Washington Black is a compelling, new, 8-episode limited series that masterfully balances showcasing the brutality of racism throughout history with the boldness of imagination for the future. Adapted from Esi Edugyan’s award-winning novel, the series follows the extraordinary journey of a young boy named Wash. Born into slavery in 19th-century Barbados, he escapes captivity across continents in pursuit of his freedom, identity, and belonging. A wild ride.
Ask any SoCal native and they’ll tell you, Coachella’s best party is by far the Neon Carnival party. Neon Carnival is an event that music festival goers look forward to every year. It’s a late-night celebration that brings together some of the biggest names in entertainment and lifestyle for a night of fun and dancing under the stars. This year, the Neon Carnival celebrated its twelfth year, and it did not disappoint.
Boo2Bullying hosted their 4th annual “BOO BALL” charity event during Halloween weekend at the SLS Hotel. Attendees dressed in sparkly flapper dresses with sheer gloves and black tie suits as the theme this year was “The Golden Age of Hollywood.” Fine furs and ruby jewels were seen glimmering around the vintage ghoul decorated room. Delicious hors d’oeuvres and an open bar with NEFT Vodka was servedfor guests to enjoy.
The red carpet was hosted by Jonathan Bennett and Jaymes Vaughn, as magician Erik Blackwell performed while the crowd ooh’d and ahh’d. Live performances by Jamie Miller (The Voice UK) as well as Louis Knight (American Idol season 18 and 19) and Katie Welch kept attendees entertained for the evening.
As we gear up for the holidays, we often ask ourselves how we can give back and make a difference in other’s lives. This organization prides itself on youth empowerment initiatives to help those children and families in need. All proceeds from the gala benefit Boo2Bullying Suicide Prevention and anti-bullying programs in schools and on social media. Originally in Palm Springs, this locally-based nonprofit organization founded by Dimitri Halkidis has recently moved to LA.
“Boo2Bullying works to educate kids, schools andparents about acceptance, diversity, and inclusion.”
On Tuesday, the iconic fashion designer, Betsey Johnson, celebrated her 80th birthday with LA’s hottest influencers and celebs. The event was held at Lombardi House in Hollywood and Selling Sunset’s, Christine Quinn was in attendance.
In true Betsey fashion, shirtless men with beefy muscles greeted guests with rose at the door. Old TVs and colorful, yellow and green lawn chairs were sprinkled throughout the venue as bartenders wearing “BOYS <3 BJs” offered the crowd pink Palomas and ice cold margaritas. Vintage pink flamingos laced the lawn making for the perfect photo op. The designer who turned 80 on August 10th also released a new “80th birthday collection” that many LA it girls were seen sporting during the event. Euphoria star, Chloe Cherry, was seen wearing one of the latest collection’s highlight pieces: a body con, rosy printed black dress that she paired with matching combat boots; pushing the narrative that the “teenage dirtbag” Tumblr era is back. The trend (teenage dirtbag) surfaced earlier this summer on TikTok for a reason. And Betsey Johnson is not new to the “too cool for school” aesthetic. She pretty much invented the idea that minimalism is lame when creating her brand back in the 80s. With tattoo inspired designs fused with recognizable pink ballerina tulle, her maximalism attitude can’t be missed. Betsey Johnson’s universe is the epitome of fusing a masculine and feminine approach to fashion creating a name for herself that is known to be whimsical and fun even at age 80.
Rupaul’s Drag Race contestant Gottmik and the audience went wild. The crowd cheered in delight as Betsey danced alongside, eventually going into the splits. “I wish I was that flexible at 80,” was overheard as fans whipped out their iPhones to catch the performance in action. Makeup guru and internet sensation, James Charles, was seen in a matching pink blazer pant set while taking videos of Betsey as she sang. Benito Skinner, Larsen Thompson, Charlotte McKinney, Joy Corrigan, and Carmella Rose were also amongst the crowd – Talk about a guest list.
It’s no surprise that Betsey Johnson is stillas spunky, badass and relevant as she always has been. She’s crushed the idea that women need to be “ladylike” in order to be respected. Instead to Betsey, being cool is all about being authentically you. Her punk rock mentality has shifted into her designs with her new Halloween inspired spider motif patterned fits. Her accessories make a statement, like the champagne bucket-shaped bag or the birthday cupcake clutch. Betsey Johnson’s brand is always 2 steps ahead, pushing political ideologies and fashion alike. Happy birthday, Betsey!
