonara (2015), Harmonium (2016), The Man from the Sea (2018), A Girl Missing (read the review) and finally The Real Thing (2020).…...
Just a couple of weeks back we saw Japan’s Koji Fukada name attached to a market project going by the title of Love on Trial. Is this project and Love Life one of the same? After a 2020 that saw the helmer work in the short form with a three film output, production on Love Life (inspired by a song by Japanese artist Akiko Yano and the consequences of the pandemic) would have began in September of 2021 with some French production money. We know Fukada best from a string of popular film fest items in Sayonara (2015), Harmonium (2016), The Man from the Sea (2018), A Girl Missing (read the review) and finally The Real Thing (2020).…...
- 1/9/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Yuh-Jung Youn, a legendary actress in her native Korea, made history in the U.S. on Sunday when she became the third oldest Best Supporting Actress winner in Oscars history, winning for her performance as Soon-ja, the scene-stealing grandmother in the six-time Academy Award-nominated film “Minari,” which tells the story of a Korean immigrant family as they attempt to start a farm in rural Arkansas in the 1980s.
At 73 years and 310 days old, Youn, who’s made headlines in recent months for her candid but always delightful acceptance speeches, now sits behind Josephine Hull, who was 74 years and 85 days old when she won for “Harvey” (1950). Both women trail Peggy Ashcroft by a few years; she was 77 years and 93 days old when she won for “A Passage to India” (1984), making her the oldest supporting actress winner. Of course, the oldest nominee in the category remains “Titanic” (1997) star Gloria Stuart, who was...
At 73 years and 310 days old, Youn, who’s made headlines in recent months for her candid but always delightful acceptance speeches, now sits behind Josephine Hull, who was 74 years and 85 days old when she won for “Harvey” (1950). Both women trail Peggy Ashcroft by a few years; she was 77 years and 93 days old when she won for “A Passage to India” (1984), making her the oldest supporting actress winner. Of course, the oldest nominee in the category remains “Titanic” (1997) star Gloria Stuart, who was...
- 4/26/2021
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
Yuh-Jung Youn took home the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Minari” on Sunday, making history in multiple ways — most notably becoming just the second Asian actress to win an Oscar.
The Korean legend follows in the footsteps of Japanese actress Miyoshi Umeki, who won the same category for her performance in “Sayonara” (1957). Youn was the first supporting actress nominee of Asian descent since Hailee Steinfeld, who is of Filipino descent, contested for 2010’s “True Grit.”
No woman of Asian descent has won Best Actress and only one has been nominated: Merle Oberon, who was of Indian descent and hid her background during her career, for “The Dark Angel” (1935). Including the men, Best Supporting Actor winner Haing S. Ngor (1984’s “The Killing Fields”) is the last man of Asian descent to win either male category; Ben Kingsley (1982’s “Gandhi”) was the last in Best Actor.
See Full list of Oscar winners...
The Korean legend follows in the footsteps of Japanese actress Miyoshi Umeki, who won the same category for her performance in “Sayonara” (1957). Youn was the first supporting actress nominee of Asian descent since Hailee Steinfeld, who is of Filipino descent, contested for 2010’s “True Grit.”
No woman of Asian descent has won Best Actress and only one has been nominated: Merle Oberon, who was of Indian descent and hid her background during her career, for “The Dark Angel” (1935). Including the men, Best Supporting Actor winner Haing S. Ngor (1984’s “The Killing Fields”) is the last man of Asian descent to win either male category; Ben Kingsley (1982’s “Gandhi”) was the last in Best Actor.
See Full list of Oscar winners...
- 4/26/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Yuh-Jung Youn has emerged as the very likely candidate to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her hilarious and moving performance as Soon-ja in “Minari.” After prevailing at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and BAFTA, she is in a great position to become the first-ever Korean actor to win an Oscar in the academy’s 93-year history. She also would be only the second Asian woman ever to win Best Supporting Actress, following Miyoshi Umeki for “Sayonara” (1957).
Youn’s competition at the Oscars includes Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”), Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”), Olivia Colman (“The Father”) and Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”). These are the first Oscar nominations for Youn, Bakalova and Seyfried, while Colman earns her second nomination following her win two years ago for “The Favourite” and Close has now racked up eight bids.
Youn makes an impression from her very first scene in “Minari.” Visiting her Korean-American family,...
Youn’s competition at the Oscars includes Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”), Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”), Olivia Colman (“The Father”) and Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”). These are the first Oscar nominations for Youn, Bakalova and Seyfried, while Colman earns her second nomination following her win two years ago for “The Favourite” and Close has now racked up eight bids.
Youn makes an impression from her very first scene in “Minari.” Visiting her Korean-American family,...
- 4/22/2021
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
There is no doubt about it: Yuh-Jung Youn is having a great year. The legendary Korean actress has already received a Screen Actors Guild Award and the corresponding BAFTA Award for her supporting role as Soon-ja, the scene-stealing grandmother in the six-time Academy Award-nominated film “Minari,” which tells the story of a Korean immigrant family as they attempt to start a farm in rural Arkansas in the 1980s. Should she win the supporting actress Oscar on April 25, she’ll become the third oldest winner in the category.
Youn will be 73 years and 310 days old on the date of the Oscars. This would put her behind Josephine Hull, who was 74 years and 85 days old when she won for “Harvey” (1950). Both women would then trail Peggy Ashcroft, who won for “A Passage to India” (1984) at the age of 77 years and 93 days old, making her the oldest supporting actress winner. (The oldest nominee...
Youn will be 73 years and 310 days old on the date of the Oscars. This would put her behind Josephine Hull, who was 74 years and 85 days old when she won for “Harvey” (1950). Both women would then trail Peggy Ashcroft, who won for “A Passage to India” (1984) at the age of 77 years and 93 days old, making her the oldest supporting actress winner. (The oldest nominee...
- 4/16/2021
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
Yuh-Jung Youn made history at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the scene-stealing grandmother Soon-ja in “Minari.” This made Youn the first Asian actor of any gender to win an individual SAG Award for film, and now it launches her to frontrunner status at the Academy Awards. Should she win the Oscar, the legendary Korean actress would become only the second Asian woman to win an Oscar for acting, following Miyoshi Umeki for “Sayonara” (1957), and only the sixth person in history to win for a performance spoken primarily in a non-English language.
The first three actors to pull off an Oscar win for non-English performances — Sophia Loren for “Two Women” (1961), Robert De Niro for “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and Roberto Benigni for “Life Is Beautiful” (1998) — all primarily spoke Italian in their respective films. The next was Benicio del Toro for “Traffic” (2000), who spoke Spanish,...
The first three actors to pull off an Oscar win for non-English performances — Sophia Loren for “Two Women” (1961), Robert De Niro for “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and Roberto Benigni for “Life Is Beautiful” (1998) — all primarily spoke Italian in their respective films. The next was Benicio del Toro for “Traffic” (2000), who spoke Spanish,...
- 4/6/2021
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
In 1958, Sessue Hayakawa (“The Bridge on the River Kwai”) and Miyoshi Umeki (“Sayonara”) jointly blazed a new trail by becoming the first performers of East Asian descent to be nominated at the Academy Awards. Umeki made further Oscar history by winning the Best Supporting Actress award. In the six decades since, only a handful of East Asian actors have been recognized, and, until now, none had been honored with a Best Actor bid. That path has finally been forged by Steven Yeun (“Minari”), who is also the first Oscar-nominated male actor of Korean descent.
At the upcoming Academy Awards, Yeun faces off against Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) and Gary Oldman (“Mank”) in the race for Best Actor. Like Yeun, Ahmed and the late Boseman are also first-time nominees, while Hopkins and Oldman have each triumphed in this category once before,...
At the upcoming Academy Awards, Yeun faces off against Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) and Gary Oldman (“Mank”) in the race for Best Actor. Like Yeun, Ahmed and the late Boseman are also first-time nominees, while Hopkins and Oldman have each triumphed in this category once before,...
- 4/5/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The SAG Awards have weighed in with their winners and have set in motion on what could be the most diverse slate of major Oscar winners in the 93-year history of the Academy Awards.
The celebration of the 27th annual ceremony, which is voted on by the approximate 160,000-person membership of actors, was revealed during the one-hour pre-taped show via Zoom on Sunday night.
Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” took the top prize of the evening for cast ensemble, marking its first major win of the awards season. In the acting categories, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” stars Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis won the leading male and female actor categories. Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Yuh-Jung Youn (“Minari”) landed the male and female supporting statues.
It marked the first time in SAG history that all four film acting categories went to actors of color.
The celebration of the 27th annual ceremony, which is voted on by the approximate 160,000-person membership of actors, was revealed during the one-hour pre-taped show via Zoom on Sunday night.
Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” took the top prize of the evening for cast ensemble, marking its first major win of the awards season. In the acting categories, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” stars Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis won the leading male and female actor categories. Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Yuh-Jung Youn (“Minari”) landed the male and female supporting statues.
It marked the first time in SAG history that all four film acting categories went to actors of color.
- 4/5/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
A year after the academy snubbed multiple Asian actors in contention, including the entire cast of eventual Best Picture champ “Parasite,” three Asian performers earned Oscar nominations on Monday. “Minari” stars Steven Yeun and Yuh-Jung Youn are up for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, and Riz Ahmed is nominated alongside Yeun in Best Actor for “Sound of Metal.”
Their bids are historic collectively and individually. Yeun and Youn are the first actors of Korean descent to be nominated in any acting category, while the London-born Ahmed is the first acting nominee of Pakistani descent (reminder: this year is the 93rd Oscars). Yeun is the first Asian-American and first East Asian Best Actor nominee. Ahmed is also the first Muslim Best Actor nominee and would be the second Muslim actor to win an Oscar following two-time supporting actor champ Mahershala Ali (2016’s “Moonlight” and 2018’s “Green Book”). This is...
