Review: What's Love Got to Do With It" - The First Time the Oscars Screwed Angela Bassett

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 of 2023 (No. 1902) by Leroy Douresseaux

What's Love Got to Do With It (1993)

Running time:  118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)

MPAA – R for domestic violence, strong language, drug use and some sexuality

DIRECTOR:  Brian Gibson

WRITER:  Kate Lanier (based on the book, I, Tina, by Tina Turner and Kurt Loder)

PRODUCERS:  Doug Chapin, Barry Krost, and Kate Lanier

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jamie Anderson

EDITOR:  Stuart Pappé

COMPOSER:  Stanley Clarke

Academy Award nominee

BIOPIC/DRAMA/MUSIC

Starring:  Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis, Chi McBride, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, Pamela Tyson, Khandi Alexander, Penny Johnson, Richard T. Jones, James Reyne, and RaéVen Kelly

What's Love Got to Do with It is a 1993 biopic and music film directed by Brian Gibson.  It is an adaptation of the 1986 autobiography, I, Tina, by Tina Turner and Kurt Loder and is also based on the life of American music icon and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Tina Turner.

The film takes its name from Tina's 1984 hit single, “What's Love Got to Do with It,” which was a Billboard magazine “Hot 100” #1 single.  What's Love Got to Do With It the movie is a fictional depiction of Tina's professional and personal life with her former husband, the late Ike Turner (1931-2007), who was a musician, bandleader, record producer, singer-songwriter and Grammy Award winner.  The film follows Tina Turner's life from her upbringing in rural Tennessee (early 1950s), through her rise to music stardom and her abusive marriage to Ike Turner (1960s-70s), and finally, to her career revival as a solo artist (early to mid 1980s).

What's Love Got to Do with It introduces Anna Mae Bullock (Angela Bassett).  In 1958, she moves to St. Louis where she reunites with her elder sister, Alline Bullock (Phyllis Yvonne Stickney), and her mother, Zelma Bullock (Jenifer Lewis). Not long after her arrival, Anna is taken by Alline to a nightclub at East St. Louis where she sees a performance by “Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm.”  Ike Turner (Laurence Fishburne) is a charismatic bandleader, and Anna, who likes to sing, wishes she could perform with his wild band, the Kings of Rhythm.

When she finally gets a chance to perform onstage with Ike and his band, Anna impresses him with her singing and her exuberant stage presence.  Ike offers to mentor Anna and to produce her music, and he gives her the stage name “Tina Turner.”  In time, Ike and Anna develop a close relationship and eventually marry.  The musical act, “Ike & Tina Turner” (the “Ike & Tina Turner Revue” when performing live) become stars, but Ike has a dark side.  He is addicted to narcotics and is violent and abusive.  And Tina feels the brunt of his physical abuse.  Will Anna/Tina find the courage to break away from him and forge her own career path?

Until recently, I had never watched What's Love Got to Do with It in its entirety.  I decided to watch it in anticipation of Angela Bassett hopefully winning the “Best Supporting Actress” Oscar at the recent 95th Academy Awards (March 12, 2023) for her performance as “Queen Ramonda” in Disney/Marvel Studios' hit film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  Unfortunately, Bassett did not win, nor did she win the “Best Actress” Oscar for which she was nominated 29 years ago for her performance in What's Love Got to Do with It?

The shame of it is that in the case of What's Love Got to Do with It, it is Bassett's performance, along with Laurence Fishburne's, that carries this film.  Quality wise and in terms of production and execution, What's Love Got to Do with It is a theatrical film that plays like a television movies.  Had What's Love Got to Do with It been a TV movie it would have been a much-talked about “television event,” but the end result would have been an elevated melodrama.

The film's direction, by the late Brian Gibson (1944-2004), emphasizes spousal abuse as style over the substance of plot and character.  The screenplay, written by Kate Lanier (who is also one of the film's producers), suffers from what plagues many biographical films and celebrity biopics.  That is the problem with time.  Rather than focus on a specific and pivotal moment in time, What's Love Got to Do with It, like other biopics, covers multiple decades.  By my estimation, the film covers roughly 1950 to 1983.  The first depiction of Ike abusing Tina is about 55 minutes into the movie, but one of the supporting characters states that this particular incident isn't the first time Ike has hit Tina.  So basically, the film skips over key early moments in Ike and Tina's tumultuous relationship.  [Both Tina and Ike apparently were not happy with the accuracy of this film.]

What's Love Got to Do with It is elevated because of the performances by both Bassett and Fishburne, as well as those of the supporting cast.  Jenifer Lewis proves once again why she is a national film treasure as Anna's mother, Zelma.  The shamefully underrated and underutilized Vanessa Bell Calloway shines in important and key moments of this film.  Laurence Fishburne does more than just make Ike Turner a monster.  He deftly conveys Ike's bitterness and resentment and especially his sense that he has never really gotten what he deserves in terms of financial success, record sales, and industry credit for what he contributed to both the art and business of popular music.

The treasure in What's Love Got to Do with It is, of course, Angela Bassett.  The real-life Tina Turner's voice was dubbed into this movie for the scenes in which Bassett's Turner has to sing.  Still, Bassett offers a richly crafted fictional version of Anna Mae Bullock/Tina Turner.  Her emotions resonate, and her joy and happiness, love and pride, and fear and sorrow come across as genuine.  In this film's quiet, reflective moments, Bassett seems as if she is really thinking Tina's thoughts.  That alone should have earned Bassett an Oscar win back on March 21, 1994 at the 66th Academy Awards.  What should have made Bassett a shoo-in is the physicality of her performance and the way she transformed her body for the role.  It's all superb:  the dancing, posing, and movement on stage; how she mimics the real Tina Turner's facial expressions on stage and when she sings; and the way Bassett carries herself and moves through the trials and tribulations of her life offstage as Ike Turner's wife.

Let's be honest; What's Love Got to Do with It would work better as a TV miniseries.  Let's be real; if Angela Bassett were a white actress, she would have won an Oscar already, probably for What' s Love Got to Do with It.  Not having an Oscar does not change the fact that Bassett has been one of the most versatile and charismatic actors of the large and small screen.  Bassett has also given commanding performances and has been a dominating presence in a number of supporting and small roles in popular films released over the better part of the last four decades.  Although Bassett has not received her Oscar crown, her performance in What's Love Got to Do with It remains her crowning achievement … in a career that should have had more of them since then.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, March 19, 2023

NOTES:

1994 Academy Awards, USA:  2 nominations:  “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Laurence Fishburne) and “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Angela Bassett)

1994 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Angela Bassett)

1995 Image Awards (NAACP): 1 win: “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture” (Angela Bassett); 3 nominations: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Laurence Fishburne), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Jenifer Lewis), and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Vanessa Bell Calloway)

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

-------------------------------

--------------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 19th to 28th, 2023 - Update #19

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

CANNES - From Deadline:  Two-time Palme d'Or winner Ruben Ostlund will be the Cannes Film Festival jury president at the 76th edition of the festival, which runs from May 16th and 27th, 2023.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Actress-producer Keke Palmer has given birth to a baby boy she has named "Leo."  Palmer's boyfriend, Darius Jackson, is the father.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/24 to 2/26/2023 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" with an estimated take of 32.2 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

AWARDS - From Deadline:  At the 2023 NAACP Image Awards, Angela Bassett was named "Entertainer of the Year."  She also won two other awards, "Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series" ("9-1-1") and "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever").  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" won 9 awards, including "Outstanding Motion Picture."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday, Feb. 23rd in downtown Los Angeles to 16 years in prison for rape and other sex crimes. The disgraced Oscar-winning producer was also sentenced to 23 years in prison for similar crimes in Manhattan in March 2020.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Director Andy Muschietti and partner Barbara Muschietti are expanding the universe of their films, "IT" and "IT Chapter Two," with an "IT" prequel television series, "Welcome to Derry," for HBO Max.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  New Line Cinemas and Warner Bros Pictures are planning more "Lord of the Rings" movies.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  Producer Barbara Broccoli talks about her film "Till" and the Academy Awards reaction to it.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/17 to 2/19/2023 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" with an estimated take of 104 million dollars.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners list at the 2023 BAFTAs might not look diverse, but the nominations list seems to be more diverse than the 2023 Academy Awards nominees list.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Actor and producer Alec Baldwin will now face reduced charges due to the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," in October 2021.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney is producing a live-action version of its beloved animated film, "Lilo & Stitch."  "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" director Dean Fleischer Camp will helm the film and actor Zach Galifianakis will star in the film.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Film producer and former studio executive, Walter Mirisch, has died at the age of 101, Friday, February 24, 2023.  Mirisch won an Oscar for producing "In the Heat of the Night" (1967).  Along with his brothers, Marvin and Harold, Mirisch formed the production company, The Mirisch Company.  It would go on to produce several movies, including the early entries in the "Pink Panther" film series.  Mirisch had also been the oldest living Oscar winner.

From Deadline:  Stand-up comedian and actor, Richard Belzer, has died at the age of 78, Sunday, February 19, 2023.  Belzer began his career in the early 1970s and release the comedy album "Another Lone Nut" in 1997.  As an actor, he is best known for playing the character, Det. John Munch on the former NBC crime drama, "Homicide: Life on the Streets" (1993-99) and on the NBC drama, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999-2016).

--------------

AWARDS:

From Oscar:  The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2023 / 29th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the big prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture," one of four awards the film won.

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2023 / 34th annual Producers Guild Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the top prize, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding  Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures."

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 50th annual Annie Awards (for animated productions), "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" wins the "Best Feature" award, one of its four wins.  "Best Indie Feature" goes to "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On."

From Variety:  The winners of the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards have been announced.  The French film, "All Quiet on the Western Front" wins a record seven awards including "Best Film."  "The Banshees of Inisherin" won four, including "Best British Film."

From Deadline:  The winners of the 75th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  The top honor, "Outstanding Directorial Achievment in a Theatrical Feature Film," went to Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

From Deadline:   The winners at the 2023 / 21st annual VES Awards, handed out by the Visual Effects Society, have been announced.  "Avatar: The Way of Water" topped the night with 9 wins.

From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick" wins "Best Picture" at the "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards" held Saturday night in Beverly Hills.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Sunday, March 5, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.

From Deadline:  The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."

From Deadline:  The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece.  The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.

From Deadline:  The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th).  "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations.  The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.

From Deadline:  The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022."  The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced.  ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety:  The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced.  Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett).  Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline:  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire:  The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.   "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations.  The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago.  Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

---------------

TYRE NICHOLS:

From NBCNews:  Tyre Nichols' death: A summary and timeline of his encounter with Memphis police officers

From YahooNews:  In the 67 minutes of the Tyre Nichols video, brutality followed by nonchalance.

---------------

BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

---------------------

Review: "BLACK PANTHER: Wakanda Forever" is the Best Marvel Movie in Years

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 69 of 2022 (No. 1881) by Leroy Douresseaux

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Running time:  161 minutes
MPA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language
DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler
WRITERS:  Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole; from a story by Ryan Coogler (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Autumn Durald Arkapaw (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Kelley Dixon, Jennifer Lame, and Michael P. Shawver
COMPOSER:  Ludwig Göransson

SUPERHERO/ACTION/SCI-FI/DRAMA

Starring:  Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Cole, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena, Richard Schiff, Robert John Burke, Lake Bell, Manuel Chavez, Maria Mercedes Coroy, Divine Love Konadu-Sun, Trevor Noah (voice), Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael B. Jordan

[Emotionally super-charged and possessing some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest battles, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is Marvel Studios' best film in over three years.]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 superhero, fantasy-drama, science fiction, and action movie directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Black Panther, and is the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It is based on the Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, that first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (cover dated: July 1966) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  Wakanda Forever finds Wakanda in mourning following the death of its king while also facing a threatening world and a mysterious new adversary.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in the African nation of Wakanda as King T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) dies from a mysterious illness.  One year later, his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), must face the United Nations, as world powers demand access to Wakanda's most precious resource, the metal Vibranium.  One particular nation even hires mercenaries to invade a Wakandan outpost in order to steal its vibranium, but they are foiled by Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje, the King of Wakanda's personal guard.

However, the American CIA's attempt to find vibranium on its own draws the attention of a mysterious new adversary, known by many names, but is called “Namor” (Tenoch Huerta) by his enemies.  Namor leads the forces of his kingdom, Talokan, in a strike against the Americans.  He confronts Ramonda and Shuri (Letitia Wright), Ramonda's daughter and T'Challa's younger sister, as they grieve.  He demands that they find the scientist who created the Americans' vibranium detecting device and kill him.  The him turns out to be a her, a Chicago-based teen named Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne).  Now, Shuri and Ramonda must gather allies, including T'Challa's ex-lover, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and M'Baku (Winston Duke), leader of the Wakandan border tribe, the Jibari, in order to fight off the forces of Namor, which are more than capable of destroying Wakanda and perhaps, the world.  Can Wakanda survive without its champion, the Black Panther, or must another arise?...

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a triumphant – a poignant triumphant and a superhero action movie triumph.  It is much better than I expected and that I could have hoped for.  Wakanda Forever is the most emotionally honest, genuine, and heartfelt Marvel Studios film since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.  The fight scenes are some of the best outside of martial arts films, and the action and battles scenes are Avengers-level.

Angela Bassett stands astride this film, which is both a eulogy to Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther and also a powerful and successful attempt to forge ahead with the franchise.  Bassett, as regal and as dramatically potent as she has ever been, is glorious, and it time for her to receive the Oscar win she should have had ages ago.  She exemplifies the grief in the film for half its narrative.

Letitia Wright exemplifies that grief the rest of the way.  Wright also shows impressive range – playing Shuri as obstinate and angry in the face of her brother's death.  [That death is depicted in Wakanda Forever's opening moments, and the audience with which I saw this film was stunned into silence.]  Wright plays Shuri's turn to the “dark side” with the depth of performance that usually earns actors some award season notice.  She is truly the lead in Wakanda Forever, and she carries it with the flair of a veteran, accomplished actor.

I also had high hopes for Tenoch Huerta as Namor, and he easily surpasses them.  Huerta makes Namor seem so real that his murderous inclinations come across as entirely appropriate for that which Namor is fighting and defending.  Huerta's performance also works to uplift the other actors playing denizens of the kingdom of Talokan.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is filled so much good stuff.  The costumes, art direction, make-up and hair, cinematography, and editing are all … well, Oscar-worthy.  Ludwig Göransson's score is a masterpiece of tones both subtle and tremendous and is easily on the level of Hans Zimmer's award-winning score for Dune: Part One (2021).

I don't want this review to run-on too long...  If I could speak to Ryan Coogler, I would tell him that already loved him for his film, Fruitvale Station, and that he made me love him even more after the first Black Panther.  I don't have the words to describe how great an accomplishment Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is.  Coogler honored his friend and partner, Chadwick Boseman, as well as he could, and he made a truly great and magnificent film.  It honors Boseman and reveals how much respect Coogler has for his audience via the film art he creates.  I am giving Black Panther: Wakanda Forever my highest recommendation.

10 of 10

Friday, November 11, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------

-------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

MTV Signs Deal with Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett; Deal Includes "Tulsa Race Massacre" Series

 
MTV Entertainment Studios and Bassett Vance Productions Tap Award-Winning Writer Nathan Alan Davis for Limited Series on the Tulsa Race Massacre

On the centennial anniversary of the tragedy, the dramatic adaptation will be executive produced by Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett as part of overall deal with MTVE

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MTV Entertainment Studios and Bassett Vance Productions today that Award-winning playwright Nathan Alan Davis will write a scripted original limited-series inspired by the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, considered the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.

    “As storytellers - together with Courtney, Angela and Nathan - we have the privilege of shining a light on a devastating event in our history that is important, necessary and still resonates 100 years later”

A century after the devastating event that left hundreds of Black people dead and entire homes and businesses destroyed, the series will be the first dramatic adaptation devoted to telling the story of Greenwood district in Tulsa which at that time was the wealthiest Black community in the United States and known as "Black Wall Street.”

“As storytellers - together with Courtney, Angela and Nathan - we have the privilege of shining a light on a devastating event in our history that is important, necessary and still resonates 100 years later,” said Nina L. Diaz, President of Content and Chief Creative Officer at MTV Entertainment Group. “This partnership underscores our shared commitment to raise diverse voices and create content our global audience is yearning for that is both timely and telling.”

“Angela and I have always had a deep appreciation for history, especially when it comes to stories that are rooted in the Black community. We look forward to working on this series with MTV Entertainment Studios that will explore an important slice of American history as we look to reflect on events that changed the lives of countless Black families in Tulsa, Oklahoma one hundred years ago,” said Courtney B. Vance, principal at Bassett Vance Productions. “We are excited to work with Nathan because his vision directly aligns with the story that Angela and I want to tell. Although the series will revisit the Black pain and tragedy that took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, it will also importantly introduce to many the stories of the extraordinary, entrepreneurial people who built Black Wall Street and all that this community accomplished.”

Davis added, “I am honored to be partnering with Courtney, Angela, MTV Entertainment Studios and their extraordinary teams in this vital endeavor. Exploring the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District as a limited dramatic series affords us a precious opportunity and a deep responsibility. I greatly look forward to crafting a story that will not only shed light on the people of Black Wall Street, but give fresh life to the spirit, ideas, hopes, fears, and dreams that motivated them.”

This is the first project from Bassett Vance Productions as part of the deal made with MTV Entertainment Studios in 2020. Having served as a writer for projects such as BET's American Soul and Facebook Watch's Sorry For Your Loss, this marks Davis's first run as a show creator after receiving multiple awards for his produced plays, including Nat Turner in Jerusalem, Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea and The Wind and the Breeze. He previously provided a take on the Tulsa Massacre for his play, The High Ground, which is slated to premiere at Arena Stage in Washington D.C.

Meghan Hooper White, EVP and Head of Original Movies and Limited Series and VP, Original Movies and Limited Series, Amal Baggar will oversee the project for MTV Entertainment Studios. Bassett and Vance will executive produce the series, along with Dwayne Johnson-Cochran and Lynnette Ramirez for Bassett Vance Productions.

Davis is repped by ICM and managed by Literate. Bassett Vance Productions is repped by Darrell Miller, Fox Rothschild LLP. Bahareh Kamali brokered the deal for MTV Entertainment Studios.

--------------------

Review: Takes a Bit, But Pixar's "Soul" Finds its Soul

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 of 2021 (No. 1768) by Leroy Douresseaux

Soul (2020)
Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes0
MPAA –  PG for thematic elements and some language
DIRECTORS:  Pete Docter with Kemp Powers (co-director)
WRITERS:  Pete Docter, and Mike Jones, and Kemp Powers
PRODUCER:  Dana Murray
CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Matt Aspbury (D.o.P.) and Ian Megibben (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Kevin Nolting
COMPOSERS: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross with Jon Batiste (jazz compositions and arrangements)
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Ahmir-Khalib Thompson a.k.a. Questlove, Angela Bassett, Cora Champommier, Margo Hall, Daveed Diggs, Rhodessa Jones, Wes Studi, Sakina Jaffrey, Ochuwa Oghie, Jeannie Tirado, Dorian Lockett, and Marcus Shelby

Soul is a 2020 American computer-animated, comedy-drama, and fantasy film from director Pete Docter and co-director Kemp Powers and is produced by Pixar Animation Studios.  Soul is also the first Pixar film to feature an African-American protagonist.  Soul focuses on a jazz pianist who finds himself trapped in a strange place that exists between Earth and the afterlife.

Soul introduces Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a pianist living in New York City and who dreams of playing jazz professionally.  He is also a middle school music teacher at M.S. 70, and the school's Principal Arroyo (Jeannie Tirado) has just offered to make him a full-time teacher.  Joe's mother, Libba, (Phylicia Rashad) insists that he make teaching a full time job, fearing for his financial security as a jazz musician chasing gigs and sessions.

One day, a former student, Lamont “Curley” Baker (Ahmir-Khalib Thompson a.k.a. Questlove), who is now a jazz drummer, tells Joe that there is an opening in the jazz group, “the Dorothea Williams Quartet,” and that auditions are being held at “The Half Note” jazz club.  Dorothea Williams is a legend, and playing in a jazz outfit like hers has been Joe's dream for years.

But an accident causes Joe's soul to be separated from his body, and Joe ends up trapped between “the Great Beyond” and “the Great Before.”  And perhaps the only thing that can save Joe is helping a wayward soul known as “22” (Tina Fey).

Soul may feature Pixar Animation Studios' first African-American lead, Jamie Foxx's Joe Gardner,, but it is not really a “black film.”  The film is not a celebration of ordinary black people, but it dares to imagine black people as ordinary folks who have the same ups and downs, successes and failures, and hopes and dreams as everyone else.  Also, Soul is the most adult film that Pixar has produced to date.  I think children could enjoy it, but Soul deals with the kind of existential questions that adults face.  In fact, I found that the film's story seemed to confront me about my life on more than a few occasions.  I also like that the film asks a lot of questions, but bluntly and stubbornly refuses to answer all of them.

I did find the first 50 minutes of Soul to be muddled in terms of the narrative.  Everything about it is technically proficient, but the story lacks … soul.  It is not until Joe and 22 reach Earth that Soul really begins to grapple with the struggle between living a life with a purpose as in goals and living a life in which once enjoys living.

Whenever I review a Pixar film, I really don't get into the quality of the animation.  From the standpoint of technology and art, Pixar has practically always been astounding and awesome.  For a long time now, Pixar's computer-animation (or 3D animation) has been so good and so beautifully rendered and colored that it makes me forget that I am watching an animated film.  Soul, in its dazzling colors, inventive characters, and imaginative settings (“the Great Beyond” and how it welcomes a soul), is about as strong as its predecessors

Soul's film score recently won an Oscar.  Jon Batiste's jazz compositions and arrangements are captivating, and made me feel like I was right there in the performance.  Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score, especially when the story moves into the realms of the soul, is ethereal, magically, and futuristic, and sounds like music from another world.

I like the voice performances.  Jamie Foxx does not fully sound like Jamie Foxx, and, in that, he makes Joe Gardner feel like a genuine character.  What more can I say about Tina Fey?  As “22,” she shows, once again, that she has talent to burn.  Also, I think Phylicia Rashad makes the most of every line she has in the film; she makes Libba Gardner seem like a real mother.

Ultimately, Soul reminds me that I really need Pixar Animation Studios in my life.  Pixar's feature films find the best of humanity and emphasize the beauty in us all.  This time, Pixar gives us Soul to remind us to look up and notice the beauty in us and in the world around us.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, May 2, 2021


NOTES:
2021 Academy Awards, USA:  2 wins:  “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures-Original Score” (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste) and “Best Animated Feature Film” (Pete Docter and Dana Murray); 1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott, and David Parker)

2021 Golden Globes, USA:  2 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Animated” and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste)

2021 BAFTA Awards:  2 wins: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Pete Docter and Dana Murray) and “Original Score” (Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross); 1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Coya Elliott, Ren Klyce, and David Parker)


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

Review: "Chi-raq" Dares to Be Truly Different

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Chi-Raq (2015)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexual content including dialogue, nudity, language, some violence and drug use
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Spike Lee
WRITERS:  Spike Lee and Kevin Willmott (based on the play by Aristophanes)
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Matthew Libatique
EDITOR:  Ryan Denmark and Hye Mee Na
COMPOSER:  Terence Blanchard

DRAMA/MUSICAL/POLITICS

Starring:  Nick Cannon, Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, Jennifer Hudson, David Patrick Kelly, D.B. Sweeney, Dave Chappelle, Steve Harris, Harry Lennix, Irma P. Hall, Thomas J. Byrd, Roger Guenveur Smith, and La La Anthony

Chi-Raq is satirical political drama and musical from director Spike Lee.  Set in Chicago, Chi-Raq uses the classical Greek comedy play, Lysistrata (written by Aristophanes), as the basis for a story about the gang violence that is plagues real-world Chicago.  In Chi-Raq, a woman leads a group of like-minded females to challenge the on-going violence in Chicago's Southside.

Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris) dates Demetrius “Chi-Raq” Dupree (Nick Cannon), leader of the Spartans gang (who wear purple).  He is in the middle of an on-going war against the rival gang, the Trojans (who wear orange), lead by Cyclops (Wesley Snipes), who orders a hit on Chi-Raq during a Spartan music concert.

After Chi-Raq (presumably) kills a child with a stray bullet during a shootout, Lysistrata finds herself having to examine her part in the ongoing violence in Chicago's Southside.  Lysistrata organizes a group of women who are associated with male gang members and encourages them to withhold sex from their men until they stop the violence.  Lysistrata's movement challenges the nature of race, sex, and violence in the United States of America, and it begins to spread around the world.  However, as more people go without sex, the movement raises tensions in all of Chicago.

Chi-Raq is another bold stroke of idiosyncratic Spike Lee art.  Lee was Kanye West before Kanye West.  Stubborn and independent from the beginning, Lee remains that way.  Chi-Raq is everything it seems:  political satire, social satire, farce, comedy, Negro spiritual, racial drama, soulful musical, and even a cry in the wilderness to Black folks in America.  “Stop killing ourselves!” Lee screams via his art.  If only it were that simple.

Chi-Raq is film art, beautiful, poignant, brash, colorful – all of it embodied by the full-throated, shameless narration of Samuel L. Jackson's refreshing Dolmedes.  In the end, hopefully, Chi-Raq can be more than art.  Can it initiate social change.  Well, the problems that it depicts and tackles are complicated and ingrained in ways that would have us throw up our hands in surrender if we took time to really think about those problems.

I can hope for the best, but in the meantime, I can appreciate a filmmaker who really deserves to be called a “visionary,” Spike Lee.  Chi-Raq is a testament to his imagination.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, September 2, 2016


NOTES:
2016 Black Reel Awards:  1 win: “Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture” (Teyonah Parris); 6 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture” (Spike Lee), “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Angela Bassett), “Outstanding Director, Motion Picture” (Spike Lee), “Outstanding Ensemble” (Kim Coleman-Casting Director), “Outstanding Score” (Terence Blanchard), and “Outstanding Original or Adapted Screenplay, Motion Picture” (Spike Lee and Kevin Willmott)

2016 Image Awards:  4 nominations: “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Teyonah Parris), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Angela Bassett), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Jennifer Hudson), and “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture”


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 16th to 22nd, 2020 - Update #25

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION:

From CNN:  Full video of Vice-President Joe Biden's acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC.

From CNN:  Full video of Sen. Kamala Harris acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL NEWS:

EVENT - From DCFanDome:  "DC FanDome" is live.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Actress Lori Loughlin ("Full House") was sentenced to two months in federal prison for her part in paying bribes in order to get her daughters admitted into the University of Southern California (USC).  She was also ordered to pay $150,000 in fines and perform 100 hours of community service.  Her husband, Mossimo Gainnulli was earlier sentenced to five months in federal prison.

SCIENCE - From IndependentUK:  750 million geneticially engineered mosquitoes to be released in Florida...

FOOD - From YahooLife:  Are the so-call "Go Mobile" Taco Bell restaurants the future of fast food?

SPORTS-CRIME - From YahooSports:  Could the prostitution case against NFL owner, Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), also help protect citizens from unchecked police surveillance.

STAR TREK - From YahooEntertainment:  Their is an intense legal battle for what is basically control over iconic "Star Trek" actress, Nichelle Nichols ("Uhura"), who is 83-years-old and suffers from dementia, involving her son, Kyle Johnson, and her manager, Gilbert Bell.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Nick Cannon may be able to reconcile with ViacomCBS after he has met with Jewish leaders.  Cannon made some crazy ass anti-Semitic statements on his podcast June 30th.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety:  "Death on the Nile," the sequel to 2017's "Murder on the Orient Express," has a star-studded first trailer.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live‘s" Pete Davidson and "Straight Outta Compton‘s" O’Shea Jackson Jr. are set to co-star in "American Sole," a high-stakes, high-top dramatic comedy set in the world of after-market sneakers.  The film will be written and directed by How To Make It In America creator Ian Edelman and produced by Kevin Hart and NBA All-Star Chris Paul.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith and Kevin Hart will star in and produce a remake of John Hughes' beloved 1987 road trip movie, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles."

SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  Rose McGowan accuses director and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Alexander Payne ("Sideways") of sexual misconduct, which is not the first time he has been accused.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Ryan Reynold's "Aviation Gin" sells for 300 million dollars.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Laurence Fishburne has confirmed that he will not return for "The Matrix 4."  He played the wise warrior monk-type, Morpheus, in the original "Matrix" trilogy.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The latest round California tax incentives have been announced.  Among the recipients include a Jordan Peele film and one starring Chris Evans.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 8/14 to 8/16/2020 weekend box office is the new release, "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run," with an estimated take of $900,000.

From THR:  After an unprecedented 5-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, movie theaters reopen in North America.  In Canada, movie theaters welcomed the first new Hollywood releases to open wide since the shutdown.  They are "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run" and "Unhinged," a Russell Crowe road-rage thriller.
-----------------------

BLACK ACTRESS - From BuzzFeed:  The article article got a call-back: "18 reasons why Angela Bassett is the most amazing actress of all time."  [She is certainly underrated and under-appreciated. - Leroy]

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Bo Derek reflects on her career... and on those cornrows in "10."

OBITS:

From Loudwire:  American rock musician and recording artist, Frankie Banali, has died at the age of 68, Thursday, August 20, 2020, of pancreatic cancer.  Banali was best known as the drummer for the 1980s heavy metal band, Quiet Riot.  He also was the drummer for W.A.S.P. for a period of time.

From Deadline:  English stage, film and television actor, Ben Cross, has died at the age of 72, Tuesday, August 18, 2020.  Cross was best known for starring in the "Best Picture" Academy Award-winner, "Chariots of Fire" (1981) and for playing Spock's father, Sarek, in the 2009 reboot film, "Star Trek."

From Deadline:  Actor, writer, producer, and prolific filmmaker, Ash Christian, has died at the age of 35, Thursday, August 13, 2020.  His best known films include "1985," "Social Animals," and "Coyote Lake."  He won a Daytime Emmy in 2014 for the short, "mI Promise."

From Deadline:  Television music composer, Duane L. Tatro, has died at the age of 93, Sunday, August 9, 2020.  He composed music for TV series, including several for ABC, including "Dynasty," "The Love Boat," and "The Invaders," which was his first TV job.  The only television series for which he composed the theme music was "The Manhunter" (CBS, 1974-75).

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson reveals that he was hospitalized with COVID-19 for a week in April.

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/29 - From YahooPolitico:  Rep. Louie Gohmert, the defiant Texas Republican U.S. congressman who refused to wear a mask, has tested positive for COVID-19.

7/30 - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") reveals that he had a bout with COVID-19.

7/31 - From YahooEntertainment:  Writer and actress, Lena Dunham, creator of HBO's "Girls, reveals that she contracted COVID-19 and the symptoms she experiences and still experience.

7/30 - From YahooGMA:  In their bid to crackdown on illegal gatherings amid COVID-19, New York authorities break up an alleged sex party.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/2 - From TheDailyBeast:  In Mississippi, COVID-19 has coroners terrified.

8/6 - From CNN:  Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (Republican) has tested positive for COVID19.

8/6 - From YahooNews:  Testing everyone constantly could stop the spread of COVID-19... according to this article.

8/8 - From YahooNYT:  The coronavirus is new, but your immune system might recognize it.

8/8 - From YahooNBC:  They thought COVID-19 was a hoax, and they almost died from it or are watching family and loved ones suffer with it or die from it.

8/9 - From YahooNews:  The rest of the world is incredulous at the pitiful U.S. response to COVID-19.

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/15 - From NBA:  Bosnian NBA player Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers says that his grandmother, 67-year-old Hana, has died of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

8/16 - From YahooEntertainment:  Sharon Stone reports that her sister, Kelly, is in the hospital with COVID-19.  She blames "non-mask wearers" for his sister's condition.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From Billboard:  In an interview will the venerable music publication, legendary country music singer-songwriter and actress, Dolly Parton, expresses support for the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

From RSN:  Reader Supported News' "Sunday Song" for Aug. 8th, 2020 is "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke.

Review: "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" Goes All Out

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Running time: 147 minutes; MPAA – PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language
DIRECTOR:  Christopher McQuarrie
WRITERS:  Christopher McQuarrie (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)
PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jake Myers
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rob Hardy (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Eddie Hamilton
COMPOSER: Lorne Balfe
BAFTA nominee

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Vanessa Kirby Michelle Monaghan, Wes Bentley, Angela Bassett, and Alec Baldwin

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a 2018 action-thriller and espionage film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise.  It is the sixth film in the Mission: Impossible (M:I) film franchise, which is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a direct sequel to 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.  Fallout finds the members of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) racing against time after a mission to obtain plutonium goes wrong.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout opens two years after the events depicted in Rogue Nation, which saw Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team take down Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), the anarchist mastermind who was the leader of the international criminal consortium, the Syndicate.  Now, the remnants of the Syndicate have reformed into the terrorist organization known as “the Apostles.”

Hunt and his two longest serving IMF teammates, technical field agent, Benjamin “Benji” Dunn (Simon Pegg), and IMF agent Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), are in Berlin, Germany to buy three plutonium cores from Eastern European gangsters before the Apostles do.  The mission goes awry, which forces Hunt to track the cores to whomever or whatever organization now has them.  The person who may know the cores' whereabouts or have them is the mysterious Alanna Mitsopolis a.k.a. “the White Widow” (Vanessa Kirby).

Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett), the new Director of the CIA, is furious at Hunt and current Secretary of the IMF, Al Hunley (Alec Baldwin), for failing to secure the plutonium.  Director Sloane insists that one of her agents, August Walker (Henry Cavill), an assassin working for the CIA's Special Activities Division, accompany and Hunt and his IMF team to Paris to meet the Widow.  What Hunt doesn't know is that a recent ally, former MI6 agent, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), is also tracking Hunt, and her mission may or may not be a danger to Hunt's.

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies.  Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible II (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011),  Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy.  Each film in the first trilogy has a different director and a different tone or sensibility.  The second trilogy only has two different directors, Brad Bird for Ghost Protocol and Christopher McQuarrie for Rogue Nation and Fallout.  However, beginning with Ghost Protocol, the films depict IMF as being a team of outsiders fighting both to save the world and to justify its existence, if only for a moment of goodwill immediately after a successful mission.  Afterwards, the security state apparatus of the United States is back to mistrusting the motives of IMF or to being downright hostile to it.  This intensifies the recent films' sense of drama and also sets them apart from earlier M:I films.

The recent film, Fallout, is the best of this second trilogy or second lot of films.  It certainly lives up to both the words “mission” and “impossible” in its name.  Every thing upon which Ethan Hunt embarks is a mission; these can't be adventures or mere chases because every move has a purpose.  The “impossible” comes in because the missions always involve these impossible set pieces, and Fallout sets a new standard in M:I insane set pieces.

Tom Cruise may be Hollywood's most consistent action movie star and its most ambitious.  As of the release of Fallout, the M:I film franchise was 22-years-old, with the seventh and eighth installments already preparing for release in 2021 and 2022 respectively (as of this writing).  One can call M:I III a bit of a box office misstep (but not by much), but as of Ghost Protocol, the franchise has been bigger, better (in some ways) and tastier with each new film.  Fallout, to date, is Tom Cruise's most extravagant, deliriously fun film, blending mind-bending action set pieces with brutal, physical, man-to-man fights that are sometimes to the death.  Cruise is so hungry to blow our minds ever more with each film that he actually was hurt performing a crazy and dangerous stunt himself.

In Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise seems to have found the perfect director for his aspirations for this franchise.  McQuarrie began his Hollywood career as a screenwriter and won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects.  In the last decade, however, he has proved to be a director of imaginative and inventive macho films that balance high octane action and conspiratorial intrigue.  McQuarrie gives us meat-and-potatoes action films, but the meat is of a high quality and the potatoes are sustainable and artisanal.  It is no coincidence that this already-good franchise has found a way to improve since McQuarrie began directing it and writing its screenplays.

The supporting cast is also excellent, with Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg finding places to shine next to Cruise's supernova.  Angela Bassett chews up two of her scenes; it is easy to take this magnificent actress for granted.  Of course, you will regret it.  I have to admit Henry Cavill impressed me in a way he has never before, and I have to say that I loved every moment of Rebecca Ferguson.  And it is always good to see Alec Baldwin.

At the end of my review of Rogue Nation, I wrote, “Seriously, Tom Cruise is as glorious as ever as Ethan Hunt.”  That remains true, and Mission: Impossible is also as glorious as ever.  I love it so much that I will say even to people who are not fans of the franchise: see Mission: Impossible – Fallout.  For a moment while I was watching this film, I thought to myself, “M:I has replaced James Bond.”  Yikes!

9 of 10
A+

2019 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Gilbert Lake, James Mather, Chris Munro, and Mike Prestwood Smith)

Saturday, May 30, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

Academy Announces Second Round of Presenters for 91st Oscars

ROUND TWO: STARS LINE UP TO TAKE THE OSCAR STAGE

Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson

A second wave of stars is headed for the Oscars® stage on Sunday, February 24, 2019. Academy Awards® producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weiss announced thirteen more Hollywood luminaries to celebrate the year in movies. The Oscars airs live on the ABC Television Network, and will be broadcast in more than 225 countries and territories.

“The array of talent anchoring the show this year has brought some of the most indelible moments in recent cinematic memory to audiences around the world,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “They join together to reconnect us with the nominees, their tremendous movies, and outstanding performances.”

Previously announced Oscars presenters include:

Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Allison Janney, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Amy Poehler, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wu.

The 91st Oscars® will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center®  in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PT.

------------------------------

Angela Bassett to Narrate Nat Geo Special, "The Flood"

National Geographic Taps Angela Bassett to Narrate Stunning Natural History Special The Flood

Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated Bassett (‘Black Panther’) to Voice the Compelling Story of the Circle of Life in Africa’s Okavango Delta Wilderness

The Flood Premieres Sunday, November 25 at 8/7c on National Geographic

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic announced that Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett will narrate its stunning two-hour wildlife documentary special The Flood, which premieres Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 at 8/7c on National Geographic. Set in the heart of Africa’s Okavango Delta wilderness, The Flood tells an enchanting story of life around a wild paradise like no other on earth.

    “I found the stories of these resilient, beautiful animals so fascinating and relatable. I hope that viewers are drawn into this rarely seen kingdom in a way that inspires them to help protect it for years to come.”

Surrounded by the unforgiving Kalahari Desert, the Okavango Delta is a lush, vibrant oasis that pulses with life each year as the great flood rejuvenates the land with the return of water. Witness how incredible animals – like leopards, elephants, lions, hippos and more – adapt to this unpredictable and changing landscape. When the lands are flooded, the Okavango Delta is both a sanctuary and a trap, giving and taking life in equal measure. Then, like a living, breathing ecosystem, the waters soon recede and life becomes about one thing – survival. The fate of the tens of thousands of animals that live in this place of spectacular natural drama is at stake.

The Flood will premiere globally on National Geographic and/or Nat Geo WILD in 172 countries and 43 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotvpressroom.com, or follow us on Twitter using @NGC_PR.

“I am thrilled to be teaming up with National Geographic on this beautiful celebration of one of the planet’s last great wildernesses,” said Bassett. “I found the stories of these resilient, beautiful animals so fascinating and relatable. I hope that viewers are drawn into this rarely seen kingdom in a way that inspires them to help protect it for years to come.”

“At its core, The Flood is a love letter to the incredible animals in this untouched wildlife paradise, and I can think of no one better suited to help us tell this story than the incomparable Angela Bassett,“ said Geoff Daniels, executive vice president and general manager of Nat Geo WILD. “Her distinctive, confident and energetic voice elevates this narrative and makes you feel as if it’s Mother Nature telling the story herself. We are truly honored to have partnered with her on this special.”

The Flood is produced by Icon Films in association with Natural History Film Unit Botswana for National Geographic. Icon Films executive producers are Harry Marshall and Laura Marshall. Natural History Film Unit Botswana producer is Brad Bestelink. For National Geographic, executive producer and senior vice president of development and production is Janet Han Vissering and executive vice president and general manager is Geoff Daniels.


About Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett is a Golden Globe winning and Academy Award nominated actress, as well as a Directors Guild of America nominated director. Angela recently starred in Ryan Coogler’s highly acclaimed BLACK PANTHER with Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown, and Lupita Nyong’o; and in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-FALLOUT with Tom Cruise. She also executive produces and stars in 9-1-1, Ryan Murphy’s newest hit series for Fox; and showcased her directing talents in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT. Last season, Angela received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in Netflix’s hit series MASTER OF NONE opposite Lena Waithe. She also joined the directing team of FX’s AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ROANOKE while simultaneously appearing as a member of the all-star cast. Previously, she appeared as Ramona Royale in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL alongside Lady Gaga, Sarah Paulson, and Matt Bomer. She received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries for her work as Marie Laveau in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN, as well as for her work as Desiree Dupree in the carnival themed AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW. Angela will next star in BUMBLEBEE alongside Hailee Steinfield and Justin Theroux as the Decepticon, Shatter, in theaters this December.

About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Icon Films
Icon Films has a reputation for originality, excellence and entertainment across the breadth of factual genres including science, history, exploration and natural history; having produced over 400 hours of factual programming over 27 years for UK and international broadcasters. Headquartered in Bristol, the UK’s capital of natural history TV production, Icon Films creates award-winning programming for broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, National Geographic, Discovery Networks, Arte and PBS. The company is listed in Realscreen’s Global 100 top independent production companies as voted for by broadcasters, producers and distributors in the global non-fiction content industry. Icon Films has been repeatedly named in Broadcast’s annual Best Places to Work in TV list and has been listed in the Top Independent and True Indies table in both Broadcast and Televisual Indie surveys. River Monsters, Icon Films’ hit series for Animal Planet US is the best performing series in the network’s history. Presented by angling explorer Jeremy Wade, the series closed its final (ninth) season in the UK in 2018. Other recent Icon Films productions include Jeremy Wade’s Mighty Rivers (6 x 60 Animal Planet US), Savage Kingdom: Uprising (4 x 60 Nat Geo WILD), Philip Larkin by Andrew Motion (1 x 60 Sky Arts), Andrew Marr: My Brain and Me (1 x 60 BBC), Restless Leg Syndrome: Desperate for Help (1 x 60 Channel 5), Clash of Africa’s Giant Killers (1 x 120 BBC, Animal Planet), Africa’s Fishing Leopards (1 x 60 BBC, Nat Geo WILD US), Great Hammerhead Invasion (1 x 60 Shark Week special for Discovery Channel), Primal Survivor (8 x 60 and 7 x 60 National Geographic Channels). Icon Films’ senior management team includes: Creative Director Harry Marshall, Managing Director Laura Marshall, Director of Production Andie Clare, Commercial Director Lucy Middelboe and Head of Factual, Stephen McQuillan. www.iconfilms.co.uk

About Natural History Film Unit
The Natural History Film Unit (NHFU) is an independent production company founded in Botswana by Brad Bestelink and Andy Crawford in 2010. It is recognised for its unique and intimate approach towards wildlife filmmaking and has won a number of international awards, including Best Documentary Feature, Best Natural History Film, Best Story, Animal Behaviour and Cinematography. Brad Bestelink and the NHFU team specialise in capturing previously unseen animal behaviour focusing specifically on Africa’s predators. The NHFU has contributed to more than 75 hours of commissioned natural history programming for a multitude of broadcasters including National Geographic, BBC, Discovery, NHK Japan, Channel 4 France and ZDF. www.naturalhistoryfilmunit.com

----------------------------

Review: "Black Panther" is the Best Marvel Movie... Best Superhero Movie... Best Comic Book Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2018) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Black Panther (2018)
Running time:  134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture
DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler
WRITERS:  Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole (based on the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige (p.g.a.)
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Rachel Morrison (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Debbie Berman and  Michael P. Shawver
COMPOSER:  Ludwig Göransson

SUPERHERO/ACTION/SCI-FI

Starring:  Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Florence Kasumba, John Kani, David S. Lee, Nabiyah Be, and Stan Lee

Black Panther is a 2018 superhero and science fiction movie directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, that first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (cover dated: July 1966) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  Black Panther the movie follows a new king of a secretive and isolated African nation as he tries to guide his nation into the future while dealing with dark secrets from it past.

Black Panther opens after the events depicted in the film Captain America: Civil War (2016).  Prince T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is returning to his home, the (fictional) African nation of Wakanda, after the death of his father, T'Chaka (John Kani), in order to assume the throne.  The throne comes with a role – the mantle of the “Black Panther,” protector of Wakanda.  Accompanying him are Okoye (Danai Gurira), the leader of the Dora Milaje, a fighting force and the King of Wakanda's personal guard; and also T'Challa's ex-lover, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), who is a Wakandan spy. T'Challa arrives home to meet his mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and his younger sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), as they prepare for the coronation ceremony.

First, T'Challa must face a challenge of ritual combat for the crown from M'Baku (Winston Duke), the leader of an estranged Wakandan tribe.  However, T'Challa will face even greater challenges, specifically in the form of Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), a South African black-market arms dealer, smuggler and gangster who wants to possess Wakanda's greatest asset, the rare alien metal, “Vibranium,” of which Wakanda is the only source on Earth.  Even more troubling is Klaue's compatriot, Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan).  A former United States “black operations” soldier also known as “Killmonger,” Erik has a shocking connection to T'Challa and Wakanda's past that may put both the African nation and the rest of the world in peril.

When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Black Panther for Marvel Comics over 50 years ago, they conceived a Black man as a king, a warrior, a protector, an inventor, and as a superhero.  As African-American comic book writers like Dwayne McDuffie, Christopher Priest, Reginald Hudlin, and Ta-Nehisi Coates over the last three decades started writing the character, they began to flesh out and to add to what Lee and Kirby and the comics creators that followed them in the 1970s did with the character.  Thus, co-writer/director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole had a wealth of source material from which to fashion their screen adaptation of one of the most historically important superhero characters of all time.

Coogler and Cole turn that wealth into the best film based on a Marvel Comics character and the best movie based on a comic book to date.  In fact, Black Panther is the best superhero movie to date.  It is a brooding drama that is intelligent and socially, politically, and historically relevant, especially in regards to the continent of Africa, to Black Africans, to the trade of African slaves to the Americas, and to the history of Africans and African-Americans over the last five centuries.  Basically, Black Panther is a superhero movie and a big-budget, big studio event movie that is steeped in all things Pan African.

Yet Black Panther is so shockingly entertaining.  The film deals in such themes as how the sins of a leader can reverberate through generations of his people (even his people who live outside his kingdom), yet Black Panther manages to be a visually striking and imaginative science fiction and superhero fantasy.  Even more surprisingly, Black Panther not only finds the heroism in its male protagonist (T'Challa-Black Panther), but also in his female compatriots:  the brave and bold Okoye and her fearsome charges in the Dora Milaje; Nakia the “War Dog” (spy), who is as sharp as James Bond; and Shuri, the genius inventor like no other genius inventor.  This movie does not even slight its antagonist; Killmonger has legitimate beef with Wakanda and its ways.  He is right; Africans and the people of the diaspora would have been better off if an African nation possessing super science had used their technological advances to make (White) oppressors bow down and surrender.

Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright give bravura performances.  It is not just their acting, however; it is also in the kind of characters they bring to life.  These five actors and the rest of the cast give us cinematic characters as people of color who are not victims to be saved or people that are problems for other people.

These actors and filmmakers present a narrative where heroism and technology define the characters.  American cinema has been filled with African-Americans and people of color as slaves, runaway slaves, scared slaves, servants, coons, criminals, pimps, mammies, and the shiftless and the unemployed.  And damn, often they actors playing such characters have to play them as dignified.  Finally, Black Panther presents a sparkling, wondrous, rich mix of African tribalism, history, and art and culture; a mix of limitless possibilities; an Afro-Futurism that is so bright, we have to wear shades.  That is uplifting, and you know what?  That's entertaining.

10 of 10

Friday, February 23, 2018


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------------------