Here's the Scoop...

The American Film Institute has announced its picks for the best movies and TV shows of 2017. Did your favorites make the list?

The organization's favorite films of the year were The Big Sick, Call Me by Your Name, Dunkirk, The Florida Project, Get Out, Lady Bird, The Post, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Wonder Woman.

The group also celebrated excellence on the small screen, singling out for praise the series Big Little Lies, The Crown, Feud: Bette and Joan, Game of Thrones, The Good Place, The Handmaid's Tale, Insecure, Master of None, Stranger Things and This is Us.

The docu-series The Vietnam War earned the AFI Special Award.

"At a time when the world seems defined by division, storytellers bring us together as one," Bob Gazzale, president and chief executive officer of AFI, said in a statement Thursday. "AFI Awards is honored to celebrate this community of artists who challenge and inspire us, entertain and enlighten us -- ultimately reminding us of our common heartbeat."

I gotta start binge watching stuff! I'm so behind.

Be Well,
Steve

Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve



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R. Kelly's Atlanta mansions 'ransacked' and burglarized
R. Kelly's two Atlanta-area mansions were burglarized and the items sold off while the singer was on tour, police said this week.

Johns Creek Cpt. Chris Byers told WSB-TV that Kelly's maid called police after she found one of the homes had been virtually emptied of valuables, including a diamond-encrusted hoodie.

"She found that the place had literally been ransacked," Byers said. "Many televisions. Furnishings. We're talking about couches, chairs, tables."

Neighbors said they saw trucks coming in the middle of the night to load up on the musician' belongings. When police arrived, an individual participating in the removal of Kelly's stuff said he was told by an associate, Alfonso Walker, to do the job at the request of the singer, who was moving back to Chicago.

But when contacted by police, Kelly's staff said Walker was only a part-time employee and was never told to empty out the mansions, TMZ reported.

Police arrested Walker, but not before he allegedly sold several of Kelly's items.

Walker faces charges of burglary and theft by deception.


Diddy tops Forbes' Highest-Paid Musician list for 2017
Diddy easily topped Forbes' Highest-Paid Musician list after taking in $130 million in over the past year.

"I'm the average person," Diddy told Forbes. "I started looking at business at the age of 12, [from] delivering newspapers to working in gas station bathrooms, or even doing things like being a background dancer or a stylist. Whatever I could do to get close to the industry."

The hip-hop artist who's known more these days for producing and branding raked in his riches mainly via the sale of one-third of his Sean John clothing line for about $70 million. He also took in money from his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour and an ongoing branding deal with Ciroc vodka.

Coming in second was Beyonce, who took in $105 million thanks to her Queen Bey's Formation Tour, which took in a total of about $250 million.

Drake rounded out the top three with $94 million, mostly due to his Boy Meets World Tour.

Queen Bey's Formation World Tour, which wrapped up in late 2016 and fell partly in our scoring period, grossed a quarter of a billion dollars. Drake, the world's most-streamed artist in recent years, rounds out the top three with $94 million, much of it from his Boy Meets World Tour.

Iconic rock band Guns N' Roses enjoyed a highly successful comeback tour that helped them amass $84 million. That was good enough to earn them a sixth place spot on the list, which is higher than Justin Bieber, who came in seventh with $83.5 million.

Touring was a major source of revenue for almost every musician on the top 25 list except for Jimmy Buffet, who came in 15th with $50 million, mostly due to his Margaritaville brand, which includes hotels and restaurants.

"Artists don't really make the money off the music like we did in the Golden Age," said The Weeknd, who came in fourth on the list with $92 million. "It's not really coming in until you hit the stage."


LOOSE LIPS:
"We need Rachel McAdams! We need the whole cast back! I'd love to do it again."
--Lindsay Lohan, revealing she'd be down to star in a Mean Girls sequel, to E! News



??? Guess Who ???
Which director has been brought in to helm 'Bohemian Rhapsody' after Bryan Singer's firing?


Ryan Reynolds joins cast of 'Pokemon' film 'Detective Pikachu'
Ryan Reynolds has been cast in the upcoming live-action Pokemon film, Detective Pikachu.

Reynolds has been tapped to play the titular character who acts as the leading mascot of the Pokemon brand, noted The Hollywood Reporter who cited sources that said the role will utilize motion capture.

The actor joins a cast that includes Justice Smith (The Get Down) and Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies).

Detective Pikachu, based on the popular Pokemon Nintendo video game franchise that has spawned a collectible card game and a 20-season long animated series, will revolve around the father of Smith's teenage character being kidnapped, leading him to team up with Pikachu in order to find him, Variety reported.

Newton will be portraying a journalist.

The film is being directed by Rob Letterman (Goosebumps), from a script by Nicole Perlman and Alex Hirsch. There is no set release date for the project with Universal handling distribution outside Japan and Toho handling distribution in Japan.

Reynolds will next be seen in Fox's upcoming superhero sequel Deadpool 2 which arrives in theaters on June 1.


John Mayer offers update following emergency appendectomy
John Mayer gave fans an update on his condition after he was recently hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy.

"Thank you everyone for the well wishes. Had surgery yesterday and woke up to see some amazingly kind and loving tweets," the singer said on Twitter.

"I'm so sorry that we couldn't finish out the last few dates of the tour. This band and these shows mean the world to me. Love you all dearly," he continued.

Mayer was hospitalized Tuesday in New Orleans. The 40-year-old was currently on tour with his band Dead & Company which he formed with former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.

"Still got it," Mayer also posted on Instagram alongside a selfie of himself wearing a hospital gown while inside a bathroom.

Dead & Company released a statement announcing that a handful of upcoming shows in Florida and New Orleans have to be postponed due to Mayer's condition.

"John Mayer is recovering from the emergency appendectomy he underwent yesterday and is in good spirits," the band said.

"The Dead & Company concerts scheduled for December 7 in Orlando, Florida and December 8 in Sunrise, Florida, in addition to the December 5 show in New Orleans, are postponed," they continued.


??? Guess Who ???
Which director has been brought in to helm 'Bohemian Rhapsody' after Bryan Singer's firing?

Fox has hired filmmaker Dexter Fletcher as the new director of Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody following the firing of Bryan Singer.

Production on the film is set to resume next week in London with Fletcher at the helm, noted The Hollywood Reporter.

Fletcher has previously directed Eddie the Eagle for Fox and Wild Bill. He also acted in films such as Kick-Ass and Stardust.

There remains about two more weeks of shooting on Bohemian Rhapsody, Variety noted, citing sources.

Fletcher joins the production after Singer was fired on Monday after he failed to show up to set on multiple occasions.

Singer, a staple at Fox who has helmed multiple entries in their X-Men franchise, disputed the studio's claims and released a statement through his attorney Andrew B. Brettler saying that he was not given time to deal with an illness in the family and his own health.

"I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first," Singer said and also dismissed rumors about having a dispute with the film's star Rami Malek who is playing Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury.

Bohemian Rhapsody, scripted by Anthony McCarten, with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor serving as music producers, will follow the years leading up the band's Live Aid concert in 1985.

The cast also includes Allen Leech as Mercury's personal manager Paul Prenter, Ben Hardy as Taylor, Gwilym Lee as May and Joe Mazzello as John 'Decay' Deacon, the bassist and composer who handled Queen's financial dealings.

The film is still set for release on Dec. 25, 2018.