Posted in Artists, Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on January 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »
On January 18, the Hallmark Channel movie My Argentine Heart will debut at 8 PM.
Abril (Julie Gonzalo) goes to Argentina to save her family ranch from being bought by her ex. But when outside forces threaten the ranch the pair must come together, rekindling their love in the process.
Juan Pablo Di Pace co-stars.
Here is a trailer for My Argentine Heart:
Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on January 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The new Netflix movie Back in Action will debut online on January 17.
Former CIA spies Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
The ensemble cast includes Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler, Andrew Scott, Tom Brittney and Fola Evans-Akingbola.
Here is a trailer for Back in Action:
Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on January 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »
On January 11, the Hallmark Channel movie Polar Opposites will debut at 8 PM.
Emma (Rhiannon Fish) needs to get to Antarctica to reach her father and travels to South America but can’t get on a boat for the last leg. She sneaks onto a cruise ship and meets engineer Andy (Markian Tarasiuk).
Here is a trailer for Polar Opposites:
Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 31, 2024| Leave a Comment »
On January 4, the Hallmark Channel movie Love of the Irish will debut at 8 PM.
Tired of her bad luck, Fiona (Shenae Grimes-Beech) takes her mom (Moira Kelly) on a trip to Ireland to turn things around where she meets a charming single dad who helps her make her own luck.
Stephen Hagan co-stars.
Here is a trailer for Love of the Irish:
Posted in Movies, Pictures, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Much like the Faces of 2024, there are always entertainers of note to be on the look-out for in the new year or those who made great waves throughout the current year who will, undoubtedly, be big stars in the new year.
The new faces of 2025 appear below in no particular order:
Elliott Heffernan – After a nationwide open casting call and dealing with the audition process, this 11-year-old British boy made his professional on screen debut in the box office World War II-themed movie Blitz from director Steve McQueen. He played the young son, George, of Rita who was portrayed by Saoirse Ronan.
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi – Phylicia is a Maryland-born actress, who turned heads as young Celie in last year’s new version of The Color Purple, a performance which earned her an Outstanding Breakthrough Performance nomination at the 24th Annual Black Reel Awards. Not bad for her first big role, huh? Previously she worked as a staff writer for the short-lived Paramount+ series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.
Nikki Rodriguez – The 20-something actress from Minneapolis moved to LA straight out of school, first playing the tough teen girlfriend of a South Central gang member in the Gen Z comedy On My Block and then landing the plum role of Jackie Howard, the smart New York teenager, who ends up living in Colorado with her late mother’s best friend and her large family in the Netflix young-adult drama My Life With the Walter Boys.
Matilda De Angelis – The Italian actress and singer recently starred in the box office movie Across the River and Into the Woods (yes, that’s the full title of the movie and the Ernest Hemingway book on which it is based) alongside Liev Schreiber and Josh Hutcherson before landing the lead role in the spin-off series Citadel: Diana where she played an undercover agent for the global spy agency Citadel.
Anna Sawai – The Best Actress Emmy winner for the revised version of Shogun, had one of her big breaks in the 2021 franchise film F9: The Fast Saga, but it’s been her work in the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Pachinko as well as Monarch: Legacy of Monsters that got her attention in addition to her award-winning performance in the aforementioned Shogun.
Mia McKenna-Bruce – She appeared in the young adult dramas Get Even and Vampire Academy as well as the Dakota Johnson-led movie Persuasion before winning the EE Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, which is the British equivalent to the Oscars and Emmys and is the only award voted on by the British public, for her role in the acclaimed indie film How to Have Sex.
Kali Reis – The former world champion professional boxer of Native American descent co-starred alongside recent Emmy winner Jodie Foster in the fourth season of True Detective: Night Country where Kali was nominated herself as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Not too bad for her small screen acting debut, right?
Ambika Mod – Her first big break was in the AMC+ original series This Is Going to Hurt, playing Shruti Acharya, a young Labour Ward trainee alongside actor Ben Whishaw before appearing in the small screen adaptation of One Day based on the David Nicholls 2009 novel and its 2011 film adaptation, which starred Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. It was this lead role that really broke hearts.
Hoa Xuande – While this newcomer has actually been acting since 2010, it wasn’t until he appeared in the short-lived John Cho series Cowboy Bebop and then the HBO period piece espionage series The Sympathizer, where he starred opposite Robert Downey Jr., that caught viewers’ attention.
Drew Starkey – Drew has appeared in the TV shows Mercy Street, Shots Fired and Ozark as well as the box office movie Love, Simon and the streaming flick The Other Zoey, but it’s been his recurring role in the Netflix series Outer Banks and his starring role in this fall’s box office movie Queer, starring 007 actor Daniel Craig himself, that has been turning heads.
Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2025? Please share.
TOMORROW: Closing Out 2024
Posted in Familiar Faces, Movies, Pictures, Television, Year End Round Up on December 29, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The following list highlights the actors and actresses on TV and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention throughout this year.
They appear in no particular order:
Danielle Brooks – In the past couple of years, Danielle has portrayed Mahalia Jackson in a Lifetime made-for-TV movie, appeared alongside John Cena in the MAX original series Peacemaker and revisited her Tony-winning role of Sofia in the box office movie The Color Purple that came out at the very end of 2023, which garnered her countless nominations for awards in the earlier part of 2024. Next up she will be seen in action-comedy film A Minecraft Movie, starring alongside Jason Momoa, Jack Black and Wednesday’s Emma Myers.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Da’Vine received praise for her roles in the 2019 box office movie Dolemite Is My Name and the 2020 movie The United States vs. Billie Holiday. In the last year, she has appeared in the controversial TV series The Idol, the much buzzed about box office movie Rustin, appearing as Mahalia Jackson I might add, and reprised her role of Donna Williams in season four of Only Murders in the Building. But it was her performance as Mary Lamb in the independent film The Holdovers, which came out in October 2023, that garnered her critical acclaim and eventually an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress.
Charles Melton – Charles is more than just a “pretty face,” and his role in the 2023 box office movie May December put him on the map. The movie was loosely reminiscent of the scandalous affair between schoolteacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her barely-a-teenager-lover Vili Fualaau with Julianne Moore playing the older woman in the movie and Melton as her much younger lover-nee-husband. Movie goers will recognize him from 2019’s The Sun Is Also a Star and Bad Boys for Life in 2020. He also appeared in the TV series Riverdale for nearly all of its seven-season run on The CW.
Cailee Spaeny – Cailee appeared in the box office movies Bad Times at the El Royale and On the Basis of Sex both in 2018 followed by the reboot of The Craft: Legacy in 2020. She then starred in the TV shows Mare of Easttown in 2021 and The First Lady in 2022; but it was her role of Priscilla Presley in the 2023 box office movie Priscilla that got her rave reviews. She has since appeared in this year’s movies Civil War and Alien: Romulus.
Camila Morrone – Camila started out in 2016 as a model for Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, Chanel and Calving Klein (among others). She later appeared in the 2020 box office movie Valley Girl, but it was her role as Camila Alvarez-Dunne in the Prime Video limited series Daisy Jones & the Six from 2023 that garnered her a lot of attention and even earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination. She also appeared in the indie film Marmalade alongside Cross and Leverage star Aldis Hodge and Stranger Things alum Joe Keery.
Glenn Powell – His first big TV appearance was in 2015 in Scream Queens on FOX and the 2016 box office movie Hidden Figures, but it was the 2022 box office sequel Top Gun: Maverick that put him on the map. He followed that up with an appearance in the box office movie Devotion and then the Netflix movie Hit Man. He then appeared in the highest-grossing R-rated rom com Anyone But You and then this past summer’s sequel film Twisters.
Lewis Pullman – He also appeared in Top Gun: Maverick two years ago and had a role in the Josh Brolin-led TV series Outer Range before starring alongside Captain Marvel star Brie Larson in the Apple TV+ period piece Lessons in Chemistry. This fall he appeared in the horror remake of Salem’s Lot that aired on Max and next year he will star in the ensemble anti-superhero movie Thunderbolts.
Ella Hunt – The singer and musician segwayed into acting with her big break coming through the comedy-drama Dickinson that starred Hailee Steinfeld and then she appeared in the box office movie Lady Chatterley’s Lover. This year was big for her as she appeared in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 as well as playing legendary comedienne Gilda Radner in the box office movie Saturday Night.
Anthony Boyle – He appeared in two episodes of the Northern Ireland teen comedy Derry Girls as well as the Benedict Cumberbatch-led mini-series Patrick Melrose. He also had roles in the box office movies Tolkien and Tetris. But it’s been his roles in Masters of the Air and Manhunt, which aired nearly simultaneously earlier this year as well as the more recently aired Say Nothing that have put him on the map.
Aaron Pierre – This London-born actor appeared in roles in the TV shows The A Word, Britannia, Krypton and The Underground Railroad before landing a role in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller flick Old. He then landed the role of Malcolm X in the anthology series Genius and followed that up with the lead role in the Netflix movie Rebel Ridge, starring alongside Don Johnson. He will next be seen in the box office movie Lanterns with Kyle Chandler and he provides the voice of Mufasa in the soon to arrive Mufasa: The Lion King box office movie.
Who are some of the faces from this year who caught your attention either on television, in music or in film? Please share.
TOMORROW: New Faces of 2025
Posted in Condolences, Movies, Music, Sports, Television, Year End Round Up on December 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The following industry personalities, athletes, politicians (etc.) passed away in 2023 and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.
The celebrities we have lost this year are (in alphabetical order):
Jim Abrahams (Film Director and Writer, Airplane, Hot Shots and the Naked Gun franchise) [He was 80]
Anouk Aimee (French Actress, A Man and a Woman) [He was 92]
Steve Albini (Recording Engineer, Worked with Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, among countless others) [He was only 61]
Bobby Allison (NASCAR Hall of Fame Driver) [He was 86]
Jean Allison (Character Actress, Bonanza, McCloud, Highway to Heaven and more) [She was 94]
Angela Alvarez (Cuban-born Singer and Songwriter, Oldest Performer to Win Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist at age 95) [She was 97]
John Amos (Actor, Good Times and Roots) [He was 84]
Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr. (Founder of Famous Amos Cookies) [He was 88]
William Anders (Flew on First Manned Space Mission to Orbit the Moon and Took “Earthrise Photo) [He was 90]
Alfa Anderson (Chic Lead Vocalist, “Good Times” and “Le Freak” [She was 78]
Iris Apfel (Fashion Icon and subject of Albert Maysles documentary) [She was 102]
John Aprea (Actor, Godfather Part II and Full House) [He was 83]
Erica Ash (Actress, Survivor’s Remorse and MADtv) [She was 46]
Dick Asher (Veteran Music Executive) [He was 92]
John Ashton (Actor, Beverly Hills Cop franchise)
Jonathan Axelrod (Studio Executive, Screenwriter and Producer; Responsible for producing over 2 dozen Hallmark movies)
Robin Ayers (Entertainment journalist and Radio Host) [She was only 44)]
Hinton Battle (3-time Tony Award winner, Singer, Dancer, Producer, Director, Choreographer, Actor, the original production of The Wiz and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer “Once More With Feeling” musical episode) [He was only 67]
Billy Bean (Former Openly Gay Outfielder for Detroit Tigers, LA Dodgers and San Diego Padres, MLB’s First Ambassador for Inclusion) [He was only 60]
Bob Beckwith (9/11 Fireman who stood beside President Bush at Ground Zero) [He was 91]
Soma Golden Behr (Senior Editor at The New York Times) [She was 84]
Joan Benedict (Soap Opera Star, General Hospital and Days of Our Lives) [She was 96]
Robyn Bernard (Actress, General Hospital) [She was 64]
Susie Maxwell Berning (Trailblazing 3-Time Champion of US Women’s Open Golf Tournament)
Roy Battersby (Director and Stepfather to Actress Kate Beckinsale)
Dickey Betts (Guitarist, Allman Brothers) [He was 80]
Frankie Beverly (Singer, R&B Group Maze)
Michel Blanc (French Actor, the film Les Bronzes and crime drama Monsieur Hire)
Christine Boisson (French Actress, Emmanuelle) [She was only 68]
Angela Bofill (R&B Singer, “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,” “I Try” and “Angel of the Night”)
Joe Bonsall (Member of Legendary Country Singing Group Oak Ridge Boys)
Barbara Taylor Bradford (Best-Selling Author, “A Woman of Substance”) [She was 91]
Marshall Brickman (Oscar-Winning Co-Screenwriter, Annie Hall) [She was 85]
Cole Brings Plenty (Actor, Yellowstone and 1923) [He was only 27]
Kevin Brophy (Actor, TV Series Lucan and Cult Horror Film Hell Night)
Aaron Brown (Former ABC News and CNN anchor)
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant (Professional Basketball Player and Coach, Father to the Late Kobe Bryant) [He was only 69]
Don Buchwald (Longtime Agent to Howard Stern) [He was 88]
Susan Buckner (Actress, Grease)
Edgar Burcksen (Emmy-Winning Film and TV Editor, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles)
Janice Burgess (Creator of Nickelodeon’s The Backyardigans)
Joe Camp (Creator and Director of Benji movies) [He was 84]
Adan Canto (Actor, The Cleaning Lady and Designated Survivor) [He was only 42]
Peter Caranicas (Long-Time Variety Editor) [He was 80]
Eric Carmen (Singer, “All By Myself” and “Hungry Eyes”)
Caleb Carr (Military Historian and Author, ‘The Alienist’) [He was only 68]
Jimmy Carter (39th President of the United States) [He was 100]
Jenne Casarotto (Founder of Brit Talent Agency)
Roberto Cavalli (Fashion Designer) [He was 83]
Cindy Charles (Head of Music at Twitch and Digital Music Veteran) [She was only 69]
Pei-pei Cheng (Cheng Pei-pei in proper Chinese culture) (Actress, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Come Drink With Me)
Thom Christopher (Actor, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and One Life to Live)
Christopher Cicone (Artist, Interior Designer and younger brother of Madonna) [He was only 63]
Bill Cobbs (Veteran Actor, The Bodyguard and The West Wing) [He was 90]
Sherry Coben (Creator, Kate and Allie)
Pat Colbert (Actress, Dallas)
Michael Cole (Actor, Mod Squad) [He was 84]
Dabney Coleman (Veteran Actor, 9 to 5, Tootsie, Buffalo Bill, Yellowstone and Boardwalk Empire) [He was 92]
Charlie Colin (Founding Member and Bassist of the band Train) [He was only 58]
Eleanor Collins (Canada’s First Lady of Jazz, First Black person in Canada to host a TV program) [She was 104]
Roger Cook (PBS’ This Old House Cast Member)
Roger Corman (Pioneering Independent Producer, King of B Movies and Discovered Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro) [He was 98]
Mickey Cottrell (Veteran Publicist and Champion of Independent Filmmakers)
Gavin Creel (Tony Winner and Broadway Star, Hair, Hello Dolly and Into the Woods) [He was only 49]
Arlene Croce (Dance Critic for The New Yorker) [She was 90]
Peter Crombie (Actor Seinfeld and House of Frankenstein)
Kathryn Crosby (Actress, Singer and Widow of Bing Crosby) [She was 90]
Charles R. Cross (Music Journalist) [He was 67]
Michael Culver (British Actor, Sherlock Holmes, Star Wars franchise and A Passage to India) [He was 85]
Sarah Cunningham (British Painter of Hypnotic Canvases) [She was only 31]
Mark Damon (Actor turned Independent Sales Executive, Producer on Monster) [He was 91]
James Darren (Teen Idol Actor in Gidget, Singer and Director) [He was 88]
Lynn Yamada Davis (TikTok star known for Cooking with Lynja) [She was only 67]
Vontae Davis (Former NFL Player) [He was only 35]
Lorenza de’Medici (Descendant of Storied Italian Family, Author, TV Host and Cooking School Director) [She was 97]
Diane Delano (Actress, Northern Exposure) [She was only 67]
Alain Delon (French Actor, Le Samourai) [He was 88]
Daniel C. Dennett (Widely Read and Fiercely Debated Philosopher) [He was 82]
Michaela DePrince (World-Renowned Ballerina) [She was only 29]
Geoffrey Deuel (Actor, The Young and the Restless and Chisum) [He was 81]
Paul Di’Anno (Former Iron Maiden Lead Singer) [He was only 66]
Shannen Doherty (Actress, Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed) [She was only 53]
Lou Dobbs (Conservative Political Commentator)
Charles Dolan (Founder of HBO and Cablevision) [He was 98]
Phil Donahue (Legendary Talk Show Host) [He was 88]
William Donaldson (Chairman of the S.E.C.) [He was 93]
Shelley Duvall (Actress, The Shining)
Bob Edwards (Host of the NPR news program Morning Edition)
Duane Eddy (Grammy-winning Guitarist) [He was 86]
Ron Ely (Actor, 1960’s TV series Tarzan) [He was 86]
Jeannie Epper (Stunt Double for Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman) [She was 83]
Dr. Anthony Epstein (Doctor who found virus capable of cousin cancer in humans) [He was 102]
Art Evans (Actor, A Soldier’s Story and Die Hard 2) [He was 82]
Abdul “Duke” Fakir (Last Surviving Member of the Four Tops) [He was 88]Henry Fambrough (Last Original Member of The Spinners, “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “The Rubberband Man”) [He was 85]
Tisa Farrow (Actress, Only God Knows and younger sister of Mia Farrow)
Neill Fearnley (TV Director)
April Ferry (Acclaimed Costume Designer, Maverick, Game of Thrones and Rome) [He was 91]
Joe Flaherty (Comedian-Actor, SCTV and Freaks and Geeks) [He was 82]
Vic Flick (English Musician/Guitarist, Responsible for the classic guitar riff on the iconic James Bond Theme) [He was 87]
Herbie Flowers (Bassist, Performed with David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Lou Reed) [He was 86]
Woody Fraser (Producer and Creator, The Mike Douglas Show and Good Morning America) [He was 90]
Frank Fritz (American Pickers) [He was only 60]
Yvonne Furneaux (Actress in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and Polanski’s Repulsion) [She was 98]
David Gail (Actor, Port Charles) [He was only 58]
Teri Garr (Actress and Oscar Nominee, Tootsie, “Young Frankenstein” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”) [She was 79]
Chris Gauthier (Actor, Once Upon a Time and Eureka) [He was only 48]
Mitzi Gaynor (Actress, South Pacific) [She was 93]
