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After allegations of sexual harassment, racist attitudes toward customers, and other abuses were leveled against management at Alamo Drafthouse’s Kansas City location last year — charges that had allegedly been previously ignored by corporate brass — the theater chain’s brass have largely been reluctant to discuss the matter publicly. But co-founder and executive chairman Tim League recently opened up about the allegations on a New York Times podcast, saying he takes responsibility and that the company has implemented changes with a goal of preventing abuses in the future.

In a 35-minute, wide-ranging interview with Kara Swisher on “Sway” this week, League briefly discussed the fallout from the expose published by Kansas City alt weekly “The Pitch” in August 2020. Among the claims: managers sexually and physically abused employees and were never disciplined; employees who were injured on the job and were never properly accommodated; and reports that managers targeted predominantly Black...

Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones has passed away, leaving many of his contemporaries in the music business feeling heartbroken over the news. On Tuesday, the band announced that Watts had died at the age of 80 in a London hospital surrounded by his family. Because Watts has been one of the most talented drummers of the past 60 years, he served as an inspiration for many, and that influence can be felt in the many, many tribute posts online.

Posting a reactionary video to Twitter, Paul McCartney of The Beatles said, "So sad to hear about Charlie Watts, the Stones drummer, dying. He was a lovely guy. I knew he was ill, but I didn't know it was this [bad]. Lots of love to his family, wife and kids and extended family, and condolences to the Stones. A huge blow to them, because Charlie was a rock and a fantastic drummer. Steady as a rock.

A few days before Thanksgiving last year, Lucinda Williams was in the bathroom of her Nashville home getting ready to take a shower when she began to have trouble keeping her balance. She stumbled a bit and couldn’t stand up straight. Even more frightening, Williams couldn’t walk. She called out to her husband, Tom Overby, who happened to be on the phone with their primary care physician. When he relayed Williams’ symptoms to their doctor, he was told to quickly get her to a hospital.

The Americana singer-songwriter,...

Don Lemon refuted former colleague Brooke Baldwin’s assertion that CNN is male-dominated, saying the network has “plenty of women in positions of power” and maybe the issue for Baldwin was that she didn’t take enough initiative with CNN president Jeff Zucker.

During a “Sway” podcast chat, Kara Swisher asked Lemon who should replace Zucker when he departs the network at the end of the year and whether it should be a woman, given what Baldwin said just before she herself exited the new giant.

“I think we have had women who have run the network. I mean, Janelle Rodriguez ran part of the network,” he said, before adding that his executive producer is also a woman, as is colleague Erin Burnett’s.

“So we have plenty of women in positions of power in the network,” he went on. “Now, at the executive ranks, I don’t know enough...

Panelist Brian Austin Green got a point on the board when he guessed activist, speaker and best-selling author Elizabeth Smart was hiding underneath the Moth costume on Wednesday’s episode of “The Masked Singer.” “I’m not good at this game, but I had a feeling about this one,” explained the “Beverly Hills 90210” star when Elizabeth removed her mask. Watch the Moth’s dance to “Sway” by Michael Bublé above.

SEEBrian Austin Green (‘The Masked Dancer’) smartly guesses Moth’s true identity — did You?

“It was so much fun,” Elizabeth revealed in her unmasked interview with host Craig Robinson. In response to the clue “286,” Elizabeth explained, “I testified on behalf of the child safety bill 286.” When asked why she decided to enter the competition, Elizabeth held back tears as she spoke, “Oh my gosh, I’m such a baby. My grandma actually passed away very recently, but she was so much fun.

Brian Austin Green is finally on the board with a correct guess on “The Masked Dancer.” After mistaking the Disco Ball for LL Cool J (instead of Ice-t) and the Ice Cube for Bill Maher (instead of Bill Nye), the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star redeemed himself by being the only judge to name Elizabeth Smart as the Moth. Elizabeth made headlines in 2002 after being kidnapped at the age of 14; she later became a best-selling author and a child safety activist. Brian’s savvy guess means he’s one of only two panelists to earn a point in Season 1 — see the updated list below. Did You guess her identity at home?

See‘The Masked Dancer’ fresh clues for Cotton Candy, Moth, Sloth, Zebra …

Moth danced to “Sway” by Michael Bublé in this week’s episode and previously hot-stepped to “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks & Dunn during her debut performance. Brian initially...

