News

Audience’s binge-watching habits exposed.

The Grand Tour broadcaster Amazon outpaced rival Netflix over the past 12 months, as Ofcom research revealed the UK has become a nation of box-set binge-watchers (reports Broadcast).

The Jeff Bezos-led SVoD service, which netted the UK rights to Atp World Tour tennis earlier this week, added more than 2 million subscribers in 2016, according to Ofcom’s Communications Market Report. It now has a total of 3.8 million subs, paying £7.99 per month, compared with 1.7 million in 2015.

While the home of shows including The Man In The High Castle and Billy Bob Thornton-fronted legal drama Goliath grew faster than Stranger Things broadcaster Netflix over the past 12 months, it continued to lag behind forerunner Netflix’s 6 million subs.

This was up from 5.1 million in 2015. The regulator’s research also revealed that Netflix, which costs a minimum of £5.99, was more popular than a handful of traditional catch-up services including Channel 4’s All 4 and Channel 5’s My...

Are you enjoying the addition of Rene and Dinah on Arrow Season 5?

If yes, then we have some news that will be sure to make you happy: Both characters will be sticking around for Arrow Season 6. 

According to TV Line, Rick Gonzalez and Juliana Harkavy have been granted series regular status for the upcoming season. 

Rick first appeared at the beginning of Arrow Season 5, and has appeared in more episodes this season than fellow series regular, Willa Holland, so most of you probably already thought he was a regular. 

Joining Team Arrow as Wild Dog, the character had a rough beginning when he flat-out refused to follow any orders, and it resulted in the team getting into a lot of tough situations. 

Thankfully, the character emerged as one of the best on the show after some initial teething problems. A flashback-heavy episode helped fans see the character in a new...

The new black comedy from Being Human’s Toby Whithouse is prescient, powerful and packed with laughs...

TV

You’ll know an Ian or two. The protagonist of Toby Whithouse’s new one-man show might remind you of an uncle that you tried not to argue with a Christmas, or a work colleague whose beliefs wind you up on the regular. Ian is a man that’s had enough with ‘lefties’, experts, women and the ‘corduroy brigade’. His opinions on what’s right for this country are not open to change.

But this isn’t a Brexit story. Although the parallels are obvious, Executioner Number One is actually a scarily prescient concept piece that Whithouse (the creator of Being Human and a regular Doctor Who scribe) has had in his head for years. The show – which is on for a couple of weeks at the Soho Theatre in London – imagines...

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting may have a documentary problem.

At a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Cpb president/CEO Patricia Harrison heard mostly support from Congressional members on attendance. With House critics of funding for public broadcasting mostly absent, the focus was on how public radio and TV stations support education, veteran, health and safety issues across the country – particularly rural areas.

One Congressperson even asked Harrison how the Cpb would allocate its funds if its annual appropriation was doubled from its current level ($445 million annually). The hearing came just weeks after Donald Trump’s proposed budget suggested a complete elimination of Cpb funding.

Read More: PBS Will Likely Survive, But Trump’s Proposal Hits Stations Servicing His Own Rural Supporters the Hardest

The hearing was mostly devoid of fireworks, except when Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) took issue with a handful of recent documentary titles, such as “Baby Mama High,...

The Show Was Dumb No Doubt About It

I feel like staying far away from Civil War II this week. How far away? I’m not even writing about comic books. That far.

Doubt was another attempt to do a Shonda Rhimes style show without Shonda Rhimes. CBS tried to hedge its bets by having former Grey’s Anatomy Katherine Heigl headline Doubt. Did that help? Even less than her presence helped in her last show, State of Affairs. State of Affairs lasted 13 episodes. CBS pulled Doubt after only two episodes. Which is one more episode than I was able to last. Doubt was such a huge turkey it could have fed the Eight is Enough brood and still have had enough to give the Brady Bunch leftovers. But I digest.

Doubt told the story of Sadie Ellis, a high-priced New York City defense attorney who was defending Dr. William Brennan...

Written by Alex Paknadel, Dan Watters | Art by Jose Holder | Published by Titan Comics

The first issue of this new series last month gave me very mixed feelings if truth be told. I like Assassin’s Creed as a brand, as a concept, and I like the fact it allows you to branch out in all different places and times. The comic book series so far have really embraced this, jumping into various historical periods and allowing us to enjoy those adventures. Two good books were discontinued to make way for Assassin’s Creed: Uprising, Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed: Templars, and the new title’s approach left me a little cold. Instead of the Animus and the philosophical differences of the Assassins and Templars, we got mainly an action book, all shoot outs and explosions. Entertaining in its own way, but I’m going to need more...

