A24 and Apple have released the first short teaser trailer for The Tragedy of Macbeth ahead of its premiere as the opening night film at the 2021 New York Film Festival. An ominous drumbeat provides the backdrop to the stark, riveting trailer which features a voiceover reciting Shakespeare’s iconic “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” line.
This adaptation of the classic tale is led by three multiple Academy Award winners. Joel Coen, winner of the Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture Oscars for No Country for Old Men, adapted and directed The Tragedy of Macbeth. Coen also picked up an Oscar win in the Best Original Screenplay category for 1996’s Fargo. Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington (Training Day, Glory) and four-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand (Nomadland, Fargo, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) lead a cast that includes Emmy Award winner Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm), Harry Melling, and Bertie Carvel.
Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Moses Ingram, and Kathryn Hunter also star.
A24 and Apple released the following brief description of Coen’s latest film:
“Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand star in Joel Coen’s bold and fierce adaptation; a tale of murder, madness, ambition, and wrathful cunning.”
The Tragedy of Macbeth will premiere in select theaters on December 25, 2021 and globally on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.
Poster for ‘The Tragedy of MacBeth’ (Courtesy of A24)
Season one of Eli Roth Presents: A Ghost Ruined My Life will make its debut during discovery+’s Halloween-themed “Ghostober” programming event. The eight episode first season finds the horror filmmaker delving into real-life ghost stories as recalled by those who came face-to-face with an otherworldly presence.
“I was shocked to see how many people experience this phenomenon, and they were grateful to share their stories for the first time on camera,” stated Eli Roth. “It’s no joke – these people’s lives were ruined by the ghost, which seemed to be the spirit’s goal. They couldn’t work, they couldn’t sleep, they didn’t have the resources to move and if they did, the spirit often followed them. It’s a fascinating subject that I’ve never before seen explored in a series.”
Eli Roth executive produces along with Cream Productions’ David Brady, Kate Harrison Karman, and Matt Booi. discovery+’s Cathy Garland is also involved as an executive producer.
“Who better to help tell these real-life haunted horror stories than Eli Roth,” said Matthew Butler, general manager, Travel Channel & Paranormal Streaming Content. “Eli is a master at his craft and working with him has been incredible. He has an unmatched ability to evoke the many layers of fear. Viewers will forget they are watching a television show and instead feel as if they are alongside the subject experiencing every moment. If you enjoy the thrill of being frightened, this is exactly what you want. Having Eli bring his talents to discovery+ this ‘Ghostober’ is an absolute honor.”
Eli Roth began his career with the 2002 R-rated horror film Cabin Fever. He followed that up with 2005’s Hostel, 2007’s Hostel: Part II, and 2013’s The Green Inferno. Roth’s directing credits also include Knock Knock, Death Wish, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, and the shark documentary, Fin.
The Plot, Courtesy of discovery+:
“Taking an entirely new approach to storytelling, the series goes beyond the initial terrifying contact with the unknown. Every unique show aims to reveal the ravaged relationships, lost livelihoods and obliterated sense of self that has plagued the main subject since their first confrontation with a ghost, demon, dark entity or poltergeist. Equal parts horrific and evocative, A Ghost Ruined My Life exposes audiences to the real-life stories of people dragged through hell and back as they struggle to rebuild their shattered lives.”
ELI ROTH PRESENTS: A GHOST RUINED MY LIFE SEASON 1 EPISODES:
Episode 1 – “Portal To Hell”
Begins Streaming Friday, October 8 on discovery+
The premiere episode introduces a mother and her young son who rent an old house in the country. She quickly senses the presence of an evil entity, and after a violent series of attacks, her battle ends with a shocking confrontation.
Episode 2 – “Dark Entity”
Begins Streaming Friday, October 8 on discovery+
Eli Roth follows a devastating tale of a loving couple that starts having issues after a sudden death in the family. They’re horrified to learn that grief isn’t the only thing pushing them apart. Evil visions and paranormal activity begin driving one of them to the point of madness and their entire family must fight to protect what remains.
