Sumter Scene: March 9, 2024

7 Don’t call it a comeback: ‘Girls5eva’ plans

7 Ready, set, race: ‘Amazing Race’ Season 36 heads to all-new

Best and brightest: Hollywood royalty gathers for the 96th Oscars

BY JAY BOBBIN

The calendar has been shaken up this entertainment-award season, but the movie industry’s top ceremony is remaining pretty much on time … while starting an hour earlier than usual.

The 96th edition of The Oscars celebrates the best in the film as ABC televises the event Sunday, March 10, from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. The network’s late-night star, Jimmy Kimmel, will be back for his fourth turn as Oscar host. His wife, Molly McNearney, has her second consecutive year as an executive producer of the event (a job she also performs, along with co-head writer, on her spouse’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” weeknight program).

Viewers can expect Kimmel to make reference to last year’s strikes that upended show business, with the work stoppages by writers and actors delaying – or, in some cases, cancelling –the production of movies and altering release schedules. Some of this year’s Academy Award-nominated films had less promotion than they might have received otherwise, since their stars couldn’t promote those pictures as part of the union agreement during the actors’ strike.

However, a big turnout by Hollywood can be expected now, with the Oscar red-carpet arrivals of many personalities again being the draws for worldwide interest and attention that they typically are. There’s also potential for the unexpected, as recent Oscar shows have confirmed, whether that amounts to surprise winners or unanticipated comments or actions by those who take the stage.

“Oppenheimer” leads the current group of nominated films with 13 bids, followed by “Poor Things” with 11, “Killers of the Flower Moon” with 10, “Barbie” with eight — and controversy over its lack of nominations for Margot Robbie as best actress and Greta Gerwig as best director — and “Maestro” with seven.

Following are the nominees in several of the categories in the 96th Oscars.

Best picture: “American Fiction”; “Anatomy of a Fall”; “Barbie”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Past Lives”; “Poor Things”; “The Zone of Interest”

Best actor in a leading role: Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”;

Colman Domingo, “Rustin”; Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”’; Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”; Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Best actress in a leading role: Annette Bening, “Nyad”; Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Sandra Huller, “Anatomy of a Fall”; Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”; Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

Best actor in a supporting role: Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”; Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”; Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”; Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”

Best actress in a supporting role: Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”; Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”; America Ferrera, “Barbie”; Jodie Foster, “Nyad”; Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

Best director: Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”; Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”; Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”; Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”

Horoscopes

The luckiest signs this week:

TAURUS, GEMINI AND CANCER

ARIES

It feels like time is flying. You love the finer things in life, which could lead you to explore high-end stores and restaurants for a touch of luxury. Take the opportunity to revitalize your wardrobe and adopt a new style.

TAURUS

You’ll overcome your fears and apprehensions to pursue your passions. Your remarkable creativity will guide you in the right direction. This will allow you to create a masterpiece. You’ll receive some form of com pensation for it.

GEMINI

You’ll be in high demand by everyone this week. Your popularity will reach new heights with work colleagues or those close to you. You’ll expand your customer base and become the go-to person for any business because of your efficiency.

CANCER

After prolonged negotiations, you’ll get the green light to buy a property or finance a project. Sort out some undesirable friendships. Any form of change will be beneficial to you.

LEO You’ll feel a deep need to recharge your batteries and take a step back from your worries. Take the time to reconnect with your inner child and contemplate the beauty of life so you can reignite your passion.

VIRGO

Adjusting your goals may help you reach your full potential. Whatever direction you choose, you’ll put your heart and soul into achieving your goals. Your romantic side will come out in a couple’s getaway.

LIBRA

If you’re in a new relationship, it could cross your mind to get married to make your relationship official and put your mind at ease. At work, be careful not to let your emotions influence your negotiations. This will avoid any confusion.

SCORPIO

You’ll have the opportunity to participate in a training course that will open new perspectives and bring about a better quality of life fairly quickly. You must break the monotony in your relationship. Taking a walk hand in hand could do you a world of good.