Horror and sci-fi fans have a big day of releases to look forward to on Tuesday, February 7th, as there over 20 titles coming home to Blu-ray and DVD. Paramount has put together the complete box set of the Penny Dreadful series on both formats, and the latest season of From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series arrives on both Blu-ray and DVD as well.

Scream Factory and IFC Midnight have teamed up for the release of Antibirth, which was an official selection of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and Severin Films is resurrecting the cult classic Wild Beasts in HD, too.

Other notable releases for February 7th include Abattoir, The 9th Life of Louis Drax, Dead West, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series, Recovery and Dr. Orloff’s Monster.

Antibirth (Scream Factory/IFC Midnight, Blu/DVD Combo)

Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne, Orange In The New Black...

Natasha Lyonne takes viewers on a mend-bending journey in Danny Perez’s Antibirth, and with the IFC Midnight movie coming out on Blu-ray and DVD on February 7th from Scream Factory, we’ve been provided with one Blu-ray / DVD combo pack copy to give away to a lucky Daily Dead reader.

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Prize Details: (1) Winner will receive (1) Blu-ray / DVD combo pack copy of Antibirth.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Antibirth Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on February 12th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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Antibirth Blu-ray / DVD: “Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne, Orange In The New Black) and her best friend Sadie (Chloë Sevigny,...

Something hasn't been quite right with Lou (Natasha Lyonne) since that crazy party. She's not alone in her own skin anymore. Something is living inside her, and it's only the beginning of a visceral journey director Danny Perez takes viewers on in Antibirth, which has been slated for an early 2017 Blu-ray / DVD release from Scream Factory.

From Scream Factory: "We are proud to announce that we have a new IFC Midnight film planned for release on Blu-ray & DVD this Feb.

Antibirth - Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne, Orange In The New Black) and her best friend Sadie (Chloë Sevigny, American Horror Story) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze. But one wild night out becomes a bad trip that never ends when Lou wakes up with symptoms of an unexplained, highly abnormal pregnancy. Who—or what—is growing inside her? As her due date approaches with alarming swiftness,...

“How do you go from eight years of happy marriage to wanting to blow someone’s head off?”

As stated by Sarah Jessica Parker, the above line sounds very much like something Carrie Bradshaw might have used as a thesis for one of her weekly columns. Sitting at her desk, overlooking the streets of New York and thinking out loud via voice-over narration, the columnist may have mused on the above question until a passing life experience — say, a new boyfriend who’s not over his ex-wife — provided all she needed to finish her article. But Parker isn’t playing Bradshaw when she says it, nor is “Divorce” otherwise similar to “Sex and the City.”

Read More: Sarah Jessica Parker: How TV Has Changed From ‘Sex and the City’ to ‘Divorce’

The new black comedy from Sharon Horgan (“Catastrophe”) takes the question very seriously and dwells on the answer for a long,...

In celebration of Women's History Month, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre will present a six 6 performance limited engagement of Un-tamed Hair Body Attitude. Created by The New Black Fest Tnbf and guest-curated by Dominique Morisseau author of NY Times Critics Pick Skeleton Crew and Sunset Baby, Un-tamed is a collection of five 5 short plays by Black Women that explore and dig into the national conversation surrounding Black womanhood and social perceptions of Black femininity. This production will be co-directed by award winning directors Kaia Calhoun and Elizabeth Van Dyke.

Read More: Emmy Award-Winning Chicken & Egg Pictures is Putting a Spotlight on Criminal Justice Chicken & Egg Pictures, a leader in supporting female non-fiction filmmakers, have announced the five recipients of their inaugural Breakthrough Filmmaker Awards. The five chosen filmmakers are Kristi Jacobson ("A Place at the Table"), Julia Reichert ("The Last Truck"), Yoruba Richen ("The New Black"), Elaine McMillion Sheldon ("Hollow") and Michèle Stephenson ("American Promise"). Jacobson is a NY-based filmmaker whose films capture nuanced, intimate and provocative portrayals of individuals and communities; her most recent film, "A Place at the Table," premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival before its theatrical release in over 35 U.S. cities. Reichert, meanwhile is a three-time Academy Award nominee for her documentary work, while Richen is a documentary filmmaker whose work explores issues of race,...

The Revenant and The Martian shared top honours at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards for drama and musical or comedy respectively as the former also earned best director and dramatic actor and the latter best actor in a musical or comedy.Scroll down for full list of winners

Todd Haynes’ Carol headed into the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday evening with the highest number of nominations - five - and left empty-handed. Similarly The Big Short, nominated for four, failed to translate a single nod into a trophy at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual shindig.

Away from the business of winning awards, arguably the most anticipated part of the evening was the inevitable encounter between show host Ricky Gervais and Mel Gibson, making his return to the limelight after years in the wilderness following a series of anti-Semitic and misogynistic remarks and erratic behaviour.

Introducing the Australian, whom he roasted...

Full list of nominations; The Big Short, The Revenant, Steve Jobs secure four nods.Scroll down for full list of nominations

Todd Haynes’ Carol leads the nominations for the 2016 Golden Globe Awards nominations, which were revealed this morning at the Beverley Hills Hilton Hotel.

The period drama, based on the Patricia Highsmith novel, secured nominations for best film (drama), lead actresses Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, director Haynes and Carter Burwell for best original score.

In the best film (drama) category, Carol will compete against Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room and Spotlight.

In the best actress (drama) category, Blanchett and Mara will go up against Brie Larson for Room, Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn (the film’s sole nomination) and Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl.

The best actor (drama) category, Bryan Cranston (Trumbo) will be in competition with Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl) and Will Smith ([link...

The 22nd annual SAG Awards nominations were announced this morning and it's full of surprises! Sylvester Stallone, loved by critics and the National Board of Review for his performance in "Creed," was ignored. So was Kristen Stewart's supporting performance in "Clouds of Sils Maria." Matt Damon, who was so good and carried "The Martian" from start to finish, was also missing from the list.

But here's what I love about the SAG noms. First, Sarah Silverman's first dramatic performance in "I Smile Back" was embraced. And I'm also happy with the inclusion of "Room's" Brie Larson and the fantastic child actor, Jacob Tremblay. The endearing "Carol" also received noms for both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, and Saoirse Ronan's performance in the beautiful "Brooklyn" also received a nomination.

The big winner of the SAG noms is Bleecker Street's "Trumbo." Missing from earlier critics awards (see here...

Binge-watching and no ad-breaks aren't just making TV more convenient, they're changing the ways television's stories are told...

If the TV set were to be laid out in its own visual March of Progress, the set which first crawled out of the primordial ooze would be the chunky box in the corner, rabbit ears jutting out from its top. As various knobs and dials fall off, the box continues to gain mass, growing bigger, deeper, and more rectangular. Next come the sleek high-definition TVs proudly bolted to the space place on living room walls once reserved for framed artwork. Taking the place of Homo Sapiens, at the front of the evolutionary queue, emerges the laptop/tablet combo. Today, the internet is ever increasingly becoming the default manner in which TV is consumed, and Reed Hastings, Netflix’s CEO, has boldly proclaimed that all television will be on the internet in ten to twenty years.

There’s a really special scene in Yoruba Richen’s documentary "The New Black," where heterosexual black Lgbt activist/organizer Sharon Lettman-Hicks gets into a disagreement with a female family member about homosexuality at a get- together with her in-laws. The woman states that “God did not make lesbians,” while Sharon questions her. Earlier, in that same house, an older black aunt shares that when her granddaughter “came out,” she told her she would always love her no matter “which way she goes.” It’s these kinds of sharp, varied interactions that make the film particularly resonant. Where mainstream media has aimed to present the black community as a monolith of...

Yvonne Welbon can genuinely be called one of the true pioneers and forces in independent black cinema. For nearly 25 years starting with her first film, "Monique", she has gone on to direct 8 films and produce dozens of others  which not only have been screened in over 100 film festivals around the world,  but also on PBS and cable channels such as Starz/Encore, TV-one, IFC, Bravo, Bet, and the Sundance Channel . With films like"The New Black"," Living With Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100" and "Stray Dogs", to name a few, Ms. Welbon, is documented her concerns about the vexing issues that society has and still struggles to deal such as...

Hollywood has mastered the art of the remake, the reboot, the reimagining, the do-over, sequel, prequel —leveraging an existing property and slicing it every which way you can to milk it for all it’s worth. The new black however, or at least flavor of recent months, is the midstream rebuild: taking your favorite franchise and basically disregarding the lesser chapters of the story to create a kind of parallel universe that cleaves itself in between existing movies. Case in point, you’ve got an upcoming “Alien” movie from director Neill Blomkamp, and while the plot is unclear and he’s been overly polite to “Alien” installments three and four, it’s apparent that he’s picking up the continuity of the story right where it left off at the end of James Cameron’s “Aliens.” The new "Terminator: Genisys" essentially ignores the "bad" pictures in that franchise. Another movie...

