Tag Archives: Academy Awards

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‘Joker’ is Going on a World Tour

Joker, the controversial biopic chronicling the rise of one of the most famous comic book villains, is not going away anytime soon. Despite being the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time and the most nominated film at the 2020 Academy Awards, people can’t seem to get enough of Joaquin Phoenix’s emaciated (and Oscar-worthy) take on the character. Starting in April, fans will be able to see the film accompanied by a full orchestra playing along to the score, which was arranged by Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.

 

“When we recorded the music, the orchestra brought such depth and detailed attention to the performances that we were all literally holding our breaths during most of the recording sessions. It was a beautiful trip. I’m so happy to get to go there again and for an audience to experience that too,” Guðnadóttir said.

 

The first performance of the live edition of Joker will take place in London on April 30, before moving to other cities in the UK and eventually the world, with international dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Watch the trailer for Joker below.

 

 

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Coach Releases Video with Michael B. Jordan and Spike Lee

For its latest campaign, Coach tapped the talents of director Spike Lee and brand ambassador Michael B. Jordan for a fashionable short film, titled Words Matter. Shot in a desert outside of Los Angeles, the grainy video features Jordan riding in on a motorcycle, wearing a leather ensemble as he confronted with stones scrawled with the words  ‘Bigotry,’ ‘Hatred,’ and ‘Evil,’ among other things. He then replaces them with rocks that say ‘Love,’ ‘Truth,’ and ‘Dream’ as a testament to the American designer’s core values as a brand.

“I’m honored to get to collaborate with Giants in their respective fields, Michael B. Jordan and Coach,” Academy Award-winning director Lee said in a statement. “It was truly a Magical Day working, shooting in the Desert. Enjoy.”

The film was co-written by Lee’s children( Satchel and Jackson Lee) and styled by Jane How. Hair was done by Jove Edmond and Carola Gonzalez did the makeup. Watch the film below.

 

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‘The Rocketman’ Cometh: A Few Facts About Sir Elton John

With his upcoming biopic Rocketman slated for 2019, and his farewell tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, Sir Elton John returns to the spotlight. This multifaceted artist has transformed every aspect of showbiz as we know it, influencing fashion, music, and even soccer.  Aside from his accomplishments in vocal performance, Elton John has an awe inspiring resume — we highlight some lesser known facts about the icon.

  • He isn’t just about the music, he’s also a sports fanatic.  The triple-threat Brit owned a soccer team, Watford Football Club from 1976-1987 and 1997-2002.  He is currently an honorary life president and even had a stadium named after him in 2014. In 1975, John made his love for athletics abundantly clear when he performed Dodger Stadium in a sequined baseball uniform. We’d expect nothing less.

 

  •  Along with being a spectacular showman, John is an excellent composer.  He won Best Original Song during the 67th Academy Awards, along with Tim Rice, for “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from The Lion King, as well as a Grammy during the 37th Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.  Later, he composed the musical score for a number of hit Broadway shows including Billy Elliot: The Musical and Aida.

 

  • To call him a fashion icon is an understatement.  Elton John is a fashion muse, instigator, and tastemaker. Blossoming during the 70’s glam era, he had no problem indulging in luxurious camp. Big rhinestone sunglasses, huge plumage, multi-colored bow-ties, he had the ability to reinvent suits with opulent theatrics.  He has a close working relationship with Gucci, responsible for designing the outfits for his farewell tour, which commenced in September and is scheduled to continue until 2021.

 

  • Politics makes strange bedfellows, and so does musical entertainment.  Since their controversial duet in 2001 during the 43rd Grammy Awards, during which Elton John sang the accompaniment to Eminem’s hit rap song “Stan”, the two mega-stars have remained close friends.  Over the years the two have reportedly exchanged everything from life advice to extravagantly outrageous wedding presents.
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Weekly Instagram Roundup: Academy Awards, Zac Efron, and More

This week’s complete social snapshot, distilled for your pleasure.

From the hottest celebrity parties to the regretful morning-after shots, ESSENTIAL HOMME‘s Weekly Instagram Roundup brings all of the hottest designer, model, and trendsetting pics from the week directly to you. After all, no one has time to scroll through anything but the best.

Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali, the Best Supporting Actor winner for his pivotal role in “Moonlight,” posed with his Oscar at a star-studded after party in classic Ermenegildo Zegna fashion. The actor, who rose to fame in hit shows like “Treme” and “House of Cards,” followed up his win with a quickly released, Willy Vanderperre-shot Calvin Klein campaign alongside Ali’s fellow castmates.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Though Yayoi Kusama’s “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins,” currently on display at Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C., has already been met with controversy—the selfie-friendly exhibit recently reopened after one of its pumpkins was destroyed by over-active snapchatters—the visionary artist continues her quest for infinity with this latest installation. Operating under her Infinity Mirrors umbrella, the piece is a continuation of her ever-popular Infinity Room series.

