Support Leroy on Patreon:
MOVIES - From Variety: Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" gets a November 2020 release date.
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TELEVISION - From Deadline: Chris Rock wild direct comedy pilot, "Saving Kenan," the NBC is developing for Kenan Thompson.
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STREAMING - From TheWrap: Amazon teases its much-anticipated TV series, "The Lord of the Rings," with a map.
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MUSIC - From PhillyMag: Meet the lawyer who sued Led Zeppelin.
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AVATAR - From ScreenRant: James Cameron's "Avatar" sequels to start filming live-action sequences this spring.
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STAR TREK - From Newsarama: Nickelodeon is developing an animated "Star Trek" TV series for children.
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STREAMING - From Variety: Spike Lee's next project is a Vietnam veteran drama film for Netflix. Chadewick Boseman eyed for a lead role.
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MOVIES - From Variety: Octavia Spencer is joining Anna Hathaway in a new adaption of "The Witches" (from the Roald Dahl book) for Robert Zemeckis.
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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline: Millennium Film has put its "Red Sonja" film project on hold. It was to be directed by Bryan Singer, who has been hit with multiple child sex-abuse allegations over the last few years.
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MOVIES - From Deadline: Actor Chris Evans, director Antoine Fuqua, and super-producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and producer Mark Vahradian team for "Infinite."
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MOVIES - From BleedingCool: Fox Searchlight releases the first teaser trailer for "Tokien," it biopic of "Lord of the Rings" creator, J.R.R. Tolkien.
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COMICS-FILM - From THR: Warner Bros. has hired David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to start writing "Aquaman 2." He co-wrote the first film.
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GRAMMYS - From Deadline: Here is a complete winners list. Kacey Musgraves wins "Album of the Year" for her album, "Golden Hour." Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) becomes the first rapper to win "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for his acclaimed song, "This is America."
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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 2/8 to 2/10/2019 weekend box office is "The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part" with an estimated take of $34.4 million.
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AWARDS - From TheWrap: The 2019 BAFTA Award winners have been announced. "Roma" wins best film and best film not in the English language as well as best director for Alfonso Cuaron (one of four trophies for Cuaron tonight). "The Favourite" was named best British film.
2019 / 72nd British Academy Awards (BAFTAs) winners list:
BEST FILM
“Roma” *WINNER
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
“The Favourite” *WINNER
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
“Beast,” Michael Pearce (Writer/Director), Lauren Dark (Producer) *WINNER
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“Roma” *WINNER
DOCUMENTARY
“Free Solo” *WINNER
ANIMATED FILM
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” *WINNER
DIRECTOR
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón *WINNER
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara *WINNER
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“BlacKkKlansman,” Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott *WINNER
LEADING ACTRESS
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” *WINNER
LEADING ACTOR
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite” *WINNER
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” *WINNER
ORIGINAL MUSIC
“A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Lukas Nelson *WINNER
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón *WINNER
EDITING
“Vice” *WINNER
PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Favourite” *WINNER
COSTUME DESIGN
“The Favourite” *WINNER
MAKE UP & HAIR
“The Favourite” *WINNER
SOUND
“Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
“Black Panther” *WINNER
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
“Roughhouse” *WINNER
BRITISH SHORT FILM
“73 Cows” *WINNER
EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Letitia Wright *WINNER
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley
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GRAMMYS - From CNN: Top nominees Kendrick Lamar and Drake and also Childish Gambino decline invitations to perform at tonight's 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
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STREAMING - From DreadCentral: Shudder begins production on a "Creepshow" TV series with "The Walking Dead's" Greg Nicotero.
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TELEVISION - From Variety: AMC has announced the cancellations of its TV series, "Into the Badlands" and "The Son."
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COMICS-FILM - From HeyUGuys: The third film in the "Kingsman," series will be a prequel, "Kingsman: The Great Game." Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Kick-Ass) and Gemma Arterton ("Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time") are joining the film.
OBIT:
From TheWrap: Former President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Ron W. Miller, has died at the age of 85, Saturday, February 9, 2019. Miller was president from 1978 to 1983 and was CEO in from 1983 to 1984. Miller was married to Walt Disney's daughter, the late Diane Marie Disney, with whom he had seven children. Miller also served in the U.S. Army and played one season in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams.
Saturday, February 16, 2019
A "Star Wars" Link-o-Rama 2019 by Negromancer - Update #6
Posted by Leroy Doureseaux - on Patreon.
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Big changes are coming for Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" line of comics, including the flagship "Star Wars."
RIAN JOHNSON - From ScreenRant: Rian Johnson, the writer-director of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," says that he is still working on a new trilogy of "Star Wars" films, despite rumors to the contrary.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics is reviving its original "Star Wars" comic book for one special issue.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Dark Horse Comics will publish "The Art of Star Wars Rebels," a book about the late Disney XD series, "Star Wars Rebels." Dark Horse previously held the license to produce "Star Wars" comic books before Marvel Comics regained the license.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics is launching a comic book, "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," based on the Disneyland Resort and Disney World Resort of the same name.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics five-issue miniseries, "Star Wars: TIE Fighter," will show the other side of the "Rebellion era" beginning in April 2019.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics' "Age of Rebellion" line of Star Wars comic books will include Jabba and Moff Tarkin comic books, among others.
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Big changes are coming for Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" line of comics, including the flagship "Star Wars."
RIAN JOHNSON - From ScreenRant: Rian Johnson, the writer-director of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," says that he is still working on a new trilogy of "Star Wars" films, despite rumors to the contrary.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics is reviving its original "Star Wars" comic book for one special issue.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Dark Horse Comics will publish "The Art of Star Wars Rebels," a book about the late Disney XD series, "Star Wars Rebels." Dark Horse previously held the license to produce "Star Wars" comic books before Marvel Comics regained the license.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics is launching a comic book, "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," based on the Disneyland Resort and Disney World Resort of the same name.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics five-issue miniseries, "Star Wars: TIE Fighter," will show the other side of the "Rebellion era" beginning in April 2019.
COMICS - From Newsarama: Marvel Comics' "Age of Rebellion" line of Star Wars comic books will include Jabba and Moff Tarkin comic books, among others.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Review: "The Meg" is Enjoyably Cheesy
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
The Meg (2018)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action/peril, bloody images and some language
DIRECTOR: Jon Turteltaub
WRITERS: Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber (based on the novel, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, by Steve Alten)
PRODUCERS: Belle Avery (p.g.a.), Lorenzo di Bonaventura (produced by) (p.g.a.) and Colin Wilson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tom Stern (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Steven Kemper and Kelly Matsumoto
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams
SCI-FI/HORROR/ACTION
Starring: Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Winston Chao, Sophia Cai, Ruby Rose, Page Kennedy, Robert Taylor, Olafur Darri, Olafsson, Jessica McNamee, and Masi Osa
The Meg is a 2018 science fiction, horror, and action film from director Jon Turteltaub and stars Jason Statham. This movie is loosely based on Steve Alten's 1997 novel, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. A Chinese-American co-production, The Meg film focuses on a man who must save a group of people trapped in a sunken submersible vessel damaged by a prehistoric creature that no one but he believes still exists.
The Meg opens in the Phillippine Trench where there is a “deep sea rescue mission.” Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) leads the mission to save the sailors aboard the damaged nuclear submarine, the “SSBN Rogue.” Something attacks the Rogue, and Taylor is forced to leave some of his own men behind where they die when the submarine explodes.
Five years later, the story moves to the underwater research facility, “Mana One,” where its billionaire founder, Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson), has just arrived to meet the facility's lead researcher, Dr. Zhang (Winston Chao). Morris hopes to witness a mission supervised by Zhang's daughter, Suyin (Bingbing Li), an oceanographer, in which a submersible will explore a previously unknown part of the Mariana trench. Not long into the mission, a very large creature attacks and damages the submersible, forcing it down into a place from which it will be hard to rescue.
Zhang and one of his top crew members, Mac (Cliff Curtis), head to Samut Prakan, Thailand, to convince Jonas Taylor, retired since the SSBN Rogue incident, to help them rescue the Mana One's submersible. Although Taylor initially refuses, he accepts the mission when he learns that someone close to him is trapped in the submersible and that its crew is being menaced by a prehistoric creature that Taylor believes to still exist today, the giant shark creature, the Megalodon.
The Meg is an entertaining, but not particularly good B-movie. The Meg manages to be more than mediocre because of some highly-entertaining and thoroughly thrilling action sequences. It seems to me that the director, Jon Turtletaub, was reluctant to really go wild with what is essentially a monster movie. If what paleontologists say is true, the Megalodon was the terror of the seas, yet this cinematic “Meg” only commits a fraction of the terror that it could. Maybe, it is the screenwriters' fault that this screenplay does not seem particularly imaginative.
The characters are not imaginative, either. The only characters presented with any depth or personality are Jason Statham's Jonas Taylor and Bingbing Li's Suyin, and even they are little more than puffed up stock characters. Taylor is the white savior slash rescue-mission-guy damaged by a recent “mistake” who will find redemption in getting this new opportunity to save some people. Suyin is a by-the-book smart-Asian-cookie, but at least the filmmakers let her get in some girl-hero action time.
There is a cute kid, Meiying (Sophia Cai), that steals her scenes, and there is also the stereotypical Black guy, DJ (Page Kennedy), who is constantly letting everyone know that he did not sign up for fighting or being eaten by a prehistoric monster shark. The Meg is a B-movie, a $130 million dollar-budgeted B-movie, but a B-movie, still. And if you enjoy movies about sharks terrorizing humans, especially humans too stupid to avoid them (and, dear readers, I do enjoy such movies), then, The Meg is must-see shark-scare entertainment.
C+
5 out of 10
Monday, December 31, 2018
The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Star Wars EPISODE IX - A Negromancer Link-O-Rama - Update #5
Support Leroy on Patreon:
From Twitter: J.J. Abrams announced that "Episode IX" has wrapped photography.
From MovieWeb: Maybe only director J.J. Abrams knows the title of Episode IX.
From MakingStarWars: What is the size of Lando Calrissian's role?
From io9: A Reddit user who claims to be an extra on Episode IX claims that actress Naomi Ackie is playing Lando Calrissian's daughter, "Veranada (Vera) Calrissian.
From BleedingCool: Anthony Daniels / C-3PO reveals via Twitter than today (Monday, Jan. 28th, 2019) was his last day filming on Episode IX.
From SlashFilm: In the latest episode of /Film's "Star Wars Bits," they start the year with rumors, including a rumored titled for "Episode IX." How does "Son of Darkness" sound?
From Twitter: J.J. Abrams announced that "Episode IX" has wrapped photography.
From MovieWeb: Maybe only director J.J. Abrams knows the title of Episode IX.
From MakingStarWars: What is the size of Lando Calrissian's role?
From io9: A Reddit user who claims to be an extra on Episode IX claims that actress Naomi Ackie is playing Lando Calrissian's daughter, "Veranada (Vera) Calrissian.
From BleedingCool: Anthony Daniels / C-3PO reveals via Twitter than today (Monday, Jan. 28th, 2019) was his last day filming on Episode IX.
From SlashFilm: In the latest episode of /Film's "Star Wars Bits," they start the year with rumors, including a rumored titled for "Episode IX." How does "Son of Darkness" sound?