Welcome to the March 19, 2015 edition of Outrage Watch, HitFix's (almost) daily rundown of all the things folks are peeved about in entertainment. Today's top story: you're all just jealous of Zayn Malik. The One Direction heartthrob, who just pulled out of the boy band's tour of Asia due to "stress," has slammed rumors that he cheated on fiancee Perrie Edwards with a "mystery blonde," writing on Twitter: I'm 22 years old... I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there's a lot of jealous fucks in this world I'm sorry for what it looks like x — zaynmalik1D (@zaynmalik) March 18, 2015 Sounds guilty to me. [Daily Mail] Want more? There's plenty of indignation to go around. See below for a full roundup of today's kerfuffles. Outraged: Black scholar Dr. Boyce D. Watkins Target: Fox's "Empire" Why: After slamming the blockbuster Fox series set at a hip-hop entertainment company as "ghettofied hood drama" and "coonery" in a January column,...

If you're betting on "Boyhood" to win big at the upcoming Academy Awards, think again! Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" was deemed to be the big Oscar frontrunner but a double-dose of guild awards over the weekend tamed those prospects down. First, the Producers Guild of America gave their top honor to Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Birdman," and the Screen Actors Guild followed suit!

"Birdman" took home the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award! But, since the movie is about acting, this award is just fitting.

My biggest surprise, and it'a welcome surprise indeed, was "The Theory of Everything's" Eddie Redmayne taking home the Outstanding Male Actor trophy. Sorry Michael Keaton! I think Redmayne truly gave the Performance of the Year award!

The usual suspects took home the movie acting awards with wins for Julianne Moore for Best Actress in "Still Alice," J.K. Simmons for Best Supporting Actor for "Whiplash,...

Never to be underestimated or duplicated, #blacktwitter brought many entertaining and politically charged conversations to social media in 2014. From the public’s reaction to Pharrell calling himself the “new black” to the support of peaceful protests for Michael Brown and Eric Garner, the comments from this powerful online community were nothing short of amazing.

What is Black Twitter, you ask? Salon‘s Feminista Jones defines it as “a collective of active, primarily African-American Twitter users who have created a virtual community that participates in continuous real-time conversations.” Whether it’s a major moment in entertainment, pop culture, or sociopolitical issues, if it happened, Black Twitter had something to say about it.

This collective community of users has no filter, and if you’re easily offended, consider yourself warned. With 2014 in our rearview, here are some of the biggest conversations that happened on Black Twitter last year. 2015 better bring it.

#NewBlack...

Never to be underestimated or duplicated, #blacktwitter brought many entertaining and politically charged conversations to social media in 2014. From the public’s reaction to Pharrell calling himself the “new black” to the support of peaceful protests for Michael Brown and Eric Garner, the comments from this powerful online community were nothing short of amazing.

What is Black Twitter, you ask? Salon‘s Feminista Jones defines it as “a collective of active, primarily African-American Twitter users who have created a virtual community that participates in continuous real-time conversations.” Whether it’s a major moment in entertainment, pop culture, or sociopolitical issues, if it happened, Black Twitter had something to say about it.

This collective community of users has no filter, and if you’re easily offended, consider yourself warned. With 2014 in our rearview, here are some of the biggest conversations that happened on Black Twitter last year. 2015 better bring it.

#NewBlack...

Update: Theory 11 has once again teamed up with Bad Robot for a new version of the popular Mystery Box playing cards. The new black edition of Jj Abrams Mystery Box playing cards offers a more eloquent black back design and comes individually wrapped in letterpressed black paper, with the Mystery Box question mark emblem printed foil […]

The post Jj Abrams’ Mystery Box Black Edition Playing Cards Released By Theory11 [Cool Stuff] appeared first on /Film.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virture of Ignorance" topped the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations with 4 nods including Outstanding Actor for Michael Keaton, Supporting Actor for Edward Norton, Supporting Actress for Emma Stone, and Outstanding Performance By A Cast.

"Boyhood," "The Imitation Game," and "The Theory of Everything" each received three nominations.

Winners will be announced on January 25, 2015.

Here's the full list of SAG Awards nominations including TV categories:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Steve Carell / John du Pont . .Foxcatcher. (Sony Pictures Classics)

Benedict Cumberbatch / Alan Turing . .The Imitation Game. (The Weinstein Company)

Jake Gyllenhaal / Louis Bloom . .Nightcrawler. (Open Road Films)

Michael Keaton / Riggan . .Birdman. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Eddie Redmayne / Stephen Hawking . .The Theory Of Everything. (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jennifer Aniston / Claire Bennett . .Cake. (Cinelou Films)

Felicity Jones / Jane Hawking . .The Theory Of...

Jake finds Amazon Prime's new Jeffrey Tambor-starring series. Transparent, a bold, human drama that's well worth your time...

Perhaps the biggest major human rights issue of the moment is transgenderism, essentially describing someone who is born into the wrong physical gender (as opposed to cisgender which means man born man/woman born woman). In the last half decade, trans visibility has rocketed through activism both in the real world and social media. Collectively, this raises awareness of the high mortality rate of transwomen through physical attacks and suicide, and educates others on what it is to be trans, fighting against the injustices faced by trans people regularly. As someone who has had both friends and family come out as trans, it can be an incredibly emotionally complex time for all involved, but especially dangerous for those who make the decision to go public as they leave themselves open to violent attacks.

Here's our next installment of the new S&A series Frame By Frame, featuring guest posts and in-depth conversations with film and television professionals. Find the first piece in the series, with cinematographer Daniel Patterson, Here. We'll next hear from film composer Kathryn Bostic.Kathryn is a composer, singer, songwriter and musician who has scored several independent features we've written about on this site, including Ava DuVernay's "Middle of Nowhere" and "I Will Follow," Yoruba Richen's "Promised Land" and "The New Black," "Dear White People," "Soul Food Junkies," and the forthcoming August Wilson documentary "The Ground on Which I Stand." She has...

Couples marry in Wisconsin, Tracy Morgan seriously injured, Peyton Reed to direct Ant Man

Remember those sexy photos of Jamie Dornan for Interview Magazine? It turns out we didn’t see them all, because some were nude, and we’ve got Nsfw bubble butt – and pickle!

The St. Louis Rams have posted video profiles for their players, including Michael Sam, detailing his college career, why he was a draft pick for the team, and what his hopes were. They didn’t include the famous kiss, but they do show him taking the call with his boyfriend.

Tracy Morgan was involved in a horrible multi-car accident in his limo bus with several other comedians returning to New York from a show in New Jersey. Morgan was airlifted to the hospital, while another comedian, James McNair, was pronounced dead. The driver of the tractor trailer that caused the crash has been charged...

Recently, CW released the new,official,synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Beauty And the Beast" episode 17 of season 2. The episode is entitled, "Beast Is The New Black," and it sounds quite interesting as Vincent gets arrested for murder, J.T. and Tess finally sleep together, and more! In the new,17th episode press release: After Vincent (Jay Ryan) is arrested for murder, Cat (Kristin Kreuk) and the team are going to have to work together at all costs to clear Vincent's name. When they discover who turned Vincent in, they are going to realize they have a bigger enemy to handle. Sendhil Ramamurthy, Nina Lisandrello ,and Austin Basis will also show up in the episode. Fred Gerber directed the episode, and it was written by Sherri Cooper and Jennifer Levin. Episode 17 is set to air on Monday night,June 2nd at 8pm central time on The CW.

The 45th Annual NAACP Image Awards went off without a hitch earlier this evening (February 22) with "12 Years a Slave" continuing to make waves snagging the biggest prize of the night.

Before her film won Outstanding Motion Picture, the gorgeous Lupita Nyong'o added another piece of hardware to her already impressive collection taking home a trophy for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, while Kerry Washington snagged up her second Image Award with a win for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series. Kerry's show "Scandal" also won Outstanding Drama Series.

In addition, the hilarious Kevin Hart took home Entertainer of the Year, while Oprah Winfrey paid tribute to the late Nelson Mandela with a touching speech and musical dedication.

"He was everything we have all have heard and more. He was humble and he was unscathed by any kind of bitterness after all that we know he's been through," Winfrey said.

The 45th NAACP Image Awards were presented Saturday night (Feb. 22), with names like Kevin Hart, Kerry Washington, "12 Years a Slave" director Steve McQueen and Lupita Nyong'o being honored.

The Image Awards pay tribute to the best in film, TV, writing, music and literature. Take a look at the full list of winners below.

Winners are in bold.

Entertainer of the Year

Kevin Hart

Film

Outstanding Motion Picture

"12 Years A Slave" "Fruitvale Station""Lee Daniels' The Butler""Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom""The Best Man Holiday" 

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Forest Whitaker - "Lee Daniels' The Butler"Chadwick Boseman - "42"Chiwetel Ejiofor - "12 Years A Slave"Idris Elba - "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom"Michael B. Jordan - "Fruitvale Station"

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Angela Bassett - "Black Nativity"Halle Berry - "The Call"Jennifer Hudson - "Winnie Mandela"Kerry Washington - "Tyler Perry Presents Peeples"Nicole Beharie...

