#the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar

[blackgirlslivingwell]

Legendary Actor Louis Gossett Jr. Passed Away At Age 87 Rest In Peace RIP

[mimi-0007]

FATHER & SON: James Earl Jones with his Father Robert Earl Jones on Stage in the 1962 Production "Moon on a Rainbow Shawl."

Robert Earl Jones (February 3, 1910 – September 7, 2006), sometimes credited as Earl Jones, was an American actor and professional boxer. One of the first prominent Black film stars, Jones was a living link with the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, having worked with Langston Hughes early in his career.

Jones was best known for his leading roles in films such as Lying Lips (1939) and later in his career for supporting roles in films such as The Sting (1973), Trading Places (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), and Witness (1985).

Jones was born in northwestern Mississippi; the specific location is unclear as some sources indicate Senatobia, while others suggest nearby Coldwater. He left school at an early age to work as a sharecropper to help his family. He later became a prizefighter. Under the name "Battling Bill Stovall", he was a sparring partner of Joe Louis.

Jones became interested in theater after he moved to Chicago, as one of the thousands leaving the South in the Great Migration. He moved on to New York by the 1930s. He worked with young people in the Works Progress Administration, the largest New Deal agency, through which he met Langston Hughes, a young poet and playwright. Hughes cast him in his 1938 play, Don't You Want to Be Free?.

Jones also entered the film business, appearing in more than twenty films. His film career started with the leading role of a detective in the 1939 race film Lying Lips, written and directed by Oscar Micheaux, and Jones made his next screen appearance in Micheaux's The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940). Jones acted mostly in crime movies and dramas after that, with such highlights as Wild River (1960) and One Potato, Two Potato (1964). In the Oscar-winning 1973 film The Sting, he played Luther Coleman, an aging grifter whose con is requited with murder leading to the eponymous "sting". In the later 20th century, Jones appeared in several other noted films: Trading Places (1983) and Witness (1985).

Toward the end of his life, Jones was noted for his stage portrayal of Creon in The Gospel at Colonus (1988), a black musical version of the Oedipus legend. He also appeared in episodes of the long-running TV shows Lou Grant and Kojak. One of his last stage roles was in a 1991 Broadway production of Mule Bone by Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, another important writer of the Harlem Renaissance. His last film was Rain Without Thunder (1993).

Although blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s due to involvement with leftist groups, Jones was ultimately honored with a lifetime achievement award by the U.S. National Black Theatre Festival.

Jones was married three times. As a young man, he married Ruth Connolly (died 1986) in 1929; they had a son, James Earl Jones. Jones and Connolly separated before James was born in 1931, and the couple divorced in 1933. Jones did not come to know his son until the mid-1950s. He adopted a second son, Matthew Earl Jones. Jones died on September 7, 2006, in Englewood, New Jersey, from natural causes at age 96.

THEATRE

1945 The Hasty Heart (Blossom) Hudson Theatre, Broadway

1945 Strange Fruit (Henry) McIntosh NY theater production

1948 Volpone (Commendatori) City Center

1948 Set My People Free (Ned Bennett) Hudson Theatre, Broadway

1949 Caesar and Cleopatra (Nubian Slave) National Theatre, Broadway

1952 Fancy Meeting You Again (Second Nubian) Royale Theatre, Broadway

1956 Mister Johnson (Moma) Martin Beck Theater, Broadway

1962 Infidel Caesar (Soldier) Music Box Theater, Broadway

1962 The Moon Besieged (Shields Green) Lyceum Theatre, Broadway

1962 Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (Charlie Adams) East 11th Street Theatre, New York

1968 More Stately Mansions (Cato) Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway

1975 All God's Chillun Got Wings (Street Person) Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway

1975 Death of a Salesman (Charley)

1977 Unexpected Guests (Man) Little Theatre, Broadway

1988 The Gospel at Colonus (Creon) Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway

1991 Mule Bone (Willie Lewis) Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway

FILMS

1939 Lying Lips (Detective Wenzer )

1940 The Notorious Elinor Lee (Benny Blue)

1959 Odds Against Tomorrow (Club Employee uncredited)

1960 Wild River (Sam Johnson uncredited)

1960 The Secret of the Purple Reef (Tobias)

1964 Terror in the City (Farmer)

1964 One Potato, Two Potato (William Richards)

1968 Hang 'Em High

1971 Mississippi Summer (Performer)

1973 The Sting (Luther Coleman)

1974 Cockfighter (Buford)

1977 Proof of the Man (Wilshire Hayward )

1982 Cold River (The Trapper)

1983 Trading Places (Attendant)

1983 Sleepaway Camp (Ben)

1984 The Cotton Club (Stage Door Joe)

1984 Billions for Boris (Grandaddy)

1985 Witness (Custodian)

1988 Starlight: A Musical Movie (Joe)

1990 Maniac Cop 2 (Harry)

1993 Rain Without Thunder (Old Lawyer)

TELEVISION

1964 The Defenders (Joe Dean) Episode: The Brother Killers

1976 Kojak (Judge) Episode: Where to Go if you Have Nowhere to Go?

1977 The Displaced Person (Astor) Television movie

1978 Lou Grant (Earl Humphrey) Episode: Renewal

1979 Jennifer's Journey (Reuven )Television movie

1980 Oye Ollie (Performer) Television series

1981 The Sophisticated Gents (Big Ralph Joplin) 3 episodes

1982 One Life to Live

1985 Great Performances (Creon) Episode: The Gospel at Colonus

1990 True Blue (Performer) Episode: Blue Monday

[geekcavepodcast]

Louis Gossett Jr. dies at 87

He was the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and also won an Emmy for his role in "Roots." No cause of death has been released just yet.

Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans.

[walkingthroughthisworld]

James Earl Jones - US Army

by Blake Stilwell

Jones was an exceptional cadet, a member of the Pershing Rifles Drill Team and the National Society of Scabbard and Blade. The same performance ability that let him excel with the Pershing Rifles led him to the Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance. He knew he wanted to be an actor, but he once referred to his fellow cadets as "the only semblance of a social life."

He initially left the university without completing his degree. With the Korean War raging at the time, he thought he would be sent overseas. But it ended in an armistice later that year, and although he returned to graduate in 1955, Jones' life took a different course.

After graduating from college, he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for the Officers Basic Course and to attend Ranger School. Jones was assigned to the 38th Regimental Combat Team, where he led the setup of a cold weather training command at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado.

"Our regiment was established as a training unit, to train in the bitter cold weather and the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains," Jones told the Army in an interview. "I took to the physical challenge, so much so that I wanted to stay there, testing myself in that awesome environment, mastering the skills of survival.

"I loved the austere beauty of the mountains and the exhilaration of the weather and the altitude. I didn't mind the rigors of the work or the pioneer-like existence. I thought it was a good life."

Jones was a good officer and soon was promoted to first lieutenant. When the time came to decide whether the Army should be his career, his commanding officer asked him a poignant question: "Is there anything you feel like doing on the outside?"

His father, Robert Earl Jones, had been an actor performing in plays on stage while James was a young man. Jones told his commanding officer he had always thought about following his father's path. His commander told him he could always come back to the Army, but he should pursue his dreams.

After his discharge, Jones moved to New York City, where he studied acting at the American Theatre Wing using his GI Bill benefits while working as a janitor to support himself.

His first acting jobs came in Michigan at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, where he had once worked as a carpenter and stagehand. Just two years later, he was a lead actor. By 1957, he was on Broadway. In 1964, he made his film debut as Lt. Lothar Zogg, a B-52 Stratofortress bombardier in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."

James Earl Jones' first leading role was in the 1970 film "The Great White Hope," a part he'd previously played on stage. His performance led to his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, making him the second Black man to receive the nod.

After a career spanning more than 60 years, Jones has been called "one of the greatest actors in American history" and "the best known voice in show business." He received the National Medal of the Arts from President George H.W. Bush, Kennedy Center Honors from President George W. Bush and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. He also has achieved the "EGOT" -- winning at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.

But after a lifetime of success, he still remembered his time in the Pershing Rifles as some of the best years of his life. Jones died at his home in Dutchess County, New York on Sept. 9, 2024. He was 93 years old.

[tilbageidanmark]

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS WEEK #204:

THE EXECUTIONER (1963) is a classic Spanish dark comedy. Naïve funeral worker Nino Manfredi meets the daughter of a state executioner. Both are social outcasts because of their dreaded associations with death, so they are pushed toward each other, to marry and start a family. In order to win the right for a new government apartment, meek Manfredi is being lured to take over his father-in-law's job, and the time eventually comes when he has to perform a gruesome killing by garroting his first 'customer'. (Screenshot Above). This is my second film this month with delightful old actor José Isbert (after 'The wheelchair'!), whose character of Amadeo carries the plot. 7/10.

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There were quiet a few opulent spectacles about the election of Popes recently (The two Popes, The young Pope, Amen, The Borgias, We have a Pope, and of course, Godfather 3). It's a genre that lends itself to magnificent production design and reverence to authority.

CONCLAVE adds a dramatic chapter to this sub-genre. It's a very well made thriller with an imposing cast of carpet-chewing male thespians, (Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow), with the addition of the beautiful Isabella Rossellini. It's a tense and riveting story, with a terrific score. It ends with a black-and-white power struggle between liberalism and conservatism, and an unexpected bombshell finale. 8/10.

(Don't watch the trailer). My second by Edward Berger (after 'Your Honor'. Now I want to see his 'All quiet on the western front').

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5 MORE LATVIAN ANIMATED MOVIES, 3 BY GINTS ZILBALODIS:

🍿 FLOW is a stunning adventure story about a solitary black cat who learns to live with others. It feels like The Age of Water in 'Myst', done in a striking visual style, lifelike animal movements and with a wordless, genuine heart. It's Latvia's submission to this year's Oscar, and I hope they win. I also hope that there will never be 'Flow2', and that the director Gints Zilbalodis never goes to work for Pixar, even if they offer him $10M. 9/10.

🍿 The young director, Gints Zilbalodis, tells in an interview that up until 'Flow' he had made all his movies alone, without any co-workers. His previous feature, the 2019 AWAY, was an impressive world-building experiment like 'La Planète sauvage' for the 21st century. A boy undertakes a mysterious journey through (another) Myst-like island, followed by an 'Iron Giant'-like creature that may or may not be unfriendly. Wordless, beautiful, highly creative, but without the emotional depth that 'Flow' employs. 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes.

🍿 His 2014 FOLLOWERS was more like a loud sketch. A boy who runs away from school, joins an escaped prisoner.

🍿 ELECTRICIAN’S DAY (2018), an original story about an ordinary day at a mental hospital, which started with a power outage. Disgusting visuals and sound effects. 8/10.

🍿 There must be an active animation scene over there. BIRTH (2009) is my second animation by Signe Baumane (after her genial, and better, 'Rocks in my pocket'). A clueless pregnant teen must learn about giving birth. Supported by (and done in similar style to) Bill Plimpton. [*Female Director*]

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SYMBOL (2009) is a truly-weird surrealist fantasy by a popular Japanese comedian. It tells two separate stories that have no connection to each other at all. In the main one, the comedian, dressed in a colorful polka-dot pajamas, wakes up in a giant, empty white room, not sure how and why he got there. Hundreds of tiny angel dicks sprout out of walls, and every time he touches one, a certain object drops into the room (?) from a hidden door. [I remember the documentary about Nasubi ("Eggplant"), a contestant in a Japanese game show who was left (naked) in a similar room for a whole year, so this must be common theme on TV over there.]

