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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Taking a Shot at Love

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

On January 2, the Hallmark Channel movie Taking a Shot at Love will debut at 9 PM.

Former professional ballet dancer Jenna (Alexa PenaVega) works with NHL star Ryan Cooper (Luke Macfarlane) to help him recover from an injury using ballet as therapy, and as they grow close, he helps her mend her injured heart. But when it’s time for Ryan to return to the ice and leave Jenna and her small, Connecticut town, they both must consider the paths they want to take and just maybe, love will find its way.

Here is a trailer for Taking a Shot at Love:

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Year-End Round-Up: Faces of 2020

Posted in Movies, Television, Year End Round Up on December 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The following list highlights the actors and actresses on TV and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention throughout the year. There are also some outstanding people who garnered attention during the pandemic who deserve a nod as well.

They appear in no particular order:

1. Ana de Armas – The Cuban-Spanish actress starred in the 2006 romantic drama Una rosa de Francia and then starred in the Madrid teen drama El Internado for 6 seasons. She then appeared in the US films Knock Knock, War Dogs and Blade Runner 2049; but it was her turn in the mystery film Knives Out that turned heads. At some point, she will be seen in Deep Water alongside Ben Affleck (to whom she is now romantically linked) as well as the latest 007 film No Time to Die and the Netflix bio-pic Blonde, based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates.

2. Izabela Rose – The young newcomer, who loves acting and singing, landed the lead role in the Disney movie Upside-Down Magic, based on the Scholastic book series about 8 kids in a world of people with magic. She was also personally selected by Steven Spielberg for her role of Olivia in the reimagining of the classic anthology series Amazing Stories on Apple TV+.

3. Alex Newell – Alex was first runner-up in the reality show The Glee Project back in 2011; and then he joined the cast of Glee over the next few seasons. He later toured with Adam Lambert and performed at numerous festivals, making his Broadway debut in 2017 in the revival of Once on This Island. It has been his role as Mo, the genderfluid next-door neighbor on the NBC drama Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, which will return for its second season on January 5, 2021, that has endeared him to viewers.

4. Hunter Schafer – In her first role EVER, Hunter starred in the HBO teen drama Euphoria, playing Rue, a 17-year-old trans-girl recovering from a drug addiction who befriends Jules Vaughn (lead actress and Emmy winner Zendaya). But, Hunter has been turning heads as one of the most popular models in the fashion industry; and made headlines as the plaintiff in the ACLU lawsuit against the bathroom bill in North Carolina.

5. Joshua Caleb Johnson – This young actor appeared in a couple of episodes of Black-ish playing the boyfriend of Diane (series regular Marsai Martin), and in a few episodes of Animal Kingdom; but it’s been his role of Henry Shackleford – aka Onion – in the Showtime period piece The Good Lord Bird, starring alongside Ethan Hawke.

6. Sarah Cooper – The talented author and comedian got noticed this year thanks to her TikTok videos – that went viral everywhere – mocking Donald Trump’s stupidity-laced comments, which culminated in her October Netflix special Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine. She is currently producing a comedy show for CBS based on her book “How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings.”

7. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – The Canadian newcomer starred this summer in the Netflix drama Never Have I Ever, from creator Mindy Kaling, playing lead character Devi Vishwakumar, an Indian American high school student dealing with the death of her father. The show has been renewed for a much-anticipated second season.

8. Michaela Coel – The talented multi-hyphenate screenwriter, producer, director, singer and actress really made it big this year in the provocative HBO/BBC drama I May Destroy You, but it was her work in Chewing Gum – based on her graduation project from theatre school – that won her a BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. Viewers will also recognize her from the thriller Black Earth Rising.