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama - 2019 - Update #25
Support Leroy on Patreon:
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Deadline: Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" is projected to have at least a 100 million dollar opening weekend.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: Letitia Wright shares heartfelt thank for BAFTA win in a video.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: Here is a list of the 8 categories in which "Black Panther" is nominated at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: At the 72nd BAFTA Awards, "Black Panther" wins the award for "Best Visual Effects," the only nomination it received.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: Letitia Wright, who played "Shuri," Black Panther's sister, has won the BAFTA Rising Star Award at today's BAFTA Awards.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: "Black Panther" has won the Grammy Award for "Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media" at today's 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From TheWrap: Taika Waititi, the director of "Thor: Ragnarok," says that he will not direct the third installment of "Guardians of the Galaxy." He says "That's James' film," referencing James Gunn, whom Disney fired from the franchise.
AVENGERS ENDGAME - From Variety: See the Super Bowl teaser trailer for "Avengers: Endgame," which is due in April.
BLACK PANTHER - From TheWrap: “The Favourite”, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Black Panther” have been named the best-designed films of 2018 by the Art Directors Guild, which handed out its 23rd annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Saturday night at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown.
BLACK PANTHER - From BleedingCool: Chadwick Boseman gives a moving speech while he and cast mates accepted the SAG Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture." And he teases "Black Panther 2."
BLACK PANTHER - From Newsarama: "Black Panther" is returning to theaters in February - for free showings to celebrate Black History Month.
BLACK PANTHER - From YahooEntertainment: "Black Panther" wins the top award at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards - "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."
BLACK PANTHER - From Deadline: At the 2019 / 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards, stunt teams from "Black Panther" and "GLOW" walked away with this year’s SAG Awards for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles.
BLACK PANTHER - From YahooEntertainment: "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins, currently working on "Wonder Woman 1984," says that she is happy that Black Panther has been nominated for a "best picture" Oscar.
BLACK PANTHER - From THR: Among "Black Panther's" seven Oscar nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, one of them is historic. "Black Panther" is the first comic book movie to be nominated in the "best picture" category.
BLACK PANTHER - From USAToday: Oscar nominations: Why 'Black Panther' really deserves that best-picture nod
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Variety: "Captain Marvel" will open in China on the same day it opens in North America, March 8, 2019.
FUTURE - From ComicBook: Marvel Comics artist, Stefano Caselli, teases a new project for Marvel Studios.
SPIDER-MAN - From Newsarama: With his role in "Spider-Man: Far From Home," Zach Barack is the first openly trans actor to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
SPIDER-MAN - From YouTube: First official trailer for "Spider-Man: Far From Home," which is due July 5, 2019.
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From THR: How "Captain Marvel" is being positioned as the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
DISNEY+ - From THR: The streaming service, Disney+, has found a showrunner for its "Vision and Scarlet Witch" series (formerly "Scarlet Witch). He is "Captain Marvel" co-screenwriter, Jac Schaeffer.
FUTURE - From Newsarama: Both Kevin Feige and Oscar-winner Adam McKay ready to talk about a "Silver Surfer" movie.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Newsarama: Kevin Feige says "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" is still happening, although when is yet to be determined.
STREAMING - From WeGotThisCovered: Disney's upcoming streaming service, "Disney+" will be a major part of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" going forward, according to Marvel head honcho, Kevin Feige.
BLACK PANTHER - From SlashFilm: "Black Panther" earns a "best picture" nominations at the 30th Producers Guild Awards. Winners will be announced Jan.19th.
BLACK PANTHER - From Newsarama: AARP has released its list of nominees for its annual "Movies For Grownups Awards," which honor films the organization feels appeal to their older demographic. Among the announcements are a pair of nominations for Marvel Studios' 2018 blockbuster Black Panther - "Best Ensemble" category, which honors the entire cast of the winning film, and "Best Supporting Actress" for Angela Bassett's performance as Queen Raimonda.
BLACK PANTHER - From Newsarama: Black Panther's Letitia Wright has been nominated for the EE British Academy Film Awards' (BAFTA) "EE Rising Star Award."
TRAILERS:
AVENGERS: ENDGAME - From Marvel: Here is the first trailer from "Avengers: Endgame," formerly "Avengers 4."
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Marvel: Here is the first official trailer for Marvel Studios next film, "Captain Marvel," starring Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. The film arrives in theaters March 8, 2019.
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From YouTube: Captain Marvel official trailer #2 (released Monday, December 3, 2018).
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Deadline: Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" is projected to have at least a 100 million dollar opening weekend.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: Letitia Wright shares heartfelt thank for BAFTA win in a video.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: Here is a list of the 8 categories in which "Black Panther" is nominated at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: At the 72nd BAFTA Awards, "Black Panther" wins the award for "Best Visual Effects," the only nomination it received.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: Letitia Wright, who played "Shuri," Black Panther's sister, has won the BAFTA Rising Star Award at today's BAFTA Awards.
BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: "Black Panther" has won the Grammy Award for "Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media" at today's 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From TheWrap: Taika Waititi, the director of "Thor: Ragnarok," says that he will not direct the third installment of "Guardians of the Galaxy." He says "That's James' film," referencing James Gunn, whom Disney fired from the franchise.
AVENGERS ENDGAME - From Variety: See the Super Bowl teaser trailer for "Avengers: Endgame," which is due in April.
BLACK PANTHER - From TheWrap: “The Favourite”, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Black Panther” have been named the best-designed films of 2018 by the Art Directors Guild, which handed out its 23rd annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Saturday night at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown.
BLACK PANTHER - From BleedingCool: Chadwick Boseman gives a moving speech while he and cast mates accepted the SAG Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture." And he teases "Black Panther 2."
BLACK PANTHER - From Newsarama: "Black Panther" is returning to theaters in February - for free showings to celebrate Black History Month.
BLACK PANTHER - From YahooEntertainment: "Black Panther" wins the top award at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards - "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."
BLACK PANTHER - From Deadline: At the 2019 / 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards, stunt teams from "Black Panther" and "GLOW" walked away with this year’s SAG Awards for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles.
BLACK PANTHER - From YahooEntertainment: "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins, currently working on "Wonder Woman 1984," says that she is happy that Black Panther has been nominated for a "best picture" Oscar.
BLACK PANTHER - From THR: Among "Black Panther's" seven Oscar nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, one of them is historic. "Black Panther" is the first comic book movie to be nominated in the "best picture" category.
BLACK PANTHER - From USAToday: Oscar nominations: Why 'Black Panther' really deserves that best-picture nod
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Variety: "Captain Marvel" will open in China on the same day it opens in North America, March 8, 2019.
FUTURE - From ComicBook: Marvel Comics artist, Stefano Caselli, teases a new project for Marvel Studios.
SPIDER-MAN - From Newsarama: With his role in "Spider-Man: Far From Home," Zach Barack is the first openly trans actor to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
SPIDER-MAN - From YouTube: First official trailer for "Spider-Man: Far From Home," which is due July 5, 2019.
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From THR: How "Captain Marvel" is being positioned as the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
DISNEY+ - From THR: The streaming service, Disney+, has found a showrunner for its "Vision and Scarlet Witch" series (formerly "Scarlet Witch). He is "Captain Marvel" co-screenwriter, Jac Schaeffer.
FUTURE - From Newsarama: Both Kevin Feige and Oscar-winner Adam McKay ready to talk about a "Silver Surfer" movie.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Newsarama: Kevin Feige says "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" is still happening, although when is yet to be determined.
STREAMING - From WeGotThisCovered: Disney's upcoming streaming service, "Disney+" will be a major part of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" going forward, according to Marvel head honcho, Kevin Feige.
BLACK PANTHER - From SlashFilm: "Black Panther" earns a "best picture" nominations at the 30th Producers Guild Awards. Winners will be announced Jan.19th.