As Tambay said below, today is your last chance to see Yoruba Richen’s prize-winning documentary The New Black in New York at The Film Forum, but that doesn’t mean your chances are totally gone.If you live in the Chicago area, you’re in luck, because the film will open this Friday, Feb. 21 at Facets Cinémathèque (sort of Chicago’s own version of The Film Forum), for an exclusive one-week engagement.The film will screen twice a week on weekdays at 7 & 9 Pm, and on Sat., Feb. 22 at 3, 5, 7 & 9Pm and on Sun., Feb. 23 at 3, 5 & 7 Pm.Facet's Cinémathèque is located on Chicago’s North Side at 1517 W. Fullerton. You can read Tambay’s piece below to find out more...

Yoruba Richen's award-winning feature documentary, The New Black, opened in New York City, at Film Forum, a week ago, for a 1-week run, February 12-18. Today is your very last day to see it in a theatrical setting, so take advantage if you're interested. Already a recipient of a few prestigious awards, including the Creative Promise Award at Tribeca All Access, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Audience Award for Best Feature at the AFI Docs film festival, the topical documentary made its World Premiere, at the Los Angeles Film Festival last year, in the Documentary Competition.  Here's an official synopsis...

News Michael Noble 16 Feb 2014 - 21:01

The second season of prison drama Orange Is The New Black to be made available for streaming on the 6th June. See the trailer here...

Orange is the New Black was one of the biggest and most pleasant TV surprises of last year. A prison drama that managed to be warm, funny and genuine without diluting its subject matter, Orange stands alongside House of Cards as evidence of Netflix’s serious ambitions as a producer of original TV.

It’s perhaps appropriate, then, that Netflix should sneak out this information on what it becoming known in some quarters as ‘House of Cards Weekend’, but they’ve confirmed that the second season will be released in its entirety on the 6th June. It’s a Friday, so you should have plenty of time to binge a few episodes over the weekend.

In the meantime, you can see the trailer here.

There’s a really special scene in Yoruba Richen’s documentary The New Black, where heterosexual black Lgbt activist/organizer Sharon Lettman-Hicks gets into a disagreement with a female family member about homosexuality at a get- together with her in-laws. The woman states that “God did not make lesbians,” while Sharon questions her. Earlier, in that same house, an older black aunt shares that when her granddaughter “came out,” she told her she would always love her no matter “which way she goes.” It’s these kinds of sharp, varied interactions that make the film particularly resonant. Where mainstream media has aimed to present the black community as a monolith of homophobia and...

“This is the unfinished business of black people being free.” –Sharon Lettman-Hicks In Yoruba Richen’s documentary, The New Black, a black lesbian couple prepares a homemade pizza with their two children. The two women are happy and in love. There is no denying the freedom in their home, so why couldn’t it be acknowledged by the state?Teasing out the complex undercurrents of homophobia and acceptance within the black community, Richen explores how African Americans are grappling with same-sex marriage as a civil right, and how this eventually led to the 2012 passage of Question 6 (same sex marriage referendum) in Maryland, which was the first time marriage was granted to...

Because queer lives are lived across myriad realities, conversations about homophobia are also necessarily conversations about race, religion (and power plays by religious institutions), class, cultural traditions, hidden histories, political opportunism, and steady doses of hypocrisy. Whether it is Putin's horrific escalating anti-gay crusade in Russia, the enflamed homophobia engulfing various countries on the African continent, or the right wing's petulant pushback against gay marriage here in the U.S., the conversation is never mono-topical. That point is powerfully illustrated in filmmaker Yoruba Richen's documentary The New Black. Inspired by the scapegoating of the African-American community following the passing of California's anti-gay-marriage bill, Proposition ...

There's a gorgeous moment in Yoruba Richen's documentary The New Black in which two young black lesbian activists canvass an inner-city black neighborhood to drum up support for the gay marriage initiative that was on the ballot in Maryland's 2012 statewide election. The women approach a group of young men hanging out in front of an apartment building to talk to them about voting and, more specifically, supporting gay marriage.

"I ain't voting on that gay shit," says the most vocal of the guys. "I ain't with that."

What follows is an amazing back-and-forth. One of the young women succinctly breaks down how black people have to have each others' backs, how she has theirs and she needs them to have hers. What turns the conversational tide for them is whe...

A probing look at homophobia in the black community and its most important institutions (the church) through the prism of Maryland’s landmark passage of gay marriage during last year’s election, Yoruba Richen’s The New Black sheds new light on the battle over who gets to define what civil rights is. Richen talks to black Marylanders from all walks of life and activists on both sides of the ballot issue, from Conservative clergyman to Lgbt volunteers, coaxing incredible candor from most of them. Not surprisingly, The New Black reports things that anyone who actually spends much time around black communities would know, but still seem […]...

