While recent years have seen the Oscars attacked for under-representing women or people of color, this year’s contenders have been plagued by backlash and scandals ranging from accusations of plagiarism, sexual misconduct, and criticism from gay and African-American communities. “That’s the nature of art, is that it’s designed to push buttons and to elicit a response,” said The Hollywood Reporter’s Editorial Director Matthew Belloni. “But ultimately when people are voting for best picture, I don’t think those things come into play.” Fantasy “The Shape of Water,” which has a leading 13 nominations, was hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit last week alleging that its plot about a mute cleaner who falls for a mysterious river creature was lifted, without credit, from a 1969 play by late American playwright Paul Zindel. Studio Fox Searchlight said the claims are “baseless (and) wholly without merit.” Press freedom movie “The Post” has seen sniping over misperceptions that The Washington Post broke a story in 1971 about the classified Pentagon Papers study of the Vietnam War, and not the New York Times. “If you actually see the movie, it’s not a movie about The Washington Post, despite the title, it’s a movie about Katharine Graham, the publisher of The Post and her relationship with the editor of The Post,” said Belloni. The loudest complaints have been leveled at best picture front-runner “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” A scene from “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Photo by Reuters/Fox Searchlight Critics feel the dark comedy’s portrayal of… [Read full story]
Science Fiction movie hits the screens Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, directed by Michael Bay, is a 2009 American science fiction/action film. Like any teen, Sam is excited about being out from under his parents' (Kevin Dunn and Julie White) thumb and spending time with his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox). The dream to rebuild the home planet, Cybertron, is ruined, so Autobot members have to stay on Earth and coordinate with the Army to establish a confidential organization named NEST. Together with human co-workers like leader Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and U.S. Air Force officer Epps (Tyrese Gibson), NEST wipes…... [read more]
Revolutionary songs lead lasting hit parade (25-12-2006) HCM CITY — While different pop and dance tunes appear and vanish from the entertainment market every few months, revolutionary songs endure at many city organisations. Mua Thu va Mai Mai (Autumn and Forever) features romantic and folk songs in praise of the country, its people and soldiers. Many of the songs are written by Tran Hoan and Phan Huynh Dieu. Performed monthly at the HCM City Opera House, the traditional and patriotic music programme attracted more than 10,000 audiences this year, who often prefer pop and dance music. Through the programme, which…... [read more]
Iranian Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi drew enthusiastic applause Friday for one of the most-keenly awaited films at Cannes, with a Paris-set tale about shifting relationships. Lead player Berenice Bejo dials down the glamour of her role in the fellow Oscar-winning movie "The Artist" to play Marie, a mother in Paris' multicultural suburbs who asks estranged husband Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) to return from Tehran to finalise their divorce. In the meantime, Marie has invited her new boyfriend Samir, played by Tahar Rahim of 2009's "A Prophet", to take his young son and move in with her and her two daughters from another…... [read more]
Viet Nam News HCM CITY - South Korean conductor Lim Jun Oh will lead the "Classical Music in Movies" concert featuring music of well-known and award-winning movies at the HCM City Opera House on Saturday and Sunday. The night will open with music from Disney classics The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Tarzan, which will be performed by the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO). The concert also features scores from famous movies, such as The Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of Caribbean, The Sound of Music and the Japanese animation Howl's Moving Castle. Clarinetist Đào…... [read more]
Vietnam wants to make more use of the ‘Vietnamese factor’ in the Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island than just appointing its director as the country’s tourism ambassador. Vietnam wants to make more use of the ‘Vietnamese factor’ in the Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island than just appointing its director as the country’s tourism ambassador. The film, a reboot of the King Kong franchise, hit theatres worldwide on Friday as the Vietnamese tourism ministry officially announced that it had appointed director Jordan Charles Vogt-Roberts as the country’s tourism ambassador for the 2017-20 tenure. The U.S. filmmaker was the only nominee for…... [read more]
