Showing posts with label Antoine Fuqua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Antoine Fuqua. Show all posts

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Nov. 12th to 18th, 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:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Recent horror movie hit, "The Exorcist: Believer" (the sequel to the 1973 hit, "The Exorcist"), will begin streaming on Peacock December 1st.

BOND - From BritishVogue:  Oscar-winning actress, Olivia Colman ("The Favourite"), says she wants to play the new "M" in the next James Bond film.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio says that he has thanked Oscar-nominee Sharon Stone for paying his salary in order for him to be in director Sam Raimi's revisionist Western, "The Quick and the Dead" (1995).  At the time, Stone wanted DiCaprio in the film, but the studio, TriStar Pictures, refused to cast him.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Dune: Part Two" moves up its release date to March 1st, 2024 from March 15th. The sequel to 2021's Oscar-winning Dune was originally slated to be released earlier this month (November).

TELEVISION - From DeadlineABC has announced its post-strike midseason broadcast schedule.  Everything kicks off Jan. 22nd with a two-hour premiere of "The Bachelor."

STREAMING - From DeadlineParamount+ is ending its drama "SEAL Team" after the upcoming seventh season.  The series originated on CBS, where it remained for five seasons before moving to Paramount+ for Season 6.

DISNEY - From VarietyDisney CEO Bob Iger says that "Frozen 3" in in the works and that there might be a "Frozen 4."  The films would be the second and third sequels to the Oscar-winning 2013 film, Frozen.

MOVIES - From VarietyChristopher Nolan suggests his recent acclaimed hit film, "Oppenheimer," on Blu-ray and own it at home and put it on a shelf "so no evil streaming service can come steal it from you."  "Oppenheimer" arrives on Blu-ray Nov. 21st.

TELEVISION - From VarietyCBS is bringing its hit sitcom, "Young Sheldon," to an end with the series upcoming seventh season.  "Young Sheldon" Season 7 will debut Feb. 15th and will end with a one-hour series finale set for May 16th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The cast of the CBS sitcom, "Young Sheldon," reacts to the news that the upcoming seventh season will be the series' last.

DISNEY - From VarietyDisney is merging Disney+ and Hulu into one application sometime in late March 2024.  Customers who have the current Disney+/Hulu bundle will be able to beta test the new merged app beginning in December.

SCANDAL - From DeadlineSamuel Haskell IV, the 35-year-old son of prominent television producer, Sam Haskell, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a headless torso was found several miles from his Los Angeles home.  He has been charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of his wife and her parents.

STAGE - From Variety:  Oscar-nominee Steve Carell will make his Broadway debut playing the title character in a revival of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” (1897). The production, which will be performed at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, will begin previews April 2, 2024, and open on April 24, 2024.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has unveiled its mid-season 2023-24 schedule, which will feature new and returning series arriving mid-Feb. 2024.  Two planned new 2023-24 series, the "Matlock" reboot and Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans, Jr.'s "Poppa's House," will now debut in the 2024-25 season.

NETFLIX - From Deadline: Netflix has attached Denzel Washington to play the ancient Carthaginian general, Hannibal, in an untitled epic drama that will reteam Washington with his frequent collaborator, director Antoine Fuqua.  John Logan will write the screenplay.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/10 to 11/12/2023 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "The Marvels" with an estimated take of 47 million dollars.

From Here:  A review of "The Marvels" by Leroy Douresseaux.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The first trailer for Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" has set a viewership record for Disney films.  It has had 157 million views in 24 hours.  The film is set for a June 14, 2024 debut in theaters.

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ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  SAG-AFTRA has produced a summary of its "2023 Tentative Agreement" that ended the 118-day long actors' strike. SAG-AFTRA members can begin voting on the agreement tomorrow, Tues., Nov. 14th. The voting can continue until the first week of December.

From IndieWire:  The site takes a look at the details of the tentative agreement between SAG-AFTRA (the actors' union) and the AMPTP (the Hollywood studios) that ended the 118-day actors' strike.

From Deadline:  The SAG-AFTRA national board, by a majority vote, approved the tentative agreement reached with the AMPTP to end the actors' strike.  Now, the actors vote...

From Variety:  The Hollywood studios have agreed to adjust language on artificial intelligence (AI) in their contract negotiations with SAG-AFTRA to end the 117-day actors' strike.

From THR:  SAG-AFTRA is evaluating the studios' "last, best and final offer" to end the actors' strike.

From Deadline:  The studios have delivered a new contract deal to SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, and more strike talks are scheduled to be held this weekend.

From Deadline:  Striking actors are set to meet the studios today for Halloween negotiations, but they are still "far apart on key issues."

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (actors) and AMPTP (studios) will resume strike negotiations tomorrow (Tues., Oct. 24th).

From Deadline:  SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher says that the offer from top-earning Hollywood actors to chip in some money to help end the strike "isn't legally compatible with the union's contract.

From Deadline:  Top earning Hollywood actors want to chip in some money to end the SAG-AFTRA strike.

From Deadline:  George Clooney, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck, Tyler Perry and Scarlett Johansson were among a group of top talent guild members that spoke Tuesday (Oct. 17th) with guild president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland for a detailed debrief, we hear.

From Deadline:  The movie studios via AMPTP have suspended their talks with striking actors via SAG-AFTRA.  The snag seems to be that actors want "2 precent of potential profits" on streaming.

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (the actors) and AMPTP (the studios) are to resume strike talks Wed., Oct. 11th, as the actors strike enters Day 88.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Hollywood studios CEOs met for strike talks for the first time since the actors went on strike July 14th. They plan to meet again, Wed., Oct. 4th.

BREAKING - From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.

From WGAContract:  The WGA contract page has additional information on the settlement.

From WGAContract:  A summary of the new agreement.

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From Deadline:   The actors’ strike is now in its 63rd day.  Now, SAG-AFTRA leaders are ramping up their rhetoric against the studio heads, accusing them in the latest issue of the "SAG-AFTRA Magazine" of “behaving like petty tyrants,” “would-be feudal lords” and “land barons in feudal times.”

From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra says that Hollywood unions need to embrace AI.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav says the industry must focus and fight to resolve the writers and actors strikes.

From Deadline:  Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.  Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprioMeryl StreepOprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Review: "THE EQUALIZER 2" is Brutal and Personal

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 40 of 2023 (No. 1929) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Running time:  121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
MPAA – R for for brutal violence throughout, language, and some drug content
DIRECTOR:  Antoine Fuqua
WRITER:  Richard Wenk (based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim)
PRODUCERS:  Antoine Fuqua, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Tony Eldridge, Mace Neufeld, Alex Siskin, Michael Sloan, Steve Tisch, and Denzel Washington
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Oliver Wood (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Conrad Buff IV
COMPOSER:  Harry Gregson-Williams

ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER

Starring:  Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Scarfe, Kazy Tauginas, Garrett A. Golden, and Sakina Jaffrey

The Equalizer 2 is a 2018 action movie and crime thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington.  It is a sequel to the 2014 film, The Equalizer.”  Both films are based on the television series, “The Equalizer,” which was created by  Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim and was originally broadcast on CBS from 1985 to 1989.  The Equalizer 2 finds Robert McCall out to make the people who murdered someone he loves pay for their crimes with their lives.

The Equalizer 2 opens on a train headed to Istanbul, Turkey.  Robert “Bob” McCall (Denzel Washington) is about to serve his unflinching brand of justice on man who kidnapped his daughter in order to punish his ex-wife.  McCall still lives quietly in Boston, where he works as a Lyft driver and assists the less fortunate, the exploited, and the oppressed.  Among the people he is currently helping include Samuel “Sam” Rubinstein (Orson Bean), a Holocaust survivor trying to recover a painting of his sister, Magda, who died in a Nazi death camp.  Lately, he has taken an interest in Miles (Ashton Sanders), a troubled African-American teen who lives in the same apartment building.  Miles has tremendous artistic talent, but he is also being recruited by a violent, drug-dealing street gang.

However, the big action is in Brussels, Belgium.  There, Robert's friend and former DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) colleague, Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo), is investigating the apparent murder-suicide of DIA “agency affiliate” and his wife.  That investigation costs Susan her life.  McCall begins investigating Susan's murder with the assistance of her colleague and his former DIA teammate, Dave York (Pedro Pascal).  Determined to avenge Susan's murder, McCall will have to go deep into his past and risk endangering people very close to him.

With his Oscar-winning turn in 2001's Training Day, Denzel Washington proved to be a convincing bad guy.  With 2010's The Book of Eli, Washington showed that he could be a bad-ass, kick-ass, action hero with fancy martial arts-styled moves.  The first take on The Equalizer allowed Washington to blend hero and anti-hero in a visceral mix.  So in anticipation of The Equalizer 3, I decided to see The Equalizer 2, of which I have seen bits and pieces on television over the past few years.

In the original film, the screenplay by Richard Wenk had McCall constantly in peril or made it seem as if he were in danger even when he was not.  Wenk returns for the sequel and delivers a script that adds compassion to the standard revenge thriller.  McCall can be a gentle soul helping a teen go through growing pains that are filled with danger, and he can lend a kind ear to an old man whose current quest could be the real thing or the result of a failing memory crashing from the accumulation of data over a long life.  On the other hand, McCall will also break a mutha down to the blood and bone if he deserves such a reckoning, even if it means killing him.

The Equalizer would be a standard revenge thriller if its avenger were portrayed by just any other movie star, but Denzel Washington is a consummate professional and charismatic actor.  That means he can deliver the meat and potatoes and the art to every performance – whether it is Shakespeare on stage or Hollywood entertainment product destined for the multiplex.  In this second film, Washington super-charges his performance in order to make the personal so personal that it is murderous. 

Director Antoine Fuqua plays Washington's skills for everything he can get out of this brilliant actor.  Fuqua is an impressive director in his own right, especially when it comes to dark, violent, dramatic thrillers, such as Shooter (2007).  Together, Fuqua and Washington deliver in The Equalizer 2 a film that slightly surpasses the original.  I find myself endlessly fascinated by it because The Equalizer 2 is a really good thriller.

7 of 10
A-
★★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, August 30, 2023


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

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Saturday, January 21, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 15th to 21st, 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:

SUNDANCE - From Deadline:  Director Doug Liman says that "Justice," his self-funded documentary about sexual assault allegations against now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, might be far from finished as new tips started pouring within a half hour of the highly-secretive project being announced on Thursday (Jan. 19th).  The film made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival 2023 on Friday (Jan. 2th).

From HuffPost:  This is another article on the documentary, "Justice," which focuses on the history of sexual abuse on the part of disgraced and disgraceful Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

RUST - From Deadline:  New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced that Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will face criminal charges for the October 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."  Each will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Disney is developing its next TRON film, "Tron: Ares," with Jared Leto as its star.  Joachim Ronning is in negotiations to direct.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  After diving deep into the Los Angeles Lakers' dynasty in the HBO miniseries, "Winning Time,"  executive producer and writer, Rodney Barnes, will take on the legendary boxer and icon of African-American manhood, Jack Johnson, as writer and executive producer in a new HBO miniseries starring Oscar-winner, Mahershala Ali.

MOVIES - From DeadlineAntoine Fuqua is set to direct "Michael," a Lionsgate drama telling the complex life story of the iconic singer Michael JacksonJohn Logan has written the script. The film will be produced by Graham King via his GK Films alongside the co-executors of Jackson’s estate, John Branca and John McClain.

NETFLIX - From VarietyNetflix executives unveil its lineup of 2023 releases, which include director Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon" (a sci-fi film in the vein of "Star Wars") and "Knives Out 3."

TELEVISION - From VarietyNBC's comedy revival, "Night Court," debuted its first two episodes to strong ratings, making it NBC's best comedy premiere since its 2017 "Will & Grace" revival.

MOVIES - From THRMichael B. Jordan will star in "Rainbow Six," an adaptation of a novel by Tom Clancy.  The film will be directed by Chad Stahelski ("John Wick" franchise) and will also be a follow up to the 2021 film, "Without Remorse" (based on another Clancy book), which Paramount Pictures licensed to Amazon for streaming.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Oscar winner and big screen legend, Meryl Streep, is joining Season 3 of Hulu's hit mystery-comedy, "Only Murders in the Building," but the specifics of her role is being kept secret.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline: China’s unofficial ban on Marvel Studios is apparently lifting. Disney/Marvel’s "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (Feb. 7th) and "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" (Feb. 17th) have both secured release dates in China, ending a three-and-a-half year period during which movies featuring Marvel characters did not gain entry to the world’s second largest box office market. 

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/13 to 1/15/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" with an estimated take of 31.1 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The cable networks, "USA Network" and "Syfy," have renewed their horror series, "Chucky" for a third season.

From Deadline:  The cable network, "Syfy," has renewed its comedy-drama-fantasy series, "Reginald the Vampire" for a second season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Todd Field ("Tar") talks about the time superhero Tom Cruise told him how to save Field's 2001 film, "In the Bedroom," from the depravations of convicted sexual predator and Oscar-winning studio boss, Harvey Weinstein.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Legendary American singer-songwriter and guitarist, David Crosby, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, January 19, 2023.  Crosby was a founding member of "The Byrds," one of the most influential rock bands of all time.  He later co-founded the folk rock super-group, "Crosby, Stills & Nash," with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.  Neil Young would later join and on-off over the next five decades, they were sometimes known as "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young."  Crosby also recorded as a solo artist, and he was a 10-time Grammy Award nominee.

From Deadline:  Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida, has died at the age of 95, Monday, January 16, 2023.  An icon of Italian cinema, Lollobrigida  was also known for such American and international productions as "Beat the Devil" (with Humphrey Bogart, 1953), "Solomon and Sheba" (1959), and "Come September" to name a few.

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AWARDS:

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.

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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."


Saturday, October 29, 2022

Review: Wild, Uneven "BULLET TRAIN" Has a Killer Last Act

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 66 of 2022 (No. 1878) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bullet Train (2022)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPA – R for strong and bloody violence, pervasive language, and brief sexuality
DIRECTOR:  David Leitch
WRITER:  Zak Olkewicz (based on the novel by Kotaro Isaka)
PRODUCERS:  Antoine Fuqua, David Leitch, and Kelly McCormick
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jonathan Sela (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Elisabet Ronaldsdottir
COMPOSER:  Dominic Lewis

ACTION

Starring:  Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Sandra Bullock, Benito A Martinez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), Logan Lerman, Zazie Beetz, Masi Oka, Kevin Akiyoshi Ching, Johanna White, and Karen Fukuhara with Channing Tatum and Ryan Reynolds

Bullet Train is a 2022 action movie from director David Leitch.  The film is based on the 2010 novel from author Kōtarō Isaka, Maria Beetle (which was titled Bullet Train for its U.S. and U.K. Editions).  Bullet Train the movie takes place aboard a swiftly-moving bullet train where five assassins gradually discover that they have several things in common.

Bullet Train opens in Japan and introduces “Ladybug” (Brad Pitt), an assassin turned “snatch-and-grab man.”  In Tokyo, he enters a bullet train bound for Kyoto.  He is initially wary of accepting this job from his handler, Maria (Sandra Bullock), which involves him retrieving a briefcase that contains ten million dollars.  Also on the train is a young woman known as “Prince” (Joey King); the assassin brothers, “Lemon” (Brian Tyree Henry) and “Tangerine” (Aaron Taylor-Johnson); and the revenge-seeking Yuichi Kimura (Andrew Koji).

They are all passengers on this particular bullet train, directly and indirectly, because of “The Son” (Logan Lerman), the kidnapped son of the Russian-born Yakuza boss known as the “White Death” (Michael Shannon).  Ladybug, who is begrudgingly working this job, believes that it is bringing out the worst of the bad luck that he believes plagues him.  Gradually, he finds himself fighting off an ever-growing gathering of killers and miscreants.  And waiting for everyone at their final stop in Kyoto – at least for those that survive – is an ultimate showdown with the White Death and his hired killers.

Directly or indirectly, Bullet Train is a movie influenced by the films of Oscar-winning filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino.  The dialogue – full of chatter, threats, and banter – is supposed to come across as cool, but it is merely blather from a third or fourth or fifth generation take on a Tarantino screenplay.  The characters are also Tarantino retreads, and so are their actions and inaction.  Still, I must admit that I like some of them, especially Brad Pitt's Ladybug.

So is Bullet Train any good, you might ask?

Well, two-thirds of it is uneven and moves in fits and starts of violence and murder.  I was mostly uninterested, but there are some surprising cameos that captured my interest.  For instance, Zazie Beetz is the assassin, “The Hornet,” and recording artist, Bad Bunny, is the Mexican assassin, “The Wolf.”  Both, however, are barely in the film.  I think they would have improved Bullet Train a good bit had their roles been enlarged.

However, the first 80 or so mediocre minutes of this movie are worth it for the last 40 minutes.  It is as if Bullet Train suddenly explodes in its last act to reveal a much better movie that had been hiding inside the fairly awful movie.  Everything is better, even Brad Pitt, who keeps this movie from being an absolute disaster.  Sometimes, it is worth having a genuine movie star, like a Brad Pitt, star in a genre movie.  The first two-thirds of this movie deserves a grade of “C-” at best, but the last third deserves an “A.”  So I'll average that out to a “B,” and I will recommend Bullet Train because of its last act.  It really is spectacular, and it is a pay off for your patience.

6 out of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars


Saturday, October 29, 2022


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

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Saturday, May 8, 2021

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 8th, 2021 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MUSIC - From NYDailyNews:   The rapper "Pop Smoke" (birth name: Bashar Barakah Jackson) was killed last year, Feb. 2020, in Los Angeles.  The "New York Daily News" is reporting that the Brooklyn rapper was allegedly murdered by a 15-year-old who wanted Pop Smoke's diamond studded Rolex watch.

MOVIES - From THR:   Legendary Entertainment is developing a remake of the 1978 fake documentary, "Faces of Death," which spawned a grisly franchise.

GOLDEN GLOBES - From THR:   The membership of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that puts on the "Golden Globes" awards, have approved sweeping reforms in order to address the demographic and ethics questions that have riled Hollywood.

From THR:  The Time’s Up organization and a coalition of more than 100 PR firms released separate letters on Friday afternoon indicating that they are not satisfied with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association plans to address demographic and ethics problems.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  After 12 seasons as a cast member of ABC's long-running hospital drama, "Grey's Anatomy," actor Jessie Williams is leaving the series after this season, the series' 17th.

MOVIES - From VanityFair:   In this "Vanity Fair" video, Sacha Baron Cohen breaks down the Oscar-nominated film, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" with writer-director Aaron Sorkin

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Mark Wahlberg and director Antoine Fuqua's sci-fi film, "Infinite," will debut on Paramount+ and skip movie theaters.

MOVIES - From VogueUK:   British "Vogue" gets you up to date about the early production of the film, "My Policeman," starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   HBO releases the first images (three of them) from its "Game of Thrones" prequel, "House of the Dragon."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Ben Mendelsohn joins Daisy Ridley in Neil Burger's psychological thriller, "The Marsh King's Daughter."

TELEVISION - From Truthout:   Director Raoul Peck talks to Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now" about his epic new documentary series, "Exterminate All the Brutes," which exposes the worldwide brutality of European colonialism.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   TBS has set a date for the final episode of "Conan," comic Conan O'Brien's talk show for the cable network.  The final episode will air June 24, 2021.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Apple Original Films has picked up "Finch," starring Tom Hanks.  The film, from Amblin Entertainment, is a science fiction movie originally called "Bios" and originally was to be released by Universal Pictures.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   NBC has given a straight-to-series order for a new "Law & Order" series, "Law & Order: For the Defense."

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 4/30 to 5/2/21 weekend box office is "Demon Slayer" with an estimated 6.4 million at the box office.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:   British film and TV actor, Noel Clarke, is in serious trouble.  Multiple women are alleging sexual harassment, bullying, and now, sexual offenses against him.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  A long-lost prototype for the "Xenomorph" from the director Ridley Scott's film, "Alien" (1979) has been found and will go on auction.  It was created by the late artist H.R. Giger, who was part of the team that won an Oscar for the film's visual effects.

SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  Former reality TV star, Josh Duggar ("19 Kids and Counting"), was recently arrested by federal authorities.  Now, disturbing details about Duggar's receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children have emerged.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:    Actors Joana Ribeiro ("The Man Who Killed Don Quixote") and Annelle Olayele ("Doctors") are set as series regulars opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Naomie Harris in Showtime's "The Man Who Fell to Earth."  The drama series is based on Walter Tevis' 1963 novel and the 1976 film adaptation starring the late David Bowie.

OBITS:

From Variety:   Actress and media personality, Tawny Kitaen, has died at the age of 59, Friday, May 8, 2021.  Kitaen was a "video vixen" in the 1980s.  She was known for her association with the rock band, Whitesnake, appearing in several of the band's music videos, including "Here I Go Again" (1987 version) and "Is This Love" (1987).  She also appeared as a cover model on the band, Ratt's EP, "Ratt" (1983), and on its debut studio LP, "Out of the Cellar" (1984).  Her best known film role as actress was playing the bride-to-be of Tom Hank's character in "Bachelor Party" (1984).

From Deadline:   Former NFL player and actor, Frank McRae, has died at the age of 77 , Thursday, April 29, 2021.  McRae was a defensive tackle for the NFL's Chicago Bears and played one season for them, appearing in six games.  After football, he became a character actor and appeared in in more than 40 movies, including a number of TV movies.  His most memorable appearances includes roles in "Red Dawn," "Last Action Hero," "F.I.S.T." and a James Bond movie - 1989's "License to Kill."

From Deadline:  The film, television, and stage actress, Olympia Dukakis, has died at the age of 89, Saturday, May 1, 2021.  She won a "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for her performance in the film, "Moonstruck" (1987).  Dukakis was also a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee.  Her other films include "Look Who's Talking" (1989), "Steel Magnolias" (1989), and "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995).

From Deadline:  Co-stars Cher, Viola Davis, and Paul Reiser and others in Hollywood mourn the passing of Academy Award-winning actress, Olympia Dukakis.


Saturday, July 11, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 11th, 2020 - Update #28

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Black Neff, the writer most responsible for the shit that Fox News personality, Tucker Carlson, spews from his mouth, has resigned from Fox after CNN Business discovered a Neff's racist and sexist post on an online forum.

BLM - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress and activist, Rashida Jones, is the daughter of an African-American man (music legend Quincy Jones) and a white actress (Peggy Lipton).  Regarding Black Lives Matter protests mean that this is the time for the country to show what it can be.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actors Zendaya and John David Washington made a secret movie during the COVID-19 pandemic with Euphoria creator, Sam Levinson.  The film, entitled "Malcolm & Marie," has already completed production.

POLITICS - From RSN:  Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich warns of a looming even worse "Great Recession."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Jude Law is in talks to portray Captain Hook in Disney's live-action Peter Pan film, "Peter Pan & Wendy."

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award winning actress Viola Davis' "Black Meryl Streep" speech goes viral again.

COVID-19 - From LATimes:  Tom Hanks is baffled by people who don't take COVID-19 seriously.  Hanks and his wife, film producer/singer Rita Wilson, both contracted COVID-19.

CELEBRITY - From Vulture:  The Emmy Award-winning actress, Thandie Newton, gives up juicy details in this career-spanning interview with "Vulture."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Blacklisted NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, has signed a first look deal with the Walt Disney Company.  Part of the deal includes a documentary series produced by ESPN Films.

DISNEY - From YahooEnterainment:  Why "Song of the South" is still a cultural flashpoint...

BLM - From YahooNews:  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that some soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C. to possibly assist in thwarting Black Lives Matter protests were issued bayonets, USA TODAY has confirmed.

CULTURE - From Slate:   How Being Bullied Affects Your Adulthood

STAR TREK-ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The new Star Trek animated comedy series, "Star Trek: Lower Decks," debuts August 6th, 2020 on the streaming service, CBS All Access.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  The lovely Sarah Jessica Parker is developing a dating show for the Lifetime cable network.

COVID-19/CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Acclaimed actress Jennifer Aniston pleads with her fans to wear masks to prevent the spread of #COVID19.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Mike Judge has signed a 2-season deal with Comedy Central to revive his animated creation, "Beavis and Butt-Head," which includes spin-offs and specials.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Apple will pay a record amount for the Antoine Fuqua-Will Smith project, "Emancipation."  The deal may exceed $120 million.

MOVIES - From Vulture:  The site asks if it is safe to go to the movies right now.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone, has died at the age of 91, Monday, July 6, 2020.  Morricone is best known to American audiences for scoring director Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy, and Morricone's score for the the third film in that trilogy, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," is considered one of the most influential film scores in history.  Morricone received an "Honorary Academy Award" in 2007.  He received six competitive Academy Award nominations, finally winning the "Best Original Score" Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" (2015).

From Deadline:  Screen and television writer, Bettina Gilois, has died at the age of 58, Sunday, July 5, 2020.  She was best known for co-writing the 2015 HBO TV miniseries, "Bessie," (for which she earned an Emmy nomination) and for co-writing two sports films, 2006's "Glory Road" and 2015's "McFarland USA."

From Deadline:  Broadway and television actor, Nick Cordero, has died at the age of 41, Sunday, July 5, 2020, of complications of COVID-19.  He had been battling the disease since early April.  Cordero received a Tony Award nomination for his role in "Bullets Over Broadway," and appeared in such productions as "A Bronx Tale," "Rock of Ages," and "Waitress."

From THR:  Trailblazing Black British actor, Earl Cameron, died at the age of 102, Friday, July 3, 2020.  Born in Bermuda, Cameron became the first Black actor to play a role in a mainstream British film with his appearance in the 1951 film, "Pool of London."  Cameron's character in the film, "Johnny Lambert," also has an interracial romance, which also broke ground in British cinema.

From THR:  The broadcaster, television host, and news anchor, Hugh Downs, has died at the age of 99, Wednesday, July 1, 2020.  Downs game to fame a co-host of NBC's "Today" from 1962 to 1971.  He was probably best known as the anchor of ABC News television magazine, "20/20," from 1978 to 1999.

From Deadline:  Pioneering television comedy writer and director, Carl Reiner has died at the age of 98, Monday, June 29, 2020.  Reiner is best known as the creator and writer-director and actor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66).  Five of the 9 Primetime Emmy Awards Reiner won were for his work on the show.  He first came to big TV fame and acclaim working on Sid Ceasar's TV series, "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-54) and "Ceasar's Hour" (NBC, 1954-57).  Reiner was also famous for being the son of television and film writer, director, and actor, Rob Reiner.

From Deadline:  Mel Brooks pays homage to his friend, the late, great Carl Reiner.


BLACK LIVES MATTER NEWS:

From RSN:  The four corners of police violence

From TheIntercept:  Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further.

From YahooNews:  "The Confederacy of California": life in the valley where Robert Fuller was found hanged

From CNN:  Colorado police officers involved in the death of Elijah McClain reassigned for safety reasons.

From Truthout: " Three North Carolina Police Fired for Racist Rants, Threats to Kill Black People" - and what they said is crazy and scary

From Truthout: Bryant Gumbel Gives Powerful Commentary on the 'Black Tax,' the 'Added Burden' of Being Black

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated songwriter and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Ray Parker, Jr., may be best known for writing the theme to the film, "Ghostbusters," but when he was a teenager, Parker was beaten by Detroit police officers.

From RSNewYorker:  Jelani Cobb: An American Spring of Reckoning.

From NBCNews:  Baton Rouge, LA activist, Gary Chambers, makes an impassioned speech about changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge.

From YahooNews:  Racial violence and a pandemic: How the Red Summer of 1919 relates to 2020

From DemocracyNow:   Fear Grows of Modern-Day Lynchings as Five People of Color Are Found Hanged

From NYPost:  Caramel, Indiana Catholic priest suspended for comparing Black Lives Matters activists to maggots.

From NBCNews:   NYPD is disbanding a unit that is the 'last chapter' of stop-and-frisk

From YahooLifestyle:  A history of the "Karen."


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 NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

From TheAtlanticThe 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 Truthout:  Trump Moves to End Federal Support for Testing Sites Amid Record COVID Spikes

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.

From NYPost:  Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are reportedly throwing “COVID parties” with their friends and gambling on who will get sick first, according to local officials.

From KABB:  Alice Guzman, the stepmother of Congressman Joaquin Castro and former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, has died of COVID-19.  Their father is also ill with the virus.


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Saturday, June 20, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 14th to 20th, 2020 - Update #24

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From Variety:  AMC Theatres will require patrons to wear masks when it reopens its theaters after initially not requiring them.

GEORGE FLOYD - From YahooNews:  New Mexico Shooting Raises Specter Of Right-Wing Violence Around Statue Protests

BLM - From YahooLifestyle:  Support grows for making "Juneteenth" (June 19th) an official holiday.

MOVIES - From DeadlineMark Wahlberg's canine adventure film, "Arthur the King," movies to Lionsgate.  The film reunited Wahlberg with is "2 Guns" and "Contraband" director, Baltasar Kormakur.

BLM-HOLLYWOOD - From BET:  Actress Gabrielle Union talks her "America's Got Talent" departure and on holding "bad apples" accountable.

GEORGE FLOYD - From YahooNews360:  Why was George Floyd's death the breaking point?

POLITICS - From YahooNews:  Five bombshells about President Trump from John Bolton's book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actress Kristen Stewart will portray Princess Diana in director Pablo Larrain's film, "Spencer."

BLM-EDUCATION - From YahooNewsNetflix CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, are donating $120 million toward student scholarships at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).  The couple is giving $40 million to each of three institutions: the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College and Morehouse College. The organizations said it is the largest individual gift in support of student scholarships at HBCUs.

GEORGE FLOYD - From CNNMartin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester who was pushed by two Buffalo, New York, police officers earlier this month, has a fractured skull and is not able to walk, his lawyer said in a statement provided to CNN on Monday.

From YahooEntertainmentWhoopi Goldberg says police officers have to 'relearn how to police': 'Because now they're soldiers — and we're not in a war'

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Here is a look at Super Bowl champion QB Tom Brady in his new uniform for his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

POLITICS - From InformedComment:  How American cities were Reduced to Esper’s “Battlespace”: From Fallujah to Minneapolis

OSCARS - From Deadline:  The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced that the 2021 / 93rd Academy Awards ceremony has been moved from February 28, 2021 to April 25, 2021 - the latest date ever for the Oscars.  Films will be eligible to compete for the 93rd Academy Awards though Feb. 28th.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Antonie Fuqua and actor Will Smith's runaway slave thriller, "Emancipation," will be introduced at the virtual Cannes market and will begin production in early 2021.

LGBTQ - For BuzzFeed:  The Supreme Court on Monday issued its most sweeping decision ever to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, finding that a federal ban on sex discrimination in workplaces also protects employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

POLITICS-CELEBRITY - From FoxNews:  U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) challenges actor Ron Perlman... to wrestle with former wrestling coach and protector of sexual assailants, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

GEORGE FLOYD - From People:  Legendary singer, actress, and filmmaker, Barbra Streisand, has given Gianna Floyd, the daughter of the police-slain George Floyd, an unknown numbers of shares of stock in The Walt Disney Company.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  After his "Gone with the Wind" op-ed, Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley ponders permanent Hollywood change.

BLM - From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live" alum, Jay Pharoah, was profiled by the Los Angeles Police Department and then one of them put his knee on his neck.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The British actor, Ian Holm, has died at the age of 88, Friday, June 19, 2020.  Holms was best known for his appearances in such films as "Alien," "Chariots of Fire," "The Sweet Hereafter," and "The Fifth Element."  He also appeared in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" film series.  Holm won a Tony Award in 1967 for his performance in "The Homecoming."  He received a best supporting Oscar nomination for his role in "Chariots of Fire" (1981), a role for which he won the BAFTA.

From CNN:  Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland (1993-98), Jean Kennedy Smith, has died at the age of 92, Wednesday, June 17, 2020.  She was also the last surviving sibling of assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

---------------------------------------------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER News:

From YahooFinance:  Why Black wealth has stayed 'relatively flat' since Tulsa massacre

From InTheseTimes:  The four questions we must ask before we agree to police reform.

----------------------------------------------------
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 NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

From TheAtlanticThe 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

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


Saturday, February 8, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 8th, 2020 - Update #30

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

REVIEW - From Patreon:  My "Birds of Prey" review.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced.  "The Farewell" was named "Best Feature" of 2019.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Former talk show host, David Letterman, says that Quentin Tarantino once threatened to kill him.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  The recently completed seventh season of "Ray Donovan" is the last for the series.  Showtime has cancelled the crime drama, which stars Liev Schreiber.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  "The Matrix 4" begins filming.  This article has photos from the set, and Keanu's "Neo" seems different from the Neo of the original trilogy.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney has signed a deal with Grammy-winning recording artist, Bruno Mars, in which Mars would produce and star in a music-driven film.

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TRAILER - From Variety:  The first trailer for the upcoming "Saw" reboot film, "Spiral," debuts.  The film, which stars Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson, is due May 15, 2020.

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ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Animation commits to its first major producer deal.  The signee is "Family Guy" writer-producer, Wellesley Wild.

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MOVIES - From Newsarama:  Actor Henry Golding has posted a photo from his upcoming film, "Snake Eyes" (G.I. Joe Origins), which is due Oct. 23rd.

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CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Actress Shannen Doherty (Beverly Hills 90210," "Charmed") revealed that she has received a Stage 4 diagnosis after her breast cancer had been in remission.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry has confirmed that he is reviving his former TBS TV series, "House of Payne" (2007-2012) for BET with the original cast.  Perry also has a greenlight from BET for a new series, "Tyler Perry's Assisted Living."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Director Antoine Fuqua and actor Chris Pratt, who worked together on the remake of "The Magnificent Seven," to develop a TV series, "The Terminal List."

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry revealed that 26 million people watched the first weekend of his Netflix film, "A Fall from Grace."  Netflix later confirmed the numbers for the thriller which stars Crystal Fox and Mehcad Brooks.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney's streaming service, Disney+, apparently has 26.5 million subscribers.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney apparently paid $75 million for the global movie rights to the Tony Award-winning musical, "Hamilton."  The film is apparently due Fall 2021.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 1/31 to 2/2/2020 weekend box office is "Bad Boys for Life" with an estimated take of 17.7 million dollars.  This is the film's third straight weekend atop the box office.

From PasteMagazine:  The box office for the opening weekend of the thriller, "The Rhythm Section," is an estimated 2.8 million dollars.  That is the worst debut ever for a film that opens on 3,000 or more screens.

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TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:  The third season of Fox's "The Masked Singer" opens with a shocker.

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SUPER BOWL - From YahooSports:  The Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 to win Super Bowl LIV.  Patrick Mahomes named the MVP of the game.

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BRITISH ACADEMY - From Deadline:   "1917" won the "Best Film" award at the 2020 BAFTA Film Awards, one of the seven awards it won to lead the night, which included a "Best Director" for Sam Mendes.  Joaquin Phoenix won the "Best Actor" award, one of three awards for "Joker."

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  "Parasite" and "JoJo Rabbit" lead the 2020 / 72nd Writers Guild Awards.

From Deadline:  "Parasite," "Once Upon a Time... in America," and "Avengers: Endgame" top the  the Art Directors Guild's 2020 / 24th annual ADG Awards.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Lamar Jackson, the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, is the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP).  He is the second unanimous winner in NFL history, following Tom Brady's unanimous winner in 2010.

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DISNEY - From THR:  100 years ago, the late great Walt Disney got his first animation job.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Spike Lee will direct a film version of Oscar-winner David Byrne's "American Utopia" stage show.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Adam Sandler re-signs with Netflix for four more films.  In the first deal, Sandler starred in five films and in his first stand-up comedy special in 22 years.  He also produced two films for the streamer.

OBITS:

From THR:  An icon of Hollywood's "Golden Age" and giant of American cinema, Kirk Douglas, has died at the age of 103, Wednesday, February 5, 2020.  Douglas appeared in numerous great films:  "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954), "Paths of Glory" (1957), and "Spartacus" (1960), to name a few.  He received best actor Oscar nominations for "Champion" (1949), "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1951), and "Lust for Life" (1956).  Kirk Douglas was the father of Oscar-winning actor, Michael Douglas.

From THR:  The actor Robert Conrad has died at the age of 84, Saturday, February 8, 2020.  Conrad was best known for the numerous television series in which he starred.  His most beloved TV series may be "The Wild Wild West" (CBS, 1965-69), but others may prefer "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (NBC, 1976-78).

From THR:  The actor, Orson Bean, has died at the age of 91, Friday, February 7, 2020.  He made over 200 appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and appeared on many game shows from the 1960s to the 1980s.  He voiced "Bilbo Baggins" in the 1977 animated film version of "The Hobbit."  Many will remember Bean as the story owner, "Loren Bray," on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."

From Variety:  Television writer, director, and producer, Gene Reynolds, has died at the age of 96, Monday, February 3, 2020.  Reynolds co-created the "MASH" TV series (CBS, 1972-73) with Larry Gelbart, and he was one of the creators of the "Lou Grant" TV series (CBS, 1977-82).  He was a six-time Emmy Award winner.

From CNN:  American author and novelist, Mary Higgins Clark, has died at the age of 92, January 31, 2020.  Called the "Queen of Suspense," Clark wrote over 50 books and each was a bestseller.  Her 1977 novel, "A Stranger is Watching," was adapted into a 1982 film.  Her 1980 novel, "The Cradle Will Fall," was the first of many of her novels that were adapted for television.


Saturday, February 16, 2019

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 10th to 16th, 2019 - Update #19

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.