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2022 Year-End Round Up: Closing Out the Year

Posted in Messages, Year End Round Up on December 31, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I think we can all agree that 2022 was better than 2021 especially in terms of COVID not owning as much of our lives, while still being somewhat a concern. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, at least in my opinion, and hopefully we’ll get there soon.

As I said last year, if we try to focus on the good, and what makes us happy, hopefully that will help us all weather the rocky terrain that has been 2022.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I want to thank everyone who has visited my site this year. I hope you’ll come back next year!

Happy New Year!

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2022 Year-End Round Up: New Faces of 2023

Posted in Movies, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Much like the Faces of 2022, 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 2023 appear below in no particular order:

Lisette Olivera – A relative newcomer, Lisette has the lead role of Jess Valenzuela in the Disney+ drama series National Treasure: Edge of History, which is considered an expansion of the Nicolad Cage-led National Treasure movie franchise. What’s more she gets to star alongside not only Harvey Keitel but also Catherine Zeta-Jones and movie alum Justin Bartha.

Chante Adams – Chante made a name for herself in the critical acclaimed indie film Roxanne Roxanne before appearing in the horror flick Bad Hair and the Issa Rae-led flick The Photograph. But it was her turn as Dana Canedy alongside Michael B. Jordan in the Denzel Washington-directed film A Journal for Jordan that turned heads. That was followed by a key role in the small screen adaptation of A League of Their Own. She will next be seen alongside the likes of Diane Lane, Jeff Daniels and Lucy Liu in the Netflix series A Man in Full.

Alaqua Cox – She is the absolutely newbie who stood out in the Disney+ Marvel series Hawkeye, fighting against Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, as deaf gang leader Maya Lopez, who will be the lead character in the upcoming Disney+ series Echo (set to debut sometime in 2023). When the show debuts, she will star alongside heavyweights Vincent D’Onofrio, Charlie Cox, Tantoo Cardinal, Graham Greene and Zahn McClarnon.

Ncuti (pronounced Shoo-tee) Gatwa – Best known for his role in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education, he was named as the new Doctor on Doctor Who, making him the first black actor to lead the series in its long-tenure. While he was set to take over for Jodie Whittaker, viewers were surprised by David Tennant – who played the 10th Doctor – would temporarily take over as the 14th Doctor, making Ncuti the 15th Doctor.

Joseph Quinn – While the British actor has appeared in episodes of Game of Thrones and C.B. Strike as well as the mini-series Howard’s End and Catherine the Great, but it was his major breakout role as fan favorite Eddie Munson in season four of Stranger Things that has really garnered him attention.

Minha Kim – Minha made her formal acting debut this year in the critically beloved Apple TV+ series Pachinko, which is based on the best-selling novel by Min Jin Lee, that found her working with a supporting cast that included Oscar winner Youn Yuh-Jung (Minari).

Railey and Seazynn Gilliland – These identical twins were plucked from TikTok – all while working at a pizza parlor – to play the Canadian indie pop duo Tegan and Sara (who are also identical twin sisters) in the Freevee drama series High School, which is based on the best-selling memoir by the pop duo. What’s more the Gilliland twins had no musical experience; in fact, they both had never acted, sung or played a musical instrument before, but Tegan stumbled upon their TikTok account, and just knew they were the right pair for the roles.

Christina Jackson – Christina has appeared in episodes of The Good Fight, Boardwalk Empire and Outsiders, but it is her role in the box office movie Devotion, starring opposite Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell, that has audiences turning heads. She will next have a role in the upcoming Shirley Chisholm biopic that will star Regina King.

Stephanie Hsu – While she has been acting for almost 20 years, it was her breakthrough performance in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, starring the upcoming film American Born Chinese (which reunites her with Yeoh). She has also appeared in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and had a recurring role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Gabriel LaBelle – The 19-year-old stars in the box office film The Fablemans, essentially playing that film’s version of Stephen Spielberg, and he also appeared in episodes of this year’s American Gigolo. He made his acting debut, at the age of 11, in the Canadian TV series Motive and he appeared in the 2018 movie The Predator.

Vicky Krieps – Hailing from Luxembourg, Vicky has appeared in a lot of projects. Most recently she has appeared in the box office films Phantom Thread, The Girl in the Spider’s Web and Old; but it’s been her role in Corsage, portraying the 19th century Austrian monarch Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, that has turned a lot of heads. She will next be seen in the movie More Than Ever.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2022? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2022

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2022 Year-End Round Up: Faces of 2022

Posted in Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 29, 2022| 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.

They appear in no particular order:

Nicole Lecky – The 30-something English-Jamaican writer and actress (who is a quadruple threat: creator, writer, actress and singer-songwriter) hit it big with the BBC America and AMC drama series Mood, which was based on her 2019 one-woman show that debuted last month. Among her other credits are writing for the series E20, a spin-off of the British soap opera EastEnders and appearing in the British series Doctors and Casualty along with the streaming series Sense8.

Iman Vellani – Iman is a rising newcomer who landed the lead role of Kamala Khan in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, becoming the first Muslim to play a key superhero in a live-action Marvel adaptation. This is her first role ever, and since she is a big fan of the genre (calling herself a “full-on fangirl,” not to mention she dressed up as Kamala Khan for Halloween when she was younger, she is having quite a year. She will reprise her role in next summer’s The Marvels.

Isabel May – This native Californian landed the plum role of Elsa Dutton in the Taylor Sheridan-Yellowstone prequel series 1883, which debuted at the beginning of this year. She started her career on the Netflix comedy series Alexa & Katie and had a recurring role on Young Sheldon. She also appeared in the movies I Want You Back and Run Hide Fight. She’ll next be seen in the indie heist film The Smack with Casey Affleck.

Troy Kotsur – Troy made history this year by not only being the first deaf man to be nominated for an acting Oscar and the second deaf actor to be nomimated for an Oscar as well as becoming the first deaf man to win the golden idol for his role as devoted father, and randy husband, Frank Rossi in the acclaimed film CODA, which won for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. In the past, he has appeared in episodes of Strong Medicine, CSI: NY, Scrubs and Criminal Minds.

Quinta Brunson – It’s been quite a year for Quinta with the debut of her hit ABC comedy Abbott Elementary (which she created) in December of 2021. Since then the show has received critical acclaim and made her the first black woman to be nominated for acting, writing and producing in Emmy history. She has won awards for her role in the show from the Hollywood Critics Assocation and the Television Critics Association too. Her past TV appearances include guest starring roles in iZombie, Single Parents and Miracle Workers. She also played Oprah Winfrey in the The Al Yankovic Story,

Sydney Sweeney – This 24-year old has had a big year with her double Emmy nominations for her leading roles in the HBO dramas Euphoria and The White Lotus; and she has landed a role in the upcoming Marvel film Madame Web that will star Dakota Johnson in the title role. Sydney has appeared in episodes of Pretty Little Liars, The Handmaid’s Tale and Sharp Objects as well as the box office film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Melanie Lynskey – With nearly 30 years of industry work under her belt, including roles in the TV comedy Two and a Half Men and the box office favorites Ever After and Sweet Home Alabama, Melanie has a lot for which to be proud. That being said, it has been her role in the much-buzzed about Showtime drama Yellowjackets that has landed her a great deal of attention with praise galore. It’s been a long time coming and well deserved.

Amber Midthunder – Some viewers will remember her for her work in the Dan Stevens-led mind-binder series Legion or for her role in the rebooted series Roswell, New Mexico, but it was her lead role of Naru, the skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation in the box office film Prey that was a prequel to the Predators franchise.

Daryl McCormack – This relative newcomer from Ireland appeared in TV shows like Vikings and Peaky Blinders, but it was his turn as a gigolo in the Sundance hit Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, starring alongside Emma Thompson. He has also appeared in the much-talked-about Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters and appeared in the fantasy series The Wheel of Time.

The cast of Squid Game – This Netflix survival series took the world by storm, changing the landscape of TV and garnering the series and its cast with a Golden Globe win, three Screen Actors Guild awards, two Critics Choice Awards, 14 Emmy nominations and a special award at the AFI awards as well as a greenlit reality series.

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 2023

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2022 Year-End Round-Up: In Remembrance

Posted in Books, Condolences, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The following industry personalities, athletes, politicians (etc.) passed away in 2022 and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.

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

Shinzo Abe (Former Japanese Prime Minister)
Neal Adams (Batman Comic Artist)
Shireen Abu Akleh (Al Jazeera Journalist)
Madeleine Albright (First Female Secretary of State)
Ian Alexander Jr. (Musician, DJ and son of Actress and Director Regina King) [He was only 26]
Marie Alice (Actress, A Different World and Spakle)
Kirstie Alley (Actress, Cheers, Veronica’s Closet and Look Who’s Talking)
Louie Anderson (Comedian; Emmy Winning Actor, Baskets and Family Feud Host)
John Aniston (Veteran Actor, Days of Our Lives and Jennifer Aniston’s Father)
David A. Arnold (Standup Comedian and Showrunner)
Nicki Aycox (Actress, Supernatural) [She was 47]

Angelo Badalamenti (Composer, Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive)
Rebecca Balding (Actress, Soap and the original Charmed)
Jim Balfe (father of actress Caitriona Balfe from Outlander)
Darius Barnes (Broadway dancer and choreographer)
Jules Bass (Producer and Director, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman)
Luke Bell (Country Artist, Cowboy and Troubadour) [He was only 32]
Jana Bennett (Former President and General Manager of the History Channel and Former Director at the BBC)
Marilyn Bergman (Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning songwriter, “The Way We Were”)
David Birney (Actor, St. Elsewhere and Bridget Loves Bernie)
Stephanie Bissonnette (Broadway Star, Mean Girls) [She was only 32]
June Blair (Actress, Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) [She was 90]
Peter Bogdanovich (Iconic Director, The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon)
Stephan Bonnar (Legendary Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator fighter) [He was only 45]
Lee Bontecou (Legendary Artist) [She was 91]
Stephen “tWitch” Boss (Dancer, DJ and Co-Executive Producer, So You Think You Can Dance and The Ellen DeGeneres Show) [He was 40]
Traci Braxton (Singer and Star of Braxton Family Values alongside her sisters Toni and Tamar) [She was only 50]
David Brenner (Film Editor, Justice League and Independence Day)
Raymond Briggs (Creator of “The Snowman’ picture book) [He was 88]
Todd Brodginski (Veteran Music Publicist and Art Garfunkel’s Manger)
Peter Brook (Tony-Winning British Theater Director) [He was 97]
Johnny Brown (Veteran Actor, Good Times)
June Brown (Veteran British Actress, EastEnders) [She was 95]

James Caan (Actor, The Godfather and Las Vegas)
Patrick Carlin (Author, Comedy Writer and Older Brother of Comedian George Carlin) [He was 90]
Irene Cara (Iconic 1980’s Singer-Actress, Fame and Flashdance)
Pat Carroll (Emmy Winner and voice of Disney’s Ursula)
Dick Carson (Director, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and younger brother to Johnny Carson) [He was 92]
Jeff Carson (Award-Winning Country Artist and Songwriter ) [He was 58]
Aaron Carter (Pop Singer and Younger Brother of Nick Carter from Backstreet Boys) [He was only 34]
Robbie Coltrane (Actor, Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise)
Coolio (Rapper, Best Known for “Gangster’s Paradise”)
Kevin Conroy (Iconic Voice of Animated Batman)
Tim Considine (Disney Legend and Actor, My Three Sons and original The Mickey Mouse Club)
Ann Turner Cook (Face of Gerber’s Baby Food) [She was 95]
Zuri Craig (America’s Got Talent Finalist and Collaborator of Tyler Perry)
Bernard Cribbins (British Actor, Grandfather to Donna Tate on Doctor Who) [He was 93]
Carl Croneberg (Deaf Swedish Immigrant, Helped write first comprehensive ASL dictionary) [He was 92]
Julee Cruise (Icon Singer, Twin Peaks theme song)

David Davis (Comedy Writer, Bob Newhart Show and Taxi)
Charlbi Dean (Actress, Black Lightning) [She was only 32]
Emilio Delgado (Actor, Sesame Street)
Robert Breck Denny, Jr. (Writer and Actor, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Member of The Groundlings) [He was only 34]
Jan DeWitt (50-Year Veteran Producer, Bones and Judging Amy)
Tony Dow (Actor, Leave It To Beaver)
Denise Dowse (Actress, Insecure and Beverly Hills 90210)
Lamont Dozier (Motown Legend, Singer-Songwriter-Producer, Mastermind behind songs like “Baby Love” and “Two Hearts”)
Shonka Dukureh (Actress-Singer, Played Big Mama Thornton in 2022 Elvis) [She was only 44]

Sonya Eddy (Actress and Beloved General Hospital Star) [She was 55]
James Edwards (Major Figure in British Music Industry) [He was only 31]
Ned Eisenberg (Actor, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Mare of Easttown)
Ralph Emery (Country Music DJ and TV Host)
Charles Entenmann (Builder of the Baked Goods Empire) [He was 92]
Zack Estrin (Writer-Producer, Prison Break and Lost in Space) [He was 51]
Nicholas Evans (Author, The Horse Whisperer)

Ben Feigin (Executive Producer, Schitt’s Creek)
Ryan Fellows (Cast Member on Discovery series Street Outlaws) [Died in Car Crash; He was only 41]
Bobbie Faye Ferguson (Actress, Designing Women, Dallas and Dukes of Hazzard)
Steve Fickinger (Tony-Winning Producer, “Dear Evan Hansen”)
Bert Fields (Consummate Hollywood/Entertainment Lawyer) [He was 93]
Nikki Finke (Founder of Deadline and Iconoclastic Journalist)
Andy Fletcher (Founding Member of Depeche Mode)
Louise Fletcher (Oscar Winning Actress, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)
Farrah Forke (Actress, Wings and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) [She was 54]
Jason David Frank (Actor, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) [He was 49]
Dallas Frazier (Songwriter, “Elvira,” “Alley Oop” and “Beneath Still Waters”)
Budd Friedman (Founder of The Improv Comedy Club) [He was 90]

Gallagher (Well-Known Comedian)
Mickey Gilley (Country Music Icon)
Clarence Gilyard, Jr. (Actor, Die Hard and Walker, Texas Ranger)
Jean-Luc Godard (King of France’s New Wave Cinema) [He was 91]
Mikhail Gorbachev (Last Soviet leader who ended the Cold War) [He was 91]
Gilbert Gottfried (Comedian)
Heather Gray (Executive Producer of “The Talk”) [She was only 50]
Jeremiah Green (Co-founder and Drummer, Rock Band Modest Mouse) [He was 45]
Stephen Greif (Actor, The Crown and Blake’s 7)
Robyn Griggs (Soap Opera Actress, One Life to Live and Another World) [She was only 49]
Clu Gulager (Veteran Actor, The Virginian and Return of the Living Dead) [He was 93]

Mike Hagerty (Actor, Friends and Somebody, Somewhere)
Patrick Haggerty (Trailblazing Gay Country Star)
Philip Baker Hall (Veteran Actor, The Loop, Falcon Crest and Seinfeld) [He was 90]
Scott Hall (WWE Hall of Famer)
Thich Nhat Hanh (Zen Master and Buddhist Monk) [He was 95]
Estelle Harris (Veteran Actress, Seinfeld) [She was 93]
Franco Harris (Legendary Football Player, Pittsburgh Steelers)
William “Poogie” Hart (Lead Singer of Soul Group Delfonics)
John Hartman (Founding Drummer of The Doobie Brothers)
Dwayne Haskins (Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback) [He was only 24]
Shelley Haus (Chief Marketing Officer of Ulta Beauty) [She was only 49]
Ronnie “Hawk” Hawkins (Rocabilly Singer, Mentor to The Band)
Rosa Lee Hawkins (Singer from The Dixie Cups, “Chapel of Love”)
Taylor Hawkins (Drummer, Foo Fighters) [He was only 50]
Anne Heche (Actress, Men In Trees)
Brad William Henke (Former NFL Player and Actor, Orange Is the New Black)
Howard Hesseman (Actor, Head of the Class and WKRP in Cincinnati)
Dwayne Hickman (Actor, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis)
Mike Hodges (British Director, Get Carter and Croupier) [He was 90]
Nick Holly (Manager, Writer, Producer and Co-Creator of ABC comedy Sons & Daughters) [He was 51]
Georgia Holt (Singer, Actress and Mother of Cher) [She was 96]
Bo Hopkins (Actor, American Graffiti and The Wild Bunch)
Joan Hotchkis (Veteran Stage and Screen Actress, The Odd Couple and Legacy) [She was 95]
Marsha Hunt (Blacklisted Actress and Activist) [She was 104]
William Hurt (Oscar-Winning Actor)

Gregory Itzin (Actor, 24)

Michael Robin Jackson (LA Talk Radio Personality)
Conrad Janis (Veteran Actor, Mork & Mindy)
Anthony “A.J.” Johnson (Actor, House Party and Friday) [He was 55]
Brad Johnson (Actor, Always and the original Melrose Place)
L.Q. Jones (Veteran Actor, The Wild Bunch, Casino and The Legend of Zorro) [He was 94]
Leslie Jordan (Actor, Writer and Singer)
Marvin Josephson (Founder, ICM Partners) [He was 95]
Naomi Judd (Matriarch of The Judds and mother to Wynonna and Ashley)
Max Julien (Actor, 1973 Blaxploitation classic The Mack)

Robert A. Katz (Producer, Gettysburg and Selena)
Takahashi Kazuki (Creator, Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Jack Kehler (Character Actor, The Main the High Castle and The Big Lebowski)
Sally Kellerman (Actress, Original Movie MASH)
Jessica Klein (Producer and Writer, Beverly Hills 90210)
Howie Kleinberg (Top Chef Fan Fave) [He was only 46]
Jak Knight (Stand-Up Comedian) [He was only 28]
Charles Koppelman (Legendary Music Executive and Former Chairman of Martha Stewart’s Company)
Michael Kopsa (Actor, Hallmark Channel movies)
Krishna (Major Star of 1980’s Telgui Cinema and Father of Star Mahesh Babu)
Hardy Kruger (German Actor, A Bridge Too Far, Hatari! and Barry Lyndon)
Cheslie Kryst (Former Miss USA 2019 and Correspondent for Extra) [She was only 30]
Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova (Journalist) [Killed in Ukraine] (She was only 24)

Art Laboe (Legendary Radio DJ who coined “Oldies but Goodies”)
Alan Ladd Jr. (Son of legendary actor Alan Ladd, Oscar-Winning Producer and Influential Motion Picture Executive)
Guy Lafleur (Legendary Montreal Canadiens player)
Bappi Lahiri (Bollywood Composer and Singer)
Edie Landau (Producer, The David Susskind Show and Executive President of the National Telefilm Associates) [She was 95]
Angela Landsbury (Veteran Actress, Murder She Wrote)
Mark Lanegan (Singer, Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age)
Michael Lang (Co-Creator of the 1969 Woodstock Festival)
Mike Lang (Leading Jazz and Studio Pianist)
Stephen J. Lawrence (Composer, Sesame Street)
Quentin Oliver Lee (Broadway Actor and Opera Singer)
Kevin Levene (Pioneering Guitarist and Co-Found of the Clash)
Jerry Lee Lewis (Rock Pioneer and Singer)
Lil Keed (Atlanta-based Rapper) [He was only 24]
Ray Liotta (Actor, Goodfellas and Field of Dreams)
Jon Lind (A&R Executive and Songwriter “Boogie Wonderland,” “Crazy for You”)
Sacheen Littlefeather (Native Americn Activist Who Declined Marlon Brando’s Oscar)
Bob LuPone (Actor and Brother of Broadway Icon Patti LuPone)
Loretta Lynn (Country Music Legend) [She was 90]

Patricia MacLachlan (Award-Winning Author, “Sarah, Plain and Tall”)
Lata Mangeshkar (Bollywood Singer, Known as the ‘Nighingale of India’) [She was 92]
Mary Mara (Actress, Nash Bridges, Law & Order and ER)
Jane Marczewski [aka Nightbirde] (Fan Favorite Season 16 contestant on America’s Got Talent) [She was only 31]
Stuart Margolin (TV Director, Actor and two-time Emmy winner, The Rockford Files)
Ron Masak (Actor, Murder She Wrote)
Dan McCafferty (Frontman of Scottish Rock Band Nazareth)
David McCullough (Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author) [He was 89]
Bob McGrath (One of the Original Human Stars on Sesame Street) [He was 90]
Virginia McLaurin (Sharecropper Daught in Jim Crow South/Danced with Barack & Michelle Obama at the Whitte House) [She was 113 by her accounting, as she had no birth certificate]
Dale McRaven (Creator, Mork & Monday and Perfect Strangers)
Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac, Singer-Songwriter-Keyboardist)
Meat Loaf (Singer, “Bat Out of Hell”)
Marijane Meaker (Autor, 1952 novel “Spring Fire” among countless other books) [She was at 95]
Yvette Mimieux (Actress, The Time Machine, The Black Hole, Where the Boys Are and Toys in the Attic)
Nicky Moore (Lead Singer of heavy metal band Samson)
Tommy Morgan (Harmonica Soloist for Dances With Wolves and Roots) [He was 89]
Robert Morse (Veteran Actor, Mad Men) [He was 90]
Roger E. Mosley (Actor, the original Magnum P.I.)
Virginia Patton Moss (Last Surviving Adult Cast Member of It’s a Wonderful Life)
Manfred Thierry Mugler (French Fashion Designer)

Mace Neufeld (Longtime producer, Patriot Game and Beverly Hills Cop III) [He was 93]
Olivia Newton-John (Grammy-Winning Singer and Actress, Grease and Xanadu)
Nichelle Nichols (Veteran Actress, Original Star Trek) [She was 89]
Monty Norman (Composer, James Bond Theme) [He was 94]

Terrence O’Hara (TV Director, NCIS and JAG)
Mo Ostin (Top Executive at Warner Bros.-Reprise Records for more than three decades) [He was 95]

Mimi Parker (Vocalist and Drummer for the band Low)
Tom Parker (The Wanted, British-Irish Boy Band) [He was only 33]
Fred Parris (Singer from The Five Satins, “In The Still Of The Night”)
Pelé (Soccer Legend) [He was 82]
D.H. Peligro (Drummer of Legendary Punk Rock Band Dead Kennedys)
Bill Pence (Co-Founder of the Telluride Film Festival) [He was 82]
Bob Penny (Veteran Actor, Forrest Gump and Sweet Home Alabama)
George Perez (Comic Book Artist, Wonder Woman and Teen Titans)
Nehemiah Persoff (Actor, Yentl and Some Like it Hot) [He was 102]
Wolfgang Peterson (Director, Air Force One and Das Boot)
Leslie Phillips (Actor in Harry Potter franchise as the voice of The Sorting Hat) [He was 98]
Svika Pick (Israeli King of Pop and Eurovision Winner)
Anita Pointer (Member of the Pointer Sisters)
Sidney Poiteir (Revered Actor, Oscar-Winning Trailblazer and Civl Rights Activist) [He was 94]
Jesse Powell (R&B Singer and Grammy Nominee)
Julie Powell (Food Writer of Julia Child Recipe Blog – Amy Adams played her in Julia & Julie movie) [She was only 49]
Pope Benedict XVI (German Pope from 2005 to 2013) [He was 95]
Albert Pyun (Action Director, Nemesis, Cyborg and Captain America)

Queen Elizabeth (Longest-Reigning Monarch in British History) [She was 96]

