The Hate U Give (2018), Songs About Africa, part 2 & This Week's Statistics

As a dedicated cinephile and a fanatic list-maker, I list every movie that I’ve ever seen, be it in a cinema, on TV, on video, on DVD, or on my computer. I’ve been doing it since I was 9-years-old. I also grade my films, on a scale of 1 to 10. I don’t often give out a 10, less so as I grow older. The last time I awarded a feature film with my highest mark was in 2013 (also a short film in 2015.) Well, a few moments ago I awarded a film with the grade of 10/10. This is the film we’ll be talking about today.

The Hate U Give (2018), directed by George Tillman, Jr., is not a gay-themed film. Not at all. It is a film that examines the racism that permeates American society (in this case) but also the rest of the world. So, since racism and homophobia go hand-in-hand more often than not, this film is also about us: it’s about every human being.

Starr Carter (an amazing Amandla Stenberg) is a black girl who lives with her parents. Her father is a store-owner and her mother works at a hospital. (Two more impeccable performances by Russell Hornsby and Regina Hall.) The family lives in the “black” neighborhood but Starr, along with her two brothers, are sent to a “white” private school, so that they will have a chance to go to college and flourish, instead of ending up around gangs, drugs, or teenage pregnancies, as is their mother’s reasoning. At the same time, their father teaches them from a very young age the 101 for surviving a chance encounter with the police. The Carters are a good, loving family.

Starr has to have two faces: one for her school, where she needs to blend in with the privileged kids and one for the neighborhood, where she needs to downplay her education. It’s a tricky situation but Starr is intelligent and articulate enough to balance the two, even at the expense of letting her real self shine through.

Things change when Starr is a first-hand witness to a tragic act that turns the tables for everyone. From that moment on, things escalate to tragedy – but also to the life-affirming aversion of further tragedy. I will say no more, in order not to spoil it for you. There will be tears but there will be smiles as well…

The film won the Best Narrative English-Language Feature award in the Chicago International Film Festival. The Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society awarded it with Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Breakthrough Performance for Amandla Stenberg. The film was also a winner or nominee in numerous Film Critics Associations; in all, its pedigree is 17 wins and 22 nominations.

Here are excerpts of reviews for this film:

Jessica Kiang in Variety: “Without compromising the complexity of the issues raised, or condescending to the youth of its protagonists, The Hate U Give strides with absorbing, intelligent certainty through the desperately dangerous, uneven terrain of racially divided America.”

Kate Erbland in IndieWire: “It’s a film that contains multitudes, and only asks for a world willing to do the same.”

Katey Rich in Vanity Fair: “It doesn’t take a dystopian future or a sci-fi bent to present a teenage girl who faces enormous stakes and near-constant potential for violence, and The Hate U Give represents Hollywood’s first real ability to recognize that.”

The following is my reaction after the film ended. It was the first paragraph I wrote. Excuse me for using all caps but that’s how strongly I feel about it:

WE ALL CELEBRATE OUR NATIONAL HOLIDAYS, THE VICTORIES, TRIUMPHS, AND EXTREME ACTS OF HUMANITY. THAT IS PART OF WHAT MAKES US WHAT WE ARE. BUT OUR NATIONAL DISGRACES, INDIGNITIES, AND WRONGDOINGS ALSO MAKE US WHAT WE ARE. IF WE ARE TO PROGRESS AT ALL AS A SPECIES, EVERY ONE OF US, THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, MUST RECOGNIZE THESE DARK MOMENTS AND ATONE FOR THEM. EVERY COUNTRY HAS SOME. UNTIL WE SEE EVERYTHING AS IT REALLY IS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BOIL IN THIS CAULDRON OF BARBARISM THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BURN US TO NOTHINGNESS.

As an epilogue, John Donne’s classic poem is more than fitting:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee. 