Episode 3 – “The Asylum”
Begins Streaming Friday, October 15 on discovery+
A teenager and his friends dare each other to explore a notorious abandoned asylum and awaken something that follows them home.
Episode 4 – “Demon’s Curse”
Begins Streaming Friday, October 22 on discovery+
A university student is stalked by a demon and uncovers a dark secret in her family’s history.
Episode 5 – “The Hell Hound”
Begins Streaming Friday, October 29 on discovery+
After narrowly escaping death, a New Yorker leaves the city in search of a new life, but death isn’t done with him yet.
Episode 6 – “War With The Dead”
Begins Streaming Friday, November 5 on discovery+
While stationed in Iraq, an American soldier encounters an ancient demon that follows him back to the United States – and attacks his family.
Episode 7 – “Invitation To Evil”
Begins Streaming Friday, November 12 on discovery+
A teenage girl invites a lonely spirit into her life and regrets it when it turns jealous – and violent.
Episode 8 – “The White Lady”
Begins Streaming Friday, November 19 on discovery+
A young mother buys an antique vanity that contains a spirit that wants her child.
Grammy-nominated K-pop group BTS officially confirmed they’ll be taking part in the live-streaming concert BTS Permission to Dance On Stage on October 24, 2021. The announcement comes on the heels of the breaking news that their Map OF THE SOUL world stadium tour has officially been canceled. (More details on the live-streamed concert to come.)
This will be the band’s first concert in a year, with their most recent – ‘BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E’ – held in October 2020. That concert was viewed across 191 countries/regions to the tune of 993,000 viewers.
The global superstars have a jam-packed schedule. The septet is currently in New York where they delivered the “thoughts and stories of youth” via a speech as well as a special performance of “Permission to Dance” at the 76th United Nations General Assembly. BTS has been appointed Special Presidential Envoys for Future Generations and Culture and after being introduced by President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, they shared their remarks during the Sustainable Development Goals program as representatives of the youth today.
Their September 20, 2021 appearance marked the third time the band delivered a speech at the United Nations. They previously appeared in front of the UN in 2018 and 2020.
BTS at the UN (Photo Courtesy of BigHit Entertainment)
While preparing for their speech, BTS turned to social media to ask the youth across the globe key questions: “What were the past two years like for you, and what’s your world like today?” They received countless stories from all over the world and presented some of them today to make sure the voices of the future generation are heard.
“We think that instead of the ‘lost generation,’ a more appropriate name would be the ‘welcome generation.’ Because instead of fearing change, this generation says, ‘Welcome!’ and keeps forging ahead.” They also mentioned the importance of getting vaccinated, sharing that all members of the group have received the vaccine. The group closed the speech on a hopeful note: “We think the day we can meet again face to face is not far away. We believe that every choice we make is the beginning of change. We hope that in this nascent new world we can all say to each other, ‘Welcome!’”
The speech was followed by a special music video of their chart-topping hit, “Permission to Dance,” which BTS opened by singing in the General Assembly Hall. The epic performance was capped off with the band doing the International Sign gestures for “Joy,” “Dance,” and “Peace” alongside dancers on the North Lawn.
BTS doesn’t have any plans to slow down and recently teamed up with another famous group, Coldplay. The popular K-pop group’s seven members are featured on Coldplay’s song “My Universe.”
In support of the collaboration, Coldplay released a TikTok video of lead singer Chris Martin in the studio with BTS while making the song. The video has already garnered over 14 million views. The single drops this Friday, September 24th, and is available for pre-order now.
You can catch both groups on Saturday, September 25th on Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour event taking place on seven continents. It was announced Coldplay will be performing from Central Park in New York and BTS will be performing in Seoul, South Korea.
Season three episode nine of The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico begins with a flashback showing Nora destroying the board with the formula written on it. Skipping forward to current events, Jones (Nathan Dean) is tracking down experts who may be able to replicate the formula. Fortunately, he’s unsuccessful. Unfortunately, those who fail to help out aren’t long for this world.
