Actor Billy Dee Williams has come out in support of performers wearing ‘blackface’, as he believes actors should be able to perform in blackface. In a new episode of Bill Maher’s ‘Club Random’ podcast, the ‘Star Wars’ actor recalled watching Laurence Olivier in 1965’s ‘Othello’, where Olivier wore blackface to portray the title role.
“When he did ‘Othello’, I fell out laughing,” Williams said.
“He stuck his a** out and walked around, you know, because Black people are supposed to have big a***s. I thought it was hysterical. I loved it,” Williams added, reports variety.com.
“I love that kind of stuff.”
The podcast host asked, “Today, they would never let you do that,” to which Williams replied, “Why?”
“Blackface?” Maher questioned in a tone of surprise.
The actor said: “Why not? You should do it. If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.
“When he did ‘Othello’, I fell out laughing,” Williams said.
“He stuck his a** out and walked around, you know, because Black people are supposed to have big a***s. I thought it was hysterical. I loved it,” Williams added, reports variety.com.
“I love that kind of stuff.”
The podcast host asked, “Today, they would never let you do that,” to which Williams replied, “Why?”
“Blackface?” Maher questioned in a tone of surprise.
The actor said: “Why not? You should do it. If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.
- 4/9/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Billy Dee Williams believes actors should be able to perform in blackface.
In a new episode of Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, the “Star Wars” actor recalled watching Laurence Olivier in 1965’s “Othello,” in which Olivier wore blackface to portray the title role.
“When he did ‘Othello,’ I fell out laughing,” Williams said of Olivier. “He stuck his ass out and walked around with his ass, you know, because Black people are supposed to have big asses.”
“I thought it was hysterical. I loved it,” Williams added. “I love that kind of stuff.”
Maher noted that “today, they would never let you do that,” to which Williams replied, “Why?”
“Blackface?” Maher questioned in a tone of surprise.
“Why not? You should do it,” Williams said. “If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.”
Maher then pointed out that Williams, 87, “actually lived in a period...
In a new episode of Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, the “Star Wars” actor recalled watching Laurence Olivier in 1965’s “Othello,” in which Olivier wore blackface to portray the title role.
“When he did ‘Othello,’ I fell out laughing,” Williams said of Olivier. “He stuck his ass out and walked around with his ass, you know, because Black people are supposed to have big asses.”
“I thought it was hysterical. I loved it,” Williams added. “I love that kind of stuff.”
Maher noted that “today, they would never let you do that,” to which Williams replied, “Why?”
“Blackface?” Maher questioned in a tone of surprise.
“Why not? You should do it,” Williams said. “If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.”
Maher then pointed out that Williams, 87, “actually lived in a period...
- 4/9/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Hallmark Media today announced it will join the scripted podcast space with all–new original podcast series Crimson Hearts Collide, a soulful romance-mystery story spun from the company’s Mahogany content initiative. The podcast series produced by Ayr Media debuted its inaugural trailer today Here, and will premiere episodes 1-2 on August 24 followed by new episodes every Thursday, available wherever listeners find their favorite podcasts.
An eight-part series, Crimson Hearts Collide marks the first-ever scripted podcasting venture for the company, and a milestone in the continued extension of Hallmark’s legacy brand Mahogany, an iconic 30+ year-old card line brought to life as a Hallmark Media entertainment initiative last year. Mahogany content offerings spotlight storytelling that exemplifies family, community, connection, positivity, and the power of love – all through the unique lens of Black culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_RngRARdQ
“I’m thrilled for fans to experience the heart...
An eight-part series, Crimson Hearts Collide marks the first-ever scripted podcasting venture for the company, and a milestone in the continued extension of Hallmark’s legacy brand Mahogany, an iconic 30+ year-old card line brought to life as a Hallmark Media entertainment initiative last year. Mahogany content offerings spotlight storytelling that exemplifies family, community, connection, positivity, and the power of love – all through the unique lens of Black culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_RngRARdQ
“I’m thrilled for fans to experience the heart...
- 8/18/2023
- Podnews.net
Hallmark Media is making a foray into the scripted podcast space with Crimson Hearts Collide, an original romance-mystery story spun from the company’s Mahogany content initiative.