Bob Rafelson (Director, Five Easy Pieces and Co-Creator of The Monkees)
Teddy Ray (Stand-Up Comedian and Actor) [He was only 32]
Julia Reichert (Oscar-Winning Documentarian)
Ivan Reitman (Legendary Director, Ghostbusters)
Brent Renaud (U.S. Documentary Filmmaker) [He was only 50] [Killed in Ukraine]
Hargus “Pig” Robbins (Country Hall of Fame Piano Player)
Peter Robbins (Voice Actor, Original Voice of Charlie Brown in Peantus cartoons)
Cormac Roth (Musician and Son of Actor Tim Roth) [He was only 25]
Art Rupe (Specialty Records Founder and Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneer) [He was 104]
Bill Russell (11-Time NBA Champion and First Black Head Coach in US Pro Sports) [He was 88]
Mitchel Ryan (Veteran Actor, Dark Shadows, Lethal Weapon and Dharma & Greg)
Bobby Rydell (1960’s Pop Idol and Star of Bye Bye Birdie)

Bob Saget (Stand-Up Comedian and Actor, Full House and Host, America’s Funniest Home Videos)
Pharoah Sanders (Boundary-Pushing Jazz Saxophonist)
Marnie Schulenburg (Actress, As the World Turns and One Life to Live) [She was only 37]
Vin Scully (Legendary Announcer for the LA Dodgers) [He was 94]
Jim Seals (Seals and Crofts 70’s soft-rock duo)
Bernard Shaw (Legendary CNN Broadcaster) [He was 82]
Liz Sheridan (Veteran Actress on Broadway and on TV in Seinfeld and ALF)
Mark Shields (Political Analyst for PBS News Hour and CNN’s Capital Gang)
Oksana Shvets (Revered Ukranian Actress) [Killed in Russian Rocket Attack]
Charles Siebert (Actor, Trapper John M.D.)
Henry Silva (Veteran Actor, Ocean’s Eleven and The Manchurian Candidate) [He was 94]
Joanna Simon (Opera Singer and Sister of Carly Simon)
Lucy Simon (Singer, Broadway Composer and Sister of Carly Simon)
Joyce Sims (R&B Singer-Songwriter)
Tony Siragus (Former NFL PLayer) [He was 55]
Tony Sirico (Actor, The Sopranos)
Paul Sorvino (Actor, Goodfellas and Law & Order)
Ronnie Spector (Lead Singer of 60’s girl group The Ronettes)
Carol Speed (Actress, Blaxploitation film The Mack and Horror classic Abby)
Willie Spense (Season 19 American Idol Runner-Up) [He was only 23]
Meghan Stabile (New Jazz Impresario) [She was only 39]
Susie Steiner (Author of Acclaimed British Crime Novels) [She was only 51]
Morgan Stevens (Actor, Fame and Melrose Place)
Austin Stoker (Veteran Actor, Assault on Precinct 13 and Sheba, Baby) [He was 92]
Larry Storch (Actor, F Troop) [He was 6 months shy of his 100th birthday]
Alec John Such (First Bassist and Founding Member, Bon Jovi)

Marva Hicks Taha (Broadway and TV Actress)
Akira Takarada (Veteran Actor, Star of Original Godzilla and Voiceover Artist) [He was 87]
Takeoff (Rapper) [He was only 28]
Andre Leon Talley (Former America’s Next Top Model Judge and Fashion Icon)
Joe E. Tata (Actor, Beverly Hills, 90210)
Dax Tejera (Executive Producer, ABC’s This Week) [He was only 37]
Judy Tenuta (Accordian-Playing ‘Love Goddess’ Comedian)
Terry Tolkin (Veteran A&R Executive for Elektra Records)
Jean-Louis Trintignant (French Actor, A Man and a Woman and Amour) [He was 91]
Trouble aka Skoob (Atlanta Rapper) [He was only 35]
Ivana Trump (Donald Trump’s former wife)
Brett Tuggle (Keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac and David Lee Roth)
Joe Turkel (Bartender in The Shining and Blade Runner) [He was 94]

Gaspard Ulliel (French Actor, Moon Knight)

Vangelis (Oscar-Winning Composer Chariots of Fire)
Ronan Vibert (Actor, Saving Mr. Banks and The Snowman) [He was 58]
Leon Vitali (Actor, Barry Lyndon and Personal Assistant to Stanley Kubrick)
Monica Vitti (Actress, Italian movies L’Avventura and La Notte)
Lenny Von Dohlen (Actor, Twin Peaks)

Grant Wahl (Soccer Journalist) [He passed away while covering the World Cup in Qatar]
Jackie Walorski (Indiana US Representative)
Barbara Walters (Legendary News Anchor, TV Interviewer and TV Host) [She was 93]
Fred Ward (Actor, The Right Stuff and Tremors)
Shane Warne (Legendary Former Australian Cricket Player and TV Commentator) [He was 52]
David Warner (British Actor, The Omen, Tron, Time Bandits)
Shirley Watts (Wife of Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts)
Kenneth Welsh (Actor, Twin Peaks and The Day After Tomorrow)
Vivienne Westwood (Legendary English fashion designer who helped to popularize punk style)
Bobbie Whiteman (Longtime Variety Editor)
Don Wilson (Co-Founder of Rock-N-Roll Group The Ventures)

Shimada Yoko (Golden Globe Winner playing Mariko in 1980s TV series Shogun)

Pierre Zakrzewski (Fox News Cameraman) [Killed in Ukraine]
Jon Zazula (Legendary Metal Label Megaforce Records)

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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2022 Year-End Round Up: Award Winners

Posted in Awards, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 26, 2022| 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 list featured below showcases just some of the top winners over the course of 2022.

GOLDEN GLOBES (January)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama – Will Smith, King Richard
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy – Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick … Boom!
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy – Rachel Zegler, West Side Story
Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture – Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Best Television Series, Drama – Succession, HBO
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama – Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pose
Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television – The Underground Railroad
Best Performance by an Actress, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television – Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
Best Motion Picture, Animated – Encanto

NAACP IMAGE AWARDS (February)

Entertainer of the Year – Jennifer Hudson
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Regina King, The Harder They Fall
Outstanding Drama Series – “Queen Sugar”
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series – Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series – Angela Bassett, 9-1-1
Outstanding Female Artist – Jazmine Sullivan

SAG AWARDS (February)

Life Achievement Award – Helen Mirren
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – Coda
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role – Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series – Jung Ho-Yeon, Squid Game
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series – Lee Jung-Jae, Squid Game

CRITIC’S CHOICE AWARDS (March)

Best Picture (Film) – The Power of the Dog
Best Young Actor (Film) – Jude Hill – Belfast
Best Ensemble (Film) – Belfast
Best Original Screenplay (Film) – Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
Best Costume Design (Film) – Jenny Beavan – Cruella
Best Visual Effects (Film) – Dune
Best Comedy (Film) – Licorice Pizza
Best Actress in a Drama Series (TV) – Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets
Best Movie Made for TV – Oslo
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for TV – Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus
Best Animated Series – What If…?

BAFTA FILM AWARDS (March)

Leading Actress – Joanna Scanlan, After Love
Documentary – Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Adapted Screenplay – CODA, Siân Heder
EE Rising Star Award – Lashana Lynch
Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature-Film Director -Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter (Netflix)
Best Character Animation – Live Action – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS (March)

Best Male Lead – Simon Rex, Red Rocket
Best Female Lead – Taylour Paige, Zola
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series – Reservation Dogs
Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series – Thuso Mbedu, The Underground Railroad
Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series – Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game”
Best New Scripted Series – Reservation Dogs
Best Supporting Female – Ruth Negga, Passing
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000) – Shiva Baby

PRODUCER’S GUILD AWARDS (March)

David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series TV – M0are of Easttown
Award for Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Pictures- Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers
Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction TV – The Beatles: Get Back
Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk TV – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

WRITER’S GUILD AWARDS (March)

Original Screenplay (Film) – Don’t Look Up
Comedy Series TV – Hacks
Adapted Long Form TV – Maid
Daytime Drama TV – Days of Our Lives
On-Air Promotion (Documentary TV) – Celebrating Powerful Female Leads: Trailers for The Equalizer & Why Women Kill, Written by Molly Neylan;

RAZZIE AWARDS (March)

Worst Picture – Diana the Musical (The Netflix Version)
Worst Actor – LeBron James / Space Jam: A New Legacy
Worst Supporting Actor – Jared Leto / House of Gucci

ACADEMY AWARDS (March)