The next group of faces are people who made the most of the pandemic, creating entertaining videos that went viral, or making a difference to help other people:

9. The Holderness Family – Penn and Kim Holderness – as well as their kids Lola and Penn Charles – live in Raleigh, North Carolina, formerly New York residents, whose parody videos became “the thing” to watch on social media. They have been doing this for quite some time prior to the pandemic, but their videos became extremely popular during the lockdown, and have continued to entertain all year.

You can visit their YouTube channel here.

Parents Penn and Kim also have a separate podcast here, and they are also authors of the book “Everybody Fights: So Why Not Be Good at It.”

10. TwinsthenewTrend – This duo is comprised of 21 year old twin brothers Tim and Fred Williams, who live in Gary, Indiana. Their YouTube channel – where they listen to songs for the first time – garnered worldwide attention in 2020 especially when they listened to “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. That video of them listening to this song for the first time got 6 million views in three weeks. Some of the reviews of their channel has attracted the attention of the original singers.

You can see their reactions to songs at their YouTube page here.

11. Orion Jean – In September, the 9-year-old won the 2020 National Kindness Speech contest and was featured on Good Morning America. He won $500 in that contest, and he paid it forward by using that money to donate toys to Children’s Health in Dallas. That, of course, inspired others to get involved with the North Texas 5th grader starting the “Race to Kindness” campaign, which you can find at Race to Kindness.

You can see his well-spoken and smile-filled GMA interview below:

12. Anika Chebrolu – This 14-year-old Texan won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her discovery that could provide therapy to COVID-19. In Anika’s own words, she “developed a potential antiviral for covid-19 infection. I found the molecule from a database of millions of compounds that can bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and change its shape. And by changing the shape of the spike protein by attaching the molecule to it, it can stop the virus from infecting human cells, and basically stop the infectivity of the virus in human cells. [Source]

Who are some of the faces from this year who caught your attention either on television, in music or in film? Please share.

TOMORROW: Faces of 2021

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Year-End Round-Up: In Memorium

Posted in Condolences, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 27, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The following industry personalities passed away in 2020 and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.

But first let’s take a moment of silence for the over 280,000 Americans who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus as well as the more than 7,000 essential workers across the world who have lost their lives to the pandemic.

We also need to pay due respects to those who were lost in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash that took the 42-year-old basketball legend’s life in addition to his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and the following other victims:

Payton Chester, 13, and Sarah Chester, 45
Alyssa Altobelli, 14, Keri Altobelli, 46 and John Altobelli, 56
Christina Mauser, 38
Ara Zobayan (the pilot), 50

The celebrities we have lost this year (in alphabetical order):

Raymond Allen (Actor, “Sanford and Son”)

Orson Bean (Veteran Actor, “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman)
David Bellisario (Producer, NCIS)
Royana Black (Actress, “Raising Miranda”)
Honor Blackman (Actress, Bond Girl Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger”)
Steve Bing (American Businessman, Philanthropist, Film Producer and Elizabeth Hurley’s Ex-Husband)
William Blinn (Screenwriter, “Brian’s Song” and “Roots”)
Mark Blum (Actor, “Desperately Seeking Susan”)
Chadwick Boseman (Actor, “Black Panther”)
Gregory Tyree Boyce (Actor, “Twilight” movie)
Wilford Brimley (Veteran Actor, “Our House” and “Cocoon”)
Lou Brock (Baseball Hall of Famer)
Timothy Brown (MASH Star and Former NFL Star)
Jeremy Bulloch (Original Boba Fett “Star Wars” Films)
Edd Byrnes (Actor, “77 Sunsent Strip”)

Herman Cain (Business Executive and Former Presidential Candidate)
John Callahan (Actor, “All My Children”)
Earl Cameron (One of the first major Black Actors in British Cinema)
Brent Carver (Broadway Star, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”)
Marge Champion (Golden Age TV Dancer, Model for Disney’s Snow White) [She was 101]
Lynn Cohen (Actress, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire”)
Daisy Coleman (Star, Netflix Documentary “Audrie & Daisy”)
Sean Connery (Veteran Actor, James Bond films, starting with “Dr. No” in 1962 through “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971)
Robert Conrad (Actor, “The Wild Wild West” and “Black Sheep Squadron”)
Nick Cordero (Broadway Star)
Leanza Cornett (Miss America 1993)
Norm Crosby (Comedian known for his frequent malapropism)
Ben Cross (Actor, “Chariots of Fire”)