The second unrelated story is about a Mexican Lucha libre wrestler named Escargot Man, it is told in Spanish, and done in a realistic style. The combination between the two is crazily 'different', but in the end the whole premise doesn't work at all.

🍿

2 FILMS ABOUT CANNIBAL FAMILIES:

🍿 "...We know what to do, but we do not do!..."

Talking about bizarro!

SLACK BAY (2016), my second film from French director Bruno Dumont (after Léa Seydoux 'France'). Placed at the gorgeous, half-empty Bretagne of 120 years ago. A vacationing family of inbred industrialists (including half-witted Juliette Binoche) meet a clan of ugly mussel-gatherers, who indulges in cannibalism [Basically, they're 'eating the rich']. Then the visiting hermaphrodite daughter falls in love with the coarse elder son of the fishermen, and all hell breaks loose. There are also a couple of policemen who look like Hergé's Thompson and Thompson investigating the disappearances of all the previous visitors, and everybody keeps tumbling down all the time in various ridiculous ways. And towards the end, people start elevating and float up in the sky. It's a really absurd class war fable.

(Unfortunately I could only watch it without subtitles, so I must have missed a lot, but that's okay.)

🍿 "What was this before it was leftovers?..."

For me, Bob Balaban will always be François Truffaut's translator in 'Close Encounter of the third kind'. But he came from a distinguished family and himself had an impressive career as a creator. PARENTS (1989) was his debut feature, and is more of a Lynchian atmospheric suburban nightmare than a black comedy horror flick. Maybe it's because of the score by Lynch collaborator, Angelo Badalamenti's. Maybe it's because the ambiguity which is told from a young boy's point of view. But it's strange and disturbing, and definitely not for vegetarians like me. Randy Quaid's creepiest performance.

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DAAAAAALÍ! (2023), my first film by Quentin Dupieux is a fake surrealist meta-biography of the eccentric painter, played here by four different actors with exaggerated mannerism and an odd accent. A framing Buñuelian plot about a miscast journalist who tries repeatedly to score an interview with him, but she doesn't have any insights to interest him, or us. It has 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes, but I found it woefully unsatisfactory: Dalí deserved so much better.

🍿

LEONARDO DA VINCI is the new, 4-hour PBS documentary by Ken Burns, his first non-American subject. Exploring the life and legacy of the most celebrated Renaissance Man who ever lived. Using an extensive overview of his many notebooks, scientific inventions, his search for knowledge and artistic journey, it's a visually fascinating trip, while being explained by a group talking heads (and blabbering heads alike). Still the topic is too captivating to spoil. Recommended. 7/10.

“…On a page dedicated to an 1,800-year-old Euclidean geometry problem, he trailed off: “It was time to eat. Et cetera”, he wrote, “because the soup is getting cold”. It was among his last notebook entries…”

🍿

"Yes, I can see now..."

I need some sweetness in my life, so I turned again to Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS. Extremely sentimental, defiantly romantic with a final scene that made Einstein cry and that James Agee called "the greatest single piece of acting ever committed to celluloid". 9/10. Re-watch ♻️.

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2 PORTUGUESE SHORTS BY AKI KAURISMÄKI:

I've seen 13 of Aki Kaurismäki features. I need to watch the rest of his work:

🍿 "Sopa 1,80..." TAVERN MAN (2012), a lonely innkeeper is preparing lonely soup and waiting at a lonely bus station with a lonely bouquet of flowers.

🍿 BICO (2004), a poetic postcard from one of them half-abandoned, half-empty mountain Portuguese villages close to the Spanish border. 10/10.

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VAL LEWTON X 2:

🍿 VAL LEWTON: THE MAN IN THE SHADOW (2007) is a fair Martin Scorsese tribute to the legendary producer, responsible for a slate of terror/horror B-movies at RKO Studios during the 40's.

🍿 "Drink your milk!"

THE SEVENTH VICTIM, my 3rd horror film produced by Lewton, a story of a young woman discovering a Greenwich Village satanist cult. I understand that he was a "Producer-Auteur" and that his atmospheric mood pieces contained symbolic "underpinnings about sexuality, colonialism, power", but they are just not for me. The devil worshipers of Rosemary's Baby were more of my thing. But, Oh boy; That Bureau of Missing Persons surely was busy!

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ADVENTURES IN PERCEPTION is a Dutch introduction to M. C. Escher's art. It's a terrible documentary, which is not helped by the dissonant modernist score, and the fact that this copy was of low-resolution. It was nominated for an Oscar in 1971. 1/10.

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I've seen a bunch of documentaries about The Newport music festivals, both the jazz and folk varieties. 'Jazz on a Summer's Day' was masterful, and the Dylan ‘Don’t look back’ stood out. But this unfocused 1967 FESTIVAL was terrible, in spite of the rich lineup of dozens of folk, blues, gospel and bluegrass artists. Shoddy editing, very little exciting music and boring snippets of random people expressing their uninteresting opinions. 'Maggie's Farm', and a few seconds with Mimi & Richard Fariña, were the only worthy numbers. The crowd were 100% all white. 2/10.

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Re-watch ♻️: The ZAZ posse, Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, made some great spoof comedies (Airplane!, The Naked Gun movies, Hot shots, Police squad!, etc), and some not so-great straight comedies, like RUTHLESS PEOPLE (1986). "They were entirely different kinds of movies" and I forgot how forgettable this one was. It gets 1 point from me for the Jimi Hendrix's 'Foxy Lady' use, and 1 for credit animation by Sally Cruikshank, but that's about all. So, 2/10.

"Hey! It's Enrico Palazzo!" RIP, Jim Abraham.