Cecilia Gentili (Actress, Pose and longtime trans activist) [She was only 52]
Eric Gilliland (Writer and Producer, Roseanne) [He was only 62]
Nikki Giovanni (Poet, Activist, Professor and Children’s Book Author) [She was 81]
Cat Glover (Muse and Choreographer who worked with Prince) [She was 62]
Richard Goldstein (Trailblazer in Mapping Other Planets) [He was 97]
Benny Golson (Saxophonist and Composer) [He was 95]
Louis Gossett Jr. (Oscar-Winning Veteran Actor, Office and a Gentleman and Roots) [He was 87]
David Graham (British Actor, Peppa Pig, Thunderbirds franchise and the Daleks on Doctor Who) [He was 99]
Gary Graham (Actor, Star Trek and Alien Nation)
Nancy Green-Keyes (Casting Director, The Notebook and Rush Hour) [She was 68]
Benji Gregory (Former Child Actor, ALF) [He was only 46]
Greg Gumbel (Sports Broadcaster)
Mark Gustafson (Oscar-Winning Director) [He was only 64]
Dayle Haddon (Actress and Former Supermodel)
Francoise Hardy (French Singer and Actress) [She was 80]
Ron Harper (Actor, Land of the Lost and Planet of the Apes) [He was 91]
Bill Hayes (Actor, Days of Our Lives) [He was 98]
Rickey Henderson (Hall of Fame Outfielder) [He was only 65]
Greg Hildebrandt (Famed Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Marvel Artist) [He was 85]
Bernard Hill (Actor, Titanic and The Lord of the Rings)
Nonny Hogrogian (Honored Illustrator of Children’s Books) [She was 92]
Rod Holcomb (Emmy-Winning TV Director, ER and Lost)
Thomas Hoepker (Photographer whose 9/11 photo of 5 people lounging on a Brooklyn waterfront as the World Trade Center burned in the background, left an indelible mark. [He was 88]
Drake Hogestyn (Actor, Days of Our Lives)
Earl Holliman (Actor, The Rainmaker and Forbidden Planet) [He was 96]
Cissy Houston (Renowned Gospel and Soul Singer, Two-Time Grammy Winner and Mother of Whitney Houston) [She was 91]
Barbara Howar (Nonconformist and Author, “Laughing All the Way) [She was 89]
Olivia Hussey (Actress, Romeo and Juliet and Black Christmas’ Star)
Doug Ingle (Founder of band Iron Butterfly, Singer and Co-Writer ‘In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida’)
Khyree Jackson (Recently Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings) [He was only 24]
Sheila Jackson Lee (Long-time Texas Congresswoman)
Tito Jackson (Founding Member of the Jackson 5)
Jill Jacobson (Actress, The New Gidget and Falcon Crest)
Tom Jarriel (ABC News Correspondent and Anchor) [He was 89]
Norman Jewison (Director, Moonstruck, Jesus Christ Superstar and In the Heat of the Night) [He was 97]
Will Jennings (Grammy and Oscar Winner and Songwriter, “My Heart Will Go On,” “Tears in Heaven” and “Wind Beneath My Wings”) [He was 80]
Glynis John (British Actress, Mary Poppins) [She was 100]
Harry Johnson (Actor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica and Law & Order)
Dub Jones (Football Player, Cleveland Browns) [He was 99]
Jack Jones (Singer, Theme Song of The Love Boat) [He was 86]
Jacoby Jones (Super Bowl Champion and Former NFL Wide Receiver) [He was only 40]
James Earl Jones (Legendary Film and TV Actor) [He was 93]
Quincy Jones (Artist, Grammy-Winning Producer and Film Composer) [He was 91]
Daniel Kahneman (Renowned Psychologist and Nobel Prize Winner) [He was 90]
Jay Kanter (Agent to Stars Like Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando) [He was 97]
Aaron Kaufman (Producing Partner to Robert Rodriguez) [He was only 51]
Toby Keith (Country Singer) [He was only 62]
Jamie Kellner (TV Maverick who launched both FOX and The WB)
Ethel Kennedy (Widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy) [She was 96]
Greg Kihn (Singer-Songwriter, Hitmaker of Songs “Jeopardy” and “Breakup Song”)
James Kottak (Former drummer for hard-rock band Scorpions) [He was only 61]
Daniel Kramer (Bob Dylan Photographer) [He was 91]
Wayne Kramer (Guitarist and Co-Found of MC5, He influenced the creation of punk rock)
Kris Kristofferson (Actor, A Star Is Born, and Country Singer) [He was 88]
Thomas Kurtz (Inventor, BASIC, the computer programming language) [He was 96]
Jon Landau (Oscar-winning producer, Titanic and Avatar) [He was only 63]
Linda Lavin (Tony Winner and Veteran Actress, Alice) [She was 87]
Rev. James Lawson Jr. (Strategist for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Taught Protesters Painful Techniques of Nonviolence) [He was 95]
Mary Wells Lawrence (First woman to Own and Run a Major National Advertising Agency) [She was 95]
Steve Lawrence (Singer and Actor) [He was 88]
Richard Leibner (Agent who made news anchors into stars) [He was 85]
Phil Lesh (Bassist for The Grateful Dead) [He was 84]
Gerald Levin (Media Executive Behind Time Warner-AOL Merger Debacle) [He was 84]
Richard Lewis (Actor and Comedian)
Joseph Lieberman (Senator and Former Vice-Presidential Candidate) [He was 82]
David Liederman (Creator of David’s Cookies)
Rachel Lillis (Voice of Misty and Jessie in Pokémon) [She was only 46]
Robert Logan (Actor, 77 Sunset Strip and Wilderness Family) [He was 82]
Dave Loggins (Grammy nominated Hall of Fame singer/songwriter, “Please Come To Boston”)
Bill Lucy (Trailblazing Black Union Leader, Fought for Civil Rights in American South and against Apartheid in South Africa) [He was 90]
Angus MacInnes (Actor, Star Wars and Rogue One)
Robert MacNeil (Legendary PBS News Anchor and Writer) [He was 93]
Mandisa (American Idol finalist and Grammy winning Christian Artist) [She was only 47]
Bernie Marcus (Co-Founder, Home Depot) [He was 95]
Peter Marshall (Original TV Host, Hollywood Squares) [He was 98]
Mary Martin (Grammy-winning Talent Scout, Manager and Record Executive) [She was 85]
John Mayall (British Blues-Rock Legend and 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee) [He was 90]
Jane McAlevey (Fierce Labor Organizer and Scholar) [She was only 59]
Les McCann (Legendary Jazz Pianist)
Murray McCory (Founder of JanSport) [He was 80]
Chad McQueen (Son of Steve McQueen and Actor, The Karate Kid) [He was only 63]
Melanie (Singer and Songwriter, Performer at Woodstock in 1969 and wrote lyrics to “The First Time I Loved Forever,” the theme song for the 1980’s TV series Beauty and the Beast)
