Tony Rock, brother of Chris, is the host of Los Angeles’s weekly All Def Comedy Live, a comedy showcase that happens in Hollywood’s Chinese Theater—just steps away from the Dolby Theatre where Chris will host the Oscars on February 28. So on the February 24 edition of the showcase, Rock and mogul Russell Simmons are doing what any good showmen would do: taking advantage of the moment and turning it into a real event
The Wednesday before the Oscars, Tony Rock will host the All Def Movie Awards as part of the weekly showcase, handing out awards like Best Black Survivor, Most Helpful White Person, and of course, Best Picture. They’re not calling it the black Oscars, but the nominees for best picture—Beasts of No Nation, Chi-Raq, Concussion, Creed, Dope, and Straight Outta Compton—essentially get you there. “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” Rock said, via the Wrap. “We’ll honor the entire movie-making process. Great acting, mediocre acting as well as horrible acting. Soundtracks. Wardrobes. Maybe even craft services — the best part of the set. This is the award show Hollywood has been waiting for.”
“The All Def Movie Awards are not the Black Oscars, but they could be,” added Simmons. “This will be a fun, entertaining and hopefully thought provoking celebration of the uncelebrated.”
True to the democratic spirit of a last-minute awards show attached to a comedy showcase, the public can vote on two of the night’s awards—Best Picture and Most Quoted Movie. It’s your chance to toss a vote toward Straight Outta Compton or Friday (a Most Quoted Movie nominee). What Oscar voter gets the chance to do that?