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SOME SHORTS:

🍿 CARS WITHOUT A HOME (1959) a quirky, jazzy mockumentary about abandoned cars in Czechoslovakia.

🍿 In MOTHERLAND (2022), a young Korean adoptee raised in America, returns to Korea to search for her birth mother. It's one of many movies about the Korean diaspora. (Via). [*Female Director*]

🍿 While waiting for her new Oscar picked film 'Arzé', I took in Mira Shaib's 2021 STILL ❤ BEIRUT. It covers some of the responses to the giant chemical explosion that devastated the city, and caused a national trauma, but wasn't very good. [*Female Director*]

🍿

This cute story by one Jameela Jamil got me curious enough to check out a television show called THE GOOD PLACE. One episode of "smart" fantasy, "creative", all inclusive and bright. But so so glib, shallow pop culture trying to appear deep. After two minutes of the second episode, I had enough.

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(ALL MY FILM REVIEWS - HERE).

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Scottish actor Ewen Bremner, born January 23rd 1972 in Edinburgh.

Bremner has worked with many of the most respected directors in world cinema, including Danny Boyle, Mike Leigh, Ridley Scott, Joon-Ho Bong, Werner Herzog and Woody Allen. Hen has established himself by creating unique characters in critically acclaimed films, as well as going toe to toe with many of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Ewen had worked widely in theatre, television, and film for years before being cast in his breakout role in Trainspotting, by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. He was the first to be cast in the role of Mark Renton in Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre production but lost out to Ewan McGregor in the film version, instead he was handed the role of Spud Murphy and earned screen immortality with his character's infamous "speed fuelled" job interview scene.

Prior to Trainspotting, Bremner gave a striking performance in Mike Leigh's Naked, fellow Scot Susan Vidler played his girlfriend Maggie in this excellent film.

In 1999, Bremner received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a schizophrenic man living with his dysfunctional family in Harmony Korine's Julien, Donkey-Boy. Filmed strictly in accordance with the ultra-realist tenants of Lars Von Trier's Dogma 95 movement and starring opposite Werner Herzog, Bremner played Julien its eponymous hero, requiring him to assume an American accent. He then worked with director Michael Bay in his high-profile 2001 war film Pearl Harbor, proving his versatility once again by portraying the role of a wholeheartedly patriotic American soldier fighting in WWII. The following year, he stepped back into fatigues for a supporting role in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, while rounding out the next several years with roles in high-profile Hollywood releases such as The Rundown, Disney's Around the World in 80 Days), AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Woody Allen's Match Point, the comedy Death at a Funeral directed by Frank Oz, and Fool's Gold starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.

This past few of years proved to be a busy when Bremner was invited to join the DC Universe in the Zack Snyder-produced feature Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, co-starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. Ewen also reprised his unforgettable role as Spud in the highly-anticipated sequel to Danny Boyle's cult classic, T2: Trainspotting

Bremner appeared in the TNT Drama Series Will with Shekhar Kapur. The series told the story of the lost years of young William Shakespeare after his arrival to London in 1589 but only lasted one season. Other notable film credits include Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Perfect Sense starring again alongside Ewan McGregor, Great Expectations, Jack the Giant Slayer, and Snowpiercer starring alongside Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton. Further credits include Exodus: Gods and Kings, Wide Open Spaces, Mojo, Mediator, Faintheart, Hallam Foe, Sixteen Years of Alcohol, and Snatch.

In television, Ewen has worked on many acclaimed productions including David Hare's Worriker trilogy starring Bill Nighy for BBC, Jimmy McGovern's Moving On and also his Australian mini-series Banished, Strike Back for Sky TV, Dominic Savage's Dive, the Dylan Thomas biopic, A Poet In New York and the adaptation of Day of the Triffids for the BBC. Other noteworthy series appearances include portraying legendary surrealist Salvador Dali in the U.K. television drama Surrealissimo: The Trial of Salvador Dali, and a guest spot on the successful NBC series, My Name is Earl, not to forget an early appearance in Taggart way back in 1990.

Latley Ewen has been one of a number of Scottish actors who are backing a campaign to reopen the Film House cinema in Edinburgh, he has a couple of projects on the go just now, Bluefish, which takes us around the globe to tell stories of people trying to break out of their bubbles of isolation, which I take to mean the Covid pandemic, he also has a film on the go called Roo, but there is nothing to report on that just now.

[destinyc1020]

I'm sorry, but we are not going to pretend that a British white man working with black people is the same as a black woman working with black costars. Again I recommend people to listen to the interviews of Halle Berry and Angela Bassett about how few roles they were offered after winning the Oscar for Best Actress (Halle) and being a Best Actress nominee (Angela, for a performance that was the best in its year). Racism in Hollywood runs deep and Black women are relegated to supporting roles or to "black projects". Plus Z has to contend with the issue that she's light-skinned, so being the lead of a majority-black project would be frowned upon. She's trying to establish herself as a lead adult female dramatic actress and she just released a couple of months ago her first widely released theatrical movie where she's the lead. Z herself said that even after her Best Actress Emmy win what she was being offered was two-dimensional "girlfriend" roles. And let's remember that her first movie that had limited theatrical release and where she was a lead she had a dark skin black love costar (a movie she co-financed).

So let's stop the silly comparisons equating the experiences of white men and black women in Hollywood. They will necessarily have very different paths

Ohhhh....here we go again..... 🙄😒

Nobody is saying that Z has the same exact opportunities that her white, male, counterparts do. I think everyone realizes that Hollywood is still racist and colorist to some degree.

Nobody is even saying that she is getting a plethora of great roles her way after 2 Emmy wins. Most woc don't get that luxury after we win awards. Another thing is that even white women in Hollywood get regulated to girlfriend and "hot girl" roles in the industry. The roles for women in HW can be sucky just all around.

What SOME Z fans are saying however is that OTHER Black actresses in Hollywood can work with Black actors in films, and so can Z. I think the excuses are starting to seem a little side-eye worthy at this point.

Halle has worked with Black people in her film career. THEE Viola Davis just did "The Woman King" with a fully Black cast. She was also in HTGAWM with other Black cast members.

Many fans just don't see why Z can't do the same? 🥴🤷🏾‍♀️ That's all fans are saying. I also don't think that Z playing one of the leads in a fully Black film would be as horrible as you might think. People will see a movie if it looks interesting, point blank. Plus, Z already gets flack from racists for playing MJ in the Spiderman Franchise, so what's the difference?🤔 She will continue to ignore the nonsense from ignorant people, and continue to do her. That's what you do! Almost EVERY actor has gotten some hate for being linked to a role. It doesn't change the fact that the film keeps filming, and it eventually releases (and most ppl change their mind about the actor in the role rofl 🤣).

Not only that, but plenty of biracial women have played in lead roles in "Black" films before. Halle has done it before. 🤷🏾‍♀️ Thandie Newton has done it before. Jurnee Smollett has done it before. And not only that, but the Black community LOVES Z. They'd support her if the film is done well.

I don't think that anyone is trying to compare Z to White, British men in Hollywood. They're just saying how it's kinda sad that even her bf has worked with more BW in films than even she has, and yet, she's the one who's always preaching about working with "Black Creatives".

I'm pretty sure Z will one day work with more Black creatives in Hollywood in her films, so that's why I'm not even worried. But to act like it's not a little strange to continue to make excuse after excuse, after excuse is a little naïve to me. When do you stop making excuses? 🤔

[thecourtoflionsandwolves]

WHATS HAPPENIN

So Brazil won its first Oscar ever. Also, if you know anything about our country, you know soccer and Carnival are our biggest passions. I'd even say Carnival is bigger because it brings people together to party, while soccer can divide us a little bit since it's always a competition. Carnival lasts around a week and reunites millions of people. The country just stops everything to celebrate. And this happened during Carnival, specially during one of the days of the parade - which is one of the biggest artistic events in the world (google it if you want to learn more because this is THE COOLEST SPECTACLE EVER). So we stopped to celebrate Carnival, and then we stopped celebrating Carnival to celebrate this, or even better, the country combined the two parties.

And Brazil is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world, each state has its own traditions, but millions of people everywhere were rooting for I'm Still Here (nominated to best foreign and best picture) and Fernanda Torres (nominated to best actress). They made chants, costumes, t-shirts etc with their names and her face, we even had drones projecting her face in the sky, people were gathering on streets, bars, theaters etc to watch the ceremony and root for them, white, black, brown, indigenous, mixed, literally people from all races from urban areas to the countryside showered them with love, people were literally including their names in different religious ceremonies to send them good vibes and all that.

We even had one of our biggest singers ever stopping her concert to announce it and celebrate with the audience (I couldn't get a picture of the crowd, but it looked like at least 30,000 people to me).

Part of the cast stayed here, I don't know if they couldn't go or if they chose to watch the parade instead, but this was them accompanying the results and celebrating the victory.

Selton Mello (one of the actors) iirc went to Los Angeles, but watched the show in a theater with other Brazilian artists (?). And after hearing the results he went celebrate with Brazilian fans outside.

And the movie is based on a book written by a man whose father died victim of a dictatorship and his mother had to raise 5 children alone. A dictatorship that the U.S. supported, unfortunately a part of the population worships it and wants to bring it back, including our previous president. And that president tried to sabotage our culture and a lot of artists that spoke against him. Unfortunately there were also a lot of celebrities with huge platforms that supported him, including big artists and soccer players. And soccer is a huge thing here, so they had certain influence in what happened.

Also, the director Walter Salles had earned 5 nominations and this was Brazil's first win ever. This was Fernanda Torres's first nomination. Her mother was also nominated around 20 years ago. They didn't win the Oscars, but they both won Golden Globes. And they're both really cool people who never supported that awful administration and care about the art and the people. So to win anything, gain worldwide attention, specially with this movie, after so much horror that left consequences to this day, after our previous president that supports that dark period of our history, finally in a better administration, in the middle of our biggest party, with millions of people celebrating our culture, national talents and standing up for good, happy things instead of praising far-right politicians and artists, footballers etc that support them is iconic. Specially because things are still rocky and Trump's return set a bad precedent to the world and I really hope we learn from the U.S.'s mistakes. But for now, WE FUCKING PARTY BECAUSE WE MADE HISTORY, BABY! 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[dewitty1]

Louis Gossett Jr, first Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies aged 87

Louis Gossett Jr, the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar, and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries Roots, has died. He was 87.

“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,” Gossett’s family said in a statement, adding: “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

[cinelestial]

Louis Gossett Jr. has passed away at the age of 87.

Gossett Jr was the first black man to win Best Supporting Actor at the 1983 Academy Awards as well as the second black man to win an Oscar.

Rest in peace🙏

[futileexercise]

RIP

[afrotumble]

Louis Gossett Jr, the first black man to win an Oscar for best supporting actor, dies at 87 | Ents & Arts News | Sky News

May he rest well 🙏🏾

[tvfavorites]

Louis Gossett Jr., First Black Man To Win Supporting Actor Oscar, Dies At 87

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 87. Gossett’s nephew told The Associated Press that the actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica, California. No cause of death was revealed. Gossett always thought of his early career as a reverse Cinderella story,…

[denimbex1986]

'Along with its spellbinding portrayal of a morally complex American figure and harrowing depiction of the meticulous creation of nuclear bombs, Oppenheimer is an exhilarating cinematic showcase that audiences have not experienced in years. The new film by Christopher Nolan is being celebrated for its dense cast of movie stars and sturdy character actors. There is plenty of justified acclaim for the likes of Cillian Murphy as the titular role, Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, and even Jason Clarke as Roger Robb, but a cast this expansive and eclectic is prone to overshadow dynamic supporting performances, such as the brilliant performance by Dane DeHaan.