This is the film’s trailer:

These are interviews by the film’s actors and crew:

The song We Won't Move, performed by Arlissa, was shortlisted for the Best Song Oscar. It should have made the final five:

This is the title song, by Bobby Sessions ft. Keite Young:

Also in the film, DNA., By Kendrick Lamar:

Also in the film, Ocean Eyes, by Billie Eilish:

Also in the film, All Eyez on Me, by Tupac Shakur:

Also in the film, Hey Baby, by Diplo vs. Dimitri 'Vegas' Thivaios (as Dimitri Vegas) and Michael Thivaios (as Like Mike) feat. Deb's Daughter:

I think it’s appropriate to listen to a few more songs that have something to do with Africa, be it their title, subject matter, or the performing artist. Today, we begin with South Africa, specifically Johanessburg. Gimme Hope Jo'anna by Eddy Grant is actually about this city:

Weeping is an anti-apartheid protest song written by Dan Heymann in the mid-1980s, and first recorded by Heymann and the South African group Bright Blue in 1987:

Sun City is a 1985 protest song written by Steven Van Zandt, produced by Van Zandt and Arthur Baker and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid:

Now, here are three songs about the great Nelson Mandela. Free Nelson Mandela (1984) was written and performed by The Special A.K.A.:

We have listened to Hugh Masekela in part 1 of this story. In 1987 he released a protest song called Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela):

Happy Ever After by Julia Fordham was inspired by Nelson Mandela's struggle through apartheid in South Africa and his imprisonment:

I will not leave South Africa before reminding you of the two gay South African artists that I had the honor to present on this blog. This is Khanyisa "Majola" Buti with one of his best songs. It’s called Mountain View and it’s about gay love. Unfortunately, the sublime studio version is not on YouTube but this is a great live version:

The most famous gay singer from South Africa is Nakhane Touré. Here he is with Fog:

Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas was a collaborative effort in 1984 to raise awareness and funds for the famine in Ethiopia at the time. Written by Irish singer Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure, the song featured some of the biggest names in music at the time: David Bowie, George Michael, Duran Duran, Culture Club, U2, Kool and the Gang, Sting, and countless others:

Following the success of Do They Know it’s Christmas, Michael Jackson was inspired to co-write We Are the World with Lionel Richie to raise further funds for African famine relief. The song was released on March 7, 1985, and boasted an even more impressive star-studded roster for the tune, with the likes of Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder contributing. The song received numerous honors, including three Grammy Awards. Despite controversy about the somewhat self-aggrandizing lyrics, the song raised more than $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US:

The little-known British band Latin Quarter reached chart success with its 1985 single, Radio Africa. The somewhat light tone of the melody does not hide the political nature of the song that talks about “hearing only bad news from Radio Africa,” as the band goes on to mention a variety of conflicts from the continent, ranging from war to famine, to oppression by Robert Mugabe to foreign investment and colonization.

In true "old Kanye" fashion, the rapper offers a highly self-aware and cutting message on his 2004 single "Diamonds From Sierra Leone." The song's remix featuring Jay Z is even more poignant. The song centers on the issue of conflict diamonds. West expresses an internal conflict that leaves him torn between his innate love for the flossy stone and suffocating guilt about how it's excavated. "See a part of me says 'keep shining.' How? When I know what a blood diamond is," he rhymes:

Miles Davis was one of many early jazz artists who showed a concerted desire to connect with Africa through his compositions. Nefertiti is one of his more obvious homages, but many of his later, more experimental songs contained rhythmic African sounds. The 1968 record, named after that famous Egyptian queen, features haunting horn riffs and features Herbie Hancock on the keys:

On Liberian Girl, Micheal Jackson finds himself singing to a Liberian woman whom he's fallen deeply in love with. The song was released in 1989, the same year as the onset of the First Liberian Civil War, and many women in the country found the song empowering:

Lauryn Hill made this song while she was pregnant with her first child, Zion. It references the Biblical city of Jerusalem and also draws on the Rastafarian interpretation of Zion as Africa. She sings of a return to "beautiful Zion" through the birth of her son, and in speaking of her, then, oncoming motherhood, she offers a metaphorical nod to "Mother Africa."

