Category: Arts and Entertainment

This category is about arts and entertainment.

2018 Global Citizen Festival: Janet Jackson, The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Cardi B among performers

August 7, 2018

The following is a press release from Global Citizen:

International advocacy organization Global Citizen today announced that headliners Janet Jackson, The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Cardi B, and Janelle Monáe will perform at the 2018 Global Citizen Festival, the free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park, New York City on Saturday, September 29, 2018. For the fifth consecutive year, MSNBC & Comcast NBCUniversal will air a live simulcast of the Festival on MSNBC and for the seventh consecutive year, iHeartMedia has been named the exclusive audio media partner.

A special guest performance will be given by John Legend.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness return as lead hosts for the 5th year.

Co-hosts will include Camren Bicondova, Cynthia Erivo, Danai Gurira, Forest Whitaker, Gus Kenworthy, Kal Penn, La La Anthony, Naomi Campbell, and Rachel Brosnahan.

The 2018 festival will serve as a platform from which millions of Global Citizens around the world will demand that world leaders fulfill their obligation to achieve the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and end extreme poverty by 2030.

Building off momentum by activists and students from across the globe, Global Citizens and music fans will stand together to call on world leaders to uphold their responsibilities towards improving the quality of health care and nutrition that women receive during adolescence and childbirth, ensuring girls do not marry before they are ready, reducing, reusing and recycling plastic waste worldwide, ending the criminalization of poverty, providing quality education for all, and ensuring the United States fully funds its foreign aid budget.

Coinciding with the annual UN General Assembly meetings, this year’s Festival is a continuation of Global Citizen’s “Mandela 100” campaign; a series of global events honoring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela in his centenary year.

Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, said, “In 2018, it is more important than ever for Global Citizens here in the United States and around the world to demand their voices be heard – through activism and at the polls – so that we can continue progress towards a world free from needless suffering and want. We are truly grateful to have such incredible artists, hosts and partners standing with us in a moment of history so pivotal in our fight to achieve the global goals and end extreme poverty.”

“We’re incredibly proud to take our support of Global Citizen Festival to the next level as Presenting Partner. As a global bank that is committed to welcoming what’s next, we look forward to helping bring together citizens around the world to stand for issues that matter most and foster meaningful change,” said Jennifer Breithaupt, Global Consumer CMO, Citi

The Weeknd said, “It is invaluable to be in a position where I can use my voice to help the millions of people in need. I am honored to align myself with Global Citizen in the fight to end world poverty.”

Shawn Mendes said, “I’m so excited to be a part of the Global Citizen movement. It’s an honor to be able to use my platform and music to help those in the world who need it most.”

John Legend said, “I’m proud to be supporting Global Citizen again to help focus people’s energy and attention on the issues that matter. I believe we need to look at human beings across the world as our brothers and sisters and do everything we can do to end extreme poverty to make life more livable. We are more powerful when we come together like this.”

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness said, “We are thrilled to be returning for this year’s Global Citizen Festival. It is important that we continue to work towards ending extreme poverty. On September 29, tens of thousands of Global Citizens will come together to celebrate being a part of this movement and the impact of their actions, and we cannot wait to be a part of it.”

Camren Bicondova said, “I am beyond honored and thankful to be a host at this year’s Global Citizen Festival, advocating for rising voices and actions taken. Here’s to making the world a better place.”

Cynthia Erivo said, “I am thrilled to join the millions of Global Citizens who are helping to make our world a better place. By joining together to make our voices heard, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of the world’s poor.”

Forest Whitaker said, “This year, it’s more important than ever that we bring attention to extreme poverty and ask our leaders to take action. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish at this year’s Global Citizen Festival.”

Gus Kenworthy said, “I believe that if we all speak up and do our part, we can accomplish great things for the world’s poor. I’m excited to support Global Citizen and join a movement that will help put an end to extreme poverty.”

Kal Penn said, “Our voices remain potent and powerful. It is critical that we reject the culture of fear and cynicism, and instead lift up those among us who need our help. That is why I continue to be a proud supporter of Global Citizen and believe that together we can end world poverty.”

La La Anthony said, “Being a part of the Global Citizen movement and helping to end extreme poverty continues to be important to me. I can’t wait to see what commitments we can achieve by September.”

Rachel Brosnahan said, “Global Citizen is about creating a movement and bringing attention to the difficult choices people living in extreme poverty have to face every day. I’m so happy to be back for another year of supporting this organization that unites people all over the world to tackle some of the world’s biggest issues.”

The 2018 Global Citizen Festival will be presented for the first time by Citi. The leading global bank has been a proud partner of the festival since inception.

Live Nation return for the third consecutive year as production partner.

For the fifth consecutive year, MSNBC & Comcast NBCUniversal will air a live simulcast of the Festival on MSNBC and MSNBC.com. The Festival broadcast will be produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Ken Ehrlich (Grammy Awards).

For the seventh consecutive year, iHeartMedia has been named the exclusive audio media partner and will broadcast live from Central Park on over 150 radio stations across the U.S. and streamed on the iHeartRadio app.

The Festival will also be livestreamed on YouTube and Twitter, presented by Johnson & Johnson.

Proud partners of the 2018 Global Citizen Festival include Global Citizen’s global health partner and major partner Johnson & Johnson,  and major partners P&G, CHIME FOR CHANGE Founded by Gucci, Verizon, House of Mandela, and NYC Parks.

Associate Partners include Microsoft, Great Big Story, and One Championship.