SAGITTARIUS

You’ll perform a heroic act, such as saving someone from a delicate situation or lending a sympathetic ear. At work, you could find yourself leading a team without asking. This could lead you to become the pillar of the entire business.

CAPRICORN

You’ll hear about a birth in the family. You’ll discover a property opportunity that suits your needs and budget. At work, don’t hesitate to embrace success. If you struggle with doing that, work on changing your mindset.

AQUARIUS

You’ll feel the need to get a new vehicle. You could play the role of interpreter to decipher an unfamiliar message. You’ll debate with people who don’t have a good command of your native language. You’ll be extremely curious this week.

PISCES

Much to your surprise, you’ll find the solutions to your financial and sentimental problems. A promotion with a substantial pay raise is on the horizon. This will bring you great joy.

New Streaming Movies & Shows

“Boat Story” (March 12)

This action miniseries follows two strangers, Janet (Daisy Haggard) and Samuel (Paterson Joseph), who can’t believe their luck when they stumble upon a shipwrecked boat full of cocaine. With each of them desperate for a fresh start, they agree to sell the drugs and split the cash. But on their tail are the police, masked hit men and a sharp-suited gangster known only as “The Tailor” (Tcheky Karyo). When two ordinary people are pushed to the very edge, can they trust each other and get away with their lives and money?

Word Search

“The Stones and Brian Jones” (March 14)

A deep-diving profile of the founder and lost creative genius of The Rolling Stones, this captivating documentary features candid interviews with the Rolling Stones and truly incredible never-before-seen footage. The film explores how Brian Jones, the genius founder of the greatest rock band in the world, was left behind in the shadows of history.

Where all the top choices can be found in one place!

“Young Royals” - Season 3 (March 11)

When Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) arrives at the prestigious boarding school Hillerska he finally gets an opportunity to explore his true self and find out what kind of life he really wants. Wilhelm starts dreaming of a future filled with freedom and unconditional love far away from the royal obligations — but when he unexpectedly becomes next in line for the throne his dilemma is heightened as he has to make a choice. Love or duty. Nikita Uggla, Omar Rudberg and Malte Gardinger also star.

“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” (March 15)

Get ready, Swifties: Taylor has a brand-new gift for her fans. After premiering in theaters in 2023, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” brought the musical sensation’s sold-out show to fans around the world. The exclusive cinematic experience gives fans a front-row seat to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, as Taylor works her way through her iconic discography, accompanied by larger-than-life performances. Now, this Disney+ exclusive “(Taylor’s Version)” edition introduces four new acoustic songs that weren’t included in the original theatrical cut.

BY JAY BOBBIN

Q: I’ve been watching repeats of early “Chicago P.D.” episodes that have Sophia Bush as Erin Lindsay. How did the character leave the show?

A: Toward the end of the NBC drama’s fourth season, Lindsay lost her cool while interrogating a suspected pedophile and made a very threatening move with her gun that definitely wasn’t by the book. Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) — who eventually became Lindsay’s successor on the squad — was there at the time and tried to dissuade Lindsay, who wasn’t having any of it.

The latter woman came under investigation by the Internal Affairs Division, and she was on a path to her police career ending, but a job offer from the FBI saved her from going full through that process. Interest in her becoming a federal agent had been expressed earlier, but her boss and mentor Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) stepped in to help get her the opportunity at that time.

Set during the powder keg year of 1969, the show is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong.

Best television doctors MOVIES

BY JAY BOBBIN

James Kildare (Richard Chamberlain, “Dr. Kildare,” NBC, 1961-66): After making his mark in movies and on radio, the idealistic intern became one of TV’s first popular characters in the profession.

Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley, “Star Trek,” NBC, 1966-69): Outer space needs doctors, too, as proven by this iconic and famously testy crew member of the starship Enterprise.

Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye”

Pierce (Alan Alda, “M*A*S*H,” CBS, 1972-83): Always ready with a quip, Pierce was also a skilled surgeon equipped to deal with whatever came his way during the Korean War.

Mark Craig (William Daniels, “St. Elsewhere,” NBC, 1982-88): Stern and cranky, with a superiority complex, this masterful heart surgeon mentored younger doctors at Boston’s St. Eligius Hospital.

Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris, “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” ABC, 1989-93): This resident surgeon’s obvious youthfulness belied his expertise and skills.

Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow, “Northern Exposure,” CBS, 1990-95): Not especially happy to be assigned to a small Alaskan town, this novice physician served there to fulfill his student-loan terms.

Diane Keaton generates fun with ‘Baby Boom’

BY JAY BOBBIN

Diane Keaton has been well served by the vast majority of her movies, and “Baby Boom” ranks high among the ones that have suited her best.

Within its main mission of being amusing, the 1987 film (which Turner Classic Movies shows Friday, March 15) addresses many themes that remain relevant more than three decades later ... relationship commitment, professional vs. personal life, the entrepreneurial spirit, and responsibility to oneself as well as others. And in this case, the main “other” is an adorable infant named Elizabeth.

Workaholic businesswoman J.C. Wiatt (Keaton) is shocked to become the immediate — as in, “handed off during an airport layover” — guardian of the child, whose parents have died. Able to handle everything previously, including her at-arm’s-distance live-in boyfriend (Harold Ramis), J.C. is certain she can balance her very active career with surrogate motherhood.

However, her boss (Sam Wanamaker) warns her, “You can’t have it all.” And much sooner than later, he’s proven right, with J.C. caught up in moments such as having a restaurant hostess try to mind Elizabeth during a business meeting ... and eventually, J.C. is maneuvered out of the firm she served so totally and forced to reinvent herself.

She does that successfully, though it takes a while, by moving out of fast-paced New York to relaxed and scenic Vermont — where she gets inspiration from her

newly inherited child to develop a baby-food brand that she labels Country Baby. Applying her savvy to marketing it eventually makes it a hit, catching the attention of her former employers, who want to broker a deal to buy it for a very tidy sum.

But will J.C. bite? What ultimately happens shows how well Keaton fares in developing the character’s full arc, thanks also to then-married screenwriters Charles Shyer (the movie’s director as well) and Nancy Meyers. This can be deemed the springboard for the female-empowerment comedies Meyers would write and direct later, including “Something’s Gotta Give” (for which Keaton also was her muse), “The Holiday,” “It’s Complicated” and “the Intern.”

Apart from the messages “Baby Boom” folds in, there’s a sweet romance pairing Keaton with a low-key and appealing Sam Shepard as a Vermont doctor she tries to resist. Of course, that lasts only so long, and the two performers are wonderful together. Add smaller but memorable turns by Pat Hingle as a business mogul and James Spader as Keaton’s weasel of a co-worker, and the casting obviously is strong overall. Also commendable is the music score by Bill Conti.

In the end, though, it’s Keaton who makes or breaks “Baby Boom.” And, as proven by the fact that the picture remains just as enjoyable after all these years, she surely makes it.

Michaela Quinn (Jane Seymour, “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” CBS, 1993-98): The Old West was the calling for this Boston physician who built her practice — and many relationships — in Colorado.

Doug Ross (George Clooney, “ER,” NBC, 1994-99): Though personally flawed, this charismatic pediatrician had a number of chances to display heroism on the job — and then-movie star Clooney would reprise the role late in the series’ run.

Gregory House (Hugh Laurie, “House, M.D.,” Fox, 2004-12): Though his bedside manner was pretty much nonexistent, this medic was an expert in correctly diagnosing cases that most others couldn’t.

Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 2005-present): Others came and went in her world — and her Seattle hospital — but despite many personal challenges, this doctor long remained an increasingly experienced constant. For the show’s 20th season that starts Thursday, March 14, the character is expected to have less of a physical presence (though she still will serve as narrator).

Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, “The Good Doctor,” ABC, 2017-present): This young autistic-savant doctor’s abilities clearly have resonated with patients on the show and viewers at home. The series is now in its final season.

