Showbiz History: Hedy's Nude Scene and Paul Dano's Debut

4 random things that happened on this day, January 20h, in showbiz history

1933 The infamous erotic drama Extase (Ecstacy) starring Hedy Lamarr, and filmed simultaneously in three languages (German, Czech, French) premieres in Czechoslovakia. It would take years to travel the Globe since it kept running into trouble with censors due to Hedy's nude scenes and being one of the very first movies to depict a female orgasm (Hedy's perfect face in close-up). Famously brainy Lamarr helped translate the original Czech screenplay into German and French for filming...

Click to read more ...

How Do Stage-To-Screen Adaptations Fare At The Oscars?

Will Viola Davis be able to win Best Actress at the Oscars?The first step to Oscar success is appearing like a frontrunner. This is why adaptations always are at the top of people’s year in advance predictions. Yet, sustaining that early buzz (often sight unseen) can be a dicey proposition.

Both Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and One Night in Miami are play adaptations that are towards the top of many Oscar predictions right now. Now that both are available on streaming (Netflix and Prime Video, respectively), audiences are finally seeing and enjoying both films. While critics have been giving out their awards recently, the major precursors for the Oscars (guilds, Golden Globes, Critics Choice) still have not been announced. Can we look to the awards run of their source material as a signal for how they will perform at the Oscars?

Click to read more ...

More critics prizes: St Louis, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Denver, and Houston

Here's five more groups of prizes from critics groups that have announced in the past handful of days. Chloe Zhao continues her total sweep of Best Director prizes for Nomadland, an achievement we haven't seen in quite some time. Generally there's one award where someone steamrolls but it's usually in one of the acting categories. Promising Young Woman, Trial of the Chicago 7, Soul, First Cow, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom also do well in this week's regional critics haul...

Click to read more ...

Almost There: Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Departed"

by Cláudio Alves

Many actors have long-lasting creative partnerships with their directors, bringing out the best in both artists. Unfortunately, when it comes to Oscar, not everyone gets recognized for these joint efforts. Many thespians don't get that golden recognition for their best work either, adding a tinge of bitterness to their triumph. Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese's 21st-century muse, did get nominated for two of the director's pictures, 2004's The Aviator and 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street. However, I'd argue that the actor's best performance in a Scorsese flick got snubbed. In 2006, despite a lot of precursor attention, The Departed failed to secure an Oscar nod for its ill-fated protagonist…

Click to read more ...

Showbiz History: Multiple cult classics and volatile awards seasons

5 random things that happened on this day, January 19th, in showbiz history

1962 Tender is the Night opens in movie theaters. The film stars Jennifer Jones. 

1964 Joan Crawford stars in Strait-Jacket, new in theaters which is now a total cult classic. Here's one of my favourite posts I ever wrote. 

1990 Another cult classic, Tremors, debuts on this day...

Click to read more ...