Dane DeHaan Is Part of a Hugely Talented Cast in 'Oppenheimer'

As news hit the public about the film's production, many were transfixed by the deep bench of its supporting cast. The extensive cast is a testament to Nolan's refraining from writing composite characters. It wasn't about who was starring in Oppenheimer, but who wasn't. Anticipation for Murphy receiving the promotion to leading status in a Nolan film and Downey finally emerging out of the post-Tony Stark shadow was paramount. He granted actors like Josh Hartnett and Alden Ehrenreich a revival after years of mainstream dormancy. Kids of the 2000s were baffled, but intrigued by the casting of Josh Peck and Devon Bostick in this austere historical biopic. On top of all this, Oppenheimer will also remind everyone why Dane DeHaan was one of the hottest assets in Hollywood not so long ago.

DeHaan, most known for his entrancing leading role in the Gore Verbinski film, A Cure for Wellness, Josh Trank's found footage superhero thriller Chronicle, and a handful of indie productions, had the makings of an off-kilter but captivating movie star. His appearances in films such as The Place Beyond the Pines, Lincoln, and Lawless equally shaped DeHaan as a reliable character actor. With his piercing blue eyes and gaze of inscrutability, the actor could undermine his boyish good looks with an internal sinister quality. A big break for DeHaan was unfortunately compromised by the unfavorable reception to Amazing Spider-Man 2, where he played Harry Osborn. The box-office bomb that was Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets in 2017 certainly didn't help matters either. His quick rise to fame in the 2010s appeared to have completely dissipated until he received the call from the master director of populist sentiments with ostentatious thematic structures, Christopher Nolan.

Who Does Dane DeHaan Play in 'Oppenheimer'?

In the new film about J. Robert Oppenheimer and his coordination of the creation of the atomic bomb under the Manhattan Project during World War II, DeHaan plays Major General Kenneth Nichols. He worked as a civil engineer on the Manhattan Project and subsequently joined the Atomic Energy Commission following the war as a military liaison. In 1953, Nichols was elevated to the general manager of the AEC, which was led by Lewis Strauss, who also spearheaded an investigation into Oppenheimer's loyalty to the United States as a result of his past ties to the Communist Party.

Like many of the roles played by recognizable faces, including Oscar-winning actors such as Casey Affleck, Gary Oldman, and Rami Malek, DeHaan doesn't have that much screen time. However, as is the case with the rest of the steep cast, it is not about what DeHaan brings to the plot but rather the presence he conveys. Captured in exquisite black-and-white photography, his reserved menace is tapped into throughout the film. From his first appearance, he is strikingly unmistakable with the glasses, slicked-back hair, and military officer uniform.

Oppenheimer is filled with countless mesmerizing shots under the eye of Nolan's cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema. In the same wavelength of under-the-radar magnitude, a scene involving a meeting between Oppenheimer, Strauss, and other AEC officials features a quick and subtle shot of a floral arrangement being moved aside, which reveals Nichols sitting in a seat previously blocked by the object. He is seen glaring into the soul of Oppenheimer, as the film has established to be following from the physicist's perspective. The reveal has the suddenness of a jump scare, and with this seemingly innocuous shot, Nolan shows that a minor character with nefarious intentions for our protagonist is lingering, waiting for his moment.

In the film's somewhat divisive third act, which intercuts between Oppenheimer's security hearing, a more-or-less character deconstruction covertly ordered by Strauss, and the confirmation hearing of Strauss' appointment as Secretary of Commerce by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Nichols plays a subdued, yet crucial role. Strauss, who resents Oppenheimer for dismissing his concerns regarding the Soviet Union's progress in manufacturing atomic weapons, digs up the physicist's alleged ties to communism, notably surrounding his romantic relationship with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), to effectively deny his influence in bureaucracy.

While in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the location of the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer wants to hear the status of his government clearance and he asks Nichols, who was in charge of security parameters of the site. In choice words, he informs the soon-to-be father of the atomic bomb that he is overstepping his boundaries with this inquiry. The U.S. military-industrial complex, and by proxy, him, ultimately determines the fate of Oppenheimer and the entire project. The doctor triggers suspicion among his military superiors when a colleague of his is believed to have leaked intel to the Soviets regarding the Manhattan Project. At this moment, Nichols operates as a sobering reminder of Oppenheimer's obligation to serve under a master in the U.S. government. His virtuosic mind for quantum theory does not run the show here.

DeHaan Conveys a Quiet Menace in a Brief Amount of Screen Time

In the timeline presenting the legal face-off between Oppenheimer and Strauss, Nichols enlightens the latter on the former's questionable background. Taking place in the early 1950s, when the second Red Scare led by infamous Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy was rampant in the political climate, Nichols is dauntingly representative of the paranoia at the heart of the bureaucratic system, as he feeds Strauss with the indictable information of Oppenheimer's loose communist ties. DeHaan conveys a particular brand of government sleaze in his brief performance — a deplorable superior officer who uses power to maintain control at all costs. He precisely embodies the government's lack of integrity depicted in the film, the kind that expresses no remorse for deploying weapons of mass destruction, but aggressively upholds a moral panic over political alignment.

DeHaan's performance crystallizes an important overarching theme of the film. The collision of idealistic groundbreaking science colliding with the military-industrial complex amounts to Robert Oppenheimer being a helpless figure, contrary to Nolan's claim that he is the most important individual in the history of civilization. The power and influence that figures like Nichols possess is a rude awakening for hopeful pioneers like Oppenheimer, who is immensely conflicted with his ego and the monstrosity that he created, and Strauss, who fancies himself more as an advocate for science rather than an empty-suit bureaucrat. Both of them are expendable in the eyes of the suppressive system carried out by Nichols.

