Showing posts with label Elvis Presley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elvis Presley. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Advanced Comics Review: "ALICE COOPER Volume 2 #1" is Number One with a Bullet

ALICE COOPER VOLUME 2 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Edu Menna
COLORS: Adriano Lucas
LETTERS: Troy Peteri
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stuart Sayger; Andrew Mangum; Jason Shawn Alexander
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2023)

Rated Teen+

Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier) is an American rock singer, actor, and Grammy Award-nominated recording artist.  He is known for his outlandish stage shows which include fake blood, stage illusions, and pyrotechnics, to name a few elements.  Originally the name of his band, Furnier made “Alice Cooper” his legal name and embarked on a solo career in the mid-1970s.

Dynamite Entertainment has preciously featured Alice Cooper as a comic book character in Alice Cooper Volume 1 (2014-15).  Cooper returns to comic books in Alice Cooper Volume 2.  It is written by Rodney Barnes; drawn by Edu Menna; colored by Adriano Lucas; and lettered by Troy Peteri.  The series finds Alice Cooper in the middle of a promotional tour for his new album when he notices something decidedly odd about some of his new fans.

Alice Cooper Volume 2 #1 opens at the “Crossroads” jazz club, located somewhere in another dimension.  Tonight, Lucifer makes his debut as a blues-singing sensation, and he is quite good the first time.  However, he is quickly informed that he needs to be loved above all other performers if he is going to have any staying power.  Jealous, Lucifer sends out his demonic forces and suddenly, legendary rock stars start disappearing.

Meanwhile, Alice Cooper – singer, rock musician, and sometimes demon slayer – has a new album out and is in the midst of a promotional tour.  Of course, it's great to see all his fans again, but everywhere he goes, he notices something strange and disturbing.  Some of those fans appear to be the undead!  Even more shocking, someone in the “Nightmare Place,” has a warning for him.  This chapter features guest appearances by such legendary performers as Aerosmith, James Brown, Miles Davis, Buddy Holly, Michael Jackson, Mike Jagger, Elvis Presley, Prince, and Richard Pryor

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  Alice Cooper Volume 2 #1 is the latest, and it is the first Alice Cooper comic book that I have ever read.

Honestly, I am not really a fan of Alice Cooper.  I don't dislike him.  It's just that by the time I discovered him, the legendary rock band, Kiss, was already providing me with my rock 'n' roll weirdness, although I did find Cooper's interesting.  Cooper is a fantastic, killer homeless dude in director John Carpenter's 1987 horror flick, Prince of Darkness.

The only reason that I am reading this comic book is because I am a huge fan of its writer, the amazing Rodney Barnes, who is dazzling many readers with his and Jason Shawn Alexander's vampire comic book, Killadelphia.  And he doesn't disappoint me with Alice Cooper Volume 2 #1.  Every subplot, every location, every scene change, and every character is an utter delight.  Barnes makes every story element so intriguing and every character so likable that I want more.

Edu Menna's art and storytelling are quite potent, bringing Barnes story to comic book life in a variety of moods and changes of style that give this story a surreal tone grounded in a kind of everyday reality.  Menna makes this first issue feel like more than just another dark fantasy comic book; he makes it feel like an event.

Adriano Lucas's colors help this first issue become something a little bit more than just another trip into dark fantasy, and Troy Peteri's lettering conveys the overall sense of oddness that permeates this debut.  These are the finishing touches to a clever opening issue. Alice Cooper Volume 2 #1 hasn't come out yet and I already want the second issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Alice Cooper and of the comic books of Rodney Barnes will want Alice Cooper Volume 2.

A

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


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Saturday, August 12, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 6th to 12th, 2023 - Update #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The Quorum, a film tracking service, surveyed 1800 "Barbie" ticket buyers over the past three weeks and found that 22 percent of them had likely not been to a movie theatre since before the pandemic.

ANIMATION/TRAILER - From Deadline:  In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of the Bruce Lee classic, "Enter the Dragon," Bruce Lee Entertainment has released a teaser trailer for the anime series, "House of Lee."

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  The site's Mike Fleming, Jr. unveils the unpublished interview he conducted with the late actor, Ray Liotta, shortly before he died in May 2022.

FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  Film at Lincoln Center has set the 32 features from 18 countries that will make up the Main Slate of the New York Film Festival.

