Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 22nd to 28th, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

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TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

CELEBRITY - From Reuters:  The actor and director, Bill Duke, known to some as "the Godfather of African-American Cinema," has received a star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame."  Duke's best known film roles include "Commando" (1985) and "Predator" (1987).  Duke also directed such films as "A Rage in Harlem" (1991), "Deep Cover" (1992), "The Cemetery Club" (1993), and "Hoodlum" (1997), to name a few.

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix has released a trailer for its upcoming four-part documentary miniseries, "Dynasty: The Murdochs." The series chronicles the rise of News Corp. founder, Rupert Murdoch.  It also looks at the feud between Rupert and his chosen heir, son Lachlan, and Rupert's three adult children: James, Elisabeth, and Prudence for control of News Corp, which includes Fox News.

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Christian Bale has confirmed that he will star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Michael Mann's "Heat 2."

AWARDS - From Variety:  The winners at the 2026 / 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced.  "One Battle After Another" won six awards, including "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Paul Thomas Anderson).

From Deadline:  With its three wins on Sunday, Feb. 22nd at the 79th BAFTAs, "Sinners" becomes the most decorated film by a Black filmmaker in BAFTA history.  Writer-director Ryan Coogler also becomes the first Black person to win "Best Original Screenplay."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/20 to 2/22/2026 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "GOAT" with an estimated take of 17 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Ryan Coogler and stars: Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo reveal the inside story of how they made history to "Deadline."

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  American singer, songwriter, pianist, and recording artist, Neil Sedaka, has died at the age of 86, Friday, February 27, 2028. Sedaka was best known for his hit pop songs over a period from the late 1950s into the 1970s. Those songs include "Calendar Girl" (1960), "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (1962), and "Bad Blood" (1975), to name a few.  Sedaka received five Grammy Award nominations for his work.

From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Robert Carradine, has died at the age of 71, Monday, February 23, 2026, apparently by suicide after a long battle with bipolar disorder.  Carradine is best known for the role of "Lewis Skolnick" in the "Revenge of the Nerds" films and as "Sam McGuire" in the former Disney Channel TV series, "Lizzie McGuire."  Early appearances include the TV series, "Bonanza" and also "Kung Fu," which starred his brother, the late David Carradine (1936-2009).  Robert's film debut was the classic John Wayne Western, "The Cowboys."

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OSCARS:

From THR:  The nominations for the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards have been announced.  Director Ryan Coogler's Sinners leads with history-making 16 nominations, including for "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Coogler), and Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan).  The winners will be announced March 15, 2026.

From Truthout:  Directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, the 2025 documentary film, "The Alabama Solution," is one of five nominees in the category of "Best Documentary Feature."  The film chronicles the horrific conditions inside the state of Alabama's prisons.  The incarcerated men who produced footage for "The Alabama Solution" were abruptly transferred to solitary this month (January).

From TheGuardian:  Director Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" earned 16 Oscar nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, the most in the 98-year history of the awards.  The previous record is 14, held by "All About Eve" (1950), "Titanic" (1997), and "La La Land" (2016).

From Variety:  With her fifth Oscar nomination, for "Best Costume Designer" for "Sinners," Ruth E. Carter is now the most Oscar-nominated Black woman in the history of the Academy Awards.

From Truthout:  One of the five nominees for this year's "Best International Feature" Academy Award is "The Voice of Hind Rajab."  Representing the nation of Tunisia, the film is a mix of drama and documentary, and it tells the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year old girl who was killed January 29, 2024 by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip.

From YahooEntertainment:  At the age of 73, actor Delroy Lindo finally gets his first Oscar nomination - in the category of "Best Supporting Actor" for "Sinners."  The actor also talks about being "profoundly disappointed" by previous Academy snubs.

From EW:  Oscar-nominee Kirsten Dunst is not pleased that her husband, previous Oscar-nominee, Jesse Plemons, was not Oscar-nominated for his work in the recent acclaimed film, "Bugonia."

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DON LEMON, TIMOTHY BUSFIELD & OTHER SCANDALS:

From NBCNews:  A grand jury in New Mexico indicted Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, officials said Friday.  Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, the Bernalillo County District Attorney's office said in a press release.  Busfield two young boys on the set of the former Fox series, "The Cleaning Lady," between November 2022 and spring 2024.

From EW:  Sculptor, actor, and "Home Alone" star, Daniel Stern's legal troubles are over.  He was facing one misdemeanor charge of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution from an event that allegedly took place in January 2026 in Camarillo, CA.  The charge has been dismissed after Stern, a first-time offender, entered a diversion program.

From APNews:  The Associated Press lets you know "What to know about the civil rights charges Don Lemon faces for covering church protest in Minnesota"  Lemon, the former CNN anchor, is among nine people, including another journalist (Georgia Fort), have been charged with violating two different federal laws in connection with the protest that interrupted a worship service at the "Cities Church" in St. Paul.

From AlbuquerqueJournal:  A judge has ordered director and Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield released from jail as he awaits trial on child sex abuse charges.

From CBS:  Director and Emmy-winning actor, Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething), surrendered to New Mexico authorities in answer to an arrest warrant for child sex abuse charges.  The complaint involves twin brothers who claim that Busfield molested them on the set on the former Fox suspense drama, "The Cleaning Lady," for which Busfield was a series director.

From NBCNews:  Already facing charges related to claims that he molested twin brothers on the set of a TV series where he was a director, Emmy-winner Timothy Busfield is also facing accusations that he kissed and inappropriately touch a 16-year-old girl years ago.

From THR:   In the wake of his arrest on child sex abuse charges, Timothy Busfield finds himself without a talent agency  The Santa Monica-based agency, "Innovative Artists," has ceased working actor and director.

From Deadline:   Daniel Stern ("Home Alone") is no longer part of ABC‘s comedy pilot, "Do You Want Kids?," which is set to star Rachel Bloom and Rory Scovel.  ABC and the producing studio, 20th Television, will be recasting the series-regular role that Stern was supposed to play.  Stern was recently arrested on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute.

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Review: Original "Predator" Still a Thrill

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Predator (1987)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
DIRECTOR: John McTiernan
WRITERS: Jim Thomas and John Thomas
PRODUCERS: John Davis, Lawrence Gordon, and Joel Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Donald McAlpine (director of photography)
EDITORS: Mark Helfrich and John F. Link
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

ACTION/SCI-FI with elements of horror and thriller

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, R.G. Armstrong, Shane Black, and Kevin Peter Hall

A favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger film is the action movie classic, Predator. The film also introduced moviegoers to the talents of director John McTiernan, who would go on to make a name for himself in big action thrillers featuring lone, tough guy heroes like Die Hard and mega flops like Medicine Man and The Last Action Hero. As much as this is considered a Schwarzenegger film, McTiernan put his stamp on Predator by creating not only good action and fights scenes, but also by creating a palatable air of mystery and suspense to the proceedings. He only let the audience see just enough to keep their appetites going before he finally opens the film up for the big throw down between Arnold and The Predator.

The story is simple. A team of commandos led by Major Dutch (Schwarzenegger) go on a mission in the jungles of Central America for a government operative (Carl Weathers) with whom Dutch has a history. The story behind the mission turns out to be a sham. Worse, an extra-terrestrial warrior (Kevin Peter Hall) is hunting the team and picking them off one at a time.

Like Aliens, Predator would go on to influence a generation of comic book creators, game designers, and sci-fi novelists who became enamored with commando units and assorted military special operatives. Many super hero comics and violent video games feature Navy S.E.A.L.s, marine units, and heavily armed soldiers fighting monsters and sundry creatures from other worlds.

But don’t hold that against it. Predator is a good time – a great popcorn movie for the guys. It’s an effective thriller, a textbook example of a simple-minded, macho action movie that works so well. Heck, I’ve seen it countless times.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Joel Hynek, Robert M. Greenberg, Richard Greenberg, and Stan Winston)

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Review: "X-Men: The Last Stand" is a Mixed Bag of Good and Bad

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 115 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content, and language
DIRECTOR: Brett Ratner
WRITERS: Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn
PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Ralph Winter
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dante Spinotti (with Philippe Rousselot)
EDITORS: Mark Goldblatt, Mark Helfrich, and Julia Wong

FANTASY (SUPER HERO)/SCI-FI/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammar, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, Patrick Stewart, Ben Foster, Dania Ramirez, Michael Murphy, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ellen Page, Josef Sommer, Bill Duke, and Daniel Cudmore

Warren Worthington III (Ben Foster) is a mutant; a pair of large, white angelic wings grows out of his back. His father, Warren Worthington II (Michael Murphy), through his pharmaceutical company, has created a “cure” for mutancy, one that will suppress the gene that makes them unique, take away their powers and make them normal humans. Worthington wants to use it on his son...