Despite his prowess and inclination towards spectacle-driven action and science fiction, Christopher Nolan allows Oppenheimer to excel as a chamber drama featuring dynamic performers talking in legal hearings. The film is the closest instance of Nolan directing an Aaron Sorkin script (many have cited The Social Network as a fitting companion piece to this film). Banding together this plethora of compelling screen presences to discuss nuclear physics and yell in suits over eyewitness testimony is an ingenious way of exploiting their respective untapped abilities. It is refreshing to see this volume of familiar and respected faces on screen, even in a limited amount of screen time such as Dane DeHaan, who brilliantly portrays a general conveying the overbearing power of the military-industrial complex, sometimes with just a glare.'

[stereogeekspodcast]

[Transcript] Season 5, Episode 10. 2025 Academy Awards Reaction

In this special season 5 finale, the Stereo Geeks chat about the 2025 Oscars! What were Ron and Mon’s reactions to the awards? Who were our favourites? Who won, and how did we feel about those wins? Tune in to find out.

Listen to the episode on Spotify.

Ron: Hello and welcome to a surprise episode of Stereo Geeks. We’re still thinking about the 2025 Oscars, so here we are chatting about it. I’m Ron.

Mon: And I’m Mon. 

Mon: While we will be talking about the Oscar-winning films, we won’t spoil anything about the films we’re discussing. 

Thoughts on the show

Ron: The 97th Academy Awards were described as the most open of recent years. There didn’t seem to be a clear winner by the time the Oscars came around. This entire awards season has been unpredictable except for maybe a handful of categories. I liked that the show started off with music but the musical interludes for the rest of the show could have been more engaging.

Ron: Conan O’Brien wasn’t the worst host but I wish he’d sped up that introduction. And I really needed a warning for those body horror scenes from The Substance. While Anora’s wins caught me by surprise, there were some good moments during the night. Paul Tazewell was the first Black man to win the costume design Oscar. He won it for Wicked. No Other Land won the best Documentary Feature Oscar. The film was directed by two Palestinians and two Israelis about the destruction and ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Their speech was heartfelt and powerful. One of the most important moments of the night, in my opinion. 

Mon: I agree with you about that. 

Mon: After a long time, I tuned into an Oscar’s evening with very little interest or excitement. Conan O’ Brien made some funny jokes. But there were some really weird choices. The song about not wasting time, which did waste time. The James Bond interlude, that was topped off with a bizarre, lacklustre dance performance and two boring renditions of Bond themes. Doja Cat was great though. But the night finished in less than four hours, which was great. This must be a record. 

Best Supporting Actors

Mon: Moving onto the categories. Kieran Culkin won for Supporting Actor. I wasn’t invested in any one winning, but he seemed to be exactly like his character? So he really did get an Oscar for playing himself? Bizarre. 

Ron: This category didn’t feel as heavily-contested as last year’s. Culkin seemed to be a shoe-in. I would have picked between Jeremy Strong and Guy Pearce. They really disappeared into their roles. Culkin was great to watch in the film but everyone’s saying that he’s basically playing himself.

Ron: Zoe Saldaña had been winning this category at some of the other award shows so it wasn’t that surprising that she won the Oscar. She’s the only Dominican to win an Oscar and she talked about being the child of immigrants in America. But I do wish she’d mentioned what’s happening to the trans community in the US. None of the Emilia Pérez winners mentioned trans people even once and it’s a film where the protagonist is trans! 

Mon: And it’s central to the story. Saldaña winning was somewhat of a surprise since I wasn’t expecting Emilia Pérez to win anything at all. But not a real surprise considering Saldaña’s been sweeping it this season.

Ron: This wasn’t a hotly-contested category either. I mean, The Brutalist is probably Felicity Jones’ worst performance ever and she got nominated. Isabella Rossellini was nominated for less than 8 minutes onscreen. It looked like they were grasping at straws for this one.

Best Animated Film

Mon: Flow won Best Animated Film. 

Ron: I can’t believe we managed to catch all the animated films. I thought the box office hits The Wild Robot or Inside Out 2 would have had a good chance. But I was 100% onboard for Flow and I’m delighted that this independent film from Latvia won. I loved that film. It was gorgeous, it was stressful, it had the cutest cat protagonist. It does so much without a bit of dialogue. How it was nominated alongside Wallace & Gromit, I can’t say.

Mon: Hey, Wallace & Gromit was kinda fun. But I’m so happy that Flow won. 

Best Original Screenplay

Mon: Anora winning Original Screenplay seems ridiculous to me.

Mon: You know which film was missing from this category? The Fire Inside. You watched it at TIFF last year and wouldn’t stop talking about it. I finally got to see it and I’m gutted it wasn’t recognized at the Oscars. 

Ron: This category did nothing for me. I didn’t want any of them to win. The best original screenplay should’ve gone to The Fire Inside.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Mon: So Conclave won Adapted Screenplay. How do we feel about that?

Ron: Conclave was good and tense but how did it win this category? I was torn between Nickel Boys and Sing Sing because they were two of my favourite nominees. They were gorgeous films and I cannot wait to read their screenplays. Particularly Nickel Boys; that’ll be educational for screenwriters.

Mon: How is The Piano Lesson not on here? I don’t get it. But, to be honest, Conclave is an interesting win. Coming at a time when the US is aggressively turning to Christian nationalism, anger, hate and discrimination, Conclave makes some interesting points. Not that the awful people in the US will watch it. 