MOVIES/TRAILER - From THR:  The first trailer for "Golda" has debuted.  It is a thriller and biopic of the late Israeli prime minister, Golda Meir, and is directed by Guy Nattiv and stars Helen Mirren as Meir.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/4 to 8/6/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 53 million dollars.

From Variety:  After 17 days in release, "Barbie" has surpassed one billion dollars in global box office.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Prince Harry and Princess Meghan have bought the films rights to the bestselling Canadian romance novel, "Meet Me at the Lake," from author Carley Fortune.

ELVIS PRESLEY - From Deadline:  Riley Keough, the grandchild of Elvis Presley, has been named the sole trustee of the estate of her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, the only child resulting from the marriage of Elvis and Priscilla Presley.  The appointment was approved during a hearing Friday, Aug. 4th before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lynn Healey Scaduto.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American voice actor, comedian, writer, and producer, Johnny Hardwick, has died at the age of 64, Tuesday, August 8, 2023.  Hardwick is best known for his voice role of "Dale Gribble" on Fox's late animated sitcom, "King of the Hill" for all of its 13 seasons.  He was also a producer, writer, and story editor during the series' first six seasons.  He won a "Outstanding Animated Program" Primetime Emmy in 1999 for his work as a producer on "King of the Hill" and was nominated twice more in that category.

From Deadline:  The American singer-songwriter and musician, Sixto Diaz Rodriquez, has died at the age of 91, Tuesday, August 8, 2023.  Known professionally as "Rodriguez," he was the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary, "Search for Sugar Man" (2012). The documentary told the story of how fans in South Africa doggedly search for Rodriguez who was wildly popular in South Africa and other southern African countries and also Australia and New Zealand while being most forgotten in the United States.  Rodriguez initially released two rock and folk albums that did not sell well in the U.S.

From Variety:  American film and television director, William Friedkin, has died at the age of 87, Monday, August 7, 2023.  Part of the "New Hollywood" movement, Friedkin was best known for two films, "The French Connection" (1971) and "The Exorcist" (1973).  For "The French Connection," he won the Academy Award for "Best Director," as well as the best director awards from the Directors Guild of America and the Golden Globes.  For "The Exorcist," he received an Academy Award nomination for "Best Director" and won the Golden Globe for "Best Director."  His other notable films include "Sorcerer" (1977), "To Live and Die in L.A." (1985), and "Killer Joe" (2011), to name a few.

From DeadlineWilliam Friedkin: a career in photographs

From Deadline:  American film editor, Arthur Schmidt, has died at the age of 86, Saturday, August 5, 2023.  Schmidt was best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, and it earned him to two Oscar wins. for "Best Film Editing" for the films, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) and "Forrest Gump" (1994).  Schmidt also edited Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" trilogy, "Contact" (1997), and "Cast Away" to name a few.  Schmidt also received a "Best Film Editing" Academy Award nomination for editing Michael Apted's "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980).

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  Writers Guild (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will resume strike talks today, Fri., Aug. 11th.

From Deadline:  Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.

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 THR:  Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

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:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

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

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

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

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

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Saturday, February 11, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 11th, 2023 - Update #21

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:   Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith, who co-created the 2013 British crime drama "Run," has been tapped to write the action thriller, "Rainbow Six," that has Michael B. Jordan starring and Chad Stahelski directing.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Writer-director David Twohy and star Vin Diesel are reunited for a fourth film in the "Riddick" series, entitled "Riddick: Furya."

From JoBlo:  On Instagram, Vin Diesel shares some concept art for the upcoming, "Riddick: Furya."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee Sacha Baron Cohen and Keke Palmer ("Nope") are teaming up with writer-director David O. Russell ("Amsterdam") for "Super Toys."

AMAZON - From DeadlineNicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis will headline Amazon Studios' TV series adaptation of Patricia Cornwell's "Kay Scarpetta" novels.  Kidman will play the lead, and Curtis will play her sister, Dorothy.

TELEVISION - From EW:  British comedy legend, John Cleese, is reviving his beloved BBC sitcom, "Fawlty Towers," with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.  The series is being developed by Rob Reiner's Castle Rock Entertainment.  The original series ran for two series of six episodes each in 1975 and 1979.

MOVIES - From DeadlineSony Pictures is developing a direct sequel to its 1997 hit slasher film, "I Know What You Did Last Summer."  Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr. are in talks to reprise their respective roles from the original.

NETFLIX - From THR:   Matthew McConaughey has signed on to voice Elvis Presley in Netflix’s adult animated action comedy series "Agent Elvis."