Global Citizens can earn their admission to the free-ticketed Festival by joining the movement at glblctzn.me/nyc2018 by downloading the Global Citizen app. Ticket draws will occur throughout the summer and fans will be notified by Global Citizen when they have been selected.

Specific goals for the 2018 Global Citizen Festival campaigns include:

  • Calling on Congress to resist the White House’s proposed cuts of 32% to American aid programs, which would devastate the fight against extreme poverty.
  • Calling on the G7 countries to contribute to the $2 billion needed to tackle the world’s maternal health crisis that sees more than 5 million mothers and children die of preventable conditions every year.
  • Ending the criminalization of poverty, through eliminating and drastically reducing the use of cash bail in jurisdictions including New York State.

Since the first Global Citizen Festival in New York in 2012, Global Citizen has grown into one of the largest, most visible platforms for people around the world calling on world leaders to honor their responsibilities in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ending extreme poverty by 2030.

Global Citizens have generated commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at over $37.9 billion that are set to affect the lives of more than 2.25 billion people. This year alone Global Citizens have secured 29 commitments totaling over $2.9 billion that are set to affect the lives of more than 501 million  people by 2030.

 

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences adds new category for ‘popular films’ and drops some categories from Oscar telecast

August 8, 2018

by Carla Hay

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced some big changes to the annual Oscar ceremony:

  • A new category for outstanding achievement in popular film will be added, beginning with the 91st annual Academy Awards, which will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2019. The Academy says that it will announce at a later date what its rules and regulations are for the new “popular film” category, but the Academy said that movies in this new category will also be eligible for the category of Best Picture.
  • Some categories will be dropped from the Oscar telecast, and the prizes for those categories will be given out during commercial breaks. The winners of the dropped categories will be listed sometime during the telecast. This change will also go into effect for the 2019 Oscar ceremony. The Academy says it will announce at a later date which categories are being dropped from the telecast. ABC has the U.S. telecast of the Oscars.
  • The Academy will strictly enforce a three-hour time limit for the Oscar telecast. In the past, the Oscar telecast has almost always gone past three-and-a-half hours, while some Oscar telecasts have been four hours or longer.
  • The date for the 92nd annual Academy Awards has been moved up from Feb. 23 to Feb. 9, 2020. The earlier date means that the Grammys and other award shows in Los Angeles that usually take place in February before the Oscars will be affected and will probably have to move the dates of their award shows too.

The changes come at a time when ratings for the Oscars have been steadily declining in recent years. The 2018 Academy Awards was the lowest-rated Oscar telecast so far, with 26.5 million U.S. viewers.

Ratings for other major award shows (for example, the Grammys, Emmys and Tonys) have been declining too. There are many theories for why TV audiences have been less interested in these award shows, including an over-saturation of award shows, as well as more competition for viewers’ attention by streaming services such as Netflix. Many people on the Internet have also said they don’t like watching award shows in recent years because of political comments that people make on stage.

With the Oscars, declining ratings have also been blamed on the fact that, in recent years, most of the winners in the biggest categories are from independent films that are not in wide release or are not big hits. The trend toward independent films winning Best Picture over major-studio blockbusters began at the 1999 Oscars, when “Shakespeare in Love” won over “Saving Private Ryan.”

That trend was repeated in subsequent Oscar ceremonies, with independent films winning Best Picture, while major-studio films that were bigger hits at the box office would usually win in the lower-profile technical categories. Consider the Oscars won by “The Hurt Locker” vs. “Avatar” in 2010; “The King’s Speech” vs. “Inception” in 2011; “12 Years a Slave” vs. “Gravity” in 2014; “Spotlight” vs. “Mad Max: Fury Road” in 2016; and “The Shape of Water” vs. “Dunkirk” in 2018. All were nominated for Best Picture in those years, but independent films have dominated the winners’ list for Best Picture for the past two decades, and that trend doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

The Academy expanded the maximum number of films that could be nominated for Best Picture from five to 10 (effective with the 2010 Oscar ceremony), in an effort to bring more diversity to its Best Picture nominees.  However, that diversity didn’t really happen when it comes to certain genres of films. Comedies, horror movies and animated films are still rarely nominated for Best Picture. Action films and sci-fi films have fared a little better in getting Best Picture nominations since the maximum number of potential Best Picture nominations per year expanded to 10, but drama continues to be the predictable genre of choice to win Best Picture. “The Shape of Water,” although it has fantasy elements, is essentially still a drama film. And it was an independent film that’s in line with the Best Picture winner trend of not being a big, mainstream hit at the box office.

The Academy’s addition of a new Oscar category for “popular films” is an another obvious attempt to give some kind of “best picture” award to movies that are critically acclaimed big hits at the box office, but are typically snubbed for the Best Picture award. This big change to the Oscars is undoubtedly controversial, since many people believe that box-office sales should not be criteria for Oscar nominations. Other people who support this new category would argue that the Oscars are a popularity contest anyway, so this new category is an inevitable recognition in rewarding what is popular with movie-going audiences, not just Academy members.

Whether people like this new category or not, what should be obvious is that adding a new category is not going to bring back the massive ratings that the Oscars used to have. Too much has changed in the entertainment landscape, and the people who have been turned off from watching the Oscars aren’t going suddenly change their minds if a new category is added.