Best Director

Mon: Sean Baker won Best Director for Anora. Yeah, I don’t know how to feel about all these Anora wins. Because I hated the film so much. It was unfunny, uninteresting, not unique, and, honestly, disgustingly gratuitous and exploitative. Apparently Mikey Madison was comfortable enough to refuse an intimacy coordinator, but it still came across as kinda gross. The ending undermined any message of ingenuity it had. Really not a fan. 

Ron: I think I should’ve watched Anora but it’s impossible to catch everything. We have day jobs. I also wish I could know how they choose the directors? There can only ever be one woman, if any. None of these directors were my choice.

Mon: Why were James Mangold and Sean Baker here, but RaMell Ross, who directed Nickel Boys, wasn’t? Please explain this to me!

Ron: I thought Nickel Boys was so creatively directed. But no nomination for the director? The only reason starts with an ‘r’ and ends with an ‘m’. Racism.

Mon: No other reason. 

Best Lead Actors

Ron: Adrien Brody won the Best Actor Oscar and I’m disappointed. He was winning throughout so it shouldn’t have been a shock but I wanted an upset. I don’t think this was a good performance. He was indecipherable half the time and was over-acting. I didn’t like this movie, so that doesn’t help. 

Mon: Am I right in saying that we were both rooting for Coman Domingo? 

Ron: Colman Domingo was my choice because Sing Sing was incredible on every level. But you know what, Sebastian Stan was ridiculously good as Trump in The Apprentice. He’s a great actor and I hope he’s recognized one day for another more deserving performance. 

Mon: Yeah, Stan is a really good actor. Contrary to popular opinion, just because someone’s in Marvel movies doesn’t mean they can’t act. Honestly, Brody plays the same kind of broken, tortured character in every role we’ve seen him in. I thought all the other performances were so much stronger.

Ron: Mikey Madison winning Best Actor was a surprise. I thought at least Demi Moore would win.

Mon: The Oscars tend to give it to young women actors in this category. That’s what it always seems like when I tune in, though I know a lot of stalwart actresses have got the prize. Madison isn’t bad in the role—she has to do a whole different accent than her regular one. But does the performance move the dial? Frankly, a lot of Best Actress performances don’t. 

Ron: Really thought it would be Demi Moore’s year. 

Mon: I honestly don’t think enough Academy members watched The Substance. 

Ron: I still can’t believe Pamela Anderson wasn’t nominated for The Last Showgirl. She was phenomenal even if the film itself didn’t work for me. She brought more to her character than the story did. But I would have nominated the entire cast of Piano Lesson. Danielle Deadwyler was extraordinary. John David Washington was equal parts driven and annoying. Everyone in that film was incredible.

Mon: Well, one of the best performances of last year didn’t even get nominated. There must have been a reason why The Fire Inside wasn’t selected. I mean, other than blatant racism. Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry should have been amongst the nominees.

Best Picture

Ron: I didn’t have mixed feelings for most of this year’s Best Picture nominees; I had no feelings. Many of them I wouldn’t have cared to watch. But I was actually hoping for a shock win for Wicked. I had no interest in it at all but when we eventually watched it, the film won me over. Absolutely gorgeous visuals, a couple of songs you could bop to, believable chemistry between the actors. And the message about being true to yourself especially when you’re different. I loved it and celebrated the few wins they did get.

Mon: Personally, I was rooting for Nickel Boys. It was one of the more inventive directing efforts out there, with a heartfelt and heart-rending story at its core. 

Mon: Half the Best Picture nominees lacked a cohesive storyline. Like The Brutalist, Dune: Part Two, and A Complete Unknown. They felt a lot like a bunch of plot points thrown at the screen. But they got nominated. Weird choices. 

Ron: In the end, Anora won Best Picture. I didn’t watch it but it seems like an odd choice. It is an independent film so maybe we should be happy that a relatively small budget film won such a major award?

Mon: I’m all for indie films getting kudos. But this one? By the end of the night, we knew Anora was going to win. It had swept the other big categories it had been nominated in. I’m just… disappointed. That’s the word of the night. Like, I’m not seeing what’s so extraordinary about this film. Maybe I’m just being curmudgeonly. It was so irritating to watch! 

Ron: The scenes they showed during the Oscars made me cringe. I don’t think I could sit through the entire film. 

Mon: Oh, they were! And you know this just means we’re going to now get a stream of seemingly prestige movies about strippers and sex workers and they’re all going to be horrendous. I mean, this movie had the chance to push boundaries, but all of the dancers were conventionally sized and most of them were white. And now we’re going to be inundated with non-inclusive movies about an already exploitative industry. Remember Hustlers? That movie had a much stronger, important and universal story about women. That got so little love at the Oscars. Yet Anora wins. 

Ron: And you know those movies will never hire actual sex workers and give them a career. We’re unlikely to see diverse bodies and races in those films. 

Mon: So right. 

Final thoughts

Mon: I feel deflated after this Oscars. I know I shouldn’t, but after the promise of an inventive, creative film like Everything Everywhere All at Once winning a couple of years ago, it seems the Academy has gone back to its default of selecting and awarding relatively safe films in the major categories. By safe I mean the ones that appeal to old, white dudes. It’s just disheartening. What are these wins telling us? Yes. I’m aware an indie won big this year, but it wasn’t inclusive or body positive, so, really, I can’t get behind the Anora win at all. 

Ron: This wasn’t an exciting Oscars season for me. I wasn’t that invested in the films. The ones I fell in love with, like The Fire Inside, Piano Lesson, Sing Sing and Nickel Boys didn’t get the recognition they deserved. The Oscars still aren’t as diverse as they should be. With what’s happening in the US right now, I don’t even know what the next four years will look like for Hollywood.

Mon: That’s our Oscars 2025 round-up. We would have liked to get through all the categories but that would have been a much longer episode than we have time for.

Ron: And with that, we bid adieu to Season 5 of Stereo Geeks. We’re going to take a short break and be back in April with Season 6. See you then.