MOVIES - From THR:  The AMC Theatres chain is going start basing movie ticket prices on where patrons want to sit in the auditorium.  This price will take place after 4 pm.

MUSIC - From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 65th annual Grammy Awards, "Harry's House," an album by recording artist Harry Styles, won the top honor "Album of the Year."  With her 32nd Grammy win, Beyonce became the all-time leaders in career Grammy wins.

MOVIES - From BloodyDisgusting:  Film producer-director, Sean S. Cunningham, is "working to get his own 'Friday the 13th' reboot off the ground.  Much depends on the setting the franchise's rights issues"

BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/3 to 2/5/2023 weekend box office is "Knock at the Cabin" with an estimated take of 14.2 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Knock at the Cabin."

From Variety:  Actor Dave Bautista explains his most shocking scene in the new film, "Knock at the Cabin."

MOVIES - From DeadlineWarner Bros has acquired the rights to Stephen King's novel, "Billy SummersJJ Abrams and Leonard DiCaprio's respective production companies are producing.

TELEVISION - From DeadlineNBC has given its comedy revival, "Night Court," a renewal for a second season.

MUSIC - From Variety: Grammy-winning recording artist and music icon, Beyonce, has announced stadium tour dates for her "Renaissance" world tour.  The first U.S. date appears to be July 12th in Philladelphia.

MOVIES - From DeadlineJerry Bruckenheimer and director Guy Ritchie's World War II movie, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," has added eight new names to a cast that already includes Henry Cavill and Eiza Gonzalez. New cast includes Alex Pettyfer and Cary Elwes.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon Prime's "The Terminal List," staring Chris Pratt, will continue with a second season and will become a franchise with a prequel executive produced and starring Taylor Kitsch.

MOVIES/MUSIC - From VarietyJaafar Jackson will portray his late uncle, Michael Jackson, in director Antoine Fuqua's biopic about the Grammy Award-winning legend and music icon, which is entitled "Michael."  Jaafar is the second youngest son of Michael Jackson's brother, Jermaine Jackson, songwriter, producer, recording artist, and member of the "Jackson 5."

*DC STUDIOS - From Deadline:   DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran finally revealed their plans for an inter-connective universe of DC Comics character-based film and television.

*MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith and Martin Lawrence announced that "Bad Boys 4" is in pre-production.  "Bad Boys for Life" directors El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are also returning.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Songwriter, composer, and record producer, Burt Bacharach, has died at the age of 94, Wednesday, February 8, 2023.  Over a three decade career, he composed hundreds of pop songs that have been recorded by over 1000 recording artists.  He won the "Best Original Song" Oscar twice and "Best Original Score" once (for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid").  He won six Grammy Awards, including for the 1987 "Song of the Year" award for "That's What Friends Are For" (1986, co-written with his then wife, Carole Bayer Sager).

From MarinIJ:  Author and activist, David Harris, has died at the age of 76, Monday, February 6, 2023.  He was a leader and an icon of the Vietnam War draft resistance movement.  He encouraged young men to resist the draft and to refuse to report for military service.  When he himself was drafted in 1968, he refused to report and was immediately indicted.  He spent 20 months of a three-year sentence in the federal prison system.  He would go on to write for "Rolling Stone" and "The New York Times Magazine."  He also published 10 non-fiction books on a range of topics, including the NFL, politics, and international events.

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AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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TYRE NICHOLS:

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

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

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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."

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Thursday, September 29, 2022

Review: Baz Luhrmann's "ELVIS" Reveals That White People Ruined Presley

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 55 of 2022 (No. 1867) by Leroy Douresseaux

Elvis (2022)
Running time:  159 minutes (2 hours, 39 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for substance abuse, strong language, suggestive material and smoking
DIRECTOR:  Baz Luhrmann
WRITERS:  Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner; from a story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner
PRODUCERS:  Baz Luhrmann, Gail Berman, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, and Schuyler Weiss
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mandy Walker (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa
COMPOSER:  Elliot Wheeler

BIOPIC/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Leon Ford, Gary Clark, Jr., Yola, Natasha Bassett, Xavier Samuel, Adam Dunn, Shonka Dukureh, and Chaydon Jay

Elvis is a 2022 biopic, musical drama, and historical film from director Baz Luhrmann.  The film is an overview and fictional account of the life of Elvis Presley (1935–1977), the singer, songwriter, performer, and actor best known as simply “Elvis” and also as the “King of Rock and Roll.”  Elvis the movie examines his life – from his childhood to his rise to cultural icon status – and his complicated relationship with his notorious manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Elvis opens in 1997 and introduces Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).  After suffering a stroke, he is on his deathbed.  His gambling addiction has left him broke, but once upon a time, he was somebody.  He was both famous and infamous.  He was the manager of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll.

Early in his life, Elvis Aaron Presley (Chaydon Jay) was a just a kid whose family had moved into a housing project in the white section of an African-American neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee (1948).  Elvis' family was poor, and his father was in prison.  Elvis, already familiar with country music, became steeped in the gospel music of the nearby Black churches and also in the rhythm and blues of the Black clubs and music halls on Memphis' Beale Street.

Later (1955), when Colonel Parker meets the now adult Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), he is making waves as a young singer and guitarist.  Parker is already partnered with country singer, Hank Snow (David Wenham), when he hears Elvis, a young white artist who sounds black, especially on the groundbreaking single, “That's All Right.”

Soon, Parker is managing Elvis, and the young man's stage performances are making him very popular with young people, especially young women, who are driven crazy by Elvis' salacious wiggling legs, swinging hips, and thrusting pelvis.  Under Parker's management, Elvis begins a meteoric rise to stardom, but his stage act is drawing the ire of white people who don't want their kids exposed to Black music and culture.  To save Elvis from trouble, Colonel Parker exerts more control over Elvis' music, performances, and life, but what will that do to Parker and Elvis' already complex relationship?

Hard as it is to believe, Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has only directed six films in his thirty-year career, beginning with his 1992 debut, Strictly Ballroom, which I have never seen.  Other than Elvis, I have only seen Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001), and I have only reviewed the latter.

Elvis is like Moulin Rouge!, a flashy, fast-moving musical drama with excellent production values.  Everything about Elvis is lavish, spectacular, fabulous and beautiful.  The production design, art direction, and sets are the most beautiful that I have seen this year and maybe in a long time.  The costumes, regardless of the characters' wealth and social status, are gorgeous (the only word I can think of).  The cinematography and lighting create a world of fantasy, and the film editing manages to convey the seemingly incalculable number of moods and emotions that Luhrmann wants the audience for Elvis to experience.

The soundtrack is filled with Presley's iconic recordings, including some sung by Austin Butler.  There are a number of famous gospel and blues songs performed by their legendary originators.  There are also modern jams, some reinterpretations of classic songs, including the work of Elvis.

Simply put, Austin Butler makes you believe that he is Elvis Presley.  Butler seems to channel everything that made Elvis an icon and a legend.  Even Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla, and daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, were awed by Butler's performance.  For anyone to beat Butler to the Oscar this year, they will have to be as amazing as him.

As for the entire film:  Elvis is at its best when it chronicles Elvis' rise before he enters the military service (the U.S. Army 1958-60).  When Elvis is close to his Memphis roots and hanging around Black singers and performers, he is happy and so is the film.  Post-military, the film is still beautiful to look like, but the film takes a darker turn as Elvis is disconnected from his roots and becomes surrounded by white people, most of whom are parasites.  And the ones that are not parasites are manipulators.

Tom Hanks' Colonel Tom Parker is one of the most ridiculously awful and awfully ridiculous film characters that I have ever seen.  Hanks' Parker is like a mix of “Pennywise the Clown” from the It films (based on the Stephen King books) and a mangy elf.  Parker epitomizes the morass that drags at the film for most of its running time.  Hanks' Parker does make one of the film's themes obvious and true.  Maybe, Elvis and Parker snowed themselves as much as they snowed each other.

My grade reflects how much I like this film's production values, music, and Austin Butler's performance.  Butler is the shining light of Elvis.  I could watch him play Elvis Presley again – in a better film.

6 of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars


Thursday, September 29, 2022


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

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Thursday, June 30, 2022

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 26th to 30th, 2022 - Update #18

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

NETFLIX - From DeadlineCameron Diaz retired from acting in 2018, but now she is coming out of retirement to star with Jamie Foxx in the Netflix action-comedy, "Back in Action."

JAMES BOND - From Deadline:  "James Bond" producer Barbara Broccoli has revealed that it will be “at least two years“ before the next 007 movie begins filming and that the task of finding an actor to replace Daniel Craig hasn’t begun “because it’s a reinvention of Bond.”

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  The Grammy-winning recording artist, R. Kelly, was sentenced at a Brooklyn, NYC federal court to 30 years on nine counts of sex trafficking and racketeering.

CELEBRITY - From ScreenGeek:  "Jurassic World" star Chris Pratt says that some online commentary about him has made him cry.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN - From RadarOnline:  "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman died without a will.  His widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, has asked that the late actor's estate be divided evenly betweeen her and Boseman's parents.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  An array of British acting talent will appear in the period thriller, "The Critic," including Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, and Mark Strong, to name a few.

TELEVISION - From DeadlineAlex Wagner will take over Rachel Maddow's coveted 9 p.m. spot on MSNBC beginning Aug. 16th.  "The Rachel Maddow Show" is currently only appearing on Monday nights.  The name for Wagner's show is to be determined.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Controversial Oscar-nominee Alec Baldwin will interview controversial multiple Oscar winner Woody Allen.  The interview will appear on Instagram live Tues., June 28th at 10:30 a.m. EST.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  As the final numbers role in, "Elvis" is the winner of the 6/24 to 6/26/2022 weekend box office with a take of 31.1 million dollars over 29.6 million dollars for "Top Gun: Maverick."

From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/24 to 6/26/2022 weekend box office is thus far a tie, according to early estimates.  New film, Elvis, and former champ, "Top Gun: Maverick," have both grossed 30.5 million dollars.

From TheWrap:  "Top Gun: Maverick" has become the first Tom Cruise movie to surpass the billion dollar mark at the worldwide box office office.

From Variety: The box office is back, and movie theaters are feeling confident.

AWARDS - From Deadline: The winners of at the BET Awards 2022 were announced last night, Sun., June 26th.  "Silk Sonic" (Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak) let all winners.

POLITICS - From YahooHuffPost:  Actor and international movie star, Samuel L. Jackson, rips Supreme Coon ... I mean ... Court Justice Clarence Thomas over his hypocrisy on Roe v. Wade and interracial marriage.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 2022 / 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced Fri., June 24th, streaming on Paramount+.  ABC's "General Hospital" won "Outstanding Daytime Drama."

From DeadlineMishael Morgan becomes the first Black woman to win win "Outstand Lead Actress" at the Daytime Emmys by winning  "Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama, Actress" at the 49th Daytime Emmy Awards (Fri., June 24th) for her role as "Amanda Sinclair" on "The Young and the Restless."

MOVIES - From BBC:   "'Full Metal Jacket' and Kubrick: The Ultimate Anti-War Films" - a look the anti-war themes in the films of the late director, Stanley Kubrick.

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ROE V. WADE - From NPR:  The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has overturned "Roe v. Wade."  It's gone, boo.

From TheRoot:  During a re-election really with Donald Trump, Congresswoman Mary Miller said that the overturning of "Roe v. Wade" a "historic victory for white life." [Sometimes, they tell you who they are - Leroy]

From GoogleDocs:  "Roe v. Wade": What you can do.

From RSNNewYorker:  We're not going back to the time before Roe. We're going somewhere worse.

From RSNVanityFair:  Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Stephen Breyer's wrote a withering dissent to the court's conservative majority. Their conclusion: this opinion is "the curtailment of women's rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens."

From Truthout:  Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass) led a group of 20 Black Congresswomen who urged President Biden to to take urgent action to protect abortion rights.

From GuardianUK:  "'Fewer Rights Than Their Grandmothers': Read Three Justices' Searing Abortion Dissent"

UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

From YahooAP:  An 18-year-old gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers on Tues., May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.  All 21 victims were in the same 4th grade classroom at Robb Elementary.

From TheDailyBeast:  Texas's top law enforcement official, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McGraw, has said that the school shooter in Uvalde, Texas could have been taken down in three minutes.

From TheDailyBeast:  Police officers responding to last month’s mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school never even tried to open the door to the classroom where young children were trapped with the gunman, according to a new report. 

From Jacobin:  "The Uvalde Massacre has exposed the lies that once justified police militarization" by Branko Marcetic

From Truthout:  We don’t need more evidence that police can’t be trusted.

From Truthout:   44 percent of GOP voters view mass shootings as part of living in “Free Society”

From ABCNews:  Arnulfo Reyes, a teacher who survived the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, calls the local police "cowards" because of slow response to an active shooter at his school, Robb Elementary.  All of 11 students in his class were killed.

From DallasNews:  Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, has died of a heart attack two days after the murder of his wife.  They had been married for 24 years and had been high school sweethearts.

From Axios:  Texas gubernatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, interrupted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's gaslighting press conference on the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.

From USAToday:  Beto O'Rourke's outburst at Gov. Greg Abbott's Uvalde news conference shows the spine Democrats need.

From BostonGlobe:  Steve Kerr, head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, asks "When are we going to do something?"

From NBCNews:  A Robb Elementary teacher describes "the longest 35 minutes of my life" and the terror she now feels.

From NBCNews:  The Uvalde school district had an extensive safety plan, but 19 children were killed at Robb Elementary anyway.  Even security plans that appear to be up to the latest research-based standards may have gaps and fall short of preventing the worst-case scenario, experts said.

From MSN:  Angeli Rose Gomez, the mother who was handcuffed outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, was able to get inside the school and rescue her two children.

From YahooNews:   Daniel Defense, the maker of the rifles used by the Uvalde massacre killer, has used "incendiary ads" in the past, including one in which a toddler holds one of its rifles.

From TheIntercept:  The police aren't obligated to protect anyone NOT in their custody, as the Supreme Court has ruled twice.

From RollingStone:  Right wing lies about the Second Amendment and why they tell them are killing America's childrne.

From Vice:  The law enforcement personnel in Texas that arrived at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas on Tues., May 24th did the opposite of what their own training documentary videos show.

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

From TheDailyBeast:  The families in Uvalde, Texas who lost loved one in the Robb Elementary massacre say that the cops there are "Nothing more than cowards" and that they need to pay for doing nothing while a gunman rampaged through the school last Tues, May 24th.

From TheNewYorker:  Thoughts and prayers, Uvalde, Texas. This is the America that Republicans and the right wing have being thinking about and praying for all these decades.

From ABC:  Sources say that Uvalde police and school district no longer cooperating with Texas probe of shooting of the May 24th massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

From GuardianUK:  Canada plans to freeze all handgun ownership.

From RSNWashPost:  Is it time to show the true horror of mass shooting - in pictures?

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mother who rescued her two children from the Robb Elementary shooting massacre, says that a police officer threatened to arrest her if she did not stop telling her story.

From RSNTheAtlantic:  The Uvalde police chose dishonor. Where was there courage?

From RSNWashPost:  Brenda Bell:  I hid from the Texas Tower sniper (Charles Joseph Whitman) in 1966. His successors have found us all.

From RSNTheIntercept:  "AR-15s Were Made to Explode Human Bodies. In Uvalde, the Bodies Belonged to Children" by Murtaza Hussain

From RSNNPR:  The tragic history of police responding too late to active shooters.

From VICE:  There is likely bodycam footage of the school shooting in Uvalde, TX, but the public may never see it.

BLM-BUFFALO:

From ABCNews:  A 18-year-old white MAN shot 13 people, killing 10 at a Buffalo, New York Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Saturday, May 14, 2021.

From RSNAP:  The white male suspect in the Buffalo Tops Supermarket shooting, Payton Gendron, was charged with federal hate crimes on Wed., June 15th and could face the death penalty if convicted.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo at the Tops Friendly supermarket was crafted to terrorize us.  We can fight back, and here’s how we fight back.

From WGRZ:  Who are the victims of the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets grocery store shooting. This comes from local station WGRZ Channel 2 and includes video and some victim photos.

From BuffaloNews:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Katherine "Kat" Massey.  She was a leader in her community and civil rights activist and advocate for education.

From NewYorkPost:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Andre Mackniel. He was at TOPS Supermaket to pick up a birthday cake for his son.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo, NY at the Tops supermarket was crafted to terrorize us, so here is how we fight back.

From CNN:  What is known about the 18-year-old MAN, Payton Gendron.

From NPR:  198 mass shooting this year ... so far.

From Truthout:  White supremacist massacre of 10 people in Buffalo, NY shows that the “Alt-Right” ideology leads to murder.

From RollingStone:  Buffalo rampage killing is "Straight Up Racially Motivated Hate Crime."

From InformedComment:  Rene Binet, the originator the "great replacement" was a French Nazi, and he saw all American as "Negroes," an "impure mestizo 'race'."

From WashPost:  Only 22 people saw the live-stream of a white terrorist kill Black shoppers at the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets supermarket, but millions have seen it since...

