The White House Correspondents Dinner will go on. But without Donald Trump. Thin-skinned Trump has never gotten over his roasting by Seth Meyers at the 2011 dinner. Since then he’s on a rampage about the press, calling us the “Enemy of the People” and “Fake News.” But Trump is a bully and a coward. He would never last through the evening– not for a minute. So the dinner will go on without him, it will be brilliant and fun. Samantha Bee will have her own parody dinner. Bloomberg and Vanity Fair canceled their parties but I’m sure there will be plenty of parties in the Washington Hilton. Trump will have dinner by himself at his hotel and no one will care.
Happy Ending for the Oscars: Moonlight wins Best Picture, La La Land Wins 6 including Best Director, Actress
Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” was the surprise winner of the 2017 Academy Award for Best Picture. On a wild night in the Dolby Theater, “Moonlight” snatched victory from “La La Land.” Best Director went to Damien Chazelle for “La La Land,” which also won Best Choreography and Best Song.
Funny after months of campaigning and carrying, everything works out the way it should. All the films get something and Hollywood has a happy ending after all.
BEST PICTURE
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight – WINNER!
=============================
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea – WINNER!
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences
=============================
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land – WINNER!
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
=============================
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight – WINNER!
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
=============================
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Viola Davis, Fences – WINNER!
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
=============================
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia – WINNER!
=============================
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Arrival
La La Land – WINNER!
Lion
Moonlight
Silence
=============================
COSTUME DESIGN
Allied
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – WINNER!
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land
=============================
DIRECTING
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land – WINNER!
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
=============================
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America – WINNER!
13th
=============================
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe’s Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets – WINNER!
=============================
FILM EDITING
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge – WINNER!
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight
=============================
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Land of Mine
A Man Called Ove
The Salesman – WINNER!
Tanna
Toni Erdmann
=============================
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad – WINNER!
=============================
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Jackie
La La Land – WINNER!
Lion
Moonlight
Passengers
=============================
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from La La Land
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
“Can’t Stop The Feeling” from Trolls
Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster
“City Of Stars” from La La Land
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – WINNER!
“The Empty Chair” from Jim: The James Foley Story
Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting
“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana
Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
=============================
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land – WINNER!
Passengers
=============================
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper – WINNER!
=============================
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Ennemis Intérieurs
La Femme et le TGV
Silent Nights
Sing – WINNER!
Timecode
=============================
SOUND EDITING
Arrival – WINNER!
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully
=============================
SOUND MIXING
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge – WINNER!
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
=============================
VISUAL EFFECTS
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book – WINNER!
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
=============================
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Arrival
Fences
Hidden Figures
Lion
Moonlight – WINNER!
=============================
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Hell or High Water
La La Land
The Lobster
Manchester by the Sea- WINNER!
20th Century Women
Beyonce, Jay Z Hit Harvey Weinstein’s Star-Studded Pre-Oscar Gala with Google, Amazon Honchos
The talk is about “La La Land.” But last night, Harvey Weinstein– who’s got multiple nominations for his beautiful movie “Lion”– scored the hottest party and pre-Oscar gathering of all.
Weinstein mixed celebrities, nominees, and tech stars in one room at a swanky dinner at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Yes, there was Jeff Bezos and Roy Price from Amazon on one side, with the heads of Google and YouTube on the other.
But then there was also the hottest star in the galaxy, Lin Manuel Miranda, of “Hamilton” fame, announcing that he will be in the movie version of his first musical hit, “In the Heights,” for the Weinstein Company. Miranda introduced a stage full of performers including Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, Chris Jackson from “Hamilton” and Corbin Bleu, who put on a twenty minute extract from “In the Heights.”
Harvey announced that Lin-Manuel will appear in “In the Heights,” with Broadway’s Scott Sanders producing. That has “hit” written all over it. Not bad!
That was sensational. But right as they finished, a very pregnant Beyonce and Jay Z walked in. They missed the show! So Harvey took the mic and announced that they’d do it all over again! And they did!
The guests were thrilled. They included Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar and the real family from “Lion,” as well as Kelsey Grammer, “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner, Nicole Scherzinger– who also performed and was a knockout, Petra Nemcova, Golden Globe winner from “Blackish” Tracee Ellis Ross, Matthew Morrison, Diane Warren, Catherine Hardwicke, and David Foster.
And if that wasn’t enough, Mick Jagger and his producing partner Victoria Pearman turned up at the after party!
Spirit Awards Surprise: French Legend Isabelle Huppert Wins Again– Will She Take the Oscar, Too?
French legend Isabelle Huppert won Best Actress in a Lead Role today at the Independent Spirit Awards for the movie “Elle.” Last December she also won the Gotham Awards prize for the same movie, “Elle.” Each time she had just arrived by plane from Paris, walked into a room and won an award. She must think America is a great place!
Huppert has turned out to be a spoiler for Emma Stone, who is tipped to win the Oscar on Sunday for “La La Land.” Now will Huppert spoil Stone’s chances for an Oscar? Crazy, no? Stone must be thinking, What the heck is going on here? But there does seem to be huge momentum for Huppert.
At the Spirit Awards, Warren Beatty confirmed for me he will be presenting Best Picture tomorrow night with Faye Dunaway. It’s the 50th anniversary of their landmark film “Bonnie & Clyde.”
The Spirit Awards were very, very good this year– hosts Nick Kroll and John Mullaney were hilarious, Gary Clark Jr. provided amazing blues music, and Molly Shannon stole the show when she won Best Supporting Female for “Other People.”
“Moonlight” won a lot, deservedly so. But I would have given Best Screenplay to Kenny Lonergan for “Manchester by the Sea.”
Ben Foster was a pleasant surprise as winner of Best Male Supporting for “Hell or High Water.” Good for him.
PS (maybe exclusive) Mahershala Ali and his wife have named their newborn baby girl Bari Najma.
Best Feature:
Moonlight (A24)
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski
Best Director:
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (A24)
Best Screenplay:
Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney (Story By), Moonlight (A24)
Best First Feature:
The Witch (A24)
Director: Robert Eggers
Producers: Daniel Bekerman, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Jodi Redmond,
Rodrigo Teixeira
Best First Screenplay:
Robert Eggers, The Witch (A24)
John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000):
Spa Night (Strand Releasing)
Writer/Director: Andrew Ahn
Producers: David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas
Best Supporting Female:
Molly Shannon, Other People (Vertical Entertainment)
Best Supporting Male:
Ben Foster, Hell or High Water (CBS Films/Lionsgate)
Best Female Lead:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best Male Lead:
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea (Amazon Studios)
Robert Altman Award:
Moonlight (A24)
Director: Barry Jenkins
Casting Director: Yesi Ramirez
Ensemble Cast: Mahershala Ali, Patrick Decile, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders
Best Cinematography:
James Laxton, Moonlight (A24)
Best Editing:
Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders, Moonlight (A24)
Best International Film:
Toni Erdmann (Germany and Romania– Sony Pictures Classics)
Director: Maren Ade
Best Documentary:
O.J.: Made in America (ESPN Films)
Director/Producer: Ezra Edelman
Producers: Deirdre Fenton, Libby Geist, Nina Krstic, Erin Leyden, Tamara Rosenberg, Connor Schell, Caroline Waterlow
Indie Spirit Awards TODAY: “Moonlight,” “Manchester” Top Nominations, Set for Wins
Here are the nominees. The show begins at 5pm Eastern. The show airs live on IFC and streams live on www.ifc.com. Check back for updates
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)
American Honey
PRODUCERS: Thomas Benski, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Lucas Ochoa, Pouya Shahbazian, Alice Weinberg
Chronic
PRODUCERS: Michel Franco, Gina Kwon, Gabriel Ripstein, Moisés Zonana
Jackie
PRODUCERS: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, Ari Handel, Juan de Dios Larraín, Mickey Liddell
Manchester by the Sea
PRODUCERS: Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Kimberly Stewart, Kevin J. Walsh
Moonlight
PRODUCERS: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the producer and director)
The Childhood of a Leader
DIRECTOR: Brady Corbet
PRODUCERS: Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chris Coen, Ron Curtis, Helena Danielsson, Mona Fastvold, István Major
The Fits
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Anna Rose Holmer
PRODUCER: Lisa Kjerulff
Other People
DIRECTOR: Chris Kelly
PRODUCERS: Sam Bisbee, Adam Scott, Naomi Scott
Swiss Army Man
DIRECTORS: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
PRODUCERS: Miranda Bailey, Lawrence Inglee, Lauren Mann, Amanda Marshall, Eyal Rimmon, Jonathan Wang
The Witch
DIRECTOR: Robert Eggers
PRODUCERS: Daniel Bekerman, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Jodi Redmond, Rodrigo Teixeira
BEST DIRECTOR
Andrea Arnold, American Honey
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Pablo Larraín, Jackie
Jeff Nichols, Loving
Kelly Reichardt, Certain Women
BEST SCREENPLAY
Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney (story by), Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women
Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias, Little Men
Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Robert Eggers, The Witch
Chris Kelly, Other People
Adam Mansbach, Barry
Stella Meghie, Jean of the Joneses
Craig Shilowich, Christine
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000, given to the writer, director and producer)
Free In Deed
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Jake Mahaffy
PRODUCERS: Mike Bowes, Mike S. Ryan, Brent Stiefel
Hunter Gatherer
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Josh Locy
PRODUCERS: Michael Covino, April Lamb, Sara Murphy, Isaiah Smallman
Lovesong
WRITER/DIRECTOR: So Yong Kim
WRITER/PRODUCER: Bradley Rust Gray
PRODUCERS: David Hansen, Alex Lipschultz, Johnny Mac
Nakom
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: T.W. Pittman
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Kelly Daniela Norris
WRITER/PRODUCER: Isaac Adakudugu
PRODUCER: Giovanni Ximėnez
Spa Night
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Andrew Ahn
PRODUCERS: David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas
BEST MALE LEAD
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
David Harewood, Free In Deed
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Jesse Plemons, Other People
Tim Roth, Chronic
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Sasha Lane, American Honey
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Ralph Fiennes, A Bigger Splash
Ben Foster, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Shia LaBeouf, American Honey
Craig Robinson, Morris From America
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Edwina Findley, Free In Deed
Paulina Garcia, Little Men
Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
Riley Keough, American Honey
Molly Shannon, Other People
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ava Berkofsky, Free In Deed
Lol Crawley, The Childhood of a Leader
Zach Kuperstein, The Eyes of My Mother
James Laxton, Moonlight
Robbie Ryan, American Honey
BEST EDITING
Matthew Hannam, Swiss Army Man
Jennifer Lame, Manchester by the Sea
Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders, Moonlight
Jake Roberts, Hell or High Water
Sebastián Sepúlveda, Jackie
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Aquarius (Brazil)
DIRECTOR: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Chevalier (Greece)
DIRECTOR: Athina Tsangari
My Golden Days (France)
DIRECTOR: Arnaud Desplechin
Toni Erdmann (Germany/Romania)
DIRECTOR: Maren Ade
Under the Shadow (Iran/United Kingdom)
DIRECTOR: Babak Anvari
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
13th
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Ava DuVernay
PRODUCERS: Spencer Averick, Howard Barish
Cameraperson
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Kirsten Johnson
PRODUCER: Marilyn Ness
I am Not Your Negro
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Raoul Peck
PRODUCERs: Rémi Grellety, Hébert Peck
O.J.: Made in America
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Ezra Edelman
PRODUCERS: Nina Krstic, Tamara Rosenberg, Caroline Waterlow
Sonita
DIRECTOR: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami
PRODUCERS: Gerd Haag
Under the Sun
DIRECTOR: Vitaly Mansky
PRODUCER: Natalya Manskaya
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
Moonlight
DIRECTOR: Barry Jenkins
CASTING DIRECTOR: Yesi Ramirez
ENSEMBLE CAST: Mahershala Ali, Patrick Decile, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Trevante Thodes, Ashton Sanders
Hollywood Horror: Biggest Worldwide Box Office Releases So Far This Year Come From China, Japan
The worldwide box office is hot so far this year. But so far this year, the movie with the largest worldwide box office is one you’ve never heard of and hasn’t been released here: “Your Name,” a Japanese animated film, has made $327 million. Almost all of that was earned in Japan, with China as a runner up.
At number 4 on the top 10 worldwide box office for 2017 stands “The Great Wall.” A bust here, the Matt Damon starrer racked up most of its $271 million in China.
Number 5 is “Kung Fu Yoga,” with $245 million raked in, in China.
Number 6 is “Journey to the West,” with $237 million from Chinese audiences. Sony released it in the US on February 3rd, and it’s made less than a million bucks.
Number 9 is “Duckweed” — $143 million, nearly all of it in China.
From number 10 to 20 there are several more including a Bollywood film and a Jackie Chan entry. That’s Jackie Chan, who will get a Governors Award Lifetime Achievement Oscar on Sunday night.
By the way. “Your Name” will be released in April not by a big American studio but by FUNimation, founded in Fort Worth Texas by Japanese American entrepreneur Gen Fukunaga. He’s suddenly the most successful exec in Hollywood.
Meryl Streep Addresses Glittering Women in Film Gala: “You have to feel the Earth move under your feet and act”
Meryl Streep led a procession of female stars through last night’s annual Women in Film pre-Oscar party at Nightingale Plaza here in L.A. In the celebratory room: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Catherine Hardwicke, Freida Pinto, Michelle Dockery, Gaby Hoffman, Sharon Lawrence, Jenny Slate, Zoe Kravitz and industry VIPS Warner Brothers Sue Kroll, Universal’s Hollace Davids, Directors Catherine Hardwicke, Kimberly Pierce, Elisa Pugliese.
There were even men including Keegan Michael Key and Oscar nominee Viggo Mortenson.
Streep spoke first and joked about her famous Golden Globes speech. “I feel like never saying anything again,” she said. Then she switched gears. “Everybody is speaking up and that’s great. They can’t ignore us, we’re 52% of the population.” She went on praise the group: “This organization is absolutely wonderful and absolutely necessary.” Streep relayed a story of how when she was in high school she knew a foreign exchange student from Afghanistan. “I remember him telling me that something like 70 % of the civil servant jobs then were held by women. Look at the change since then. Stuff can change. You have to feel the earth move under your feet and act. I give credit to Ava (“Selma” director Ava DuVernay) she knows how to rouse us all.”
Duvernay followed Streep and said emphatically, “We are coming together. Revolution. Our ancestors brought us here and we have to fight. To continue to hold hands and stand by each other.”
WIF president Cathy Schulman thanked both women and said of Meryl, “Meryl comes every year, because she’s nominated every year. But I still take it as a personal compliment.” Schulman then noted, “We have 46 women nominees here. We get to celebrate tonight, but we spend the rest of the year working on our plan to create sustainable change. We have a new program called ‘Reframe.’ Industry leaders are going into the halls and walls of the decision makers and demanding change. We’re working towards changing cultural biases.”
Last year’s Oscar winner for Best Actress Brie Larson then spoke honestly about her journey. “I still feel I’m on the cusp of being a real woman. I didn’t really become an actor until last year. To be brave and go outside of the clichés. Lets share our stories, talk about what women talk about, incubate all of this and make something amazing. Artists are the ones that politicians fear the most, so let’s do it. “
Many more graced this classy event for a forward thinking and moving group that is well on their way to get deserving women the equality in Hollywood they are well overdue.
Meryl Streep Dress Story Rings False, Sounds Like a Trump Retaliation–Chanel Said to Be Furious with Lagerfeld
Meryl Streep turn down a red carpet dress for a designer who would pay her to wear theirs? PREPOSTEROUS. Yet WWD.com– Womens Wear Daily– says Karl Lagerfeld, working for Chanel, claims this happened, that Streep turned him down for a designer who would cough up sponsorship bucks for the Oscars.
This doesn’t just ring false but it’s a lie, says Streep’s camp. And I have to think this has the fingerprints of Donald Trump, the king of vendettas. The connection? Lagerfeld is dressing Melania Trump, already has for a state visit, and Lagerfeld has also voiced support for Trump.
Trump hates Meryl Streep, especially after her Golden Globes speech. He has probably been looking for a way to get her back. Don’t forget he called her a “Hillary Lover” and “overrated” among other things on Twitter.
The problem is Streep is unassailable. She wears off the rack clothes. I remember how we laughed years ago when she bought a dress at the Cherry Hill mall to wear to her Lincoln Center Lifetime Achievement Award. This is a woman who takes the subway daily. She is the definition of unpretentious. We’ve talked about her fashion disinterest for years.
Plus, the idea of Meryl Streep being paid to wear a dress is ludicrous. Many actresses do, but not at her level, and not her. Insane.
I’m told this incident has caused a huge internal problem at Chanel. My sources say the Chanel people will disown Lagerfeld’s story. “They know it’s not true,” says my source.
I do, too.
Jeff Bridges Pledges $250K, Jack Black Urges Meryl Streep to Say More “Sh*t” About Trump At All Star Haiti Fundraiser
Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges pledged $250,000 last night to director Paul Haggis’s Haiti charity, Artists for Peace and Justice, at rockin’, swanky fundraising dinner in Hollywood. Jack Black rocked the room with the exceptional house band after urging Meryl Streep to say more “shit” about Donald Trump.
Jackson Browne curated the amazing night– called “Songs from the Cinema”– at a small club in Fairfax Village called the No Name. But there were plenty of names. Quincy Jones was the evening’s sort of honoree, or at least oracle, while celebs like Petra Nemcova, Maxwell, and actor Jeremy Renner waited tables for the $2,500 a plate dinner prior to the all star concert.
Among the performers: Moby, Rita Wilson, Bridges, Judith Owen (who stole the show with “Goldfinger”), Black (doing a number from “School of Rock” as if his life depended on it), Jonathan Wilson (tremendous version of Bob Dylan’s “Billy 4”), Jenny Lewis (in a gorgeous duet with Jackson Browne), and Browne himself who gave Leonard Cohen’s “A Thousand Kisses Deep” a soulful and memorable reading.
Among the guests was Olivia Harrison, widow of Beatle George, who danced up a storm with Jeff Bridges, his wife (as he noted– now 40 years), and Rita Wilson and pals. Rita got big points for leading the crowd in ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” and on a song she wrote and sang in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” called “Even More Time” that recalled the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt.
There were some not as famous singers too, who made big impressions including Catero Colbert, whose Philly R&B take on the Delfonics’ “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time” was wonderful, plus Haitian singer Paul Beaubrun on “Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World.”
The versatile, knockout house band for the night is called the Hot Club of Los Angeles. If you live there, find them online. They are a gem, discovered by Jackson Browne playing a local bar.
As for politics, Jack Black got the biggest ovation of the night, urging Meryl Streep and other stars to keep talking about Donald Trump. But the focus of the night was on Haiti, and the continuing work that has to be done there. When Haggis ran a short fundraising moment, several hands went up, but the biggest donation came from Bridges, who pledged $50,000 a year for the next five years. That got a lot of applause.
AllDef Movie Awards “Batman v. Superman” Movie You Wish Could Unsee, Sends Up Hollywood
Wednesday night, downtown LA, the ornate Belasco Theater– Russell Simmons and co. sent up the Oscars as Black Hollywood handed out the second annual All Def Movie Awards.
You may recall this started last year as a serious effort because of #Oscarsowhite and the lack of black nominees.
This year, with so many black nominees, instead of celebrating them, AllDef went the comedy route. The outcome can be seen Sunday on Fusion TV.
Mike Epps hosted, as he did last year, and handed out a variety of awards with categories that were a spoof at best. Forget Best Actor and Actress. They chucked those conventional items and went for things like Best Bad Muh F*cka in a Movie, or Movies You Wish You Could Unsee.
The latter went to “Batman v. Superman.”
Ice Cube received a Lifetime Achievement Award from one of the guests in the audience, Snoop Dogg. Snoop sat at a table in the front of the small ballroom, high as a kite, with a cloud of pot smoke over his table. Snoop Dogg defies all conventions, as I learned a long time ago. But he’s always smiling while he does it. The smell of marijuana was strong enough that many dry cleaners were probably busy this morning.
I did meet Blac Chyna, supporting player in the Kardashian family’s public hi jinks.She was clad in a cherry red sort of plastic looking one piece plastic ensemble that seemed as if it could be cleaned with a moist dish rag. It was futuristic and practical.
There were some actual movie people mixed in with an eclectic lot. Famed director and actor Bill Duke sat quietly in the back. Donell Turner, a good actor who’s currently on “General Hospital,” walked the red carpet. But there wasn’t a single Oscar nominee of any color from this year, and no mention of “Moonlight,” “Fences,” “Hidden Figures,” or even “Birth of a Nation.”
BEST BAD MUH F*CKA AWARD
DONNIE YEN
BAD ASS BOSS CHICK
TIFFANY HADDISH for KEANU
BEST SMASH IN A MOTION PICTURE
MIKE EPPS AND QUEEN LATIFAH – BESSIE
BEST SUPERHERO TOKEN SIDEKICK
LESLIE UGGAMS- DEADPOOL
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
ICE CUBE
MOST OUT OF PLACE WHITE PERSON IN A MOVIE
THE GREAT WALL (MATT DAMON)
THE LAST SAMURAI (TOM CRUISE)
DR. STRANGE (TILDA SWINTON)
ALOHA (CAST)
GODS OF EGYPT (CAST)
BEST EDGES
INDIA LOVE
BEST PICTURE
POP STAR
BEST COMEDY WITHOUT MADEA OF KEVIN HART
KEANU
MOVIES YOU WISH YOU COULD UNSEE
BATMAN V SUPERMAN
BEST SQUADD AWARD IN A MOTION PICTURE
BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT
BEST LATINO NOT IN A SERVICE INDUSTRY ROLE
LUIS GUZMAN – KEANU
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ASIAN NOT ASKED TO USE AN ACCENT
JIMMY O YANG- PATRIOT’S DAY
VANGUARD AWARD
AMBER ROSE