by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
Support Leroy on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
MOVIES - From Variety: AMC Theatres will require patrons to wear masks when it reopens its theaters after initially not requiring them.
GEORGE FLOYD - From YahooNews: New Mexico Shooting Raises Specter Of Right-Wing Violence Around Statue Protests
BLM - From YahooLifestyle: Support grows for making "Juneteenth" (June 19th) an official holiday.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Mark Wahlberg's canine adventure film, "Arthur the King," movies to Lionsgate. The film reunited Wahlberg with is "2 Guns" and "Contraband" director, Baltasar Kormakur.
BLM-HOLLYWOOD - From BET: Actress Gabrielle Union talks her "America's Got Talent" departure and on holding "bad apples" accountable.
GEORGE FLOYD - From YahooNews360: Why was George Floyd's death the breaking point?
POLITICS - From YahooNews: Five bombshells about President Trump from John Bolton's book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir."
MOVIES - From Deadline: Actress Kristen Stewart will portray Princess Diana in director Pablo Larrain's film, "Spencer."
BLM-EDUCATION - From YahooNews: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, are donating $120 million toward student scholarships at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The couple is giving $40 million to each of three institutions: the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College and Morehouse College. The organizations said it is the largest individual gift in support of student scholarships at HBCUs.
GEORGE FLOYD - From CNN: Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester who was pushed by two Buffalo, New York, police officers earlier this month, has a fractured skull and is not able to walk, his lawyer said in a statement provided to CNN on Monday.
From YahooEntertainment: Whoopi Goldberg says police officers have to 'relearn how to police': 'Because now they're soldiers — and we're not in a war'
SPORTS - From YahooSports: Here is a look at Super Bowl champion QB Tom Brady in his new uniform for his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
POLITICS - From InformedComment: How American cities were Reduced to Esper’s “Battlespace”: From Fallujah to Minneapolis
OSCARS - From Deadline: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced that the 2021 / 93rd Academy Awards ceremony has been moved from February 28, 2021 to April 25, 2021 - the latest date ever for the Oscars. Films will be eligible to compete for the 93rd Academy Awards though Feb. 28th.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Director Antonie Fuqua and actor Will Smith's runaway slave thriller, "Emancipation," will be introduced at the virtual Cannes market and will begin production in early 2021.
LGBTQ - For BuzzFeed: The Supreme Court on Monday issued its most sweeping decision ever to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, finding that a federal ban on sex discrimination in workplaces also protects employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
POLITICS-CELEBRITY - From FoxNews: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) challenges actor Ron Perlman... to wrestle with former wrestling coach and protector of sexual assailants, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
GEORGE FLOYD - From People: Legendary singer, actress, and filmmaker, Barbra Streisand, has given Gianna Floyd, the daughter of the police-slain George Floyd, an unknown numbers of shares of stock in The Walt Disney Company.
MOVIES - From Deadline: After his "Gone with the Wind" op-ed, Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley ponders permanent Hollywood change.
BLM - From Deadline: "Saturday Night Live" alum, Jay Pharoah, was profiled by the Los Angeles Police Department and then one of them put his knee on his neck.
OBITS:
From Deadline: The British actor, Ian Holm, has died at the age of 88, Friday, June 19, 2020. Holms was best known for his appearances in such films as "Alien," "Chariots of Fire," "The Sweet Hereafter," and "The Fifth Element." He also appeared in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" film series. Holm won a Tony Award in 1967 for his performance in "The Homecoming." He received a best supporting Oscar nomination for his role in "Chariots of Fire" (1981), a role for which he won the BAFTA.
From CNN: Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland (1993-98), Jean Kennedy Smith, has died at the age of 92, Wednesday, June 17, 2020. She was also the last surviving sibling of assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
---------------------------------------------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER News:
From YahooFinance: Why Black wealth has stayed 'relatively flat' since Tulsa massacre
From InTheseTimes: The four questions we must ask before we agree to police reform.
----------------------------------------------------
CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:
From CDC: The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."
From YahooNews: Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?
From YahooNews: Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.
From Deadline: The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.
From TheNewYorker: The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.
From YahooNews: Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?
From YahooLife: What is "happy hypoxia?" And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?
From JuanCole: Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19. Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.
From TheIntercept: The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...
From NPR: A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.
From TheAtlantic: The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.
From ProPublica: Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns
----------------
Showing posts with label Gabrielle Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gabrielle Union. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 24th to 30th, 2019 - Update #27
Support Leroy on Patreon:
MOVIES - From THR: See 12 stars from Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman," the characters they play, and the real life inspirations behind those characters.
----------
ECO - From YahooEntertainment: "Young Sheldon" star, Iain Armitage, joined Jane Fonda's #FireDrillFridays climate change protest in Washington D.C.
----------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian: Black directors are making zombie movies that are taking zombies back to their African and Caribbean roots.
----------
SCANDAL - From Variety: Controversial and Oscar-winning director, Roman Polanski, cancelled a lecture in Poland at his alma mater, the Polish film school in Lodz, after protests from students and faculty. Polanski pleaded to statutory rape in 1978 and was recently accused of raping an actress in 1975.
----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline: "Saturday Night Live" performer, Pete Davidson, required attendees at one of his recent comedy shows to sign a "non-disclosure agreement" (NDA) regarding phones and smart watches.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment: Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 2 - Kid Rock - yes, Virginia, he is a racist.
From YahooSports: Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 1 - Margaret Court, tennis legend.
----------
SCANDAL - From Variety: In the wake of Gabrielle Union being fired from the "talent" reality show, "America's Got Talent" (NBC), women's advocacy group, "Time's Up," and Hollywood women are throwing their support behind Union. It seems Union may have angered the show's power brokers after she complained about racist or racial incidents occurring behind the scenes.
----------
CELEBRITY - From THR: Angelina Jolie may be currently filming Marvel Studios' "Eternals," but she still has time to change talent agencies. She moves from UTA to WME.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: "A Holiday Reunion," a short film reuniting the creature from "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and Henry Thomas, who played Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, premiered Thurs., Nov. 28th on NBC (broadcast network), Syfy (cable network), and on the website of Comcast Xfinity.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: Word is that Christopher Nolan's next film, "Tenet," will be previewed before IMAX showings of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."
----------
SCANDAL - From THR: A New York judge denied Harvey Weinstein's motion to dismiss the sex crimes charges (two counts of "Predatory Sexual Assault") against him.
----------
TELEVISION - From Variety: In the wake of Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough getting fired from "America's Got Talent," we learn that some people working on the show thought Union's hairstyles were "too black" for AGT's audience.
--------
MOVIES - From EW: Elizabeth Banks will follow-up her reboot of "Charlie's Angels" with the horror movie, "The Invisible Woman," for Universal, which she will direct and star in. It will not be connected to next year's "The Invisible Man," (also from Universal), nor does it have anything to do with Marvel Comics' "Invisible Woman" superhero character. It is not connected to the 1940-released "The Invisible Woman," which was a spin-off of Universal Studios' classic 1933 horror film, "The Invisible Man."
----------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: Talk show host Wendy Williams says that it is unbelievable that Taylor Swift is the American Music Awards' "Artist of the Decade." [Well, it certainly says something or even a lot about the state of poular music... - Leroy]
POLITICS - From TheRoot: That's why I don't trust Pete Buttigieg. Everything about him is undercover... except that he is gay... which is unusual. He is Lindsay Graham, except Pete doesn't hide in the closet... at least about being gay.
----------
SCANDAL - From People: British royal, Prince William (37), has been involved in the decision-making to remove his uncle, Prince Andrew (59), from royal duties. This comes in the wake of Andrew's disastrous Nov. 16th interview with the BBC about his connections and relationship with the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
From People: A royal historian says that Prince Andrew's "entire public existence" has been wiped out because of his connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
----------
BLM - From YahooNYT: Black police officers put their lives in their own hands or in the hands of their incompetent and/or racist white colleagues.
---------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 11/22 to 11/24/2019 weekend box office is "Frozen II" with an estimated take of 127 million dollars.
From THR: "Frozen II's" weekend debut ($127 million) set a few records, including being the largest opening for an animated film outside of the summer release corridor and being the largest opening for an animated film in the month of November.
From Variety: "Frozen II" makes a 223 million dollar debut in international markets. It's 350 million dollar global debut is a record an animated film.
----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Actress Julia Ormond joins the cast of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," which will debut Spring 2020. It is the third "Walking Dead" television series.
----------
AWARDS - From Deadline: Here is a full list of the winners at the 2019 American Music Awards (AMA). Taylor Swift led the night with six wins, giving her a total of 29 AMA wins, the most ever.
----------
MOVIES - From TheUndefeated: Former NFL cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha, is making a name for himself as a producer with films such as "Harriet" and Apple+'s "The Banker."
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Tyler Perry announced that his next film, "A Fall From Grace," will bow on Netflix January 17, 2020. The cast includes Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad, and Perry, to name a few.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies: Chadwick Boseman talks about his new films, "21 Bridges," and the Oscar chances of "Avengers: Endgame."
TRAILER:
From Deadline: Here is the first full trailer for the Vietnam War film, "The Last Full Measure," which is due Jan. 24th, 2020.
MOVIES - From THR: See 12 stars from Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman," the characters they play, and the real life inspirations behind those characters.
----------
ECO - From YahooEntertainment: "Young Sheldon" star, Iain Armitage, joined Jane Fonda's #FireDrillFridays climate change protest in Washington D.C.
----------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian: Black directors are making zombie movies that are taking zombies back to their African and Caribbean roots.
----------
SCANDAL - From Variety: Controversial and Oscar-winning director, Roman Polanski, cancelled a lecture in Poland at his alma mater, the Polish film school in Lodz, after protests from students and faculty. Polanski pleaded to statutory rape in 1978 and was recently accused of raping an actress in 1975.
----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline: "Saturday Night Live" performer, Pete Davidson, required attendees at one of his recent comedy shows to sign a "non-disclosure agreement" (NDA) regarding phones and smart watches.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment: Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 2 - Kid Rock - yes, Virginia, he is a racist.
From YahooSports: Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 1 - Margaret Court, tennis legend.
----------
SCANDAL - From Variety: In the wake of Gabrielle Union being fired from the "talent" reality show, "America's Got Talent" (NBC), women's advocacy group, "Time's Up," and Hollywood women are throwing their support behind Union. It seems Union may have angered the show's power brokers after she complained about racist or racial incidents occurring behind the scenes.
----------
CELEBRITY - From THR: Angelina Jolie may be currently filming Marvel Studios' "Eternals," but she still has time to change talent agencies. She moves from UTA to WME.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: "A Holiday Reunion," a short film reuniting the creature from "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and Henry Thomas, who played Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, premiered Thurs., Nov. 28th on NBC (broadcast network), Syfy (cable network), and on the website of Comcast Xfinity.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: Word is that Christopher Nolan's next film, "Tenet," will be previewed before IMAX showings of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."
----------
SCANDAL - From THR: A New York judge denied Harvey Weinstein's motion to dismiss the sex crimes charges (two counts of "Predatory Sexual Assault") against him.
----------
TELEVISION - From Variety: In the wake of Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough getting fired from "America's Got Talent," we learn that some people working on the show thought Union's hairstyles were "too black" for AGT's audience.
--------
MOVIES - From EW: Elizabeth Banks will follow-up her reboot of "Charlie's Angels" with the horror movie, "The Invisible Woman," for Universal, which she will direct and star in. It will not be connected to next year's "The Invisible Man," (also from Universal), nor does it have anything to do with Marvel Comics' "Invisible Woman" superhero character. It is not connected to the 1940-released "The Invisible Woman," which was a spin-off of Universal Studios' classic 1933 horror film, "The Invisible Man."
----------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: Talk show host Wendy Williams says that it is unbelievable that Taylor Swift is the American Music Awards' "Artist of the Decade." [Well, it certainly says something or even a lot about the state of poular music... - Leroy]
POLITICS - From TheRoot: That's why I don't trust Pete Buttigieg. Everything about him is undercover... except that he is gay... which is unusual. He is Lindsay Graham, except Pete doesn't hide in the closet... at least about being gay.
----------
SCANDAL - From People: British royal, Prince William (37), has been involved in the decision-making to remove his uncle, Prince Andrew (59), from royal duties. This comes in the wake of Andrew's disastrous Nov. 16th interview with the BBC about his connections and relationship with the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
From People: A royal historian says that Prince Andrew's "entire public existence" has been wiped out because of his connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
----------
BLM - From YahooNYT: Black police officers put their lives in their own hands or in the hands of their incompetent and/or racist white colleagues.
---------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 11/22 to 11/24/2019 weekend box office is "Frozen II" with an estimated take of 127 million dollars.
From THR: "Frozen II's" weekend debut ($127 million) set a few records, including being the largest opening for an animated film outside of the summer release corridor and being the largest opening for an animated film in the month of November.
From Variety: "Frozen II" makes a 223 million dollar debut in international markets. It's 350 million dollar global debut is a record an animated film.
----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Actress Julia Ormond joins the cast of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," which will debut Spring 2020. It is the third "Walking Dead" television series.
----------
AWARDS - From Deadline: Here is a full list of the winners at the 2019 American Music Awards (AMA). Taylor Swift led the night with six wins, giving her a total of 29 AMA wins, the most ever.
----------
MOVIES - From TheUndefeated: Former NFL cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha, is making a name for himself as a producer with films such as "Harriet" and Apple+'s "The Banker."
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Tyler Perry announced that his next film, "A Fall From Grace," will bow on Netflix January 17, 2020. The cast includes Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad, and Perry, to name a few.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies: Chadwick Boseman talks about his new films, "21 Bridges," and the Oscar chances of "Avengers: Endgame."
TRAILER:
From Deadline: Here is the first full trailer for the Vietnam War film, "The Last Full Measure," which is due Jan. 24th, 2020.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 21st to 31st, 2019 - Update #31
Support Leroy on Patreon:
STAR TREK - From BleedingCool: Nickelodeon's untitled "Star Trek" CGI-animated series announces its writers' room.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: Samantha Morton says that she does not regret working with director Woody Allen. She received her first Oscar nomination for her role in Allen's 1999 film, "Sweet and Lowdown."
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: The screenwriting duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are in negotiations to direct the “Dungeons & Dragons” movie for Paramount Pictures.
----------
DISNEY - From YahooNews: The late actor and Disney Channel child star, Cameron Boyce, died July 6th, 2019. Today (July 30th), the Los Angeles County coroner's office says Disney actor Cameron Boyce died unexpectedly from epilepsy.
----------
TELEVISION - From Newsarama: There is a first teaser for the third "Walking Dead" series that is currently known as "The Walking Dead: New Series."
----------
DISNEY - From THR: Thus far, The Walt Disney Company has collected $7.67 billion in global box office in the year 2019. That is a record, and we aren't even in August 2019. Disney has collected over $5 billion at the 2019 international box office - a first for a Hollywood studio. Disney held the previous record, $7.61 billion in global box office in 2016.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 7/26 to 7/28/2019 weekend box office is "The Lion King" with an estimated 75.5 million dollars.
From Patreon: Leroy a.k.a. "I Read You's" review of "The Lion King."
----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies: The real and the fake in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR: Sony is in talks with actor-director Andy Serkis to direct "Venom 2," the sequel to its hit 2018 film, "Venom."
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Two celebrity couples, actress Gabrielle Union and her husband, NBA superstar and champion, Dwyane Wade and recording artist Ciara and her husband, NFL and Super Bowl champion quarterback, Russell Wilson, are joining to produce a film about the inspiration true story of former NFL player, Vernon Turner.
----------
COMICS-TELEVISION - From Deadline: AMC to develop Rob Guillory's acclaimed comic book, "Farmhand" (Image Comics) for television.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: HBO reportedly still considering one or two more "Game of Thrones" spinoff scripts.
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Showrunner Carlton Cuse and movie writer Jason Fuchs are developing classic science fiction humor novel, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," for the streaming service Hulu.
----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller says he has multiple "Mad Max: Fury Road" sequels in the works. He is also "cautiously optimistic" that his Tilda Swinton/Idris Elba romance epic, "Three Thousand Years of Longing," will happen.
----------
FILM FESTIVAL - From Deadline: The Toronto International Film Festival 2019 will showcase star power with Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, and Matt Damon films making their premieres. Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" film is also set to premiere.
----------
STREAMING - From Variety: Markella Kavenagh is in talks to be the first actor cast for Amazon's still-developing "Lord of the Rings" TV series.
----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire: Quentin Tarantino says that he is still in talks with Uma Thurman for a "Kill Bill, Vol. 3." The original films debuted in 2003 and 2004.
----------
MOVIES-CULTURE - From Medium: Former police officer, Larry Smith, writes for "Medium" that Clint Eastwood's "Dirty" Harry Callahan was a bad cop and bad at his job - like many movie cops.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 7/19 to 7/21/2019 weekend box office is "The Lion King" with an estimated take of 185 million dollars - a record opening for the month of July.
From Deadline: The final gross for the opening weekend of "The Lion King" is 191.8 million dollars.
----------
SDCC-TELEVISION - From Deadline: At Comic-Con, The CW's long-running series talks about the upcoming final season, teasing details.
----------
SDCC-STREAMING - From Deadline: At Comic-Con 2019, Seth MacFarlane announced that his TV series, "The Orville" is moving from Fox to Hulu for its Season 3 debut, which occur late in 2020.
----------
SDCC-MOVIES - From THR: At Comic-Con 2019, Guillermo del Toro talks about trying to keep some of the old way of creating movie visual special effects alive in the film, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark." The film arrives in theaters in August 2019.
----------
SDCC-COMICS - From Polygon: The winners at the 2019 Will Eisner Awards were announced Friday night (July 19th). The Eisner Awards are the self-proclaimed most important comic book awards in the U.S.
----------
STREAMING - From YahooEntertainment: The story of "Stranger Things," the #NeverEndingChallenge, "A NeverEnding Story," and singer Limahl.
OBITS:
From Variety: Legendary Broadway director and producer, Harold "Hal" Prince, has died at the age of 91, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Prince won 21 Tony Awards (the most for an individual), including eight for directing a musical and 8 for producing a musical. His Tony Award directing wins including "Cabaret," "Sweeney Todd," and and "Evita." His producing wins include "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Fiddler on the Roof."
From TheWrap: Voice actress and Disney Legend, Russi Taylor, has died at the age of 75, Friday, July 26, 2019. She was the voice of Minnie Mouse for 30 years, beginning in 1986 when she beat out 200 others hoping to land the role. Taylor also voice several characters on the long-running series, "The Simpsons." She received the "Disney Legend Award" in 2008. Alos, Russi's late husband, Wayne Allwine, was the third voice of Mickey Mouse from 1991 until his death in 2009.
From Variety: The Dutch actor Rutger Hauer died at the age of 75, Friday, July 19, 2019. Hauer was best known for the role of Roy Batty, the leader of an outlaw band of replicants in "Blade Runner," starring opposite Harrison Ford. Other memorable films include two 1985 films, "Ladyhawke" and "The Hitcher" and 1986's "The Hitcher."
From BoingBoing: Writer, journalist, activist, and counterculture figure, Paul Krassner, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, July 21, 2019. He was one of the founding members of the Yippies. In the early 1960s, he founded an abortion referral service when abortions were illegal. He started the satire zine, "The Realist," for which he commissioned cartoonist Wally Wood to draw the "Disneyland Memorial Orgy."
From RollingStone: American singer and songwriter and New Orleans music legend, Art Neville, has died at the age of 81, Monday, July 23, 2019. Neville co-founded the funk band, The Meters. With his brothers, he co-founded "The Neville Brothers." He won two Grammy Awards, one with his brothers and another as part of a Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute collaboration.
From Deadline: The actor David Hedison died Thursday, July 18, 2019 at the age of 92. He was best known for his role on the popular 1960s adventure TV series, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (ABC, 1964 to 1968). He also played James Bond's ally, CIA agent Felix Leiter, in two films, "Live and Let Die" (1973) and "License to Kill" (1989).
TRAILERS AND VIDEO:
From YahooEntertainment: Here is the first teaser trailer for Netflix's Martin Scorsese film, "The Irishman," with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. The film is due this fall in select theaters and on Netflix.
From THR: Presented at Comic-Con 2019, this is a new trailer for "Terminator: Dark Fate." The film is due November 1, 2019.
From THR: Presented at Comic-Con 2019, this is a new trailer for "Top Gun: Maverick." The film is due June 26, 2020.
From Newsarama: Apple TV+ releases the first trailer for its series, "Snoopy in Space."
From Variety: Disney releases a teaser trailer for the "The King's Man," the prequel to "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (2014) and "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (2017). It stars Ralph Fiennes and is due Feb. 14th, 2020.
From EW: Here is the first trailer for the "Rabid," a remake of the 1977 David Cronenberg film. The remake, directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska, will premiere at Frightfest in August.
From YouTube: Here is the first official trailer for director Rian Johnson's whodunit, "Knives Out."
STAR TREK - From BleedingCool: Nickelodeon's untitled "Star Trek" CGI-animated series announces its writers' room.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: Samantha Morton says that she does not regret working with director Woody Allen. She received her first Oscar nomination for her role in Allen's 1999 film, "Sweet and Lowdown."
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: The screenwriting duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are in negotiations to direct the “Dungeons & Dragons” movie for Paramount Pictures.
----------
DISNEY - From YahooNews: The late actor and Disney Channel child star, Cameron Boyce, died July 6th, 2019. Today (July 30th), the Los Angeles County coroner's office says Disney actor Cameron Boyce died unexpectedly from epilepsy.
----------
TELEVISION - From Newsarama: There is a first teaser for the third "Walking Dead" series that is currently known as "The Walking Dead: New Series."
----------
DISNEY - From THR: Thus far, The Walt Disney Company has collected $7.67 billion in global box office in the year 2019. That is a record, and we aren't even in August 2019. Disney has collected over $5 billion at the 2019 international box office - a first for a Hollywood studio. Disney held the previous record, $7.61 billion in global box office in 2016.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 7/26 to 7/28/2019 weekend box office is "The Lion King" with an estimated 75.5 million dollars.
From Patreon: Leroy a.k.a. "I Read You's" review of "The Lion King."
----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies: The real and the fake in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR: Sony is in talks with actor-director Andy Serkis to direct "Venom 2," the sequel to its hit 2018 film, "Venom."
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Two celebrity couples, actress Gabrielle Union and her husband, NBA superstar and champion, Dwyane Wade and recording artist Ciara and her husband, NFL and Super Bowl champion quarterback, Russell Wilson, are joining to produce a film about the inspiration true story of former NFL player, Vernon Turner.
----------
COMICS-TELEVISION - From Deadline: AMC to develop Rob Guillory's acclaimed comic book, "Farmhand" (Image Comics) for television.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: HBO reportedly still considering one or two more "Game of Thrones" spinoff scripts.
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Showrunner Carlton Cuse and movie writer Jason Fuchs are developing classic science fiction humor novel, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," for the streaming service Hulu.
----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller says he has multiple "Mad Max: Fury Road" sequels in the works. He is also "cautiously optimistic" that his Tilda Swinton/Idris Elba romance epic, "Three Thousand Years of Longing," will happen.
----------
FILM FESTIVAL - From Deadline: The Toronto International Film Festival 2019 will showcase star power with Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, and Matt Damon films making their premieres. Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" film is also set to premiere.
----------
STREAMING - From Variety: Markella Kavenagh is in talks to be the first actor cast for Amazon's still-developing "Lord of the Rings" TV series.
----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire: Quentin Tarantino says that he is still in talks with Uma Thurman for a "Kill Bill, Vol. 3." The original films debuted in 2003 and 2004.
----------
MOVIES-CULTURE - From Medium: Former police officer, Larry Smith, writes for "Medium" that Clint Eastwood's "Dirty" Harry Callahan was a bad cop and bad at his job - like many movie cops.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 7/19 to 7/21/2019 weekend box office is "The Lion King" with an estimated take of 185 million dollars - a record opening for the month of July.
From Deadline: The final gross for the opening weekend of "The Lion King" is 191.8 million dollars.
----------
SDCC-TELEVISION - From Deadline: At Comic-Con, The CW's long-running series talks about the upcoming final season, teasing details.
----------
SDCC-STREAMING - From Deadline: At Comic-Con 2019, Seth MacFarlane announced that his TV series, "The Orville" is moving from Fox to Hulu for its Season 3 debut, which occur late in 2020.
----------
SDCC-MOVIES - From THR: At Comic-Con 2019, Guillermo del Toro talks about trying to keep some of the old way of creating movie visual special effects alive in the film, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark." The film arrives in theaters in August 2019.
----------
SDCC-COMICS - From Polygon: The winners at the 2019 Will Eisner Awards were announced Friday night (July 19th). The Eisner Awards are the self-proclaimed most important comic book awards in the U.S.
----------
STREAMING - From YahooEntertainment: The story of "Stranger Things," the #NeverEndingChallenge, "A NeverEnding Story," and singer Limahl.
OBITS:
From Variety: Legendary Broadway director and producer, Harold "Hal" Prince, has died at the age of 91, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Prince won 21 Tony Awards (the most for an individual), including eight for directing a musical and 8 for producing a musical. His Tony Award directing wins including "Cabaret," "Sweeney Todd," and and "Evita." His producing wins include "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Fiddler on the Roof."
From TheWrap: Voice actress and Disney Legend, Russi Taylor, has died at the age of 75, Friday, July 26, 2019. She was the voice of Minnie Mouse for 30 years, beginning in 1986 when she beat out 200 others hoping to land the role. Taylor also voice several characters on the long-running series, "The Simpsons." She received the "Disney Legend Award" in 2008. Alos, Russi's late husband, Wayne Allwine, was the third voice of Mickey Mouse from 1991 until his death in 2009.
From Variety: The Dutch actor Rutger Hauer died at the age of 75, Friday, July 19, 2019. Hauer was best known for the role of Roy Batty, the leader of an outlaw band of replicants in "Blade Runner," starring opposite Harrison Ford. Other memorable films include two 1985 films, "Ladyhawke" and "The Hitcher" and 1986's "The Hitcher."
From BoingBoing: Writer, journalist, activist, and counterculture figure, Paul Krassner, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, July 21, 2019. He was one of the founding members of the Yippies. In the early 1960s, he founded an abortion referral service when abortions were illegal. He started the satire zine, "The Realist," for which he commissioned cartoonist Wally Wood to draw the "Disneyland Memorial Orgy."
From RollingStone: American singer and songwriter and New Orleans music legend, Art Neville, has died at the age of 81, Monday, July 23, 2019. Neville co-founded the funk band, The Meters. With his brothers, he co-founded "The Neville Brothers." He won two Grammy Awards, one with his brothers and another as part of a Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute collaboration.
From Deadline: The actor David Hedison died Thursday, July 18, 2019 at the age of 92. He was best known for his role on the popular 1960s adventure TV series, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (ABC, 1964 to 1968). He also played James Bond's ally, CIA agent Felix Leiter, in two films, "Live and Let Die" (1973) and "License to Kill" (1989).
TRAILERS AND VIDEO:
From YahooEntertainment: Here is the first teaser trailer for Netflix's Martin Scorsese film, "The Irishman," with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. The film is due this fall in select theaters and on Netflix.
From THR: Presented at Comic-Con 2019, this is a new trailer for "Terminator: Dark Fate." The film is due November 1, 2019.
From THR: Presented at Comic-Con 2019, this is a new trailer for "Top Gun: Maverick." The film is due June 26, 2020.
From Newsarama: Apple TV+ releases the first trailer for its series, "Snoopy in Space."
From Variety: Disney releases a teaser trailer for the "The King's Man," the prequel to "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (2014) and "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (2017). It stars Ralph Fiennes and is due Feb. 14th, 2020.
From EW: Here is the first trailer for the "Rabid," a remake of the 1977 David Cronenberg film. The remake, directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska, will premiere at Frightfest in August.
From YouTube: Here is the first official trailer for director Rian Johnson's whodunit, "Knives Out."
Monday, April 22, 2019
BET Ends "Being Mary Jane" and Begins "Games People Play"
As One Saga Ends, Another Begins During a Monumental Tuesday Night on BET
GABRIELLE UNION STARS IN THE GROUNDBREAKING “BEING MARY JANE” TWO-HOUR MOVIE FINALE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 23 AT 8 PM ET/PT FOLLOWED BY THE SEXY NEW DRAMA “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” AT 10 PM ET/PT
Morris Chestnut Has Joined the All-Star “BEING MARY JANE” Cast Including Michael Ealy, Lisa Vidal, Richard Roundtree, Margaret Avery, Richard Brooks, BJ Britt, Raven Goodwin and Nicholas Gonzalez
Rounding Out the Night of Drama, “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” Stars Lauren London, Sarunas J. Jackson, Parker McKenna Posey, Karen Obilom and Jackie Long
“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” is Executive Produced by Tracey Edmonds
#BeingMaryJane
#GamesPeoplePlay
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After four riveting seasons, “BEING MARY JANE” fans will find out if Mary Jane Paul can truly “have it all” in an epic, two-hour series finale film airing on BET, Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 8 PM ET/PT. Starring Gabrielle Union, the movie event boasts an all-star cast including Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut, Lisa Vidal, Richard Roundtree, Margaret Avery, Richard Brooks, BJ Britt, Raven Goodwin and Nicholas Gonzalez. As this chapter draws to a close, “BEING MARY JANE” will bow out with the same authentic voice that resonated with fans and made them fall in love with Mary Jane.
The "BEING MARY JANE" series finale movie will resume with the fallout between Mary Jane and Justin (Michael Ealy) that closed season four. While the question remains whether she has found the right man in her life, fans are also left to wonder if she will ever have a child of her own. When viewers last saw Mary Jane, she revisited the fertility clinic to have her frozen embryos implanted… right before she comes home to a surprise marriage proposal from Justin! Will Mary Jane say yes to Justin? Will she get her long-awaited chance at a family? Will she get her fairytale ending or will she reinvent what it means to live happily ever after? With so many unanswered questions, only time will tell if Mary Jane has finally found a way to have it all.
Following Mary Jane's final sign-off, viewers will be introduced to their newest guilty pleasure, "GAMES PEOPLE PLAY" premiering at a special time on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 10 PM ET/PT. Starting Tuesday, April 30, 2019, the series will resume at its regular time at 9 PM ET/PT. Starring Lauren London, Sarunas J. Jackson, Parker McKenna Posey, Karen Obilom and Jackie Long, “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” is a sexy, stylized drama about the L.A. high life, where everyone plays to win. Based on the popular book by Angela Burt-Murray, “Games Divas Play,” “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” follows a desperate basketball wife trying to protect her family, a tenacious journalist struggling to rebuild a tarnished career, and a scandalous groupie looking to become a star, who all find it is murder trying to stay on top.
In "GAMES PEOPLE PLAY," viewers meet Vanessa King (Lauren London), a loyal yet skeptical wife who married her high school sweetheart as he was being drafted into the nation’s premiere professional basketball league. Her lifestyle changed overnight as they went from college sweethearts to a power couple astride a world of money, easy sex, and glamour. Vanessa is married to Marques King (Sarunas J. Jackson), who is an all-star baller that was able to prepare himself for all aspects of life as a professional basketball player, except the women. His inability to resist temptation causes what may be irreparable damage to his marriage to Vanessa. Kareem Johnson (Jackie Long), Marques’ best friend and assistant, is a former college basketball standout once destined for fame and fortune. Frustrated by living on the sidelines, he’s willing to risk everything for a shot at the life that should have been his.
Adding to the mix of drama, along comes Laila James (Parker McKenna Posey), a cunning and alluring, yet struggling actress. When she realizes that she is never going to get ahead based on pure talent, she decides to embrace her sexy, flashy side to get ahead on social media. She finds that in LA, fame is the ultimate drug. Karen Obilom stars as Nia Bullock, a quick-witted, smart and savvy blogger, who gets a new job that she thinks is going to launch her long-dreamed-of journalism career. However, as it turns out, this new job pulls her into the world of celebrity gossip – big names, high stakes and never-ending scandal.
"BEING MARY JANE" is executive produced by Gabrielle Union, Mara Brock Akil, Salim Akil and Jeff Morrone. The finale is executive produced by Devon K. Shepard and co-executive produced by Patrik-Ian Polk and Alexander A. Motlagh. Writers of the finale are Polk, Shepard and Alyson Fouse; directed by Adam Shankman. The series was created by Mara Brock Akil.
“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” is executive produced by Tracey Edmonds (“Soul Food”) of Edmonds Entertainment, along with Angela Burt-Murray serving as executive producer. Vanessa Middleton and Kim Newton serve as co-showrunners and executive producers for the series.
For more information about “BEING MARY JANE” and “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” visit the network’s official page at BET.com. Also, join the conversation on all social platforms @BET.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
# # #
Follow BET on Twitter: @BET
---------------------
GABRIELLE UNION STARS IN THE GROUNDBREAKING “BEING MARY JANE” TWO-HOUR MOVIE FINALE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 23 AT 8 PM ET/PT FOLLOWED BY THE SEXY NEW DRAMA “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” AT 10 PM ET/PT
Morris Chestnut Has Joined the All-Star “BEING MARY JANE” Cast Including Michael Ealy, Lisa Vidal, Richard Roundtree, Margaret Avery, Richard Brooks, BJ Britt, Raven Goodwin and Nicholas Gonzalez
Rounding Out the Night of Drama, “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” Stars Lauren London, Sarunas J. Jackson, Parker McKenna Posey, Karen Obilom and Jackie Long
“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” is Executive Produced by Tracey Edmonds
#BeingMaryJane
#GamesPeoplePlay
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After four riveting seasons, “BEING MARY JANE” fans will find out if Mary Jane Paul can truly “have it all” in an epic, two-hour series finale film airing on BET, Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 8 PM ET/PT. Starring Gabrielle Union, the movie event boasts an all-star cast including Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut, Lisa Vidal, Richard Roundtree, Margaret Avery, Richard Brooks, BJ Britt, Raven Goodwin and Nicholas Gonzalez. As this chapter draws to a close, “BEING MARY JANE” will bow out with the same authentic voice that resonated with fans and made them fall in love with Mary Jane.
The "BEING MARY JANE" series finale movie will resume with the fallout between Mary Jane and Justin (Michael Ealy) that closed season four. While the question remains whether she has found the right man in her life, fans are also left to wonder if she will ever have a child of her own. When viewers last saw Mary Jane, she revisited the fertility clinic to have her frozen embryos implanted… right before she comes home to a surprise marriage proposal from Justin! Will Mary Jane say yes to Justin? Will she get her long-awaited chance at a family? Will she get her fairytale ending or will she reinvent what it means to live happily ever after? With so many unanswered questions, only time will tell if Mary Jane has finally found a way to have it all.
Following Mary Jane's final sign-off, viewers will be introduced to their newest guilty pleasure, "GAMES PEOPLE PLAY" premiering at a special time on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 10 PM ET/PT. Starting Tuesday, April 30, 2019, the series will resume at its regular time at 9 PM ET/PT. Starring Lauren London, Sarunas J. Jackson, Parker McKenna Posey, Karen Obilom and Jackie Long, “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” is a sexy, stylized drama about the L.A. high life, where everyone plays to win. Based on the popular book by Angela Burt-Murray, “Games Divas Play,” “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” follows a desperate basketball wife trying to protect her family, a tenacious journalist struggling to rebuild a tarnished career, and a scandalous groupie looking to become a star, who all find it is murder trying to stay on top.
In "GAMES PEOPLE PLAY," viewers meet Vanessa King (Lauren London), a loyal yet skeptical wife who married her high school sweetheart as he was being drafted into the nation’s premiere professional basketball league. Her lifestyle changed overnight as they went from college sweethearts to a power couple astride a world of money, easy sex, and glamour. Vanessa is married to Marques King (Sarunas J. Jackson), who is an all-star baller that was able to prepare himself for all aspects of life as a professional basketball player, except the women. His inability to resist temptation causes what may be irreparable damage to his marriage to Vanessa. Kareem Johnson (Jackie Long), Marques’ best friend and assistant, is a former college basketball standout once destined for fame and fortune. Frustrated by living on the sidelines, he’s willing to risk everything for a shot at the life that should have been his.
Adding to the mix of drama, along comes Laila James (Parker McKenna Posey), a cunning and alluring, yet struggling actress. When she realizes that she is never going to get ahead based on pure talent, she decides to embrace her sexy, flashy side to get ahead on social media. She finds that in LA, fame is the ultimate drug. Karen Obilom stars as Nia Bullock, a quick-witted, smart and savvy blogger, who gets a new job that she thinks is going to launch her long-dreamed-of journalism career. However, as it turns out, this new job pulls her into the world of celebrity gossip – big names, high stakes and never-ending scandal.
"BEING MARY JANE" is executive produced by Gabrielle Union, Mara Brock Akil, Salim Akil and Jeff Morrone. The finale is executive produced by Devon K. Shepard and co-executive produced by Patrik-Ian Polk and Alexander A. Motlagh. Writers of the finale are Polk, Shepard and Alyson Fouse; directed by Adam Shankman. The series was created by Mara Brock Akil.
“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” is executive produced by Tracey Edmonds (“Soul Food”) of Edmonds Entertainment, along with Angela Burt-Murray serving as executive producer. Vanessa Middleton and Kim Newton serve as co-showrunners and executive producers for the series.
For more information about “BEING MARY JANE” and “GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” visit the network’s official page at BET.com. Also, join the conversation on all social platforms @BET.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
# # #
Follow BET on Twitter: @BET
---------------------
Monday, March 19, 2018
Review: "The Birth of a Nation" Offers a Counter Narrative
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
The Birth of a Nation (2016)
Running time: 120 minutes; MPAA – R for disturbing violent content, and some brief nudity
DIRECTOR: Nate Parker
WRITERS: Nate Parker; from a story by Nate Parker and Jean McGianni Celestin
PRODUCERS: Nate Parker, Kevin Turen, Jason Michael Berman, Preston L. Holmes, and Aaron L. Gilbert
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Elliot Davis (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Steven Rosenblum
COMPOSER: Henry Jackman
HISTORY/DRAMA/BIOGRAPHY
Starring: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Junior, Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomie King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith, Gabrielle Union, Tony Espinosa, Jayson Warner Smith, Jason Stuart, and Chiké Okonkwo
The Birth of a Nation is a 2016 historical film and slave drama from director Nate Parker, who has the film's starring role. A joint American and Canadian production, The Birth of the Nation is a fictional account and dramatization of the Black American slave Nat Turner (October 2, 1800 – November 11, 1831), his life, and the rebellion of slaves and free Blacks that Turner led in Southampton County, Virginia on August 21, 1831.
The Birth of a Nation takes its name from from D.W. Griffith's 1915 silent movie and KKK propaganda film. In Birth of a Nation 2016, Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising. The film received some of its financing from professional basketball players and NBA stars Michael Finley and Tony Parker. Among the film's executive producers are Oscar-winning filmmaker, Edward Zwick (Shakespeare in Love), and screenwriter and director David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight and Blade film franchises).
The Birth of a Nation opens in the antebellum South, where Elizabeth Turner (Penelope Ann Miller) teaches a Black child slave, Nat (Tony Espinosa), to read. Years later, Nat Turner (Nate Parker) is not only a field slave (picking cotton), but he is also a literate slave preacher. A friend tells Nat's White slave owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), that other White slave owners need something to suppress their Black slaves, whom they believe to be unruly, disobedient, and indignant. That friend suggests that Nat's preaching, popular with many of the slaves, could earn the financially strained Turner money from owners that want a slave preacher who can preach their slaves into submission.
As he travels with his owner, however, Nat sees countless atrocities committed by White masters against their Black slaves, many of the same that are committed against himself and the slaves at Turner's and other plantations. Seeing himself as God's chosen instrument of freedom, Nat gathers trusted followers and prepares for a sign to lead a rebellion.
The 21st century has seen a rise in the number of African-Americans and people of color behind the camera in the American film industry. The result is two great American films about slavery, one being the “Best Picture” Oscar-winner, 12 Years a Slave. A second is The Birth of a Nation from writer-director Nate Parker. However, this film was overshadowed by Parker's past (alleged rape charges that led to a trial in which Parker was acquitted – 1999 to 2001).
It is a shame that controversy overshadowed a film that is one of best of the decade, but it is also a truly unique film. There are many powerful performances in this film: Parker as Nat Turner, Penelope Ann Miller as Elizabeth Turner; Aunjanue Ellis as Nancy Turner; Aja Naomi King as Cherry Turner; Esther Scott as Bridget Turner; and Colman Domingo as Hark Turner.
For all those fine performances, what makes The Birth of the Nation 2016 unique is that it is like a folk tale or a fairy tale, as much as it is a period drama or biographical film. Parker and Jean McGianni Celestin, who co-wrote the film's story, seem to approach Nat Turner as both a figure of history and of myth. African-Americans, Black slaves, and White people (slave owners and otherwise) had and have different interpretations of Turner and his rebellion.
Thus, The Birth of the Nation 2016 clearly demarcates the line between good and evil; kindness and hate; and good and greed. However, the righteousness of, the success of, and/or the meaning of Nat Turner's actions and his rebellion are left up to interpretation. One can say the same about this film because it is a bold vision that demands the viewer grapple beyond viewing it as entertainment or as a pastime. It is a story about the story of our nation, the good ol' U.S. of A, and how one sees the nations will affect how one views this film.
This film is built on powerful visuals that tell the story, more than it is the script that tells the story. The visuals are not about sensation, but are about narrative. The Birth of a Nation 2016 is a counter-myth to the story of the United States of America.
9 of 10
A+
Friday, January 5, 2018
NOTES:
2017 Black Reel Awards: 6 nominations: “Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture” (Nate Parker), “Outstanding Director, Motion Picture” (Nate Parker), “Outstanding Screenplay, Motion Picture” (Nate Parker), “Outstanding Ensemble” (Andrea Craven, Craig Fincannon, Lisa Mae Fincannon, Mary Vernieu, and Michelle Wade Byrd), “Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female” (Aja Naomi King), and “Outstanding Score” (Henry Jackman)
2017 Image Awards: 6 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture,” “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture,” “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Nate Parker), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Aja Naomi King), “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Film” (Nate Parker), and “Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture-Film” (Nate Parker)
The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
------------------------------
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 4th, 2017 - Update #24
Support Leroy on Patreon.
MUSIC - From YahooNews: The last Tejano music singer, Selena Quintanilla, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Friday evening, November 3rd, 2017.
---------
BOX OFFICE - From Collider: "Thor: Ragnarok" conquers all comers.
---------
From Variety: "Thor: Ragnarok" looking at a $115 million opening weekend.
----------
CELEBRITY - From BET: Beyonce shuts it down when she posts five different versions of her Halloween costume as rapper Li'l Kim.
----------
MOVIES - From THR: Paramount pays $10 million to distribute "Book Club," a comedy starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, and Candice Bergen in the U.S., the U.K., and France.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Warner Bros. is reportedly in early talks with the estate of J.R.R. Tolkein to develop "The Lord of the Rings" into a television series. The books have already been adapted into films twice - first as an animated film by Ralph Bakshi and then back in 2001 to 2003 by Warner's subsidiary, New Line, with Peter Jackson directing.
----------
CRIME - From VICE: Two NYPD cops are charged with rape and didnapping after a teen's desperate public plea.
----------
SCANDAL - From Variety: Netflix has fired Kevin Spacey from its series, "House of Cards." It has also said that it would cancel its Gore Vidal biopic, "Gore," that was set to star Spacey.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From TheWrap: "Thor: Ragnarok's" opens with a thunderous $14.5 million.
From YahooEntertainment: Your guide to "Thor: Ragnarok."
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment: Brett Ratner strikes back! He sues the woman who accused him of raping her.
----------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Thomas Jane describes the setup of "The Predator," the reboot of the "Predator" film franchise.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooNews: Did you know that there is a rape investigation involving actor Danny Masterson of "That 70s Show?"
----------
STREAMING - From TVLine: CBS is planning a revival of "The Twilight Zone" for its streaming service, CBS All Access, with Jordan Peele's production company being involved.
---------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap: Mark Strong is in talks to play the villian, Dr. Sivana, in the "Shazam" movie from Warner Bros./DC Comics.
----------
SPORTS - From HoustonChronicle: The Houston Astros are the 2017 World Series Champions of Major League Baseball, after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers (National League) 5 to 1 in Game 7. This is the Astros first World Series title.
----------
STREAMING - From TVLine: Hulu is developing a series based on the 1994 hit movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral," with Mindy Kaling.
----------
DISNEY - From Deadline: Beyonce officially joins Disney's live-action remake of "The Lion King," directed by Jon Favreau.
----------
SCANDAL - From THR: Warner Bros. and Brett Ratner part ways, in the light of sexual misconduct accusations against Ratner.
----------
MOVIES - From THR: Buzzy actress Chrissy Metz ("This is Us") joins the horror movie, "The Will O Wisp."
----------
SCANDAL - From Deadline: Two more men step forward to make allegations of abuse by Kevin Spacy, one in 2003 and one in the 1980s.
From YahooLifestyle: Did Kevin Spacey hint at his behavior during his 2000 Oscar speech?
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Brett Ratner accused of sexual allegations by six women, including actress Natasha Henstridge.
----------
ANIME - From THR: Oscar-winning Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has come out of retirement (again) to make another animated film. The title is "Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru Ka."
----------
SCANDAL - From TheWrap: CBS is investigating sexual assault accusations against Jeremy Piven, star of its new series, "Wisdom of the Crowd."
----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline: NBC has committed to the "Bad Boys" spinoff TV series starring Gabrielle Union with a pilot production committment.
----------
STREAMING - From DeadlineTV: Diane Lane will join the slate of guest stars on Amazon's "The Romanoffs."
OBITS:
From Deadline: Television actor, Brad Bufanda, has died at the age of 34, Wednesday, November 1, 2017. He is best known for his role as Felix Toombs on "Veronica Mars." He died of an apparent suicide.
From NPR: Native American activist, Dennis Banks, died at the age of 80, Sunday, October 29, 2017. Banks helped lead the occupation at Wounded Knee in 1973 and he was a co-founder of the American Indian Movement.
MUSIC - From YahooNews: The last Tejano music singer, Selena Quintanilla, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Friday evening, November 3rd, 2017.
---------
BOX OFFICE - From Collider: "Thor: Ragnarok" conquers all comers.
---------
From Variety: "Thor: Ragnarok" looking at a $115 million opening weekend.
----------
CELEBRITY - From BET: Beyonce shuts it down when she posts five different versions of her Halloween costume as rapper Li'l Kim.
----------
MOVIES - From THR: Paramount pays $10 million to distribute "Book Club," a comedy starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, and Candice Bergen in the U.S., the U.K., and France.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Warner Bros. is reportedly in early talks with the estate of J.R.R. Tolkein to develop "The Lord of the Rings" into a television series. The books have already been adapted into films twice - first as an animated film by Ralph Bakshi and then back in 2001 to 2003 by Warner's subsidiary, New Line, with Peter Jackson directing.
----------
CRIME - From VICE: Two NYPD cops are charged with rape and didnapping after a teen's desperate public plea.
----------
SCANDAL - From Variety: Netflix has fired Kevin Spacey from its series, "House of Cards." It has also said that it would cancel its Gore Vidal biopic, "Gore," that was set to star Spacey.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From TheWrap: "Thor: Ragnarok's" opens with a thunderous $14.5 million.
From YahooEntertainment: Your guide to "Thor: Ragnarok."
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment: Brett Ratner strikes back! He sues the woman who accused him of raping her.
----------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Thomas Jane describes the setup of "The Predator," the reboot of the "Predator" film franchise.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooNews: Did you know that there is a rape investigation involving actor Danny Masterson of "That 70s Show?"
----------
STREAMING - From TVLine: CBS is planning a revival of "The Twilight Zone" for its streaming service, CBS All Access, with Jordan Peele's production company being involved.
---------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap: Mark Strong is in talks to play the villian, Dr. Sivana, in the "Shazam" movie from Warner Bros./DC Comics.
----------
SPORTS - From HoustonChronicle: The Houston Astros are the 2017 World Series Champions of Major League Baseball, after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers (National League) 5 to 1 in Game 7. This is the Astros first World Series title.
----------
STREAMING - From TVLine: Hulu is developing a series based on the 1994 hit movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral," with Mindy Kaling.
----------
DISNEY - From Deadline: Beyonce officially joins Disney's live-action remake of "The Lion King," directed by Jon Favreau.
----------
SCANDAL - From THR: Warner Bros. and Brett Ratner part ways, in the light of sexual misconduct accusations against Ratner.
----------
MOVIES - From THR: Buzzy actress Chrissy Metz ("This is Us") joins the horror movie, "The Will O Wisp."
----------
SCANDAL - From Deadline: Two more men step forward to make allegations of abuse by Kevin Spacy, one in 2003 and one in the 1980s.
From YahooLifestyle: Did Kevin Spacey hint at his behavior during his 2000 Oscar speech?
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Brett Ratner accused of sexual allegations by six women, including actress Natasha Henstridge.
----------
ANIME - From THR: Oscar-winning Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has come out of retirement (again) to make another animated film. The title is "Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru Ka."
----------
SCANDAL - From TheWrap: CBS is investigating sexual assault accusations against Jeremy Piven, star of its new series, "Wisdom of the Crowd."
----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline: NBC has committed to the "Bad Boys" spinoff TV series starring Gabrielle Union with a pilot production committment.
----------
STREAMING - From DeadlineTV: Diane Lane will join the slate of guest stars on Amazon's "The Romanoffs."
OBITS:
From Deadline: Television actor, Brad Bufanda, has died at the age of 34, Wednesday, November 1, 2017. He is best known for his role as Felix Toombs on "Veronica Mars." He died of an apparent suicide.
From NPR: Native American activist, Dennis Banks, died at the age of 80, Sunday, October 29, 2017. Banks helped lead the occupation at Wounded Knee in 1973 and he was a co-founder of the American Indian Movement.
Sunday, July 16, 2017
"Being Mary Jane" Returns to BET Tues., July 18th
“BEING MARY JANE” Season Four Returns Tuesday, July 18 at 10 PM
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This summer, BET Networks’ #1 original drama series, starring Gabrielle Union, “BEING MARY JANE” returns just in time to bring the heat. On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 10 PM season four returns with ten more episodes giving viewers their fix of the drama in the world of Mary Jane Paul.
Viewers will catch up with Mary Jane as she has bitten off more of the Big Apple than she can chew. After becoming a national anchor on the morning news show “Great Day USA,” Mary Jane is feeling distrustful of Justin (Michael Ealy) after Kara’s (Lisa Vidal) firing. Mary Jane tries to make it work with Lee (Chiké Okonkwo), but resisting Justin is undermining her performance in the coveted co-anchor spot and forces a final reckoning with Lee.
"BEING MARY JANE" is executive produced by Will Packer and Erica Shelton Kodish who serves as the series showrunner and writer. Packer and Shelton Kodish join Gabrielle Union, Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil as executive producers and co-executive producer Jeff Morrone. The series was created by Mara Brock Akil. BET, Will Packer Productions and Akil Productions will produce the fourth season of the series. Korin D. Huggins, Head of Television for Will Packer Productions, will oversee on behalf of Will Packer Productions.
For video sneak peeks and first looks from the new season of "BEING MARY JANE," visit the official page at BET.com/beingmaryjane. Viewers can also find series updates on Facebook by liking the fan page at Facebook: Facebook.com/BeingMaryJane. Also, join the conversation about the show on Twitter by using hashtag: #BeingMaryJane; follow the show for all updates & special surprises: @BeingMaryJane. For more information about the series visit BET.com.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
# # #
Follow on Twitter: @BET_PR
--------------------------
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This summer, BET Networks’ #1 original drama series, starring Gabrielle Union, “BEING MARY JANE” returns just in time to bring the heat. On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 10 PM season four returns with ten more episodes giving viewers their fix of the drama in the world of Mary Jane Paul.
Viewers will catch up with Mary Jane as she has bitten off more of the Big Apple than she can chew. After becoming a national anchor on the morning news show “Great Day USA,” Mary Jane is feeling distrustful of Justin (Michael Ealy) after Kara’s (Lisa Vidal) firing. Mary Jane tries to make it work with Lee (Chiké Okonkwo), but resisting Justin is undermining her performance in the coveted co-anchor spot and forces a final reckoning with Lee.
"BEING MARY JANE" is executive produced by Will Packer and Erica Shelton Kodish who serves as the series showrunner and writer. Packer and Shelton Kodish join Gabrielle Union, Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil as executive producers and co-executive producer Jeff Morrone. The series was created by Mara Brock Akil. BET, Will Packer Productions and Akil Productions will produce the fourth season of the series. Korin D. Huggins, Head of Television for Will Packer Productions, will oversee on behalf of Will Packer Productions.
For video sneak peeks and first looks from the new season of "BEING MARY JANE," visit the official page at BET.com/beingmaryjane. Viewers can also find series updates on Facebook by liking the fan page at Facebook: Facebook.com/BeingMaryJane. Also, join the conversation about the show on Twitter by using hashtag: #BeingMaryJane; follow the show for all updates & special surprises: @BeingMaryJane. For more information about the series visit BET.com.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
# # #
Follow on Twitter: @BET_PR
--------------------------
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Usher, Maxwell, The Roots Head Special Prince Celebration at 2016 BET Awards
Usher, Future and Bryson Tiller Join Alicia Keys, Maxwell and Special Prince Celebration Performers, Sheila E., D’Angelo, The Roots and Janelle Monae at the 2016 “BET Awards”
DJ Khaled, Gabrielle Union, Tinashe, Fantasia, Regina Hall, Nate Parker and More Announced as Presenters
Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross to Host 2016 “BET Awards” Airing Live on Sunday, June 26 from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA at 8 P.M. ET
BET Experience at L.A. Live Presented by Coca-Cola® Takes Place June 23-26, 2016
#BETAWARDS
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks revealed that Usher, Future, and Bryson Tiller will join the ultra-talented line-up of performers at the 16th annual “BET Awards” 2016 on Sunday, June 26, 2016. Hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, the “BET Awards” will also include previously announced performances by Alicia Keys and Maxwell. As revealed last week, Sheila E., The Roots, D’Angelo, and Janelle Monae are also slated as the first artists to be part of the special celebration paying homage to the creative genius of Prince.
DJ Khaled, Gabrielle Union, Tinashe, Fantasia, Regina Hall, BET’s “Music Moguls” (Damon Dash, Birdman, Jermaine Dupri and Snoop Dog,) Aja Naomi King, Nate Parker, Terrence J, Morris Chestnut, J.B. Smoove, Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, the cast of BET's New Edition Biopic (Bryshere Y. Gray, Elijah Kelley, Luke James, Algee Smith, Keith Powers and Woody McClain) and BET’s “F in Fabulous” cast (Kamie Crawford, Eny Oh, Stephon Mendoza and Savannah Lynx) were also announced today as presenters for the annual highly-anticipated televised event.
A full list of the 2016 “BET Awards” nominees is now available here.
In addition to this exciting line-up, “BET Awards” has a secret performer! Find out who it is by using the hashtag #BETAwardsReveal on Twitter and Facebook. Once the hashtag is used, your social avatar paired with thousands of other BET Awards fans will reveal a photo of the must-see performer.
The “BET Awards” 2016 will premiere around the world on BET’s international network. It will air in the UK on Tuesday, June 28th at 9:00pm BST, in Africa on Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00pm CAT, and in France on Wednesday, June 29th at 9:00pm CEST.
Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment serves as Executive Producer. Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming; Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music; and Specials and Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials serve as Executive Producers for BET Networks.
The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 23-26, 2016. BET.com is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. VIP Packages for the BET Experience weekend are now on-sale. In addition to VIP amenities throughout the weekend and incredible seats for the STAPLES Center shows, three levels of BETX VIP Packages offer guests the only opportunity to purchase tickets to the highly anticipated BET Awards, broadcast live from Microsoft Theater. The 1,000+ VIP Packages sold out in 2015, so guests are encouraged to purchase now before the allotment is depleted. Full package amenities and pricing for the Diamond, Platinum and Gold VIP Packages can be found by visiting BETExperience.com or by calling (877) 234-8425.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, the leading world’s leading sports and live entertainment companies and developer/operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 23 - 26, 2016 presented by Coca-Cola®. This four-day festival will be filled with music and comedy concerts taking place at The Novo by Microsoft and STAPLES Center; FREE BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at Microsoft Theater.
ABOUT AEG
AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, owns, operates or consults with a collection of companies including over 100 of the world’s preeminent facilities such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), StubHub Center (Carson, CA), PlayStation Theater (Times Square, New York), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney, Australia), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin, Germany), and The O2 arena and entertainment district (London, England). Developed by AEG, L.A. LIVE is a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, & entertainment district featuring Microsoft Theater and a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination. In addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, assets of AEG Sports include franchises such as the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and the Amgen Tour of California cycling stage race. Along with AEG Facilities, other global divisions include AEG Live, the world’s second largest concert promotion and touring companies comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions and AEG Global Partnerships, responsible for worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships, naming rights and other strategic partnerships. In 2010, AEG launched its AEG 1EARTH environmental program featuring the industry's first sustainability report while in 2011, AEG introduced AXS a comprehensive entertainment platform serving as the company’s primary consumer brand including AXS Ticketing which provides fans the opportunity to purchase tickets directly from their favorite venues via a user-friendly ticketing interface, Examiner.com and the AXS TV network, a linear cable channel focusing on live entertainment and lifestyle programming available in nearly 40 million homes. AEG’s European headquarters are located in London. Global headquarters are in Los Angeles. For more information, visit: www.aegworldwide.com
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars, ABFF Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of the hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and the upcoming original miniseries based on the iconic music group New Edition that will debut on BET in 2017. He has worked with a myriad of superstar talent including Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey. Follow Jesse Collins Entertainment @JesseCollinsEnt on Twitter and Instagram and go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.