The podcast series, produced by Ayr Media, will premiere the first two episodes on August 24 followed by new episodes every Thursday, available on all major podcast platforms.
The company’s podcasting venture marks a milestone in the extension of Hallmark’s legacy brand Mahogany, its 30+ year-old card line which morphed into a Hallmark Media entertainment initiative last year. Mahogany content spotlights storytelling about family, community, connection, positivity, and the power of love through the lens of Black culture.
“I’m thrilled for fans to experience the heart of our powerful Hallmark storytelling in this new, accessible and rapidly growing medium,” said Hallmark Media’s SVP, Programming Development, Toni Judkins. “Listeners will fall in love with the enchanting story of Crimson Hearts Collide, which...
The podcast series, produced by Ayr Media, will premiere the first two episodes on August 24 followed by new episodes every Thursday, available on all major podcast platforms.
The company’s podcasting venture marks a milestone in the extension of Hallmark’s legacy brand Mahogany, its 30+ year-old card line which morphed into a Hallmark Media entertainment initiative last year. Mahogany content spotlights storytelling about family, community, connection, positivity, and the power of love through the lens of Black culture.
“I’m thrilled for fans to experience the heart of our powerful Hallmark storytelling in this new, accessible and rapidly growing medium,” said Hallmark Media’s SVP, Programming Development, Toni Judkins. “Listeners will fall in love with the enchanting story of Crimson Hearts Collide, which...
- 8/17/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Curl up on the couch and spend your summer nights with Hallmark Channel. The feel-good network has a full lineup of new rom-coms to enjoy in August 2023, including movies starring fan-favorites Hallmark actors Andrew Walker and Alexa and Carlos PenaVega. New movies premiere on Saturday nights throughout the month. Keep reading for the complete Hallmark “Summer Nights” movie schedule.
‘Making Waves’
Holland Roden from Teen Wolf and Corey Cott of Newsies co-star in Making Waves. Roden plays Amelia, a music executive who heads to a festival in the hopes of signing an elusive new band. To her shock, she discovers the group is fronted by her childhood summer sweetheart Will (Cott). As Amelia tries to convince Will to sign with her label, she realizes she can’t ignore her feelings for him.
Making Waves airs Saturday, August 5 at 8 p.m. Et.
‘A Safari Romance’ Andrew Walker and Brittany Bristow in...
‘Making Waves’
Holland Roden from Teen Wolf and Corey Cott of Newsies co-star in Making Waves. Roden plays Amelia, a music executive who heads to a festival in the hopes of signing an elusive new band. To her shock, she discovers the group is fronted by her childhood summer sweetheart Will (Cott). As Amelia tries to convince Will to sign with her label, she realizes she can’t ignore her feelings for him.
Making Waves airs Saturday, August 5 at 8 p.m. Et.
‘A Safari Romance’ Andrew Walker and Brittany Bristow in...
- 7/31/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
How ‘The Perfect Find’ Director Numa Perrier Honored and Updated Tia Williams’ Book At the Same Time
Netflix’s “The Perfect Find” director Numa Perrier collected generational references in her film adaptation of Tia Williams’ novel.
The story follows Jenna Jones (Gabrielle Union) and Eric Combs (Keith Powers) who gravitate toward each other despite a substantial age gap and the fact that Eric is the son of Jenna’s boss Darcy (Gina Torres).
The two pair up for a creative project for Darzine, Darcy’s fashion magazine. The project, which eventually becomes “The Perfect Find” highlights fashions inspired by Black starlets of Hollywood’s past. Jenna and Eric also bond over their love for old Hollywood — like Nina Mae McKinney, who pops up throughout the film with clips from “Hallelujah!,” a Greta Garbo clip from “The Flesh and Devil” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze,” featured at a drive-in movie date.
Perrier explained the process behind making references to classic Black Hollywood, first during Jenna’s swap meet browsing,...
The story follows Jenna Jones (Gabrielle Union) and Eric Combs (Keith Powers) who gravitate toward each other despite a substantial age gap and the fact that Eric is the son of Jenna’s boss Darcy (Gina Torres).