Their bids are historic collectively and individually. Yeun and Youn are the first actors of Korean descent to be nominated in any acting category, while the London-born Ahmed is the first acting nominee of Pakistani descent (reminder: this year is the 93rd Oscars). Yeun is the first Asian-American and first East Asian Best Actor nominee. Ahmed is also the first Muslim Best Actor nominee and would be the second Muslim actor to win an Oscar following two-time supporting actor champ Mahershala Ali (2016’s “Moonlight” and 2018’s “Green Book”). This is...
- 3/15/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
by Nathaniel R
Despite all the amazing advances in diversity in film over the past few years one group that remains extremely underrepresented in American cinema is people of Asian descent. Even when an Asian-centered film breaks through to major success, awards are compartmentalized. You've probably noticed that even if said film wins Best Picture no actors are nominated in the acting categories. Only three actors of Asian descent have ever won Oscars: Miyoshi Umeki for Sayonara (1957), Ben Kingsley for Gandhi (1982), and Dr Haing S Ngor for The Killing Fields (1984). We hope Parasite's Oscar win at the start of 2020 was a fine omen of changes to come considering that the year that followed was actually a strong one for Asians in movies.
Cape (Coalitions of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and Gold House have teamed up for a first, we hope annual, group of awards called the "Gold List" honoring...
Despite all the amazing advances in diversity in film over the past few years one group that remains extremely underrepresented in American cinema is people of Asian descent. Even when an Asian-centered film breaks through to major success, awards are compartmentalized. You've probably noticed that even if said film wins Best Picture no actors are nominated in the acting categories. Only three actors of Asian descent have ever won Oscars: Miyoshi Umeki for Sayonara (1957), Ben Kingsley for Gandhi (1982), and Dr Haing S Ngor for The Killing Fields (1984). We hope Parasite's Oscar win at the start of 2020 was a fine omen of changes to come considering that the year that followed was actually a strong one for Asians in movies.
Cape (Coalitions of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and Gold House have teamed up for a first, we hope annual, group of awards called the "Gold List" honoring...
- 1/25/2021
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The Oscars best actor race has continued to fill up with an abundance of talent as A24 has confirmed that Steven Yeun will campaign as a lead actor for his performance in “Minari.”
Along with Yeun, co-star Yeri Han will also campaign for best actress, while his cast mates Alan S. Kim, Will Patton and Yuh-Jung Youn will look for consideration in the supporting categories.
Asian representation in the acting categories has been one of the ugliest stains in the Academy’s long history. If nominated for best actor, Yeun would be the first Asian American to ever be recognized in the category. Yul Brynner, of Mongol descent, won best actor for 1956’s “The King and I,” while Ben Kingsley, who is half Indian, won best actor for 1982’s “Gandhi,” which took home best picture. Kingsley was also nominated for 2003’s “House of Sand and Fog.”
Yeun’s performance as Jacob,...
Along with Yeun, co-star Yeri Han will also campaign for best actress, while his cast mates Alan S. Kim, Will Patton and Yuh-Jung Youn will look for consideration in the supporting categories.
Asian representation in the acting categories has been one of the ugliest stains in the Academy’s long history. If nominated for best actor, Yeun would be the first Asian American to ever be recognized in the category. Yul Brynner, of Mongol descent, won best actor for 1956’s “The King and I,” while Ben Kingsley, who is half Indian, won best actor for 1982’s “Gandhi,” which took home best picture. Kingsley was also nominated for 2003’s “House of Sand and Fog.”
Yeun’s performance as Jacob,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The first official trailer for Lee Isaac Chung’s critically lauded Sundance hit, “Minari,” has landed.
Chung, who also wrote the script inspired by his own childhood, tells the story of a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny farm in Arkansas in search of better opportunities.
Split between the Korean and English language, the trailer highlights and emphasizes the beautiful ensemble of actors that Chung assembles. The cast, which includes Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Yuh-Jung Youn and Will Patton, is one of the year’s finest. A possible contender for the SAG cast ensemble prize, the A24 film started its run from Park City, Utah very strong.
Variety‘s Peter Debruge gave “Minari” high praise back in January saying, “As written — but even more importantly, as performed by an all-around terrific ensemble — the characters are easy to admire, and even easier to love. So,...
Chung, who also wrote the script inspired by his own childhood, tells the story of a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny farm in Arkansas in search of better opportunities.
Split between the Korean and English language, the trailer highlights and emphasizes the beautiful ensemble of actors that Chung assembles. The cast, which includes Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Yuh-Jung Youn and Will Patton, is one of the year’s finest. A possible contender for the SAG cast ensemble prize, the A24 film started its run from Park City, Utah very strong.
Variety‘s Peter Debruge gave “Minari” high praise back in January saying, “As written — but even more importantly, as performed by an all-around terrific ensemble — the characters are easy to admire, and even easier to love. So,...
- 9/30/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Festival will screen Fukada’s The Real Thing, selected for Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection, as well as his earlier films.
This year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) will highlight the work of Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada, who has been selected as the Director in Focus in the festival’s Japan Now section.
Fukada has been gaining increasing international attention, with his 2016 Harmonium winning the Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2016, and his latest film, The Real Thing, being selected for Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection.
