Amy Winehouse's Close Friend Tyler James Slams 'Back to Black' Movie Based on the Late Singer's Life

Running time: 122 minutes. Rated R (drug use, language throughout, sexual content and nudity). In theaters May 17.A basic biopic about Amy Winehouse, the eccentric singer who recorded two albums and then died of alcohol poisoning at the devastatingly young age of 27, was never going to work.Obviously.Hers was a whirlwind, hard-lived life that ended abruptly in tragedy.

We’re just a week away from the season 11 finale of The Masked Singer!

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 11, Episode 12 of “The Masked Singer,” “Semi-Finals: Then There Were Three,” which aired May 15 on Fox. “The Masked Singer” revealed the latest celebrity to be revealed on Wednesday night’s quarter finals, and it was Thelma Houston as Clock. Houston, of course, is best known for her classic hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” For Clock, Rita Ora got it right with Thelma Houston.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Kenneth Branagh looks to have found his next director outing as well as landing an top tier star to lead the film as sources tell Deadline Emmy and BAFTA winner Jodie Comer is set to star in Branagh’s new film The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde, which he wrote and will direct. The film is being described as a contemporary psychological thriller but logline is being kept under wraps. The independently financed film will begin production in August in the UK.

NME’s latest star of The Cover, Songer, has shared a playlist exclusively to accompany the story’s launch – check it out below.The rapper is on this week’s (May 13) edition of The Cover, a renewal of NME’s commitment to supporting emerging talent across the globe on a weekly basis. Every week, a rising artist will feature on The Cover – you can read the profile of Songer here, written by Seth Pereira and featuring photography by Tom Oxley.The playlist takes cues from Songer’s recent mixtape ‘The Price of Therapy’.

Marisa Abela as the doomed singer — opens in the US, after earning eyebrow-raising reviews in the UK. A critic for the Evening Standard called it “so bad it made me gasp in horror” and wrote that it “does not paint a nice or fair picture of [Winehouse] as a human.”Her friends and colleagues in New York City, like saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith, remember her as “wonderful.” They knew a fun-loving, mischievous and incredibly talented woman prior to the tragedy that later played out before paparazzi cameras: the smeared mascara and ratty beehive and body visibly ravaged by drugs and drink and bulimia.Winehouse came to the city in March 2006 to record what would be her career-making second album, “Back to Black.” Produced by Mark Ronson, the record was made at the now defunct Chung King Studios near Sohoas well as at the stripped-down Daptone Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with musical accompaniment provided by a crack local jazz/soul outfit called the Dap-Kings.“I was struck by how big her sound was, coming out of a small physique,” Ian Hendrickson-Smith, who played baritone sax with the group, recalled to The Post.

A few stars have spoken up about their decision not to lose their virginity until they were older.

The family of Kate Middleton are currently mourning the loss of a close family friend, Tony Henman, who has reportedly died.The Princess of Wales’ parents Carole and Michael Middleton were said to be close to Tony, who was the father of tennis legend Tim Henman. According to reports, Tony died on Friday at the age of 84, the Daily Mail reports.

A firefighter snapped a selfie with Hollywood movie star Jack Black after spotting him casually walking around the streets of Manchester on Wednesday morning (May 8).

Amy Winehouse‘s parents have accepted the BRIT Billion award on behalf of their late daughter.Mitch and Janis Winehouse were presented with the statue to mark the ‘Back To Black’ singer-songwriter posthumously reaching one billion online streams in the United Kingdom.“We of course wish that Amy was here today accepting this award in person, but it’s amazing that she is still winning awards for her incredible talent and achievements,” the pair said in a joint statement.“It’s wonderful that her music is being discovered by new audiences of young people who love it just as much as her contemporaries. We are so proud of Amy.

previously expanded into the Asia Pacific region last year, with SXSW Sydney in 2023.As well as continuing to welcome the world’s leading speakers, which have previously included Barack Obama, Dave Grohl, Steven Spielberg, Tilda Swinton and more, the UK edition promises to “bring its own distinctive personality, driven by London’s internationally renowned cultural life and creativity, its status as a global meeting place, and its proximity to other major creative and tech centres in Europe”.In addition to the keynotes and innovations in tech, the event will showcase a range of musical performances from both big names and emerging talent.

The identity of Seal was unmasked during the most recent episode of The Masked Singer.

Alex Hall is slamming affair allegations days before the return of her Netflix show.

New research has revealed the "loneliest" neighbourhood in Scotland, where many residents say they have no close friends.

In partnership with Disney+ UKNME Screens returns next month for a special London showing of Let It Be, the 1970 film that documents the making of their 12th and final studio album of the same name – and has long been out of circulation. Find out how to get free tickets below.Creating exclusive film and TV experiences for NME‘s millions of readers in print, online and social media – NME Screens was launched last year, and has since hosted sold-out screenings of Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black, saucy tennis thriller Challengers, Wes Anderson’s offbeat sci-fi comedy Asteroid City, acclaimed social satire Saltburn and many more.Our next event is an even hotter ticket – and a must-see for music fans.

Uberto Pasolini, who wrote and directed the James Norton-starring Nowhere Special that opened this weekend, says, rightfully, the film’s power emanates from the tangible bond you feel between father and son. Norton – the BAFTA-nominated British actor (Bob Marley: One Love, Little Women, Happy Valley) – is John a 35-year old window washer and single father to four-year old Michael (BIFA-nominated Daniel Lamot). John has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is on a quest to place his son in a loving home.  

Every week it seems there are large numbers of indie and specialty releases vying for attention, impossible to do them all, so when the option of reviewing Nowhere Special was placed in front of me I resisted at first after discovering it actually premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. That’s right, four years ago. I had to wonder what could possibly be good about a film delayed for that long in terms of getting a U.S. release date? Finally caving in to the persistent requests by the distributor and its passionate PR team, I decided to check it out. What I discovered was not that this was some sort of troubled film, not even close. Instead I found a spare but moving drama, powered by a remarkable lead performance, that is all about life and death and all things inbetween. At its heart it is also an inspiring story of dedicated parent and child, how we face the uncertain future, and what we leave behind. Nowhere Special is something special indeed. If you aren’t shedding well-earned tears by the end of this film you simply are not human.

There’s new posters for Back to Black, the new Amy Winehouse biopic starring Marisa Abela as the late singer.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 11, Episode 8 of “The Masked Singer,” “Girl Group Night,” which aired April 24 on Fox. Jenifer Lewis spent a year recovering from a devastating 10-foot fall while on safari in Tanzania. It was while she was still in bed, convalescing, that she got a call from “The Masked Singer.” “I still couldn’t walk,” she told Variety. “And my friends encouraged me to get out of bed and go do what I love to do.

Eurovision Song Contest 2024.According to Eurovision World, the favourites to win the competition have been revealed. Coming in first place is Switzerland’s NEMO, who currently has a 25 per cent chance at snagging the crown this year with their song ‘The Code’.Behind Switzerland in second place is Croatia, whose entry Baby Lasagna is predicted to have a 17 per cent chance of winning with his song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’.