A probing look at homophobia in the black community and its most important institutions (the church) through the prism of Maryland’s landmark passage of gay marriage during last year’s election, Yoruba Richen’s The New Black sheds new light on the battle over who gets to define what civil rights is. Richen talks to black Marylanders from all walks of life and activists on both sides of the ballot issue, from Conservative clergyman to Lgbt volunteers, coaxing incredible candor from most of them. Not surprisingly, The New Black reports things that anyone who actually spends much time around black communities would know, but still seem […]...

There’s a really special scene in Yoruba Richen’s documentary The New Black, where heterosexual black Lgbt activist/organizer Sharon Lettman-Hicks gets into a disagreement with a female family member about homosexuality at a get- together with her in-laws. The woman states that “God did not make lesbians,” while Sharon questions her. Earlier, in that same house, an older black aunt shares that when her granddaughter “came out,” she told her she would always love her no matter “which way she goes.” It’s these kinds of sharp, varied interactions that make the film particularly resonant. Where mainstream media has aimed to present the black community as a monolith of homophobia and...

With two big ceremonies coming up (April 12th in Los Angeles and May 3rd in New York City), the 2014 GLAAD Media Awards has a ton of great nominees all vying for a trophy.

On the film end of things, “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Blue is the Warmest Color” both received nods, and “Orange is the New Black” and “Pretty Little Liars” lead the way for television.

The GLAAD Media Awards honors the biggest and brightest stars in entertainment, journalism and real-life Lgbt movements.

The nominees for the 2014 GLAAD Media Awards are:

Outstanding Film – Wide Release

Blue Is the Warmest Color (Sundance Selects)

Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Kill Your Darlings (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Philomena (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Film – Limited Release

Concussion (RADiUS-The Weinstein Company)

Geography Club (Breaking Glass Pictures)

Out in the Dark (Breaking Glass Pictures)

Reaching for the Moon...

This morning the national Lgbt media advocacy organization GLAAD announced nominees for the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. According to GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis, the year “has brought momentous progress for Lgbt people and families – and our nominees have created images and stories that continue to challenge misconceptions, shatter stereotypes, and change hearts and minds of millions all across the globe.”

There are 130 nominees in 29 categories but a few notable honorees include wide release films Dallas Buyers Club, Philomena and Kill Your Darlings, all of which were previously reviewed here on TheBacklot.

In the limited release category, Geography Club scored a nod. (The film is based on the classic Ya novel by AfterElton alum Brent Hartinger.)

In the outstanding TV drama category, ABC Family scored 2 nominees: The Fosters and Pretty Little Liars.

In the TV comedy category, perennial nominees Modern Family and Glee were joined by Brooklyn Nine-Nine and...

Adding their picks to the awards season deluge, the 45th Annual NAACP Image Awards unveiled the official list of nominees.

Not surprisingly, “The Butler” will compete in categories including Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Supporting Actor & Actress and Writing.

Meanwhile, Kerry Washington’s “Scandal” is up for Outstanding Drama Series, and Ms. Washington herself received a nod for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.

NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock gushed, “This has been an incredible year from the artistic community, with phenomenal contributions across the board from the music, television, motion picture, and literature genres that have the power and impact to drive social change.”

The 45th Annual NAACP Image Awards will go live on Friday, February 21st.

And the nominees are:

Television

Outstanding Comedy Series

"House of Lies" (Showtime)

"Modern Family" (ABC)

"Real Husbands of Hollywood" (Bet)

"The Game" (Bet)

"The Soul Man" (TV Land)

Outstanding Actor in...

Hooray! ‘Saturday Night Live’ has hired its first black female comedienne in seven years and her name is Sasheer Zamata. Let’s get to know her.

Sasheer Zamata is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason! She’s the new hire on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and she’s the first black female comedienne to be cast on the late-night program in seven years. We’re sure you want to know more about Sasheer, so HollywoodLife.com has done all the digging to bring you the scoop on SNL‘s newest cast member!

Sasheer Zamat On ‘SNL’ — 5 Things To Know About The New Black Female Cast Member Sasheer Zamata Does Stand-Up Take Our Poll

1. She loves performing stand-up comedy.

Sasheer has taken her act all over the country, including to the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, the Great American Comedy Festival, the Letterman Showcase in the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival,...

Although Season 4 of Downton Abbey kicks off six months after Matthew’s untimely demise, Mary remains such a Debbie Downer that it might as well be six minutes after. That is, until she receives a letter from the dear departed that changes not only her demeanor but, frankly, everything. Pour yourself a cup of tea – or, better yet, ring for it – and read on. I’ll fill in the blanks.

Related | Michelle Dockery on Dan Stevens Leaving Downton Abbey and Mary’s Future

Black Is The New Black? | When word of Mrs. O’Brien’s departure spreads in the first...

Deborah is a dear friend, family and business, for many years.

She is a lifelong dedicated documentary filmmaker, one of our best. Her docu Oscar and Emmy awards attest to the talent and dedication.

Recently she has been discussing with me what she feels are the current shortcomings in this year's nominating Documentary Oscar process and especially the recently published 'short list' by the Academy.

We are very interested in hearing your feedback or comments on this issue which is Not likely to be discussed or raised in any other forum but which we consider Very important!!

Following is her statement on the present situation and the omission of certain very important titles from the AMPAS 'short list' of this year's documentaries..

by Deborah Shaffer -

As an Academy Award-winning documentary director and member of the doc branch of AMPAS, I was the lucky recipient of all 149 qualified documentaries in 2013. It has certainly been one of the more bountiful and exciting years ever. I wish that, as with fiction features, we had the option to nominate up to 10 titles. There are certainly enough excellent, strong candidates to fill a slate of 10. But there is something about this year's short list that has made me sad and disappointed and I don't know whether the fault lies in the process or the end result, but it's certainly the latter where it shows up.

Among the qualified films this year were an incredibly strong number of docs on African American history and culture, including Let the Fire Burn, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, Free Angela and All Political Prisoners, Gideon's Army, The New Black, and American Promise. Not One Of These Films Is On The Short List despite having been recognized at numerous other festivals and year end award events. It suggests a distressing pattern of oversight, and even more disappointing since 4 of the above films were directed by Black women.

I don't have any quick or easy solutions about how to address this. We are all bemoaning the nearly impossible burden of watching approximately 150 documentaries, yet I don't think anyone wants to go back to the bad old committee system. Certainly continuing the trend to diversifying the branch membership across gender, age, and race should help. Personally I would also like to see a system where fewer films qualify, making it more possible for more members to screen those docs that do make it through the gate.

As it stands now, anyone with enough money to four wall a theatrical opening in New York and La can meet the qualifications, essentially buying their way into the Oscar pool. There should be a way to close this loophole, which I estimate would cut the numbers by at least one third to one half. Our field has grown so much in recent years, and the overall quality of the films that have made it to the short list is staggeringly high. We need to find a way to make sure we reward the best, and not just the best known.

Demi is kicking off mani monday with a rock star design on her nails! We know how you can get her exact look — find out how below!

Demi Lovato, 21, is a nail genius! She is constantly switching it up and re-inventing herself and her manis. This newest look can be achieved with her “Shattered” set from her The New Black collaboration.

Demi Lovato’s The New Black Collaboration — New Nail Kits To Get Her Look

On Dec. 15, Demi posted a photo of her studded nails, writing: “Shattered nails!!! #stockingstuffer Ulta.com.” Indeed, you can get Demi’s nail kits at Ulta for under $15!

Demi may rock the most manis of almost any celeb! She posted three different manis in just 5 days!

On Dec. 13, she rocked nails with a chevron pattern and gems at the base.

She wrote on Instagram, “#xfactornails!!! #inlove #safari #stylized @the_new_blacktv kits!! Loooove my nails @stephstonenails,...

A new network of film exhibitors has called for membership to help expand film culture in London and boost audiences.

Film London is the lead organisation for Film Hub London (Fhl), a localised part of the BFI Film Audience Network (Fan), and will oversee investment of £200,000 a year (for four years) of Lottery funding for audience development and expansion across the capital, with an emphasis outside central London.

Fhl’s schemes include providing training bursaries, supporting disability-friendly film content and subsidising screening fees and talent appearances.

Membership is free and open to all exhibitors including commercial cinema chains, pop-up operators, film festivals, mixed art venues, London Boroughs and to film clubs or societies. Fhl has also recently secured a deal with Vue cinemas to support new community-led film activity.

The BFI appointed film and media agency Film London to head up the campaign in the capital, one of nine such UK organisations tasked with delivering the funding...

Demi always has the best manis and this new nail look is better than ever! She used her very own nail kits from her collaboration with The New Black — get her exact look below!

Demi Lovato spiced up her beauty look as she hit the judging panel at The X Factor on Dec. 11. Her nails were an amazing combination of textures and patterns — get details on her mani right here!

Demi Lovato ‘X Factor Nails’ — Get The Look With The New Black Kit

Demi posted the photo on Dec. 11, writing: “My nails for tonight using my Safari and In Love kits!!! Thank youuuu @stephstonenails ❤️ you’re the best!”

Demi Lovato Talks Defeating Bullies and X Factor! Take Our Poll

Celebrity nail artist Stephanie Stone created the awesome mani. She also posted a pic on Instagram on Dec. 11, saying: “Tonight’s #Xfactor nail look on @ddlovato !! Using her Safari and In Love kits.