Television Academy Honors: ‘Watchmen’ Creator Damon Lindelof Urges Hollywood To Spotlight “Hidden, Buried, Camouflaged” Stories

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.No one knows how to cater towards a classic rock fan quite like Slowtide, whose most recent capsule collections pull inspiration from Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd and The Beatles. And now, dozens of their most stylish selections are 30% off.Their “Music Lovers” sale lasts through March 12, and includes the brand’s  most popular towels, changing ponchos and fleece blankets.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorYouTube has suspended all monetization programs for users in Russia — after previously halting ads in the country — given the ongoing Russian military assault on Ukraine, the video giant announced Friday.In addition, YouTube said it is now blocking access to YouTube channels associated with Russian state-funded media, including RT and Sputnik, across the globe after earlier blocking them from access across Europe. “This change is effective immediately, and we expect our systems to take time to ramp up,” YouTube said in a statement on Twitter.RT’s YouTube channel currently has 4.7 million subscribers, while Sputnik has 327,000.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentWhen “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” ended, rumors swirled that Kourtney Kardashian was the reason the show was over. The oldest sister of the Kardashian-Jenner clan says that’s not true. But, she was ready for a new start.On reality TV and social media, Kourtney is known for “just living,” as she likes to say — in other words, her incredibly calm attitude, monotone delivery and honest demeanor has turned her into one of the most meme-able and GIF-able people on the pop culture planet.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticHumans have five senses, whereas cinema is limited to just two, sight and sound. We often hear how movies are a visual medium, but what about the other, invisible half? Filmmaker Sam Green (“The Weather Underground”) wants to get audiences thinking with their ears as much as their eyes, constructing an immersive, audio-driven essay film that focuses our attention on sound: how it works, what it can do and the way that specific noises can either unlock memories or spark entirely new ones.Full to bursting with humor, emotion and curiosity, “32 Sounds” is a uniquely mind-expanding plunge into a dimension of the human experience so many of us take for granted, a rare and rewarding sonic journey with the potential to enrich our lives.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe family of legendary singer-songwriter Nat King Cole, one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20 th century, has entered into an agreement with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group to manage and expand his legacy to new generations, the company announced today.Details of the transaction were not disclosed, beyond the fact that it “encompasses a broad range of rights from Cole’s legendary career including his recorded music, publishing, television shows, and name and likeness.”In the decades before his 1965 death from lung cancer at the age of just 45, Cole scored more than 150 singles across Billboard’s pop, R&B, and country charts and has sold an estimated 50 million-plus records worldwide. While best known as a crooner, he was a formidable jazz musician as well, and is best known for classics like “The Very Thought of You,” “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” “Unforgettable,” “Nature Boy,” “Stardust,” “When I Fall In Love,” “Mona Lisa,” “L-O-V-E,” and the holiday staple, “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” As the announcement notes, Cole, who was born in Alabama in 1919, was subjected to all the barriers of the Jim Crow era, yet his success played no small role in advancing Black Americans’ presence in entertainment and public perception.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterAlec Baldwin tried to arrange a settlement with the widower of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins which would have allowed filmmakers to complete “Rust,” the production on which Hutchins was killed last October.Baldwin revealed the efforts in an arbitration filing on Friday. The settlement discussions ended when Matthew Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and others in the film last month.Baldwin filed an arbitration demand Friday against Ryan Smith, the lead producer on on the film, and against Rust Move Productions LLC, the production entity.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer“Reacher” is the first Amazon TV series to top Nielsen’s streaming rankings.For the week of Feb. 7-Feb.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentAfter winning the Berlinale Silver Bear Award with “Both Sides of the Blade” (“Fire”), Claire Denis and her longtime pal Jim Jarmusch shared filmmaking tips and anecdotes from their decades-spanning careers on stage at the New York Rendez-Vous with French Cinema.Within minutes of watching Denis and Jarmusch laugh and gush over each other, it was clear that these two have been friends for a very long time and have admired each other’s work. Denis, who has a soft yet determined voice, has known Jarmusch since working as an assistant director on his 1986 film “Down by Law.”“I was counting and we’ve known each other for 37 years or something like that, and what that means is we’re old, but it also means to you, young people, that shit goes by fast.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentIran’s government may support Russia’s of Ukraine, but the bulk of the country’s film community is outraged by the war — and some more openly than others.Prominent Iranian actor Hamid Farokhnezhad, best known internationally for starring in Asghar Farhadi’s “Fireworks,” has posted a video widely circulated on social media in which he denounces “the brutal attack of Russia against Ukraine.”Farokhnezhad (pictured above), in protest against the Russian invasion, expressed his wish in the video to return the best actor statuette he received from the Moscow Film Festival in 2005 for his role in anti-war drama “Big Drum Under Left Foot,” directed by Kazem Ma’asoumi.As Iranian multi-hyphenate Babak Karimi, speaking from Tehran, puts it, “Iran has experienced eight years of war with Iraq, which had similarities to the war in Ukraine.” “The memory of war is very much alive here,” he notes. “So it’s obvious that everyone is saying: ‘Here we go [again], this is going to last for years.'” Karimi, who is an actor, film editor and academic, won the Berlin Silver Bear in 2011 for playing the judge in Oscar-winning “A Separation,” and is a regular in Farhadi’s films.“There are some film personalities that are close to the government who support the war as a political stance, while from a human standpoint they are against it,” says Karimi.However, the vast majority of those in film circles “are fully against the war,” as is the case for Iran’s population at large.

