Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Feb. 1st to 10th, 2024 - Update #28

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

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  Christian Bale will play Frankenstein in a film directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.  The Warner Bros. film is set in the 1930s and finds the monster traveling to the 1930s Chicago where a doctor will create a companion for him.  Filming begins in the next few weeks.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Emmy Award-winner Jon Cryer shoots down the possibility of a reboot of his former CBS sitcom, "Two and a Half Men."

ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  It seems that Warner Bros. Discovery's plan all along was to kill the live-action/animation hybrid Looney Tunes film, "Coyote vs. Acme."

OSCARS - From THR:  The Academy of Motion Pictures Art and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced that it will soon begin annually presenting an Oscar recognizing "achievement in casting." The award, which will first be presented in 2026, will be the first new Oscar introduced since the organization began presenting "best animated feature" in 2002, after announcing its creation in 2001.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has won the deal for the untitled project from writer-producer-director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan that is based on an original script by Coogler.  Coogler and Jordan first made their mark as a team on Fruitvale Station (2013) and later worked together on Creed (2015) and Black Panther (2018).

DISNEY - From Deadline:   Taylor Swift's hit concert film, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" will begin streaming on Disney+ March 15th and will feature five new songs.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director David Leitch is in early talks to direct the next "Jurassic World" film, which is set to debut in theaters July2, 2025.  Leitch is best known for such films as "John Wick" and "Bullet Train."

AMAZON - From Deadline:  America Ferrera will make her directorial debut with "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter," which is based on Erika Sanchez's novel.  The film was previously set up at Netflix, but is not at Amazon MGM Studios' Orion Pictures.

GRAMMYS - From Variety:  The winners at the 2024 / 66th Annual Grammy Awards were announced.  The top prize, "Album of the Year," went to "Midnights" by Taylor Swift.

From Deadline:  With his daughter, Blue Ivy, at his side, Jay-Z called out the Grammys over Beyonce's lack of an "Album of the Year" award, all while accepting the "Dr. Dre Global Impact Award."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 2/2 to 2/4/2024 weekend box office in Universal Pictures' "Argylle" with an estimated take of 18 million dollars.

BUSINESS - From Afrotech:  Actress and writer-producer, Issa Rae, says that she has secured money from investors to open a studio that will create opportunities for creators.

MOVIES - From Collider:  Actress Nico Parker will play "Astrid" in the live-action adaptation of DreamWorks Animation's Oscar-nominated hit, How to Train Your Dragon.  However, she believes the film will be its "own film, and its own interpretation."

ANIMATION/TRAILER - From SlashFilm:  There is a trailer for "Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin."  It debuts on Apple TV+ on Feb. 16th.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Jim Carrey will reprise his role as "Dr. Robotnik" in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3."  He played the role in "Sonic the Hedgehog" (2020) and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" (2022).

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Actor Sam Waterson is leaving NBC's long-running legal drama, "Law & Order" after 400+ episodes as Assistant D.A. and later District Attorney "Jack McCoy."  Waterson's last episode will air Thurs., Feb. 22nd.  He joined the series in 1994.  Actor Tony Goldwyn will replace him. 

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor and filmmaker, Donnie Yen, will star in "Kung Fu," an adaptation of the former ABC martial arts/Western drama television series, "Kung Fu" (1972-75). David Leitch is set to direct.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Brad Pitt is reunited with Quentin Tarantino for his final film, "The Film Critic," which is due in 2025.  Pitt has starred in Inglourious Basterds (2009) and won an Oscar for his performance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

MUSIC/SPORTS - From NewYorkTimes:  Fox News demands that Grammy Award-winning superstar, Taylor Swift, stay out of politics as they fear that she will endorse President Joe Biden... again.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Tim Burton is set to direct a re-imagining of the 1958 Warner Bros.'s film, "The Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman," with Gillian Flynn ("Gone Girl") writing the script.

ANIMATION/STREAMING - From ScreenRant:  Peacock has announced a direct sequel to the DreamWorks Animation's 2010 film, Megamind.  Peacock released a trailer for "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate," which will begin streaming on Peacock March 1st.  Debuting the same day on Peacock is an eight-episode animated series, "Megamind Rules!"

MOVIES - From AwardsWatch:  Sony Pictures Classics announced that it has acquired all rights in North America, the Middle East, India, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand to Pedro Almodóvar’s upcoming first English-language feature film, The Room Next Door.  Starring Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, and John Turturro and produced by Almodóvar’s El Deseo, the film will begin shooting March (2024) in New York and Madrid.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" was the most watched streaming original series in 2023, according to Nielsen.  However, the most streamed title of the year was USA'S former legal drama, "Suits" (2011-19) with 57.7 billion viewing minutes.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Country singer-songwriter and recording artist and actor, Toby Keith, has died at the age of 62, Monday, February 5, 2024.  Keith recorded 19 studio albums, many reaching No. 1 on both the "Billboard 200" album chart and Billboard's "Top Country Album" chart.  Keith had 20 No. 1 sings on Billboard's "Hot Country Songs" chart, including the most played country song of the 1990s, "Should've Been a Cowboy."  Keith was also a seven-time Grammy Award nominee.  Keith starred in two films, "Broken Bridges" (2006) and "Beer for My Horses" (2008), which he wrote.

From Variety:  Film and television actor and TV director, Carl Weathers, has died at the age of 76, Thursday, February 1, 2024.  Weathers is best known for the character, "Apollo Creed," which he first played in the Oscar-winning "Best Picture," "Rocky" (1976), and in "Rocky II" (1979), "Rocky III" (1982), and "Rocky IV" (1985).  Other best known appearances include Predator (1987), "Action Jackson" (1988), and "Happy Gilmore" (1996).  Weathers directed episodes of several TV series, including CBS' "FBI," NBC's "Chicago Med" and "Law & Order."  Weathers directed two episodes of the Disney+ series, "The Mandalorian."  Weathers also appeared in 9 episodes of "The Mandalorian" over its three seasons as "Greef Karga," which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the category of "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series" in 2021.  Weathers also played professional football for the NFL's Oakland Raiders and CFL's BC Lions.

From Deadline:  Carl Weathers, his career in photos, from "Rocky" to "Predator" and "The Mandalorian."

From LATimes:  "Everyone loved him," Sylvester Stallone, Adam Sandler, and other co-star speak on the late actor and director, Carl Weathers.