Critics of the Oscar telecast say that the show overall needs to be more entertaining. However, the performance-filled Grammy Awards has plenty of entertainment, and ratings for the Grammys are still declining. The Oscar telecast, just like any show on a broadcast network, has to face reality that it can no longer command the audience size it used to have because there are too many other options on what to watch.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president John Bailey at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on February 5, 2018. (Photo by Matt Prtit/ ©A.M.P.A.S.

In other Academy news, cinematographer John Bailey has been elected to a second four-year term as president of the Academy. This is also Bailey’s 15th year as a governor representing the Cinematographers Branch. In addition, the Academy has elected these officers to its Board of Governors:

  • Lois Burwell, First Vice President (chair, Awards and Events Committee)
    • Sid Ganis, Vice President (chair, Museum Committee)
    • Larry Karaszewski, Vice President (chair, Preservation and History Committee)
    • Nancy Utley, Vice President (chair, Education and Outreach Committee)
    • Jim Gianopulos, Treasurer (chair, Finance Committee)
    • David Rubin, Secretary (chair, Membership and Administration Committee)

Burwell, Gianopulos, Rubin and Utley were re-elected. Ganis, who returned to the board this year, served as Academy president from 2005-2009. Karaszewski is a first-time Academy board member.

2018 Toronto International Film Festival: Platform film slate announced

August 8, 2018

"Jessica Forever" (Photo courtesy of TIFF)
“Jessica Forever” (Photo courtesy of TIFF)

The following is a press release from the Toronto International Film Festival:

The Toronto International Film Festival ® unveiled today the 12 feature films that comprise the Platform lineup for 2018, marking a year rich in distinct voices and assured directorial efforts that address difficult subject matters unflinchingly. Ranging from period pieces to police dramas, and even incorporating elements of sci-fi, the films in this year’s lineup also stand out for the variety of genres they explore and the number of complex contemporary anxieties they consider.

“This year’s Platform selection stands out for the assured and precise directing on display,” said TIFF Director & CEO Piers Handling. “We are thrilled to present a slate that perfectly embodies the essence of the programme with so many risk-taking, challenging, and, at times, formally inventive titles that are the result of audacious directors making bold choices.”

The programme’s lineup for 2018 includes four features (30%) directed or co-directed by women, and seven titles that feature strong women in leading roles. Hailing from the Americas, Europe, and Asia, all but two of the titles will be making their World Premiere at the Festival. Caroline Poggi & Jonathan Vinel’s “Jessica Forever” is the standout feature directorial debut in the programme.

Now in its fourth year, Platform is the Toronto International Film Festival’s juried programme that champions risk-taking, with a lineup of up to 12 works with high artistic merit and a bold directorial vision. A three-person jury selects the winner of the Toronto Platform Prize, an award of $25,000 CAD made possible by Air France, which will be presented to the best film in the lineup at the Awards Ceremony on the last day of the Festival.

Previous titles that have screened as part of the programme include Armando Iannucci’s “The Death of Stalin” (2017), Warwick Thornton’s “Sweet Country” (2017), Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” (2016), Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” (2016), and Eva Husson’s “Bang Gang” (2015).

The Platform programme is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Air France.

Films screening as part of the Platform programme include:

“Angelo”
Markus Schleinzer | Austria/Luxembourg
World Premiere

“Cities of Last Things”
Ho Wi Ding | Taiwan/China/USA/France
World Premiere

“Destroyer”
Karyn Kusama | USA
International Premiere

Platform Opening Film
“Donnybrook”
Tim Sutton | USA
World Premiere

“The Good Girls ( Las niñas bien)”
Alejandra Márquez Abella | Mexico
World Premiere

“Her Smell”
Alex Ross Perry | USA
World Premiere

“The Innocent”
Simon Jaquemet | Switzerland/Germany
World Premiere

Platform Closing Film
“Jessica Forever”
Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel | France
World Premiere

“Mademoiselle de Joncquières”
Emmanuel Mouret | France
World Premiere

“Out of Blue”
Carol Morley | UK
World Premiere

“The River”
Emir Baigazin | Kazakhstan/Poland/Norway
North American Premiere

“Rojo”
Benjamín Naishtat | Argentina/Brazil/France/Netherlands/Germany
World Premiere

For film synopses, cast lists, images and more information see tiff.net/platform Festival ticket packages start at $105. Purchase packages online at tiff.net/tickets, by phone (416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433), or in person at TIFF Bell Lightbox until August 13 while quantities last. TIFF prefers Visa. Social Media: @TIFF_NET #TIFF18 Facebook.com/TIFF

About TIFF

TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD.

TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

The Toronto International Film Festival is supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors, RBC, L’Oréal Paris, and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.

The Platform programme is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Air France.

2018 MTV Video Music Awards: Travis Scott, Post Malone added to lineup of performers

August 8, 2018

Travis Scott
Travis Scott  (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Maxim)

The following is a press release from MTV:

MTV today announced that Travis Scott and Post Malone will take the stage at the 2018 “VMAs.” Scott will debut his first solo performance with a medley of hits from his highly anticipated, chart-topping, recently released album, “Astroworld,” and Malone will perform a song from his record-breaking album “Beerbongs & Bentleys,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart. They join previously announced performers Jennifer Lopez – who will also be honored with the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award” – Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, and Logic with Ryan Tedder.

The “VMAs” will air live from Radio City Music Hall on Monday, August 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT across MTV’s global network of channels in more than 180 countries and territories, reaching more than half a billion households around the world.

