Hollywood Week: Motion Picture Awards Season Slowly Returns, Dates Set, David Lynch, Joan Plowright
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- Category: Entertainment News
- Published on Saturday, 18 January 2025 12:33
- Written by Janet Walker
Ten days after the devastating LA fires ravaged entire swaths of perhaps the most pristine and scenic areas of Los Angeles County, from the ocean to the foothills, a new normal is emerging, the aftermath of unfathomable devastation.
For many who sat glued to their televisions, watching local coverage, knowing and understanding and yet unable to comprehend the devastation, is reminiscent of the millions who watched Manhattan burn on September 11, 2001. Knowing, understanding, and comprehending the horror as it unfolds are each different. As reporters covered evacuations, the fear in their voices became palpable, as the fire, an indiscriminate beast fed on the dry brush, becoming a monster devouring everything in its path.
Breaking: Los Angeles Wildfire Resource List
The New Normal
As the Pacific Palisades and Eton wildfires are nearly contained, the new normal of life after tragedy is unfolding. What I've seen are Angelenos compelled to help their city recover, in any way they can, donations, large and small, doing what one person can do, clean up crews of unconnected groups, gathering to be a part of the effort, the human connection. And with that a sea of diverse peoples, displaying talents, skills, abilities once hidden and now at this terrible time used to help the community, the city, at large. These unknown heroes, those who will never be awarded praise or honored at ceremonies, or be interviewed, work tirelessly helping anyone and everyone.
"For many people who aren't familiar with it, Los Angeles conjures images of palm trees and red carpets; mansions and movie stars. But for those of us lucky enough to call this city home, Los Angeles is far more than that," Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos wrote in a memo to staff on Monday. "It's a family — one made up of extraordinarily talented, hardworking people from all over the world and all walks of life, many of whom came here chasing a dream," reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Hollywood paused, at first due to the sheer epic big screen IMAX size disaster unfolding in real time, and now for respect. What is the right period of mourning for a city billed as the Entertainment Capital of the World?
A growing number of critics say the annual awards season, filled with the usual glam, glitz and glitter should be passed on this year, as the ash cloud hangs heavy over any celebrations, other argue the people, the city, need to feel alive again, and the annual award shows bring a sense of normalcy amid ruin. For the decision makers, a compromise has been made, many of the lead up events including the Academy Award nominees' luncheon, will be cancelled and the cost donated to the relief fund. Other events have been cancelled, scaled back, and rescheduled until February.
Hollywood Week: LA Fires Produce Catastrophic Devastation, LA Awards Season Paused
Studios Champion the Relief Effort
As the fires raged, donations for relief and rebuilding began to be announced. Most of the major studios have made multi-million dollar gifts designated to organizations such as Los Angeles Fire Department, Chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen, Community and Film related funds, and also Habitat for Humanity.
Following Disney's donation of $15 million, "Warner Bros. Discovery has committed $15 million in donations to support relief efforts while Amazon, Comcast and Netflix directed $10 million apiece and Sony pledged an additional $5 million, while Paramount Global and Fox Corp added $1 million," reported The Hollywood Reporter.
While many believe this marks the end of studio involvement in the rebuilding of greater Los Angeles, it's probably the first round of support with other possible contributions including support for any upcoming televised fundraising disaster relief events.
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TikTok Fades to Black
TikTok, from ByteDance, a wholly owned Chinese Technology company, lost its bid in the Supreme Court, and unless they can somehow change the trajectory by Sunday, January 19, 2025, the popular social media and video-sharing app, will fade to black.
Don't mourn the demise, just yet, its popularity as a social media marketing tool and platform has come to the attention of many a wealthy tech entrepreneur. It's possible, any of the tech giants who line the walls of the upcoming administration may persuade ByteDance to divest.
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Director David Lynch Dead at 78
Auteur Director David Lynch, who many have credited with making the mind-bending surrealist genre acceptable, has died this week. He was 78.
When the news of his passing was announced, celebrities took to social media to express their heartfelt appreciation and to eulogize the director's vision. Actor Kyle MacLachlan who starred in Lynch's "Blue Velvet" and "Twin Peaks said, "He [Lynch] clearly saw something in me that even I didn't recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision." Director Francis Ford Coppola also took to social media saying "I am astounded and heartbroken I can't express with any words the profound loss of the great David Lynch my friend," reported APnews.com.
After reviewing articles and reading what many have said about Lynch over the years, of the many quote from a host of writers looking to find the words to enlighten audiences on the mystery of Lynch's film style came from a 2018 interview written by Rory Carroll in The Guardian, who explained very articulately, the difference between the layman's vision and the mind of auteur.
"What Lynch sees, and then puts on screen for us to see, is one of the great enigmas of cinema, one that has launched a thousand film studies PhDs. When the director looks at a manicured lawn, his mind's eye tunnels beneath it to hidden mystery, mysticism and depravity – visions he has turned into mind-bending television and film. It's an oeuvre people tend to love or detest, and even devotees don't claim to fully understand."
Lynch, a lifelong smoker who died of emphysema, is survived by four children.
Dame Joan Plowright Dies
British actress Dame Joan Plowright, the wife of Sir Lawrence Olivier, has died this week. She was 95.
"Her family said: "It is with great sadness that the family of Dame Joan Plowright, the Lady Olivier, inform you that she passed away peacefully on January 16, 2025, surrounded by her family at Denville Hall . . ."She enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theatre, film and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire. "She cherished her last 10 years in Sussex with constant visits from friends and family, filled with much laughter and fond memories," the BBC reported.
She is survived by three children and numerous grandchildren.
No further information is available on life tributes ceremonies.
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Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and the International Federation of Journalists.