Don’t call it a comeback: ‘Girls5eva’ plans tour in new season

BY DANA SIMPSON

The 1980s had The Bangles, the ‘90s had the Spice Girls and while “girl groups” have significantly dropped off in popularity in recent years, K-pop stars BLACKPINK have proven that there is still room for young women at the top of the pop charts. But what of the older women? Netflix’s “Girls5Eva” attempts to explore that question — and its possible outcomes — in the series’ third season, premiering Thursday, March 14.

The show, which follows fictional ‘90s girl group Girls5Eva as they reunite after a rapper samples one of their songs, has been hailed by critics as everything from “accessibly absurdist, riddled with clever zingers [and] thick with critique” (per Doreen St. Felix of the New Yorker) to “the kind of happy-go-lucky sitcom that’s perfect for a post-’Ted Lasso’ world” (per USA Today’s Kelly Lawler).

With regard to Netflix’s involvement in the series, “Girls5Eva” joins the popular streamer after having been canceled by NBC’s Peacock back in May

“POOR THINGS”

Also a producer of the movie, Emma Stone has been faring well on the award circuit for her leading performance in this fantasy-comedydrama film, based on Alasdair Gray’s same-named novel and up for 11 Oscars including best picture, actress and director (Yorgos Lanthimos, who previously worked with Stone on “The Favourite”). Stone’s character Beth literally has been given a new life by her mind being transferred into the body of her suicidal mother, and the assistant (Ramy Youssef) of her mentor (Willem Dafoe) falls for her.

2022, just one month after the “charming” second season began. Now supported by a new platform (and each other, of course), the “girls” are more ready than “eva” to take their music career to the next level.

According to Netflix, the band has “reunited and recorded a new album, ‘Returnity,’ so it’s time for the next logical step: a comeback tour. With no plan, tour manager or venues secured, the ladies pile into a van and hit the great unknown, doing their damnedest to promote their album and get back on top.”

“In the process,” the Season 3 news release continues, “Girls5eva will grapple with life on the road, see their relationships tested, play a billionaire’s birthday party, sow their oats, confront parents they believe held them back, cross paths with the biggest pop star on the planet and question if they really want ‘the big time’ again.”

In addition to some of life’s bigger, more prevalent questions, Season 3 asks whether “Girls5eva [will] fast-track their comeback and sell their tour documentary in the process,” or if the pressures of the road will “destroy them” before they have a chance to get back on top.

Created and executive produced by four-time Primetime Emmy-winning writer/producer Meredith Scardino (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) and backed by a team that includes “Mean Girls” (2004) writer Tina Fey and “30 Rock” showrunner Robert Carlock, “Girls5Eva” stars Broadway’s Sara Bareilles (“Waitress: The Musical”) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (“Hamilton,” 2020) as Dawn Solano and Wickie Roy, respectively, while “Saturday Night Live” comedian Paula Pell and “Freaks and Geeks’” Busy Philipps round out the band as Gloria McManus and Summer Dutkowsky.

However, her curiosity about the world develops at a rapid pace that prompts her to take a journey with a morally questionable lawyer (Mark Ruffalo, also an Oscar nominee here) that leads to challenging times for all concerned. Christopher Abbott, Kathryn Hunter, Jerrod Carmichael and veteran German actress Hanna Schygulla also appear. DVD extras: “making-of” documentary; deleted scenes. *** (R: AS, N, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, Digital and On Demand)

“THE BIG COUNTRY”

Originally released in 2018 to mark the Western’s 60th anniversary, a “Special Edition” of the William Wyler-directed drama is re-released. Gregory Peck, who also produced the film with Wyler (his “Roman Holiday” director earlier), gets top billing in the impressive cast as a former sea captain who heads west to reunite with his fiancee (Carroll Baker) at her father’s (Charles Bickford) ranch. He soon finds himself in the midst of the longstanding conflict between his host and another landowner (Burl Ives, who won an Oscar for his performance), with a range war a definite possibility unless the situation can be defused. Charlton Heston, Jean Simmons and Chuck Connors

Ready, set, race: ‘Amazing Race’ Season 36 heads to all-new locale

BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT

Phone, wallet, keys, passport and a can-do attitude — that’s just about all you need to win $1 million. That, and maybe a good teammate. “The Amazing Race” returns with an allnew season of flights, fights and delights, when it premieres Wednesday, March 13, on CBS.