From GuardianUK:  Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shooter may have been motivated by "eco-fascism," a focus on overpopulation and environmental degradation.

From RSN:  "What Lessons Have We Learned From the Buffalo Shooting?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

From Truthout:  “Innocent” White People Are Also Complicit in the Anti-Black Murders in Buffalo by George Yancy.

From Truthout:  "Black Lives Matter" cofounder discovered that Alicia Garza has learned that her name is mentioned in the Buffalo Tops supermarket killer's manifesto.

From GuardianUK:   Cornell West says, "Trump isn't out there with a gun, but he's enabled this war against Black people.

From Slate:  From the Tulsa Race Massacre to the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shootings: the legacy of anti-Black violence.

From Truthout:  After mass shootings, Republicans shield white supremacists from scrutiny

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mom who rescued her children from the school shooting at Robb Elementary, says that local police have threatened to have her arrested if she does not stop telling her story.

UKRAINE:

From TheDailyBeast:  Russian soldiers allegedly raped and killed a 1-year-old Ukrainian boy and have reportedly raped or sexually abused children as young as 9 months old.

HATE WATCH:

From NPR:  31 members of the white nationalist Patriot Front arrested near a "Pride Month" event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  They are believed to have been planning to riot held at a local before moving on to rioting downtown.  They were not the only haters trying to sour the "Pride in the Park" event, which included families with children.

From SpokesmanReview:  The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office released the names and photos of all 31 "Patriot Front" members who are suspects in a planned riot at the "Pride Month" event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.


Friday, September 11, 2020

Principal Photography to Begin on Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis"

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” Set to Get Underway September 23, 2020 in Australia

Cameras will roll in Queensland, with Luhrmann directing Austin Butler as Elvis, Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley in the highly anticipated musical drama

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography will begin on September 23, 2020 on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Elvis,” Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”) musical drama about the life and music of Elvis Presley. Seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the film stars Austin Butler (“Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood”) as Elvis, Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “Forrest Gump”) as Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge (“Stray Dolls”) as Priscilla Presley.

Looking forward to getting to work after the lengthy delay, Luhrmann stated, “We’re back to, as Elvis liked to say, ‘taking care of business!’ It is a real privilege in this unprecedented global moment that Tom Hanks has been able to return to Australia to join Austin Butler and all of our extraordinary cast and crew to commence production on ‘Elvis.’ I cannot emphasize enough how lucky we feel in the current climate that the state of Queensland, and Queenslanders in general, have been so supportive of this film. We thank our partners in the Queensland Government and Queensland Health for their extremely diligent process, so that we can be an example how creativity and productivity can proceed safely and responsibly in a way that protects our team and the community at large. We are all excited to start working with Tom Hanks when he is out of quarantine in two weeks.”

The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley.

Luhrmann directs from the current screenplay written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. Luhrmann is also producing the film, alongside Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, with Andrew Mittman executive producing.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker (“Mulan,” “Australia”), Oscar-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), editors Matt Villa (“The Great Gatsby,” “Australia”) and Jonathan Redmond (“The Great Gatsby”) and composer Elliott Wheeler (“The Get Down”).

Principal photography on “Elvis” is taking place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Monday, December 30, 2019

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for January 1, 2020

IDW PUBLISHING

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Saturday, November 2, 2019

Director Baz Luhrmann Finds His Priscilla Presley for His "Elvis" Film

(Olivia DeJonge photographic image by Rebecca Hitch)

Baz Luhrmann Casts Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley in His Untitled Elvis Project

DeJonge will star opposite Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker when cameras roll early next year on the eagerly anticipated film

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures announced that up-and-coming Australian actress Olivia DeJonge will play Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s feature film about the iconic Elvis Presley.

    “Olivia is capable of manifesting the complex depth and presence that has made Priscilla Presley an icon in her own right. She’s an extremely talented young actor and the perfect counterpoint to Austin’s Elvis.”

In the movie, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”) will explore the life and music of Elvis Presley, through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played in the film by two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks (“Forrest Gump,” “Philadelphia”). The story will delve into their complex dynamic spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley.

Luhrmann, who is known to have a keen eye for discovering new faces, stated, “Olivia is capable of manifesting the complex depth and presence that has made Priscilla Presley an icon in her own right. She’s an extremely talented young actor and the perfect counterpoint to Austin’s Elvis.”

DeJonge has worked consistently in her native Australia and is known for her performances in the features “The Visit,” “The Sisterhood of the Night,” “Better Watch Out,” and this year’s “Stray Dolls,” which premiered in the U.S. at the Tribeca Film Festival. On television, she starred in the series “The Society,” “Will” and “Hiding.”

Luhrmann will direct from the current screenplay written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. Luhrmann will also produce, alongside multiple-Oscar winner Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), who will once again serve as production designer and costume designer on the film, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss. Andrew Mittman will executive produce.

Principal photography is set to get underway in early 2020 in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Review: "Lilo and Stitch" a Delightful Surprise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Running time: 85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild sci-fi action
DIRECTORS: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
WRITERS: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders; from an idea by Chris Sanders
PRODUCER: Clark Spencer
EDITORS: Darren T. Holmes and Michael Kelly
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/COMEDY/FAMILY/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: (voice) Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Zoe Caldwell, and Jason Scott Lee

The subject of this movie review is Lilo & Stitch, a 2002 animated science fiction and family film from Walt Disney Feature Animation. This hand-drawn (or 2D) animated film is the 42nd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.

With the release of Mulan in 1998, Walt Disney’s animated films soared to new heights of artistry, and the craft of their storytelling also greatly improved. With that film, not only were Disney films glorious eye candy, their stories were also quite moving, dealing with such universal themes as loss, redemption, acceptance, and triumph.

In Lilo & Stitch, we leave behind the China of Mulan, the virgin jungle of Tarzan, and the sensational underground world of Atlantis, The Lost Empire to travel the interstellar space ways and lush landscapes of Hawaii. It’s a fantastic ride of eye-popping visuals that capture the imagination and create the perfect backdrop to tell this story of two loners and outcasts who find companionship in one another.

Genetic Experiment 626 (voice of Chris Sanders) is the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy, created by Dr. Jumba (voice of David Ogden Stiers) for the sole purpose of destroying civilizations. Marked for destruction by the United Galactic Federation, 626 makes his escape to earth. After a series of mishaps on this planet, 626 lands at a dog pound where a friendless little girl named Lilo (voice of Daveigh Chase) adopts him as a pet and names him Stitch. After their parents died, Lilo’s sister Nani (voice of Tia Carrere) took on the task of rearing her sister. She isn’t having much success, and Stitch’s arrival has complicated matters. Mr. Cobra Bubbles (voice of Ving Rhames), a strict social worker who cuts an imposing figure, also applies serious pressure on Nani to do a better job taking care of her small sister or risk losing her. With his creator on the trail to capture him and pressure on her sister to take better care of her, Stitch and Lilo have to bridge the gap of worlds and become the only friends each other has.

Like most Disney animated films, the fact that Lilo and Stitch is entertaining is a given. What makes it stand out is the story’s touching drama and the animation’s colorful bounty. Co-writers/co-directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders created a story with much dramatic impact. I really felt Lilo’s loneliness and her desire to fit in with other children and Nani’s desperation to hold what was left of her family together. DeBlois and Sanders really work the audience because they didn’t make it easy for the characters to obtain their hearts’ desires, so we have to really pull for them. Nani keeps dropping the ball, and Lilo is a handful to rear, to say nothing of the fact that Stitch is not much of a pet and is hard to train. Each character’s needs keep getting in the way of what other characters need. All this struggle makes the pay off at the end all the more rewarding.

As for the animation – what more can I say about Disney’s work? The sci-fi element of this film is quite strong, and several scenes takes place in sci-fi settings, many of which feature complicated chase sequences involving masses of star ships. Computers provide the animation for the tech stuff, but the computer animation looks, for the most part, like traditional cel animation.

Lilo and Stitch is also a throwback in the use of the watercolor backgrounds. Combined with the character animation, Lilo looks as if it were made at the height of the golden age of animation. The blend of traditional and modern was so seamless that it amazed me. With Atlantis, it was clear that Disney animators can create battle and chase sequences that rival those in the best live action movies, and the chase at the end of Lilo affirms that.

Lilo & Stitch will certainly please the target audience for which Disney aims it, but I think everyone likes Disney animated features when they give them a chance. Lilo doesn’t have smart aleck gags to keep adults awake while they suffer through this film for the sake of a children. In fact, what adult would suffer from watching this film? It’s one of those movies with a story that reaches out to everyone. And it’s filled with Elvis Presley songs. Who can resist that?

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature” (Chris Sanders)