by Frankie Taggart Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Four-time Grammy winner Lionel Richie cemented his legacy in Hollywood Wednesday, plunging his feet and hands into a wet paving slab at the forecourt of the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre. The 68-year-old R&B singer, a former frontman for Motown legends The Commodores, has sold more than 100 million records over a career spanning six decades. “This is almost beyond the childhood dream,” Richie told […]
Entertainment – International
‘The Shape of Water’ makes a splash at Oscars
by Frankie Taggart Agence France Presse HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Fantasy romance “The Shape of Water” took home the best picture Oscar on Sunday, capping an awards season which has seen the film lavished with acclaim and glittering trophies. Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War-era story of love between a mute cleaning woman and a mystery merman-like creature being held in a top secret government laboratory in Baltimore has dominated Hollywood’s annual prize-giving season. […]
Oscar winners in main categories
HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Here are the winners in key categories for the 90th Academy Awards, which were handed out on Sunday in Hollywood. “The Shape of Water” was the big winner of the night with four statuettes, including best picture and best director. Best picture: “The Shape of Water” Best director: Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water” Best actor: Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” Best actress: Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” […]
NBA star Kobe Bryant wins Oscar for best animated short
HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Retired basketball superstar Kobe Bryant — once the toast of Los Angeles for the Lakers — is now a Hollywood A-lister with an Oscar. Yes, you read that correctly. Nearly two years after leaving the NBA, the 39-year-old Bryant won the Academy Award for best animated short on Sunday for “Dear Basketball,” a collaboration with artist Glen Keane and legendary composer John Williams. “Thank you, Academy, for this amazing honor. […]
Sam Rockwell wins best supporting actor Oscar for ‘Three Billboards’
HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Sam Rockwell on Sunday won the Oscar for best-supporting actor for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” with one of the night’s top films picking up the first award. Rockwell took the Academy Award for his role as racist, foul-mouthed police officer Jason Dixon in the movie, a dark crime comedy. He bested his co-star Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”), Richard Jenkins (“The Shape of Water”) and Christopher Plummer […]
90th Oscars kicks off in Hollywood
HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Hollywood was sprinkled with stardust on Sunday as the movie industry’s A-listers came out for the Oscars, hosted by late night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel. Dark comedy “Three Billboards” is in pole position for the most prestigious prizes, although fairy tale romance “The Shape of Water” leads the overall charge with 13 nominations on a night expected to highlight Tinseltown’s campaigns against sexual misconduct and gender inequality. © Agence France-Presse
Five things to watch on Oscars night
by Frankie Taggart Agence France-Presse HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — All eyes will be on the battle for Oscars supremacy between “The Shape of Water” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” on Sunday. But if there’s one thing previous ceremonies have demonstrated, it’s that it’s a good idea never to expect the expected on Hollywood’s biggest night. Here are five things to watch for: The specter of ‘Envelopegate’ It may have been the most embarrassing […]
Video: Statue of Harvey Weinstein put on display briefly on Hollywood Boulevard
https://youtu.be/CjlOe9iMy24 In the run-up to the 2018 Oscars, a British artist briefly puts on display a statue of Harvey Weinstein, in a bathrobe on a sofa, on Hollywood Boulevard. The artist wants to denounce the culture of silence that allowed the abuse to go on for so long. “This year we’ve got Harvey Weinstein clutching an Oscar in his hands, dressed in a bathrobe, which sadly so many people had to experience,” said the artist […]
Shakira pays 20 mn euros to Spain taxman: report
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Superstar Shakira has handed over more than 20 million euros ($24.6 million) to tax authorities in Spain, a report said Tuesday, accused of not paying taxes despite being a resident between 2011 and 2014. Catalan daily El Periodico reported that the Colombian award-winning singer had paid the money “to settle part of the debt claimed by Spain’s tax authorities”, corresponding to what she allegedly owes for 2011. The fiscal authorities filed […]
25 years later, The Breeders revive distinct rock voice
by Shaun TANDON Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — When The Breeders reunited in 2013 to mark 20 years since “Last Splash,” it looked like a straightforward nostalgia tour for an album that had become an alternative rock cornerstone. “We had a great time and people responded and loved it. And then we started getting calls to do shows in 2014 and so, hmmm, that was technically not a 20th anniversary anymore,” Kim […]
India mourns Bollywood’s Sridevi after reported bathtub drowning
MUMBAI, India (AFP) — India Monday mourned Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor after her death in Dubai aged just 54, as police in the emirate said she drowned in her hotel bathtub. The body of Sridevi, one of the biggest names in Hindi cinema, had been due to be brought back to Mumbai on Monday by charter flight. It was not immediately clear however when Dubai authorities would release it. Hundreds of heartbroken fans gathered outside […]
Ed Sheeran named world’s best-selling artist of 2017
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British folk-pop phenomenon Ed Sheeran on Monday was named the best-selling artist in the world in 2017 by the global recorded music industry group IFPI. Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) was the best-selling album of last year and “Shape of You” was the best-selling single, London-based IFPI said in its announcement. Sheeran is the fifth recipient of the Global Recording Artist of the Year Award after One Direction (2013), Taylor Swift (2014), […]