Best Original Score – Hans Zimmer, Dune
Best Supporting Actress – Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Best Supporting Actor – Troy Kotsur, CODA
Best Director – Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Best Lead Actor – Will Smith, King Richard
Best Lead Actress – Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Picture – CODA

GRAMMY AWARDS (April)

Record of the Year – Silk Sonic
Album of the Year – Jon Baptiste
Best New Artist – Olivia Rodrigo
Best Pop Solo Performance – Olivia Rodrigo, “Drivers License”
Best Rock Performance – Foo Fighters, “Making a Fire”
Best Traditional R&B Album – H.E.R., “Fight for You”
Best Country Solo Performance – Chris Stapleton, “You Should Probably Leave”
Best Musical Theater Album – Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical”

BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS (May)

Top Duo/Group – BTS
Top Billboard 200 Artist – Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist – Olivia Rodrigo
Top Billboard Global Artist – Ed Sheeran
Top Tour – The Rolling Stones
Top Country Duo/Group – Dan + Shay
Top Rock Artist – Glass Animals
Top Dance/Electronic Artist – Lady Gaga
Top Billboard 200 Album – Olivia Rodrigo, “SOUR”
Top Soundtrack – Encanto
Top Rock Album – Twenty One Pilots, “Scaled and Icy”
Top Radio Song – Dua Lipa, “Levitating”

MTV MOVIE & TV AWARDS (June)

Best Movie – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Best Show – Euphoria
Best Performance in a Movie – Tom Holland, Spider-Man: No Way Home
Best Performance in a TV Show – Zendaya, Euphoria
Best Comedic Performance – Ryan Reynolds, Free Guy
Best Hero – Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow
Best Villain – Daniel Radcliffe, The Lost City
Best Breakthrough Performance – Sophia Di Martino, Loki

BET AWARDS (June)

Best Actress – Zendaya, Euphoria/Spider-Man: No Way Home
YoungStars Award – Marsai Martin, black-ish
Album of the Year – Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak), “An Evening with Silk Sonic”
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist – Jazmine Sullivan

TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS (August)

Individual Achievement in Drama – Mandy Moore, This Is Us
Individual Achievement in Comedy – Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming – The Baby-Sitters Club
Program of the Year – Abbott Elementary

MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS (August)

Best New Artist – Dove Cameron
Best Rock – Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Black Summer”
Song of Summer – Jack Harlow, “First Class”
Best Album – Harry Styles, Harry’s House
Best Altenative – Måneskin,“I Wanna Be Your Slave”
Song of the Year – Billie Eilish, “Happier Than Ever”
Group of the Year – BTS

HUMANITAS PRIZE AWARDS (September)

Comedy Feature Film – Don’t Look Up
Drama Teleplay – Pachinko, “Chapter One”
Limited Series, TV Movie, or Special – Women of the Movement: ‘Mother and Son

EMMY AWARDS (September)

Limited or Anthology Series – The White Lotus
Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Jean Smart, Hacks
Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Zendaya, Euphoria
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie – Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Julia Garner, Ozark

CMA AWARDS (November)

Entertainer of the Year – Luke Combs
Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year – Chris Stapleton
Vocal Group of the Year – Old Dominion

GOTHAM AWARDS (November)

Television Performer – Ben Whishaw, This Is Going To Hurt
Outstanding Lead Performance – Danielle Deadwyler, Till
Best Feature – Everything Everywhere All at Once

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (November)

Collaboration of the Year – Elton John & Dua Lipa, Cold Heart – Pnau Remix
Favorite Touring Artist – Coldplay
Favorite Female R&B Artist – Beyonce
Favorite Male Latin Artist – Bad Bunny
Favorite Soundtrack – Elvis

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS (December)

Movie of 2022 – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Comedy Movie of 2022 – The Adam Project
Action Movie of 2022 – Top Gun: Maverick
Male Movie Star of 2022 – Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and Thunder
Drama Movie Star of 2022- Austin Butler – Elvis
Action Movie Star of 2022 – Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Show of 2022 – Stranger Things
Comedy Show of 2022 – Never Have I Ever
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2022 – Stranger Things
Country Artist of 2022 – Carrie Underwood

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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2022 Year-End Round Up: Box Office Movies

Posted in Movies, Year End Round Up on December 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

This year movie-goers were back in the cineplex in droves because the COVID restrictions were far less stringent than last year, and the box office included some heavy hitters this time around. There were still superhero-related movies like Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Adam and Spider-Man: No Way Home, but there were also huge blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World: Dominion and Elvis. And then there were more indie movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once and the much buzzed about screen adaptation of the best-selling novel Where the Crawdads Sing.

Among the much buzzed about news items in the world of box office movies have been the unjust cancellation of Batgirl just as the film was nearly at completion; the rave reviews for the performances by Brendan Fraser in The Whale and Austin Butler in Elvis and the impressive cast of The Woman King, including Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu.

Now let’s take a look at the top 30 box office winners from this year (up through Sunday, December 18 that is):

1. Top Gun: Maverick – 718.3 million
2. Black Panther: Wakana Forever – 419.8 million
3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 411.3 million
4. Jurassic World: Dominion – 376 million
5. Minions: The Rise of Gru – 369.5 million
6. The Batman – 369.3 million
7. Thor: Love and Thunder – 343.3 million
8. Spider-Man: No Way Home – 231.8 million
9. Sonic the Hedgehog – 190.9 million
10. Black Adam – 167.7 million
11. Elvis – 151 million
12. Avatar: The Way of Water – 150.4 million
13. Uncharted – 148.6 million
14. Nope – 123.3 million
15. Lightyear – 118.3 million
16. Smile – 105.9 million
17. The Lost City – 105.3 million
18. Bullet Train – 103.4 million
19. The Bad Guys – 97.2 million
20. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – 95.8 million
21. DC League of Super-Pets – 93.7 million
22. Where the Crawdads Sing – 90.2 million
23. The Black Phone – 89.9 million
24. Sing 2 – 86.3 million
25. Scream – 81.6 million
26. Morbius – 73.9 million
27. Everything Everywhere All at Once – 68.7 million
28. Ticket to Paradise – 67.9 million
29. The Woman King – 67.2 million
30. Halloween Ends – 64.1 million

NOTE: This list does not include Babylon or Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, both of which come out on December 23 nor does it include the Tom Hanks film A Man Named Otto, which comes out on December 30. Please keep in mind the box office results are currently low for Avatar: The Way of Water, as it just came out on Decmeber 16.

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. While several of the below were in the top 30 for ticket sales, they still weren’t very good (at least to me).

They appear in alphabetical order below:

Bones and All
Don’t Worry Darling
Halloween Ends
Jackass Forever
Marry Me
Massive Talent
Nope
Smile
Terrifier 2
The Barbarians
The Black Phone
The Menu
Violent Night

What movies did you most enjoy seeing this year? Which movies were disappointments to you? Please share your thoughts and comments.

TOMORROW: Awards of 2022

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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2022 Year-End Round-Up: Music Moments

Posted in Music, Year End Round Up on December 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

As I’ve shared for many years now, music has always been an important part of my life. It all started when I was a little girl, listening to music while sitting in the middle of my big brothers’ shared bedroom on the their old 1970’s turntable then listening to my big boom box and later the Walkman I had in the 1980’s all the way through to my iPod in the 2000’s to now my Pandora and Spotify accounts.

I wake up to music every morning rather than a buzzing alarm; and then I go to bed with music. Music may not mean to everyone what it means to me, but it does play a crucial part in television, Broadway, theatre and the box office.

The following are just some of the top performers for 2022:

Most Moving Song of the Year: “Unstoppable” by Sia

Sia (born Sia Kate Isobelle Furler) is a singer-songwriter from Australia who has been performing since the mid-1990’s. With nine albums (and a 10th album for which she is currently working on) under her belt, she is nothing short of very accomplished in the industry. Much like Lady Gaga, who was known for her outrageous outfits, Sia is very often seen in public – and especially when performing – behind the long bangs of a Cruella de Vil inspired wig. The wigs notwithstanding, Sia is a powerhouse singer and a force to be reckoned with.

Here is the lyric video for “Unstoppable”:

Duet of the Year: “Cold Heart” by Elton John and Dua Lipa

Joining forces this year was the one and only Elton John and one of the current, top pop princesses, former model and now singer Dua Lipa. This inventive single quickly reached number one on many charts all across the globe, using lyrics from John’s hit single “Rocketman,” this single earned the duo honors as Variety’s 2022 Hitmakers of the Year

Here is the lyric video for “Cold Heart”:

Up and Comers of the Year: Chapel Hart

The country music vocal group from Mississippi, comprised of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle, received a unanimous group golden buzzer on America’s Got Talent this summer with their original song, based on the Dolly Parton hit single Jolene, called “You Can Have Him Jolene.” They may have finished fifth in the competition, but they captured the hearts of everyone.

Here is the moment Chapel Hart took the stage and wowed everyone:

Global Artist of the Year: Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny (born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer, who has been credited with helping Spanish-language music achieve worldwide mainstream popularity, and he has the awards to prove it. He has amassed 2 Grammys, four Latin Grammys, 8 Billboard Music Awards and 13 Premios lo Nuestro awards as well as being crowned Artist of the Year at this year’s Apple Music Awards.

Here is the music video for “Titi Me Pregunto” by Bad Bunny:

Hot New Group: Wet Leg

Wet Leg is a British duo from the Isle of Wight, founded by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, has a new wave sound and deadpan vocals. They created an infectious and deceptively sly debut album that hit number one on the UK, Australian and Irish album charts and earned them five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist.

Here is the official music video of the single “Chaise Lounge” by Wet Leg:

Best “New” Country Artist: Lainey Wilson

Lainey Wilson was the most nominated singer at the 2022 Country Music Awards, and has landed herself a recurring guest starring role in the immensely popular Paramount Network drama Yellowstone. And while she is 30 years old and has been performing since she was a child, it was this year, and her single “Things A Man Oughta Know,” where she finally made it big

Here is the official music video for “Things A Man Oughta Know”:

Top Band of the Year: Glass Animals

Glass Animals is an English indie rock band that was formed back in 2010 and since that time has released three studio albums, hit it big this year with their single “Heat Waves,” which went viral on TikTok, surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. They received their first Grammy nomination this year in the Best New Artist category.

Here is the official music video for the hit single “Heat Waves”:

Top Single of the Year (TIE): “ABCDEFU” by Gayle and “Victoria’s Secret” by Jax

Gayle (born Taylor Gayle Rutherfurd) is an 18-year old singer from Texas, who made it big this year with her breakout single “ABCDEFU.” The single, which has a pop-punk edge with a catchy lyrical twist and a sing-along chorus, has inspired a number of imitators, as well as parodies, and crossed over to Billboard’s Hot 100 list and even hit internationally on Billboard’s Global 200.

Here is the official music video for “ABCDEFU” by Gayle (explicit language warning):

Jax (born Jaclyn Cole Miskanic) hails from New Jersey and finished 3rd on the 14th season of American Idol. Her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart is the single “Victoria’s Secret” that is her ode to body positivity, which blew up on TikTok.

Here is the lyric video for “Victoria’s Secret” by Jax:

Best Dance Number: “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” by Pink

The lead single from the pop rocker’s 9th studio album is “an upbeat anthem about dancing through perpetually hard times” that has been called “vibrant, joyful and euphoric.” Pink has been quoted that the song reflects her “desire to just find happiness” and that “insecurities should not limit people from doing what they want.”

Here is the music video for “Never Gonna Not Dance Again“:

Has He Become Over-Exposed: Harry Styles

Yes, Harry Styles is handsome and talented. He has hit singles playing on the radio; in fact, it seems you can’t turn on the radio without hearing one of his singles. He even starred in the much-buzzed-about drama thriller flick Don’t Worry Darling alongside Chris Pine and Florence Pugh and the independent film My Policeman, making him even more of the “It Boy” than he already was. But, for me, it just seems like he has become overexposed.

She’s Having a Big Year: Taylor Swift

For over half her life, Taylor Swift has built up quite an impressive catalog of songs, albums and awards. This year, though, she has become the first artist in history to command all 10 of the top spots on the Billboard Hot 100 in a single week with songs from her latest album Midnights.

What singer or band has been your “go-to” music during the past year? Which singles were the stand-outs for you this year? What song did you get sick of hearing on the radio? What was the top album in your opinion? Please share your thoughts on the music of 2022 below.

TOMORROW: Box Office Results

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2022 Year-End Round-Up: TV Moments

Posted in New Shows, Television, Year End Round Up on December 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The TV seasons this year were much better than last year as the COVID restrictions were not as strict, allowing for a lot more new and returning programming to happen on the major and cable neworks as well as streaming.

TV fans have been able to enjoy their favorite shows, good bad or otherwise. There were new shows for which we became obsessed with; outstanding performances, lots of streaming shows to get hooked on, unexpected departures and much, much more.

Please join me as I focus on the top highlights for 2022 (listed in no particular order):

Top Comedy (TIE): Abbott Elementary (ABC) and Ghosts (CBS)

Both of these comedies have captured the hearts of viewers, earning rave reviews and some awards along the way and deep gaffaws from their audiences, making them the clear top choices for comedies of the year.

Amazing Transformation (TIE): Lily James as Pam Anderson in Pam and Tommy (Hulu) and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown (Netflix)

Both of these actresses transformed themselves body and soul (with the help of costumes, wigs and in Lily’s case prosthetics) into two of the most iconic and entirely different women of current history;both bringing a vulnerability and believability to their portrayals of these remarkably complex and history-making women of the modern world.

Kirby

Memorable Guest Appearance (TIE): Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death in The Sandman (Netflix) and Patty Guggenheim as Madisynn on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+)

Kirby appeared in one episode of The Sandman, playing the title character’s sister Death. As she took her brother on a journey to understand their family’s purpose, we saw not only her compassion for those she helped cross to the other side but her sheer joy in taking the time to enjoy eating an apple and feeling the earth beneath her bare feet.

Patty

Patty, on the other hand, stole every scene she was in playing Madisynn “with one Y and two N’s, but it’s not where you thiiink.” Despite being sucked into other worlds in the multiverse and then ending up in the sanctuary of Sorcerer Supreme Wong, as – of all things his TV-viewing buddy – she was a perfect comic foil to Jennifer Walters.

Great Performance and Best Dance Scene: Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday (Netflix)

Jenna Ortega really impressed audiences with her portrayal of the infamous sardonic teen with her deadpan delivery of witty, hard-hitting dialogue along with those steely-eyed stares and impressive dance moves – that became a viral sensation. She embodied every aspect of Wednesday Addams, making us want so much more.

Here is the dance scene (personally choreographed by Jenna Ortega):

The Biggest TV Surprises: The following were just some of the biggest TV surprises to happen this year [spoiler alert!]: Soldier Boy is Homelander’s father on The Boys (Amazon); Halbrand is actually Sauron on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon); the MCU is actually run by an AI named K.E.V.I.N. on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+) and Jack isn’t the father of Charmaine’s twins on Virgin River (Netflix).

What Do You Mean He’s Leaving?: Henry Cavill leaving The Witcher and being replaced by Liam Hemsworth (Netflix)

Say it isn’t so! At first it felt as if this news were some kind of perverse trick or lie, but it quickly became clear that Cavill was truly leaving of his own volition and viewers of the fantasy series will have to wait to see how well Liam Hemsworth can take up the mantle of the role of Geralt of Rivia.

Taking Over the Reins (Highest Rated TV Drama): Yellowstone (Paramount Network)

For many years the long-running CBS stalwart series NCIS has been the number one rated show, but that is no longer the case. That title now belongs to Yellowstone, the Kevin Costner-led, modern-day western series that is now in its 5th season on the Paramount Network. The show is averaging nearly 12 million viewers every week (when all the final tallies are compiled), which is just shy of double the next highest rated show.

Best Costumes: The Gilded Age (HBO)

Much like The CW period drama Reign and the one and only Downton Abbey, the new drama The Gilded Age was filled with magnificent costumes representing a turning point in American history when the wild west gave way to the grand splendor of the riches of New York not only with opulent homes and the dichotomy of the “haves” and the “have nots,” but with elaborate outfits for the men and women of Fifth Avenue and 61st Street.

Highest Rated New Network Drama: Fire Country (CBS)

Out of all the new dramas that aired during 2022 on the major networks, it was a very close race for the highest rated new drama. By one point, Fire Country – starring SEAL Team alum Max Theriot as a young convict who joins a firefighting program looking for redemption from his past crimes – narrowly ecked out a win over East New York also on CBS.

What Is Going to Happen Next?: Nexstar Media Group buys majority of The CW

This majority acquisition of The CW by the largest local TV and media company, which has 200 broadcast stations in 116 markets and has 68% of the US TV-viewing households, was quite the coup. But Nexstar has basically decimated the once strong Arrowverse world of the 5th ranked network, and more upheaval is sure to follow.

Photo Credit: Creative Engine Entertainment

Best Actress: Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets (Showtime)

New Zealand-born actress Melanie Lynskey has a resume reaching back nearly 30 years with roles in box office films like Ever After and Sweet Home Alabama along with her long-running recurring role in the half-hour comedy Two and a Half Men; but it was her turn as Shauna in the Showtime series Yellowjackets that has garnered her acclaim not to mention a few acting awards. It has been a long time coming for sure.

Was Really Hoping This Show Would Be Better: The Rookie: Feds (ABC)

As one of the few new dramas this fall to debut on the major networks, I was really hoping that this spin-off of the Nathan Fillion drama would have turned out better. As much as I like the cast, as much as I like that the show is set in the world of The Rookie, I just have a problem with Nicey Nash’s character. Yes, the point of her character is to be bombastic, but there is a time and place for that type of characteristic and in the offices of the FBI is not one of them. And, don’t get me started on her revealing clothing not being appropriate in that world.

So Much Funnier Than I Was Expecting: So Help Me Todd (CBS)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this new dramedy on CBS when it debuted, but I certainly didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did while watching the first half of the season. Yes, some of Todd Wright’s antics as a disgraced private investigator now working for his demanding mother are a bit too much, but I have enjoyed the episodes despite that.

Best Actor: Daveed Diggs, Snowpiercer (TNT)

This original Broadway Hamilton alum has been the most compelling part of the ensemble cast of the small screen adaptation of the box office movie. The third season of the series found Layton dealing with reconnecting with Big Alice, dealing with nearly being assassinated by a good friend and creating an elaborate story for the remaining members of the train to follow a “vision” he had where the Earth isn’t frozen anymore. No easy fete, but Diggs pulled it off.

The Show That Came Out of Nowhere: Dark Winds (AMC)

The impact this AMC drama has had on the viewing public is quite impressive, earning critical acclaim and a high approval rating by Rotten Tomatoes. There has been some concern over accuracy about the Navajo Nation (and there are intentions of improving on that for the show’s second season), but it’s the fact that a drama finally brought talented actor Zahn McClarnon to the forefront that makes it worthy of attention.

Can You Believe Those Numbers?: Wednesday (Netflix)

The viewership results for this coming-of-age supernatural comedy horror series (say that three time fast!) has been impressive to say the least. Wednesday is now the third most watched series on Netflix following behind Squid Game and Stranger Things.

Prettiest Newcomer: Simone Ashley, Bridgerton, (Netflix)

Her breakout role was as Kathani “Kate” Sharma in the second season of the global sensation Bridgerton, playing the romantic foil to Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (series regular Jonathan Bailey), who was actually set on marrying Kate’s younger sister. The sexual intensity between these two characters was palpable.

Hunky Newcomer: Lavel Schley, East New York (CBS)

Lavel plays Officer Andre Bentley in the new police drama East New York on CBS. As a rookie, he has been learning the ropes thanks to his training officer Marvin Sandeford (Castle alum Ruben Santiago-Hudson). However, in the fall finale, his life hung in the balance after being shot in a drive-by.

Best Villain and Most Reviled Characters by Viewers [TIE]: Annie Wersching as Rosalind Dyer on The Rookie (ABC) and Anthony Starr as Homelander on The Boys (Amazon)

Say what you will about Rosalind Dyer, the serial killer on The Rookie. She was a piece of work and a vile person, who got her just end even though she deserved a more severe punishment.

As for Homelander on The Boys, he is perhaps the worst possible example of a superhero. He may put on a great fake face to the public, but behind the scenes he is a horrible person and a horrible man (super or not).

We’re Gonna Miss You [TIE]: Rebecca Pearson, This Is Us (NBC) and Elsa Dutton, 1883 (Paramount+)

One of the most moving episodes of the entire series of This Is Us was the penultimate episode entitled “The Train” that focused on Rebecca Pearson’s final day on this Earth, as she traversed a train, reliving moments in her life, surrounded by the people who meant the most to her, ending with her lying down in a bed and looking over to find Jack lying next to her. The entire episode was a roller coaster ride for fans, and Mandy Moore shone bright.

Newcomer Isabel May played young Elsa Dutton in the Yellowstone prequel series 1883. Viewers knew from the start that Elsa wasn’t long for this world because of taking a Lakota arrow to her liver in the pilot episode. She at least got to choose her resting place beneath a tree in Paradise Valley in Montana, on the very land where the family eventually established their ranch. May did an impressive job in her role.

Most Anticipated New, Upcoming Drama: 1932 (Paramount+)

Speaking of Yellowstone, the next prequel series in the ever-growing franchise made its debut last week, featuring powerhouse performers Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as the lead characters, Jacob and Cara Dutton. Just like 1883 before it, this look back at another generation of the Dutton clan will have viewers on the edge of their seats.

Who Saw That Coming? (The Most Unexpected Scenes): The Boys episodes “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies” and “Herogasm” (Amazon)

First there was that crazy but delightful dance sequence between Kimiko and Frenchie even if it was a dream because of the pair watching Judy Garland in Girl Crazy and then there was nearly every scene in the unforgettable episode Herogasm. I won’t go into details (or provide a picture) because you have to see the insanity of that episode to believe it. But, please keep in mind it’s not for the faint of heart nor for those on the more prudish side. Tread lightly viewers!

Best Performance in an Episode (TIE): NCIS “The Helpers” (NCIS) and The Rookie “Labor Day” (ABC)

In the season 19 NCIS episode “The Helpers” Jimmy and Kasie got infected by a deadly biotoxin. Watching them struggle with the horrible effects was heartbreaking. This was also the episode where viewers finally got to meet Jimmy’s tween daughter Victoria.

The Rookie episode “Labor Day” found Nyla going into labor, as she and her husband James dealt with deadly neighbors she suspected of killing someone. Her rising out of the water as one of the men from across the street attempted to kill her, was perhaps the most action-packed birth scene on TV.

What have been the stand-out moments on the small screen (networks or streaming) for you? Who was your favorite actor for the year? What series, special or TV event disappointed you the most? Please share your thoughts on TV from this year below.

TOMORROW: Music Moments

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2022 Year End Round-Up: Observations of the Year

Posted in Messages, News, Year End Round Up on December 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

It’s been a difficult few years because of COVID and its lingering aftermath not to mention all the tragedies that have befallen our country – be it school shootings, racial tensions, horrific weather or everything in the world of politics. But with the bad comes the good, and I know many of us try, as best we can, to focus on the good.

