Category: people

“[He] leaped between genres and mediums, crafting works that included anti-Vietnam War posters, darkly comic children’s books, a mischievous reworking of The Joy of Sex and a cat-shaped kindergarten building in Germany.” – The Washington Post

When Alicia Keys sat between two pianos and started to play, she gave a brief shout-out to Hazel Scott. But who was Hazel Scott? “An expert pianist who made a career out of the maneuver, an entertainer and movie star whose accomplishments made her a household name during her prime.” – Los Angeles Times

Thelma Schoonmaker is an editor – perhaps the editor, in this case. She’s won three Oscars, and she just received an honor at the BAFTAs. Though she’s happy about the push for more diversity in Hollywood, she says, “People think there were fewer women in Hollywood than there were. … After all, Cecil B DeMille’s editor, Anne Bauchens, actually won an Oscar, and DW Griffith worked with Margaret Booth, and Alfred Hitchcock’s films were edited by his wife, Alma.” – The Observer (UK)

If you’ve seen Hirokazu Kore-eda’s other films, like Nobody Knows or Like Father, Like Son, you won’t be surprised that The Shoplifters isn’t all about joy. The director says, “I don’t portray people or make movies where viewers can easily find hope. … Some people want to see characters who grow and become stronger over the course of a film. But I don’t want to make such a movie.” – The New York Times

Pilcher had been writing short stories and novels for decades before her most famous book made her a star, and not just in Britain and the U.S. “A string of German TV productions based on her books and short stories was so popular in that country that German tourists traveled by the thousands to Cornwall to see the area where the films were shot and where some of her stories were set.” – The New York Times

Here’s some of the real story of Yalitza Aparicio, the first indigenous woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Sure, she didn’t know cinema that well – and here’s why: “She simply wasn’t all that enamored of an industry that rarely depicted indigenous life in a meaningful way. … ‘I never found a representation that seemed similar to me or that touched on the ways I was raised.'” – Los Angeles Times

Finney became the face of British cinema’s international explosion after being cast in the title role of Tom Jones, directed by The Entertainer’s Tony Richardson. Tom Jones, with its bawdy humour and rollicking atmosphere, was a sizeable hit in the US, and won four Oscars (including best picture); Finney received the first of his four best actor nominations, but lost to Sidney Poitier for Lilies of the Field. – The Guardian

Despite the opprobrium, a spokesperson for HarperCollins UK confirmed on Thursday that there was no change to its publishing plans. A second novel from AJ Finn has been slated for a January 2020 release.  – The Guardian

The new complaint states: “Amazon has tried to excuse its action by referencing a 25-year old, baseless allegation against Mr. Allen, but that allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr. Allen — and, in any event it does not provide a basis for Amazon to terminate the contract. There simply was no legitimate ground for Amazon to renege on its promises.” – New York Magazine