Isobel (Lily Cowles) and Michael (Michael Vlamis) join Liz (Jeanine Mason) at the diner and quickly catch her up on Max’s current whereabouts. After Alex and Michael retrieved the pod, Max was freed and has been resting up for the past couple of days. Liz has learned Jones’ DNA is deteriorating and it’s urgent they swap Max and Jones back into their real bodies and sever the connection, thus healing Max and making it so Jones is vulnerable and can be killed.
They realize Jones is also racing to fill in the gaps in the formula and sever the connection. Whoever wins this race controls which body Max winds up in. Michael notes Alex is working on the Lockhart machine which should give them access to Theo’s equation. Liz reveals she hid a copy of her research from Genoryx in LA and that should give them a head start on detaching Max from Jones.
Liz throws an unexpected monkey wrench into their plans by announcing she thinks she needs Heath’s help on this. Isobel’s quick to point out Heath is Liz’s booty call, but Liz corrects that assessment – reminding everyone it was Heath who suggested Liz should retrieve the burned spores.
However, right now it’s a moot point; Heath isn’t picking up Liz’s calls.
Over at Deep Sky, Kyle (Michael Trevino) is adamant he can be helpful if they just let him. Eduardo (David DeSantos) doesn’t think Kyle’s expertise covers this sort of off-book operation, but Kyle’s sure his recent past work with aliens puts him ahead of most of Deep Sky’s employees’ level of expertise.
Eduardo’s actual reasons for wanting Kyle far away from Deep Sky are much more personal. He explains he got Kyle’s dad, Jim, killed by letting him in on this and isn’t about to make that mistake twice.
Eduardo and Kyle head to a shed in the middle of nowhere and Eduardo says he and Kyle’s dad used to go there to hide from Manes and drink. Eduardo reveals Jim was a double agent, working at Caulfield but passing info to him at Deep Sky in order to undermine Manes’ work. Jesse Manes ultimately threw Jim in with an alien who gave him a fatal disease in retaliation for Jim providing Eduardo with the Lockhart machine.
Eduardo swore a promise to Jim to keep Kyle away from this life. Kyle explains he wants to do this for himself, not to live up to his family’s legacy. He chooses to walk the same path but better than his dad did. Kyle insists he wants to remain part of the story he started with Alex. He won’t live in the past and believes Eduardo shouldn’t either.
Isobel interrupts Maria (Heather Hemmens) and Gregory’s (Tanner Novlan) reunion at The Wild Pony to get them to focus on helping Max instead of making googly eyes at each other. They discuss the machine and are sure there’s an alien out there who the authorities never knew about and who’s been hiding out among them, just like Isobel, Max, and Michael. That individual would have emerged from the pod completely confused and lost, and Isobel thinks they should search the police files (using Max’s computer) for a case about a young person who was found matching that description.
Michael rings up Alex (Tyler Blackburn) at Deep Sky to check on him, beginning the phone call with, “How’s the office, honey?” Michael reminds him to be careful with the “brain-melter,” and Alex admits they’ve learned the machine produces both visual and auditory hallucinations. Alex has limited himself to just 15 minutes of work on the machine followed by a six-hour break away from it.
Michael thinks the turquoise crystals and alien tech/frequencies can open the machine so they can fix it.
Alex’s timer goes off, warning him to get away from the machine. Before they hang up, Alex assures Michael he won’t forget about their plans to go on their first real, official public date.
Instead of walking away, Alex disobeys the rules he set for himself and continues to work on the Lockhart machine. He hallucinates a conversation with Nora in which she eggs him on to keep working past his 15-minute limit.
When she insults him, Alex realizes she is in fact a manifestation from his own mind. Nora wonders why Alex didn’t tell Michael the machine’s made others harm themselves, and Alex insists he won’t follow in their footsteps. He’ll hold onto the fact he’s doing this for Michael to keep himself sane.
Nora suggests he take the machine to Michael, but Alex refuses because he’s determined to keep him safe. Nora then suggests he use his camera to see inside the machine. He does and finds his father’s inserted some tech from Project Shepherd.
Liz and Max hit the road to LA to retrieve the spores and her research. They discuss high school while Max fixes a flat tire, and Liz gets Max to admit he put together a mixed tape specifically for making his move on her.
After a bathroom break and shakes, Liz reminds Max they’re on a cannonball run to retrieve her research. Max puts off getting back on the road long enough to confess he saved all of her tapes before he burned down her lab and buried them in his yard. He wrote about them in the letter she was supposed to open when he died. He admits he was a coward but now wants to walk forward, not backward.
While the others are occupied, Jones enters the diner and looks through Liz’s work. A paper signed by Liz and Heath Tuchman grabs his attention.
And speaking of the others, Isobel keeps a watchful eye on Maria and Gregory who are obviously very easily distracted by each other and neglecting their assigned police reports research. Maria suggests she lighten up a bit and a very focused Isobel replies, “I get that cheating death made you want to embrace life. It’s just that maybe you can push it until after we have beaten Jones and saved Max’s life.”
Just as Isobel adds, “It’s not like some hot opportunity is going to walk through that door and ask me on a date,” a hot opportunity walks through the door. Anatsa (Sibongile Mlambo) explains she’s researching whether the crime at Max’s and the church fire are connected to the Roswell Regiment. Maria suggests Isobel would love to do an interview on that subject.
Isobel puts her off but accepts her business card when Anatsa suggests they have drinks together. After Maria and Gregory indulge in some well-deserved teasing of Isobel, Gregory announces he’s found a child who could be the missing alien. He was discovered on the same date the other pods opened and had the same afflictions as Isobel, Michael, and Max.
Isobel, Gregory, and Maria head over to Camp Mesa Pines, a Christian camp located on a lake. They’ve traced the spaceship’s path as it tore apart, and Isobel confirms they’ve come to the right place by raising a pod out of the lake.
Hours later inside the camp, Isobel once again interrupts Maria and Gregory’s private time and asks if they’ve found anything. Gregory explains they did – a young boy the people running the Camp Mesa Pines named Johnny Doe. In just one week he miraculously learned to talk.
Maria and Gregory show Isobel photos they’ve found of Johnny and a friend playing around the camp. The friend had the nickname Buckskin, but they’re still looking for more clues to his real identity.
They decide to spend the night at the camp, and once again Maria suggests Isobel take a break and relax. “I’m not going to let an evil alien dickwad take anything else from us,” says an irritated Isobel. Maria reminds her it’s a battle, not the war, and they have to remember what they’re fighting for.
Isobel goes off in a huff, leaving Maria and Gregory to enjoy a little alone time that includes smores, alcohol, and some very energetic, passionate sex. Anything not bolted down finds a new resting place as Maria and Gregory make good use of the blazing fire and romantic atmosphere.
Max and Liz arrive at Liz’s LA place which is full of boxes. When Max asks if she was happy there, Liz replies, “LA was a commercial for a life – the house, the view…”
“The boyfriend,” interjects Max.
She admits Heath was a commercial too, and Max knows Heath was how Liz tried to get over him. Liz reveals Heath helped her grow but Max isn’t so quick to jump on the “Heath’s a decent guy” train when Liz discovers her secret lunchbox stash is empty and only Heath knew where it was hidden.
Liz confirms Heath still refuses to answer her calls and believes she needs to speak to him in person.
Liz and Max break into Heath’s place and she finds a letter revealing Heath quit Genoryx just two days after she did. Max remains unconvinced Heath’s a good guy which sparks an argument about Heath’s motivations and Liz’s research. As Liz becomes angry, the house’s electronics act up and they hear the sound of a safe’s locking mechanism.
Max uses his powers to open it and they discover Liz’s spores container inside, empty. Max’s face says I told you so, but he’s smart and keeps his mouth shut. They grab some paperwork before being forced to leave when someone approaches the front door.