Follow BET @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS
-------------------
DJ Khaled, Gabrielle Union, Tinashe, Fantasia, Regina Hall, Nate Parker and More Announced as Presenters
Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross to Host 2016 “BET Awards” Airing Live on Sunday, June 26 from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA at 8 P.M. ET
BET Experience at L.A. Live Presented by Coca-Cola® Takes Place June 23-26, 2016
#BETAWARDS
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks revealed that Usher, Future, and Bryson Tiller will join the ultra-talented line-up of performers at the 16th annual “BET Awards” 2016 on Sunday, June 26, 2016. Hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, the “BET Awards” will also include previously announced performances by Alicia Keys and Maxwell. As revealed last week, Sheila E., The Roots, D’Angelo, and Janelle Monae are also slated as the first artists to be part of the special celebration paying homage to the creative genius of Prince.
DJ Khaled, Gabrielle Union, Tinashe, Fantasia, Regina Hall, BET’s “Music Moguls” (Damon Dash, Birdman, Jermaine Dupri and Snoop Dog,) Aja Naomi King, Nate Parker, Terrence J, Morris Chestnut, J.B. Smoove, Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, the cast of BET's New Edition Biopic (Bryshere Y. Gray, Elijah Kelley, Luke James, Algee Smith, Keith Powers and Woody McClain) and BET’s “F in Fabulous” cast (Kamie Crawford, Eny Oh, Stephon Mendoza and Savannah Lynx) were also announced today as presenters for the annual highly-anticipated televised event.
A full list of the 2016 “BET Awards” nominees is now available here.
In addition to this exciting line-up, “BET Awards” has a secret performer! Find out who it is by using the hashtag #BETAwardsReveal on Twitter and Facebook. Once the hashtag is used, your social avatar paired with thousands of other BET Awards fans will reveal a photo of the must-see performer.
The “BET Awards” 2016 will premiere around the world on BET’s international network. It will air in the UK on Tuesday, June 28th at 9:00pm BST, in Africa on Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00pm CAT, and in France on Wednesday, June 29th at 9:00pm CEST.
Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment serves as Executive Producer. Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming; Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music; and Specials and Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials serve as Executive Producers for BET Networks.
The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 23-26, 2016. BET.com is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. VIP Packages for the BET Experience weekend are now on-sale. In addition to VIP amenities throughout the weekend and incredible seats for the STAPLES Center shows, three levels of BETX VIP Packages offer guests the only opportunity to purchase tickets to the highly anticipated BET Awards, broadcast live from Microsoft Theater. The 1,000+ VIP Packages sold out in 2015, so guests are encouraged to purchase now before the allotment is depleted. Full package amenities and pricing for the Diamond, Platinum and Gold VIP Packages can be found by visiting BETExperience.com or by calling (877) 234-8425.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, the leading world’s leading sports and live entertainment companies and developer/operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 23 - 26, 2016 presented by Coca-Cola®. This four-day festival will be filled with music and comedy concerts taking place at The Novo by Microsoft and STAPLES Center; FREE BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at Microsoft Theater.
ABOUT AEG
AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, owns, operates or consults with a collection of companies including over 100 of the world’s preeminent facilities such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), StubHub Center (Carson, CA), PlayStation Theater (Times Square, New York), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney, Australia), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin, Germany), and The O2 arena and entertainment district (London, England). Developed by AEG, L.A. LIVE is a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, & entertainment district featuring Microsoft Theater and a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination. In addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, assets of AEG Sports include franchises such as the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and the Amgen Tour of California cycling stage race. Along with AEG Facilities, other global divisions include AEG Live, the world’s second largest concert promotion and touring companies comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions and AEG Global Partnerships, responsible for worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships, naming rights and other strategic partnerships. In 2010, AEG launched its AEG 1EARTH environmental program featuring the industry's first sustainability report while in 2011, AEG introduced AXS a comprehensive entertainment platform serving as the company’s primary consumer brand including AXS Ticketing which provides fans the opportunity to purchase tickets directly from their favorite venues via a user-friendly ticketing interface, Examiner.com and the AXS TV network, a linear cable channel focusing on live entertainment and lifestyle programming available in nearly 40 million homes. AEG’s European headquarters are located in London. Global headquarters are in Los Angeles. For more information, visit: www.aegworldwide.com
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars, ABFF Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of the hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and the upcoming original miniseries based on the iconic music group New Edition that will debut on BET in 2017. He has worked with a myriad of superstar talent including Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey. Follow Jesse Collins Entertainment @JesseCollinsEnt on Twitter and Instagram and go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.
Follow BET @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS
-------------------
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Will Packer and Erica Shelton Kodish to Guide BET's "Being Mary Jane"
BET Taps a New Producing Powerhouse Led by Executive Producer Will Packer and Showrunner Erica Shelton Kodish to Run the Critically Acclaimed Series “BEING MARY JANE”
The Hit Drama Series Stars Gabrielle Union
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET taps a new producing powerhouse led by Executive Producer Will Packer and Showrunner Erica Shelton Kodish to run the critically acclaimed series "BEING MARY JANE." Will Packer will serve as Executive Producer and Erica Shelton Kodish will be the Showrunner, Executive Producer and Writer. Packer and Shelton Kodish join Gabrielle Union, Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil as Executive Producers and Co-Executive Producer Jeff Morrone. The series was created by Mara Brock Akil. BET, Will Packer Productions and Akil Productions will produce the fourth season of the series. Korin D. Huggins, Head of Television for Will Packer Productions, will oversee on behalf of Will Packer Productions. Production on the new season is set to begin in Atlanta, GA later this year.
“Erica is the dream choice and we could not be more excited to start work on the upcoming season.”
“’Being Mary Jane’ is full of characters and stories about which BET viewers are passionate. We knew it would take special talent to further this very important mission and we’re lucky to have found them in this dynamic duo,” says Stephen Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks. “Will’s a master producer and storyteller and Erica is a dynamic writer whose experience in developing complex, multidimensional women makes her the ideal scribe to continue Mary Jane’s journey. We look forward to sharing this next chapter of the series with our audience.”
Packer, whose television credits include Executive Producer of the upcoming “Roots” miniseries and comedy series “Uncle Buck,” has produced eight number one films – Ride Along 2, No Good Deed, Ride Along, Think Like A Man Too, Think Like A Man, Takers, Obsessed and Stomp The Yard. He was also an executive producer on the mega-hit Straight Outta Compton. “It's an amazing time to be involved in producing great television and this is the rare opportunity to work with Gab, who I think is one of the best actresses doing it today, whom I also consider family. BET is a tremendous partner and Erica has the perfect skill set to handle a show of this magnitude,” says Packer. He is represented by Creative Artists Agency and Ziffren Brittenham.
Erica Shelton Kodish recently wrapped the final season of “The Good Wife” as co-executive producer. Her previous producing credits include “Covert Affairs,” “Hawthorne,” and “Cold Case.” “I’m honored to have an opportunity to partner with Will Packer, Gabrielle Union, and BET to create stories for ‘Being Mary Jane’,” says Erica Shelton Kodish. “Mara Brock Akil has created a show that has a unique ability to address issues relevant to black women and I’m thrilled to be in a position to tell those stories.” Shelton Kodish is represented by Creative Artists Agency, Helena Heyman at Industry Entertainment, and attorney Bruce Gellman.
“Jeff Morrone and I could not be any more thrilled to be once again teaming up with Packer, who continues to deliver us home runs,” says Union. “Erica is the dream choice and we could not be more excited to start work on the upcoming season.” Union is represented by Creative Artists Agency and Primary Wave.
"BEING MARY JANE" - Hailed as “spicy and explosive” by Essence Magazine and given an “A-“ by Entertainment Weekly, “BEING MARY JANE” is a game changing smash hit drama. The third season earned a 2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in A Drama Series, and Gabrielle Union’s critically acclaimed performance has shattered the Internet with non-stop chatter about Mary Jane’s unbreakable spirit in the face of tragedy, extortion, and intimate relationships. Gabrielle Union returns for what promises to be an explosive Season 4 of the breakout original drama series. This never-predictable, always-engaging, one-hour drama delivers gasp-worthy realness every week. See what life and love have in store for Mary Jane in the tantalizing new season of “BEING MARY JANE.”
For the latest news on "BEING MARY JANE," visit the official pages at BET.com/shows/beingmary-jane.html. Viewers can also find series updates on Facebook by liking the fan pages at Facebook: Facebook.com/BeingMaryJane. Also, join the conversation about the shows on Twitter by using hashtags: #BeingMaryJane; follow the show for all updates & special surprises: @BeingMaryJane
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
----------------------
The Hit Drama Series Stars Gabrielle Union
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET taps a new producing powerhouse led by Executive Producer Will Packer and Showrunner Erica Shelton Kodish to run the critically acclaimed series "BEING MARY JANE." Will Packer will serve as Executive Producer and Erica Shelton Kodish will be the Showrunner, Executive Producer and Writer. Packer and Shelton Kodish join Gabrielle Union, Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil as Executive Producers and Co-Executive Producer Jeff Morrone. The series was created by Mara Brock Akil. BET, Will Packer Productions and Akil Productions will produce the fourth season of the series. Korin D. Huggins, Head of Television for Will Packer Productions, will oversee on behalf of Will Packer Productions. Production on the new season is set to begin in Atlanta, GA later this year.
“Erica is the dream choice and we could not be more excited to start work on the upcoming season.”
“’Being Mary Jane’ is full of characters and stories about which BET viewers are passionate. We knew it would take special talent to further this very important mission and we’re lucky to have found them in this dynamic duo,” says Stephen Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks. “Will’s a master producer and storyteller and Erica is a dynamic writer whose experience in developing complex, multidimensional women makes her the ideal scribe to continue Mary Jane’s journey. We look forward to sharing this next chapter of the series with our audience.”
Packer, whose television credits include Executive Producer of the upcoming “Roots” miniseries and comedy series “Uncle Buck,” has produced eight number one films – Ride Along 2, No Good Deed, Ride Along, Think Like A Man Too, Think Like A Man, Takers, Obsessed and Stomp The Yard. He was also an executive producer on the mega-hit Straight Outta Compton. “It's an amazing time to be involved in producing great television and this is the rare opportunity to work with Gab, who I think is one of the best actresses doing it today, whom I also consider family. BET is a tremendous partner and Erica has the perfect skill set to handle a show of this magnitude,” says Packer. He is represented by Creative Artists Agency and Ziffren Brittenham.
Erica Shelton Kodish recently wrapped the final season of “The Good Wife” as co-executive producer. Her previous producing credits include “Covert Affairs,” “Hawthorne,” and “Cold Case.” “I’m honored to have an opportunity to partner with Will Packer, Gabrielle Union, and BET to create stories for ‘Being Mary Jane’,” says Erica Shelton Kodish. “Mara Brock Akil has created a show that has a unique ability to address issues relevant to black women and I’m thrilled to be in a position to tell those stories.” Shelton Kodish is represented by Creative Artists Agency, Helena Heyman at Industry Entertainment, and attorney Bruce Gellman.
“Jeff Morrone and I could not be any more thrilled to be once again teaming up with Packer, who continues to deliver us home runs,” says Union. “Erica is the dream choice and we could not be more excited to start work on the upcoming season.” Union is represented by Creative Artists Agency and Primary Wave.
"BEING MARY JANE" - Hailed as “spicy and explosive” by Essence Magazine and given an “A-“ by Entertainment Weekly, “BEING MARY JANE” is a game changing smash hit drama. The third season earned a 2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in A Drama Series, and Gabrielle Union’s critically acclaimed performance has shattered the Internet with non-stop chatter about Mary Jane’s unbreakable spirit in the face of tragedy, extortion, and intimate relationships. Gabrielle Union returns for what promises to be an explosive Season 4 of the breakout original drama series. This never-predictable, always-engaging, one-hour drama delivers gasp-worthy realness every week. See what life and love have in store for Mary Jane in the tantalizing new season of “BEING MARY JANE.”