The two pair up for a creative project for Darzine, Darcy’s fashion magazine. The project, which eventually becomes “The Perfect Find” highlights fashions inspired by Black starlets of Hollywood’s past. Jenna and Eric also bond over their love for old Hollywood — like Nina Mae McKinney, who pops up throughout the film with clips from “Hallelujah!,” a Greta Garbo clip from “The Flesh and Devil” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze,” featured at a drive-in movie date.
Perrier explained the process behind making references to classic Black Hollywood, first during Jenna’s swap meet browsing,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Director Steven Soderbergh has never really been a fan of orthodoxy, and his idiosyncratic approach to his own work was on full display Sunday night when he launched his latest project, sci-fi series Command Z, at the Metrograph in New York. The Michael Cera-starring dystopian narrative, inspired by Kurt Andersen’s book Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History, was shown as part of a “secret screening” for members of the downtown theater.
Soderbergh followed the screening with a Q&a with Florida Representative Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z congressman, explaining to the audience, “I don’t really want to talk about the show,” and instead quizzing Frost about how he stays hopeful. “How do we convince people to not give up?” Soderbergh asked Frost, who in turn discussed his path to politics and his work organizing.
Though maybe not exactly what the gathered cinephiles came for,...
Soderbergh followed the screening with a Q&a with Florida Representative Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z congressman, explaining to the audience, “I don’t really want to talk about the show,” and instead quizzing Frost about how he stays hopeful. “How do we convince people to not give up?” Soderbergh asked Frost, who in turn discussed his path to politics and his work organizing.
Though maybe not exactly what the gathered cinephiles came for,...
- 7/17/2023
- by Esther Zuckerman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Shortly following the release of his latest project on Max, Full Circle, director Steven Soderbergh has revealed the trailer for Command Z, a sci-fi series starring Michael Cera as a talking head leader of a trio of time travelers. Set to premiere on July 17, it is described as “apparently about ninety minutes long” and “eight episodes of a variety of length.” In the footage for Command Z, Cera’s head is projected in a tiny room where he tasks time travelers to go back to 2023 (“America’s last inflection point”) and correct the timeline in order to better their present-day. A “wormhole inside a washing machine” transports them from their timeline to a new one. Cera explains to time travel properly, folks have to ingest a synthetic substance akin to psychedelics while playing the theme song of the movie Mahogany. This will see the time travelers transporting into people’s brains to change the future,...
- 7/14/2023
- TV Insider
“This is historic — literally.”
At least, that’s what a digital Michael Cera says at the start of the trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming sci-fi comedy series, “Command Z.” The “Ocean’s 11″-through-“13” director has rounded up Cera, Roy Wood Jr., Chloe Radcliffe and Liev Schreiber for a post-apocalyptic look back at the year 2023, as they traverse into the past by putting a wormhole in a washing machine.
The new series follows Soderbergh’s recent Max noir series “Full Circle,” starring Claire Danes and Zazie Beetz, which premiered on July 13. “Command Z” is set to premiere July 17 and will be available on Soderbergh’s website, Extension765.com.
“Here’s the funny part. Traversing our wormhole involves ingesting a synthetic substance related to psychedelics and playing the theme song from the movie ‘Mahogany,’” says the Ozian Cera. He leads Wood Jr., Radcliffe and Schreiber on a series of missions, hacking...
At least, that’s what a digital Michael Cera says at the start of the trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming sci-fi comedy series, “Command Z.” The “Ocean’s 11″-through-“13” director has rounded up Cera, Roy Wood Jr., Chloe Radcliffe and Liev Schreiber for a post-apocalyptic look back at the year 2023, as they traverse into the past by putting a wormhole in a washing machine.
The new series follows Soderbergh’s recent Max noir series “Full Circle,” starring Claire Danes and Zazie Beetz, which premiered on July 13. “Command Z” is set to premiere July 17 and will be available on Soderbergh’s website, Extension765.com.
“Here’s the funny part. Traversing our wormhole involves ingesting a synthetic substance related to psychedelics and playing the theme song from the movie ‘Mahogany,’” says the Ozian Cera. He leads Wood Jr., Radcliffe and Schreiber on a series of missions, hacking...
