It was a powerful film that dramatized one of the Civil Rights Movement's most poignant moments in history, but Selma was reportedly blackballed by the Academy Awards. Selma would go on to earn Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Song, with Common and John Legend winning for the latter. However, as well-received as the movie was, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided not to include the film in any other category. David Oyelowo starred in the Ava Duvernay-directed film as Dr. Martin Juther King Jr., and he recently told Screen Daily's Screen Talks that after they wore "I Can't Breathe" shirts to the movie's premiere, Academy members were angry.

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"Selma coincided with Eric Garner being murdered," Oyelowo said of the black man who was choked to death by police as he told them, "I Can't Breath." The actor added, "That was the last time we were in a place of ‘I Can’t Breathe.'... I remember at the premiere of Selma us wearing ‘I Can’t Breathe’ T-shirts in protest," the actor continued. "Members of the Academy called in to the studio and our producers saying, ‘How dare they do that?' 'Why are they stirring sh—?’ and ‘We are not going to vote for that film because we do not think it is their place to be doing that.' It’s part of why that film didn’t get everything that people think it should’ve got and it birthed #OscarsSoWhite. They used their privilege to deny a film on the basis of what they valued in the world."

Later, DuVernay co-signed David Oyelowo's account when she tweeted, "True story." Someone from The Academy acknowledged the story and retweeted the filmmaker with a response that read, "Ava & David, we hear you. Unacceptable. We're committed to progress." Check it out below.

Coming off a historic Best Picture win at the 2020 Academy Awards, Bong Joon Ho’s acclaimed thriller Parasite has many western eyes looking at South Korean cinema with curiousity. Not only did it take home the big prize, but it also secured Oscars for Best International Film, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. Though President Donald Trump wasn’t exactly thrilled to see a South Korean film captivating hearts and minds, the vast majority of audiences found themselves enamored with Joon Ho’s meticulously crafted tale on class warfare. 

As expected, Parasite has been benefitting from a major boon in interest following its Oscar haul, to the point where many have been eagerly awaiting its arrival on streaming platforms. Evidently, a new report indicates that the film has found a new home in HULU, who scored the exclusive United States rights. Good news for those sitting comfortably beneath the Disney umbrella — for those averse to Mouse loyalty, there’s always the blu-ray option.

In truth, cinephiles have been patiently waiting for South Korea to get its due; long have we seen classic films fly under the radar, from Oldboy to The Handmaiden, I Saw The Devil to The Wailing. If you haven’t yet seen Parasite, consider it to be the quintessential gateway into the dark twisted and beautiful world of South Korean cinema. Parasite stars Song Kang Ho, Choi Woo Shik, Park So Dam, Cho Yeo Jeong, Lee Jung Eun, Lee Sun Kyun and Chang Hyae Jin. Should you be interested, catch it exclusively on Hulu starting April 8th. 

Avengers: Endgame's loss at the Oscars last weekend set a new record, as the MCU film became the only one of the ten highest-grossing films that has been nominated for an Oscar not to win any awards at all. Despite the fact that it beat Avatar as the highest-grossing movie of all time, Avengers: Endgame lost the award for Best Visual Effects, the only award it was nominated for at the Oscars this year, to 1917.

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The 2020 Academy Awards have come and gone and there was plenty to unpack from this year’s ceremony, including Parasite‘s total domination and Eminem’s surprise performance, which apparently ended with him getting doused in water by Salma Hayek Pinault. Over seventeen years following his Academy Award victory for Best Original Song at the 2003 Oscars, Eminem performed “Lose Yourself” to a crowd of shocked attendees. Martin Scorcese could barely keep his eyes open during the show and Billie Eilish looked unenthused. However, it was one of the most talked-about moments from the entire evening, and one portion of his appearance wasn’t even revealed until now.

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As he made his way to the backstage area, Marshall Mathers ran into Salma Hayek Pinault, who was preparing to hop on stage to present the next batch of awards. She was so surprised to see the rapper that she accidentally spilled her water all over him, telling the story on Instagram.

“In these pictures it might look like @Eminem and I are best friends, but what really happened is as he was walking offstage and I was getting ready to walk onstage, I was so shocked to see him that I spilled water all over him,” said the actress. “If you examine our faces, I look mortified and he looks terrified of me- As I was trying to wipe it off I impulsively hugged him and I said ‘Nice to meet you Eminem- I’m a HUGE fan!’ because I AM! But I was so disappointed that I made such a fool of myself in front of him… and then I read this [swipe right] in @rollingstone. Eminem you’re the greatest!!!”

Read Salma Hayek Pinault’s full post below and have a good chuckle at the photos that were taken directly after the spillage.

If you were caught off guard on Sunday night when Eminem appeared onstage at the Oscars to perform “Lose Yourself” backed by an orchestra, then everything worked out exactly as planned. Following the performance, confused viewers took to Twitter to try and decipher why Em would be recruited to perform a song that had won the Academy award for Best Original Song a whole 17 years earlier. Well, you no longer have to scratch your head about this mystery because Robert Mills, Senior Vice President of Alternative Series, Specials and Late-Night Programming at ABC, has explained the whole backstory of the performance to Entertainment Tonight.

“I want to say the first time it was ever talked about was after Justin Timberlake opened with ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ in [2017],” Mills said. “There are just these songs when you have an iconic performer opening with an anthem like that it just gets everybody pumped up. We talked about it with the Academy that Eminem, the fact that he never performed that song and it’s such an anthem, and it’s one everybody knows and it won the Oscar. Wouldn’t it be great to figure out a way to get him to come and do that?”

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Everything fell into place this year to get Eminem to finally bring his hit to the Oscar stage because the ceremony’s producers had a relationship with his label, Interscope. All that was left to figure out was how they would keep the performance a secret until it occurred, since “the element of surprise” was a priority for both Em and the showrunners. So much so, that Mills believes that Em might have backed out had the news leaked beforehand. According to Mills’ recollection, only the Academy, the network, the producers and Eminem’s team were aware of the surprise up to two days before the ceremony. 

The organizers were also very particular about other details in order to optimize the performance’s impact. “It had to be the right time, it had to be in the right place in the show,” Mills explained. The “Lose Yourself” spectacle came after a montage showing iconic musical moments in movies, ending with Em’s song in 8 Mile. 

Wait, there’s more. Em & Co. were so stealthy that they held just one rehearsal for the performance and had a whole plan in case any outsiders happened to walk in on it. “When we did dress rehearsals, there was a whole alternate beat where it was just Eminem’s band playing ‘You Should Be Dancing’ by The Bee Gees with John Travolta in the background, so that’s how much it was kept a secret and surprise,” detailed Mills. “There was a whole alternate ending to that beat. If anybody happened to wander in and see it they would have been like, ‘Oh yeah, there’s been a switch with a salute to Saturday Night Fever. It was a fake-out.”

Eminem has provided his own explanation for why he wished to do this performance. While “Lose Yourself” is widely accepted as classic, one of our writers wondered, is it really the defining song of Eminem’s career?

This year's Academy Awards were historic for so many reasons. Parasite (2019) made history becoming the first non-English film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as sweeping their categories for Best International Feature Film, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. While Parasite was the talk of the evening, 35-year-old actor, Zack Gottsagen also made Oscars history becoming the first person with down syndrome to ever present an Academy Award. 

This past Sunday, Zack Gottsegen and his Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) co-star, Shia LeBeouf, got the opportunity to present the award for Best Live Action Short Film. Shia LeBeouf began reading off the teleprompter introducing the category and as it became time for Gottsagen to read his portion of the script, he briefly paused, provoking LeBeouf to help out his collaborator and friend. While Gottsegen might have briefly struggled, he successfully presented the award while LeBeouf nervously laughed releasing the tension from the room. 

Somehow, LeBeouf's attempt to help Gottsagen and playful giggle didn't go over well with some patrons around the internet causing Gottsagen's mother to step in and clarify LeBeouf's intentions. During a brief interview with Too Fab, Zack's mother, Shelley Gottsagen, revealed that her son and the Honey Boy (2019) creator share an authentic friendship and true bond, as she stated:

"I would hate to see any misconception out there. I mean, you know, Shia is just wonderful, you know, we really love him. If anything, I think they were grinning because it was hard to get the envelope open."

Shelley revealed that Shia would never have a "negative attitude" in regards to her son, as she continued:

"They love each other [and] really encourage each other. Shia's been very supportive of Zack as an actor, his professionalism. [He] did a lot with promoting the movie, you know, which, Shia always doesn't—that's not really his thing, but he did it for Zack."

Honey Boy director, Alma Har'el also came to the defense of LaBeouf, Tweeting:

"Shia was offered to present an Oscar. He said he would do it if he can share that moment with his beloved co-star Zack Gottsagen who we all adore."