Back on the road, Max reveals yet another secret. He confesses he listened to all of Liz’s tapes as a way to feel closer to her. Liz has an epiphany and realizes Max was correct; Heath is, in fact, not a good guy. She thinks Heath played her.
Max believes this is a second chance. The road’s before them and he wants to choose with her where they go next.
Michael shows up at Alex’s place and quickly realizes Alex has been lying to him. He hasn’t been home in days.
Michael stands outside Deep Sky’s entrance wearing a T-shirt reading “Eduardo Valenti I Come in Peace.” Eduardo allows him inside and Michael explains he went to Alex’s place and learned he hasn’t been there in two days. Eduardo looks through surveillance footage and confirms Alex locked the machine away two days ago. Michael suggests maybe Alex used his hacker skills and somehow retrieved the machine without them knowing.
Eduardo is shocked to discover that’s exactly what happened.
Alex’s mental condition is deteriorating after being in close proximity to the machine for such a lengthy period. He climbs out onto a ledge and Nora tells him his father’s hatred is stronger than his capacity to love. Alex appears to be on the verge of leaping when Michael rushes up and pulls him off the ledge. They embrace and Michael tells a vulnerable Alex he’s always got him.
Alex apologizes and Michael knows he did this so they could ultimately lead a normal “picket fence” life together. Alex acknowledges he’s frightened by the rocky path ahead of them, but maybe working together on the machine is part of the solution.
“You’re here; I am here. Solving a 75-year-old mystery seems like a pretty good first date,” says Michael. (#Malex forever.)
Alex and Michael work on the Lockhart machine, and Michael uses his powers to open it up. Parts fly into the air and it’s confirmed Alex’s dad put his tech inside the machine. As they disconnect wires, the alien glass glows and the pieces return to their proper places inside the machine. Multiple lights light up on the machine’s base as Michael and Alex exchange smiles.
Morning arrives and Isobel finds Maria in the camp’s lobby. She quickly figures out Maria and Gregory took a break from research for sex and offers to give Maria a few tips. Isobel also offers to pick up stuff knocked over and discovers a cross that fell off the wall was a gift from Johnny Doe and the Lincoln Neighborhood Church.
Isobel heads over to the church which, it turns out, is also where the clues have led Anatsa. She’s found a necklace with the initials JD on the back and Isobel confirms she’s also found a lead to someone with those initials.
They search through the church’s office looking for any insight into Johnny Doe or his friend. They hear someone in the hall and Isobel opens a window, telling Anatsa to go first. Isobel squeezes in a request for a date before Anatsa disappears. Isobel doesn’t follow her and instead sticks around to question the man who steps into the office. It turns out he recognizes the necklace and confirms he restored the iron cross that hangs at Camp Mesa Pines.
Liz and Max stop their trip back to Roswell to look through the paperwork they took from Heath’s place. Liz scans a head X-ray and is about to reveal it’s not from a human when Isobel calls. Isobel explains the alien they’ve been searching for is named Dallas and he’s a preacher at the Lincoln Neighborhood Church. He was in the pod that landed in the lake and he went by the name Johnny Doe as a child.
Max rifles through some of the papers and finds an envelope addressed to “Buckskin and Johnny Doe.” Isobel confirms Buckskin was Dallas’ best friend.
Over at Deep Sky, Eduardo informs Kyle he’s discovered the paralytic he was injected with comes from Genoryx and was registered to the geneticist who created it, Heath Tuchman.
Max opens the envelope and finds photos of Dallas and his best friend Buckskin. And…wait for it…Heath is Buckskin!
Heath (Steven Krueger) has returned to New Mexico and meets up with who he believes is Sheriff Max Evans. Heath wonders why Max called and said it was a matter of life and death, and Jones reveals he’s not Max. He destroys Heath’s phone before suggesting they’ll have a fruitful partnership.
HBO Max teased their slate of upcoming original television series and Warner Bros. Pictures films with a one-minute video that debuted during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Among the titles included in the short teaser were the DC comic book-inspired Peacemaker starring John Cena as well as And Just Like That…, the sequel to HBO’s Sex and the City.