- 7/14/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Taylor Swift has unveiled three additional album covers for her forthcoming LP, Midnights. The bonus covers, which showcase photographs of Swift with a 1970s flair, will only be available for the next seven days as pre-sale vinyl and CD formats.
“August may have slipped away but September brings 3 new special edition covers!” Swift wrote an Instagram video of her showcasing the covers. “Pre-order Midnights collectible cd versions and unique color vinyl versions now.” Notably, the track list for the album is blurred out in the video.
View this post on...
“August may have slipped away but September brings 3 new special edition covers!” Swift wrote an Instagram video of her showcasing the covers. “Pre-order Midnights collectible cd versions and unique color vinyl versions now.” Notably, the track list for the album is blurred out in the video.
View this post on...
- 9/1/2022
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
“It was my Roman Holiday moment,” gushes Karen Pittman about finding herself on the back of a Vespa, jetting through Italy’s jaw-dropping countryside. The Morning Show actress journeyed to Europe for her new film, Unthinkably Good Things, the first project under Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Mahogany brand geared towards Black viewers. In the original movie, it’s divorced creative writing professor Allison Cooper’s (Pittman) mind that’s racing when she’s offered the opportunity to make her temporary teaching gig and casual romance with local cheesemaker Nico (Luca Seta) a permanent part of her life. “Love may be someplace we never thought we would find it,” says Pittman of Allison’s potentially life-changing conundrum. What’s a girl to do with such a big decision on her plate? She calls her best friends, struggling restauranteur/breast cancer survivor Melina (Joyful Drake) and retired military member Reesa (Erica Ash), who...
- 8/26/2022
- TV Insider
Crown Media Family Networks will rebrand to Hallmark Media in order to more closely align itself with the name associated with its legacy brand parent, Hallmark Cards.
Crown Media’s president & CEO, Wonya Lucas, and executive vice president of programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, confirmed the change during the Television Critics Association summer press tour. They added that the rebranding will tie in with the company’s evolution of programming content, including brand extensions like the Black-led Mahogany, partnerships with its subsidiary Crayola, new storytelling formats and expanded on- and off-screen diversity.
Also Read:
Every New Hallmark Christmas Movie That Aired in 2021 (Photos)
Hallmark Media is home to Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama, in addition to the streamer Hallmark Movies Now.
During Hallmark’s panel, the executives said the company was still in “the very early stages of developing content” around new ventures like DaySpring, which is its Christian and faith-based brand,...
Crown Media’s president & CEO, Wonya Lucas, and executive vice president of programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, confirmed the change during the Television Critics Association summer press tour. They added that the rebranding will tie in with the company’s evolution of programming content, including brand extensions like the Black-led Mahogany, partnerships with its subsidiary Crayola, new storytelling formats and expanded on- and off-screen diversity.
Also Read:
Every New Hallmark Christmas Movie That Aired in 2021 (Photos)
Hallmark Media is home to Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama, in addition to the streamer Hallmark Movies Now.
During Hallmark’s panel, the executives said the company was still in “the very early stages of developing content” around new ventures like DaySpring, which is its Christian and faith-based brand,...
- 8/10/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Motown founder Berry Gordy had a galaxy of star executives helping him build the company into the powerhouse it became, but not many of them shone as brightly as Suzanne de Passe.
Joining the company relatively late in its heyday, de Passe moved from her native Harlem to Detroit in 1968 and soon convinced a skeptical Berry to sign a group of kids calling themselves the Jackson 5. She quickly took charge of developing the group into the pop-culture juggernaut they immediately became — their first four singles went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — developing their live show, imaging, choreography, television appearances and much more. Her next signing? An R&b combo called the Commodores featuring a young singer named Lionel Richie.
After being named the company’s West Coast head of A&R she went on to work with Rick James and others, while gradually transitioning into her main career: as a TV and film executive,...
Joining the company relatively late in its heyday, de Passe moved from her native Harlem to Detroit in 1968 and soon convinced a skeptical Berry to sign a group of kids calling themselves the Jackson 5. She quickly took charge of developing the group into the pop-culture juggernaut they immediately became — their first four singles went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — developing their live show, imaging, choreography, television appearances and much more. Her next signing? An R&b combo called the Commodores featuring a young singer named Lionel Richie.
After being named the company’s West Coast head of A&R she went on to work with Rick James and others, while gradually transitioning into her main career: as a TV and film executive,...
- 2/11/2022
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
The Black List founder Franklin Leonard kicked off the virtual Sundance panel “Array 10: A Decade of Disruption” by chatting with Array founder and Emmy-winning Ava DuVernay, President Tilane Jones and VP of Public Programming Mercedes Cooper about the origin of the narrative change collective which puts shine on creators and artists of color as well as women filmmakers.
Leonard and DuVernay reminisced about special dinners of Sundance past where, at the first one DuVernay hosted included “more Black folks in the room than at Sundance” as a whole. The conversation shifted to a dinner party icebreaker which Leonard loves to ask his guests: “What is your guilty pleasure movie?”
Cooper claimed the classic Mahogany as her guilty pleasure while Jones said Breakfast at Tiffany’s was hers — DuVernay quickly intervened.
“These are not guilty pleasures ladies!” said DuVernay. “A guilty pleasure is a film you slightly feel hesitant to share — which I will share.
Leonard and DuVernay reminisced about special dinners of Sundance past where, at the first one DuVernay hosted included “more Black folks in the room than at Sundance” as a whole. The conversation shifted to a dinner party icebreaker which Leonard loves to ask his guests: “What is your guilty pleasure movie?”
Cooper claimed the classic Mahogany as her guilty pleasure while Jones said Breakfast at Tiffany’s was hers — DuVernay quickly intervened.
“These are not guilty pleasures ladies!” said DuVernay. “A guilty pleasure is a film you slightly feel hesitant to share — which I will share.
- 2/1/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Much like its “will they, won’t they” plotline, the road to release for “Sylvie’s Love” has been its own brand of love rollercoaster. From filming on beaches and soundstages in Los Angeles (doubling as New York) to launching the film with a Covid-safe, yet romantic drive-in premiere in Malibu, Calif., stars Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha, and writer-director Eugene Ashe share how they pulled off the classic romance amid modern challenges.
“You’ve got to understand how difficult it is to make a movie. It’s extremely difficult, especially an independent film, when you don’t have a studio backing [it],” Asomugha tells Variety. “It’s a bit of a miracle that we’re at this point. Now, there’s a chance to sit back and see how it touches people’s lives.”
At its heart, “Sylvie’s Love” is a love story for the purists — a tale of boy meets...
“You’ve got to understand how difficult it is to make a movie. It’s extremely difficult, especially an independent film, when you don’t have a studio backing [it],” Asomugha tells Variety. “It’s a bit of a miracle that we’re at this point. Now, there’s a chance to sit back and see how it touches people’s lives.”
At its heart, “Sylvie’s Love” is a love story for the purists — a tale of boy meets...
- 12/23/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The saga continues, featuring Adam Rifkin, Robert D. Krzykowski, John Sayles, Maggie Renzi, Mick Garris and Larry Wilmore with special guest star Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Key Largo (1948)
I Don’t Want to Talk About It (1993)
Camila (1984)
I, the Worst of All (1990)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Le Corbeau (1943)
Diabolique (1955)
Red Beard (1965)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Ikiru (1952)
General Della Rovere (1959)
The Gold of Naples (1959)
Bitter Rice (1949)
Pickup On South Street (1953)
My Darling Clementine (1946)
Viva Zapata! (1952)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Yellow Sky (1948)
Ace In The Hole (1951)
Wall Street (1987)
Women’s Prison (1955)
True Love (1989)
Mean Streets (1973)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
The Abyss (1989)
The China Syndrome (1979)
Big (1988)
Splash (1984)
The ’Burbs (1989)
Long Strange Trip (2017)
Little Women (2019)
Learning To Skateboard In A War Zone (If You’re A Girl) (2019)
The Guns of Navarone...
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Key Largo (1948)
I Don’t Want to Talk About It (1993)
Camila (1984)
I, the Worst of All (1990)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Le Corbeau (1943)
Diabolique (1955)
Red Beard (1965)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Ikiru (1952)
General Della Rovere (1959)
The Gold of Naples (1959)
Bitter Rice (1949)
Pickup On South Street (1953)
My Darling Clementine (1946)
Viva Zapata! (1952)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Yellow Sky (1948)
Ace In The Hole (1951)
Wall Street (1987)
Women’s Prison (1955)
True Love (1989)
Mean Streets (1973)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
The Abyss (1989)
The China Syndrome (1979)
Big (1988)
Splash (1984)
The ’Burbs (1989)
Long Strange Trip (2017)
Little Women (2019)
Learning To Skateboard In A War Zone (If You’re A Girl) (2019)
The Guns of Navarone...
- 4/17/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Lil Wayne has dropped his new video for “Mama Mia,” a highlight from the rapper’s latest LP Funeral.
The visual stuffs a lot into its four-minute runtime: Multiple Lil Waynes, a golden toilet (and matching golden plungers), dancers, the rapper shooting paintballs at mannequins while wearing a Margiela apron, a talking baby, Lil Wayne playing the video’s director… and that’s just within the first two minutes.
“Mama Mia” is the first of Funeral’s sprawling 24 tracks to receive an official music video. Although Funeral itself was “wildly uneven,...
The visual stuffs a lot into its four-minute runtime: Multiple Lil Waynes, a golden toilet (and matching golden plungers), dancers, the rapper shooting paintballs at mannequins while wearing a Margiela apron, a talking baby, Lil Wayne playing the video’s director… and that’s just within the first two minutes.
“Mama Mia” is the first of Funeral’s sprawling 24 tracks to receive an official music video. Although Funeral itself was “wildly uneven,...
- 3/7/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Lil Wayne’s 13th album, Funeral, debuted at Number One on the Rolling Stone Top 200 Albums chart for the week of January 31st through February 6th. The album racked up 138,000 album-equivalent units and 118.2 million streams, outpacing the debut from Compton rapper Roddy Richh, which fell to Number Two.
Eight songs from Funeral made the latest Rolling Stone Top 100 Songs chart, led by “I Do It,” a single featuring Big Sean and Lil Baby, which hit at Number Six thanks to 14.2 million streams. “Mahogany,” produced by Lil Wayne’s longtime collaborator Mannie Fresh,...
Eight songs from Funeral made the latest Rolling Stone Top 100 Songs chart, led by “I Do It,” a single featuring Big Sean and Lil Baby, which hit at Number Six thanks to 14.2 million streams. “Mahogany,” produced by Lil Wayne’s longtime collaborator Mannie Fresh,...
- 2/11/2020
- by RS Charts
- Rollingstone.com
Lil Wayne launched eight songs from his new album Funeral onto the latest Rolling Stone Top 100 Songs chart. The leader was “I Do It,” a booming single featuring verses from Big Sean and Lil Baby, which arrived at Number Six thanks to 14.2 million streams. “Mahogany,” a sinuous track co-produced by Lil Wayne’s longtime collaborator Mannie Fresh, also clocked in at Number 29 with 9.1 million streams.
As Lil Wayne peppered the chart with new tracks, Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” held strong at Number One for a sixth week with 44.6 million streams,...
As Lil Wayne peppered the chart with new tracks, Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” held strong at Number One for a sixth week with 44.6 million streams,...
- 2/10/2020
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
For 403 seconds near the start of his new album, Lil Wayne makes Funeral feel like a transmission from the past. As long as “Mahogany” and “Mama Mia” are playing, it’s still 2006, the music industry is crumbling, and within the cinders of Cash Money is a young man who’s ready to prove he’s the very best at the singular thing he does for a living. Wayne was at his peak back then, regularly offering some of the most captivating run-on sentences in the English language. His jokes, metaphors,...
- 2/4/2020
- by Charles Holmes
- Rollingstone.com
A creative slump, a year-long stint in jail, the seizures, the bitter, prolonged label battle—the ‘10s were a tough decade for Lil Wayne. These trials have little bearing on the direction of his 13th studio album Funeral, in which he eschews introspection and sets out on a mission to bury other rappers across a digressive 24-song tracklist. This album is the work of latter-day Mixtape Weezy, who is eager to treat songs as exercises, to prioritize spectacle over substance, to showcase his technical daring and singular lyrical imagination.
Wayne...
Wayne...
