Showbiz History: Japanese hits, Harry Belafonte's birthday, and The Doors

6 random things that happened on this day, March 1st, in showbiz history...

1927 Harold George Bellanfanti Jr born  in Harlem. He later becomes globally famous in the 1950s as Harry Belafonte. Happy 94th (!!!) to the singer, actor, activist, and Honorary Oscar winner. He's one of the oldest living iconic American stars. 

1963 Akira Kurosawa's High and Low premieres in Japan. It snags a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Film but Japan doesn't submit it to the Oscars.

a 1985 movie weekend, Shoplifters, and NSFW Javier Bardem after the jump...

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Who's Zooming Who? A Very Virtual Golden Globes Night

by Nathaniel R

On of the funniest bits had Tina defying the split screen to stroke Amy's hair

Given the restrictions placed on Hollywood's most convivial hobnobbing boozy party things went as well as you could probably expect for the 78th Golden Globe Awards. The HFPA was wise to lean into something that always works (Tina Fey and Amy Poehler paired... although this time they were on different coasts) in a year where all the other things that make Globes night so fun, weren't really going to be there to lean into...

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February. It's a Wrap

February kicked off with Sundance wrapping up and then went straight into mainstream awards nominations and predictions for Globes and SAG and well as decidedly non-mainstream Film Bitch Awards nominations (via myself). The Oscar nominations are yet to come but the Academy will be voting to determine them from March 5th-10th. So "freeze" the buzz in a few days time when considering your predictions. Nothing that happens after about the 7th will matter at all to the outcome. Are you excited for the Golden Globes (TONIGHT!) or is the need for a virtual ceremony killing your usual anticipation? 

highlights in case you missed 'em
• Gay Best Friend: Rebel Without a Cause the original teen angst classic
• On whiplash viewings When you're loving something (I Care A Lot) and then suddenly aren't!
• Nathaniel's Top 10 of 2020 I Carry You With Me, Minari, etc...
• Pauline Collins in Shirley Valentine Baby Clyde has a fond memory
• Christopher Plummer (1929-2021) we'll always treasure him for Beginners
• Goofiest Globe Nods Christopher surveyed their often wacky choices
• FYC Never Rarely Sometimes Always Nick makes a passionate case
• Olivia Colman broke my heart Cláudio is moved to tears by The Father

most discussed articles
• When will you go back to movie theaters? Waiting for the vaccine or...?
• Surprise Noms or Snubs Coming? Christopher sees possible futures with stats
• Michelle Pfeiffer in White Oleander Cláudio looks at the painful snub
• February 24th in Showbiz History Judy, Tilda, Glenn, Madonna 
• Nathaniel's Globe predictions which you can use to laugh at me once we discover it's all wrong tonight!
• How many female directors will be Oscar nom'ed? Juan Carlos on the five "most-likely-to"

COMING IN MARCH
Including but not limited to: an interview with Colman Domingo (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), Raya and the Last Dragon, SAG Awards, The Courier, Joan Crawford's Best Actress win, Gilda's 75th anniversary, the return of the Supporting Actress Smackdown, ... and of course the actual Oscar nominations.

Showbiz History: Oscar's fav movie producer, MASH finale, and Fury Road's Oscar night.

5 random things that happened on this day, February 28th, in showbiz history...

1921 One hundred years ago today movie producer Saul Zaentz was born in New Jersey. He won the Best Picture Oscar three times: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and The English Patient. That gives him the all time record for "Most Best Picture wins" which he shares in a tie with Sam Spiegel (On the Waterfront, Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia). The living producers that share second place with 2 wins each are Clint Eastwood and Albert S Ruddy (though they're both 90 years old) and Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner (who are fairly young as producers go winning for both 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight so they could conceivably tie this three-time record... though it obviously won't be easy to do!

1983 M*A*S*H airs its final episode after 11 seasons. The vast majority of the television audience in the US was watching. I remember my oldest brother crying and being confused about why...

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FYC: " Húsavík" for Best Original Song

by Cláudio Alves

2020 was a horrible year in many regards. Too many to count if we're being honest. Still, I'd like to highlight that, as a Eurovision Song Contest fan, it was especially disheartening to see the show be canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. It's obvious why it couldn't happen, but, if there ever was a year that needed the cheering effect of that joyful camp explosion, 2020 was that year. Thankfully, both for me and my Eurovision-loving family, Netflix had an Easter Egg-filled delight to assuage the pain…

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