Month: May 2021

5:26 PM PDT 5/3/2021 by Mike Barnes She also portrayed Mammy Yokum in the Broadway and big-screen versions of 'Li'l Abner.' Billie Hayes, who played the cackling Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo on Sid and Marty Krofft's H.R. Pufnstuf and the scrappy Mammy Yokum in the Broadway and big-screen versions of Li'l Abner, has died. She was 96. Hayes died Thursday of natural causes at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, a family spokesperson said. After starring as the evil protagonist on the 1969-70 kids program H.R. Pufnstuf, she reteamed with the Krofft brothers in 1971-72 on Lidsville, another Saturday morning show for children (she played the incompetent Weenie the Genie on that one). The Kroffts reacted on Twitter to the news of her death: More recentl...

The Weeknd is opening up on the recent rules committee changes announced by the Recording Academy on Friday, and the pop star is doubling down on his decision to boycott the Grammys after being shut out of all nominations for the 2021 awards. The "After Hours" performer – born Abel Tesfaye – had one of the biggest albums of the year, which netted The Weeknd the most-streamed single of the year with "Blinding Lights" and a Super Bowl LIV Halftime performance to boot. So, he and his team were none too thrilled with their current standing in the eyes of the Recording Academy despite the organization eliminating "secret" nomination-review committees that decide who gets a shot at a trophy. "The trust has been broken for so long between the Grammy organization and artists that it would be u...

Michael Jackson’s estate prevailed over the Internal Revenue Service on several key issues in a closely watched court case, an outcome that will push the estate’s tax burden below the government’s initial assessment. In a ruling issued Monday, U.S. Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes found that the singer’s name and likeness were worth $4 million when he died in 2009 at the age of 50, not the $161 million the government had claimed. The IRS won on some other points about the value of other Jackson assets, but will get far less than the hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and penalties it had sought from the estate. The government and the estate settled some issues, and the case came down to the question of how to value three main assets: Mr. Jackson’s name an...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars ceremony from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Academy Awards predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change. To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit THE COLLECTIVEVisit each category, per the individual awards show from THE HUBRevisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season THE ARCHIVE DRAFT&...

Strange happenings behind the scenes.Image: Marvel Studios Benedict Cumberbatch was signed to appear as Doctor Strange on the finale of WandaVision. Then Marvel decided against it and had to change everything. Rolling Stone spoke to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and he explained how this surprising news all went down. Basically, because Marvel had announced Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) would be appearing in the Doctor Strange sequel Doctor Strange and Multiverse of Madness, the plan was for Cumberbatch to appear on the show to tie into that movie. One version had him pop up in one of WandaVision’s commercials. Another had the commercials as actual messages from Strange to Wanda. But eventually, they just cut him out. “Some people might say, ‘Oh, it would’ve been so cool to see Docto...