- 2/3/2020
- by Danny Schwartz
- Rollingstone.com
A long time ago (1980) in a galaxy far, far away (where a movie ticket cost about $5), Billy Dee Williams first played Lando Calrissian, the smooth-talking smuggler-turned-administrator of Cloud City in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Despite having about 15 minutes of total screen time in “Empire” and “Return of the Jedi,” the character stole “Star Wars” fans’ hearts. It made sense, considering Williams did the same thing alongside Diana Ross in the films “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972) and “Mahogany” (1975). Now, 36 years after “Empire,” he’ll don Lando’s cape for “The Rise of Skywalker,” which bows Dec. 20. The actor cites “Empire Strikes Back” as one of his favorite films and says the final movie of the Skywalker saga will be a high point for the franchise.
How did it feel to put Lando’s costume back on?
It was fun. I really enjoyed it. I’m older now, so for me, it...
How did it feel to put Lando’s costume back on?
It was fun. I really enjoyed it. I’m older now, so for me, it...
- 12/5/2019
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
In this episode, Ben and Daniel talk to legendary writer and New York nightlife fixture Michael Musto about the 1968 album 'Diana Ross and The Supremes Sing and Perform Funny Girl.' They also discuss 'The Wiz,' Motown, Barbra Streisand, 'Mahogany,' Liza Minnelli, Madonna, 'Evita,' Nancy Walker, Mary Wilson, 'Follies,' and Marilyn Maye. Michael talks about the first time he saw the movie 'Funny Girl,' as well as his attempt to see Diana Ross live in Central Park. Michael can be seen performing live at venues around New York City, and his weekly column can be found on NewNowNext.
- 11/18/2019
- by Ben Rimalower
- BroadwayWorld.com
“Mahogany” has long been regarded as a classic romantic film that has pretty much everything you crave in the genre: sex, luxurious fashion montages, and a hot couple. But you know what stops it from being a perfect movie? The ending, which finds Diana Ross as a style maven at the top of her game giving it all up to be at her man’s (Billy Dee Williams) side as he realizes his political dreams.
It’s been more than 40 years since that film’s release, and screenwriters have only recently begun to realize that a female character sacrificing herself for a man is tired as all get out. That’s what makes director Nahnatchka Khan’s “Always Be My Maybe” that much more enjoyable because it flips that dynamic on its head.
Ali Wong stars as culinary superstar Sasha Tran, who puts her glitzy Los Angeles lifestyle on pause...
It’s been more than 40 years since that film’s release, and screenwriters have only recently begun to realize that a female character sacrificing herself for a man is tired as all get out. That’s what makes director Nahnatchka Khan’s “Always Be My Maybe” that much more enjoyable because it flips that dynamic on its head.
Ali Wong stars as culinary superstar Sasha Tran, who puts her glitzy Los Angeles lifestyle on pause...
- 5/28/2019
- by Candice Frederick
- The Wrap
André Leon Talley’s contributions to fashion are well known inside the hallowed halls of Vogue, but his exuberant personality and colorful style have made him a cultural figure in his own right. Cinephiles first became aware of the former Vogue editor-at-large when he stole scenes in 2009’s “The September Issue.” An omnipresent figure in shades at Anna Wintour’s side, Talley’s tossed off witticisms lightened the mood as he lamented a “famine of beauty.” Last year, Talley got his own dedicated silver-screen treatment in Kate Novack’s excellent documentary, “The Gospel According to André.”
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures to largely positive reviews, the “Gospel” fills in the gaps of how this fashion icon came to be; from his humble beginnings in the Jim Crow era South, to his Brown undergraduate thesis on Charles Baudelaire, to his early runway reporting in 1970s Paris and his tenure at Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine.
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures to largely positive reviews, the “Gospel” fills in the gaps of how this fashion icon came to be; from his humble beginnings in the Jim Crow era South, to his Brown undergraduate thesis on Charles Baudelaire, to his early runway reporting in 1970s Paris and his tenure at Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine.
- 5/9/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Billy Dee Williams has just picked up the Hollywood Legacy Award at the American Black Film Festival, which he richly deserves after a fine career appearing in movies like Brian’s Song, Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, Nighthawks and Batman (I’m still miffed we never got to see his Harvey Dent become Two-Face). But let’s face it, there’s really only one role people associate with Williams, and that’s Lando Calrissian.
And so, to mark him receiving this honor, his Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford recorded a moving video tribute which Williams tweeted out earlier this week.
pic.twitter.com/0n6dQfQmF8
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) December 27, 2018
Ford is his usual laconic self here, but at least you can tell he actually gives a shit about doing this video and you can sense a genuine bond between the two men. Plus, there’s a neat montage of...
And so, to mark him receiving this honor, his Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford recorded a moving video tribute which Williams tweeted out earlier this week.
pic.twitter.com/0n6dQfQmF8
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) December 27, 2018
Ford is his usual laconic self here, but at least you can tell he actually gives a shit about doing this video and you can sense a genuine bond between the two men. Plus, there’s a neat montage of...
- 12/27/2018
- by David James
- We Got This Covered
This article marks Part 13 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.
The 1974 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“I Feel Love” from “Benji”
“Blazing Saddles” from “Blazing Saddles”
“Wherever Love Takes Me” from “Gold”
“Little Prince” from “The Little Prince”
“We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Won: “We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Should’ve won: “I Feel Love” from “Benji”
While 1973 marked perhaps the strongest Best Original Song line-up of the decade, 1974 nearly competes with the truly dreadful 1972 as the decade’s bottom of the barrel in original music for the big screen. If not for a couple of these nominees, this category would be...
The 1974 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“I Feel Love” from “Benji”
“Blazing Saddles” from “Blazing Saddles”
“Wherever Love Takes Me” from “Gold”
“Little Prince” from “The Little Prince”
“We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Won: “We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Should’ve won: “I Feel Love” from “Benji”
While 1973 marked perhaps the strongest Best Original Song line-up of the decade, 1974 nearly competes with the truly dreadful 1972 as the decade’s bottom of the barrel in original music for the big screen. If not for a couple of these nominees, this category would be...
- 12/5/2018
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
“A Star Is Born” opens this weekend as one of the most anticipated releases of 2018. The film’s title may as well refer to its lead actress, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, whose previous movie experience came from brief appearances in two Robert Rodriguez films. Her reviews are rapturous and she’s a leading contender for a Best Actress Oscar nomination, all of which could make her the biggest singing crossover since Barbra Streisand.
Hollywood hasn’t seen a singer become a breakout success since Whitney Houston in 1992 — although many have tried. John Singleton’s 1993 “Poetic Justice” featured Janet Jackson opposite Tupac Shakur, which grossed $61 million. She costarred with Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps” ($212 million), and was part of a Tyler Perry ensemble in two “Why Did I Get Married” films.
In 2001, Mariah Carey starred in “Glitter,” which was an embarrassing flop. The 2002 “Wise Girls” was a...
Hollywood hasn’t seen a singer become a breakout success since Whitney Houston in 1992 — although many have tried. John Singleton’s 1993 “Poetic Justice” featured Janet Jackson opposite Tupac Shakur, which grossed $61 million. She costarred with Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps” ($212 million), and was part of a Tyler Perry ensemble in two “Why Did I Get Married” films.
In 2001, Mariah Carey starred in “Glitter,” which was an embarrassing flop. The 2002 “Wise Girls” was a...
- 10/4/2018
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
It’s a fairly safe assumption that by the time most superstar singers reach their 70s, they’re pretty set in their setlist ways. So there was plenty of reason to suspect that Diana Ross’ performance with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at the host venue’s official season opener Saturday night would be essentially a reprise of the show she was doing in her Las Vegas residency this past winter, with strings attached. But in this case, the answer to that eternal question of hers — “Do you know where you’re going to?” — was, wonderfully, no.
Saturday’s show turned out to be a true one-off, filled with songs Ross rarely — or never — performs live; only seven of the 16 choices overlapped with the set the Supreme being was doing in Sin City earlier in the year. She’s veteran enough to know that when you score a pickup band as...
Saturday’s show turned out to be a true one-off, filled with songs Ross rarely — or never — performs live; only seven of the 16 choices overlapped with the set the Supreme being was doing in Sin City earlier in the year. She’s veteran enough to know that when you score a pickup band as...
- 6/18/2018
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
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