New footage was also introduced from Euphoria‘s upcoming second season, Insecure‘s fifth and final season,Succession‘s third season, and Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s 11th season.
HBO Max has set an October 17, 2021 for the return of Succession and Issa Rae’s award-winning series Insecure arrives on October 24th. John Cena reprises his role as Peacemaker from The Suicide Squad for the stand-alone series debuting in January 2022.
Warner Bros Pictures slate of feature films that will debut in theaters and on HBO Max in the coming months includes Dune, King Richard, and The Matrix Resurrections. Each of those WB films will be available for 31 days from their theatrical release on HBO Max in the United States.
Dune, which currently stands at 90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, will be released on October 22nd. King Richard starring Will Smith as tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams’ father opens in theaters and on HBO Max on November 19th, with the fourth Matrix film, The Matrix Resurrections, premiering on December 22nd.
As anticipated, Netflix has renewed Virgin River for a fourth season after ending season three with multiple cliffhangers. Virgin River is one of the streamer’s most popular dramas so it was expected to stick around for another season. A little less expected was the news the series has also earned an early season five order.
Virgin River season one premiered in December 2019 with season two arriving in November 2020. Season three was a bit of an early treat, premiering in July 2021 rather than during the final months of the year.
The series’ cast includes Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan, Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton, and Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts. Annette O’Toole plays Hope McCrea, Tim Matheson is Doc Mullins, Benjamin Hollingsworth is Dan Brady, and Grayson Gurnsey is Ricky. In addition, Sarah Dugdale stars as Lizzie, Zibby Allen is Brie Sheridan, and Marco Grazzini plays Mike Valenzuela.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Virgin River tells the love story of Mel Monroe (Breckenridge) who answers an ad to work as a midwife and nurse practitioner in the remote Northern California town of Virgin River, thinking it will be the perfect place to start fresh and leave her painful memories. Season 3 (launched on Netflix July 2021) left fans with more questions about the residents of this small town after a funeral, a fire, a divorce, a hurricane and a new romance.
Cedric the Entertainer made his Primetime Emmy Awards hosting debut with the 2021 awards show which took place on September 19, 2021 in front of a live (but limited) audience. Netflix’s The Crown reigned supreme, collecting seven Primetime Emmys including Best Drama, Lead Actor (Josh O’Connor), Lead Actress (Olivia Colman), Supporting Actor (Tobias Menzies), and Supporting Actress (Gillian Anderson). Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso scored four wins including Best Comedy, and Mare of Easttown and Hacks each earned three Emmys.
Emmys were awarded in 92 additional categories during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit each won 11 Emmys in total, followed by Saturday Night Live with eight. Ted Lasso and The Mandalorian each earned seven total from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards.
The 73rd Primetime Emmys kicked off with LL Cool J joining Cedric the Entertainer for an Emmys-centric version of “Just a Friend,” with Rita Wilson, Billy Porter, and most of the star-studded audience (including the cast of Hamilton) joining in. That was followed by Seth Rogen as the first presenter joking about the fact there were too many people packed into the room without any masks, which it turns out echoed the comments of Emmy viewers on Twitter. “I would not have come to this. Why is there a roof? It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided,” said Rogen.
Cedric the Entertainer tried to clear things up by confirming everyone had to be vaccinated in order to attend, and hopefully the celebrities in the audience didn’t experience side effects similar to what happened to Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend. And that joke, unfortunately, was one of the funnier moments of a show that lacked energy despite being filmed in front of a live audience. If it weren’t for outstanding speeches by Debbie Allen, Jean Smart, John Oliver, Michaela Coel, and Kate Winslet, the 73rd Emmy Awards would have been completely forgettable. In other words, if you didn’t catch the live broadcast you really didn’t miss anything.