For the latest news on "BEING MARY JANE," visit the official pages at BET.com/shows/beingmary-jane.html. Viewers can also find series updates on Facebook by liking the fan pages at Facebook: Facebook.com/BeingMaryJane. Also, join the conversation about the shows on Twitter by using hashtags: #BeingMaryJane; follow the show for all updates & special surprises: @BeingMaryJane
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
----------------------
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
2015 "BET Award" Nominees Announced; Winners Announced June 28th
BET Networks Announces Official Nominees for The “BET Awards” 2015
Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj Lead with Six Nominations Followed by Beyoncé and Lil Wayne with Four
Sam Smith Receives Two Nods, and Newcomer FKA Twigs is Nominated for Best International Artist: UK
“BET Awards” to Air Live on Sunday, June 28 from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA at 8 P.M. ET
#BETAWARDS
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAB, VIA), today announced the nominations for the "BET Awards" 2015. Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj lead with an impressive six nominations. Chris Brown is nominated for ‘Best Male R&B/Pop Artist,’ two separate nods in the ‘Best Collaboration’ category, two nominations in the ‘Video of the Year’ category and the ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award.’ Nicki Minaj is nominated ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Best Female Hip Hop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ two nominations for ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award’ and ‘Best Group’ as a member of Young Money.
Beyoncé and Lil Wayne round it out with four nominations each. Beyoncé is nominated for ‘Best Female R&B / Pop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Video Director of the Year,’ and the coveted ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award.’ Lil Wayne is nominated for ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award,’ and ‘Best Group’ as a member of Young Money. This year also marks a special milestone for the "BET Awards" as it celebrates its 15th anniversary live from the Nokia Theatre, Sunday, June 28, 2015.
“This year’s nominees showcase a diverse group of talent that includes longstanding entertainers, breakout performers, and outstanding athletes”
BET Networks recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 20 categories with the "BET Awards" 2015 nominations. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts.
“This year’s nominees showcase a diverse group of talent that includes longstanding entertainers, breakout performers, and outstanding athletes,” said Stephen Hill, BET’s President of Programming. “We congratulate all of the talent on their remarkable contributions to the world of entertainment and look forward to them joining us in celebrating 15 years of the BET Awards.”
The complete list of nominees for the "BET Awards" 2015 are:
BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
BEYONCÉ
CIARA
JANELLE MONÁE
JHENÉ AIKO
K. MICHELLE
RIHANNA
BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
AUGUST ALSINA
CHRIS BROWN
JOHN LEGEND
THE WEEKND
TREY SONGZ
USHER
BEST GROUP
A$AP MOB
JODECI
MIGOS
RAE SREMMURD
RICH GANG
YOUNG MONEY
BEST COLLABORATION
AUGUST ALSINA F/ NICKI MINAJ – NO LOVE (REMIX)
BIG SEAN F/ E-40 - IDFWU
CHRIS BROWN F/ LIL WAYNE & TYGA - LOYAL
CHRIS BROWN F/ USHER & RICK ROSS - NEW FLAME
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND - GLORY (FROM THE MOTION PICTURE "SELMA")
MARK RONSON F/ BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
BIG SEAN
COMMON
DRAKE
J. COLE
KENDRICK LAMAR
WALE
BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
AZEALIA BANKS
DEJ LOAF
IGGY AZALEA
NICKI MINAJ
TINK
TRINA
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
BEYONCÉ - 7/11
BIG SEAN F/ E-40 - IDFWU
CHRIS BROWN F/ LIL WAYNE & TYGA - LOYAL
CHRIS BROWN F/ USHER & RICK ROSS - NEW FLAME
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND - GLORY (FROM THE MOTION PICTURE "SELMA")
NICKI MINAJ - ANACONDA
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
BENNY BOOM
BEYONCÉ, ED BURKE & TODD TOURSO
CHRIS ROBINSON
FATIMA ROBINSON
HYPE WILLIAMS
BEST NEW ARTIST
BOBBY SHMURDA
DEJ LOAF
FETTY WAP
RAE SREMMURD
SAM SMITH
TINASHE
BEST GOSPEL ARTIST
DEITRICK HADDON
ERICA CAMPBELL
FRED HAMMOND
LECRAE
MALI MUSIC
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
BEST ACTRESS
GABRIELLE UNION
KERRY WASHINGTON
TARAJI P. HENSON
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS
VIOLA DAVIS
BEST ACTOR
ANTHONY ANDERSON
IDRIS ELBA
JUSSIE SMOLLETT
KEVIN HART
TERRENCE HOWARD
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
JACOB LATIMORE
JADEN SMITH
MO'NE DAVIS
QUVENZHANÉ WALLIS
ZENDAYA
BEST MOVIE
ANNIE
BEYOND THE LIGHTS
SELMA
THINK LIKE A MAN TOO
TOP FIVE
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
BRITTNEY GRINER
CANDACE PARKER
SERENA WILLIAMS
SKYLAR DIGGINS
VENUS WILLIAMS
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
CHRIS PAUL
FLOYD MAYWEATHER, JR.
LEBRON JAMES
MARSHAWN LYNCH
STEPHEN CURRY
COCA-COLA VIEWERS’ CHOICE AWARD
BEYONCÉ – 7/11
DEJ LOAF – TRY ME
KENDRICK LAMAR – i
NICKI MINAJ F/ DRAKE, LIL WAYNE & CHRIS BROWN - ONLY
RAE SREMMURD F/ NICKI MINAJ & YOUNG THUG – THROW SUM MO
THE WEEKND – EARNED IT (FROM THE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)
CENTRIC AWARD
AVERY SUNSHINE – CALL MY NAME
JAZMINE SULLIVAN F/ MEEK MILL – DUMB
MARK RONSON F/ BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
SAM SMITH F/ MARY J. BLIGE – STAY WITH ME
THE WEEKND - EARNED IT (FROM THE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT: AFRICA
AKA (SOUTH AFRICA)
FALLY IPUPA (DR CONGO)
SARKODIE (GHANA)
SAUTI SOL (KENYA)
STONEBWOY (GHANA)
THE SOIL (SOUTH AFRICA)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
YEMI ALADE (NIGERIA)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT: UK
FKA TWIGS
FUSE ODG
LETHAL BIZZLE
LITTLE SIMZ
MNEK
STORMZY
The “BET Awards” 2015 will premiere around the world on BET’s international network at 8:00pm GMT (check local listings).
Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials, will serve as Executive Producers for the “BET Awards” along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. Live in Los Angeles from June 25-28, 2015. BET.com/Awards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. All information about the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® can be found at BETExperience.com. The BET Experience VIP Package offers the only way to purchase a “BET Awards” ticket, great seats to 3-nights of concerts at the Staples Center, and exclusive access to events at the free Fan Fest. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to BET.com/BETX.Follow the Experience on Twitter @betexperience.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins, the company’s CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of Real Husbands of Hollywood, (now going into its 4th hit season) alongside industry icons Stan Lathan and Ralph Farquhar; and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince, Mariah Carey and many more.
BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, one of the leading entertainment companies in the world and developer/ operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 25 - 28, 2015 presented by Coca-Cola®. This three-day festival will be filled with music and comedy concerts taking place at Club Nokia and STAPLES Center; “106 & PARK”; FREE BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.
Follow us @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS
---------------
Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj Lead with Six Nominations Followed by Beyoncé and Lil Wayne with Four
Sam Smith Receives Two Nods, and Newcomer FKA Twigs is Nominated for Best International Artist: UK
“BET Awards” to Air Live on Sunday, June 28 from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA at 8 P.M. ET
#BETAWARDS
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAB, VIA), today announced the nominations for the "BET Awards" 2015. Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj lead with an impressive six nominations. Chris Brown is nominated for ‘Best Male R&B/Pop Artist,’ two separate nods in the ‘Best Collaboration’ category, two nominations in the ‘Video of the Year’ category and the ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award.’ Nicki Minaj is nominated ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Best Female Hip Hop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ two nominations for ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award’ and ‘Best Group’ as a member of Young Money.
Beyoncé and Lil Wayne round it out with four nominations each. Beyoncé is nominated for ‘Best Female R&B / Pop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Video Director of the Year,’ and the coveted ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award.’ Lil Wayne is nominated for ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award,’ and ‘Best Group’ as a member of Young Money. This year also marks a special milestone for the "BET Awards" as it celebrates its 15th anniversary live from the Nokia Theatre, Sunday, June 28, 2015.
“This year’s nominees showcase a diverse group of talent that includes longstanding entertainers, breakout performers, and outstanding athletes”
BET Networks recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 20 categories with the "BET Awards" 2015 nominations. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts.
“This year’s nominees showcase a diverse group of talent that includes longstanding entertainers, breakout performers, and outstanding athletes,” said Stephen Hill, BET’s President of Programming. “We congratulate all of the talent on their remarkable contributions to the world of entertainment and look forward to them joining us in celebrating 15 years of the BET Awards.”
The complete list of nominees for the "BET Awards" 2015 are:
BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
BEYONCÉ
CIARA
JANELLE MONÁE
JHENÉ AIKO
K. MICHELLE
RIHANNA
BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
AUGUST ALSINA
CHRIS BROWN
JOHN LEGEND
THE WEEKND
TREY SONGZ
USHER
BEST GROUP
A$AP MOB
JODECI
MIGOS
RAE SREMMURD
RICH GANG
YOUNG MONEY
BEST COLLABORATION
AUGUST ALSINA F/ NICKI MINAJ – NO LOVE (REMIX)
BIG SEAN F/ E-40 - IDFWU
CHRIS BROWN F/ LIL WAYNE & TYGA - LOYAL
CHRIS BROWN F/ USHER & RICK ROSS - NEW FLAME
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND - GLORY (FROM THE MOTION PICTURE "SELMA")
MARK RONSON F/ BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
BIG SEAN
COMMON
DRAKE
J. COLE
KENDRICK LAMAR
WALE
BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
AZEALIA BANKS
DEJ LOAF
IGGY AZALEA
NICKI MINAJ
TINK
TRINA
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
BEYONCÉ - 7/11
BIG SEAN F/ E-40 - IDFWU
CHRIS BROWN F/ LIL WAYNE & TYGA - LOYAL
CHRIS BROWN F/ USHER & RICK ROSS - NEW FLAME
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND - GLORY (FROM THE MOTION PICTURE "SELMA")
NICKI MINAJ - ANACONDA
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
BENNY BOOM
BEYONCÉ, ED BURKE & TODD TOURSO
CHRIS ROBINSON
FATIMA ROBINSON
HYPE WILLIAMS
BEST NEW ARTIST
BOBBY SHMURDA
DEJ LOAF
FETTY WAP
RAE SREMMURD
SAM SMITH
TINASHE
BEST GOSPEL ARTIST
DEITRICK HADDON
ERICA CAMPBELL
FRED HAMMOND
LECRAE
MALI MUSIC
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
BEST ACTRESS
GABRIELLE UNION
KERRY WASHINGTON
TARAJI P. HENSON
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS
VIOLA DAVIS
BEST ACTOR
ANTHONY ANDERSON
IDRIS ELBA
JUSSIE SMOLLETT
KEVIN HART
TERRENCE HOWARD
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
JACOB LATIMORE
JADEN SMITH
MO'NE DAVIS
QUVENZHANÉ WALLIS
ZENDAYA
BEST MOVIE
ANNIE
BEYOND THE LIGHTS
SELMA
THINK LIKE A MAN TOO
TOP FIVE
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
BRITTNEY GRINER
CANDACE PARKER
SERENA WILLIAMS
SKYLAR DIGGINS
VENUS WILLIAMS
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
CHRIS PAUL
FLOYD MAYWEATHER, JR.