Emilio Delgado has passed away at the age of 81. The Mexican American actor and singer was best known for his role as Luis on “Sesame Street.” For more than 40 years he portrayed the Fix-It Shop owner, entertaining generations of children and families. “A beloved member of the Sesame family for over 50 years, his warmth and humor invited children to share a friendship that has echoed through generations,” Sesame Workshop said of Delgado in a statement to CNN.

Khloe Kardashian is sharing her thoughts on cheating amid her complicated relationship with Tristan Thompson, and years after the 2018 cheating scandal that involved Kylie Jenner’s BFF Jordyn Woods, when Khloe accused and criticized Jordyn for Tristan’s behavior.During a recent interview, Khloe explains that women should not be blamed for the actions of their unfaithful partners, “If your significant other is doing something wrong, for the woman to be blamed, that’s always been really hurtful for me.”“I’ve never quite understood that instead of there being some sympathy,” Khloe declared. And while Khloe seems to have a new perspective on relationships, fans and followers of the famous family seem to be confused after witnessing their public fall out with Jordyn on ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ and social media.Khloe said in her interview that she doesn’t “understand why there’s so much finger-pointing,” as it is “a heavy thing to carry,” adding that it’s hard enough to “go through it, but then go through it so publicly” is even worse.Back in 2018, the cheating scandal with Jordyn was made public, when she shared a kiss with Tristan during one of his parties.

Khloe Kardashian’s besties Malika and Khadijah Haqq’s birthday, and the Good American founder shared a gallery of photos that included epic throwbacks with her girls. Take a look at the pics and learn more about their friendship below.

Lucy Mecklenburgh opened up to her followers about her two year old son Roman's health as she said that after a difficult year he's finally "improving".The TOWIE star, who shares her little boy with former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas, 37, explained the details as she enjoyed a leisurely morning in bed. Roman, who recently celebrated his birthday with a fabulous safari-themed party, was enjoying watching cartoons and 30 year old Lucy was still in her loungewear as she snuggled under the covers for a chat with her followers. "So apologies in advance for those of you who find this really dull," the star began.

EastEnders star Gurlaine Kaur Garcha posted an emotional video to Instagram after visiting a hospital in Malawi.The star, 28, who’s best known for playing Ash Kaur in Albert Square, said she felt “helpless and emotionally drained” after her experience delivering relief to people living in poverty in the African country with charity Khalsa Aid.The actress has been taking a break from her work on EastEnders, which she joined in 2019, to carry out the charity work and has been updating her 40,000 followers on her journey. Posting a video of herself wiping away tears as she spoke to the camera, Gurlaine spoke about how she felt grateful of her privilege and thanked the NHS for their work. Captioning the video, the star wrote: "On day four in Malawi we visited a hospital.This was by far one of the toughest experiences of my life.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsThe Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed a decrease in new coronavirus-related deaths, but an increase in new cases on Saturday.Public Health’s latest count shows a total of 29 new deaths and 1,177 positive cases. Saturday’s update brings Los Angeles County numbers back to around those confirmed before the Labor Day Weekend.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsDirectors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead said potential viewers should not head to indoor theaters to watch their sci-fi thriller Synchronic.“We want to be very clear: at the time of writing this, we personally wouldn’t go to an indoor theater, so we can’t encourage you to,” Moorhead said in an Instagram post. “To us, this isn’t only about feeling safe in a theater, this is also about the scientific community indicating that enclosed spaces like movie theaters are still a hazard for spreading Covid-19 to others.”Moorhead’s social media notice, posted on Friday, came the same day Well Go USA announced that Synchronic would hit drive-ins and movie theaters in October.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsFor Superman and Lois Lane, taking down super-villains and corrupt world leaders are nothing but a breeze. Parenthood and raising teenagers, however, is a whole different set of challenges.“I think as a father who happens to have two boys, that felt like a really great way to bring in some personal experience and just to tell really a different story,” said Todd Helbing at DC’s Fandome. During a panel on Saturday, the Superman & Lois creator said that the new the CW series will differ from previous iterations of the Superman story.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsNearly 15 years after the Winchester brothers hit the screen in 2005, the stars and team behind Supernatural bid farewell to the long-running show. Series creator Eric Kripke, stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and the rest of the Supernatural family shared their gratitude on social media as filming came to an end on Thursday.“This was the first #Supernatural scene we shot.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsSanta Fe Author Forrest Fenn, most known for his 2010 book Thrill of the Chase which inspired a popular treasure hunt in the Rocky Mountains, died on Monday. He was 90.Fenn passed of natural causes in his Santa Fe home.The writer and former U.S.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsThe trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic still remains unclear as 2021 approaches, but the International Olympic Committee confirmed that one thing is for certain, next year’s Olympic games will go on regardless of the virus.John Coates, the vice president of the IOC, announced Monday that the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will happen next year. Coates told AFP that the sporting event will be called the “Games that conquered Covid.”“It will take place with or without Covid.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsThe Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s latest daily COVID-19 update showed a continued decrease in new positive cases and deaths. On Saturday, Public Health confirmed that Los Angeles county saw a total of 1,196 new positive cases and 24 new deaths, boasting a decrease from Friday’s metrics.To date, Los Angeles Public Health has recorded a total of 247,542 positive cases of COVID-19 and 6,000 related deaths.