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From Deadline:  Film and television actor, William O'Connell, has died at the age of 94, Monday, January 15, 2024.  O'Connell played the memorable "Star Trek" villain, "Thelev the Andorian," in the second season episode, "Journey to Babel" (Nov. 17th, 1967).  He appeared in several films with Clint Eastwood, including "High Plains Drifter" (1972) and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976).  O'Connell was a Korean War veteran who received the "Bronze Star," among other decorations.

AWARDS:

From THR:  Key award season dates leading up to the 2024 / 96th Academy Awards, which are Sunday, March 10th, 2024.

From Variety: The nominations for the 2024 / 96th Academy Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" leads with 13 nominations, and "Poor Things" follows with 11.  The winners will be announced Sun., March 10th, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The NAACP has announced the nominees for the 2024 / 55th NAACP Image Awards.  By visiting www.naacpimageawards.net, the public can vote to determine the winners of the 55th NAACP Image Awards’ in select categories. Voting closes February 24th at 9:00 p.m. NAACP will also recognize winners in non–televised Image Awards categories March 11–14th, which will stream via naacpimageawards.net.  The winners will be revealed during the two–hour LIVE TV special, airing Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET/ PT on BET and CBS.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2024 / 77th EE BAFTA Film Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" leads with 13 nominations, and "Poor Things" follows with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced Feb. 18th.

From Variety:  The Producers Guild of America has announced the nominees for the 2024 / 35th annual Producers Guild Awards.  For the first time in the history of the awards, two international films, "Anatomy of a Fall" and "The Zone of Interest," have made been nominated in the PGA's top category, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures." The winners will be announced Feb. 25th.

From Variety:   The nominees for the 2024 / 51st Annie Awards have been announced.  Netflix's "Nimona" leads the features categories with nine nominations.  The winners will be announced Sat., Feb. 17th.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild nominations for the 2024 / 30th annual SAG Awards have announced. "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" leads the film side of things with four nominations apiece.  The winners will be announced Saturday, Feb. 24th.

From Variety:  The Directors Guild of America has announced the nominations for the 2024 / 76th DGA Awards.  In the top category, "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film of 2023," the nominees are Greta Gerwig for "Barbie," Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer,” Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Yorgos Lanthimos for “Poor Things,” and Alexander Payne for “The Holdovers.”  The winners will be announced Feb. 10th.

From AwardsWatch:  The London Critics Circle announced the winners of its 44th annual film awards. "The Zone of Interest" won three awards, including "Film of the Year" and "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer).

From AwardsWatch:  The Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) has won the 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy tied with Paul Giamatti for "The Holdovers").

From Variety:  The American Cinema Editors has announced the nominees for the 2024 / 74th Annual ACE Eddie Awards.  The winners will be announced March 3rd, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) has named its 2023 film awards. "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Poor Things" won three awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven awards, including "Best Studio Film." Celine Song's "Past Lives" won three, including "Best Independent Film."

From Variety:  The Motion Picture Sound Editors has revealed the nominations for the 71st annual MPSE Golden Reel Awards in categories spanning feature film, television, animation, computer entertainment and student productions.  The winners will be announced March 3rd.

From AwardsWatch: The Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" won four awards, including "Best Picture."

From Variety:  The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominations for the 2024 / 22nd Annual VES Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Feb. 21st.

From AwardsWatch:  The North Dakota Film Society (NDFS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won nine awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The Music City Film Critics Association has announces it MCFCA 2023 Film Awards.  Oppenheimer won seven awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Portland Critics Association (PCA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won nine awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From Deadline:  The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced the 15th annual African-Ameri an Film Critics Awards. "American Fiction" was voted the #1 film and won four awards, including "Best Comedy." Ava DuVernay's "Origin" was voted the #2 film and won three awards, including "Best Drama." 

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Hawaii Film Critics Society (HFCS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Barbie" wins four awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won four awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) revealed the nominees for the "2024 / 38th Annual ASC Awards" with categories in feature film, documentary, television and music video categories.  The winners will be announced March 3rd, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) announced the winners in 21 categories for the 2023 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards.  Director Celine Song’s "Past Lives" was named the "Best Picture of 2023."

From AwardsWatch:  The Cinema Audio Society (CAS) has announced the nominations for the 60th CAS Awards.  The winners will be announced March 2nd.

From AwardsWatch:  The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) has announced the nominations for the 28th Art Directors Guild Awards. The winners will be announced Feb. 10th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) has announced it 2024 ASTRA Film Awards.  "Barbie" won eight awards, including "Best Picture.

From AwardsWatch:  The Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" was named "Best Picture."

From NSFC:  The National Society of Film Critics announce its 58th annual NSFC Awards.  "Past Lives" was named "Best Picture of 2023."

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 81st Golden Globes Awards ceremony was held Sun. night, Jan. 7th, 2024.  "Oppenheimer" won five awards, including "Best Motion Picture-Drama," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), "Best Actor-Drama" (Cillian Murphy), and "Best Supporting Actor-Motion Pictures" (Robert Downey, Jr.). "Poor Things" won "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Deadline:  NIGHT 2 of the 75th Creative Arts Emmys took place Sun., Jan. 7th, 2024.  (Former) President Barack Obama and Keke Palmer were among the winners.

From Deadline:  NIGHT 1 of the 75th Creative Arts Emmys took place Sat., Jan. 6th, 2024.  HBO's "The Last of Us" lead the night with 8 wins, including wins in both "Guest Actor in a Drama Series" categories: Nick Offerman (Guest Actor) and Storm Reid (Guest Actress).

From AwardsWatch:  The 5th annual DiscussingFilm Critics Awards were announced.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:   The Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards. "Past Lives" won three awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Celine Song).

From AwardsWatch:  The Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven honors, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won six awards including "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese).

From AwardsWatch:  The Costume Designers Guild (Local 892) announced the official nominees list for the 26th CDGA (Costume Designers Guild Awards). The annual CDGA ceremony will take place Wed., Feb. 21st, 2024.

From Variety:   The British Academy has unveiled the results of the first round of voting across all 24 categories for the 2024 / 77th BAFTA Film Awards.  These results are known as "the longlists."  "Barbie," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Oppenheimer" all appeared on the longlist of 15 categories.  The nominations will be announced Jan. 18th, and the winners will be announced Feb. 18th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The Critics Association of Central Florida (CACF) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won 10 awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan). 

From AwardsWatch:  U.K. Film Critics Association (UKFCA) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won three awards: "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From Variety: The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) has announced nominations for the 11th MUAHS Guild Awards. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 led with five mentions in the film categories and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" led with four in the television categories. The winners will be announced Sunday, February 18, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Nevada Film Critics Society has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Hayao's Miyazaki's anime film, "The Boy and the Heron" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "American Fiction" won six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Cord Jefferson), and Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright).

From AwardsWatch:  The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Always trying to be difficult, it named "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" the "Best Picture."  It named Martin Scorsese "Best Director" for "Killers of the Flower Moon."

From AwardsWatch:  The Dublin Film Critics Circle has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Celine Song)"

From AwardsWatch:  The North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" wins five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Southeaster Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has announces its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Poor Things" won six awards, including "Best Pictuere," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthmos), "Best Actress" (Emma Stone"), and "Best Supporting Actor" (Mark Ruffalo).

From AwardsWatch:  The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) has announced it 2023 film awards.  "Poor Things" won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthimos), and "Best Actress" (Emma Stone).

From AwardsWatch:  The St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) has announced its 2023 awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy)

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) has named its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture."  Oppenheimer wins six, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) has named its 2023 films awards.  "The Holdovers" wins "Best Picture."  "Oppenheimer" wins four, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) have announced their 2023 film awards.  "The Zone of Interest" wins "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (for Jonathan Glazer).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," one of two awards its won.  "Oppenheimer" wins five, including a "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2024 / 24th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "The Color Purple" leads with 19 nominations.  The winners will be announced Jan. 16th, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) have named "Killers of the Flower Moon" the "Best Film" of 2023.  Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics Society have named "Oppenheimer" the "Best Picture" of 2023, with the film's director, Christopher Nolan, winning "Best Director."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2023 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," and Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From THR:   The winners at the 2023 / 49th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  The Holocaust historical drama, "The Zone of Interest," wins four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 29th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced. "Barbie" leads with 18 nominations.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 81st annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Jan. 7th, 2024 on CBS and Paramount Plus.

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics have announced their 2023 LVFC Awards nominations.  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are the leading vote getters.  The winners will be announced Wed., Dec. 13th.

From THR:  The winners at the 2023 European Film Awards have been announced.  "Anatomy of a Fall" won five awards including for "Best Film," "Best Director" (Justine Triet), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 National Board of Review film honors have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Film Institute (AFI) names its top ten films: American Fiction, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, May December, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  It also names its top ten television series: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Beef, Jury Duty, The Last of Us, The Morning Show, Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Reservation Dogs, and Succession.

From AwardsWatch:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" lead the nominations for "Astra Film & Creative Arts Awards," which are put on by the "Hollywood Creative Alliance" (formerly known as the Hollywood Critics Association).  The winners will be announced Jan. 6th, 2024 in Los Angeles.

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 26th British Independent Film Awards, director Andrew Haigh's "All of Us Strangers" won seven awards, including "Best British Independent Film."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 89th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" (directed by Martin Scorsese) was named "Best Film of 2023."  Christopher Nolan won "Best Director" for his film, "Oppenheimer."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 33rd Annual Gotham Awards were announced Mon., Nov. 27th.  Writer-director Celine Song's South Korean romantic drama, "Past Lives" won the "Best Feature" award.

BEST PICTURE COUNT:

All of Us Strangers: 1

American Fiction: 2

Anatomy of a Fall: 1

Barbie: 2

The Boy and the Heron: 1

The Holdovers: 2

Killers of the Flower Moon: 9

Oppenheimer: 19

Past Lives: 8

Poor Things: 4

The Zone of Interest: 3

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Review: "JOHN WICK: Chapter 4" is Too Long, But Keanu is Still Hot

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 42 of 2023 (No. 1931) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Running time:  169 minutes (2 hours, 49 minutes)

MPA – R for pervasive strong violence and some language

DIRECTOR:  Chad Stahelski

WRITERS:  Shay Hatten and Michael Finch (based on characters created by Derek Kolstad)

PRODUCERS:  Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dan Lausten (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Nathan Orloff

COMPOSERS:  Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard

ACTION/THRILLER/CRIME

Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Bill Skarsgard, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Ian McShane, Clancy Brown, Marko Zaror, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Aimée Kwan, George Georgiou, and Laurence Fishburne and Lance Reddick

John Wick: Chapter 4 is a 2023 action and crime-thriller starring Keanu Reeves and directed by Chad Stahelski.  It is a direct sequel to 2019's John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and is the fourth film in the John Wick film series.  Chapter 4 finds John Wick facing off against a new enemy who has powerful alliances around the world and who can turn John's friends into John enemies.

John Wick: Chapter 4 finds the legendary assassin and hitman, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), hiding in the underground lair of the crime lord known as “The Bowery King” (Laurence Fishburne).  Wick prepares to unleash his revenge against the High Table (the entity that rules the assassins guild) and its current “Elder.”  In response, the High Table tasks one of its members, the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), to kill John Wick.  The Table gives the Marquis unlimited resources to kill John, and the first thing he does is punish Winston (Ian McShane), the manager of the New York Continental hotel, for failing to kill Wick.

The Marquis puts a twenty-million dollar bounty on John Wick's head, and then, enlists Caine (Donnie Yen), a blind, retired High Table assassin, to kill his Wick, who is an old friend of John's.  Despite all the Marquis' machinations, John Wick has devised a plan to defeat him and to be freed of the High Table.  To do that, John will need help from a number of erstwhile friends and allies and also from one strange new friend or enemy, The Tracker a.k.a. “Mr. Nobody” (Shamier Anderson), and his resourceful dog.

I have been a long time fan of actor Keanu Reeves.  I have enjoyed and even loved Reeves in films like the original Point Break (1991) and in The Matrix film trilogy, beginning with The Matrix (1999).

Thus, I was very interested in seeing the original John Wick (2014), but I didn't see it in a theater.  I was interested in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), but I didn't see those in a theater, either.  I was very interested in seeing John Wick: Chapter 4, but I was put off by its runtime.  So I didn't see it in a movie theater.