When artist, producer, songwriter and Cactus Jack Records founder, Travis Scott, hit the scene he forever changed hip-hop and irrevocably impacted culture. Penning and featuring on various cuts for Kanye West’s “Cruel Summer” and “Yeezus,” Scott first left his mark with 2014’s seminal “Owl Pharaoh” and “Days Before Rodeo” mixtapes. “Days Before Rodeo” garnered a platinum plaque and stormed the Top 200 at #3, while notching his first #1 on the Top Hip-Hop/Rap Albums Chart. In 2016, his second platinum opus “Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight” crashed the Billboard Top 200 and Top Hip-Hop/Rap Albums Chart and debuted at #1. “Goosebumps” featuring Kendrick Lamar earned RIAA triple-platinum status, the Young Thug collaboration, “Pick Up The Phone,” featuring Quavo, went double-platinum; “Beibs in the Trap” featuring Nav soared to platinum; and “Through the Late Night” featuring Kid Cudi became gold. Everything set the stage for his recently released album, “Astroworld.”

Post Malone stirs a mix of genres into his own sonic sound that’s both intoxicating and invigorating. His RIAA Platinum certified debut album, “Stoney,” led the genre-bending Dallas, TX artist to his first Top 10 Billboard 200 and first #1 R&B/Hip-Hop Album while being the “#1 Debut Hip-Hop Artist of 2016”. In 2018, his sophomore album, “Beerbongs & Bentleys,” debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #1 and achieved one the year’s biggest streaming weeks ever. Additionally, Post charted nine songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 100, notching the most songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 100. Moreover, he also smashed the record for most simultaneous Top 40 Hot 100 hits with 14. As “Beerbongs & Bentleys” returned to #1 for the second consecutive week on the Top 200, his domination shows no sign of slowing down.

The full list of nominees for the 2018 “VMAs” is available here.

Fans can vote for their favorites across 12 VMA categories, including “Video of the Year,” “Artist of the Year,” “Best Collaboration” and more by visiting vma.mtv.com until Friday, August 10. Voting for the “Best New Artist” award, presented by Taco Bell(R), will remain active until the VMA broadcast.

MTV has teamed up with Amazon to release a skill for Alexa, the cloud-based voice service, that will allow customers to vote for “Artist of the Year.” This marks the first time ever that a major awards show has used Alexa for audience voting. To cast your vote, just say, “Alexa, vote for the VMAs” on any Alexa-enabled device.

Bruce Gillmer and Jesse Ignjatovic are Executive Producers for the 2018 “VMAs.” Melanie Block serves as Executive in Charge of Production. Amani Duncan is Executive in Charge of Music. Wendy Plaut is Executive in Charge of Celebrity Talent.

Official sponsors of the 2018 “VMAs” include PEPSI(R), Swiffer(R), Taco Bell(R) and truth(R).

About MTV:

MTV is the leading youth media brand inspired by music, in nearly 180 countries and 450 million homes around the world, connecting with over 350 million fans across all social media platforms. A unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, and the new MTV Studios unit which produces original and reimagined content for SVOD and linear networks based on MTV’s library of over 200+ youth titles and franchises.

2018 Halloween Horror Nights: Universal Orlando Resort gets new haunted house Seeds of Extinction; ‘Poltergeist’ maze added in Hollywood and Orlando

August 9, 2018

Seeds of Extinction
(Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort)

The following is a press release from Universal Orlando Resort:

Universal Orlando Resort revealed the next terrifying, original content haunted house coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2018 – Seeds of Extinction. It is one of 10 haunted houses that guests will experience at this year’s event.

Seeds of Extinction places guests on Earth moments after a meteor has hit, causing immediate mass destruction across the entire planet. Guests will come face-to-face with horrific, humanoid plants, strangling vines, deadly blooms and more. They will have no place to hide as they find a way to escape the invasive vegetation overtaking the place they once called home.

For more information about Seeds of Extinction, check out the Universal Orlando Blog.

Halloween Horror Nights 2018 runs select nights from September 14 to November 3 and will feature more haunted houses than ever before. Cinematic greats, slasher films, cult classics and original nightmares inspired by the past will come to life as guests face 10 disturbingly-real haunted houses, five scare zones and more.

Additional details about this year’s event will be revealed soon.

The following is a press release from Universal Studios:

They’re Here. Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort will bring guests “into the light” as part of this year’s Halloween Horror Nightsevents featuring terrifying new mazes inspired by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures’ (MGM) iconic supernatural horror film “Poltergeist,” beginning September 14.

Directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg, “Poltergeist” garnered critical and consumer success when it first premiered in 1982. Characterized as one of the scariest films of all time, this groundbreaking movie paved the way for a new era of supernatural ghost stories that will come to life for the first time ever at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. This living representation of the film will take guests into some of its most iconic scenes and encounter memorable characters that spawned their first true nightmares.

The mazes will lure guests to the Freeling family house built atop a cemetery where malicious ghosts threaten the lives within. From the underground graveyard to ghostly apparitions, guests will come face to face with infamous scenes from the film, including the iconic flickering TV screen, menacing Beast from beyond and pool filled with floating corpses. As guests cross into the ‘light,’ they will find themselves surrounded by a surreal landscape of vanishing walls, floating furniture and a creepy clown with a menacing smile. In a rush against time, guests will be forced to make it back to the world of the living or forever be trapped…

(Photo courtesy of Universal Studios Hollywood)

Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights is the ultimate Halloween event. For more than 25 years, guests from around the world have visited Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood and Orlando to become victims inside their own horror film. Multiple movie-quality mazes based on iconic horror television shows, films and original stories come to life season after season. And, the streets of each coast’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing scare-actors lunge from every darkened corner.