BLACK PANTHER - From Newsarama: AARP has released its list of nominees for its annual "Movies For Grownups Awards," which honor films the organization feels appeal to their older demographic. Among the announcements are a pair of nominations for Marvel Studios' 2018 blockbuster Black Panther - "Best Ensemble" category, which honors the entire cast of the winning film, and "Best Supporting Actress" for Angela Bassett's performance as Queen Raimonda.
BLACK PANTHER - From Newsarama: Black Panther's Letitia Wright has been nominated for the EE British Academy Film Awards' (BAFTA) "EE Rising Star Award."
TRAILERS:
AVENGERS: ENDGAME - From Marvel: Here is the first trailer from "Avengers: Endgame," formerly "Avengers 4."
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Marvel: Here is the first official trailer for Marvel Studios next film, "Captain Marvel," starring Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. The film arrives in theaters March 8, 2019.
CAPTAIN MARVEL - From YouTube: Captain Marvel official trailer #2 (released Monday, December 3, 2018).
Horror Comics Master, Junji Ito, to Attend 2019 Toronto Comics Arts Festival
The Master of Manga Horror makes his first North-American appearance in Toronto, Canada, this May 11-12, 2019.
Toronto Public Library presents:
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2019
Saturday May 11th, 9am-5pm, and Sunday May 12th, 2019, 10am-5pm
@ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada
Free To Attend | www.torontocomics.com
TCAF, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is proud to announce that acclaimed Japanese manga creator and international horror sensation JUNJI ITO will participate in TCAF as a Featured Guest and Official Poster Artist of the 2019 Festival, to be held May 11-12, 2019, in Toronto, Canada. Junji Ito is best known for his groundbreaking horror stories including Uzumaki, Gyo, Tomie, and “The Enigma of Amigara Fault,” and will travel to Toronto in support of his new short story collection Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection, to be published this April by VIZ Media.
“Junji Ito is a truly amazing creator, and we’re so proud to welcome him the Canada,” said TCAF Artistic Director Christopher Butcher. “Ito-sensei is a creator that we’d been hoping to feature at the Festival for more than a decade, he’s a personal favourite manga-ka of mine and of so many fans and comic creators. We’re so happy that he could find some time in his busy creative schedule to attend the Festival this year.”
Junji Ito will debut the new horror short story collection Smashed, the latest in an impressive line-up of great collections of his work in English. In the last 5 years horror fans have been treated to an incredible wealth of Ito’s material, including new hardcover deluxe editions of Uzumaki, Gyo, and Tomie, and all-new collections including Frankenstein, Shiver, and Fragments of Horror, among others, all available from VIZ Media.
“Ito-sensei’s work crosses so many traditional comics boundaries, and he has such a wide and enthusiastic audience for his work,” continues Butcher. “Whether it’s horror fans, comics fans, manga fans, or anime fans, there are so many people that count Ito among their favourite creators in the world, thanks to the omnipresence of his work across popular media including manga, film, and anime. I know that meeting Ito-sensei will be a treasured memory for many visitors to TCAF.”
Junji Ito will participate in a wide variety of events at TCAF 2019, including an on-stage interview, live-drawing, and special ticketed autograph sessions (details To Be Announced). The full range of Ito-sensei’s in-print manga will be available for purchase on-site at TCAF at the Festival Shop, Page & Panel, and at his events courtesy of Festival Sponsor The Beguiling. Ito-sensei’s works are also well-represented in the circulating collection of Festival Presenting Sponsor Toronto Public Library.
Junji Ito will join more than 350 exhibiting creators and publishers for The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2019, with many more guests still to be announced! Visit TCAF online for up-to-the-minute updates!
Website: www.torontocomics.com
Twitter: @TorontoComics
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TorontoComics
Tumblr: torontocomics.tumblr.com
ABOUT JUNJI ITO
Junji Ito made his professional manga debut in 1987 and since then has gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest contemporary artists working in the horror genre. His titles include Tomie and Uzumaki, which have been adapted into live-action films; Gyo, which was adapted into an animated film; Fragments of Horror, adapted into an animated series; and the short story collections Shiver and Frankenstein, with all works having been published in English by VIZ Media. Other works of Ito's in English include Dissolving Classroom, published by Vertical Inc., and Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Mon & Yu, published by Kodansha Comics. Ito’s influences include classic horror manga artists Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino, as well as authors Yasutaka Tsutsui and H.P. Lovecraft.
ABOUT SMASHED: JUNJI ITO STORY COLLECTION
Thirteen chilling nightmares, presented by the master of horror! Try not to be noticed when you eat the secret nectar, otherwise you’ll get smashed… What horrific events happened to create the earthbound—people tied to a certain place for the rest of their short lives? Then, a strange haunted house comes to town, but no one expects it to lead to a real hell… Welcome to Junji Ito’s world, a world with no escape from endless nightmares. Hardcover graphic novel coming April 16, 2019, from VIZ Media.
ABOUT TCAF
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival would not be possible without the assistance of our sponsors and partners, including presenting sponsor Toronto Public Library and primary sponsor The Beguiling Books & Art.
TCAF is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
We would also like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. / Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.
Seneca College is a proud Sponsor of TCAF 2019.
TCAF would like to thank Festival sponsor VIZ Media, and Shogakukan Inc., for their support in arranging Junji Ito’s trip to Canada.
Sponsorship opportunities for TCAF 2019 are still available, please email us at: contact@torontocomics.com for more info.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2019
"Leave No Trace," "A Very English Scandal" Top 31st Scripter Awards
USC Libraries Scripter Honors “Leave No Trace” and “A Very English Scandal”
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The authors and screenwriters behind the film “Leave No Trace,” and the television miniseries “A Very English Scandal” received the 31st-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award at the Feb. 9, 2019 ceremony at USC’s Doheny Memorial Library.
“This is our 31st year celebrating the coming together of the literary and cinematic arts and of honoring the USC Libraries’ essential place in the intellectual, cultural and creative life of the Trojan Family.”
The Scripter Award recognizes the year’s best adaptation of the written word for the screen, and includes feature film and television adaptations.
In her welcoming remarks, USC Libraries Dean Catherine Quinlan said, “This is our 31st year celebrating the coming together of the literary and cinematic arts and of honoring the USC Libraries’ essential place in the intellectual, cultural and creative life of the Trojan Family.”
In the television category, the selection committee chose “A Very English Scandal,” written for the screen by Russell T Davies for the streaming network Amazon Prime. It is based on John Preston’s 2016 nonfiction book of the same name, which details the 1970s scandal involving British Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe and his wayward attempts to silence a former lover.
Davies thanked Preston for “providing such a brilliant source book for me to work from” as well as Thorpe and Norman Scott, for being “so mad, so fascinating, and I hope so forgiven by all of us now by the passing of time.”
Due to a tie in the nominating round, six television shows were eligible this year. The other finalists were the writers behind episodes of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (distributed by FX), “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu), “The Looming Tower” (Hulu), “Patrick Melrose” (Showtime), and “Sharp Objects” (HBO).
In the film category, the winners were writer Peter Rock, author of the novel “My Abandonment,” and screenwriters Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini, who adapted for the screen Rock’s work, itself an adaptation of a 2004 local news report about a Vietnam veteran and his young daughter found living off the grid in the forest near Portland, Oregon. “Leave No Trace” was released by Bleecker Street.
In accepting the award, Rock paid tribute to the screenwriters. “Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini and I walked through Forest Park in Portland, Oregon, and talked about possibilities, so I want to deeply thank them for the heart and inspiration they brought into making a great film.”
The other finalist films were “Black Panther” (distributed by Disney), “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” (Fox Searchlight), “The Death of Stalin” (IFC Films), and “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Annapurna Pictures).
Earlier in the evening, Quinlan honored Dr. George Isaacs as the 2019 Ex Libris Award winner for his extraordinary support of the USC Libraries, which resulted in the creation of the George E. Isaacs Dean’s Suite in Doheny Memorial Library. Accepting the award on his behalf was his son Mark Isaacs, who said, “My father, George Isaacs, is a long-time and enthusiastic supporter of the University of Southern California, including the Libraries. Why the Libraries? Books deliver knowledge, joy and understanding. Very few products in the world today can make that claim.”
In-kind donors to the event included Mariner Books, Other Press, and Urth Caffé.
Scripter began in 1988, co-founded by USC Libraries board members Glenn Sonnenberg and Marjorie Lord. For more information about Scripter—including additional images from the ceremony—visit scripter.usc.edu.
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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The authors and screenwriters behind the film “Leave No Trace,” and the television miniseries “A Very English Scandal” received the 31st-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award at the Feb. 9, 2019 ceremony at USC’s Doheny Memorial Library.
“This is our 31st year celebrating the coming together of the literary and cinematic arts and of honoring the USC Libraries’ essential place in the intellectual, cultural and creative life of the Trojan Family.”
The Scripter Award recognizes the year’s best adaptation of the written word for the screen, and includes feature film and television adaptations.
In her welcoming remarks, USC Libraries Dean Catherine Quinlan said, “This is our 31st year celebrating the coming together of the literary and cinematic arts and of honoring the USC Libraries’ essential place in the intellectual, cultural and creative life of the Trojan Family.”
In the television category, the selection committee chose “A Very English Scandal,” written for the screen by Russell T Davies for the streaming network Amazon Prime. It is based on John Preston’s 2016 nonfiction book of the same name, which details the 1970s scandal involving British Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe and his wayward attempts to silence a former lover.
Davies thanked Preston for “providing such a brilliant source book for me to work from” as well as Thorpe and Norman Scott, for being “so mad, so fascinating, and I hope so forgiven by all of us now by the passing of time.”
Due to a tie in the nominating round, six television shows were eligible this year. The other finalists were the writers behind episodes of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (distributed by FX), “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu), “The Looming Tower” (Hulu), “Patrick Melrose” (Showtime), and “Sharp Objects” (HBO).
In the film category, the winners were writer Peter Rock, author of the novel “My Abandonment,” and screenwriters Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini, who adapted for the screen Rock’s work, itself an adaptation of a 2004 local news report about a Vietnam veteran and his young daughter found living off the grid in the forest near Portland, Oregon. “Leave No Trace” was released by Bleecker Street.
In accepting the award, Rock paid tribute to the screenwriters. “Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini and I walked through Forest Park in Portland, Oregon, and talked about possibilities, so I want to deeply thank them for the heart and inspiration they brought into making a great film.”
The other finalist films were “Black Panther” (distributed by Disney), “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” (Fox Searchlight), “The Death of Stalin” (IFC Films), and “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Annapurna Pictures).
Earlier in the evening, Quinlan honored Dr. George Isaacs as the 2019 Ex Libris Award winner for his extraordinary support of the USC Libraries, which resulted in the creation of the George E. Isaacs Dean’s Suite in Doheny Memorial Library. Accepting the award on his behalf was his son Mark Isaacs, who said, “My father, George Isaacs, is a long-time and enthusiastic supporter of the University of Southern California, including the Libraries. Why the Libraries? Books deliver knowledge, joy and understanding. Very few products in the world today can make that claim.”
In-kind donors to the event included Mariner Books, Other Press, and Urth Caffé.
Scripter began in 1988, co-founded by USC Libraries board members Glenn Sonnenberg and Marjorie Lord. For more information about Scripter—including additional images from the ceremony—visit scripter.usc.edu.
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