Even if a queer drama is about struggle, it shouldn’t require great effort to watch. “Beauty,” an ‘80s-set period piece about a young singer’s conflicts with her sexuality, race, and family strife, feels labored and wary before the film hits its second reel. “Beauty” telling the story of a young starlet on the cusp of fame is not a unique one. While it often places its lesbian relationship centrally in the narrative, any commentary on the difficulty of such a relationship, especially involving people of color, adds very little freshness to the proceedings.

Continue reading ‘Beauty’ Review: Andrew Dosunmu’s Latest Struggles To Say Something About Queerness, Race & Stardom at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 819 new members from 68 countries as the ranks of Hollywood’s top club swell to close to well over 9,300. The good news? According to AMPAS, 45% of the 2020 class are women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 49% international from 68 countries.  This is an impressive result for an organization that announced a goal in 2016 to double the number of women and underrepresented ethnic/racial communities by 2020.

Continue reading Awkwafina, Florence Pugh & Cynthia Erivo Among 819 New Academy Members at The Playlist.

Patricia Arquette has already won the Golden Globe and the SAG Award for her performance in “Escape at Dannemora,” but is her time up? She’s already beaten “Sharp Objects'” Amy Adams twice, but the one major contender she hasn’t faced is “Fosse/Verdon’s” Michelle Williams. Arquette could easily win, but Williams’ performance is the most celebrated aspect of “Fosse” which ended up earning more love from the Television Academy than many expected.

Continue reading 2019 Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie Emmy Predictions at The Playlist.

With nominations coming later this week, it’s officially Emmy season. To celebrate, THR is hosting various Emmy Roundtables focusing on the individual categories, featuring some of the leading actors and actresses on TV. And their latest is the Comedy Actress Roundtable featuring Gina Rodriguez, Lily Tomlin, Ilana Glazer, Allison Janney, Rachel Bloom, and Niecy Nash.

Continue reading 52-Minute Comedy TV Actress Roundtable Talk With Ilana Glazer, Gina Rodriguez, Lily Tomlin, Niecy Nash, Allison Janney & Rachel Bloom at The Playlist.