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☆ Hollywood producers honor Tom Cruise and 'Everything Everywhere'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb 25 (Reuters) - Hollywood producers celebrated Tom Cruise's career and handed their top film honor to multiverse adventure "Everything Everywhere All at Once" on Saturday at one of the key awards ceremonies ahead of next month's Oscars. The Producers Guild of America honored Cruise with a lifetime achievement award, and several speakers thanked the actor for boosting the pandemic-hobbled movie business with last summer's blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick." "Tom Cruise showed all of us that moviegoing was back," Sherry Lansing, the former CEO of Paramount Pictures, said in her introduction. The 60-year-old Cruise rose to fame as the star of "Risky Business," "Cocktail," "A Few Good Men" and other films. As he accepted his award, Cruise applauded the work of the TV and film producers in the audience.

☆ 'Everything Everywhere' vies for Hollywood's SAG awards on road to Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The movie starring Michelle Yeoh as an exasperated laundry owner trying to finish her taxes is the favorite to take best film ensemble at the SAG awards, according to experts polled by the Gold Derby website. If the movie wins big, that would give it a boost on the way to the Academy Awards on March 12. SAG winners are chosen by members of the SAG-AFTRA acting union, and actors make up the largest group of voters for the Oscars. In television categories, "Better Call Saul," "The Crown," "Ozark," "Severance" and "The White Lotus" will compete for best drama cast. TV comedy nominees for best cast are "Abbott Elementary," "Barry," "The Bear," "Hacks" and "Only Murders in the Building."

☆ Hot dog fingers and googly-eye rocks from 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' could be yours as A24 auctions dozens of props and costumes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A24 announced an auction of dozens of props and costumes from "Everything Everywhere All at Once." There are over 40 items for sale, including the famous "hot dog finger" gloves and several costumes. A mix of props and costumes are available in the auctions, including the famous "hot dog finger" gloves worn by Yeoh's character Evelyn. Many of the other props and costumes, including a rock with googly eyes and the fanny pack worn by Quan's character Waymond, are selling for a few hundred or thousand dollars. A24 has also auctioned items for charity from some of its past films including "Uncut Gems" and "Midsommar," as well as other general Hollywood memorabilia.

☆ Have You Noticed More Bad Ads Online? We Want to See Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Tiffany Hsu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For as long as advertising has been accepted on social media, bad ads have polluted the system. They say that many of the ads repeat constantly in their feeds, and swamp out the content they came to see. Sometimes, the ads contain misinformation, such as vaccine conspiracy theories or false narratives about politics. I am a reporter at The New York Times, focusing on misinformation, with years spent covering media and marketing. Bad ads can be a sign of many things: a weakening economy, a shift in priorities for social media companies, even a bolder push by malicious actors to indoctrinate consumers.

☆ Consumer sentiment rises to 13-month high on strong jobs report, lower inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The preliminary consumer sentiment index for February increased to 66.4 from 64.9 in January, the university reported Friday. The survey also showed that consumers are expecting inflation to remain high in the near term. One-year inflation expectations increased to 4.2% from 3.9% in January. Long-run inflation expectations held steady at 2.9% for the third consecutive month. Inflation expectations are crucial data points for the Federal Reserve.

☆ More US firms in Taiwan say they’re seeing ‘significant disruption’ due to rising tension with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taipei CNN —The number of companies in Taiwan saying they’re experiencing business disruptions due to rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing has almost doubled, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. An annual survey, which polled 214 member firms in Taiwan, showed that the number of companies reporting “significant disruption” rose from 17% to 33% between August and December 2022, the chamber said Tuesday. China’s ruling Communist Party has increasingly exerted its territorial claims over democratic Taiwan, a self-governing island, despite having never controlled it. Almost half of the companies that the chamber surveyed said they’re developing contingency plans in response to the heightened tension. “For companies in Taiwan, cross-strait relations are very important,” Kristie Hsu, a director at Taiwan’s Chung-Hua Institution of Economic Research, told CNN.

☆ Consumers say they’re feeling better about the economy. But they’re still planning for a recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Minneapolis CNN —For the second month in a row, consumers said they are feeling better about the economy. The University of Michigan’s closely watched consumer sentiment index measured 64.9 for January, according to data released Friday. A separate report released earlier on Friday showed that consumers cut back on their spending in December and started stashing more in their savings as they prepare for a potential recession. Long-run inflation expectations held at 2.9%, according to the report. “Consumers continued to exhibit considerable uncertainty over both long- and short-term inflation expectations, indicating the tentative nature of any declines,” Hsu said in comments accompanying the report.

☆ U.S. consumer moods brighten to kick of 2023, inflation views down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 27 (Reuters) - U.S. consumers entered 2023 with the most optimism in nine months, buoyed by healthy incomes and easing inflation even as most worry a recession could trip up the economy this year. The University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers benchmark Consumer Sentiment Index rose nearly 9% to 64.9 in January - the highest since April 2022 - from a final reading of 59.7 in December. Assessments of current conditions improved sharply, rising by more than 15% to 68.4 this month, also the highest since April. Meanwhile, consumers' estimates of near-term inflation fell to the lowest since April 2021 at 3.9% for the next 12 months. Another measure of inflation favored by the Fed fell to the lowest since September 2021 in December at 5%, down from 7% in June.

loadingThe motion picture is up for 11 Oscars at the March 12 Academy Awards, including best picture and lead actress for Michelle Yeoh. Both Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu are vying for best actress in a supporting role, while Ke Huy Quan is a favorite for best supporting actor. Kwan believes that without Yeoh, the film would not have been the success it is. "And I'm going through all these costumes, I'm like doing kung-fu, I'm like blowing up a cop's face into confetti." Reporting by Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mary Milliken and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Poker Face' showrunners say guest stars like Joseph Gordon-Levitt 'raised their hand' to appear on the show: 'Everybody wants to work with Rian Johnson'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Poker Face," which premiered on Peacock Thursday, is filled with guest appearances from star actors. "Poker Face" is the second murder-mystery project Johnson has taken on since his highly successful "Knives Out" movies. "I really hope that everybody dips a toe into 'Poker Face' because they're 'Knives Out' fans," Lilla said. "If you are a fan of 'Knives Out,' if you're a fan of 'Glass Onion,' I think you're gonna love 'Poker Face.'" "Poker Face" is now streaming on Peacock.

As with castmates Michelle Yeoh, nominated for best actress, and Ke Huy Quan, nominated for best supporting actor, Stephanie Hsu’s name drew particular applause during her category’s announcement. Notably, after Campion became just the third woman to ever win best director at last year’s ceremony, not a single female director was nominated this time around. Overall, the lesbian power-trip flick made a lesser showing than the Daniels’ queer kung-fu film. But its six nominations included spots in the evening’s biggest categories, including best picture, best cinematography, best original screenplay and, predictably, best actress. But an Oscar for best actor would be the ultimate prize in what has been a victorious comeback tour for the former heartthrob, following his decadelong, virtual exodus from Hollywood.

☆ Asian actors and filmmakers dominate Oscar nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Asian American-led projects have been the standouts at this year’s award shows, and the Academy Awards nominations, which were announced Tuesday, were no different. Golden Globe-winning stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan were also nominated for best actress and best supporting actor, respectively. Stephanie Hsu, who played Yeoh’s daughter, Joy, and Jamie Lee Curtis, who played Deirdre, an IRS inspector, were also nominated for best supporting actress. The film was also nominated for best picture, best costume design, best original screenplay, best original score, best film editing and best original song. “Then along came the best gift: ‘Everything, Everywhere All at Once.’”Hong Chau, who plays Liz in A24’s “The Whale” with Brendan Fraser, was also nominated for best supporting actress.

The film won nominations for best picture, best director and its stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan won nods for best performance by an actress and actor in a leading role. The nominations were announced by Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed on Tuesday morning at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Voting for the nominations concluded Jan. 17, and 9,579 members of the academy were eligible to vote, according to Variety. Neither women of color made it to the list for best leading actress. The Oscar nominations come just weeks after the Golden Globes returned to the airwaves.