Hosted by Phil Keoghan (“The Ride,” 2011), this 10-time Primetime Emmy-winning reality series follows teams of two as they embark on a life-changing trek around the world, each hoping to be the fastest and brightest in order to avoid elimination on their sprint toward the finish line and claim the life-changing prize waiting just beyond it.

The duos for the upcoming race — often composed of friends, family members, couples or co-workers — have yet to be announced by the network, but CBS has confirmed that 11 teams will be gathered at the Season 36 starting line, ready to traverse the Americas and beyond. Teams are reportedly expected to travel to Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Barbados and the Dominican Republic, before finishing their trek in Philadelphia.

After arriving at their given destinations, the teams must then compete

also are featured prominently in the sprawling saga, based on a Donald Hamilton novel and boasting an excellent music score by Jerome Moross. Special features include a documentary on Wyler and interviews with Peck’s and Heston’s children. **** (Not rated: AS, V) (Also on Blu-ray)

“WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION”

Another “Special Edition” of a classic film showcases the 1957 drama based on the Agatha Christie-written courtroom thriller, and directed and co-adapted by Billy Wilder. Tyrone Power stars as a man who stands trial for the slaying of a wealthy woman, and only his wife (Marlene Dietrich) can clear him … but what she has to offer as the title witness isn’t likely to help his case. Charles Laughton and John Williams play the Power character’s defense lawyers, with Elsa Lanchester, Henry Daniell, Torin Thatcher and Ruta Lee also in the cast. A new special feature is an interview with Joseph McBride, who wrote a biography of Wilder; the film earned six Oscar nominations including best picture, director, actor (Laughton) and supporting actress (Lanchester). *** (Not rated: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)

“THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR”

A “Special Edition” of the original 1968 version of this combination of crime story and romance gets a reissue. Director Norman Jewison’s stylish drama casts Steve McQueen in the title role of a Boston tycoon who secretly engineers bank robberies for kicks, eventually drawing the interest of an insurance investigator (Faye Dunaway) who plans to seduce him into confessing. Instead, he turns the tables on her and she falls for him, forcing her to decide which side she’s on as he plans the next heist. The picture is famous for a literal chess game between the two stars, marked by extreme close-ups, that becomes something more. Jack Weston lends great support as the getaway driver, and Paul Burke is solid as a police detective who’s skeptical about the entire probe; Yaphet Kotto and Gordon Pinsent also are in the cast. The theme song, “The Windmills of Your Mind” (performed by Noel Harrison), earned an Oscar. *** (Not rated: AS, V)

“MOON LANDING:

WORLD’S GREATEST HOAX?”

The 1978 movie “Capricorn One” suggested that a space mis-

in a series of locally themed challenges — some physical, some mental — that they must complete before they can learn of their next location, which could be anywhere from the list above.

Despite minimal details having been released, eagle-eyed fans have noted that this upcoming season appears to have started filming in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, during October 2022 and later concluded in Philadelphia, where the racers will supposedly finish their exhausting journeys.

One detail is for certain, however: the series will continue with its new, 90-minute episode format (originally adopted to fill air-time during last year’s WGA/SAG strikes), leaving ample room for all the drama that transpires along the way — because if traveling with your partner wasn’t hard enough, it certainly doesn’t get any easier with countless destinations to reach and $1 million on the line.

In this race, it takes talent, determination, consistency and a cutthroat attitude to finish first. See who makes it all the way to Philly when the 36th season of “The Amazing Race” kicks off Wednesday, March 13, on CBS.

sion could be faked using television techniques, leading the public to believe the staged footage was the real thing. This documentary indicates that more than half of England’s population believes that was exactly the case with the 1969 lunar landing, a theory debated here through the use of archival material, reconstructions and comments from experts and conspiracy theorists. Of course, Neil Arnstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin – who gained global fame as the first two men to set foot on the moon, per history –are seen in some of the clips. *** (Not rated)