Additional details about Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights will be revealed soon. All tickets and vacation packages are on sale now. For more information about Halloween Horror Nights at either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

About Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Recent additions include “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™”. Other immersive lands include “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” as well as “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons Ride™” and the “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction and the all-new DreamWorks Theatre featuring “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest.” The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood’s signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television production studio where they can also experience such authentic thrill rides as “Fast & Furious—Supercharged.” The adjacentUniversal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex also includes the all-new multi-million dollar, redesigned Universal CityWalk Cinema, featuring deluxe recliner seating in screening room quality theatres, and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert stage.

Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online atHollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com and on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.

About Universal Orlando Resort 
Universal Orlando Resort is a unique vacation destination that is part of the NBCUniversal Comcast family. For more than 25 years, Universal Orlando has been creating epic vacations for the entire family – incredible experiences that place guests in the heart of powerful stories and adventures.

Universal Orlando’s three theme parks, Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay, are home to some of the world’s most exciting and innovative theme park experiences – including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. Universal Orlando’s on-site hotels are destinations unto themselves and include Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and coming this August, Universal’s Aventura Hotel. Its entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk, offers immersive dining and entertainment for every member of the family.

Universal Orlando Resort continues to unveil all-new guest experiences, including powerful attractions, incredible dining options and dramatically-themed hotels. Now open is Fast & Furious – Supercharged, where guests can join the Fast family and step into the blockbuster Fast &Furious films at Universal Studios Florida. And at Universal CityWalk, Voodoo Doughnut is now serving more than 50 types of delightfully weird and sinfully delicious doughnuts.

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Diesel signs Steve Aoki as spokesmodel for Diesel’s first transparency watch collection

August 8, 2018

The following is a press release from Diesel:

Diesel is ready to challenge conformity once again by partnering with global superstar DJ/producer and fashion and tech entrepreneur, Steve Aoki, as its watch ambassador into 2019. To kick off the collaboration, Steve will be the face of Diesel’s first transparency watch collection, available fall 2018.

Diesel is a guardian of the unconventional, trailblazing spirit, which aligns perfectly with the larger-than-life persona of Steve Aoki, widely known for his over-the-top music performances and intense touring schedule. For over two decades, Aoki has been a disruptive force in music, fashion, tech and lifestyle. Kicking off his career by providing a platform for rock bands and throwing parties in his living room, his enterprise has grown to include a thriving record label and event/lifestyle company, Dim Mak. Thanks to his relentless work ethic and creative attitude, Aoki is now celebrated as one of the most prominent DJ/producers in the world.

“Steve never stops! He’s always on the move in a very experimental way, which is something very close to the attitude of Diesel,” says Andrea Rosso, creative director of Diesel licenses. “His style and his sense of aesthetic perfectly match the design and the clashing features of this watch, together with its new futuristic approach based on transparency. We’re very happy to have him on board.”

For fall 2018, Diesel is reimagining the status quo and introducing the brand’s first bold collection of blue transparency watches. Drawn from the indigo dyeing of jeans, blue transparency is a natural design evolution for Diesel, a brand rooted in denim culture. The new watch styles display vintage cream pops on dials, inspired by denim stitching. Transparent cases and straps that fade from blue to crystal clear complete the original design story.

“I like to challenge the construct of time. I have to manage, maximize and master my days, and that’s why I connect so well with Diesel watches,” says Steve Aoki. “I am all about embracing passions and challenging convention, and that’s exactly what Diesel represents. I am thankful the brand is providing me with a platform to further express my personal style and globally represent the brand.”

Diesel’s 2018 watch campaigns featuring Steve Aoki were shot by famed French photographer and publisher Philippe Jarrigeon and were styled by Justin Lynn. The global multimillion-dollar campaign, supporting multiple watch categories, will debut throughout the year.

The new Diesel blue transparency watches will be available in select stories and at diesel.com/watches beginning August 2018.

2018 Teen Choice Awards: Bebe Rexha, Evvie McKinney added as performers; more presenters announced

August 7, 2018

Bebe Rexha
Bebe Rexha (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)

The following is a press release from Fox:

Bebe Rexha to Perform “I’m a Mess” at :Teen Choice 2018″ This Sunday on FOX

Plus, Evvie McKinney, Season One Winner of “The Four: Battle for Stardom,” to Perform Debut Single, “How Do You Feel”

As Previously Announced, Meghan Trainor, Khalid and Lauv Also Will Perform

Additional star appearances:

Louis Tomlinson, Zac Efron, Chris Pratt, Lil Rel Howery, Jessica “Jess Hilarious” Moore, Oliver Stark, Ryan Guzman, CNCO, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Kendrick, the cast of “Riverdale,” Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart, Vanessa Morgan, Madeline Petsch, Mark Consuelos, the cast of “Love, Simon,” Nick Robinson, Alexandra Shipp, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Keiynan Lonsdale and Katherine Langford, Sabrina Carpenter, Auli’i Cravalho, Noah Cyrus, Nina Dobrev, Red Gerard, Grant Gustin, Lucy Hale, Olivia Holt, Maddie Ziegler, Hudson Yang, Jojo Siwa, In Real Life, Lauren Jauregui, Chloe Kim, Chloe Grace Moretz, Normani, Troye Sivan, On My Block, Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray and Diego Tinoco

TEEN CHOICE 2018 Airs LIVE Sunday, Aug. 12 @ 8/7c on FOX

About Bebe Rexha:

Singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha has accumulated more than 12 million overall single sales, six billion total global streams and a radio audience of more than 10 billion. Her highly anticipated debut album, “Expectations,” was released June 22 on Warner Bros. Records and features her newest chart-climbing single, “I’m a Mess,” as well as her lead single, the global #1 record-breaking smash “Meant To Be,” with Florida Georgia Line. The latter was just nominated for a 2018 MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration. Rexha burst onto the scene in 2013 when she penned the song “Monster,” which became a worldwide hit for Eminem and Rihanna, and went RIAA 6x-Platinum stateside. Since then, she co-wrote and carried the instantly recognizable hook for the 3x-Platinum “Hey Mama,” by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, which was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song. She also hit #1 both on the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with her Platinum-selling smash single, “Me, Myself & I,” with G-Eazy. Her last single, “I Got You,” has more than 244 million views; “No Broken Hearts,” featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 241 million views; and she is featured on Martin Garrix’s single, “In The Name of Love,” which has amassed more than 332 million views. Rexha released her second EP, “All Your Fault: Part 1,” and the follow-up, “All Your Fault: Part 2,” last year to rave reviews.

About Evvie McKinney:

With undeniable spirit, mile-high range and earthquaking delivery, Evvie McKinney exudes her own sense of style, swagger and soul that’s both classic and current. Born and raised in the birthplace of Soul and Rock ‘n’ Roll Music, Memphis, TN, the 20-year-old made history when she emerged as the first winner of FOX’s hit series, THE FOUR: BATTLE FOR STARDOM. However, her journey began at five-years-old, when she joined her first choir at the urging of her mother and musician father. One of seven kids, she faced hardship throughout childhood with dad passing in 2005 and mom struggling to support the family. Living in a home provided by Habitat for Humanity, Evvie pursued her dream relentlessly. She went from the Young Actors Guild Theatre and Dance Company to Stax Music Academy, where she assumed the role of lead singer and actress. Along the way, she performed for everyone, from David Porter to LaLa Hathaway, and shared the stage with Sam of Sam and Dave and Larry Dodson of The Bar-Kays, to name a few. By 2015, she achieved a National YoungArts Foundation scholarship and would be recognized as its “Merit Winner” in Popular Voice. 2017 saw her audition for THE FOUR. From the jump, she instantly captured the hearts of millions by belting out classics from Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner, in addition to serving up a heart-wrenching rendition of the Academy Award-winning “Glory,” by Common and John Legend. Now, she stands poised to leave an indelible mark on soul with her debut single, “How Do You Feel,” and more music on the horizon.

About TEEN CHOICE 2018:

Artist, comedian, actor and five-time TEEN CHOICE nominee Nick Cannon will host TEEN CHOICE TM 2018. Additionally, content creator, actress and singer Lele Pons will co-host. Airing LIVE from the Forum in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, Aug. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX, the choicest, star-studded, two-hour event will celebrate this year’s top teen icons in television, music, film, sports, comedy and digital.

“TEEN CHOICE 2018” SOCIAL INFO:

OFFICIAL “TEEN CHOICE 2018” FACEBOOK: TeenChoiceAwards OFFICIAL “TEEN CHOICE 2018” TWITTER: @TeenChoiceFox OFFICIAL “TEEN CHOICE 2018” INSTAGRAM: @TeenChoiceFox OFFICIAL “TEEN CHOICE 2018” SNAPCHAT: TeenChoice JOIN THE DISCUSSION: #TeenChoice

 

2018 New York Film Festival: main slate announced

August 7, 2018

Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal in “Wildlife” (Photo courtesy of IFC FIlms)

The following is a press release from the Film Society of Lincoln Center:

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announces the 30 films for the Main Slate of the 56th New York Film Festival, September 28 – October 14.

Secure your seats with a Festival Pass.

NYFF Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “Francis Ford Coppola said that the cinema would become a real art form only when the tools of moviemaking became as inexpensive as paints, brushes, and canvases. That has come to pass, but at the same time it’s become increasingly tough to do serious work that is beholden to nothing but the filmmaker’s need to express these emotions in this form in moving images and sound. So if I were pressed to choose one word to describe the films in this year’s Main Slate, it would be: bravery. These films were made all over the globe, by young filmmakers like Dominga Sotomayor and masters like Fred Wiseman, by artists of vastly different sensibilities from Claire Denis to the Coen Brothers, Jafar Panahi to Jean-Luc Godard. And the unifying thread is their bravery, the bravery needed to fight past the urge to commercialized smoothness and mediocrity that is always assuming new forms. That’s what makes every single title in this year’s Main Slate so precious, and so vital.”

This year’s Main Slate showcases films from 22 different countries, including new titles from celebrated auteurs, extraordinary work from directors making their first NYFF bows, and captivating features that wowed audiences at international festivals. Five films in the festival were honored at Cannes, including Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or–winner Shoplifters; Jean-Luc Godard’s The Image Book, awarded a Special Palme d’Or; Cold War, which took home the Best Director prize for Paweł Pawlikowski; and Alice Rohrwacher’s Happy as Lazzaro and Jafar Panahi’s 3 Faces, which shared the Best Screenplay award. Returning to the festival for the sixth consecutive year is Hong Sangsoo with two new films, joined by his fellow NYFF54 filmmakers Olivier Assayas and Barry Jenkins. Frederick Wiseman makes his 10th appearance at the festival, while other returning filmmakers include Joel & Ethan Coen, Alex Ross Perry, Claire Denis, Ulrich Köhler, Lee Chang-dong, Jia Zhangke, and Christian Petzold. Making both their directorial and NYFF debuts are Paul Dano and Richard Billingham, and Louis Garrel makes his first NYFF showing as a director. Other filmmakers new to the festival include Dominga Sotomayor, Christophe Honoré, Tamara Jenkins, Mariano Llinás, and Ying Liang, as well as Bi Gan and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, both alumni of New Directors/New Films 2016.

As previously announced, the NYFF56 Opening Night is Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite, Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA is Centerpiece, and Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate will close the festival.

The 56th New York Film Festival Main Slate

Opening Night
The Favourite
Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Centerpiece
ROMA
Dir. Alfonso Cuarón

Closing Night
At Eternity’s Gate
Dir. Julian Schnabel

3 Faces
Dir. Jafar Panahi

Asako I & II
Dir. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

Ash Is Purest White
Dir. Jia Zhangke

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Dir. Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Burning
Dir. Lee Chang-dong

Cold War
Dir. Paweł Pawlikowski

A Faithful Man/L’Homme fidèle
Dir. Louis Garrel

A Family Tour
Dir. Ying Liang

La Flor
Dir. Mariano Llinás

Grass
Dir. Hong Sangsoo

Happy as Lazzaro/Lazzaro felice
Dir. Alice Rohrwacher

Her Smell
Dir. Alex Ross Perry

High Life
Dir. Claire Denis

Hotel by the River
Dir. Hong Sangsoo

If Beale Street Could Talk
Dir. Barry Jenkins

The Image Book/Le Livre d’image
Dir. Jean-Luc Godard

In My Room
Dir. Ulrich Köhler

Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Dir. Bi Gan

Monrovia, Indiana
Dir. Frederick Wiseman

Non-Fiction
Dir. Olivier Assayas

Private Life
Dir. Tamara Jenkins

RAY & LIZ
Dir. Richard Billingham

Shoplifters
Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda

Sorry Angel
Dir. Christophe Honoré

Too Late to Die Young
Dir. Dominga Sotomayor

Transit
Dir. Christian Petzold

Wildlife
Dir. Paul Dano

NYFF Special Events, Spotlight on Documentary, Retrospective, Revivals, Convergence, Shorts, and Projections sections, as well as filmmaker conversations and panels, will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 17-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Jones, also includes Dennis Lim, FSLC Director of Programming, and Florence Almozini, FSLC Associate Director of Programming.

Tickets for the 56th New York Film Festival will go on sale to the general public on September 9. Festival and VIP passes are on sale now and offer one of the earliest opportunities to purchase tickets and secure seats at some of the festival’s biggest events, including Opening and Closing Night. Learn more here.

2018 MTV Video Music Awards: Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Logic with Ryan Tedder announced as performers

August 2, 2018

The following is a press release from MTV:

MTV today announced that Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes and Logic with Ryan Tedder will take the stage at the 2018 “VMAs.” Grande will perform her smash hit single “God is a Woman” from her forthcoming album “Sweetener,” while Mendes will deliver his chart-topping song “In My Blood,” and Logic will perform his new single, “One Day,” featuring Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, for the first time.

As previously announced, Jennifer Lopez will be honored with the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.” She is also set to perform at this year’s show for the first time since 2001. The “VMAs” will air live from Radio City Music Hall on Monday, August 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT across MTV’s global network of channels in more than 180 countries and territories, reaching more than half a billion households around the world.

The full list of nominees for the 2018 “VMAs” is available here. Additional performers will be announced at a later date.

Multiplatinum, record-breaking superstar Ariana Grande has delivered three platinum-selling albums and surpassed 18 billion streams, in addition to nabbing four Grammy Award nominations and landing eight hits in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  With the release of “No Tears Left To Cry” she became the first artist in music history to see the lead single from her first four albums debut on the Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100.  This year she has graced the prestigious magazine covers of TIME, British Vogue, ELLE, and Fader.  Grande’s highly anticipated fourth studio album, Sweetener, will be released later this month.

Toronto born multi-platinum singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes released his highly anticipated self-titled third album in May 2018. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart as well as multiple additional worldwide markets, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Holland & more. Shawn Mendes made Shawn the third youngest solo artist to ever have three #1 albums and became one of the Top best-selling album debuts of 2018.  Both “In My Blood” and “Lost In Japan,” the first two songs released off the new album, experienced massive success, soaring to the #1 and #2 spots on the overall iTunes chart in the U.S, Top 5 on iTunes in 50 countries, and held the #1 and #2 spots on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” playlist. With “In My Blood,” Shawn became the first artist to ever have had four #1 singles at AC radio before the age of 20. In April 2017, Shawn released his 3x Platinum hit “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back.” The track scored Shawn his second #1 single at Top 40 radio and on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, joining 7x Platinum single “Stitches.” Throughout his career, Shawn has achieved 3 consecutive #1 album debuts, 2 Platinum albums, and 7 consecutive Platinum and multi-Platinum singles. Worldwide, he has sold over 11 million albums, 100 million singles, and has amassed over 15 billion song streams and 4 billion YouTube views. Shawn has completed two sold-out world tours with over one million tickets sold, selling out legendary arenas including NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, and London’s O2 Arena in minutes. Shawn Mendes: The Tour begins in March 2019, with over 60 dates currently announced across Europe, North American and Asia, with more to be announced soon. He topped Billboard’s “21 Under 21” in 2017 and has been featured on Forbes “30 Under 30,” Spotify’s “25 Under 25,” and Time Magazine’s “Time 100 Most Influential.”