☆ Factbox: Oscar nominations 2023: nominees for 95th Academy Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Harry Shum Jr., Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan pose with the Best Picture award for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciLOS ANGELES, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nominations on Tuesday for the 95th Academy Awards. Winners will be revealed in Hollywood on March 12 in Los Angeles. The following is a list of nominees in leading categories. BEST PICTURE“All Quiet on the Western Front""Avatar: The Way of Water""The Banshees of Inisherin""Elvis""Everything Everywhere All at Once""The Fabelmans""Tár”"Top Gun: Maverick""Triangle of Sadness""Women Talking"BEST ACTORAustin Butler - “Elvis”Colin Farrell - "The Banshees of Inisherin"Brendan Fraser - "The Whale"Paul Mescal - "Aftersun"Bill Nighy - "Living"BEST ACTRESSCate Blanchett - "Tár"Ana de Armas - "Blonde"Andrea Riseborough - "To Leslie"Michelle Williams - "The Fabelmans"Michelle Yeoh - “Everything Everywhere All at Once"BEST DIRECTORMartin McDonagh - "The Banshees of Inisherin"Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert - "Everything Everywhere All at Once"Steven Spielberg - "The Fabelmans"Todd Field - "Tár"Ruben Östlund - "Triangle of Sadness"BEST SUPPORTING ACTORBrendan Gleeson - "The Banshees of Inisherin"Brian Tyree Henry - "Causeway"Judd Hirsch - "The Fabelmans"Barry Keoghan - "The Banshees of Inisherin"Ke Huy Quan - "Everything Everywhere All at Once"BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESSAngela Bassett - "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"Hong Chau - "The Whale"Kerry Condon - "The Banshees of Inisherin"Jamie Lee Curtis - "Everything Everywhere All at Once"Stephanie Hsu - "Everything Everywhere All at Once"BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY"The Banshees of Inisherin", written by Martin McDonagh"Everything Everywhere All at Once", written by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert"The Fabelmans", written by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner"Tár", written by Todd Field"Triangle of Sadness", written by Ruben ÖstlundBEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY"All Quiet on the Western Front", screenplay by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery", written by Rian Johnson"Living", written by Kazuo Ishiguro"Top Gun: Maverick", screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks"Women Talking", screenplay by Sarah PolleyBEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM"Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio""Marcel the Shell with Shoes On""Puss in Boots: The Last Wish""The Sea Beast""Turning Red"Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Angela Bassett becomes Marvel's first actor nominated for an Oscar
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Angela Bassett accepts the Best Supporting Actress award for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" during the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Angela Bassett made history on Tuesday as the first Marvel Cinematic Universe star to be nominated for an acting Oscar for her “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” role as Queen Ramonda. After being nominated in the best supporting actress category, Bassett paid tribute to the character she portrayed. Bassett was previously nominated for a best actress Academy Award for her portrayal as Tina Turner in the biopic "What's Love Got To Do With It." Disney’s "Black Panther” sequel sold around $330 million in tickets and set a November record in the United States and Canada.

☆ Box office hits 'Everything Everywhere,' 'Elvis' and 'Avatar' land Oscar nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Everything Everywhere," a science-fiction flick about an exasperated Chinese immigrant struggling to finish her taxes, landed 11 nominations, including best picture and four acting nods. Other films in the hunt for the top trophy at the Academy Awards included sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water," James Cameron's visual spectacle that currently ranks as the sixth-highest grossing movie of all time. Last year's Academy Awards ceremony, when Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock before winning best actor, drew about 15.4 million TV viewers, the second-smallest audience ever. Apple TV+ (AAPL.O) nabbed best picture last year for heartwarming drama "CODA." This time, Disney received the most nominations, a total of 22, for movies including "Avatar," "Banshees" and animated "Turning Red."

☆ Big Banks Might Face Breakup, Top Regulator Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Big banks may need to be broken into smaller pieces if they become too big to manage and are unable to fix significant regulatory lapses, a top federal banking regulator said in a warning shot across Wall Street on Tuesday. A bank’s failure to resolve longstanding deficiencies despite reprimands from its regulators and onerous restrictions such as caps on its growth are evidence that a firm is unmanageable and needs to be broken up, acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu said.

☆ Crypto tokens were once considered a fast track to riches for Web3 startup founders. Now some aren't bothering to launch them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Crypto tokens were once a quick way for Web3 founders to cash in. Just over a year ago, Web3 startups regularly raised money by selling their own cryptocurrencies directly to the public. But now, the crypto crash has made it an inauspicious time for them to launch tokens. Common has since postponed its token launch indefinitely. Georgen said that his aspirations to launch tokens weren't primarily motivated by cashing in.