Now, I've seen it, and I'm glad I waited.  I would have been pissed to sit in an uncomfortable movie theater seat for almost three hours for the way-too-long John Wick: Chapter 4.  Most of the film's narrative is story padding, and the filmmakers could have easily shaved an hour from this film's runtime without really changing the story.  I will say that Chapter 4 is a beautiful-looking film.  The cinematography, production design, locations, and lighting are museum quality.  Yes, the action and fight scenes are spectacular, but some of them, like the entire “Arc de Triomphe” car chase and fight, went on for far too long – for all their inventiveness.

But I love me some Keanu Reeves, and because he dominates this film, I can enjoy it.  I couldn't stop watching him.  If just about anyone else were the star, I would have stopped watching John Wick: Chapter 4 after an hour.  The supporting cast also helped me enjoy a movie that I basically did not find as enjoyable as the series' previous entries.  I can never get enough of the great Hong Kong actor and martial artist, Donnie Yen, and I'm always down for more Laurence Fishburne.  Shamier Anderson and the dog that is his co-star add some nice new flavors to this series.  Bill Skarsgard is magnetic as the Marquis, and a spoonful of Clancy Brown (as “the Harbinger”) helps the average movie go down.  Also, it was great to see the late Lance Reddick (1962-2023) as Charon one last time.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a fifth John Wick movie down the line, and I won't see it in a theater either – if the runtime is around three hours.  But for John Wick fans, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a must-see for the main reason to see all of them – Keanu Reeves.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 5th, 2021 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:   Christina Ricci has been cast in a mystery role in "The Matrix 4."

AMAZON - From InTheseTimes:  Bezos the Great and Powerful: Beyond the dangers of corporate consolidation, Amazon’s acquisition of MGM has exposed an American economy that’s mostly make-believe.

CULTURE/BLM - From THR: Tom Hanks penned a guest essay for The New York Times on Friday in which he called for the truth of the Tulsa race massacre to be taught in schools.

POLITICS - From Variety:   Facebook says that it will suspend former president Donald Trump from its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms until at least January 2023.  Further, Trump will only be reinstated "if conditions permit."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor, Billy Porter, and executive producer Greg Berlanti are developing a TV series, "Fruits of Thy Labor," for NBC's "Peacock" streaming service.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:   Nickelodeon has released a teaser trailer and art form the "Spongebob Squarepants" spinoff, "The Patrick Star Show."

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, Donnie Yen, is joining Keanu Reeves in "John Wick 4."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Despite all Tom Cruise's cussin' and hollarin', production on "Mission: Impossible 7" in the U.K. will shut down for 14 days because of a positive COVID-19 test.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:   The lineup for the 2021 Cannes Film Festival has been announced.  This year's festival will be held from July 6th to 17th, 2021.

DISNEY - From Deadline:   "Indiana Jones 5" will begin filming in the United Kingdom next week, according to sources.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   Paramount Pictures brings resurrects movie-going with "A Quiet Place Part II" ... or do "Deadline" says.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Actor Sebastian Stan (Marvel's "Winter Soldier") has posted a new photo of himself as the rocker, Tommy Lee (of the band "Motley Crue") to promote Hulu's limited series, "Pam & Tommy."

OBITS:

From Deadline:   The actress Romy Walthall has died at the age of 57, Wednesday, 19, 2021.  Her first screen was in 1984 and her last in 2011.  Walthall made appearances in some of the biggest television series of the 1980 and 90s.  This included "T.J. Hooker," "Moonlight," "Matlock," "In the Heat of the Night," "L.A. Law," and "The X-Files," to name a few.  Walthall also had small role in the director John Woo's hit movie, "Face/Off," starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta.

From Deadline:   American stunt coordinator and film director, Buddy Van Horn, has died at the age of 92, Tuesday, May 11, 2021.  Van Horn was actor Clint Eastwood's stunt double and was credited as the stunt coordinator on Eastwood films from 1972 to 2011.  Van Horn also directed three films in which Eastwood starred, "Any Which Way You Can" (1980), "The Dead Pool" (1988), and "Pink Cadillac" (1989).

From XXL:   Dashawn Maurice Robertson, known as the rapper "Lil Loaded," has died at the age of 20, Monday, May 31, 2021.  Lil Loaded came to fame in 2019 when his song, "Blocc Baby" went viral.  He self-released his one studio album, "A Demon in Blue," October 2020, as a digital download/streaming.

 

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 8th to 14th, 2018 - Update #14

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Deadline: Gabriel Luna is the new Terminator in "Terminator 6."  Natalia Reyes and Diego Boneta also join the film.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  A guide for the beginning of Season 4 of "Fear the Walking Dead."

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CELEBRITY - From THR:  Will Ferrell has been injured in a serious car accident.

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  There is trailer for Ryan Murphy's LGBTQ-themed musical-dance drama, "Pose."

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DISNEY - From THR:  Donnie Yen has joined the cast of Disney's live-action remake of its animated film "Mulan."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Warner Bros. cuts final ties with Brett Ratner and RatPac-Dune Entertainment.

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BOND - From Variety:  Daniel Craig says that his next project is "Bond 25," the next James Bond film.

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MOVIE - From Collider:  Joaquin Phoenix kinda talks about being in a comic book movie, specifically Todd Phillips's proposed "Joker" solo movie.

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STAR TREK - From IndieWire:  Trekkers know who Captain Pike is.  Well, CBS All Acess' "Star Trek: Discovery" has cast its Pike, actor Anson Mount.

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SCANDAL - From THR:  Attorney claims that Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush barely eats and has become housebound since accusations that he was inappropriate with a female co-star were leveled against him in December 2017.

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POLITICS - From NYTimes:  Charles M. Blow writes "Horror of Being Governed by 'Fox & Friends'."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/6 to 4/8/2018 weekend box office is "A Quiet Place" with an estimated take of $50 million.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Halle Berry has been signed on for a remake of the 1985 film "Jagged Edge."  The courtroom thriller starred Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote, and Robert Loggia (who earned an supporting Oscar nomination for his role).

TELEVISION - From Variety:  National Geographic is developing a TV series based on the Oscar-nominated, hit film, "Hidden Figures."

OBITS:

From Variety:  Czech-born film director Milos Forman has died at the age of 86, Friday, April 13, 2018.  Forman won the "Best Director" Oscar twice, for directing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "Amadeus" (1984).  He also directed one of my favorite film, "Valmont" (1989).

From TheColumbian:  Japanese filmmaker, Isao Takahata, died at the age of 82, Thursday, April 5, 2018.  Takahata founded the legendary animation company, Studio Ghibli, with Hayao Miyazaki in 1985.  He received an Oscar nomination for his 2013 animated film, "A Tale of Princess Kaguya."

From THR:  Actress from the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, Mary Hatcher, died at the age of 88, Tuesday, April 3, 2018.  Hatcher was a co-star of Hollywood luminaries Mickey Rooney (in the film, "The Big Wheel") and Desi Arnaz (in "Holiday in Havana").

Review: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is a Wonderful Story

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Running time:  134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action
DIRECTOR:  Gareth Edwards
WRITERS:  Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy; based on a story John Knoll and Gary Whitta (based on characters created by George Lucas)
PRODUCERS:  Kathleen Kennedy, Samuel Emanuel, and Allison Shearmur
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Greig Fraser (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  John Gilroy, Colin Goudie, and Jabez Olssen
COMPOSER:  Michael Giacchino
Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE/DRAMA

Starring:  Felicty Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk (voice), Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, Jimmy Smits, Genevieve O'Reilly, Alistair Petrie, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and James Earl Jones

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 science fiction-fantasy and action film directed by Gareth Edwards.  It is the seventh film based on the characters, ideas, and situations first introduced in the 1977 film, Star Wars, written and directed by George Lucas.  In fact, Rogue One is set immediately before the events depicted in Star Wars and tells the story of a small band of rebels who embark on a mission to steal the plans for the Empire's planet-killing Death Star.

Rogue One is set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.  It opens upon a scene in which a young girl watches her father taken away by Imperial Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), an officer of the evil Galactic Empire.  A decade and a half later, that young girl is now the career criminal, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones).  Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), an officer of the Rebel Alliance, the group that seeks to end the tyranny of the Empire, leads a group of rebels that frees Jyn from her current incarceration.

The Rebels need Jyn to help them find her father, Galen Erso (Mad Mikkelsen), a research scientist and engineer who is working on the Empire's rumored, planet-killing weapon, the Death Star.  They also need Jyn to act as an intermediary between them and an old friend of hers, the “extremist” and “terrorist,” Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), who rescued Jyn after the Empire took her parents.  Gerrera apparently has possession of Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), a defecting Imperial pilot, who has a holographic message from Galen Erso.  However, Jyn and Cassian are about to discover just how determined the Empire is to protect the secrets of the Death Star

Dear reader, I tried not to be too detailed about the plot of Rogue One, although I have summarized the first half-hour or so in great detail above.  I just saw the film night before last, and at this point, I think that it is the best Star Wars film since the original trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi).  The first seven films are connected as part of a decades-running narrative, while this eighth movie, Rogue One, is a standalone film.  Still, it connects to the original trilogy better and more immediately than the “prequel films” (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) or the recent sequel film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

I guess that I am saying that Rogue One is the best Star Wars film in over 30 years.  It is also the most convincing “war movie” of all the Star Wars films.  It is the most realistic looking because many of outside locations look like real places, probably because they were shot on-location.  I can safely say that this is the best-looking Star Wars film.  The blend of real, computer-generated, and special effects is seamless, with only a few exceptions.  It is almost perfect.  I only found the first hour or so to be a little clunky, but I understand the need to introduce so many characters, plot lines, and settings as early as possible in a film.

Also important:  Rogue One is a Star Wars film for our times – for now.  It features a multi-ethnic cast of engaging, likable characters, and the lead is a female character who is every bit as capable and as brave and bold as the best male characters.  Jyn Erso is a heroine in which we can believe, and even Krennic, the bad guy, is someone audiences can like or even love.

My mind bought into the idea that Rogue One takes place just before the original Star Wars.  Anyone who has ever seen at least one sequel to the Star Wars of 1977 owes it to themselves to see, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, December 18, 2016
Edited:  Sunday, April 2, 2017

NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA:  2 nominations:  “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio, and Stuart Wilson) and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal T. Hickel, and Neil Corbould)

2017 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations:  “Best Make Up/Hair” (Amanda Knight, Neal Scanlan, and Lisa Tomblin) and “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Neil Corbould, Hal T. Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, and Nigel Sumner)


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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New Poster for xXx: Return of Xander Cage Poster - December 19th

xXx: Return of Xander Cage is in-theaters January 20, 2017

Directed By: DJ Caruso

Starring: Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Toni Collette, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev, Tony Jaa, Kris Wu, Michael Bisping, Rory McCann, Nicky Jam, Neymar Jr., Samuel L. Jackson

The third explosive chapter of the blockbuster franchise that redefined the spy thriller finds extreme athlete turned government operative Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) coming out of self-imposed exile and on a collision course with deadly alpha warrior Xiang and his team in a race to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora’s Box. Recruiting an all-new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of world governments. Packed with the series’ signature deadpan wit and bad-ass attitude, “xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE” will raise the bar on extreme action with some of the most mind-blowing stunts to ever be caught on film.

Watch the Trailer: https://youtu.be/-ziu6JzJTZ0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReturnofXanderCageMovie

Twitter: https://twitter.com/xXxMovie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xXxMovie

Official Website: http://www.returnofxandercage.com

#xXxTheMovie

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Donnie Yen Joins "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage"

INTERNATIONAL ACTION ICON DONNIE YEN JOINS THE CAST OF “xXx: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE”

Martial Arts Icon and “Ip Man” Star to Face Off Against Vin Diesel in Sequel to Revolution Studios Blockbuster

HOLLYWOOD, CA – International martial arts star Donnie Yen (“IP MAN”) will square off against Vin Diesel in “xXx: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE.” Yen will play an alpha-warrior named Xiang in the hotly anticipated sequel, which is shooting in Toronto and the Dominican Republic this month for Revolution Studios, Roth Kirschenbaum Films, One Race Films and Paramount Pictures.

Yen co-stars with  producer and star Diesel in a cast that also includes Bollywood star Deepika Padukone (“TAMASHA”), Tony Jaa (“ONG-BAK,” “FURIOUS 7”), Ruby Rose (“Orange Is the New Black”), mixed martial-arts sensation Conor McGregor, Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”), Kris Wu (“SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW”), Hermione Corfield (“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION”), with Toni Collette (“THE SIXTH SENSE”) and Samuel L. Jackson (“THE HATEFUL EIGHT”).

D.J. Caruso (“I AM NUMBER FOUR”) is directing “xXx: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE.”  The film is written by Chad St. John (“LONDON HAS FALLEN”) with current revisions by F. Scott Frazier (“COLLIDE”).