(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wednesday’s “The Masked Dancer.”)

Fox’s “The Masked Dancer” unmasked its third contestant on Wednesday’s episode of the “Masked Singer” spinoff series, revealing the identity of the Moth.

During the episode, the remaining Group B contestants — Zebra, Moth, Cotton Candy and Sloth — returned to give their second performances in hopes of landing one of the three slots available to them in the Super Six round, where they will go up against the top competitors from Group A.

After those four contestants performed, it was time for panelists Ken Jeong (a “Masked Singer” judge pulling double duty on “Dancer”), Paula Abdul, Brian Austin Green (a former “Singer” contestant himself), Ashley Tisdale and guest judge Cheryl Hines to vote for their favorites and, in doing so, determine the weakest performer.

The contestant who came out on bottom was the Moth, who did a tango to Michael Bublé’s “Sway.

Elizabeth Smart wasn’t interested at first in appearing on Fox’s “The Masked Dancer.” But after her grandmother passed away, Smart said she had an epiphany.

“She certainly lived life to the fullest,” Smart said. “As I was sitting at her funeral, thinking about life and death, I just thought, it’s okay to have fun. It’s okay to do something happy. Not everything I do has to be 100% serious all the time. I’m more than just a one-sided person, so why not.”

Smart was revealed to be the person under the Moth costume on Wednesday’s edition of “The Masked Dancer.” Smart said she also felt that after the dark events of 2020, she wanted to do something light hearted and fun.

“It was probably the most terrifying thing that I’ve ever voluntarily done,” Smart said. “But it was a lot of fun. I mean, how...

Heading into the Group B playoffs of “The Masked Dancer,” four contestants were still in the running to win the Diamond Mask trophy: Cotton Candy, Moth, Sloth and Zebra. (Group A took the week off but will return next week.) Each of these hop-steppers gave it their all on the stage on Wednesday night, but one was sadly eliminated and forced to reveal their true identity in front of America and panelists Ashley Tisdale, Brian Austin Green, Ken Jeong and Paula Abdul. So which three survived to dance another day?

See See all 62 ‘The Masked Singer’ costumes and celebrity reveals through the years

Below, read our minute-by-minute “The Masked Dancer” recap of Season 1, Episode 3, titled “These Masks Don’t Lie,” to find out what happened Wednesday, January 13 at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite costumed characters on Fox...

New York, NY –Japan Society and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan (Aca), in collaboration with the Visual Industry Promotion Organization (Vipo), announce the inaugural Aca Cinema Project online film series 21st Century Japan: Films from 2001-2020, streaming nationwide on Japan Society’s Virtual Cinema from February 5-25, 2021.

As Japan’s film industry enters its third decade in the new millennium, this 30-film online series takes a look back at the last 20 years of Japanese cinema to celebrate some of the most remarkable narrative fiction films and filmmakers that define the era. Covering a wide range of production styles and genres—from small budget independent debuts to festival favorites and award-winning major studio releases—this diverse slate of feature and short films offers a guided tour of modern Japanese cinema, including special spotlights dedicated to the work of Kiyoshi Kurosawa and a selection of breakout films by up-and-coming filmmakers.

MrBeast and Charli D’Amelio are among the nominees for the 2020 YouTube Streamy Awards. The tenth anniversary of the awards will stream exclusively on YouTube on December 13, and you’ll be able to watch them right here.

John Krasinski, James Charles and Addison Rae have also received nominations this year, as have Will Smith and Jack Black. Disney and Netflix will almost certainly be fighting it out again to snag the top brand award.

MrBeast aka Jimmy Donaldson is also up for a Social Good award for his Feeding America Food Drive. The popular streamer dropped out of college to pursue a full-time career as a YouTuber, and has become one of the most-watched creators on the planet, dabbling in a winning combo of expensive stunts and philanthropy.

Here’s a complete list of 2020’s YouTube Streamy Awards nominees:

Overall Awards

Creator of the Year

Addison Rae

Charli D’Amelio

David Dobrik...

Dick clark productions and Tubefilter unveiled the nominees for the 2020 YouTube Streamy Awards which range from up-and-coming stars with millions of followers to global icons. The event will stream exclusively on YouTube on December 13 at YouTube.com/Streamys.

Creators David Dobrik, Emma Chamberlain, and James Charles lead the robust list of nominees with five nominations each while MrBeast nabbed four while Sarah Cooper, Charli D’Amelio and Josh Gad landed their first nominations.

Other noteworthy nominations include Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Travis Scott’s Fortnite Music Event Astronomical, D-Nice’s Club Quarantine, John Krasinski’s Some Good News, the incredible Verzuz battles, Kevin James’ comedy channel as well as Miley Cyrus’ live series Bright Minded. Naomi Campbell, Will Smith, Jack Black, Cardi B, Jason Derulo and Justin Bieber also earned nominations.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Streamys. The ceremony will feature new honors in which past winners will...

In the spotlight since his starring role in Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Bright Future in 2003, Joe Odagiri has amassed an extraordinary filmography, working primarily with indie auteurs rather than big-studio directors, and creating a range of unforgettable characters, each one distinct from the last. Active overseas since 2006, he has also gamely performed in English, French, Korean and Spanish. Among many other awards, he has received Best Supporting Actor at the Japanese Academy prizes for Blood and Bones in 2004, and Best Actor for Sway in 2006.

On the occasion of his feature debut, “They Say Nothing Stays the Same”, screened at New York Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about his experience as director, working with an international crew and particularly Christopher Doyle, shooting in Niigata, and many other topics

What was the motivation your first feature film as a director?

Meeting cinematographer Christopher Doyle started this project. I was invited to...

“Prison is the only place that won’t kick you out no matter how badly you behave,” remarks the ex-con protagonist, who gets no second chances in Japanese society. Directed with piercing insight, emotional depth and true compassion by Miwa Nishikawa, “Under the Open Skies” tells the heartbreaking tale of a pariah whose soul is crushed by systemic discrimination and a world of hypocritical conformity. while likely collecting awards at home and abroad.

Ever since her sophomore feature “Sway” premiered at Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight in 2006, Nishikawa has been a name to watch for riveting, wickedly cynical works. She also excels in drawing morally ambiguous characters: liars and swindlers hiding secrets behind their social standing. Though her technique is no less rigorous, her sixth film treads a new path by rooting for a career criminal from the lower depths who suffers for his honest values. This puts the film in...

The new CEO of the New York Times, Meredith Kopit Levien, said the company would consider additional acquisitions to expand offerings like its highly successful games and cooking apps and continue to grow in audio – which is a better fit for print than video ever was.

In an early public foray in her new role, Kopit Levien, who took over from retiring CEO Mark Thompson just last week, told investors at the Goldman Sachs media conference that audio – starting with Nyt’s three-year-old The Daily podcast – drives advertising and subscriptions.

“Audio is an area we are particularly excited about,” she said. The Daily has four million (daily) listeners who stay on for 20 minutes on average and are younger and more diverse than print readers. The Nyt acquired Serial Productions and inked a multiyear licensing deal with Ira Glass’ This America Life in July and more recently brought on Kara Swisher...

For the ladies and gentlemen of the jury: we present to you… some of our favorite courtroom dramas! In a world where justice is increasingly challenged and the search for truth is of utmost consequence, we’ve amassed some of our favorite bar-based fantasies. Some are more ridiculous (“Ace Attorney”); some are emotionally overwhelming (“Verdict”); and some blend fact and fiction (“Rashomon”). In these explorations into the realm of right-and-wrong, we hope you reach the same verdict as we do: objective morality is not as simple as it seems.

1. The Attorney

The Attorney” is based on the “Burim case” of 1981, when during the authoritarian Chun Doo-hwan regime, 22 students, teachers and office workers were arrested without warrants, as North Korean sympathizers. Roo Moo-hyun, then a tax lawyer, formed a team to defend the arrested against the government. The impact of this case was so big at the time, that Roh eventually...

By Kyriacos Kyriacou

His mother’s funeral forces Takeru Hayakawa (Jo Odagiri) to return back to his hometown from Tokyo where he works. By the time he arrives there, he cannot avoid arguments with his father (Masato Ibu), and his older brother Minoru (Teruyuki Kagawa) quickly interferes to calm down the tension, as he always does.

Buy This Title

Minoru took over the family business, a gas station where he works along Takeru’s ex-girlfriend, Chieko (Yoko Maki), who’s now closer to Minoru. Later that night, Chieko and Takeru meet each other at Chieko’s place, and after some drinks they cannot avoid remembering the past, ending up to a one-night stand.