Alexander Wang

ESSENTIAL HOMME December 2016/January 2017 cover star Alexander Wang puts athliesure aesthetics to test with a much-anticipated second drop alongside adidas Originals. With a campaign shot by Juergen Teller, a frequent collaborator of the sports brand, the new collection promises to embody all things disruptive, defiant, and deconstructed.

Zac Efron

The “Baywatch” actor’s first order of business as HUGO‘s newly appointed brand ambassador will soon reveal itself—Zac Efron shared a sneak peak at his new ad for the brand’s Hugo Man fragrance. Entitled “Your Time is Now,” the upcoming campaign is a parkour extravaganza, highlighting the energy and masculinity of the fragrance itself.

Louboutin Homme

Hot on the heels of releasing a Culture Convergence line for Spring/Summer 2017, Christian Louboutin‘s Homme off-shoot shared a pic of Leonardo DiCaprio flashing that cherry red lacquer on the Academy Awards stage. Here sporting the Cousin Greg, DiCaprio also wore a piece from the French brand at last year’s ceremony, where he took home Best Actor gold for his role in “The Revenant.”

Follow ESSENTIAL HOMME on Instagram at @EssentialHomme.
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The Efron/McConaughey Reunion You Didn’t Know Your Tuesday Needed


You might remember The Paperboy as the film that featured Nicole Kidman simulating some very gesticular fellatio, or the film in which Matthew McConaughey got raped and tortured by a group of men (spoiler!), or the film where Zac Efron danced in his tighty whities in the rain. Or… you might not remember it at all. In the time since the movie’s release, the high profiles of both its male stars have only sky-rocketed higher and higher (crescendoed by McConaughey’s Oscar win on Sunday). So it’s only fitting that during Sunday’s award ceremony, Efron, a presenter, caught up with his old buddy for an Instagram opportunity. In the picture above, Efron appears to be giving off some serious brood, while McConaughey looks just the right amount of lit. The black and white filter: a nice touch though.

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Watching Celebs Eat Pizza at the Oscars is Strangely Captivating

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If you happened to have missed any of the 3.5+ hour 86th Academy Awards last night, you have nothing to worry about today, because the internet assures you that it has got you covered (echo: covered, covered covered). There’s a lot to digest, and we’re not just talking about stand-out moments like Liza Minnelli getting shut out of the most retweeted selfie of all time (currently topping out at 2.6M retweets) or Adele Dazeem-gate or Jared Leto’s hombre. Seriously, so much happened yesterday. But back to the digestion transition… If you haven’t already heard, host Ellen Degeneres ordered pizza for attendees, and it wasn’t a “you get a car and you get a car” situation. Just three boxes.

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But the meal wasn’t just satisfying for the stars that partook, like Meryl Streep (two slices), Channing Tatum, and Jamie Foxx’s daughter (*record scratch*), but for us at home as well. And why? Not only did we not get any sauce stains on our custom Pradas, but we got to watch star’s like Martin Scorsese, Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt (the frontrunner) munch. And satisfying it was.

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Meanwhile…

 

Images courtesy of John Shearer and Instagram.

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Fassbender Doesn’t Want Your Carrot OR Your Oscar

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It’s hard for some to wrap their minds around the fact that Hollywood’s elite actually have to campaign to win those golden statuettes, but perhaps even harder to believe that some of them reject the very idea. In 2011, Michael Fassbender starred opposite Carey Mulligan in Steve McQueen’s Shame. But Kevin James had a comedy out where he played a zookeeper and Vanessa Hudgens had a vague remake of Beauty and the Beast and who could forget: The Smurfs. Needless to say, people were preoccupied and Fassbender’s very Oscar-friendly performance and his subsequent campaign went unnoticed. Well, Fassbender’s back at it again — making movies that is — re-teaming with McQueen for the highly-anticipated 12 Years a Slave (co-starring Brad Pitt and Benedict Cumberbatch). But no Oscars, please.

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Fassbender spoke to GQ, revealing: “You know, I get it. Everybody’s got to do their job. So you try and help and facilitate as best you can. But I won’t put myself through that kind of situation again. It’s just a grind. And I’m not a politician. I’m an actor.”

This harkens back to Joaquin Phoenix’s infamous Interview quote: “[The award circuit is] total, utter bullshit, and I don’t want to be a part of it. I don’t believe in it. It’s a carrot, but it’s the worst-tasting carrot I’ve ever tasted in my whole life. I don’t want this carrot. It’s totally subjective. Pitting people against each other … it’s the stupidest thing in the whole world.”

Here’s a trailer for the film Fassbender will not be campaigning for: