Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
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.
Dog fanciers await crowning of Westminster Kennel Club's 'Best of Show'
A Havanese, a standard poodle, a Shetland sheepdog and a whippet are among the seven finalists that will vie for the title "Best of Show" in Tuesday's grand finale of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. The remaining three finalists will emerge on Tuesday from competitions among breeds in the terrier, sporting and working groups. They will join the top dogs selected on Monday in the hound, non-sporting, herding and toy groups.
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.
Demand for streaming TV services remains strong, Nielsen survey suggests
Consumers love streamed TV and film and want content providers to keep it coming, a new survey from U.S. data and measurement firm Nielsen suggests. In a survey it conducted for its latest Total Audience Report, Nielsen found that, even as the number of streaming services rise, 93% of respondents would keep paying for the ones they have or subscribe to others.
'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.
Weinstein rape trial defense seeks to undermine accusers through their ex-friends
A former friend of Jessica Mann, one of two woman who accuse former movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, testified on Monday that Mann did not seem in distress on the day of the alleged attack and described Weinstein as a "soulmate." Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges in New York of raping Mann and to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi.
Harvey Weinstein will not testify at his New York rape trial, defense rests case
Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein will not testify in his own defense at his rape trial, his lawyers said on Tuesday as they rested their case. Outside the presence of the jury, one of Weinstein's lawyers told Justice James Burke that Weinstein would not be taking the stand in the trial that began in New York on Jan. 6 and is a milestone in the #MeToo movement.