Maryland-bred musician Logic burst onto the music scene through a series of mixtapes that led to a significant, rabid underground fan base. These mixtapes garnered millions of downloads and streams that jumpstarted a worldwide tour before signing a record deal with Def Jam Recordings in 2014.  Logic’s last two releases – EVERYBODY and Bobby Tarantino 2 – have debuted consecutively at #1 on the US album charts. Logic has sold over 5 million albums worldwide and has been streamed over 2 billion times. At the 2017 “VMAs,” Logic performed his powerful single “1-800-273-8255,” which resulted in a 50% surge in calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Fans can vote for their favorites across 12 VMA categories, including “Video of the Year,” “Artist of the Year,” “Best Collaboration” and more by visiting vma.mtv.com until Friday, August 10. Voting for the “Best New Artist” award, presented by Taco Bell®, will remain active until the VMA broadcast.

MTV has teamed up with Amazon to release a skill for Alexa, the cloud-based voice service, that will allow customers to vote for “Artist of the Year.”  This marks the first time ever that a major awards show has used Alexa for audience voting. To cast your vote, just say, “Alexa, vote for the VMAs” on any Alexa-enabled device.

Bruce Gillmer and Jesse Ignjatovic are Executive Producers for the 2018 “VMAs.” Melanie Block serves as Executive in Charge of Production. Amani Duncan is Executive in Charge of Music.  Wendy Plaut is Executive in Charge of Celebrity Talent.

Official sponsors of the 2018 “VMAs” include PEPSI®, Swiffer®, Taco Bell® and truth®.

About MTV:
MTV is the leading youth media brand inspired by music, in nearly 180 countries and 450 million homes around the world, connecting with over 350 million fans across all social media platforms.  A unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, and the new MTV Studios unit which produces original and reimagined content for SVOD and linear networks based on MTV’s library of over 200+ youth titles and franchises.

 

Food Network has Tom Papa on a cross-country bread trip in ‘Baked’

August 1, 2018

Tom Papa of "Baked"
Tom Papa of “Baked” (Photo courtesy of Food Network)

The following is a press release from Food Network:

When carb-loving comedian Tom Papa isn’t doing stand-up, he is probably eating, thinking about or making bread (his specialty is sourdough), and he takes his passion for baked goods to the next level in the new Food Network series “Baked.” In his mission to find the country’s best breads and pastries, Tom hits cities from coast to coast to shine a light on how local bakeries make life a little sweeter. He kicks the series off in New York City, where he devours glazed donuts covered in everything bagel topping, takes a master class in old world baking and discovers the bready, eggy, cheesy dish khachapuri.  Tom then heads to Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New Orleans, New Jersey and Cleveland in subsequent episodes.  “Baked” premieres Monday, September 3 with back-to-back episodes at 10pm (all times ET/PT) and 10:30pm.

“I love this show. It’s really a celebration of all the good things that life has to offer; friends, family and food,” said Papa. “What else is there? Life is too short to deny ourselves these simple pleasures and this show is going to make you very hungry.”

“Baked is the perfect combo of carbs and comedy, and our audience will crack up with Tom and his guests, including his comedian pal Jim Gaffigan,” said Courtney White, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Programming, Food Network and HGTV. “Tom is known for being totally hilarious, but his love for making homemade bread using his own sourdough starter and visiting local bakeries on his stand-up tours is serious.”

In the 10pm premiere episode, Tom heads to New York City and meets up with his friend Jim Gaffigan at The Doughnut Project for the ultimate New York mash-up: a glazed donut covered in everything bagel topping.  Tom then visits Gian Piero Bakery to make classic Italian American rainbow cookies and at Oda House he falls in love with khachapuri, a boatload of bread brimming with cheese, eggs and tons of butter.  Finally, Bien Cuit’s Chef Zachary Golper gives Tom a master class in baking old world bread and croissants.  Immediately following at 10:30pm, he visits Detroitand hits Kuzzo’s, where a former NFL player serves up decadent red velvet waffles with spicy fried chicken, and corner bakery Sister Pie for their roasted banana chess pie.  Tom then heads to Dearborn for a lesson in Middle Eastern food, including fresh-baked pita filled with roasted lamb and fine-spun pastry with melted sweet cheese.  At Chene Modern Bakery, he learns to make paczki, a Polish take on a rich, filled donut.

With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country finding success in film, television, radio and podcasts, as well as on the live stage.  He is the head writer and a regular performer on the nationally syndicated radio show Live From Here, the newest incarnation of the legendary radio show A Prairie Home Companion, and hosts the weekly podcast and Sirius XM show Come to Papa.  His first book “Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas” was released in June.

Viewers can find out where to taste Tom’s favorite bites at FoodNetwork.com/Baked, plus watch video highlights of some of the most Instagram-worthy dishes you’ve ever seen.  Share your food beauty shots using the hashtag #Baked on social media.

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to nearly 100 million U.S. households and draws over 46 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine’s rate base has grown 13 times and is the No. 2 best-selling monthly magazine on the newsstand, with 13.5 million readers. Food Network is owned by Discovery, Inc., a global leader in real life entertainment whose portfolio also includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, TLC, Investigation Discovery, and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

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