The following are just some of the top stories for this year, broken down by month:

January

* The deadly row house fire in Philadelphia
* The horrible winter storm, which caused a tractor trailer pile-up on I-95 on the East Coast that trapped drivers for 27 hours
* The Founder of Oath Keepers and 10 other members arrested and charged with seditious conspiracy over the January 6 insurrection
* The men who killed Ahmaud Arbery sentenced to life in prison
* Amy Schneider won 40 consecutive victories on Jeopardy, winning over 1.3 million
* The Tsunami warning for the West Coast caused by below water volcanic eruption in the South Pacific and the island of Tonga covered in massive quantities of ash
* The North Texas Synagogue and some of its parishoners who were taken hostage
* The two NYPD officers who were gunned down

February

* Power outages, running 2000 miles
* Russia invades Ukraine
* Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa
* First black woman on Supreme Court – Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson – nominated by President Biden

March

* Gas prices soaring
* The Emmett Till bill against lynching cleared congress
*The “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed in Florida

April

* President Biden pardoned three people in his first act of clemency
* Twitter’s board pulled “Posion Pill” in an effort to block Elon Musk takeover (he eventually got Twitter anyway)
* The slap heard round the world at the Oscars when Will Smith bitch-slapped Chris Rock
* Growing sanctions by various countries against Russia and their invasion of Ukraine

May

* The baby formula crisis
* The Monkeypox scare
* The departure of White House press secretary Jen Psaki
* School shooting in Uvalde, Texas by 18-year-old shooter
*Boston shooting by a radicalized 18-year-old, who believed in replacement theory where Black people are replacing whites

June

* Massive Jubilee celebration for Queen Elizabeth, 70 years as ruler
* The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade
* The Supreme Court also overtutned gun conceal law in New York that would affect many other states
* Ghislane Maxwell sentenced to 20 years for sex trafficking of underage girls alongside the now deceased Jeffrey Epstein
*R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering and violating the Mann Act

July

* The shooting at a 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois
* Boris Johnson resigned as U.K Prime Minister
* Massive flooding in Virginia and Kentucky

August

* WNBA player Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison for drug smuggling
* Alex Jones, founder of fringe media outlet Infowars, ordered to pay 45 million in punitive damages to Sandy Hook Families.
* The flooding in Death Valley
* Raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home because of classified documents he took
* The Inflation Reduction Act passed
* Serena Williams plants to retire from tennis
* Lake Mead at unprecedented low levels with human remains discovered
* Salman Rashdie brutally attacked
* CDC ordered major overhaul of their organization
* Water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi due to massive flooding disaster
* The Warner Brothers Discovery merger decimating programs and massive cancellations
* The Oregon shooting in a Safeway grocery store

September

* Liz Truss became the new U.K. Prime Minister – only the third female PM in U.K. history (she resigned only a six weeks later)
* Roger Federer retiring from tennis
* Senate Republicans introduced a bill to ban abortion nationwide
* Massive protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman who died while in the custody of morality police for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf
* The human trafficking scandal by Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott of migrants flown from Texas and Florida to Martha’s Vineyard
* Sir Elton John awarded National Humanities Medal by President Biden

October

* North Korea launching test-fire missiles over Japan
* Hurricane Ian hits Fort Myers, Florida and surrounding area causing massive flooding
* Rishi Sunak to become first non-white Prime Minister in U.K.
* Kevin Spacey found not liable in sexual abuse case
* Yet another school shooting in St. Louis, Missouri
* The deadly Halloween crowd-surge in Seoul, Korea
* The Kayne West antisemitic scandal

November

* The non-existent “Red Wave” that didn’t happen during the mid-term elections
* Alex Jones ordered to pay even more money to Sandy Hook families, now totalling nearly 1.5 billion dollars
* The election win by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada, ensuring Democratic control over the Senate
* Ukraine getting part of their country back from the Russians who invaded
* Mike Pence breaks his silence on the January 6th insurrections (and much more) and releases a book
* RSV Respiratory Flu cases began rising to dangerous levels
* Roberta Flack has A.L.S. and can no longer sing
* Karen Bass elected first woman mayor of Los Angeles
* Iran’s security forces beating and killing teenagers as they crackdown on protests
* Nancy Pelosi stepping down as party leadership of Democrats in the House
* Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to over 11 years in prison for defrauding investors with her medical start-up Theranos
* The Danny Masterson trial ending in a hung jury
* Reality “stars” Todd and Julie Christley sentenced to multiple years in federal prison for bank fraud and tax evasion
* The Supreme Court permits House Democrats to obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns

December

* Raphael Warnock wins Senate seat in Georgia
* The Trump Organization found guilty in tax fraud scheme
* Germany arrests dozens of suspects planning to overthrow government
* Classified documents found in Donald Trump storage site
* Brittney Griner released from Russian prison in exchange for a Russian arms dealer
* Celine Dion diagnosed with rare neurological disorder
* Harvey Weinstein convicted on 3 Charges of rape and sexual assault
* The January 6 committee members voted to refer their findings to the Justice Department, urging officials there to criminally prosecute Donald Trump and several of his associates

That is quite the list of just some of the top news items throughout the year!

I hope that you will join me through the end of this year, as I focus on the best and the worst of 2022 in the worlds of TV and movies, TV ratings and so much more.

NOTE: I apologize in advance for any omissions, spelling errors or oversights I might have made, but I definitely don’t apologize for any choices I made.

TOMORROW: Top TV Moments

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2021 Year-End Round Up: Salute to Everyday Heroes and Closing Out the Year

Posted in Messages, Year End Round Up on December 31, 2021| Leave a Comment »

While 2021 ended up being quite similar to 2020 – sans the “stay at home” mandates – thankfully, vaccines became much more prevalent, and our way of life slowly but surely started to improve. We most likely still have a long way to go before we get to a new “normal,” but if we try to focus on the good, and what makes us happy, that will hopefully help us all weather the rocky terrain that has been 2021.

We can also attempt to strive to be a little more like some of our everyday heroes who have made a difference throughout 2021 in their own ways. They include (in no particular order):

Amanda Gorman, the 22-year old Harvard grad from Los Angeles and Poet Laureate, wowed the nation reading her poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ on January 20 in Washington D.C. for President Biden’s Inauguration and reading the poem ‘Chorus of the Captains’ in honor the three honorary captains of Super Bowl 55: U.S. Marine veteran James Martin, teacher Trimaine Davis and Nurse Suzie Dorner.

Sofia Sanchez, the 12-year-old actress, model and Downs Syndrome activist, became a viral sensation as the author of the book “You Are Enough” released by Scholastic Books. She was abandoned at birth in a very small town in Ukraine, being adopted by her forever mom and dad, who loved taking pictures of her, which set her on her career path.

David Jamison, the language arts teacher at Hickory Ridge Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee, who has been nicknamed “The Dope Educator,” first went viral in 2019 and over the course of four years, has memorized and performed elaborate, individual handshake routines for 250 students. He also took on his own battle with COVID-19 this year.

Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly, the 82-year-old retired principal from Tulsa, Oklahoma, went viral for getting dressed every week up, since the start of the pandemic, for her virtual church services, posting photos of herself on Facebook in colorful dresses and a wide array of fancy hats and elaborate necklaces.

Here is a video report on Dr. Wimberly by David Muir:

Maya S. Penn, the 21-year-old Atlanta native, graced the TED Talk stage three times before the age of 13, has been commended by President Obama and was named to Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul 100 list of visionaries and influential leaders in 2016, is a young sustainability consultant and advocate, social entrepreneur, animator and Simon & Schusster author.

David Cabello, a 25-year-old entrepreneur who lives near Philadelphia, along with help from his twin brother Aaron, created the country’s first Black Owned food delivery service, Black and Mobile, that exclusively partners with Black-Owned restaurants to give them more exposure and customers. The business launched in February of 2019 and, of course, was of crucial assistance during the pandemic, now services not only Philadelphia but also Atlanta, Baltimore and New York.

Ms. Opal Lee, the 95-year-old retired Texas teacher, counselor and activist, known as the Grandmorther of Juneteenth, who led a decades-long fight to make the day a U.S. holiday saw it come to fruition when President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475, making Juneteenth the 11th federal holiday.

Wally Funk, the 82-year-old member of the 1960’s Mercury 13, the 13 American woman who successfully underwent the same screening tests as the astronauts selected by NASA, became the oldest non-celebrity woman to ever go into outer space. She did so with Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, marking her wait of 60 years to make this feat.

Eugene Goodman, the brave Capitol Police Officer, who stood against the January 6 rioters in Washington D.C., using himself as bait, luring the rioters away from the Senate and directly toward other police officers, received the Congressional Gold Medal.

Here is a video of Office Goodman’s brave actions:

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I want to thank everyone who has visited my site this year. I hope you’ll come back next year!

Happy New Year!

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