Hudson Meek (Actor, Baby Driver) [He was only 16]
Kent Melton (Character Sculptor, Aladdin, The Lion King and Coraline) [He was 68]
Sergio Mendes (Brazilian Pop Innovator) [He was 83]
Steve Mensch (President and General Manager, Tyler Perry Studios) [He was 62]
Sam Mercer (Hollywood Producer and M. Night Shyamalan collaborator) [He was 69]
Spencer Milligan (Actor, 70s Kids Show Land of the Lost)
Sandra Milo (Actress, Fedrico Fellini’s 8½ and Juliet of the Spirits) [She was 90]
Kenneth Mitchell (Actor, Jericho, Star Trek: Discovery and Switched at Birth) [He was only 49]
Peggy Moffitt (Actor and 1960’s Mod Icon) [She was 86]
Josette Molland (French Resistance, Nazi Forced-Labor Camp Survivor and Painter) [She was 100]
Bob Moore (Founder of Bob’s Red Mill whole-grains company) [He was 94]
Cindy Morgan (Actress, Tron and Caddyshack) [She was only 69]
Chris Mortensen (ESPN NFL Reporter)
Michael Mosley (Popular UK TV Doctor) [He was 67]
Martin Mull (Veteran Comedic Actor)
Alice Munro (Nobel Prize-Winning Canadian Author) [She was 92]
Ana Ofelia Murguia (Mexican Star and Voice of Disney’s Coco) [She was 90]
Don Murray (Actor, Bus Stop and Knot’s Landing) [He was 94]
Alec Musser (Actor, All My Children) [He was only 50]
Dikembe Mutombo (NBA Hall of Fame Player) [He was only 58]
Bette Nash (World’s Longest-Serving Flight Attendant) [She was 88]
Alexei Navalny (Russian Opposition Leader) [He was only 47 and in a Russian prison at time of death]
Tyka Nelson (Singer and Only Full Sibling of Prince) [She was only 64]
Bob Newhart (Comedy Icon and Actor) [He was 94]
Michael Newman (Real-Life Lifeguard and Firefighter and Actor, Baywatch) [He was only 67]
Annie Nightingale (Pioneering BBC Radio DJ)
Zack Norman (Comedian, Film Producer and Actor, Romancing the Stone) [He was 83]
Wayne Northrop (Actor, Days of Our Lives, Dynasty and Port Charles)
Edna O’Brien (Prolific Irish Author) [She was 93]
Dr. Thomas O’Brien and Ruth Reardon O’Brien (Parents of Late-Night Host Conan O’Brien, who passed asway within days of each other) [They were 95 and 92 respectively]
William O’Connell (Veteran Actor, Star Trek and Clint Eastwood movies) [He was 94]
Lynda Obst (Producer, Sleepless in Seattle, Flashdance and Adventures in Babysitting)
Charles Osgood (Host, CBS Sunday Morning) [He was 91]
Edwin Overland (Football and Speedway Commentator)
Ken Page (Actor and Cabaret Singer, Broadway’s Ain’t Misbehavin and Cats)
Conrad Palmisano (Veteran Hollywood Stuntman, Stunt Coordinator and Director) Weekend at Barnie’s and Sleepless in Seattle)
Larry H. Parker (Personal Injury Attorney in Southern California known for motto “We’ll fight for you”)
Francine Pascal (Author, “Sweet Valley High” Novels) [She was 92]
Liam Payne (Member of British boy band One Direction) [He was only 31]
Chance Perdomo (Actor, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Gen V) [He was only 27]
Chuck Philips (Pulitzer-Winning LA Times Journalist)
Mike Pinder (Founding Keyboardist of the Moody Blues) [He was 82]
Nicholas Pryor (Veteran Actor, Port Charles, 90210 and Risky Business) [He was 89]
Judi Pulver (Singer-Songwriter and later Sales Executive at Variety)
Alan Rachins (Actor, L.A. Law and Dharma & Greg) [He was 82]
Alvin Rakoff (Director, “A Voyage Round My Father” and “Shades of Greene”) [He was 97]
Joyce Randolph (Actress, Honeymooners) [She was 99]
Catherine “Kasha” Rigby (Big Mountain and Expedition Skier) [She was only 54]
Leonard Riggio (Founder of Barnes &Noble) [He was 83]
Chita Rivera (Two-time Tony Award winner, West Side Story, Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman) [She was 91]
Thomas Rockwell (Son of Artist Norman Rockwell and Children’s Book Author) [He was 91
Richard Romanus (Actor, Mean Streets and The Sopranos)
Sam Rubin (KTLA Entertainment Reporter) [He was only 64]
Barbara Rush (Actress, It Came From Outer Space and Peyton Place) [She was 97]
Marian Robinson (Mother of Former First Lady Michelle Obama) [She was 86]
Chi Chi Rodriguez (Legendary Professional Golfer) [He was 88]
Fred Roos (Oscar-Winning Producer-Casting Director, The Godfather and Godfather Part II) [He was 89]
Pete Rose (Major Little Baseball All-Time Hit King) [He was 83]
Eddie Rosenblatt (Longtime Geffen Records President) [He was 89]
Gena Rowlands (Veteran Actress, A Woman Under the Influence and The Notebook) [She was 94]
Al Ruddy (Producer, Godfather, Million Dollar Baby and Co-Creator Hogan’s Heroes) [He was 94]
William Russell (Stage and Screen Actor, Doctor Who and Father of Harry Potter actor Alfred Enoch) [He was 99]
Alan Sacks (Co-Creator, Welcome Back Kotter and TV Producer) [He was 81]
Pamela Salem (British Actress, Doctor Who and EastEnders) [She was 80]
Bengt Samuelsson (Nobel Prize-winning biochemist) [He was 90]
CJ Sansom (British Author)
John Savident (U.K. Actor, Coronation Street) [He was 86]
Alan Scarfe (Actor, One Life to Live, Double Impact and Seven Days]
George Schenck (NCIS Writer, Producer and Showrunner) [He was 82]
Marvin Schlachter (Record Executive, Launched the Careers of Dionne Warwick and the Shirelles and later created influential disco label) [He was 90]
Al Schultz (Makeup Artist, The Carol Burnett Show and Good Times) [He was 82]
Lillian Schwartz (One of the First Artists to Use the Computer to Make Films) [She was 97]
David Seidler (Oscar-winning screenwriter, The King’s Speech) [He was 86]
Tom Shales (Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post TV Critic and Author)
Marlena Shaw (Jazz Vocalist, “California Soul”)
Doug Sheehan (Actor, General Hospital and Knots Landing)
Shifty Shellshock (Frontman of Rap Rock Band Crazy Town) [He was only 49]
Richard Sherman (Songwriter of ‘Spoonfuls of Sugar’) [He was 95]
Vladimir Shklyarov (Russian Ballet Star) [He was only 39]
James B. Sikking (Actor, Hill Street Blues and Doogie Howser) [He was 90]
Steve Silberman (Journalist, Author and Grateful Dead archivist) [He was 66]
Richard Simmons (Fitness Guru)
O.J. Simpson (Former Football Star and Actor Turned Murder Suspect and Ex-Con)
McCanna “Mac” Sinise (Son of Actor Gary Sinise) [He was only 33]
