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☆ MLB roundup: Cubs' Drew Smyly flirts with perfection vs. Dodgers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Los Angeles starter Julio Urias (3-2) allowed five runs, seven hits (including two homers) and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Seven of Urias' 10 earned runs allowed this season have come against Chicago. Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola tossed a season-high seven innings and allowed four hits and three runs with three strikeouts and three walks. Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and a walk. Pivetta (1-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven with one walk.

☆ 4 crew members who were promised a role in NBC's 'Bel-Air' speak out: 'I left my son for a year for nothing'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Four cast and crew members from the "Bel-Air" fan video were told they'd get hired for the TV show. Kerry Rounds, producer: 'I helped the fan trailer go viral and connected Cooper to Will Smith'I'm a film producer and social-media strategist. When the trailer was done and posted, I told Cooper I could call in some favors and get this thing seen. Cooper told me he'd pitched me for an executive role to NBC. When Kerry was still around for the project, things seemed to function more like a professional film set.

☆ MLB roundup: Padres go back-to-back in 9th, edge D-backs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

The A's were down 10-8 when Seth Brown followed a walk to Aledmys Diaz with a two-run homer off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase in the last of the ninth. Angels 7, Mariners 3Shohei Ohtani and Taylor Ward hit two-run homers as Los Angeles defeated host Seattle. Yankees 8, Phillies 1Anthony Rizzo ignited a five-run fifth inning with a two-run homer, and host New York cruised to victory over Philadelphia. His counterpart, Jose Berrios (0-1), allowed eight runs, nine hits and two walks while striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings. Ozzie Albies hit a two-run homer and Austin Riley had a solo shot for the Braves, who have won three of four games to start the season.

☆ MLB roundup: Kodai Senga shines in debut as Mets down Marlins
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

[1/2] Apr 2, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against the Miami Marlins in the first inning at loanDepot Park. /Rhona Wise-USA TODAY SportsApril 3 - Right-hander Kodai Senga struck out eight batters in his major league debut, leading the New York Mets to a 5-1 win over the host Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon. Marlins starter Trevor Rogers (0-1) lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, two walks and four runs, three earned. He allowed one run on three hits while walking two and striking out six in his first start of the season. Two of Houck's five hits allowed were home runs by Baltimore's Adam Frazier (3-for-4, two RBIs, two runs) and Cedric Mullins (2-for-5, run, three RBIs).

☆ I can't stop watching these hilariously bad AI-generated videos of celebrities like Will Smith and Scarlett Johansson
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The internet is freaking out over clips generated by AI text-to-video generator ModelScope. The AI-generated videos come after a recent AI-generated picture of the Pope when viral. The videos were made using ModelScope Text to Video Synthesis, a free AI video generator that AI firm Hugging Face released to the public last week. That may be because the Modelscope tool is trained on images scraped from stock photo sites, according to Vice. AI image generators have also been found to produce images that reflect racial and gender stereotypes, and can spread misinformation.

☆ Adam Sandler honored with Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Jeff Mason | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Actor and comedian Adam Sandler waves as he is awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Joshua RobertsWASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - Actor and comedian Adam Sandler became the 24th recipient of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday, at an evening event featuring stars Jennifer Aniston, Chris Rock and Conan O’Brien to celebrate his comedy and career. With the White House a short distance from the Kennedy Center, some presenters touched on politics. Sandler joins the ranks of other comedians who have received the Mark Twain Prize, including Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Letterman, Carol Burnett, Eddie Murphy and Ellen DeGeneres. The prize is named after novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain.

☆ TV ratings for Sunday's Oscars rise to 18.7 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The audience rose 12% from last year, when 16.7 million people tuned in, ABC said. While the Oscars audience increased compared with last year, it ranked as the third-lowest on record for the ceremony. ABC said Sunday's awards were the subject of 27.4 million interactions on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The highest-rated Academy Awards telecast took place 25 years ago, when megahit "Titanic" swept the honors. In 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oscar ratings hit their low point with 10.5 million viewers.

☆ Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel hails movie-going rebound, cracks wise about 'the slap'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, March 12 (Reuters) - Comedian Jimmy Kimmel, returning for a third stint as Oscar host, led a back-to-basics show on Sunday that sought to celebrate a moviegoing rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic while avoiding the kind of unscripted outburst that marred the 2022 telecast. "We know this is a special night for you," Kimmel told the crowd of Hollywood luminaries. Kimmel, who was cheekily promoted ahead of Sunday's telecast as an "unflappable, unslappable" Oscar host, then went on to give a mock recitation of "strict policies in place" to prevent a repeat of last year's incident. "If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the ceremony, just sit there and do what you did last year, nothing," Kimmel added. It was a departure from many years in which relatively little-seen, but critically acclaimed, films have dominated the Academy Awards.

