A Week In Movies: Golden Globes Glitter, Oscar Nominations Spark Controversy, Kingsman Premieres In London, New Trailers For Avengers 2, Spy, Fifty Shades And More
Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday and brought the usual flood of reactions, mainly because of notable snubs. Voters opened themselves to charges of both racism and sexism by ignoring black actors and female writers and directors. The biggest outcry was for Selma, which received a Best Picture nomination but nothing for its acclaimed cast or director Ava DuVernay.
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Earlier in the week, the Golden Globes offered some starry glamour to distract from nominations controversies. A lively ceremony attended by the Hollywood A-list, the Globes are selected by a very small group of professional awards voters, but the show is so much fun to watch that it's vitally important to awards season buzz.
Photos - 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals - Los Angeles Part 1
Photos - 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals - Los Angeles Part 2
Meanwhile in London, there was a lavish red carpet premiere for Matthew Vaughn's new action romp Kingsman: The Secret Service, a high-energy spoof of Bond movies. The film's stars Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong and Sophie Cookson were out for the premiere along with guests including Claudia Schiffer and Take That.
Photos - 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' - UK film premiere, London - Part 1
Photos - 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' - UK film premiere, London - Part 2
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This week saw the first trailer for the next Marvel adventure, Avengers: Age of Ultron, which reunites Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson plus Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and James Spader. This trailer makes the film look darker and creepier, although there's still plenty of big action. It opens on May 1st. Watch 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' Trailer.
Also out in May, Spy is a new action comedy reteaming Melissa McCarthy with her Bridesmaids/The Heat director Paul Feig. It actually looks rather funny, as McCarthy's top CIA analyst is sent into the field on an important mission. Costars include Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Alison Janney and Miranda Hart. It opens in May. Watch 'Spy' Trailer.
There was another new trailer for the anticipated film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, starring Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden and Rita Ora. With the theme "Every fairy tale has a twist", the romantically themed spot was produced for American television, trailing the film's Valentine's Day release. Watch 'Fifty Shades Of Grey Fairy Tale' TV Spot Trailer.
A new trailer for the drama Black or White shows Kevin Costner as a man raising his granddaughter on his own, then challenged for custody by the child's other grandmother Octavia Spencer. Tackling big issues, the warm drama was written and directed by Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger). It opens at the end of the month in the US. Watch 'Black Or White' Trailer.
And finally there's a trailer for Jennifer Aniston's black comedy Cake, costarring Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy and Adriana Barraza. Buzz was strong that she might get an Oscar nomination for what is being called a "career redefining" performance, but that wasn't meant to be. The film opens in America next week, and in Britain next month. Watch 'Cake' Trailer.