The next afternoon, the three of them join an excursion to Hasami River in the mountains. When they cross a swing bridge, Takeru distances himself to take photographs and becomes an eye witness of an incident. Rushing back to the bridge,...

“Songland” hitmakers Ester Dean, Shane McAnally and Ryan Tedder took a moment out of quarantining at home and Zoom songwriting sessions to host a listening party prior to the April 27 episode with guest H.E.R.

The NBC series is only three episodes into its new season and has already charted two No. 1s on iTunes — “Champagne Night” by Lady Antebellum reached the top of the iTunes country chart and No. 1 on the overall chart, and “Sway” by Luis Fonsi hit No. 1 on the Latin chart as well as the overall chart as well. Monday night’s winning “Wrong Places,” from former “Voice” contestant (and star of the Kevin Smith film “Jersey Girl”) Raquel Castro’s winning collaboration and recorded by H.E.R, is already at No. 2 on the R&b Soul chart and No. 3 overall.

The mission of the show is to highlight the process of songwriting and offer mentorship...

As we told you last week, Elvira is back with the 13 Nights of Elvira, only on Hulu. Today, the first video promo has hit the web and you can watch it now via the player here.

Elvira takes on some of the best of the worst modern B-movies including: Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, Evil Bong, Seed People, Shrunken Heads (a lot of Full Moon stuff), and finally on Halloween night, Elvira will skewer the classic zombie movie that started it all, Night of the Living Dead.

The post The First Promo for 13 Nights of Elvira Busts Out appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (aka Cassandra Peterson) is back with an all-new series set to debut exclusively on Hulu just in time for Halloween.

Premiering October 19, 13 Nights of Elvira will bring a little bit of frightful fun back to the small screen just in time for tricks and treats. The 13 episode series will include all-new material shot exclusively for Hulu.

In traditional fashion, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark will be popping up to provide her pointed perspective and hilarious commentary throughout 13 of the best/worst B-movies of all-time. The line-up includes Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, Evil Bong, Seed People, and Shrunken Heads.

The big finale will come Halloween night as Elvira takes on the classic zombie thriller Night of the Living Dead. The rest of the line-up has yet to be announced.

Elvira is also currently putting on a live show throughout October as part of Knott's Scary Farm.

Queen of Halloween, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, is coming to Hulu for Halloween this year with 13 Nights of Elvira. (She's also doing live shows at Knotts Scary Farm.) As she did with Movie Macabre, she'll be hosting a run of B horror movies with her snappy takes, including Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, Evil Bong, Seed People, and Shrunken Heads, and she's ending it all with The Night of the Living Dead. The series starts on October 19 and ends on Halloween. Spooky!

If you grew up in the '80s, chances are you came across Elvira's original syndicated horror movie series Movie Macabre, in which the "Hostess with the Mostest" would present (and take the piss out of) various low budget horror flicks. Now Shock Till You Drop report that the lovely lady will return on October 19th to give her take on the likes of Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, Evil Bong, Seed People, Shrunken Heads, and finally on Halloween night, Night of the Living Dead.  Give Elvira a follow on Twitter to stay abreast of all her news.

Elvira’s Movie Macabre film series is already a must-watch for many who enjoy ample horror humor amidst the serious scares popped into the DVD player this time of year, and now the Mistress of the Dark’s followers can see the actress’ sharp wit at work with another batch of midnight movies in Hulu’s recently revealed 13 Nights of Elvira.

Shock Till You Drop reports that Cassandra Peterson’s legendary horror hostess will headline Hulu’s 13 Nights of Elvira, streaming exclusively on the online outlet beginning October 19th and running through Halloween. Each night Elvira will introduce and provide pop-up commentary for a fright film, similar to her Movie Macabre performances.

The thirteen featured flicks include Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, Evil Bong, Seed People, Shrunken Heads, and George A. Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead as the grand finale on Halloween night.

The...

Elvira has big plans for October! The Mistress of the Dark herself is returning to the small screen on October 19th with all-new material. She's back for 13 Nights of Elvira which will stream exclusively on Hulu.

You can count on her to not only introduce the movies, but to give her ongoing pointed perspective with hilarious pop-ups throughout all 13 films. Elvira takes on some of the best of the worst modern B-movies including: Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, Evil Bong, Seed People, Shrunken Heads, and finally on Halloween night, Elvira will skewer the classic zombie movie that started it all, Night of the Living Dead.

The post Elvira Heads to Hulu for All-New Series appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Stars: Paul Hipp, Martha Quinn, Aaron Lustig, Charlie Spradling, Ian Patrick Williams | Written by Jackson Barr | Directed by Ted Nicolaou

I’m a bad Full Moon fan. I really am… I can now cross Bad Channels off my list of Full Moon flicks I know of but haven’t seen.

Yet another collaboration between Charles Band and his Subspecies director Ted Nicolaou, Bad Channels tells the story of Dangerous Dan (Hipp) a newly employed DJ at Kdul who is returning to the airwaves after a six month suspension by the FCC for a stunt he pulled while on the air. Covering Dan’s return to the airwaves is Lisa Cummings (Quinn) who doesn’t trust Dan and thinks he’s a hoax. She becomes the butt of his jokes when she spots a UFO landing near the radio station and Dan is quick to laugh until the alien breaks into Kdul.

Stars: Brian Cousins, Jane Caldwell, Michael Della Femina, Robert Symonds, Curt Lowens, Patrik Ersgård, Mircea Albulescu | Written by Earl Kenton, Jackson Barr | Directed by Jack Ersgard

Originally planned as an Empire Pictures film back in 1986, Mandroid was lensed in 1993 as the first in a two-part series (the second being Invisible: The Chronicles of Benjamin Knight) by Swedish director Jack Ersgard based on a script by long-term Full Moon collaborators Jackson Barr, who also wrote Subspecies, Trancers II and Seedpeople amongst many others, and Earl Kenton, who would go on to pen the sequel and a number of movies for Charles Band’s erotica imprint Surrender Cinema.

The film tells the story of the titular Mandroid, a humanoid robot invented by Russian scientist Dr. Karl Zimmer and his partner Drago, which follows the motions of a man in a special control suit. Planning to sell his invention, and the superconn crystal which powers it,...

Stars: Sam Hennings, Andrea Roth, Dane Witherspoon, Bernard Kates, Holly Fields, John Mooney, Anne Betancourt | Written by Charles Band, Jackson Barr | Directed by Peter Manoogian

Released during the high point in Full Moon’s relationship with Paramount Pictures, Seedpeople was heavily advertised on its original UK release back in 1992, with ads appearing in many of the horror magazines of the period – including full page ads on the back and inside cover of The Dark Side (which ran for months on end I recall). The film itself wasn’t as successful as the other notable franchises in the Full Moon stable, with many reviews at the time noting that the film was a rip-off of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and essentially that’s what the movie is: a tongue-in-cheek alien invasion flick that echoes the feel of low-budget sci-fi flicks of the 1950s.

Directed by Peter Manoogian – who worked on...

Charles Band sent out an email alerting the world that Full Moon Entertainment is gearing up with three new monster movies featuring damsels in distress: a sequel, a zombie flick, and in what will come as a shock to no one, a new film revolving around a quartet of pint-sized fiends.

In what I can only consider to be a sequel I never thought would ever come into existence, Full Moon will soon begin work on Killer Eye 2: Halloween Haunt. Really? Of all the movies in their library to make a sequel to they chose an obscure, incoherent, David DeCoteau-directed, T&A sci-fi horror movie from 1999?

"Our killer horny eyeball is back as a replica size hypnotic monster that terrorizes 5 hot chicks as they set up a Halloween haunt in an old mansion!"

I don't know about this one. It just won't be the same without Jacqueline Lovell...

Bernard Kates was a leading character actor on stage, screen and television from the 1950s. He was featured as Dr. Sigmund Freud in the 1993 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Phantasms”. He also starred as Doc Roller in the sci-fi/horror film Seedpeople (1992), and was Falkmoore the Butler in 1996’s The Phantom starring Billy Zane. He was also seen in the 1996 sci-fi film Robo Warriors.

Kates was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 26, 1922. He studied acting in New York and began his career on radio. He served in the military during World War II, and resumed acting on the New York stage after his discharge. He was best known for his numerous television performances from the 1950s, guest-starring in such series as Suspense, Captain Video and His Video Rangers, One Step Beyond, Michael Shayne, several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Outer Limits as Dr. Whorf in the episode “Nightmare”, Picket Fences,...