Bud S. Smith (Editor, Sorcerer, The Exorcist and Flashdance) [He was 88]
Dame Maggie Smith (Legendary Actress, Harry Potter franchise and Downton Abbey) [She was 89]
Maxine Solters (Publicist, Writer, Actor and Producer) [She was only 37]
Jae-lim Song (South Korean K-drama actor, Moon Embracing the Sun) [He was only 39]
David Soul (Actor, Starsky & Hutch and Singer, “Don’t Give Up On Us, Baby”)
John David “JD” Souther (Prolific Songwriter and Musician, Collaborator with The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt)
Adele Springsteen (Bruce Springsteen’s Mom) [She was 98]
Stephanie Sparks (Host of Golf Channel’s Big Break) [She was only 50]
Dr. Werner Spitz (Famed Forensic Examiner) [He was 97]
Morgan Spurlock (Documentary Filmmaker) [He was only 53]
Alice Stewart (Long Time Political Reporter and CNN Commentator) [He was 58]
Rob Stone (Co-Founder of Cornerstone Agency, Music Marketing Company, and its magazine the Fader) [He was only 55]
Donald Sutherland (Veteran TV and Film Actor, Emmy-Winner) [He was 88]
Anthea Sylbert (Costume Designer, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby and Shampoo) [She was 84]
Richard Tandy (Keyboardist for ELO)
Ruth Ashton Taylor (Pioneering Radio and TV Journalist) [She was 101]
Esta TerBlanche (Actress, All My Children) [She was only 51]
Duane Thomas (Running Back for the Dallas Cowboys)
Dennis Thompson (Drummer and Last Surviving Member of Detroit Rock Band MC5)
Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Manga Creator) [He was only 68]
Jeremy Tepper (SiriusXM’s ‘Outlaw Country’ Chief and a Leader of the Americana Movement) [He was 60]
Tony Todd (Actor, Candyman and Final Destination) [He was only 69]
Robert Towne (Oscar Winning Writer, Chinatown) [He was 89]
Yoshihiro Uchida (Judo Coach at San Jose State University) [He was 104]
Fernando Valenzuela (Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher) [He was only 63]
Tom Van Amburg (Broadcast TV Veteran at KABC-TV) [He was 83]
Toni Vaz (One of the first Black Stuntwomen in Hollywood and Created the NACCP Image Awards) [She was 101]
Simon Verity (British Stone Carver, one of his statues adorns the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Upper Manhattan)
Michael Villella (Actor, The Slumber Party Massacre) [He was 84]
Ozzie Virgil, Sr. (Dominican-born Baseball Player, New York Giants and Detroit Tigers) [He was 92]
Johnny Wactor (Actor, General Hospital) [He was only 37]
M. Emmet Walsh (Veteran Actor, Blade Runner and Raising Arizona) [He was 88]
Bill Walton (NBA Star and ESPN Commentator)
Carl Weathers (Actor, Rocky franchise and The Mandalorian)
Paula Weinstein (Emmy-Winning Producer, The Perfect Storm and The Fabulous Baker Boys and Former Tribeca Enterprises Executive)
Mary Weiss (Lead Singer of Shanri-Las, “Leader of the Pack” and “Out in the Street”)
Jerry West (NBA Hall of Famer) [He was 86]
Ruth Westheimer (Sex Guru Dr. Ruth) [She was 96]
Mark Withers (Actor, Dynasty)
Maurice Williams (R&B Singer and Composer, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, “Stay”) (he was 86]
Taylor Wily (Actor, in both remakes of Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I.) [He was only 56]
Robin Windsor (Professional Dancer, Strictly Come Dancing) [He was only 44]
Steven Wise (Animal Rights Activist)
Susan Wojcicki (Former YouTube CEO and Influential Google Executive) [She was only 56]
Chuck Woolery (Legendary Game Show Host) [He was 83]
Eduardo Xol (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) [He was only 58]
Patti Yasutake (Actress, Beef and Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Lloyd Ziff (Magazine Designer and Photographer) [He was 81]
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
Posted in Artists, Awards, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 26, 2024| 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 is just some of the top winners over the course of this year:
GOLDEN GLOBES (January)
Best TV Drama – Succession
Best TV Comedy – The Bear
Best Actress, TV Drama – Sarah Snook, Succession
Best Actress, TV Comedy – Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Best Actress, TV Limited Series – Ali Wong, BEEF
Best Picture, Box Office Drama – Oppenheimer
Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement – Barbie
Best Actress Box Office Drama – Emma Stone, Poor Things
Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture – Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Best Support Actor, Motion Picture – Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Best Director, Motion Picture – Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Best Original Song, Motion Picture – “What Was I Made For?”, Barbie
CREATIVE ARTS EMMYS (January)
Guest Actress, Comedy – Judith Light, Poker Face
Host, Nonfiction Series – Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy
Documentary Series – The 1619 Project
Music Composition for Documentary – Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Original Main Title Theme Music – Wednesday
Period Hairstyling – Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Movie
Period Costume, Limited Series – Daisy Jones & the Six
Stunt Coordination, Drama – The Boys
Stunt Performance – The Mandalorian
GOLD LIST WINNERS (January)
Best Picture – Past Lives
Best Director – Celine Song, Past Lives
Best Performance in a Supporting Role – Charles Melton, May December
Best Adapted Screenplay – Dave Callaham, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Original Song – “Can’t Catch Me Now,” Olivia Rodrigo, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Best Animated Feature – The Boy and The Heron
ASTRA TV AWARDS (formerly HCA TV Awards) (January)
Best Broadcast Network Drama Series – Will Trent
Best Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Drama Series – Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
Best Broadcast Network or Cable Limited Series – A Small Light
Best TV Comedy – Abbott Elementary
Best Guest Actor, TV Drama – Nick Offerman, The Last of Us
STREAMING PROGRAM AWARDS (January):
Best Streaming Comedy – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Best Supporting Actor, Streaming Comedy – James Marsden, Jury Duty
Best Supporting Actor, Limited or Streaming – Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird
Best Streaming Drama – The Boys
Best Actress, Streaming Series – Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Best Supporting Actor, Streaming Drama – Jensen Ackles, The Boys
Best Supporting Actress, Streaming Drama – Elizabeth Debecki, The Crown and Jeri Ryan, Star Trek: Picard
Best Period Costumes – The Crown
EMMY AWARDS (January)
Comedy Series – The Bear
Lead Actor, Drama – Kieran Culking, Succession
Lead Actress, Comedy – Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Supporting Actress, Comedy – Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Variety Special – Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium
CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS (January)
Best Picture – Oppenheimer
Best Actor, Motion Picture – Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Best Actress, Motion Picture – Emma Stone, Poor Things
Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture – Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture – Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Best Original Screenplay, Motion Picture – Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie
Best Costume Design, Motion Picture – Jacqueline Durran, Barbie
Best Animated Feature, Motion Picture – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Origial Song, Motion Picture – “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie
Best Supporting Actor, TV Drama – Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Best Actor, TV Comedy – Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Best Supporting Actress, TV Comedy – Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building
Best Made for TV Movie – Quiz Lady
Best Supporting Actor, Limited Series – Jonathan Bailey, Fellow Travelers
AARP MOVIES FOR GROWNUPS AWARDS (January)
Best Picture – Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actress – Anette Bening, Nyad
Best Actor – Colman Domingo, Rustin
Best Supporting Actress – Jodie Foster, Nyad
Best Director – Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Best Ensemble – The Color Purple
Best Foreign Film – The Zone of Interest
GRAMMY AWARDS (February)
Record of the Year – Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Album of the Year – Taylor Swift, “Midnights”
Song of the Year – Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, “What Was I Made For?,” Barbie
Best Rock Album – Paramore, “This Is Why”
Best Rock Song – Boygenius, “Not Strong Enough”
Best R&B Song – SZA, “Snooze”
Best Country Solo Performance – Chris Stapleton, “White Horse”
Best Folk Album – Joni Mitchell, “Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live]”
Best Audio Book – Michelle Obama, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times”
Best Immersive Audio Album – Alicia Keys, “The Diary of Alicia Keys”
BAFTA (February)
Leading Actor – Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Rising Star Award – Mia McKenna -Bruce
Original Screenplay – Justine Triet and Arthur Harai, Anatomy of a Fall
Animated Film – The Boy and the Heron
Casting – The Holdovers
Costume Design – Holly Waddington, Poor Things
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS (February)
Action Movie of the Year – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Comedy Movie of the Year – Barbie
Male Movie Star of the Year – Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Female Movie Star of the Year – Margot Robbie, Barbie
Action Movie Star of the Year – Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Movie Performance of the Year – America Ferrera, Barbie
TV Show of the Year – Grey’s Anatomy
Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show of the Year – Loki
TV Drama Star of the Year – Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Daytime Talk Show of the Year – The Kelly Clarkson Show
Male Country Singer of the Year – Jelly Rool
Male Latin Artist of the Year – Bad Bunny
Song of the Year – Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”
SAG AWARDS (February)
Female TV Actor, Drama – Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
Male TV Actor, Drama – Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
Female Film Actress – Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Stunt Ensemble – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part 1
SPIRIT AWARDS (February)
Best Lead Performance – Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Best Director – Celine Song, Past Livers
Best Breakthrough Performance – Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers
Best First Screenplay – Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik, May December
PRODUCERS GUILD AWARDS (February)
Outstanding Producer of Episodic TV, Comedy – The Bear
Outstanding Children’s Program – Sesame Street
RAZZIE AWARDS (March)
Worst Picture – Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
Worst Actor – Jon Voight, Mercy
Actress – Megan Fox, Johnny & Clyde
Supporting Actor – Sylvester Stallone, Expend4ables
OSCARS (March)
Best Picture – Oppenheimer
Adapted Screenplay – Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
Costume Design – Holly Waddington, Poor Things
NAACP IMAGE AWARDS (March)
Outstanding Actor, TV Comedy – Mike Epps, The Upshaws
Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Comedy – William Stanford Davis, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding TV Drama – Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Outstanding Actress, TV Drama – India Ria Amarteifio, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Limited Series – Don Cheadle, Secret Invasion
Outstanding Talk Series – The Jennifer Hudson Show
Outstanding Motion Picture – The Color Purple
Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture – Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
Outstanding Director, Motion Picture – Ava DuVernay, Origin
Outstanding New Artist – Victoria Monet
Outstanding Female Artist – H.E.R.