Prince Philip (TOBIAS MENZIES) and Queen Elizabeth II (OLIVIA COLMAN) in ‘The Crown’ season 4 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
2021 EMMY AWARDS NOMINEES & WINNERS:
Drama Series
The Boys (Amazon)
Bridgerton (Netflix) WINNER: The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Pose (FX)
This Is Us (NBC)
Comedy Series
Black-ish (ABC)
Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Emily in Paris (Netflix)
Hacks (HBO Max)
The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Pen15 (Hulu) WINNER: Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
Lead Actress in a Drama
Uzo Aduba (In Treatment) WINNER: Olivia Colman (The Crown)
Emma Corrin (The Crown)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Mj Rodriguez (Pose)
Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country)
Lead Actor in a Drama
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country) WINNER: Josh O’Connor (The Crown)
Rege-Jean Page (Bridgerton)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Matthew Rhys (Perry Mason)
Supporting Actress in a Drama WINNER: Gillian Anderson (The Crown)
Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown)
Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country)
Emerald Fennell (The Crown)
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Supporting Actors in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian)
O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale)
John Lithgow (Perry Mason) WINNER: Tobias Menzies (The Crown)
Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Chris Sullivan (This Is Us)
Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Michael K. Williams (Lovecraft Country)
Lead Actress in a Comedy
Aidy Bryant (Shrill)
Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant)
Allison Janney (Mom)
Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish) WINNER: Jean Smart (Hacks)
Lead Actor in a Comedy
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
William H. Macy (Shameless) WINNER: Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
Kenan Thompson (Kenan)
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live)
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Rosie Perez (The Flight Attendant)
Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live)
Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) WINNER: Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)
Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks) WINNER: Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)
Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso)
Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso)
Paul Reiser (The Kominsky Method)
Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso)
Kenan Thompson (SNL)
Bowen Yang (SNL)
Limited or Anthology Series
I May Destroy You (HBO)
Mare of Easttown (HBO) WINNER: The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon)
WandaVision (Disney+)
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Paul Bettany (WandaVision)
Hugh Grant (The Undoing) WINNER: Ewan McGregor (Halston)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton)
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)
Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha)
Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)
Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) WINNER: Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown)
Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Renee Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton)
Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision)
Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit) WINNER: Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown)
Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown)
Phillipa Soo (Hamilton)
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen’s Gambit)
Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)
Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) WINNER: Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown)
Anthony Ramos (Hamilton)
Variety Talk Series
Conan (TBS)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Nailed It! (Netflix) WINNER: RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)
Variety Special (Live)
Celebrating America — An Inauguration Night Special (Multiple Platforms)
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
The Oscars (ABC)
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd (CBS) WINNER: Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 (Showtime)
Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)
David Byrne’s American Utopia (HBO)
8:46 Dave Chappelle (Netflix)
Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max) WINNER: Hamilton (Disney+)
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (HBO Max)
Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO) WINNER: Saturday Night Live (NBC)
At 91, four-time Academy Award-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood doesn’t show any signs of slowing down or exiting his director’s chair. The iconic filmmaker’s latest movie, Cry Macho, is a Western set in 1979 and focusing on Mike Milo (Eastwood), a washed-up rodeo star and horse breeder who’s pulled out of retirement to go on a special – and difficult – errand for his former boss, Howard Polk (Dwight Yoakam). Mike’s mission is to cross the border and travel to Mexico City to retrieve Polk’s 13-year-old son, Rafo (Eduardo Minett), who’s run away from his mother and is living on the streets.
After crossing the border, Mike tracks down Rafo’s wealthy mother (Fernanda Urrejola) who describes her son as “wild” and reveals he’s gotten into cockfighting. Using this new intel, Mike’s able to track down Rafo at a cockfight.
Initially, Rafo’s insulting and defiant towards Mike. However, when he learns his father wants to bring him back home to Texas and make him a cowboy, Rafo becomes excited and agrees to go with this stranger as long as he can take his cockfighting rooster named Macho with him on the road trip.
The unlikely duo are forced to stick to back roads because they’re being hunted by Rafo’s mother’s thugs, thieves, and the Federales. It seems Rafo’s mother views her son as property that she doesn’t want anyone else to possess or take care of.