Abby Dalton (Actress, “Falcon Crest”)
Charlie Daniels (Violinist and Man Behind the Hit Song ‘Devil Went Down to Georgia’)
Mac Davis (Singer, Actor and TV Variety Show Host)
Spencer Davis (1960’s singer, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’)
Olivia de Havilland (Veteran Actress, “Gone With the Wind”)
Brian Dennehy (Veteran Actor, “First Blood” and “Cocoon”)
Chi Chi DeVayne (RuPaul’s Drag Race Alum)
Tommy DeVito (A Founding Member of The Four Seasons)
Dena Dietrich (Character Actress, Face of Mother Nature in Chiffon Margarine TV Commercial campaign)
Joe Diffie (Singer and Guitarist)
David Dinkins (Former Mayor of New York City)
Kevin Dobson (Actor, “Knots Landing”)
Kirk Douglas (Veteran Actor and Screen Legend)
Shirley Douglas (Mother of Actor Keifer Sutherland)
Hugh Downs (Legendary Broadcaster)
Ja’Net DuBois (Actress, “Good Times” and Singer/Co-Writer of The Jeffersons theme song)

Edward S. Feldman (Oscar-Nominated Producer, “Witness”)
Conchata Ferrell (Actress, “Two and a Half Men” and “Mystic Pizza”)
Caroline Flack (Former Love Island host)
Rhonda Fleming (Queen of Technicolor, “Spellbound” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court)
D.C. Fontana (Writer, “Star Trek”)
Wayne Fontana (Pop Singer from the band The Mindbenders)
Robert Forster (Actor, “Jackie Brown” and “Mulholland Drive”)

Phyllis George (American Businesswoman, Actress and Sportscaster)
Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Supreme Court Justice and Gender Equality Advocate)
Mary Pat Gleason (Character Actress and Writer, “Guiding Light”)
Leonard Goldberg (Producer, “Charlie’s Angels,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Fantasy Island “and “Blue Bloods”)
Terry Goodkind (Author, ‘The Sword of Truth’ – the book on which the series “Legend of the Seeker” was based)
Charles Gordon (Oscar-Nominated Producer, “Field of Dreams” and “Die Hard”)
Galyn Gorg (Actress, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”)
Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac founder and guitarist)
Winston Groom (Author, ‘Forrest Gump’)
Cady Groves (Country Singer) [She was only 30]

Andre Harrell (Uptown Records Founder)
Charlie Hauck (Writer and Producer, “Maude” and “Frasier”)
Richard Herd (Veteran Actor, “The China Syndrome”)
Frederick “Toots” Hibbert (Jamaican Singer and Songwriter)
Ian Holm (Veteran Actor, “The Lord of the Rings” franchise)
Roy Horn (Legendary Illusionist)
Silvio Horta (Creator of Ugly Betty)
Jan Howard (Country Icon)
Brian Howe (Lead Singer of Bad Company)

Grant Imahara (American Electrical Engineer, Roboticist, TV Host and Actor)

Katherine Johnson (Legendary Mathematician “Hidden Figures”) [She was 101]
Rafer Johnson (Olympian, American Decathlete and Film Actor)
Jay Johnstone (Baseball Player on the Los Angeles Dodgers and TV Sports Announcer)
Terry Jones (Creator and Actor, “Monty Python”)