Entertainer of the Year – Usher
GLAAD AWARDS (March)
Outstanding TV Drama – Yellowjackets
Outstanding Limited Series – Fellow Travelers
CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS (April)
Best Action Movie – John Wick: Chapter 4
Superhero Movie – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Action TV Series – Reacher
Action TV Series, Best Actress – Zoe Saldana, Special Ops: Lioness
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS (May)
Entertainer of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Duo of the Year – Dan + Shay
Single of the Year – Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
Music Event of the Year – Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson, “Save Me”
GOTHAM TV AWARDS (June)
Breakthrough Comedy Series – Colin From Accounts
Breakthrough Limited Series – Baby Reindeer
Outstanding Performance in TV Drama – Zine Tseng, 3 Body Problem
Outstanding Performance in Limited Seies – Andrew Scott, Ripley
TONY AWARDS (June)
Best Musical – The Outsiders
Leading Actor in a Musical – Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
Leading Actress in a Play – Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
Featured Actor in a Musical – Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS (July)
Achievement in Drama – Anna Sawai, Shogun
Achievement in Comedy – Jean Smart, Hacks
Achievement in Family Programming – Doctor Who
Career Achievement Honoree – Andre Braugher
Heritage Award – Twin Peaks
MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS (September)
Video of the Year – Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Fortnight”
Best New Artist – Chappell Roan
Most Iconic Performance – Katy Perry, “Roar”
Song of the Year – Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”
Best Alternative – Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things”
Best Rock – Lenny Kravitz, “Human”
EMMY AWARDS (September)
Drama Series – Shogun
Comedy Series – Hacks
Lead Actor, Drama – Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun
Lead Actress, Drama – Anna Sawai, Shogun
Lead Actress, Limited Series – Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country
Supporting Actress, TV Drama – Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
CMA AWARDS (November)
Entertainer of the Year – Morgan Wallen
Song of the Year – Chris Stapelton and Dan Wilson, “White Horse”
New Artist of the Year – Megan Moroney
Female Vocalist of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Vocal Group of the Year – Old Dominion
Vocal Duo of the Year – Brooks & Bunn
GOTHAM FILM AWARDS (December)
Best Feature – A Different Man
Outstanding Lead Performance – Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Outstanding Supporting Performance – Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Best International Feature – All We Imagine as Light
Best Screenplay – Azazel Jacobs, His Three Daughters
Breakthrough Director – Vera Drew, The People’s Joker
Breakthrough Performer – Brandon Wilson, Nickel Boys
NEW YORK FILM CRITICS (December)
Best Film – The Brutalist
Director – RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
Actor – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Actress – Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Supporting Actor – Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Supporting Actress – Carol Kane, Between the Temples
Screenplay – Sean Baker, Anora
Animated Film – Flow
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
Posted in Movies, Year End Round Up on December 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »
It was another interesting year at the movieplex this year with a very wide array of movies available, especially the juggernaut movies Wicked, Part 1 and Gladiator 2 that capped off the year, becoming known as “Glicked” (much like how Barbie and Oppenheimer became known as Barbenheimer last summer).
There was also the late 2023 release of the R-rated rom-com Anyone But You, starring ubiquitous stars Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. This movie became the highest-grossing R-rated rom-com in almost a decade, becoming more than a sleeper hit as the new year broke, crossing well over $100 million at the worldwide box office.
It was also the year of animated films with Despicable Me (it’s latest version: Despicable Me 4 was released in July) becoming the first animated franchise in movie history to cross over the $5 billion mark at the international box office while Inside Out 2 became the first animated film to hit $1 billion at the worldwide market.
The reverse could be said about the prequel series Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which stumbled badly at the box office, creating the worst record for the Memorial Day weekend in nearly three decades and the sequel film Joker: Folie a Deux bombed as well, being set to lose at least $150 million to $200 million in its theatrical run.
Speaking of Joker (the 2019 movie starring Joaquin Phoenix), that movie had been the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history, but it was overshadowed by the Ryan Reynolds-Hugh Jackman-led Deadpool & Wolverine, which generated over $1 billion dollars in the box office during its first 23 days of release.
As for Deadpool & Wolverine, that was one of a handful of movies that I got to see at the theatre this year, as rising ticket costs and a general lack of extra time to go to the movies put a damper on what I was able to see this year.
I was fortunate enough to see The Fall Guy and Wicked, Part 1 in the theatre, and I highly recommend both!
I also got to see Argylle, starring Henry Cavill and Bryce Dallas Howard (among others), and while I know that movie didn’t perform all that well in the theatres, and received its fair share of less-than-flattering reviews, I found it to be a fun movie to watch (even if it was a little hard to believe at times).
Now let’s take a look at the top 30 box office winners from this year (up through Saturday, December 14 that is):
1. Inside Out 2 – 653 million
2. Deadpool & Wolverine – 637 million
3. Despicable Me 4 – 361 million
4. Wicked – 286 million
5. Moana 2 – 248 million
6. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – 294 million
7. Dune: Part Two – 282 million
8. Twisters – 268 million
9. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – 196 million
10. Kung Fu Panda 4 – 193.59 million
11. Bad Boys: Ride or Die – 193.57 million
12. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – 171 million
13. It Ends with Us – 149 million
14. Gladiator II – 146 million
15. The Wild Robot – 143 million
16. Venom: The Last Dance – 140 million
17. A Quiet Place: Day One – 139 million
18. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – 113 million
19. IF – 111 million
20. Alien: Romulus – 105 million
21. Bob Marley: One Love- 97 million
22. The Fall Guy – 92.9 million
23. Red One – 92.6 million
24. The Garfield Movie – 92 million
25. Wonka – 85 million
26. Longlegs – 74 million
27. Migration – 73 million
28. Mean Girls – 72 million
29. Smile 2 – 68.9 million
30. Civil War – 68.6 million
On the other spectrum are the movies that were either a disappointment in the box office due to poor ticket sales or, more importantly, had a horrible trailer that made me completely uninterested in seeing them.
They appear in alphabetical order below:
Abigail
Anora
Arcadian
Blink Twice
Brothers
Challengers
Imaginery
Joker: Folie à Deux
Kraven the Hunter
Kinds of Kindness
Lisa Frankenstein
Longlegs
Megalopolis
Monkey Man
Nightbitch
Poolman
Smile 2
Speak No Evil
Stopmotion
Terrifier 3
The End
The First Omen
Trap
Venom: The Last Dance
What movies did you enjoy seeing this year?
TOMORROW: Awards Season
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Special, Television, Video on December 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »
On December 25, the special Doctor Who: Joy to the World will debut online on Disney+.
This new holiday special finds the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) traveling on his own now that Ruby Sunday has returned home. However, as is always the case when the Doctor is traveling solo, his solitude won’t last long.
This Christmas special will see the Time Lord joined by a new friend: Bridgerton alum Nicola Coughlan will star in the special as Joy.
Here is a trailer for Doctor Who: Joy to the World:
Rueben's Ramblings 