☆ First-look photos of 'American Born Chinese' feature Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Disney offered a peek Friday of its upcoming “American Born Chinese,” based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel of the same name. Daniel Wu in, "American Born Chinese." Carlos Lopez-Calleja / DisneyGolden Globe winners and stars of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan star in the new series. Michelle Yeoh in, "American Born Chinese." Ke Huy Quan in, "American Born Chinese."

☆ Consumer sentiment has perked back up to its highest level since April
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Minneapolis CNN —As inflation continues its slow and steady descent, consumer sentiment is climbing back out of a trough hit last year. The University of Michigan’s closely watched consumer sentiment index rose to 64.6 in the preliminary January survey, according to data released Friday. The survey also showed consumers’ inflation expectations for this year and five years out were 4% and 3%, respectively. The year-ahead inflation expectations reading is at its lowest since April 2021. Inflation expectations are crucial data points for the Federal Reserve.

The films will compete for best movie cast with "Women Talking," "Babylon" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once." "The Fabelmans," the Golden Globe winner for best movie drama, earned a SAG nomination for lead actor Paul Dano. Other movie actors nominated included Austin Butler for "Elvis," Cate Blanchett for "Tar" and Adam Sandler for "Hustle." In television categories, "Better Call Saul," "The Crown," "Ozark," "Severance" and "The White Lotus" were nominated for best drama cast. The TV comedy cast contenders are "Abbott Elementary," "Barry," "The Bear," "Hacks" and "Only Murders in the Building."

☆ Australian Elvis festival still 'fantastic' after 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Cordelia Hsu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Winner of Parkes Elvis Festival Miss Priscilla 2023, Nickyra Burley, sits on top a car during the festival parade in Parkes, Australia, January 7, 2023. "It's fantastic," said Bob Steele, who founded the festival with his wife Anne after a dinner party where the guests ended up singing Elvis songs long into the night. "Fancy getting to 30 years with a festival, we're just so pleased with it." In addition to Elvis tribute acts, the extravaganza, timed to coincide with the birthday of 'The King', includes Elvis art and photo exhibitions, rock and roll dance lessons, and Elvis trivia nights. While Parkes is now known as the Elvis capital of Australia, Steele said some locals were initially sceptical of the event.

☆ Meet ShElvis, Australia's leading female Elvis Tribute Artist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Cordelia Hsu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Elvis Tribute Artist, Sheryl Scharkie, also known as ShElvis, strikes a pose in the main street at the Parkes Elvis Festival in Parkes, Australia January 6, 2023. REUTERS/Cordelia HsuPARKES, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Among the hundreds of Elvis tribute acts wandering the Australian country town of Parkes, one stands out: Sheryl Scharkie, also known as ShElvis. Parkes, 350 km northwest of Sydney, is home to a 64-meter telescope and an annual Elvis Festival, now in its 30th year. A nurse by day, the 64-year-old Scharkie is Australia’s most prominent Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA), as they are known, and for most of her nearly decade-long career, the country's only female one. It's no longer male or female ETA, gender just goes.”Scharkie has been an Elvis fan since childhood and remembers watching his movies at her grandmother's house.

☆ Here are 22 of the top LGBTQ news stories of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Here are 22 of our top LGBTQ news stories of the year. Ron DeSantis signed the controversial Parental Rights in Education law — or what critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — on March 28. 'It’s already having an impact': LGBTQ people fear abortion rights reversalA supporter of gay marriage waves a flag in front of the Supreme Court on June 25, 2015. Nicola Goode / Prime VideoAmazon’s “A League of Their Own” series, which debuted Aug. 12 and was inspired by the 1992 cult classic by director Penny Marshall, brought much-needed representation to the screen for lesbians and other queer women, who celebrated how “gay, gay, gay” it was. Biden signs same-sex marriage bill at White House ceremonyPresident Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act on the South Lawn of the White House on Dec. 13.

In TV, the top 10 list ranges from the indefinable second season of “The White Lotus” to laugh-out-loud comedies and smoldering fantasy shows. “Catch the Fair One” is available on Hulu and various video-on-demand platforms. “Paris, 13th District” is available on Amazon Prime Video and various video-on-demand platforms. “Peter Von Kant” is available on various video-on-demand platforms. “Tár” is available on various video-on-demand platforms.

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