He also recently launched the Mini Theater Aid initiative with fellow directors, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi,...
This year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) will highlight the work of Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada, who has been selected as the Director in Focus in the festival’s Japan Now section.
Fukada has been gaining increasing international attention, with his 2016 Harmonium winning the Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2016, and his latest film, The Real Thing, being selected for Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection.
He also recently launched the Mini Theater Aid initiative with fellow directors, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi,...
- 8/26/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Nothing is as it seems in A Girl Missing, the latest feature from writer and director Kôji Fukada. Mariko Tsutsui stars as Ichiko, a visiting nurse who becomes a suspect in the kidnapping of Saki (Miyu Ozawa), a young student she had been helping study for school exams. Flashbacks follow Ichiko before and after the incident as she discards her past and her fiancé for a solitary life in a new neighborhood. What happens to Saki and her older sister Motoko (Mikako Ichikawa) unfolds simultaneously through two timelines.
Tsutsui also appeared in Fukada’s Harmonium, which won Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes. Fukada has been a member of the Seinendan theater group, founded by Oriza Hirata, since 2005. Seinendan actors, as well as Hirata’s theories about “quiet drama,” have figured significantly in Fukada’s work. (His 2015 sci-fi drama Sayonara was based on a Hirata play.)
We spoke with...
Tsutsui also appeared in Fukada’s Harmonium, which won Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes. Fukada has been a member of the Seinendan theater group, founded by Oriza Hirata, since 2005. Seinendan actors, as well as Hirata’s theories about “quiet drama,” have figured significantly in Fukada’s work. (His 2015 sci-fi drama Sayonara was based on a Hirata play.)
We spoke with...
- 7/30/2020
- by Daniel Eagan
- The Film Stage
by Nathaniel R
The next Smackdown will be posted on Sunday July 7th. But first let's have a little context on the year that was: Dwight Eisenhower began his second term as President, an influenza epidemic that killed 1 million people worldwide began, Elvis Presley made his final appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (shot waist up only), and the Frisbee was introduced. here's more context for that year in a pop culture sense.
Great Big Box Office Hits: Bridge on the River Kwai, Sayonara, and Peyton Place were the top grossers (and competed for the Oscars). Other hits included Old Yeller, Raintree County, and Gunfight at the Ok Corral...
The next Smackdown will be posted on Sunday July 7th. But first let's have a little context on the year that was: Dwight Eisenhower began his second term as President, an influenza epidemic that killed 1 million people worldwide began, Elvis Presley made his final appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (shot waist up only), and the Frisbee was introduced. here's more context for that year in a pop culture sense.
Great Big Box Office Hits: Bridge on the River Kwai, Sayonara, and Peyton Place were the top grossers (and competed for the Oscars). Other hits included Old Yeller, Raintree County, and Gunfight at the Ok Corral...
- 6/26/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
by Nathaniel R
We hope you loved listening to the Smackdown Podcast and discussing various 1947 movies this month. It means a lot when you watch, vote, listen, and share these events. Another round of applause to our returning guests Dana Delany (she previously guest-starred on "1973"), Angelica Jade Bastién (she previously guest-starred on "1941"), and the newbies, actor Patrick Vaill (Netflix's upcoming Dash & Lily) and lyricist Tom Mizer (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel S3). Dana wanted to send a note to listeners that she was sorry for accrediting the direction of To Kill a Mockingbird to Richard Brooks rather than Robert Mulligan... the names just got jumbled because it was Richard Brooks who wrote "The Brick Foxhole" which she was also discussing.
I was so into this conversation that now I have ordered a copy of "The Brick Foxhole" to understand Crossfire in a fully homosexual way. I didn't know...
We hope you loved listening to the Smackdown Podcast and discussing various 1947 movies this month. It means a lot when you watch, vote, listen, and share these events. Another round of applause to our returning guests Dana Delany (she previously guest-starred on "1973"), Angelica Jade Bastién (she previously guest-starred on "1941"), and the newbies, actor Patrick Vaill (Netflix's upcoming Dash & Lily) and lyricist Tom Mizer (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel S3). Dana wanted to send a note to listeners that she was sorry for accrediting the direction of To Kill a Mockingbird to Richard Brooks rather than Robert Mulligan... the names just got jumbled because it was Richard Brooks who wrote "The Brick Foxhole" which she was also discussing.
I was so into this conversation that now I have ordered a copy of "The Brick Foxhole" to understand Crossfire in a fully homosexual way. I didn't know...
- 5/30/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Marlon Brando would’ve celebrated his 96th birthday on April 3, 2020. The Oscar-winning thespian both delighted and perplexed his fans with his Method-inspired performances and disdain for his profession, marked by increasingly bizarre behavior on and off set. Yet several of his movies remain classics despite his many career ups-and-downs. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1924, Brando studied the Stanislavski system under acting coach Stella Adler, who encouraged her students to explore inner and external turmoil within their characters. He shot to stardom on both the stage and screen with his performance in Tennessee Williams‘ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” in which he brought a startling naturalism and reality mixed with vulnerability, machismo, and humor to the character of Stanley Kowalski. The 1951 film version brought him his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor.
He picked up...
Born in 1924, Brando studied the Stanislavski system under acting coach Stella Adler, who encouraged her students to explore inner and external turmoil within their characters. He shot to stardom on both the stage and screen with his performance in Tennessee Williams‘ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” in which he brought a startling naturalism and reality mixed with vulnerability, machismo, and humor to the character of Stanley Kowalski. The 1951 film version brought him his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor.
He picked up...
- 4/1/2020
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Awkwafina made Golden Globes history, but she didn’t make Oscar history on Monday. A week after becoming the first Asian winner of the Best Comedy/Musical Actress Golden Globe, the star missed out on Best Actress Oscar nomination for “The Farewell” — and thus the chance to be the first Asian-American nominee in the category.
The rapper-turned-actress, who was in fifth place in our odds, would’ve also been the first performer of East Asian descent to be nominated in the category and the first Asian Best Actress nominee since Merle Oberon for 1935’s “The Dark Angel.” Oberon was of Indian descent.
Awkwafina’s co-star Zhao Shuzhen, sixth in our odds, was also Mia in the supporting category (“The Farewell” was blanked altogether). Meanwhile, six-time nominee “Parasite” failed to score an acting nomination despite a valiant campaign for supporting actor Song Kang Ho, who was also in fifth in our odds,...
The rapper-turned-actress, who was in fifth place in our odds, would’ve also been the first performer of East Asian descent to be nominated in the category and the first Asian Best Actress nominee since Merle Oberon for 1935’s “The Dark Angel.” Oberon was of Indian descent.
Awkwafina’s co-star Zhao Shuzhen, sixth in our odds, was also Mia in the supporting category (“The Farewell” was blanked altogether). Meanwhile, six-time nominee “Parasite” failed to score an acting nomination despite a valiant campaign for supporting actor Song Kang Ho, who was also in fifth in our odds,...
- 1/13/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Deft rapper and fierce funny lady Awkwafina scored some major screen time in big-screen ensemble pieces in last year’s all-female “Ocean’s 8” crime-caper flick as well as the romantic “Crazy Rich Asians.” She even became the second East Asian female celebrity after Lucy Liu to host an episode of “Saturday Night Live.”
But the comic formerly known as Nora Lum, a child of a Chinese-American father and South Korean mother, made a bold move this year by taking on a more dramatic role in filmmaker Lulu Wang‘s “The Farewell.” She plays Billi, a semi-adrift 30-year-old in New York City, who joins her Chinese family on a trip to their homeland to see her beloved grandmother who has received a terminal cancer diagnosis and only has a short time to live. But as the opening credits say, the film is “based on an actual lie” — drawn from Wang’s...
But the comic formerly known as Nora Lum, a child of a Chinese-American father and South Korean mother, made a bold move this year by taking on a more dramatic role in filmmaker Lulu Wang‘s “The Farewell.” She plays Billi, a semi-adrift 30-year-old in New York City, who joins her Chinese family on a trip to their homeland to see her beloved grandmother who has received a terminal cancer diagnosis and only has a short time to live. But as the opening credits say, the film is “based on an actual lie” — drawn from Wang’s...
- 11/1/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Japanese prosecutors in the rape case against Hirofumi Arai have asked for a five-year prison sentence for the actor. They made the request was made at a public hearing Wednesday in the Tokyo District Court.
Arai has pleaded innocent to charges that he sexually assaulted a woman sent to his residence from a massage service on July 1, 2018.
In its statement to the court, the prosecution contended that the victim was in “extreme physical and emotional distress” and that Arai’s payment of money after the encounter indicated “his full recognition that the woman was opposed to his desire.”
In his testimony, Arai has denied that the woman resisted his advances or that he used threats or violence.
Japanese courts have very high conviction rates. The verdict will be announced Dec. 2.
Born Kyung-Sik Park in Hirosaki, in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture, in 1979, Arai is a third-generation ethnic Korean. After debuting in “Go,...
Arai has pleaded innocent to charges that he sexually assaulted a woman sent to his residence from a massage service on July 1, 2018.
In its statement to the court, the prosecution contended that the victim was in “extreme physical and emotional distress” and that Arai’s payment of money after the encounter indicated “his full recognition that the woman was opposed to his desire.”
In his testimony, Arai has denied that the woman resisted his advances or that he used threats or violence.
Japanese courts have very high conviction rates. The verdict will be announced Dec. 2.
Born Kyung-Sik Park in Hirosaki, in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture, in 1979, Arai is a third-generation ethnic Korean. After debuting in “Go,...
- 10/24/2019
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
Marlon Brando would’ve celebrated his 95th birthday on April 3, 2019. The Oscar-winning thespian both delighted and perplexed his fans with his Method-inspired performances and disdain for his profession, marked by increasingly bizarre behavior on and off set. Yet several of his movies remain classics despite his many career ups-and-downs. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1924, Brando studied the Stanislavski system under acting coach Stella Adler, who encouraged her students to explore inner and external turmoil within their characters. He shot to stardom on both the stage and screen with his performance in Tennessee Williams‘ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” in which he brought a startling naturalism and reality mixed with vulnerability, machismo, and humor to the character of Stanley Kowalski. The 1951 film version brought him his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor.
SEEOscar Best Actor...
Born in 1924, Brando studied the Stanislavski system under acting coach Stella Adler, who encouraged her students to explore inner and external turmoil within their characters. He shot to stardom on both the stage and screen with his performance in Tennessee Williams‘ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” in which he brought a startling naturalism and reality mixed with vulnerability, machismo, and humor to the character of Stanley Kowalski. The 1951 film version brought him his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor.
SEEOscar Best Actor...
- 4/3/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
On film in contention at this year’s Oscars earned nominations for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress: “Vice.” How likely is it that both Sam Rockwell and Amy Adams will win Academy Awards on Feb. 24? In the 82 years since the supporting awards were introduced at the 9th Oscars, featured players from the same film have prevailed just eight times:
Kim Hunter and Karl Malden for “A Streetcar Named Desire” – 1951
Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra for “From Here to Eternity” – 1954
Miyoshi Umeki and Red Buttons for “Sayonara” – 1958
Rita Moreno and George Chakiris for “West Side Story” – 1962
Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson for “The Last Picture Show” – 1972
Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Robards for “Julia” in 1978
Dianne Wiest and Michael Caine for “Hannah and Her Sisters” – 1987
Melissa Leo and Christian Bale for “The Fighter” – 2011
Adams was also nominated for “The Fighter” and Bale is up again this year for his...
Kim Hunter and Karl Malden for “A Streetcar Named Desire” – 1951
Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra for “From Here to Eternity” – 1954
Miyoshi Umeki and Red Buttons for “Sayonara” – 1958
Rita Moreno and George Chakiris for “West Side Story” – 1962
Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson for “The Last Picture Show” – 1972
Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Robards for “Julia” in 1978
Dianne Wiest and Michael Caine for “Hannah and Her Sisters” – 1987
Melissa Leo and Christian Bale for “The Fighter” – 2011
Adams was also nominated for “The Fighter” and Bale is up again this year for his...
- 2/23/2019
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Over the decades, the presenters and performers on the Academy Awards have become more diverse. And this year is no exception with Awkwafina, Whoopi Goldberg, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wu already announced as presenting on the 91st annual Oscars, as well as Jennifer Hudson performing the Oscar-nominated tune “I’ll Fight” from “Rbg.”
But it was a long time coming. Let’s look back at the milestone first appearances of minority performers and presenters at Hollywood’s biggest night.
Though he was not a presenter per se, New Jersey native Cesar Romero of Cuban and Spanish heritage was featured with several writer/directors including Robert Riskin and John Huston who reminisced about their experiences in World War II at the 18th annual Academy Awards in 1946.
Puerto Rican-born Jose Ferrer, who earned a supporting actor nomination for 1948’s “Joan of Arc” appeared on the March 23, 1950 ceremony from...
But it was a long time coming. Let’s look back at the milestone first appearances of minority performers and presenters at Hollywood’s biggest night.
Though he was not a presenter per se, New Jersey native Cesar Romero of Cuban and Spanish heritage was featured with several writer/directors including Robert Riskin and John Huston who reminisced about their experiences in World War II at the 18th annual Academy Awards in 1946.
Puerto Rican-born Jose Ferrer, who earned a supporting actor nomination for 1948’s “Joan of Arc” appeared on the March 23, 1950 ceremony from...
- 2/11/2019
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Michelle Yeoh is earning major Oscar buzz for the first time since her iconic work in 2000’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” thanks to her memorable performance in “Crazy Rich Asians.” As Eleanor Young, stubborn matriarch to an uber-successful Singapore family, Yeoh earned a great deal of acclaim from critics, who have lavished praise on her tough yet vulnerable take on a character who could easily verge into two-dimensional villainy. The relatable conflict between Eleanor and her son’s new girlfriend Rachel (Constance Wu) is a major part of the appeal of “Crazy Rich Asians,” which has become one of the biggest box office smashes of 2018. Now, as Oscar season approaches, Yeoh is well on her way to potentially becoming the first Asian actress nominated in 12 years.
See‘Crazy Rich Asians’ scene-stealer Awkwafina pays tribute to Lucy Liu during emotional ‘Saturday Night Live’ monologue
While Yeoh’s Eleanor is presented as...
See‘Crazy Rich Asians’ scene-stealer Awkwafina pays tribute to Lucy Liu during emotional ‘Saturday Night Live’ monologue
While Yeoh’s Eleanor is presented as...
- 10/28/2018
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Bryerly Long – since 2010 has worked with the Seinendan Theatre Company, known for its ‘contemporary colloquial’ theatre style, performing in national and international tours.
Bryerly made her film debut in Koji Fukada’s “Hospitalité”. She co-starred with an android robot in the feature film “Sayonara”, in which she displayed a ‘unique quality of restraint’ (The Telegraph) and ‘eeriness’ (The Society for Film), acting the role of a dying girl ‘to chill and poignant perfection’ (Japan Times) and ‘bonding convincingly with her inanimate co-star’ (Jt).
In theatre, she has been praised for her stage presence, capacity to switch with ease between various languages and strong physical impersonation of characters most influential contemporary film and theatre directors in Japan. she aims to draw on her language skills and international experiences growing up in Vietnam, Bosnia, France, the UK and the Us, to work in film and theatre across cultures.
So as to recap...
Bryerly made her film debut in Koji Fukada’s “Hospitalité”. She co-starred with an android robot in the feature film “Sayonara”, in which she displayed a ‘unique quality of restraint’ (The Telegraph) and ‘eeriness’ (The Society for Film), acting the role of a dying girl ‘to chill and poignant perfection’ (Japan Times) and ‘bonding convincingly with her inanimate co-star’ (Jt).
In theatre, she has been praised for her stage presence, capacity to switch with ease between various languages and strong physical impersonation of characters most influential contemporary film and theatre directors in Japan. she aims to draw on her language skills and international experiences growing up in Vietnam, Bosnia, France, the UK and the Us, to work in film and theatre across cultures.
So as to recap...
- 9/30/2018
- by Nikodem Karolak
- AsianMoviePulse
Not only does the whole club vibe out to his songs, Juice gave a live performance for the crowd (something NFL fans might not see for a while). Bell -- who seems to be a frequent visitor at Rockwell -- even took a shot at his haters, dedicating his song, "Sayonara," to the people who have been talking about his contract situation. Safe to assume Bell put on a hell of a show ... the dude...
- 9/18/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Audiences went coo-coo for “Crazy Rich Asians,” the first Hollywood-produced film with an all-Asian main cast since 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club.” The weekend’s No 1 film grossed $34 million in five days and has already made back its budget. Like its predecessor, it is based on a best-seller. It also is a rare romantic-comedy released by a major studio so far this year. Given the love it is getting from critics, it looks as it is not so crazy to think it could be a shoo-in contender in the Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy category at the Golden Globes.
However, I am most curious about whether Oscar, which can be rather comedy averse, will warm to it. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” a surprise 2003 blockbuster that also found humor in its central family’s ethnic quirks, could only manage a nomination for Nia Vardalos’ original screenplay. As for “Crazy Rich Asians,...
However, I am most curious about whether Oscar, which can be rather comedy averse, will warm to it. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” a surprise 2003 blockbuster that also found humor in its central family’s ethnic quirks, could only manage a nomination for Nia Vardalos’ original screenplay. As for “Crazy Rich Asians,...
- 8/20/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Some of the most legendary actors in Hollywood history won their Oscars in the 1970s. The Best Actor category of this decade was stacked with some of the biggest stars of the time, many of which have lived on for generations. But which Best Actor Oscar winner of the 1970s is your absolute favorite? Take a trip down memory lane and vote in our poll below.
George C. Scott, “Patton” (1970) — Scott took home the Best Actor prize for “Patton,” which also won Best Picture. In the film he plays the titular George S. Patton, the famous hot-tempered U.S. army general who led troops during World War II. He had previously been nominated for “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959), “The Hustler” (1961), and later for “The Hospital” (1971). Scott notably declined his nomination and win for “Patton.”
SEERobert De Niro (‘Raging Bull’) knocks out all contenders to be your top Best Actor Oscar winner of 1980s [Poll Results]
Gene Hackman,...
George C. Scott, “Patton” (1970) — Scott took home the Best Actor prize for “Patton,” which also won Best Picture. In the film he plays the titular George S. Patton, the famous hot-tempered U.S. army general who led troops during World War II. He had previously been nominated for “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959), “The Hustler” (1961), and later for “The Hospital” (1971). Scott notably declined his nomination and win for “Patton.”
SEERobert De Niro (‘Raging Bull’) knocks out all contenders to be your top Best Actor Oscar winner of 1980s [Poll Results]
Gene Hackman,...
- 7/3/2018
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Following a chaotic season on The Bachelor - and one unforgettably heart-wrenching breakup - Becca Kufrin has put it all behind her ahead of the May 28 premiere of her season on The Bachelorette. "I was hopeful last season and this time around because I knew that it worked and I knew that it could again," Becca told The Hollywood Reporter after recently announcing that she is indeed currently engaged.
As you'll recall, Becca was previously engaged to Arie Luyendyk Jr., who controversially ended the engagement so he could propose to runner-up Lauren Burnham. Despite the awful experience, Becca said she's now come to understand Arie's decision. "I became much more understanding to the entire journey and how he wasn't feeling certain ways for multiple women," she said. "I'm definitely much more empathetic to Arie, and I understand he had to be open to multiple women and multiple relationships. I felt...
As you'll recall, Becca was previously engaged to Arie Luyendyk Jr., who controversially ended the engagement so he could propose to runner-up Lauren Burnham. Despite the awful experience, Becca said she's now come to understand Arie's decision. "I became much more understanding to the entire journey and how he wasn't feeling certain ways for multiple women," she said. "I'm definitely much more empathetic to Arie, and I understand he had to be open to multiple women and multiple relationships. I felt...
- 5/28/2018
- by Kelsey Garcia
- Popsugar.com
This week’s edition of Tuesday Blus includes the following titles: The Apartment (1960) – Arrow Academy / The Whales of August (1987) – Kino Lorber / Sayonara (1957) – Twilight Time / Brannigan (1975) – Kino Lorber
The Apartment (1960) – Film Review: ★★★★½/☆☆☆☆☆ Disc Review: ★★★★½/☆☆☆☆☆
Billy Wilder’s The Apartment is one of those quintessential American masterpieces which evokes a complex pattern of feelings, especially if revisited at different times in one’s life.
Continue reading...
The Apartment (1960) – Film Review: ★★★★½/☆☆☆☆☆ Disc Review: ★★★★½/☆☆☆☆☆
Billy Wilder’s The Apartment is one of those quintessential American masterpieces which evokes a complex pattern of feelings, especially if revisited at different times in one’s life.
Continue reading...
- 12/26/2017
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Back when interracial marriage was a shady topic (are those dark days coming back?) the U.S. military had some adjustment issues. Full integration of the ranks didn’t remove the anti- Japanese bigotry. James Michener’s novel has been transformed into a big-scale romance, with Marlon Brando coming to terms with a split in loyalty between the flag and his private life. The big shock is that the Paul Osborn’s screenplay doesn’t let the military off easy.
Sayonara
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1957 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 147 min. / Street Date November 14, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Marlon Brando, Patricia Owens, James Garner, Martha Scott, Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Red Buttons, Kent Smith.
Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Film Editors: Philip W. Anderson, Arthur P. Schmidt
Production Design: Ted Haworth
Original Music: Irving Berlin, Franz Waxman
Written by Paul Osborn from the novel by James Michener
Produced by William Goetz...
Sayonara
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1957 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 147 min. / Street Date November 14, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Marlon Brando, Patricia Owens, James Garner, Martha Scott, Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Red Buttons, Kent Smith.
Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Film Editors: Philip W. Anderson, Arthur P. Schmidt
Production Design: Ted Haworth
Original Music: Irving Berlin, Franz Waxman
Written by Paul Osborn from the novel by James Michener
Produced by William Goetz...
- 11/21/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
"The Furniture," by Daniel Walber, is our weekly series on Production Design. You can click on the images to see them in magnified detail.
Any excuse to talk about What a Way to Go! is a good excuse. But the centennial of Ted Haworth is an especially excellent excuse. He was nominated for six Oscars, starting with Marty in 1955. He won for 1957’s Sayonara. Highlights from the rest of his career include Some Like It Hot, The Beguiled, and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid.
But none of those movies could hold a candle to the astonishing level of creativity on display in What a Way to Go! The epic 1964 comedy of love and loss stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa May Foster, a many-time widow and heiress. Each husband, with one particularly tragic exception, begins the marriage as a near-pauper who wants nothing but love. But their passion inevitably leads them...
Any excuse to talk about What a Way to Go! is a good excuse. But the centennial of Ted Haworth is an especially excellent excuse. He was nominated for six Oscars, starting with Marty in 1955. He won for 1957’s Sayonara. Highlights from the rest of his career include Some Like It Hot, The Beguiled, and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid.
But none of those movies could hold a candle to the astonishing level of creativity on display in What a Way to Go! The epic 1964 comedy of love and loss stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa May Foster, a many-time widow and heiress. Each husband, with one particularly tragic exception, begins the marriage as a near-pauper who wants nothing but love. But their passion inevitably leads them...
- 9/25/2017
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmExperience
Many of MGM’s productions were scraping bottom in 1958, yet the studio found one more acceptable western vehicle for their last big star still on contract. Only-slightly corrupt marshal Robert Taylor edges toward a showdown with the thoroughly corrupt Richard Widmark in an economy item given impressive locations and the sound direction of John Sturges.
The Law and Jake Wade
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 86 min. / Street Date September 12, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Robert Taylor, Richard Widmark, Patricia Owens, Robert Middleton, Henry Silva, DeForest Kelley, Henry Silva, Burt Douglas, Eddie Firestone.
Cinematography: Robert Surtees
Film Editor: Ferris Webster
Written by William Bowers from a novel by Marvin H. Albert
Produced by William B. Hawks
Directed by John Sturges
As the 1950s wore down, MGM was finding it more difficult to properly use its last remaining big-ticket stars on the steady payroll, Cyd Charisse and Robert Taylor. Cyd...
The Law and Jake Wade
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 86 min. / Street Date September 12, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Robert Taylor, Richard Widmark, Patricia Owens, Robert Middleton, Henry Silva, DeForest Kelley, Henry Silva, Burt Douglas, Eddie Firestone.
Cinematography: Robert Surtees
Film Editor: Ferris Webster
Written by William Bowers from a novel by Marvin H. Albert
Produced by William B. Hawks
Directed by John Sturges
As the 1950s wore down, MGM was finding it more difficult to properly use its last remaining big-ticket stars on the steady payroll, Cyd Charisse and Robert Taylor. Cyd...
- 9/2/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
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