While Shia LeBeouf nervously laughing was clearly taken out of context, his friends and family know the genuine connection he and Zack Gottsagen share. Check out Zack make history by becoming the first person with down syndrome to present an Academy Award in the video provided below. 

Brad Pitt and Regina King may not be dating but fans want that to happen after seeing how close they got at the Academy Awards this weekend. Among many other special moments, including Parasite's total domination, Eminem's surprise performance of "Lose Yourself," and more, one of the most heartwarming Oscars 2020 bits came as Brad Pitt and Regina King were making their way off the stage and into the press room. Pitt won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood and as they made their way to the backstage area, they appeared to be very chummy. At the time, a ton of affection could be seen on camera but even after, they seemed to be feeling each other, holding hands and even planting some kisses on each other's cheeks. It's got fans of both actors hoping that they continue their bond outside of the awards ceremony.

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Social media was abuzz when King and Pitt had their moment on stage, reacting even further when press room photos of the two surfaced. Posing for joint images, they undeniably look great together, which is a sentiment felt by many reacting online.

What did you think of the 2020 Oscars (if you watched... this was the least-viewed ceremony ever, after all.)

The Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was crawling with Hollywood’s elite players on Sunday (February 9) evening. The entertainment industry recognized just a few of its key members at the 92nd annual Academy Awards, and while there were many moments that were talked about on social media, Blac Chyna stole the show on the red carpet.

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The reality star became the focus of criticism when photos of her arrival circulated online. Many people questioned why she was at the ceremony and TMZ reports they’ve spoken to her representative who called the critiques by the public and media outlets “black lash.” According to Chyna, as stated by her representative, the reproach can be boiled down to racism.

The rep also reportedly stated that Chyna had just as much right to attend the Oscars as anyone else, especially because she’s an entertainer who stars in her own reality show. They also said that Blac Chyna is a black woman who “finds inspiration in supporting her friends, mentors, and other talent that has helped provide a blueprint for her career.” The person also added that there are plenty of other people who attended the Academy Awards who aren’t necessarily film actors or nominees, but they weren’t targeted.

“Whether it be the fact that she is a reality star, a single mother, or the inevitable reminder that she was a former stripper … it does nothing to change the narrative that just maybe the Oscars indeed are ‘so white,'” the rep reportedly stated. The controversy over Chyna’s attendance “further highlights the fight that many African Americans in the Entertainment Industry face; yes, even during Black History Month.”

TMZ shared that while Blac Chyna “secured her own invitation,” she did have a date who is supposedly a music producer.

This past Sunday was a historic night as the 92nd Annual Academy Awards aired live from Los Angeles in front of a packed house of Hollywood hopefuls. Despite the obvious (and anonymous) bigotry instilled within the Academy, Parasite (2019) became the first non-English film in history to win Best Picture. The film's director, Bong Joon Ho, also earned honors for Best Director, Best International Feature Film, and Best Original Screenplay sweeping the Oscars in their respective categories. However, there were a lot of casual film fans that believe that one Bronx-bred actress turned pop phenom in Jennifer Lopez should have been nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance as Ramona in Hustlers (2019). 

There were a lot of memorable moments from the 92nd Annual Academy Awards last night (February 9), however none were enough to get many cinephiles to actually tune in. In short, the 2020 Oscars ceremony ended up being the biggest ratings dud in the show’s 91-year history.

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Even with Parasite achieving a historic “Best Picture” win, an unexpected performance of “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, Brad Pitt finally getting his roses in the “Best Supporting Actor” category, Spike Lee paying homage to Kobe Bryant with his red carpet look (seen above) and a very, very surprising appearance from Blac Chyna, the 2020 Oscars still bowed out with record-low ratings tallied at about 23.6 million viewers and a 5.3 rating among adults 18-49. Compared to the 2019 ceremony, which garnered 29.56 million and a 7.7 rating, the 6 million deficit unfortunately continued a ratings slide that has been occurring for years now. Some blame it on the timing, as the show aired for over three hours, ending at 11:32 PM ET, and was broadcasted weeks earlier than past ceremonies. This also marks the second year in a row that the Academy Awards went without a host, and it was also filled with music monologues that had many (i.e. Billie Eilish) frowning in disappointment. 

What do you think was the reason the 2020 Oscars failed in terms of ratings? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.