LEBRON JAMES
MARSHAWN LYNCH
STEPHEN CURRY
COCA-COLA VIEWERS’ CHOICE AWARD
BEYONCÉ – 7/11
DEJ LOAF – TRY ME
KENDRICK LAMAR – i
NICKI MINAJ F/ DRAKE, LIL WAYNE & CHRIS BROWN - ONLY
RAE SREMMURD F/ NICKI MINAJ & YOUNG THUG – THROW SUM MO
THE WEEKND – EARNED IT (FROM THE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)
CENTRIC AWARD
AVERY SUNSHINE – CALL MY NAME
JAZMINE SULLIVAN F/ MEEK MILL – DUMB
MARK RONSON F/ BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
SAM SMITH F/ MARY J. BLIGE – STAY WITH ME
THE WEEKND - EARNED IT (FROM THE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT: AFRICA
AKA (SOUTH AFRICA)
FALLY IPUPA (DR CONGO)
SARKODIE (GHANA)
SAUTI SOL (KENYA)
STONEBWOY (GHANA)
THE SOIL (SOUTH AFRICA)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
YEMI ALADE (NIGERIA)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT: UK
FKA TWIGS
FUSE ODG
LETHAL BIZZLE
LITTLE SIMZ
MNEK
STORMZY
The “BET Awards” 2015 will premiere around the world on BET’s international network at 8:00pm GMT (check local listings).
Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials, will serve as Executive Producers for the “BET Awards” along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. Live in Los Angeles from June 25-28, 2015. BET.com/Awards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. All information about the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® can be found at BETExperience.com. The BET Experience VIP Package offers the only way to purchase a “BET Awards” ticket, great seats to 3-nights of concerts at the Staples Center, and exclusive access to events at the free Fan Fest. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to BET.com/BETX.Follow the Experience on Twitter @betexperience.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins, the company’s CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of Real Husbands of Hollywood, (now going into its 4th hit season) alongside industry icons Stan Lathan and Ralph Farquhar; and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince, Mariah Carey and many more.
BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, one of the leading entertainment companies in the world and developer/ operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 25 - 28, 2015 presented by Coca-Cola®. This three-day festival will be filled with music and comedy concerts taking place at Club Nokia and STAPLES Center; “106 & PARK”; FREE BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.
Follow us @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS
---------------
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Review: "Top Five" is Chris Rock's Woody Allen Thing
Top Five (2014)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexual content, nudity, crude humor, language throughout and some drug
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Chris Rock
PRODUCERS: Eli Bush, Barry Diller, and Scott Rudin
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Manuel Alberto Claro
EDITOR: Anne McCabe
COMPOSERS: Ludwig Göransson and Ahmir-Khalib “Questlove” Thompson
Black Reel Award winner
COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Romany Malco, Cedric the Entertainer, Ben Vereen, Sherri Shepherd, Jay Pharoah, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, Hassan Johnson, Tichina Arnold, Luis Guzman, Kevin Hart, Olga Merediz, Laurissa Romain, Miriam Colon, Charlie Rose, Bruce Bruce, Taraji P. Henson, Gabourey Sidibe, Whoopi Goldberg, Adam Sandler, DMX, Jim Norton, and Jerry Seinfeld
Top Five is a 2014 comedy-drama and romance from writer-director Chris Rock. Rock stars as a comedian who is trying to make it as a serious actor, while his fiancée is turning their upcoming wedding into a reality-television event. Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Jay-Z, is a co-producer on this film.
Top Five focuses on Andre Allen (Chris Rock). He had a successful career as a stand-up comedian, and later became a box office star with his hit movie franchise, Hammy The Bear, which yielded three films. Now, Allen is trying to become a serious actor with a new film, Uprize, in which he portrays Dutty Boukman, a prominent figure in the Haitian Revolution.
Allen is also engaged to marry reality-TV star, Erica Long (Gabrielle Union). The wedding planning, the bachelor party, the wedding itself, and even the honeymoon are going to be reality-television programming on the cable network, Bravo. While dealing with the headache of a big wedding, Allen is also busy promoting Uprize, so he grudgingly agrees to a probing interview with The New York Times. Allen is surprised to find himself opening up to Times reporter, Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson), but Brown isn't quite being upfront about her intentions.
In Top Five, Chris Rock has delivered a film that recalls the films of Woody Allen. Like Allen, Rock uses comedy to probe the inner recesses of the lead character's mind, faults, shortcomings, and foibles. Also like Allen, Rock uses romance to bring together two conflicted people, whose motivations and yearnings are similar to one another, but are also in conflict with one another.
The drama comes into Top Five because, even with the crazy scenarios and embarrassing moments and revelations, the story takes everything seriously. The sublime and the ridiculous cannot exist without each other, and stupidity does not absolve one of being honest with oneself.
Rock delivers a solid performance, and he only plays himself half the time in the film. Rosario Dawson shows both dramatic and romance-comedy chops. Wow, she is good, and I can't help but think that if she were a white girl that she would have headlined big-time romantic comedies ages ago. Katherine Heigl and Kate Hudson aren't better than Dawson.
J.B. Smoove is smooth, and Cedric the Entertainer kills it and then some in a cameo role. Whoopi Goldberg, Adam Sandler, and Jerry Seinfeld appear together near the end of the film and are a treat, especially Seinfeld, who is a riot. In fact, a number of comic actors and comedians (including Tracy Morgan) make cameo appearances or have bit parts in this movie, and they do their best to make Top Five a must-see movie.
The Hollywood trade press is reporting that producer Scott Rudin wants Chris Rock to quickly make a non-sequel follow-up to Top Five, bringing back some of the cast of this film. This movie is going to be a hard act to follow. Top Five is Rock's best directorial effort to date, and it is one of the best films of 2014. Rock should have received an Oscar nomination for Top Five's screenplay.
9 of 10
A+
Saturday, April 11, 2015
NOTES:
2015 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), Motion Picture” (Chris Rock); 6 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture” (Scott Rudin and Eli Bush), “Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture” (Chris Rock), “Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture” (Rosario Dawson), “Outstanding Director, Motion Picture” (Chris Rock), “Outstanding Ensemble” (Victoria Thomas), and “Outstanding Original Song (Ahmir-Khalib Thompson-performer and writer and Eliza Colby-performer and writer for the song, “It Ain't Easy”)
2015 Image Awards: 2 nominations: “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Cedric the Entertainer) and “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture” (Chris Rock)
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Review: Director Peyton Reed Brought It with "Bring It On"
Bring It On (2000)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sex-related material and language
DIRECTOR: Peyton Reed
WRITER: Jessica Bendinger
PRODUCERS: Marc Abraham and Thomas A. Bliss
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Shawn Maurer
EDITOR: Larry Bock
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck
Black Reel Awards winner
COMEDY
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union, Clare Kramer, Tsianina Joelson, Rini Bell, Nathan West, Shamari Fears, Natina Reed, Brandi Williams, Lindsay Sloane, Holmes Osborne, Sherry Hursey, and Cody McMains
The subject of this movie review is Bring It On, a 2000 high school sports comedy from director Peyton Reed. The film spawned four direct-to-DVD sequels and a stage musical. Bring It On (the original film) focuses on a head cheerleader who makes a shocking discovery just before the upcoming cheerleading championship tournament: the previous captain of her high school’s cheerleading squad stole their best cheer routines from an inner-city school.
All-American girl Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst) sees her dream finally come true. She is now the head cheerleader of the Rancho Carne Toros, at her high school in suburban San Diego. The Toros have won The Nationals of the high school cheerleading championship the last five years, and Torrance is not about to let anything – her parents, her little brother, her grades, or her college future – get in the way of a sixth consecutive title.
The big shocker comes when Torrance learns that her predecessor was stealing the routines that earned the Toros their reputation from an inner-city high school hip-hop cheerleading squad, the Clovers of East Compton. And the Clovers and their captain, Isis (Gabrielle Union), are looking to get even with the Toros at the 2000 Nationals. Now, Torrance and her Toros are going to have to learn all-new routines, all while dealing with the trials and tribulations of high school life.
Bring It On was a hit with ‘tweens, teens, and 20-somethings back in 2000. Although it’s competently directed and the writing doesn’t do much in the character department, the Machiavellian-lite, cutthroat world of competitive youth events, in this case, the world of competitive cheerleading, provides this movie’s fireworks. It’s fun to watch the catfights, preening dumb jocks, and every kid with a smart aleck attitude.
The cheerleading performances, from the practices to the championship, are rousing enough to make you stand up and cheer. The acting isn’t all that great, and the script doesn’t give the black cheerleaders enough room to show that there is actually character behind their sass. Kirsten Dunst’s performance is serviceable for this flick, and Eliza Dushku’s hot babe, Missy Pantone, makes what started out as a dull Disney-like teen movie into a real movie the moment she struts on stage.
6 of 10
B
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Updated: Wednesday, June 11, 2014
NOTES:
2001 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Theatrical - Best Supporting Actress” (Gabrielle Union)
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Review: "Cradle 2 the Grave" Not Completely Lifeless
Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, language and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Andrzej Bartkowiak
WRITERS: John O’Brien and Channing Gibson; from a story by John O’Brien
PRODUCER: Joel Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Daryn Okada
EDITOR: Derek G. Brechin
COMPOSERS: Damon “Grease” Blackman and John Frizzell
ACTION/CRIME/DRAMA
Starring: Jet Li, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu, Tom Arnold, Mark Dacascos, Gabrielle Union, Daniel Dae Kim, and Chi McBride (uncredited)
The subject of this movie review is Cradle 2 the Grave, a 2003 action film. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, the film stars legendary action star, Jet Li, and rapper DMX.
Producer Joel Silver brings us another martial artist/rap star “buddy” movie in the tradition of his hit, Exit Wounds. This time Exit Wounds star DMX joins legendary Far East action star Jet Li in Cradle to the Grave. After I watching this movie, I couldn’t figure out the reason for the title, but the name sounds rough and tough, just what you want in your “chop socky-hip hop” movie. No doubt that this is trash, but fun trash, especially if you’re feeling really tolerant; not as good as Exit Wounds, but almost worth the price of admission if you like Li and/or DMX. And I had been waiting for this for a long time.
Fait (DMX) leads a crew of high-tech urban thieves who stumble onto a bag of mysterious black jewels during their heist of a diamond exchange. The diamonds’ owner, the vicious and murderous Ling (Mark Decascos), kidnaps Fait’s daughter and holds her as ransom for the jewels’ return. Fait gets a monkey wrench in his works when another crew steals the diamonds from one of Fait’s bumbling associates (Tom Arnold). Fait and his crew forge an alliance with a Taiwanese intelligence officer, Su (Jet Li), to rescue his child and retrieve the precious black diamonds, which hold a deadly and powerful secret.
Director Andrzej Bartkowiak’s film is clunky and disjointed, but Bartkowiak (who has directed three of Li’s American films) knows that he only has to string together a few “character moments” between scenes with the only important elements of the film: DMX’s grimace and Li’s extended martial arts free-for-alls. Li actually has an extended battle at an underground fight arena that at times defies the imagination and at other times is so wacky that it earns a load of belly laughs. Because the writers gave DMX’s character a child, we actually get a few smiles from the normally scowling star during precious scenes of him “parenting.”
The supporting cast mostly serves as relief from the grim story. Most of the time, Cradle 2 the Grave is a pretty raw cartoon, and it plays rough with its characters. However, Tom Arnold and Anthony Anderson, co-stars in Exit Wounds, return to add much needed comic relief. In fact, Arnold never seems so comfortable in a film role as he does when he’s rollin’ with the homeys. I think he’s added life to his career legs the way John Lithgow did in the early 1990’s by taking a few villainous roles.
I won’t lie to you. This isn’t a good movie, but it can be very entertaining most of the time. You just have to outlast some “dramatic” moments to get to the action, suspense, and thrills. Sometimes, I became very impatient waiting out a few dull minutes just to get to the bloodshed; honestly, there’s no other reason to see this junk other than for the junk: car chases, titillation, shootouts, corrupt cops, thugs, explosions, and Jet Li’s electric hands and feet.
So when’s the next Silver Pictures’ rap-fu joint coming out? DMX and Jackie Chan, perhaps?
4 of 10
C
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