Unable to make a straight run for the border and facing car problems, Mike and Rafo take refuge in a dusty border town. They’re befriended by Marta (Natalia Traven), a restaurant owner who almost immediately finds Mike interesting and attractive. While staying under the radar, Mike uses the extra time with Rafo to teach him how to ride horses and even helps a local horse owner break in some wild mustangs. It’s during this time that Mike starts to re-evaluate his life and the choices he’s going to make from this point forward.
Charming although at times slow-moving, Cry Macho is a simple, straightforward neo-Western with stunning cinematography and an extremely effective reserved performance by Clint Eastwood. It’s Eastwood’s vision, control, and handling of the uncomplicated plot and the film’s characters that make the journey enjoyable.
Eastwood’s direction and the film’s cinematography are flawless, capturing the breathtaking beauty and ruralness of the Mexican landscape and the feel of the quiet desert border towns. Here’s hoping at Oscar time the film is nominated in both categories.
The only weak spot of the film is the performance delivered by Eduardo Minett as Rafo which often feels forced and staged. Minett has a few scenes where he delivers short speeches to Mike about his philosophy of life due to living on the street as well as how important it is to be “macho” or tough. It’s in these scenes where Minett fails to deliver any real emotion. It even appears as though he’s struggling to remember his lines.
Aside from that casting misstep, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Cry Macho is a poignant and delightful Western brought to life on the screen by a man who knows his way around the genre.
A Bit of Trivia: It’s interesting this story’s been around for about 50 years and was once considered a project for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Roy Scheider. Eastwood passed on the film originally back in the 1980s, believing he was too young to portray Mike Milo.
GRADE: B-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and language
Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
Release Date: September 17, 2021
The battle between Kendall Roy and his father, Logan, heats up, sides are taken, and new stakes in the family business are claimed in Succession‘s official season three trailer. The new trailer also provides our first look at new cast members Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood), Adrien Brody (Chapelwaite), and Hope Davis (Your Honor).
Returning series stars include Brian Cox as Logan, Jeremy Strong as Kendall, Kieran Culkin as Roman, Sarah Snook as Shiv, and Matthew Macfadyen as Tom. Nicholas Braun returns as Greg, Harriet Walter is Caroline, and Alan Ruck is back as Connor.
The third season’s cast also includes Peter Friedman, J. Smith-Cameron, Dagmara Dominczyk, Justine Lupe, David Rasche, Fisher Stevens, and Hiam Abbass. Arian Moayed, James Cromwell, Natalie Gold, Juliana Canfield, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Zoë Winters, and Jeannie Berlin are confirmed to return.
Season three will premiere on October 17, 2021 with new episodes arriving on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
Showrunner Jesse Armstrong created the series and serves as an executive producer along with Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Jane Tranter, Mark Mylod, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown, Lucy Prebble, Will Tracy, and Will Ferrell.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO:
Ambushed by his rebellious son Kendall at the end of Season two, Logan Roy begins Season three in a perilous position, scrambling to secure familial, political, and financial alliances. Tensions rise as a bitter corporate battle threatens to turn into a family civil war.
Season one of Fox’s Fantasy Island comes to a close with episode eight, “Día de los Vivos.” Season one episode eight features a guest appearance by Call Me Kat‘s Leslie Jordan and will air on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.
The cast of the reboot is led by Roselyn Sánchez as Elena Roarke, a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Kiara Barnes (The Bold and the Beautiful) plays Ruby Akuda and John Gabriel Rodriguez (Rosewood) is Javier.
“Día de los Vivos” Plot: A young artist Ramon wants to see his mentor, Jasper, again and Jasper realizes he may not have been the best influence on Ramon.
Series Description, Courtesy of Fox:
Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the ‘what if’ questions – both big and small – that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.
Serving as steward of this mysterious island is Elena Roarke (Sanchez), a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Elena set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, her calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed.
Assisting Elena is Ruby Akuda (Barnes), a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness and is given a new lease on life there; and pilot Javier (Rodriquez), who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades.