Betsey’s 80th birthday collection is now available for purchase.
HBO Max hosted its first-ever Coachella Valley activation during Weekend 1 of the world renowned music festival. The Flight Attendant Preflight Lounge event was held at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club on April 16th and 17th.
RÜFÜS DU SOL, is an Australian group from Sydney, that consists of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt. When they aren’t bringing their ambient sounds to the white sand beaches of Tulum, they’re vibing out with musical festival junkies at Coachella, Lollapalooza or Electric Forest. The trio who now play stadiums worldwide, began back in 2010 and just won their first Grammy in the best dance/electronic recording category for their track “Alive.”
This past summer in July of 2021, the group put out ‘Alive’ as their first song in 3 years. Frontman Tyrone Lindqvist said “It’s a heavier song in some ways, but at its core it’s hopeful.”
They originally caught the attention of partygoers in 2015 when their single “You Were Right” won the ARIA Award for Best Dance Release. Their Grammy win follows two previous nominations in 2020, so for them the 3rd time was definitely the charm.
“It’s not the reason we make music, to get accolades, but it is nice to have recognition and have people identify with the work,” they told Billboard ahead of receiving the award.
The hit DJs celebrated their evening with a special one-night only event at private nightclub, Intrigue, inside the Wynn Las Vegas. The post-Grammys festivities began with a red laser light show forming into hues of magenta and cyan. The performers focused on playing songs to get the crowd bobbing up and down to the deep bass. Fans immediately were cheering in congratulations and offered a warm applause in between transitions of beat drops. Their set lasted until around 4:00am, ending with one of their most popular hits, ‘Interbloom’ to close out the late night into early morning.
The Wynn just announced a few days ago that RÜFÜS DU SOL signed a DJ residency for 2022 so fans can expect to see more of them there. RÜFÜS DU SOL is no stranger to the epic Wynn nightlife scene and will fit in seamlessly. Recently, they played a set during the Art of The Wild Festival at XS nightclub.
They also just announced their North American summer tour which kicks off in Chicago starting June.
To find out more about RÜFÜS DU SOL follow them on Instagram (@rufusdusol) and buy tickets for their tour: https://www.rufusdusol.com//tour
This past weekend the stars trekked outside of Los Angeles to celebrate the 64th annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas.
On Sunday, March 6th the 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards took place near the windy but sunny Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California.
Hulu’s highly anticipated second season of “The Great” is out and fans are already theorizing about what’s next for “Catherine” (Elle Fanning) as she finally takes the Russian throne. It’s revealed that Catherine will battle her husband, “Peter” (Nicholas Hoult) as well as the rest of the cast, “Marial” (Phoebe Fox), “Grigor” (Gwilym Lee),“Arkady” (Bayo Gbadamosi) and “Orlo” (Sacha Dhawan) as she navigates her new life as queen.
The show quickly gained popularity not only due to it’s fantastic screenwriting from the incredible, Tony McNamara’s dry humor — whose best known for “Cruella” and “The Favourite” – but also because the entire team has been transparent that this periodic series is only “occasionally true.” The show is more focused on the relationships between characters than the historical accuracy which allows the audience to enjoy the comedic tension between characters without worrying about if it actually happened in real life.
We last left off when Catherine was desperately attempting to overthrow her husband Peter III of Russia when he planned to execute her lover “Leo Voronsky” (Sebastian de Souza) in Season One.
The Knockturnal spoke with some of the cast about Season 2 but they were tight lipped at the time of the interview before the show aired. You can watch our exclusive interview with Phoebe Fox, Gwilyn Lee, Bavo Gbadamosi and Sacha Dhawan about coming back for S2 here.
We now know that Season 2 does not start with the gunshot that started the coup in the first place but rather 4 months after it happened. The plot thickens as we see these complex character’s dialogue become more intense on screen. What will Catherine have to do to become truly “Great?” More than she ever thought she would have to.
You can stream seasons 1 and 2 on Hulu now. You can watch the trailer here.
For more updates on this series you can follow The Great :
On Saturday, Kristen Stewart, Jamie Dornan, Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, along with other A-list talent presented awards to their fellow cinema colleagues at the 11th annual Hamilton Behind The Camera Awards sponsored by Hamilton Watches and Los Angeles Confidential magazine. Kirsten Dunst, who was also in attendance, graced the most recent cover of LA Confidential mag and Hamilton watches are best known for their watches making an appearance in blockbuster films such as Intersteller and The Martian.