Hugh Keays-Byrne (Actor, Villain Toecutter in Mad Max and Villain Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road)
Lynn Kellogg-Simpers (Original Sheila in the 1968 Broadway production of “Hair”)
Tom Kennedy (Game Show Host, “Name That Tune”)
Benjamin Keough (Grandson of Elvis Presley, Son of Lisa Marie Presley)
Hal Ketchum (Country Music Artist)
Irrfan Khan (Actor, “Jurassic World”)
Stan Kirsch (Actor, “Highlander”)
Shirley Knight (Actress, “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” and “Sweet Bird of Youth”)
Larry Kramer (Playwright and Activist)

David Lander (Actor, Squiggy from “Laverne & Shirley”)
Don Larsen (Former New York Yankees Baseball Player)
John le Carre (Renowned Spy Novelist)
James Charles Lehrer (Journalist, Novelist, Screenwriter and Playwright)
John Lewis (Congressman)
Lil Mario (Rapper)
James Lipton (TV Host, “Inside the Actors Studio”)
Tommy “Tiny” Lister (Former Professional Wrestler and actor, “Friday” and “The Fifth Element”)
Little Richard (Legendary Musician and Singer)
Sam Lloyd (Character Actor, “Scrubs”)
Michael Londsdale (French Actor, “Moonraker” and “The Day of the Jackal”)
Trini Lopez (Singer, Guitarist and Actor, “The Dirty Dozen”)
Rebecca Luker (Tony-nominated actress, “Mary Poppins,” “Show Boat” and “Music Man”)
Vera Lynn (British Singer, ‘We’ll Meet Again’)

Diego Maradona (Argentine Soccer Great-Manager and World Cup Winner)
Nikki McKibbin (Third Place, American Idol Season 1)
Terrence McNally (Theater Playwright)
Alan Merrill (Legendary Songwriter)
Clark Middleton (Actor, “The Blacklist” and “Twin Peaks”)
Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers, Bassist)
Ennio Morricone (Award-Winning Italian Composer)

Kellye Nakahara (Actress, “MASH)”
Johnny Nash (Singer, ‘I Can See Clearly Now’)
Fred “Curly” Neal (Former Harlem Globetrotter Member)
Claudette Nevins (Actress, “Sleeping With the Enemy” and “Melrose Place”)
Margaret Nolan (“Goldfinger” Model and Actress, “A Hard Day’s Night”)

David Olney (Folk singer)
K.T. Oslin (Grammy Award Winning Country Singer and Songwriter)
Ken Osmond (Actor, “Leave It to Beaver”)

Alan Parker (Director, “Fame” and “Midnight Express”)
Neil Peart (Rush, Drummer)
Regis Philbin (Legendary TV Talk Show Host)
Bonnie Pointer (From The Pointer Sisters)
Peggy Pope (Character Actress, “Bewitched” and “The Last Starfighter”)
John Prine (Folk Singer and Songwriter)
Mary Pratt (Trailblazing Baseball Player, Last Living Player on the First Roster for the Rockford Peaches)
Kelly Preston (Actress, “What A Girl Wants” and Wife of John Travolta)
Charley Pride (Country Music Superstar and First Black Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame)
David Prowse (Actor who played Darth Vader, “Star Wars”)

Sushant Singh Rajput (Bollywood star)
Elsa Raven (Veteran Character Actress, “Back to the Future” and “Titanic”)
Helen Reddy (Legendary Singer, Grammy Winner, Variety Show Lead and Emblem of Feminism)
Sumner Redstone (American Businessman)
Harold Reid (Bass Singer, Statler Brothers)
Carl Reiner (Legendary Comedian, Actor and Director)
Ann Reinking (Ton Winner and Star of Broadway’s “Chicago”)
Diana Rigg (Legendary Actress, “Avengers” and “Game of Thrones”)
Naya Rivera (Actress-Singer, “Glee”)
David Roback (Legendary Guitarist and Co-Founder of Band Mazzy Star)
Cliff Robinson (Former NBA Player)
Kenny Rogers (Famed Country Singer and Actor)
Larry Rosen (Producer, “The Partridge Family”)
Joe Ruby (Co-Creator, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You”)

Reni Santoni (Actor, “Dirty Harry” and “Seinfeld”)
John Saxon (Veteran Actor, “Enter the Dragon” and “The Appaloosa”)
Gale Sayers (Former Football Player, Chicago Bears)
Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne Member and Songwriter)
David Schramm (Actor, “Wings”)
Esther Scott (Veteran Actress, “Boyz in the Hood” and Voice Actor)
Joel Schumacher (Director, “Batman Forever”)
Ashina Sei (Asian Actress, “Silk”) [She was only 36]
John Sessions (Comedian and Actor, “Outlander”)
Lynn Shelton (Director, “Humpday” and “Your Sister’s Sister”)
Fred Silverman (Executive NBC and CBS)
Jean Kennedy Smith (Former U.S. Ambassador)
Herb Solow (Producer who sold “Star Trek” to NBC)
Phyllis Somerville (Veteran Actress, “Little Children” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Ken Spears (Co-Creator, “Scooby-Doo”)
Caroll Edwin Spinney (Cartoonist, Author, Speaker and Puppeteer, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on “Sesame Street”)
Jerry Stiller (Legendary Comedian and Actor)

Yuko Takeuchi (Japanese Actress, “The Ring”) [She was 40]
Kurt Thomas (Olympic Gymnast)
Danny Tidwell (Dancer, “So You Think You Can Dance”)
Alex Trebek (Jeopardy Game Show Host)

Eddie Van Halen (Legendary Guitarist, Rock Group Van Halen)
Max von Sydow (Veteran Actor, “The Seventh Seal,” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)

Lyle Waggoner (Actor, “Wonder Woman”)
Jerry Jeff Walker (Singer and Songwriter, ‘Mr. Bojangels’)
Nikita Pearl Waligwa (star of Disney’s “Queen of Katwe”) [She was only 15]
Dawn Wells (Actress, “Gilligan’s Island”)
Leslie West (Singer and Guitarist from rock group Mountain known for ‘Mississippi Queen’)
Stuart Whitman (Veteran Actor, “The Longest Day” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still”)
Fred Willard (Legendary Comedian and Actor)
Logan Williams (Canadian Actor) [He was only 16]
Bruce Williamson (Singer, The Temptations)
Mel Winkler (Actor, Voice Actor, Stage Performer and Dancer)
Bill Withers (Singer-Songwriter and Musician, ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’)
Betty Wright (Grammy-Winning Soul Singer)
Elizabeth Wurtzel (Author, ‘Prozac Nation’)

Chuck Yeager (First Pilot to Break the Sound Barrier)

NOTE: This list, in no way, covers all the industry talent who passed away this year. Again, condolences are extended to one and all.

Out of respect, please take a moment of silence.

TOMORROW: TV Ratings

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Year-End Round-Up: And the Awards Goes To…

Posted in Awards, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 26, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Every year there are lots of awards shows, some important, some just fun and numerous just plain silly or nonsensical, but the following list – despite the pandemic – is just some of the top winners over the course of this year:

GOLDEN GLOBES (January)

Best Motion Picture, Drama – 1917
Best Actress, Drama – Renee Zellweger in Judy
Best Actress, Musical/Comedy – Awkwafina in The Farewell
Best Actor, Musical/Comedy – Taron Egerton in Rocketman
Best Motion Picture, Animated – Missing Link
Best Actress, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TV – Michelle Williams in Fosse/Verdon
Best Actress, Drama – Olivia Colman in The Crown
Best TV Series, Drama – Succession (HBO)

CRITIC’S CHOICE (January)

Best Director – Sam Mendes, 1917 and Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
Best Adapted Screenplay – Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Best Hair and Makeup – Bombshell
Best Action Movie – Avengers: Endgame
Best Actress, Drama – Regina King in Watchmen
Best Supporting Actor, Drama – Billy Crudup in The Morning Show
Best Comedy Series – Fleabag (Amazon)
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy – Alex Borstein in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Best Support Actress, Limited Series or Made for TV Movie – Toni Collette in Unbelievable

SAG AWARDS (January)

Outstanding Male Actor, Drama – Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones
Outstanding Male Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series – Sam Rockwell in Fosse/Verdon
Outstanding Ensemble in Comedy – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Outstanding Female Actor, Drama – Jennifer Aniston in The Morning Show

GRAMMY AWARDS (January)

Best New Artist – Billie Eilish
Best Country Duo/Group – Dan & Shay
Best Pop Solo Performance – Lizzo
Best Rock Performance – Gary Clark Jr.
Best Rock Album – Cage the Elephant
Best Music Film – Homecoming

OSCARS (February)

Best Picture – Parasite
Best Original Song – “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” from Rocketman
Best Makeup and Hair – Bombshell
Best Sound Editing – Ford v Ferrari
Best Costume Design – Jacqueline Durran for Little Women
Best Animated Feature – Toy Story 4

BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL (June)

Grand Jury Prize Winner – Fleabag
Drama Series – Gentleman Jack (BBC)
Sci-Fi and Genre Based Series – His Dark Material (HBO)

VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS (August)

Video of the Year – “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
Best New Artist – Doja Cat
Artist of the Year – Lady Gaga
Best Collaboration – “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
Best Rock Album – “Orphans” by Coldplay

TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION (September)

Individual Achievement, Drama – Regina King in Watchmen
Outstanding Achievement, Drama – Succession (HBO)
Career Achievement Honoree – Alex Trebek
Heritage Award – Star Trek (CBS)

GOLD DERBY TV AWARDS (September)

Performer of the Year – Reese Witherspoon
Breakthrough Performer of the Year – Paul Mescal
Drama Actress – Laura Linney in Ozark
Drama Actor – Sam Heughan in Outlander
Supporting Actress, Drama – Helena Bonham Carter in The Crown
Comedy Guest Actress – Maya Rudolph in The Good Place
TV Movie – Bad Education
Supporting Actor, Limited Series/Movie – Jim Parsons in Hollywood

ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS (September)

Entertainer of the Year – Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood
Female Artist of the Year – Maren Morris
Male Artist of the Year – Luke Combs
Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Songwriter of the Year – Hillary Lindsey

EMMY AWARDS (September)

Supporting Actress, Drama – Julia Garner in Ozark
Lead Actress, Drama – Zendaya in Euphoria
Lead Actor, Drama – Jeremy Strong in Succession
Supporting Actress, Limited Series or Movie – Uzo Aduba in Mrs. America
Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Watchmen
Lead Actor, Limited Series or Movie – Mark Ruffalo in I Know This Much Is True

BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS (October)

Top Artist – Post Malone
Fan Voted Achievement Award – Harry Styles
Top New Artist – Billie Eilish
Top Duo/Group – Jonas Brothers
Top Touring Artist – Pink
Top Country Female Artist – Maren Morris
Top Rock Artist – Panic at the Disco
Top Christian Artist – Lauren Daigle
Top Soundtrack – Frozen II
Top Rock Song – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” by Panic At The Disco

CMA AWARDS (November)

Entertainer of the Year – Eric Church
Vocal Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Music Video of the Year – “Bluebird” by Miranda Lambert
New Artist of the Year – Morgan Wallen

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS (November)