Meanwhile, the X-Men are in a state of flux. Ororo Munroe/Storm (Halle Berry) is now the X-Men’s leader, while Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Marsden) mourns the loss of the love of his life, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who was apparently killed in X2: X-Men United. Now, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), founder of the X-Men and a school for mutants on his palatial estate, wants Storm to take leadership of the X-Men. Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) finds himself caught in the middle, counseling Storm, the Professor, and a teen mutant love triangle: Rogue (Anna Paquin), Bobby Drake/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), and Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page). With all that drama, they find the issue of Worthington’s cure brought to their doorstep when an old colleague, the blue-furred Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast (Kelsey Grammar), visits to inform the X-Men of the cure’s existence.

A “cure” for mutancy threatens not only the status quo, but also threatens to alter history. For the first time, mutants have a choice. They can retain the thing that makes them unique and gives them their powers, although that also isolates them, alienates them from normal humanity, and marks them as targets for humans afraid of mutants. Or they can take the cure, give up their powers, and become humans. Magneto (Ian McKellen), the mutant mastermind and powerful adversary of the X-Men, believes that taking the cure won’t always be voluntary, and that one day mutants will be in internment camps where the government will force them to take the cure. Magneto gathers a mutant army, a brotherhood of mutants, including X-Men turncoat Pyro (Aaron Stanford) and such new faces as Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones) and Callisto (Dania Ramirez), to wage war against humanity and any mutants that stand in his way. However, a powerful new ally, one even more powerful than Magneto, joins the brotherhood – a mutant with power to trigger the war to end all wars. Known as Phoenix, this mutant’s arrival also causes deep turmoil within the X-Men.

X-Men: The Last Stand is a very well made film. Brett Ratner (the Rush Hour franchise) directed a movie that doesn’t have many dry or dull moments. This is a graphic film in terms of violence, but it is also visceral and purposefully driven. Ratner visually captures the script’s rough interplay of ideas about bigotry, conformity, self-defense, and zealotry. It’s all about an “eye for an eye” and “get you before you get me.” The film also has especially high production values. In terms of cinematography, this is the best looking film in the X-Men franchise. It has a gritty futuristic look when necessary, but can also come across as a lifelike, moody drama and character piece when needed. The sets, costumes, and art direction are as good as those in any superhero film (except for maybe the Spider-Man films).

The acting is good, quite good in fact. The script and director allow Hugh Jackman to show a more dramatic and human side of Wolverine, he’s more a character than he is the cool, killing machine (as he was in the second X-Men film, X2), and Jackman, a fine actor, is more than up to the task of being a somber, stern, and sober actor. Halle Berry, who’d long demanded more screen time and more meat in her role as Storm, gets it here. Her Storm makes an effective leader, and though some of Storm’s dialogue sounds clumsy coming out of her mouth, Berry takes on her larger part with brazen confidence. Ian McKellen is masterful as Magneto; his words carry the force of a born leader, a king, and a master strategist. Proud and bold, he has his eyes on the prize, and he doesn’t waver even when his troops falter. The younger cast members, new mutants like Ashmore, Paquin, Stanford, and others add freshness to this dire third film.

However, for all that this flick is so well made, X-Men: The Last Stand is too dark and downbeat, and (considering that children are a big part of its intended audience) a bit too spicy with language and one almost-love-scene. Some of the action sequences are overdone, over the top, and some seem embarrassingly desperate, such as the one at the Golden Gate Bridge. The surprise new character seems like a fifth wheel/third leg – overdone, unnecessary, and maybe even misused and underutilized. At the end of the day, X-Men: The Last Stand just manages to outdo its gloom and doom with good acting and some surprisingly adroit wit and many clever asides. It’s sad to see this trilogy put forth such a dark final(?) piece, but this mosaic does have enough shiny pieces that I can at least give it a “B” with reservations.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, May 27, 2006

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