‘BLACK PANTHER’ AND ‘THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL’ WIN BIG AT ‘SAG AWARDS’ – (01/28/2019)

Black Panther took home the night’s biggest honors at last night’s (Sunday, January 27th) 25^thAnnual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium and Exposition Center in Los Angeles.

Hosted by Will & Grace’s Megan Mullally, the SAG Awards are often considered more prestigious than other awards shows by the acting community, because the awards are voted on by the actors themselves and their peers.

Rami Malek won best actor for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody, and, as before, failed to acknowledge ousted (but credited) director Bryan Singer, who is also the subject of four new sexual assault claims.

Glenn Close won best actress for her role in The Wife. The biggest prize, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. (SAG’s equivalent Best Picture Award), went to Black Panther.

On the TV front, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel pulled off a hat trick, snagging Outstanding Performance by a Male and Female Actor in a Comedy Series for Tony Shalhoub and Rachel Brosnahan, and then also winning for Best Ensemble Cast in a Comedy Series.

Mullally kept things light, while still underlining the political issues that are still roiling Hollywood, including race and the lack of dynamic roles for women. “They cast black people in Black Panther, which was good. Asian people in Crazy Rich Asians. There’s even a green book in Green Book. You know there was some executive saying, ‘Can the book be white?” When the laughs were sparse, she added, “Not my favorite joke.”

Other Highlights From the Show Included:

Geoffrey Owen, the Cosby Show alum who was shamed for working at Trader Joe’s, made a surprise appearance in the opening montage, gently poking fun at both himself and his those who taunted him.

Darren Criss couldn’t believe he was named Best Male Actor in a TV Limited Series against the likes of Anthony Hopkins. “Boys, we got nominated with Anthony Hopkins,” Criss said to his fellow nominees. “That’s a feather in my cap I never could have imagined.”

When Patricia Arquette accepted her award for Best Female Actor in a Limited Series, she got political, thanking special counsel Robert Mueller “and everyone making sure we have sovereignty in the United States of America.”

A surprising riveting montage of the best moments from 25 years of SAG Awards ceremonies.

Director Alan Alda was honored by Tom Hanks, before he received his SAG Life Achievement Award. Hanks called him a man who “has shown us who we are and who we can be.”

Alda reminded his audience, who give him a standing ovation, “Let’s stay playful, let’s have fun and let’s keep searching. It couldn’t hurt.”

Sandra Oh gave a heartfelt shout-out to her fellow actors, who kept her fighting through challenging years and career low-points. “I just so want to thank my fellow actors. I have felt your support over these years.” She calls out Alfre Woodard, who told Oh, “We fight the same fight,”and Jamie Foxx, who said to her, “Keep going”.

Black Panther cast-members took a moment (or two … the dreaded “you’re speech is running too long” music came on) to mull their industry-changing film.

“Well, I’ll be. I didn’t think I’d have to speak,” said star Chadwick Boseman, pointing out his fellow cast-mates for their “passion and intelligence and resolve.” Hailing the film’s impact on Hollywood, he said: “To be young, gifted and black, we all know what it’s like to be told there’s no screen or stage to be featured on. We know what it’s like to be underneath and not above. … We knew we had something special we could give the world.”

BILL MAHER REIGNITES FEUD WITH STAN LEE FANS – (01/28/2019)

It’s been two months since Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee died at age 95, and Bill Maher is ready to beef again. Shortly after Lee’s passing, Maher blasted comic book culture, blaming Lee for, essentially, critics said, the downfall of Western Civilization. 

On Friday, Lee used his Real Time show on HBO to continue his assault, and mock adults for thinking comic books are “profound.”

“To every person on social media who’s asked me since November, ‘Bill, what do you have to say about Stan Lee?’ and every paparazzi outside a restaurant shouting at me, ‘Bill, what about the Stan Lee thing?,’ okay, your day has come,” he began.

DISHING THE BEEF

Maher continued, saying his initial blog, which wrote that America is in “deep, deep mourning for a man who inspired millions to, I don’t know, watch a movie, I guess” — was “no way an attack on Mr. Lee but took the occasion of his death to express my dismay at people who think comic books are literature and superhero movies are great cinema and who in general are stuck in an everlasting childhood.”

“Bragging that you’re all about the Marvel universe is like boasting that your mother still pins your mittens to your sleeve,” he continued.

“You can, if you want, like the exact same things you liked when you were 10,” Maher added, “but if you do, you need to grow up. That was the point of my blog. I’m not glad Stan Lee is dead. I’m sad you’re alive.”

TARGETING KEVIN SMITH

Maher then moved onto Clerks director Kevin Smith, who slammed Maher. 

“Again, my shot wasn’t at Stan Lee,” Maher reiterated, “it was at, you know, grown men who still dress like kids.”

Smith tweeted, “No, I’m not mad at all. Bill may talk tough but he’s a stoner like me and a real pussycat when confronted,” sharing a clip of him confronting Maher about his body-shaming remarks.  

ED SHEERAN DONATES LEGO SETS TO SCHOOL KIDS; RECORDS NEW SONG WITH THE GAME – (01/28/2019)

One of Ed Sheeran’s early hits was “Lego House,” and now he and his fiancée are helping some British school kids build their own.

A teaching assistant at All Saints Church of England Primary School was in a pub in Ed’s hometown of Framlingham and happen to spot Ed and his fiancée Cherry Seaborn there. The assistant, Ria Cox, is also the head of the school’s LEGO club, decided to send a note over to the couple which read, “Dear Ed and Cherry, Google reveals that you are not currently a president of a LEGO Club, but All Saints Church of England primary would love for you both to be ours. It would be lovely to see you at our weekly group some time.”

She later got an email from Ed’s assistant politely declining the invitation – and a week later, hundreds of dollars’ worth of LEGO sets arrived at the school. Along with them was a note that read, “Hope the children love the LEGO – love Ed and Cherry.”

Cox said, “Ed and Cherry’s generosity will allow us to open up the LEGO group to even more students, which is something we have wanted to do for a while. We are so grateful for the kind gesture from Ed and Cherry – it’s given the pupils lots of confidence and has definitely made them more excited.”

Meanwhile, fire crews were called to put out a “small building fire” at one of Ed’s properties near Framlingham. A spokesperson said that within 90 minutes, the firefighters “extinguished the fire quickly and then ventilated the area of heavy smoke.” It’s unclear if Ed was at the property at the time.

In other news, Ed is set to appear on a track by veteran rapper The Game. Game announced that Ed appears on a song on his upcoming album Born to Rap, which will be released later this winter. So far, the song doesn’t have a specific title, but it may be called “Gems in Los Angeles,” after the lyrics of a hook that Ed wrote. Variety reports that in the hook, Ed sings, “Welcome to the city of sin, living in the city of Angels.”

Sheeran and Game have been friendly for a number of years and in 2014, they actually recorded an entire album together. So far, only one track from that project, “Freakshow,” has surfaced.

Brought to you by: