Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Judging heats up on second day of New York's Westminster Dog Show
Judging at New York's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show begins in earnest on Monday, the second day of competition in the annual showcase for pedigree canines, which culminates with the awarding of "Best in Show" on Tuesday evening. The event, considered the alpha competition for show dogs in the United States, puts on display the skills and good looks of more than 2,600 dogs from 49 U.S. states and 19 other countries, including Japan, Australia and Thailand.
South Korea's 'Parasite' beats Hollywood greats to make Oscar history
"Parasite," a dark social satire from South Korea, won the Oscar for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first film in a language other than English to claim the movie industry's highest honor. "Parasite," about the gap between rich and poor in modern Seoul, won a total of four Oscars, including best director and original screenplay for Bong Joon Ho and best international feature film. No film had ever won both international feature film and best picture at the Oscars.
Upstart Neon wins top Oscars prize, Netflix falls short again
Three-year-old independent film distributor Neon upstaged the traditional Hollywood studios and streaming giant Netflix Inc on Sunday to grab the coveted best picture Oscar for South Korean have-and-have-nots tale "Parasite." The movie topped World War One drama "1917" from Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures, gangster epic "The Irishman" from Netflix, and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" from Sony Corp among others at the televised Academy Awards.
Amazon names Sony executive to lead entertainment unit: WSJ
Amazon.com Inc named Sony Corp executive Mike Hopkins to lead its Prime video platform as well as its movie and television studios, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Hopkins, currently chairman of Sony Pictures Television and a former chief executive of the streaming platform Hulu, will join Amazon as a senior vice president later this month, the WSJ reported.
Weinstein rape trial shows #MeToo accusers should prepare for courtroom grilling
In the #MeToo era, women who make sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men can count on public support, but the rape trial in New York of former movie producer Harvey Weinstein has shown that accusers should brace for far less friendly treatment in a court of law. Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to raping Jessica Mann and to sexually assaulting another woman, Mimi Haleyi.
Oscars TV audience hits record low in 'driverless' ceremony
The U.S. television audience for the 2020 Oscars fell to an all- time low for a ceremony that brought big wins for South Korean satire "Parasite" but was criticized by reviewers as long and haphazard. Viewership for Sunday's show, broadcast on Walt Disney Co -owned ABC, dropped 20% from a year ago to an average audience of 23.6 million, according to Nielsen data released on Monday.
Joaquin Phoenix wins best actor Oscar for 'Joker'
Joaquin Phoenix won his first Oscar on Sunday for his terrifying performance as an isolated loner who becomes one of the world's best known comic book villains in "Joker," and invoked his late brother River Phoenix in one of the most emotional acceptance speeches of the night. Phoenix, 45, won the best actor Oscar after three previous nominations, crowning an awards season that has seen him sweep every major prize for his role in the standalone origin story of Batman's archenemy.
'Parasite' reflects deepening social divide in South Korea
The black comedy "Parasite" is a tale of two South Korean families - the wealthy Parks and the poor Kims - mirroring the deepening inequality in Asia's fourth-largest economy. The film made history as the first non-English language movie to win the Oscar for best picture on Sunday, prompting South Korean social media to erupt in celebration.
Renee Zellweger wins best actress Oscar for 'Judy'
Renee Zellweger was crowned best actress at the Oscars on Sunday for her portrait of Hollywood legend Judy Garland in "Judy," a biographical drama exploring the singer's personal and professional turmoil at the end of her life. It marked the second Oscar victory in four nominations for Zellweger, 50, a Texas-born performer whose immersion in the role of Garland also earned Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA awards.
Weinstein trial witness testifies accuser showed no distress on day of alleged rape
A former friend of Jessica Mann, one of the accusers in the Harvey Weinstein rape trial, told jurors on Monday that Mann did not show any signs of distress on the day the former Hollywood producer allegedly attacked her. Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges in New York of raping Mann and to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi.