Yen is coming off the New Zealand-based shoot of the upcoming “CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY,” in which he stars opposite Michelle Yeoh. One of the world’s top martial-arts film stars, Yen is best known in the U.S. for his role opposite Jet Li in director Zhang Yimou’s “HERO,” the third-highest-grossing foreign-language release of all time in the U.S. He co-starred in the Jackie Chan-Owen Wilson action-comedy “SHANGHAI KNIGHTS” and performed the title role in the hugely influential “IP MAN” franchise, one of the highest grossing film series in Chinese history.

Yen’s numerous other films include “DRAGON,” which premiered to acclaim at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and the Chinese blockbuster “THE MONKEY KING” as the Monkey King, opposite Chow Yun-fat. Yen, who was born in Canton, China, and raised in Boston, is one of the top action choreographers and has served as action director in dozens of films and has won numerous awards. He is currently developing a series of films for his own companies, Bullet Group Ltd and Bullet Films Productions, including the epic crime drama “DRAGON CITY.”

“There are only a handful of martial-arts stars who have crossed over to worldwide fame and Donnie Yen is the top of that elite cohort,” said Revolution CEO Vince Totino, who is executive producing the film along with Chief Operating Officer Scott Hemming.

“Donnie’s fighting skill and on-screen charisma make him a perfect foil for Vin,” said producer Joe Roth, who recently partnered with Jeffrey Kirschenbaum in their new venture, Roth Kirschenbaum films. “We are all excited to see these two great action stars go toe to toe.”

Donnie Yen just completed co-starring in “ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY” for Lucasfilm and Disney.


About Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios, originally established by Joe Roth in 2000, was purchased in June 2014 through funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, moving forward with Vince Totino as CEO and Scott Hemming as COO.  Since its founding, Revolution Studios has created a library of 46 films, including the Academy Award®-winning Black Hawk Down, Maid in Manhattan, Anger Management, Daddy Day Care, America’s Sweethearts, XXX and White Chicks, which collectively earned more than $3.7 billion in box office receipts. Most recently, Revolution has developed and produced multiple syndicated television series, including “Are We There Yet?” for TBS; “Anger Management,” starring Charlie Sheen, with Lionsgate for FX; and “Drew Carey’s Improv-A-Ganza” for GSN. In 2014, Revolution acquired the 64-title Morgan Creek International library, and in 2015, the eight-film Cold Springs Pictures Library among others, totaling 120 films to date in the Studio’s library.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Roth Kirschenbaum Films
Roth Kirschenbaum Films is an independent film production company formed by Joe Roth and Jeff “Kirsch” Kirschenbaum in late 2015.

Roth, before Kirsch arrived, was the founder of Roth Films.  He produced ALICE IN WONDERLAND, which grossed over $1 billion, and at the time of release, was the sixth highest grossing film of all time.  He most recently produced THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR, ALICE: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN, MALEFICENT, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN and more.  Roth was also Chairman of 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios.

Kirsch, before partnering with Roth, was a 15-year veteran of Universal Pictures.  He was most recently the President of Production, shepherding the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise for over the past decade, as well as some of the studio’s biggest tent pole releases, including the MUMMY franchise, the SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN franchise and WANTED.  Prior to Universal, he worked at CAA and Mace Neufeld Productions.

About Vin Diesel and One Race Films
One Race Films, founded in 1995 by writer, director, producer and actor Vin Diesel, has produced the four highest-grossing films in the “Fast” franchise — “Furious 7,” “Fast and Furious 6,” “Fast Five” as well as “Fast & Furious.” He has directed “Multifacial,” “Strays” and “Los Bandoleros.” Previously, One Race launched multiple franchises in the action genre, including the science-fiction thriller “Pitch Black” and the two follow-up films, “Chronicles of Riddick” and “Riddick,” along with the hit “xXx.”  Diesel’s business acumen also extends to the gaming universe, where his Tigon Studios produced three critically acclaimed console titles including “Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay” and original property “The Wheelman.”  One Race Television has partnered with Universal Television on a multi-year, first-look production deal.

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Star Wars "Rogue One" Begins Principal Photography

Rogue One—The Daring Mission Has Begun: Cast and Crew Announced

Lucasfilm announced that their first film in the new standalone Star Wars stories series, Rogue One, has begun principal photography. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) is directing Rogue One, which tells the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star. The film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and is slated for a December 16, 2016 release.

The filmmakers have assembled a stellar cast, including Felicity Jones, nominated for an Academy Award for her leading role in The Theory of Everything; Diego Luna, who was featured in 2008’s Oscar-winning Milk and 2013’s Elysium; Ben Mendelsohn, recently nominated for an Emmy for his leading role in Bloodline and co-starring in the upcoming Mississippi Grind; Donnie Yen, Hong Kong action star and martial artist who starred in Ip Man and Blade II; Jiang Wen, who co-wrote, produced , directed and starred in the award-winning Let the Bullets Fly and Devils on the Doorstep; Forest Whitaker, recently featured in the critically-acclaimed Lee Daniels’ The Butler and winner of an Academy Award for his leading role in 2006’s The Last King of Scotland; Mads Mikkelsen, who starred in The Hunt and was the memorable villain from 2006’s Casino Royale; Alan Tudyk, who plays a performance-capture character in Rogue One, stars in the soon-to-be-released Con Man series and Trumbo, which releases this November; and Riz Ahmed, who was recently featured in Nightcrawler and starred in the BAFTA-winning film Four Lions.

“Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe,” says Kathleen Kennedy. “It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director and I’m so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for ‘Rogue One.’”

Veteran ILM visual effects supervisor John Knoll, who shares a long history with the Star Wars movies, dating back to the mid-1990s, originated the idea for the movie. Allison Shearmur (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Cinderella), John Knoll, Simon Emanuel (The Dark Knight Rises, Fast & Furious 6) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds) are executive producers. Kiri Hart and John Swartz (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) are co-producers.

To create the lived-in, realistic feel of Rogue One, Edwards chose Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty, Foxcatcher) to be his director of photography and Neil Corbould (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan) to be his special effects supervisor. Star Wars and Lucasfilm veteran Doug Chiang (Star Wars: Episodes I-II, Forrest Gump) and Neil Lamont (supervising art director for the Harry Potter series, Edge of Tomorrow) will be the production designers. Additional crew members will include stunt coordinator Rob Inch (World War Z, Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger), creature effects supervisor Neal Scanlan (Prometheus) and co-costume designers Dave Crossman (costume supervisor for the Harry Potter series, Saving Private Ryan) and Glyn Dillon (costume concept artist for Kingsman: The Secret Service, Jupiter Ascending).

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Review: "14 Blades" is Martial Arts with Western and Persian Stylings

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 41 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

14 Blades (2010)
Jin yi wei – original Chinese title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Hong Kong/China; Language:  Mandarin Chinese
Running time:  113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
Rating:  MPAA – R for violence and bloody images
DIRECTOR:  Daniel Lee
WRITERS:  Daniel Lee, Kwong Man Wai, Tin Shu Mak, and Ho Leung Lau; from a story by Daniel Lee and Siu Cheung Chan
PRODUCERS:  Xiang Dong, Zhang He-Yun, Zhang Hong, Si Jian-Jun, Zhao Ping, Xu Ping-An, Wang Qi-Shun, Yi'an Sun, Susanna Tsang, Tianyun Wang, and Cui Xiao-Wen
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Cheung Tung Leung
EDITORS:  Ka Fai Cheung and Man To Tang
COMPOSER:  Henry Lai

MARTIAL ARTS/DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Donnie Yen, Wei Zhao, Chun Wu, Kate Tsui, Yuwu Qi, Ma Wu, Kar-Ying Law, Xiang Dong Xu, Chen Zhi Hui, Sammo Hung, and Loi Kwan Kam

14 Blades is a 2010 martial arts (wuxia) and historical drama from director Daniel Lee.  The film, a co-production of China and Hong Kong, received a limited theatrical release in August 2014 after making a film festival appearance in 2011.  14 Blades focuses on an imperial secret agent who is hunted while he tries to stop a conspiracy against the Emperor.

14 Blades opens in China during the late Ming dynasty (a period taking place from 1368 to 1644).  It is a time when the imperial court is plagued by corruption, and the young emperor is incompetent and seems more interested in pleasure than in governing.  He is protected by the Jinyiwei (the Brocade Guard), a secret police force and clandestine royal guard.  They ensure peace and stability and have the authority to execute almost anyone.  Their leader is called Qinglong (Donnie Yen), and he carries with him the Fourteen Blades, a box containing 14 different steel blades with which he executes his duties... and people.

Far from the imperial Forbidden City, the Emperor's uncle, Prince Quing (Sammo Hung), hatches a conspiracy with the traitorous royal eunuch, Jia Jingzhong (Kar-Ying Law).  Their plot involves taking control of the Jinyiwei and betraying Qinglong.  They succeed, and Qinglong soon finds himself wounded, hunted, and on the run.  He finds shelter with Boss Yong Qiao (Ma Wu) and his men in the Justice Escort Agency.  Boss' daughter, Hua Qiao (Wei Zhao), becomes attracted to Qinglong and is determined to assist him in his fight to protect the Emperor and the country from chaos and destruction.

My summary of 14 Blades does not do this epic film justice.  There are enough supporting characters with their own causes and motivations to turn 14 Blades into a television miniseries.  However, the film's core, Qinglong, remains strong, and when the beautiful Hua is added, 14 Blades suddenly has heart, an emotional center to go with the lust for revenge and the film's blistering marital artist action.

Donnie Yen and Wei Zhao give heartfelt, deeply emotional, thoughtful, and strong performances.  They make everything about their respective characters:  external conflicts, internal struggles, motivations, ideals, wants, and love seem genuine and honest.  They are believable and likeable; they draw the viewer to this film.  In fact, like a superstar athlete does for his teammates, Yen and Zhao make their fellow actors betters.  Their characters make the other characters even more interesting and engaging.  I would love to see these two actors in another movie similar to 14 Blades or in a romantic drama.

14 Blades is obviously a martial arts film, but the film also has suggestions of an Ancient Persian romance and an American Western film.  The former comes through in some of the locales, in the costumes, and in certain musical strains in Henry Lai's score.  The latter is also suggested by some of the settings, but also by the staging of some scenes and sequences and in the poses and attitudes of both heroes and villains.  Most notable is the Clint Eastwood-like pose and attitude that Donnie Yen frequently strikes.

That makes 14 Blades something different, even if the story occasionally becomes a bit muddled.  Still, its colorful characters and lavish costumes; to say nothing of the flashy fight choreography makes this movie thoroughly enjoyable.  With its attractive lead couple, 14 Blades, while different enough to stand out from other marital arts films, tells a familiar story of love and bravery that will captivate audiences.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, September 6, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Dragon" is Martial Arty

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Dragon (2011)
Wu xia – original title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China/Hong Kong; Language: Mandarin
Running time: 98 minutes; (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence
DIRECTOR: Peter Chan
WRITER: Oi Wah Lam
PRODUCERS: Peter Chan and Jojo Yuet-Chun Hui
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Yiu-Fai Lai (D.o.P.) and Jake Pollock (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Derek Hui
COMPOSERS: Kwong Wing Chan, Peter Kam, and Chatchai Pongprapaphan

MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION/DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring: Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Tang, Jimmy Wang Yu, Zheng Wei, Li Jiamin, Kara Hui, Li Xiaoran, Yu Kang, and Wan To-shing

Wu Xia is a 2011 Hong Kong martial arts film and historical drama from director Peter Chan. The film stars Donnie Yen as a sinful man who is leading a new life until his former master and a determined detective begin hunting him. Yen is also the film’s “action director.” Wu Xia, which was originally just under two-hours long, was edited down to 98 minutes and released in the United States as Dragon, late last year (2012).

Dragon is set in 1917 and takes place mostly at Liu Village on the border of Yunnan on the southwest edge of China. Liu Jin-Xi (Donnie Yen) is a village craftsman and papermaker who lives with his wife, Yu (Wei Tang), and his sons, the older Fangzheng (Zheng Wei) and the younger Xiaotian (Li Jiamin). Jin-Xi’s quiet life is irrevocably shattered by the arrival of two gangsters who attempt to rob the local general store.

Jin-Xi stops them, but one of the criminals is the notorious Yan Dongsheng (Yu Kang). Xu Bai-jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), a detective sent to investigate the case, is shocked that a local village craftsman could single-handedly stop two hardened criminals, especially Dongsheng, an escaped convict and trained killer. Bai-jiu suspects that Jin-Xi is actually a martial arts master and perhaps, a member of one of the region’s most vicious gangs, the 72 Devils. The detective doggedly pursues the shy villager, but he is unaware that his investigation has drawn the attention of China’s criminal underworld.