On Africa Landó, notable Afro-Peruvian band, Novalima, tell the story of an African slave brought to South America by Spaniards. The song details the struggles that the young girl faces and forces listeners to reflect on the often overlooked history of slavery in Latin America and its lingering effects on Afro-Latino populations:

Much like his father, Damien Marley's music is also heavily rooted in Rastafarian ideals. On him and Nas' 2009 joint album with Distant Relatives, the two artist reference the continent as a way of highlighting the shared roots of black people across the diaspora. On Land of Promise Marley asks listeners to envision the continent in a new light, by paralleling African cities with major US cities." Imagine Ghana like California with Sunset Boulevard, Johannesburg would be Miami, Somalia like New York," sings Marley on the songs opening verse.

With the song Africa, D'Angelo crafts a soul-stirring ode to the continent in a way that only he could. "Africa is my descent, Africa is my descent, and here I am far from home. I dwell within a land that is meant for many men, not my tone," he chants over glimmering production. It's reflective, dreamy and evocative of everything that's hopeful about the continent.

In Brown Skin Lady, a mellow 1998 track, Talib Kweli and the artist formerly known as Mos Def, recording as Black Star, praise the beauty of the black women atop classic, late 90s hip hop production. They knock Eurocentric standards of beauty and highlight melanin-enriched women across the diaspora from the Caribbean to Latin America and beyond. They make specific mention of women in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, and Botswana.

There are many more songs on the subject, so, perhaps a third part to the story? We’ll see…

Finally, these are our statistics; As far as countries are concerned, the United States, Canada, and Australia see their all-time rates rise, the latter two rewarded with a one-place climb on the all-time top 10. Meanwhile, France and Greece experience minor losses. The rest of the major players keep their percentages stable.

Here are this week's Top 10 countries:

1. the United States

2. the United Kingdom

3. Canada

4. Germany

5. Australia

6. France

7. Brazil

8. Greece

9. Russia

10. Spain

Here are the other countries that graced us with their presence since our last statistics (alphabetically): Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, FYR Of Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Happy to have you all!

And here's the all-time Top 10:

1. the United States = 33.1%

2. France = 16.9%

3. the United Kingdom = 11.3%

4. Greece = 7.9%

5. Russia = 2.7%

6. Canada = 2.0%

7. Germany = 1.9%

8. Australia = 0.92%

9. Italy = 0.90%

10. Cyprus = 0.81%

That's all for today, folks. Till the next one!

We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2018) & Songs About Africa

Yesterday was the birthday of a gay Facebook friend from Ghana. It would have been his 32^nd birthday. I wrote a “Happy Birthday!” wish on his page – but it wasn’t he who answered. Somebody else wrote that this boy was dead. I have never met him up close and I probably haven’t exchanged more than a couple of greetings with him but it hit me hard: a 32-year-old should be celebrating their birthday…

Coincidentally, I have just watched a movie from Nigeria that shows how difficult it is to be gay in (much of) Africa, even today. This is the movie we will be discussing today.

The movie is called We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2018), it is directed by Tope Oshin and The Initiative For Equal Rights helped get the film made. The event that kicks off the film happens off-camera, two 17-18-year-old school male students (charismatic Temidayo Akinboro and Francis Sule)being caught by a teacher having sex in an empty classroom. Our awareness of the event comes from a reaction shot of the teacher – she screams and runs out the corridor and throws up. She then informs the principal.

We then become acquainted with the boys’ mothers. There is Nkem (an excellent performance from Katherine Obiang), a single mother of modest means who works in a nursery school and is presented as even-tempered and empathetic. The other is Nike (a deliciously over-the-top performance by Funlola Aofiyebi) a successful businesswoman who is presented as resourceful but also ruthless when it suits her purpose.

Both mothers are called in by the principal to discuss the expulsion of their offspring. They both (originally) refuse to accept that their sons might be gay but they both ferociously defend their sons. Each does it differently: Nkem tries to communicate with her son, Chidi, lovingly, even if her solutions to the problem (prayers and appealing to people’s good nature) are ineffectual. Nike protects Tolu from his father’s rage and goes into damage-control. She decides to spin this as non-consensual sex, or simply put to accuse Chidi of raping Tolu, which is a lie. Tolu protests but the narrative is out of his control at this point.

Nike’s plan originally works (it helps that the family is a benefactor of the school) but eventually things spin out of control and both mothers find themselves coping with great loss. The open-ended final scene, however, introduces a ray of hope: some form of happiness is perhaps possible.

The film actually works: the director expertly shifts the focus between the main characters, making sure that all points-of-view are served. There is not one boring moment. The screenplay is highly melodramatic but at the same time, it is grounded to the particular reality of said time and place. Most of the acting is from passable to good – and even some bad acting (the principal, the teacher who witnesses the deed, Nkem’s female co-worker) doesn’t affect the end result. There’s also some very bad make-up (Chidi’s bumps and bruises) but that is also excusable.

What would have elevated the film even further, in my opinion, would be more interaction between Chidi and Tolu. The two boys are together on screen just for a few seconds. If we were more acquainted with them as a couple, the later developments would be all the more powerful.

But this is probably First World critique. Showing them together would necessitate showing male-to-male intimacy – and I’m not sure that such a movie would be allowed to be made or shown in Nigeria. Even as it is, with not even a frame of sex or nudity, the local film-board set the age-limit for the film at 15-years-old. Let’s just be thankful that it was allowed to be shown at all.

To end this on a positive note, the film won 4 major BON Awards (the Nigerian Oscars) out of 10 nominations. It won Best Picture, Director, Editing, and Most Promising Male Act. I think you should check this movie out.

This is the film’s trailer:

Since we’re on the subject of Africa, let’s listen to a few songs inspired by Africa and/or recorded by African artists. Let’s start from Nigeria: Band On The Run (1973) was Paul McCartney’s best album outside of the Beatles. He recorded it, along with his wife Linda and Denny Laine (as Paul McCartney & Wings), in Lagos, Nigeria. Jet is one of the album’s best tracks:

Graceland (1986) is among the three best solo albums by Paul Simon. It was partly recorded in South Africa. Under African Skies is one of the album’s best tracks. This version is from the Under African Skies Live Concert in 1987. With him is South Africa’s singing legend, Miriam Makeba:

Speaking of Miriam Makeba, here she is with Soweto Blues, a song written by Hugh Masekela about the Soweto uprising, which was forcefully put down by the police, leading to the death of between 176 and 700 people. This is a live version, also from the Under African Skies Live Concert:

Pata Pata is her most famous song internationally:

Speaking of protest songs about South Africa, Peter Gabriel’s Biko (1980) is a musical eulogy, inspired by the death of the black South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in police custody on 12 September 1977. Here it is:

A couple of paragraphs ago, we spoke of Hugh Masekela: Grazing In The Grass was his biggest international hit, a #1 US hit:

A Night in Tunisia (1942) was one of Dizzy Gillespie’s signature tunes. This version is featuring the great Charlie Parker:

Bing Crosby recorded (We're Off on the) Road to Morocco in 1944:

Kilimandjaro (1966) was one of the definitive French songs of the 1960s and Pascal Danel's biggest hit:

… while Kilimanjaro (2010) was composed by A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) and sung by Javed Ali and Chinmayi:

In Zaire by Johnny Wakelin & The Kinshasa Band was a big hit in the UK and most of Europe in 1976. It is a homage to the boxing champion Muhammad Ali who fought on 30 October 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire, against George Foreman in a matchup known as The Rumble in the Jungle, gaining victory in the eighth round.

Africa (1982) was a huge hit (#1 US) for Toto:

Crosby, Stills, and Nash had a US Top 30 hit with Marrakesh Express in 1969:

Dr. Livingstone, I Presume (1968) was a single B-side by the Moody Blues. The lyrics in the opening verse describe the accomplishments of Dr. Livingstone, who was a Scottish missionary and explorer in central Africa:

Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers (an act certainly worth discovering) had a hit in 1977 in the UK with Egyptian Reggae:

Baltimora had a big hit with Tarzan Boy (1985):

Tarzan & Jane (1998) is a song by Danish bubblegum dance group Toy-Box:

Babacar is a 1987 song recorded by French singer France Gall. Written by Michel Berger and released on 3 April 1987, it reached the top 20 in France and Germany.  All copyright revenue was donated to the family of Babacar (a little boy in Africa, Babacar Sall, whom they got to know on one of their vacations).