The Movie of 2020 – Bad Boys for Life
The Comedy Movie of 2020 – The Kissing Booth 2
The Action Movie of 2020 – Mulan
The Drama Movie of 2020 – Hamilton
The Family Movie of 2020 – Onward
The Drama Movie Star of 2020 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
The Comedy Movie Star of 2020 – Joey King, The Kissing Booth 2
The Action Movie Star of 2020 – Chris Hemsworth, Extraction
The Show of 2020 – Grey’s Anatomy
The Drama Show of 2020 – Riverdale
The Comedy Show of 2020 – Never Have I Ever
The Male TV Star of 2020 – Cole Sprouse, Riverdale
The Drama TV Star of 2020 – Mandy Moore, This Is Us
The Bingeworthy Show of 2020 – Outer Banks
The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2020 – Wynonna Earp
The New Artist of 2020 -Doja Cat

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (November)

Artist of the Year – Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year – Doja Cat
Collaboration of the Year – Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber
Favorite Album – Harry Styles, “Fine Line
Favorite Song: Pop/Rock – Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”
Favorite Male Artist – Kane Brown
Favorite Song: Country – Maren Morris, “The Bones” AND Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours”
Favorite Male Artist: Soul/R&B – The Weeknd
Favorite Artist: Alternative Rock – Twenty One Pilots
Favorite Artist: Adult Contemporary – Jonas Brothers
Favorite Artist: Contemporary Inspirational – Lauren Daigle
Favorite Artist: Electronic Dance Music – Lady Gaga
Favorite Soundtrack – Birds of Prey: The Album

Congratulations to all of the above winners (and the countless others who won awards) this year. Are any of the above your favorites? Do you think there was an actor or actress who was overlooked this year? Please share your thoughts.

TOMORROW: Condolences

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Year-End Round-Up: The Year That Wasn’t in Movies

Posted in Movies, Year End Round Up on December 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

This year has been very difficult for the movie industry, to say the least, with nearly all Cineplexs being shut down for most of the year because of the pandemic – and despite drive-ins being open and some movies getting released to the miniscule movie theatres across the country that were allowed to be opened – the box office numbers have been far removed from their usual stellar numbers as in the years past.

The following are the top 30 movies (up through December 19):

1. Bad Boys for Life – 204 million
2. 1917 – 157 million
3. Sonic the Hedgehog -146 million
4. Jumanji: The Next Level – 124 million
5. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – 124 million
6. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn – 84 million
7. Dolittle – 77 million
8. Little Women – 71 million
9. The Invisible Man – 65 million
10. The Call of the Wild – 62.3 million
11. Onward – 61.5 million
12. Knives Out – 50 million
13. Frozen II – 47 million
14. Tenet – 46 million
15. Spies in Disguise – 37 million
16. The Gentlemen – 36 million
17. Just Mercy – 35.7 million
18. Parasite – 31 million
19. The Croods: A New Age – 27 million
20. Fantasy Island – 26 million
21. Uncut Gems – 25.7 million
22. The New Mutants – 24 million
23. Like a Boss – 22 million
24. The Grudge – 21 million
25. Unhinged – 20.8 million
26. The Photograph – 20.5 million
27. The War with Grandpa – 18 million
28. Underwater – 17 million
29. The Turning – 15.4 million
30. Gretel & Hansel – 15.3 million

Please note that so many tentpole movies and blockbusters (like Wonder Woman 1984, Black Widow and anything from the Marvel franchise) were expected to be released in 2020, but nearly all of them have been delayed until next year or beyond. Reminder: Wonder Woman 1984 will be out in theatres TODAY (Christmas Day) and on HBO Max.

There were also quite a number of box office movies (like Mulan, Enola Holmes, Artemis Fowl and the upcoming animated film Soul, just to name a few) that opted to air on streaming services (like Netflix and Disney+) rather than keep delaying their releases.

A few big news items that were announced in 2020 included Johnny Depp basically being forced to leave the Fantastic Beasts franchise because of the libel suit against The Sun (the UK newspaper). Meanwhile fans are demanding that Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard be fired from Aquaman 2. A more positive piece of news was that director Nia DaCosta (who directed the latest reboot of Candyman) will be the director of Captain Marvel 2. And, one of the most buzzed about performances of the year is from actor Riz Ahmed, the lead star in the 2019 film Sound of Metal where he plays a heavy metal drummer whose life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing. His performance in the film is so impressive that he is being touted as a possible Oscar nominee, which would make him the first Muslim lead nominee.