For fans of martial arts films, Dragon has many spectacular fights scenes, and some of them are spectacular because they look so odd. But it is all good and also stimulating for lovers of martial arts battles in movies. Sometimes, I found my mind being bended by what I saw, to the point that my imagination seemed inspired by the fighting.

There is, however, an art house sensibility to director Peter Chan’s film, as if Chan refused to allow Dragon to be only fists, fingers, feet, and elbows of fury. Chan takes Oi Wah Lam’s superbly layered script and turns the film into a rumination on nature vs. nurture, the character of the law, and the vigor and influence of human emotions. Chan structures the story in order to ask a few questions. If blood always leaves a trail that one can trace back to a man’s past, then, is that man a slave to the dictates of his blood relations? Is it by tradition, genetics, or both? Is the execution of law more important than acts of humanity? Can man control or alter his emotions?

There is also a mythological strain in Dragon. For its universal father versus son conflict, Dragon offers a sire whose voice and exclamations can rouse thunder, so it is not a stretch to think of the final battle as a brawl between Odin-All-Father and Thor-Son. In fact, this may be the sire-vs.-the-fruit-of-his-loins clash with the most at stake since Darth Vader fought Luke Skywalker over the forest moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi (1983).

Dragon has many excellent performances, but Donnie Yen and Takeshi Kaneshiro are the standouts. As Liu Jin-xi, Yen is a force of nature; physically, he is brilliant – his face capable of assuming and conveying myriad emotions and thoughts. His performance is all outwards, and not internal, so he confronts the viewers and makes them engage with the character he is playing. Kaneshiro as Bai-jiu offers a performance that is more interior. His performance sends out intriguing bits of information about the implacable detective in a way that makes the character as charming as an old friend.

As the director of the film’s action, Yen makes Dragon exhilarating and mesmerizing martial arts entertainment. As the director, Peter Chan tickles the brain, as he tackles dynamic human themes and conflicts. By any name, Dragon or Wu Xia is a dragon, a fire-breathing beast that is too smart to be just another Chinese fight movie.

9 of 10
A

Monday, April 15, 2013

Review: "Blade II" is Still Too Legit to Quit (Happy B'day, Wesley Snipes)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 26 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Blade II (2002)
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong pervasive violence, language, some drug use and sexual content
DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro
WRITER: David S. Goyer (Blade based upon the character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan)
PRODUCERS: Peter Frankfurt, Patrick J. Palmer, and Wesley Snipes
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gabriel Beristain (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Peter Amundson
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

ACTION/FANTASY/HORROR/MARTIAL ARTS

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Norman Reedus, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Goss, Matthew Schulze, Danny John-Jules, and Donnie Yen

The human/vampire warrior Blade (Wesley Snipes) returns to do his thing, which is hunt and destroy vampires. While in Prague, Czech Republic to rescue his old partner Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), Blade receives a summons from Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann), the overlord of vampires. A new breed of creatures, The Reapers, is loose, and they feed on both humans and vampires. Damaskinos has formed a vampire tactical unit dubbed the Bloodpack to hunt the Reapers, but he also wants Blade’s assistance and offers a truce. The Reapers, however, led by the powerful Nomak (Luke Goss), prove to be a formidable foe.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Mimic), Blade II is that rare sequel that not only surpasses the original in quality, but also manages to be very different than the original. This is primarily through the efforts of del Toro; his sense of visual style has a huge impact upon this movie, and the look is seemingly based on art rather than music videos. (Stephen Norrington, the director of Blade, was also a director of music videos). He plays with light (natural and artificial) and darkness to set mood and tone, but also to suggest character motivation and plot elements. del Toro works like a painter, and he makes Blade 2 a wild ride, but reveals a thoughtful composition behind the camera.

In fact, the art department played a huge role in the look of the film. Wayne D. Barlow, the head creature designer, is famous in science fiction and fantasy circles for his drawings of aliens. Mike Mignola, the concept artist, worked on Atlantis: The Lost Continent for Disney. Timothy Bradstreet, a comic book artist and illustrator like Mignola and like Blade 2 storyboard artist Leo Duranona, designed the vampires in this film. Bradstreet’s work, according to him, probably influenced the look of the Blade character in the first film.

The dark and decayed look of inner city Prague is absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing even in the dankest and dirtiest sections. Kudos to the art directors and set decorators; they manage to make Blade 2 one of the most gorgeous looking movies ever that used low rent sets.

The eclecticism of the cast also adds to the aura of this movie. Snipes is clearly more confident and more comfortable in his role. He dropped his monotone delivery from the first film for more effective banter this time around, and he portrays Blade throughout this film more as the bold warrior who finished off the original film than the one we first saw.

Kristofferson’s role is a little weightier this go round. Whistler has an air of mystery and intrigue about him, and every time he is on screen, there is something about him that makes you wonder about his motivations. His verbal jousts with his replacement Scud (Norman Reedus) brings a little humor to the film.

Although Kretschmann and Goss are good in their respective roles as Damaskinos and Nomak, the Bloodpack are the true supporting vampire stars. Leonor Varela as Nyssa, Damaskinos’s daughter, brings beauty and a hint of sexuality to these mostly male proceedings. Fight choreographer Donnie Yen also has a small role as Bloodpack member Snowman. Ron Perlman also does a nice turn as Reinhardt, Blade’s opposite in the Bloodpack.

Visually exciting, intriguing, and beautiful, Blade 2 is unique horror movie simply because of the way it looks. It is an exciting action movie filled with leather suits and high tech chop-socky. The CGI fights scenes are a little off in some instances, but for the most part are very good and only add to Blade 2’s exceptional look; it gives the movie the feel of being something other than just another violent action movie. The fight scene between Nyssa and Asad (Danny John-Jules of the British sci-fi television series “Red Dwarf”) against Blade, alone, is worth the price of admission because it tops anything in the first film. It stands with some of the good fight scenes found in Hong Kong movies (thanks to Donnie Yen).

Guillermo del Toro has created a special cinematic visual experience in Blade 2, which adds to the appeal of seeing his other work. Simply put, in popular parlance, Blade 2 rocks, and it is worth repeated viewings.

8 of 10
A

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