Ubangi Stomp has been recorded by many. It tells the story of a sailor who goes to Africa. This is Jerry Lee Lewis’ version from 1958:

Saga Africa is a song recorded by the former professional tennis player Yannick Noah in 1991:

Zamina mina (Zangaléwa) is a 1986 hit song, sung by a makossa group from Cameroon originally named Golden Sounds, popular in Africa for their use of dance and costumes. Due to the song's popularity, the group renamed to Zangaléwa during its mainstream success. Zangaléwa pays tribute to African skirmishers (a.k.a. tirailleurs) during World War II. Most of the band members were in the Cameroonian Army themselves.

In 2010, Shakira borrowed the chorus from the above song for the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. The result was the hit Waka Waka (This Time for Africa):

Oh Africa is a song performed by the artist Akon featuring Keri Hilson and was released to raise funds for Akon's charity to aid underprivileged children in Africa.

The great Bob Marley & The Wailers had many songs about Africa. In the song Africa Unite (1979), Marley proclaims Pan-African solidarity.

The song Zimbabwe was performed at Zimbabwe's Independence Celebration in 1980:

Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together is the anthem of the African Union:

Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma) (1976) by Brazilian Jorge Ben Jor, a well known football-related track, has been described as "[possibly] one of the best songs about sports ever written."

Swedish band Yaki-Da released Pride of Africa in 1995:

In 1976, Bob Dylan released Mozambique. This is a live version:

Kenyan singer-songwriter Ayub Ogada was a busker on the Northern Line in London when he came to Real World's attention in the late 80s. His only record for the label, in 1993, proved that it was a meeting of minds, with his disarmingly simple arrangements, allowed to hang there unadorned, making a lasting impression. Simply backing himself (albeit with virtuosic ease) on an East African lyre called a nyatiti, this record introduced Ayub as a performer of great charm, his warm vocals never leaving center stage. Kothbiro is my favorite song:

Cesaria Evora is one of the queens of World Music. Canadian Loreena McKennitt dedicated Tango to Evora to this great singer from Cape Verde:

Cesaria Evora herself sang about Angola:

… and this is my favorite song of hers, Sodade:

Youssou N’Dour is a superb singer from Senegal. This is his song, Moor Ndaje:

… and this is his international smash hit duet with Neneh Cherry, the moving 7 Seconds:

There are so many more great songs that I could play… If you want more, just say so in the comments’ section and there will be a second part. It’s up to you. For the moment, goodbye to everybody and a big hug. Keep yourselves healthy and safe, my friends!

A noteworthy Oscar fact, The Best Cover Songs of 2018, part 5 & This Week's Statistics

Hello again, my friends! For various reasons (pleasant, unpleasant, and otherwise,) I haven’t written a new story in two weeks. Well, I’m back with a piece of Oscar statistics that you probably won’t find anywhere else, which will give you ammunition to silence the annoying Oscar-know-it-all at the next party that you attend. Also, today, finally, the ultimate part of the list with the best cover songs of 2018, as well as the week's statistics.

Richard Burton

You all know that Meryl Streep is the actor with the most Oscar nominations and that Katharine Hepburn is the actor with the most Oscar wins – but do you know the film characters with the most nominations and wins? A few years ago I didn’t but I was curious to find out. So, I did a little research and developed a list. A list that stayed the same – until a couple of weeks ago. So, without further ado, here are the movie characters with the most Oscar nominations or wins.

A king of England was the first character that managed three nominations or wins to his name: the colorful Henry VIII. Charles Laughton won the Best Actor Oscar in 1932-33 portraying King Henry VIII in The Private Life of Henry VIII. Here is a scene from the film:

Robert Shaw was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1966 for his own take in A Man For All Seasons:

Finally, three years later, Richard Burton was nominated for Best Actor as Henry VIII in Anne Of A Thousand Days:

Henry VIII wore this crown for more than 30 years before he had to share it with his daughter, Elizabeth I. In 1998, Elizabeth had two nominations. Judi Dench portrayed the monarch in advanced age in Shakespeare in Love and won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar:

That same year, Cate Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress portraying a much younger Elizabeth in the film called, quite simply, Elizabeth:

Finally, in 2007, Elizabeth had as many nominations as her father. It was Cate Blanchett again who was nominated for Best Actress in Elizabeth: The Golden Age:

A real-life father and daughter held the scepter until a few days ago when a fictitious husband and wife also rose to the podium. All four versions of A Star is Born were nominated for various Oscars but Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson failed to get acting nominations. The other three couples did, however.

In 1937 both Janet Gaynor and Fredric March were nominated:

The same happened in 1954, in my favorite version, which got Judy Garland James Mason nominated:

All it needed was for Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper to receive Oscar nominations this year, which they did. Here they are, singing the Best Song Oscar favorite, Shallow:

These are the only movie characters with three nominations each. Do you want to know which characters have received two nominations? Here they are:

Vito Corleone was Marlon Brando’s second Best Actor Oscar, in 1972’s The Godfather:

Two years later, Robert De Niro won the Supporting Actor Oscar for The Godfather: part II:

Michael Corleone was Vito’s favorite son. He too received two nominations, both for Al Pacino. In 1972, a Supporting Actor nomination for The Godfather:

And in 1974, a Best Actor nomination for The Godfather: part II:

It wasn’t only the A Star is Born couple that climbed to a higher position this year: it was also Vincent Van Gogh, who was first nominated for Best Actor, through Kirk Douglas’ performance, in 1956, for Lust For Life:

It was Willem Dafoe turn to be nominated for Best Actor this year, for At Eternity’s Gate:

Also with two nominations, two fictitious characters called Joe Pendleton and Max Corkle. The former had two Best Actor nominations, while the latter had two Supporting Actor nominations. It was first achieved by Robert Montgomery and James Gleason, in 1941, for Here Comes Mr. Jordan:

Then again, in 1978, by Warren Beatty and Jack Warden, for Heaven Can Wait:

W. Somerset Maugham created a strong female character in the hit stage play The Letter with Leslie Crosbie – and the two actresses who portrayed her both earned Best Actress nominations. In 1929, Jeanne Eagels received the first posthumous Academy Award nomination for an actor:

… Then, in 1940, the fabulous Bette Davis totally inhabited the role:

The character of Henry Higgins was created for George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion and also used at the smash hit musical My Fair Lady, which was adapted from Pygmalion. Both versions made it to screen – and each time Henry Higgins received a Best Actor nomination. In 1938, it was Leslie Howard for Pygmalion:

… And in 1964, it was Rex Harrison for My Fair Lady:

Mr. Chips aka Arthur Chipping was a character in a best-selling novel that became a movie twice – the second time as a musical – called Goodbye Mr. Chips. Robert Donat won the Best Actor Oscar in 1939:

… And Peter O’Toole received a Best Actor nomination in 1969:

… More Peter O’Toole for you: he was actually nominated for Best Actor for portraying King Henry II of England twice, in two completely different films. First came Becket, in 1964:

… And in 1968, it was The Lion In Winter:

A third King of England named Henry appears on our list. It’s Henry V. In 1945, it was Laurence Olivier who received a Best Actor nomination:

… In 1989, it was Kenneth Branagh’s turn:

So far we’ve had 4 English monarchs, we also have two Presidents of the USA. In 1940, Raymond Massey received a Best Actor nomination for portraying Abraham Lincoln in Abe Lincoln In Illinois:

In 2012, Daniel Day Lewis became a 3-time Best Actor winner for Lincoln:

From a famous to an infamous president: In 1995, Anthony Hopkins received a Best Actor nomination for portraying Richard Nixon in the film called Nixon:

In 2008, it was Frank Langella who did the same, the film was Frost/Nixon:

A fierce warrior with the heart of a poet and an enormous nose - Cyrano de Bergerac was the vehicle for a Best Actor Oscar win for Jose Ferrer in 1950:

Gerard Depardieu was nominated for portraying the same character in 1989:

One of Paul Newman’s early Best Actor nominations came in 1961 for his portrayal of “Fast Eddie" Felson in The Hustler:

… Then, in 1986, he reprised the role for The Color Of Money, which brought him the coveted Oscar win:

John Wayne was a Best Actor winner for portraying Rooster Cogburn in 1969’s True Grit:

The Coen brothers’ remake in 2010 gave Jeff Bridges a Best Actor nomination for playing the same character:

The movie Iris (2001) was about writer Iris Murdoch. The older Iris was portrayed by Judi Dench, while the younger was played by Kate Winslet. They both received Oscar nominations (for Best Actress and Supporting Actress respectively):

Similarly, Rose DeWitt Bukater was portrayed by two actresses in Titanic (1997). Kate Winslet (again) was young Rose DeWitt Bukater, while Gloria Stuart was the old version of the same character. They both received Oscar nominations (for Best Actress and Supporting Actress respectively):

Reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes is also on the list. His first Oscar nomination came in 1980 when Jason Robards was nominated for Supporting Actor for the film Melvyn And Howard:

… And in 2004, Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for Best Actor for the film The Aviator:

Finally, there are also men of religion on this list. Bing Crosby portrayed Father Chuck O'Malley both in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells Of St. Mary’s (1945). He won a Best Actor Oscar for the former:

… And was nominated for one for the latter:

Technically, Going My Way merits one more mention. In 1944, Barry Fitzgerald was nominated both for Best Actor andSupporting Actor for his turn in Going My Way. It seems that the voters had a hard time making up their mind. He eventually won for Supporting Actor. This was the only time such a phenomenon happened at the Oscars.

Now, let’s conclude the list with the best cover songs of 2018:

10. Zayn covering Can’t Help Falling in Love.

Can’t Help Falling in Love has gotten a whole lot of attention from a whole lot of artists over the years but former One Directioner Zayn Malik’s cover goes in a new direction, and a very welcome one. The song’s melody is massaged, the volume moves all around as instruments drop in and out, and Zayn’s voice glides around and through the sound like it’s only lived there all its life. Result: a sensuous R&B with a magic chill to it. He may have a boy-band background, but Zayn’s cover is the work of a mature artist, and we can’t help falling in love with it. – Patrick Robbins

This is the original version by Elvis Presley:

9. Cake covering Reincarnation.

Cake is that odd, loveable band that manages to succeed with sounds that, wielded in lesser hands, might come across as cheesy. Case in point: their cover of the Roger Miller song Reincarnation. The sharp vocals and guitar, combined with easy drums and harmonies, cross the decades to make an oldie sound pretty new. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a worthy tribute to a great voice in honky-tonk history. – Angela Hughey

This is the original version by Roger Miller:

8. Bronze Avery covering Never Gonna Give You Up.

The definition of “pop” may change over time, but a song’s romantic appeal does not. Rick Astley may be old enough to be Bronze Avery’s father, but that doesn’t matter when Avery sinks his teeth into Astley’s immortal hit. Instead of the original’s meme-able 1980s dance moves, aerial body shots by the pool incite the kind of drooling that happens with true pop music fantasy romance. Given Bronze Avery’s hip-hop leanings, his daring move to cover this classic is an admirable one. Just like Astley’s seductive looks through aviator shades melted our ’80s hearts, Avery’s smooth, belting vocals will sweep anyone off their feet, no matter the time period. – Elizabeth Erenberg

This is the original version by Rick Astley:

7. Meshell Ndegeocello covering Sometimes It Snows In April.

If imitation is but flattery, then this version, dragged back to the pure essence of the song, is surely sincere. Ndegeocello, never a stranger to classy cover versions, effortlessly adds by subtraction. Jump to the 2:40 mark, where she breaks briefly into upper key and it is just wonderful. Altogether less fancy than the original, however restrained it is by Prince standards, this is truly a masterclass in control. – Seuras Og

This is the original version by Prince:

Listen to it here.

6. The Melvins covering I Want to Hold Your Hand.

Melvins have taken I Want to Hold Your Hand, a song that made 1960s teenagers pass out from screaming, and allowed modern-day teenagers to also pass out from screaming – but for very different reasons. They bring in squealing guitars and heavy-metal drums, while still keeping the classic vocal harmonies of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. That’s all you can ask for in a situation like this. It inspired me to listen to the original right afterward, and then go back to this one again. So uniquely different and yet friendly to one another. One of the top YouTube comments says: “This is how you do a cover.” I tend to agree. – Elizabeth Erenberg

This is the original version by the Beatles:

5. Sugarland covering Tony.

A good year for “Tony covers” means a bad year for America. Patty Griffin’s powerful, painful story of homophobia and self-hatred remains sadly relevant these days. Americana singer-songwriter Mark Erelli covered the tune in January on his covers album as a stripped-down stomper in the mold of The Band. Country music powerhouses Sugarland, though, go big in a chill-inducing live performance. The pomp and circumstance of the arena-sized production only give the raw and brutal lyrics that much more power. Bonus credit due, too, for a band not just preaching to the choir. Country music remains just about the only genre left where a chunk of the audience leans right on social issues, so performing this particular song shows the band taking a stand on a subject where it counts. – Ray Padgett

This is the original version by Patty Griffin:

4. Choir! Choir! Choir! ft. David Byrne covering Heroes.

This version of Heroes boasts more performers than the other forty-nine covers here combined. That’s because it’s performed by a large crowd of amateurs. Their voices may not be any great shakes alone, but when properly guided and raised en masse, they channel great waves of emotion. Floating above them all is the voice of a man who does know how to sing, and in David Byrne, the song has the perfect vehicle for the expression of self-belief – still gawky and earnest after all these years, still knowing the key that will set listeners free. No song this year caused more goosebumps and moist eyes on my person than this one. – Patrick Robbins

This is the original version by David Bowie:

3. Hot 8 Brass Band covering Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Oh no, not another cover of this old staple, say you. Hang on, say I, I can guarantee this is nothing like any of the others. For a start it is cheerful and upbeat, making a joyful mockery of the lyrical sentiment. But if you dance at funerals – the origin and epitome of the New Orleans marching band tradition – hell, yeah, this makes for more counter-intuitive sense than you could ever shake a leg at. Hot 8 have history here and this takes them to another level. – Seuras Og

This is the original version by the Joy Division:

2. Biffy Clyro covering Modern Love.

One of the year’s more irreverent covers – and, from my limited research playing this for people, one of the most polarizing. A screamo take on David Bowie will do that, I suppose. Scottish trio Biffy Clyro’s pulverizing hard rock works wonderfully for me, though, remaking a great lyric and melody in the band’s image. Having deliberately chosen a Bowie song that sounded nothing like them, they dispense entirely with the original’s swing, and the gospel choir, in favor of a pummeling rage. Singer Simon Neil tempers the throat-shredding verses with more melodic choruses, providing moments of welcome relief from the hollering. Releasing this as part of a Bowie tribute set, they surely knew they would piss off some Bowie fans. Their willingness to go full-throttle anyway puts this above just about any other Bowie cover released since his death. – Ray Padgett

This is the original version by David Bowie:

1. John Prine ft. The Secret Sisters covering I Just Called to Say I Love You.

What John Prine did to I Just Called To Say I Love You is amazing. He didn’t just remake it; he had to crack through both the tremendously thick crust of schmaltz around the song and the long-stewing resentment against the song. In Prine’s hands, it’s not a joke anymore; it actually means something. I went into listening to his performance with a healthy dose of cynicism; I came out with my cynicism destroyed, replaced by a sense of wonder. If like me, you don’t think you want to hear it at first on account of all that you associate with it, I’m asking you to give it the chance it deserves. It may be the only cover I’ve ever heard that has the power to make you a better person. – Patrick Robbins

This is the original version by Stevie Wonder:

Finally, these are our statistics; As far as countries are concerned, the United States, Australia, and Cambodia see their all-time rates rise, while France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Cyprus experience minor losses. The rest of the major players keep their percentages stable.

Here are this week's Top 10 countries:

1. the United States

2. the United Kingdom

3. Canada

4. Germany

5. Australia

6. France

7. Italy

8. Cambodia

9. Brazil

10. Greece

Here are the other countries that graced us with their presence since our last statistics (alphabetically): Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, FYR Of Macedonia, Georgia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Happy to have you all!

And here's the all-time Top 10:

1. the United States = 32.9%

2. France = 17.0%

3. the United Kingdom = 11.3%

4. Greece = 8.0%

5. Russia = 2.7%

6. Germany = 1.9%

7. Canada = 1.9%

8. Italy = 0.90%

9. Australia = 0.90%

10. Cyprus = 0.81%

That's all for today, folks. Till the next one!