The following list consists of the 2020 movies that either performed very poorly at the box office, have been deemed some of the worst movies of the year by various critics (as well as movie goers) or just had horrible looking trailers. I’ll let you decide which is which.

They appear in alphabetical order:

Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Brahms: The Boy II
Capone
Come Play
Doolittle
Downhill
Endings, Beginnings
Freaky
Gretel and Hansel
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Irresistible
Like a Boss
Sonic the Hedgehog
The Hunt
The Lovebirds
The King of Staten Island
The New Mutants
The Rhythm Section
The TurningThe War with Grandpa
Underwater
Unhinged
Unpregnant

What movies did you actually get to see before the theatres closed down? What movies did you enjoy watching on any of the streaming services? What is the top movie delayed form this year that you cannot wait to see? Please share your thoughts and comments.

TOMORROW: Awards

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: We Can Be Heroes

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The superhero flick We Can Be Heroes, which serves as a stand-alone sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, will debut on Netflix online on Christmas Day (being moved up a week from its original air date).

When alien invaders capture Earth’s superheroes, their kids must learn to work together to save their parents and the planet.

The adults in the movie include Priyanka Chopra, Pedro Pascal, Christian Slater, Boyd Holbrook, Sung Kang and Taylor Dooley (who played Lavagirl in the 2005 original) with a lot of newcomer kids, including YaYa Gosselin (FBI: Most Wanted).

Here is a trailer for We Can Be Heroes:

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REVISED: Movie of the Week Recommendation: The Merry Mistake

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The Holiday Quickies Passionflix movie The Merry Mistake, based on the story by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, will debut online on December 25.

Holiday Quickies Synopsis: Piper (relative newcomer Jacqi Vene) needs to ask Santa for glasses this year, as she accidentally mistakes a gorgeous man (Geovanni Gopradi from The Haves and the Have Nots and Dynasty) resting outside her building for a homeless person in need of lunch, they “get into it.” She was only trying to do a good deed for the holidays, but he called her righteous. She called him something far worse. If only she didn’t have to see him again, but fate had other plans.

Here is a trailer for The Merry Mistake:

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REVISED: Movie of the Week Recommendation: The Package

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

On December 24, the Holiday Quickies Passionflix movie The Package, based on the story by K. Bromberg, will debut online.

Christmas week can’t get any worse for Jules Jilliland (Heather Grace Hancock from Wicked City). Dumped by her boyfriend, rear-ended on the freeway, and fired from her job, she finds herself stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger (Coby Ryan McLaughlin from General Hospital).

When their packages are accidentally swapped, will it end up being a misfortunate accident that suddenly brightens her holidays?

Here is a trailer for The Package:

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Call the Midwife Holiday Special

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

On Christmas Day, the one and ½ hour Call the Midwife Holiday Special will debut on PBS at 9 PM

This year’s Christmas Special is set in December 1965. Everyone at Nonnatus House is looking forward to traditional celebrations with all the trimmings, but nothing goes quite to plan. Sister Monica Joan is rushed to hospital, and Trixie is incensed to receive a subscription to a Marriage Bureau as a Christmas gift. Meanwhile, a surprise reunion for Shelagh involves her in a deeply moving birth, and the Circus arrives in Poplar, bringing new friendships, new experiences, and an exciting adventure for Nurse Crane.

Here is a trailer for Call the Midwife Holiday Special:

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Soul

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The animated movie Soul will debut on Disney+ on Christmas Day.

Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn’t quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz — and he’s good. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.

Voices are provided by Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, Angela Bassett, Graham Norton, Alice Braga, Wes Studi, June Squibb and John Ratzenberger.

Here is a trailer for Soul:

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