☆ Champagne carpet and crisis team ready for Oscars celebration on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In case of an unexpected twist, a crisis response team will be on hand at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Several of 2022's biggest hits at the multiplex landed in the best picture race, from "Top Gun" and "Everything Everywhere" to "Elvis" and "Avatar: The Way of Water." To change up the look, organizers swapped out the traditional red carpet for the first time since 1961, opting instead for a champagne color. "Everything Everywhere All at Once," an offbeat story about a Chinese-American laundromat owner struggling to finish her taxes, comes in as the favorite to win best picture. The dimension-hopping kung fu adventure has swept the major Hollywood awards in the weeks leading up to the Oscars.

☆ The career rise and stumble of Will Smith, whose notorious slap was the star of last year's Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Will Smith's films have grossed nearly $10 billion combined at the worldwide box office as of March 2023. Smith in "Ali." SonyHe's ranked No. 15 in total US box office among actors in leading roles. Source: The Numbers

☆ Offbeat multiverse movie 'Everything Everywhere' dominates the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The movie claimed seven awards overall, including three of the four acting Oscars for stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis, who built a career in horror films such as "Halloween," won best supporting actress for playing a frumpy tax agent named Deirdre Beaubeirdre. "The Whale" star Brendan Fraser, known for 1990s roles such as "The Mummy" and "Encino Man," won best actor for playing a severely obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter. "Naatu Naatu," a song from the Indian movie "RRR" that created a viral dance sensation, was honored as best original song. The 95th Academy Awards ceremony was broadcast live on Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ABC network.

☆ What could go wrong? Oscars team prepares for anything after Will Smith slap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, March 8 (Reuters) - Organizers of Sunday's 95th Academy Awards are preparing for the unexpected after Will Smith's infamous slap of Chris Rock convulsed Hollywood's biggest awards ceremony last year. For the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has created a crisis team to respond to any mishaps. The organization has not disclosed details about the membership of the crisis team or how it may react to anything out of the ordinary. Weiss said the team was planning to pepper the show with moments that they hope would spread on Twitter and TikTok. Pop superstar Rihanna will sing her nominated song "Lift Me Up" from "Wakanda Forever."

☆ Chris Rock Slaps Back in Netflix’s First Live Comedy Special
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Ellen Gamerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chris Rock at the Hippodrome in Baltimore. It took a year, and almost an entire Netflix special, but Chris Rock finally slapped back. In the very last minutes of his live stand-up show on Netflix on Saturday night, the comedian addressed the bizarre encounter at last year’s Oscars when Will Smith bounded to the stage and slapped him after the comedian joked about Mr. Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith .

☆ Chris Rock unleashes on Will Smith and wife Jada a year after Oscars slap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In March 2022, Smith walked on to the Oscars stage and slapped Rock's face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith said she was protesting the fact that Will Smith and other Black actors were not nominated. Rock, who also is Black, joked about Pinkett Smith at the Oscars that year and again last year. Pinkett Smith admitted to an affair that she called an "entanglement" in 2020. Netflix agreed to pay $40 million for two Rock comedy specials under a deal reached in 2016, according to a person familiar with the matter.

☆ I was promised a part in the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' remake — instead I left LA jobless and in debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Rufus Burns played the role of Jazz in the viral short film 'Bel-Air,' based on the sitcom, 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.' When the television version of the short film was picked up by NBC, Burns believed he'd reprise the role. Rufus Burns played Jazz in the viral "Bel-Air" short film. We moved out to LA to start pre-production on 'Bel-Air,' and I worked for freeAs we started to get closer to pre-production for "Bel-Air," Cooper said I should move out to LA. Were you involved in the "Bel-Air" short film?

☆ Netflix announces a 'Stranger Things' stage play is coming to London's West End
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A new "Stranger Things" stage spinoff is coming to London's West End later this year, Netflix announced Wednesday. "Stranger Things: The First Shadow," an adaptation of the popular science fiction series, will premiere at the Phoenix Theatre as the streaming giant's first live stage production. Thorne also wrote the stage play for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." The "Stranger Things" series debuted in 2016 and has been one of the streaming platform's most popular shows. Tickets for "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" are expected to go on sale in the spring.

☆ Chris Rock Is Finally Ready to Talk About Will Smith’s Oscar Slap
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chris Rock, by saving his ammunition for Netflix, has set up a rare thing: a stand-up special with a timely hook. Chris Rock is poised to hit back on his own terms and his own turf: a stand-up comedy special that will stream live on Netflix a week before the Academy Awards. Since Will Smith clobbered him at last year’s Oscars in front of their Hollywood peers and about 15 million onlookers on U.S. television, Mr. Rock has avoided the forums where celebrities typically go to unburden themselves. No prime-time interview with Oprah. In short, no milking of the moment.

☆ Film academy response to Will Smith slap was 'inadequate,' group's president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb 13 (Reuters) - Hollywood's film academy did not adequately respond to Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards last March, the organization's president said on Monday at a gathering of this year's Oscar nominees. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was criticized for allowing Smith to remain in his seat, and accept the best actor trophy, after he assaulted Rock on stage. "What happened on stage was totally unacceptable," academy president Janet Yang said at the annual Oscar nominees' luncheon in Beverly Hills. Smith resigned from the academy after the incident, and the academy banned him from attending the Oscars for 10 years. He remains eligible to be nominated for and win Academy Awards.

Internet celebrity Andrew Tate had offered her a new life. British-American Andrew Tate, 36, who's been based mainly in Romania since 2017, and his 34-year-old brother have denied all the allegations against them. Spokesperson Sue Beeby told Reuters that Andrew Tate "has never had" a creator account or received payments. In a separate YouTube video aimed at men who want to make money by putting women on OnlyFans, Tate called the platform "the greatest hustle in the world". The pair threatened to beat the women up if they did not do their job, according to the court document.

☆ Pet owners are applying for their furry friends to be the 'chief toy tester' at PetSmart – a new position that pays $10K
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

PetSmart announced the new Chief Toy Tester role earlier this month. The CTT must have a social media presence, attend PetSmart events, and test new toys and treats. In January, the pet supplies chain announced it was looking for one dog and one cat to become the company's first ever "Chief Toy Testers." Pet parents have until Feb. 17 to submit an application with a 10- to 30-second clip showing off their cat or dog's personality. Since the job announcement, pet parents have been sharing pictures and comments to get their fur babies on the short list.

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.

☆ 'Elvis,' 'Everything Everywhere' vie for Oscar nods on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Hollywood's film academy will announce this year's Oscar nominees early on Tuesday, a field expected to range from biopic "Elvis" to dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" and multiverse adventure "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The Oscars and other entertainment awards shows have been struggling to attract TV viewers, particularly younger ones who spend time on TikTok and YouTube. Last year's Academy Awards show, when Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock before winning best actor, drew about 15.4 million TV viewers, the second-smallest audience ever. The Gold Derby website, which monitors Hollywood's awards races, gives "Everything Everywhere" the best odds at the moment to ultimately win best picture. The movie stars Michelle Yeoh in a dimension-hopping action film about an exhausted woman trying to finish her taxes.

☆ 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."

☆ Streaming services are spending bank on big-budget movies. That's not buying Oscar nods.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Streaming services came up short at this year's Oscar nominations, announced on Tuesday. This year, it only has 15 — nine of which were for its one best-picture contender, "All Quiet on the Western Front." But the nominations also reflect the shifting streaming priorities for media and tech companies coming out of the pandemic. Only one of those four movies got an Oscar nomination — an adapted screenplay nod for "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery." Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in "Killers of the Flower Moon," an Oscar contender for next year.

☆ Oscar nominations are set to be announced
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An Oscar statue is shown in a shopping mall next to the arrivals area as preparation for the 92nd Academy Awards continues in Los Angeles, California, February 7, 2020. The nominations for the 95th annual Academy Awards are set to be announced on Tuesday morning. Contenders to be nominated for the biggest prizes of the ceremony, which will take place on March 12, include "Everything Everywhere All At Once," "The Banshees of Inisherin," "Elvis," "The Fabelmans," "Tar" and "Top Gun: Maverick." Steven Spielberg is expected to pick up a best director nomination for "The Fabelmans," a semi-autobiographical film based on his own childhood. This year's ceremony is sure to draw extra attention after Will Smith smacked Chris Rock during last year's show.

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