Review: "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum" Will Help You Get Your Keanu On

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 56 of 2021 (No. 1794) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
Running time:  131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive strong violence, and some language
DIRECTOR:  Chad Stahelski
WRITERS:  Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten and Chris Collins & Marc Abrams; from a story by Derek Kolstad (based on characters created by Derek Kostad)
PRODUCERS:  Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dan Lausten (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Evan Schiff
COMPOSERS:  Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard

ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Anjelica Huston, Said Taghmaoui, Jerome Flynn, and Randall Duk Kim

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is a 2019 action and crime-thriller starring Keanu Reeves and directed by Chad Stahelski.  It is a direct sequel to 2017's John Wick: Chapter 2 and the third film in the John Wick film series.  Parabellum finds John Wick on the run with a price on his head and assassins everywhere looking to claim the reward for killing him.

As John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) makes his way through Manhattan.  John is on the run because he is just about to be labeled “excommunicado.”  His crime was the unauthorized killing of “High Table” (the ruling entity of the assassin's guild) crime lord, Santino D'Antonio, on the grounds of the New York Continental Hotel, a “consecrated” space where killings are not allowed.  At 6 PM Eastern Standard Time, when John is officially “excommunicado,” there will be a 14 million dollar bounty on him, and hit men and hit women everywhere are going to target him.

John turns to a few old acquaintances for help on his way out the city.  He travels to Morocco where he hopes to find the “Elder,” the boss (more or less) of the High Table, whom John believes will restore his status.  In Casablanca, John seeks help from Sofia (Halle Berry), a former friend and manager of the Moroccan Continental, but an old grudge might stand in the way of her helping him.  Meanwhile, the High Table has sent an “Adjudicator” (Asia Kate Dillon) to deal with everyone who has helped John, including the Continental's manager, Winston (Ian McShane), and the crime lord, “The Bowery King” (Laurence Fishburne).

A few weeks ago, a cable television listing reminded me that I had not seen  John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, so I turned to “DVD Netflix” for help.  In my reviews of the earlier John Wick films, I wrote that I had been a fan of Keanu Reeves since I first encountered him the 1980s in films like Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and River's Edge (1986), although I am not a fan of his popular 80s film, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).  I also wrote that I had never thought of Reeves as a great or even as a good actor; he is either way too stiff or too wooden as a performer.  Still I have enjoyed and even loved Reeves in films like the original Point Break (1991) and in The Matrix film trilogy.

Reeves' star had dimmed for several years, but the John Wick films' success and an appearance in Toy Story 4 saw people feeling that Keanu love again.  And we're supposed to get The Matrix: Resurrections in December 2021.  What can I say about John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum?  The truth is that if you enjoy Keanu Reeves' films, you will enjoy Parabellum.

I can't fake it and say that this is about the love of cinema.  I love seeing Keanu in this film's violent fight scenes and bloody shootouts, with their gunshots to the head and blood spurting and ejaculating from bodies and heads.  Parabellum gives us the added joy of marital arts sword play, with Mark Dacascos as the character “Zero.”  He is Japanese assassin leading a team of ninja-like assassins, slashing and stabbing many other characters, but their ultimate goal is John Wick.

Keanu Reeves is one of my favorite movie stars, and John Wick is one his roles that I love the most.  Yes, Parabellum's main ambition is to present itself as revenge-thriller with a little wit, a little more style, and even more stylized ultra-violence.  And I like John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum enough to give it a fairly high grade and to also eagerly await a fourth installment in this thrilling franchise.

7 of 10
B+

Thursday, September 16, 2021


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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 21st to 31st, 2021 - Update #34

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Netflix is closing in on a 400-million dollar deal to mak two sequels to the hit 2019 film, "Knives Out."

TELEVISION - From Variety:    Actor Donald Faison will play "Professor Utonium" in "Powerpuff," The CW's live-action version of "The Powerpuff Girls."

MOVIES - From Vulture:   The second unit director and stunt coordinator on Brad Pitt's upcoming thriller, "Bullet Train," says that Pitt did 95 percent of his own stunts on the film.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner at the 3/26 to 3/28/2021 weekend box office is "Nobody" with an estimated take of 6.7 million dollars.

From Forbes:    Are movie theaters around the world going broke.

From Deadline:  "Godzilla Vs Kong" storms the international box office on its opening weekend with an estimated take of 121.8 million dollars at 38 overseas market. 

From Deadline:  "Godzilla Vs. Kong" looks at having the biggest domestic opening since the pandemic began.

AWARDS-NAACP - From Deadline:  Here is a list of winners at the 2021 / 52nd NAACP Image Awards, which wrapped up Sat., March 27th after a week of honors.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Eliza Hittman talks about her groundbreaking film about a teen seeking an abortion, "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," and how one Oscar voter rejected it.

From Variety:  This article details the disagreement between director Eliza Hittman and Oscar winner and voter, Keith Merrill ("The Great American Cowboy"), over her film, "Never Rarely Sometimes Always."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   George R.R. Martin's book series, "A Song of Fire and Ice," is the basis for HBO's Emmy-winning TV series, "Game of Thrones" and for a planned slew of spinoffs.  Now, Martin has signed a five-year overall development deal with HBO and its streaming sister, HBO Max.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Embattled co-host, Sharon Osbourne, has left the CBS daytime talk show, "The Talk," in the wake of recent controversies regarding her defending her racist pal, Piers Morgan, and allegations of racist behavior to past co-hosts.  Osbourne was the last original co-host that launched the show 11 years ago.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:   Director Fraser Heston speaks about his famous father, legendary Hollywood actor, Charlton Heston, on the 65th anniversary of his most famous film, "The Ten Commandments" (1956).  Fraser also speaks about his father's controversial support of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

TRAILER - From THN:   There is a trailer for the animated family film, "Felix and the Hidden Treasure" (June 4th, with previews on the weekend before May 31st).

SPORTS-TELEVISION - From NFL:  The NFL has announced its new broadcast deals that will begin in 2023 and through 2033.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Bo Burnham has reportedly joined HBO's drama series about the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s.  Burnham will reportedly play Boston Celtics great, Larry Bird.  About 20 roles have been cast, including the roles of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Coach Pat Riley, to name a few.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Television has fired Greg Spottiswood, from his job as executive producer and co-showrunner of the CBS legal drama, "All Rise," which he created.  Spottiswood has been accused of unprofessional behavior in the series' writers room.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Disney's "Black Widow" has given up the May 7-9, 2021 weekend.  So the Jason Statham action movie, "Wrath of Man," directed by Guy Ritchie, moving from its April 23rd spot to take the May 7th weekend spot.

AWARDS - From Deadline:   "Nomadland" wins the top prize at the 2021/ 32nd Annual Producers Guild Awards.  22 of the 32 winners of the top prize have won the "Best Picture" Oscar.  Last year's PGA winner, "1917" lost to Parasite at the Oscars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Disney has greenlit a 10-episode TV series that is a reboot of the "National Treasure" film series (2004, 2007).  The TV lead will be a Latina, a DREAMer.  The third film in the original series is still being developed.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures is developing a film based on the classic TV series, "Bewitched" (ABC, 1964-72).  It will reportedly be closer to the series than Sony's 2005 "Bewitched" film.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Disney changes its film release schedule, postponing the release of several film, including the much-anticipated Marvel Studios movie, "Black Widow."

STREAMING - From Variety:  Halle Berry joins Mark Wahlberg in the Netflix spy movie, "Our Man from Jersey."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry's next film for Netflix is "A Jazzman's Blues," Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Actress Sean Young talks about the shitty men, mostly directors and actors, that she has had to deal with in Hollywood.  The list includes Ridley Scott and James Woods.

AWARDS - From Deadline:   "Promising Young Woman" and "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" take top honors at the 2021 Writers Guild Awards.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   The "Resident Evil" film franchise reboot will be entitled "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City."  The film is scheduled for movie theaters Sept. 3rd.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 3/19 to 3/21/21 weekend box office is Disney's "Raya and the Last Dragon" with an estimated take of 5.5 million dollars.  This is the film's third consecutive week at #1.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  The character, Sally Hardesty, was the lone survivor ("final girl") in the 1974 film, "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," will be in the upcoming new "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" film.  A new actress will play the character, as the originator of the role, actress Marilyn Burns, died in 2014.

TELEVISION - From THR:  CBS is rebooting the 1994 film, "True Lies," as a TV series.  They are pushing it back to give the reboot's producers, including James Cameron, the writer-director of the film, more time to develop the project.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Director Chris Columbus confirms that his 1994 smash hit, "Mrs. Doubtfire," which starred the late Robin Williams, does have a R-rated cut.  This rumor all started with a viral tweet that said that there were G, PG. PG-13, R, and NC-17 cuts of the film.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The actor and poet, Craig "muMs" Grant, has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, March 24, 2021.  A prolific actor, Grant had numerous film, TV, and stage credits.  He is best known for playing "Arnold 'Poet' Jackson" in HBO's "Oz" (1997-2003) for the entirety of its run.  Grant also participated in many slam-poetry events.

From Deadline:  The novelist and screenwriter, Larry McMurtry, has died at the age of 84, Thursday, March 25, 2021.  McMurtry was a prolific novelist, and his 1985 novel, "Lonesome Dove," won the "Pulitzer Prize for Fiction" in 1986, and was adapted into a beloved 1989 television miniseries.  Many of his novels were adapted into film, including "The Last Picture Show" (book-1966; film-1971) and "Terms of Endearment" (book-1975; film 1983), which won the Academy Award for "Best Picture."  In 2006, he won an Oscar for co-writing the screenplay for the 2005 film, "Brokeback Mountain," an adaptation of E. Annie Proulx.

From Deadline:   The actress, Jessica Walter, has died at the age of 80, Wednesday, March 24, 2021.  Walter had a five decade career in film and television, but she was best known for her recent roles.  She was Lucille Bluth on the sitcom, "Arrested Development," which was originally broadcast on Fox and later streamed on Netflix.  Walter also provided the voice for "Malory Archer" on FXX's long running animated series, "Archer."  In 1975, she won an Primetime Emmy Award for her work on the limited series, "Amy Prentiss."  She was also nominated three other times for an Emmy.

From Deadline:   Television and film actor, George Segal, has died at the age of 87, Tuesday, March 23, 2021.  Segal stared in two long-running TV series, NBC's former sitcom, "Just Shoot Me" (1997-2003), and ABC's current sitcom, "The Goldbergs" (2013-).  Segal recently filmed Episode 16, his last, of the current season, and it is scheduled to air April 7th.  Segal also earned an Oscar nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).

From NBA:  Legendary NBA player and executive, Elgin Baylor, has died at the age of 86, Monday, March 22, 2021.  Playing the position of forward, Baylor is considered one of the NBA's greatest players.  He played 14 seasons for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers from 1958-71, and he was the vice president of basketball operations for the hapless Los Angeles Clippers for 22 years.  He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 6th to 12th, 2020 - Update #24

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

OBIT-COVID-19 - From YahooEntertainment:   Country music's first Black icon, Charley Pride, has died of COVID-19.

MOVIES - From CNN:   It is official, actor Harrison Ford will return for a fifth film in the "Indiana Jones" series, which began in 1981 with the Oscar-winning "Raiders of the Lost Ark."  The film is due July 2022.

PIXAR - From Deadline: Pixar is working on an origin movie for "Buzz Lightyear," the space hero from "Toy Story."  "Captain America's" Chris Evans will voice the lead role.  The film is due in July 2022.

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:   Whoopi Goldberg is returning for a third "Sister Act" film.  Goldberg will reprise her role of Deloris Wilson for "Sister Act 3" and will produce the film along with Tyler Perry for Disney+.

DISNEY+ - From Variety:   Disney+ announces 10 new "Star Wars"-related series and 10 new series from Marvel Studios.

BLM - From WebMD:   In an article for "WebMD," college and pro basketball legend and champion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about the health of African-Americans and the risks to that posted by the healthcare system.

STREAMING - From BleedingCool:   Amazon is developing a TV series based on the 1997 teen horror flick, "I Know What You Did Last Summer."  Craig Macneill will direct the series pilot.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes will play brothers in "True Story," a Netflix limited series drama.  It written and executive produced by Eric Newman of "Narcos: Mexico."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  HBO has been working on a reboot of its vampire melodrama, "True Blood."  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (creator of "Riverdale") and Jami O'Brien (creator of AMC'S "NOS4A2") will write the pilot with O'Brien acting as the executive producer with Alan Ball, creator of the original series.

MOVIES - From IndieWire:  The best undistributed films of 2020

OSCARS - From Deadline:   Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher, and Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh have been announced as the producers for the 93rd Academy Awards, which will be held Sunday, April 25th, 2021.

WARNER MEDIA - From THR:  Oscar-nominated director, Christopher Nolan, rips into WarnerMedia's announced plan to release its 2021 film slate on its streaming service, HBO Max, which Nolan calls "the worst streaming service."

STAR TREK - From Deadline:  Actors who have starred in the "Star Trek" franchise, from the original series to the recent "Star Trek: Discovery," will hold a virtual fund raiser for U.S. Senate candidates from Georgia, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, on Sat. Dec. 12th, 2020.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Constantin Film has issued an apology for its film, "Monster Hunter," an adaptation of the popular video game.  The film contains dialogue that was considered offensive in China, where the film has been a hit.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 12/4 to 12/6/2020 weekend box office is DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 4.4 million dollars.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-winning screenwriter Alan Ball wonders about the legacy of the Oscar-winning film he wrote, "American Beauty" (1999), because of the scandals related to the film's star, Kevin Spacey.  Spacey won a "Best Actor" Oscar for his performance, but the last few years have seen Spacey beset by accusations of predatory behavior and sexual assault.

TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Regina King is producing "Slay," an African-American themed supernatural drama that is in development at The CW.

TELEVISION - From LATimes:  Inside the TV networks' battle for Christmas movie supremacy 

OBITS:

From TMZ:  Character actor and occasional professional wrestler, Tom "Tiny" Lister, Jr. was found dead in his apartment, Thursday, December 10, 2020.  Lister is best known for playing the character, "Deebo," in "Friday" (1995) and its sequel, "Next Friday" (2000).  He appeared in numerous other films, including "The Fifth Element" (1997) and "The Dark Knight" (2008), to name a few.

From Deadline:  The film and television actress, Natalie Desselle, has died at the age of 83, Monday, December 7, 2020 of colon cancer.  Her best known film roles were in "B.A.P.S." (1997) and "Madea's Big Happy Family" (2010).  Desselle made her television debut on a 1996 episode of ABC's former family sitcom, "Family Matters."  Desselle was a main cast member on UPN's TV series, "Eve" (2003-06).

From BET:  Halle Berry issues a statement about the passing of Natalie Desselle, who co-starred with her in "B.A.P.S."

 

From BET:  Halley Berry posts new emotional tribute to former co-star, Natalie Desselle, who died Monday morning, Dec. 7th. 

From YahooEntertainment:  Halle Berry and other celebs react to the death of Natalie Desselle.

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From Deadline:   Film and television character actor and stage actor, Warren Berlinger, has died at the age of 83, Wednesday, December 2, 2020.  He was known for playing next to bigger stars, including a role in the Elvis Presley film, "Spinout" (1966).  Later in his career, he made numerous guest appearances on such TV series as "Happy Days," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Friends," to name a few.  He began his stage career as a nine-year-old in the 1946 Broadway production of "Annie Get Your Gun," and he went on to perform on stage in "Blue Denim" and "Happy Time," to name a few.

From Deadline:   The actor television actor, David Landers, has died at the age of 73, Friday, December 4, 2020.  Landers is best known for playing the role of "Squiggy" on the former ABC sitcom, "Laverne & Shirley" (1976-83).  He was also a noted voice actor who performed in multiple animated film and TV series.

COVID-19:

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:  Remember 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 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

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

11/13 - YahooNews:  "We blew it": U.S. reaches 'explosive' COVID-19 spread as virus is nearly impossible to control, experts say.

11/29 From LATimes:  California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began

12/6 - From YahooNBC:  President Donald has announced that his lawyer, former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giulani, has tested positive for COVID-19.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.

From Truthout:   Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 13th to 19th, 2020 - Update #28

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  John Boyega ("Star Wars") joins Payman Maadi in Gavin Hood's "The Test."

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Former husband and wife, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, reunited for the "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" table reading.  The event was held for Sean Penn's non-profit, CORE.  Penn starred in the 1982 film.

EMMYS - From LATimes:  The behind the scene workers are the real losers at this year's virtual Primetime Emmy Awards.

TELEVISION - From THR:  WarnerMedia says it is "concerned and disappointed" about the culture in its TV division.  They're talking about controversy at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "TMZ on TV," and WarnerMedia's leaders are ready to end partnerships if they have to. 

From THR:  Speaking of which, "The Hollywood Reporter" has an investigative article on the "dark side" of WarnerMedia's Telepictures division.

CELEBRITY - From HuffPost:  Zendaya talks about intentionally auditioning for roles written for white actresses.

AWARDS - From ShadowandAct:  Kerry Washington finally wins an Emmy Awards... but it's not for acting.

BLM - From ShadowandAct:  Michael B. Jordan puts Hollywood's racist hiring practices on blast.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Madonna will direct a biopic of herself that Oscar-winner Diablo Cody is co-writing.

MOVIES-COVID-19 - From YahooNYT:  Movie theaters have reopened after the five-month COVID-19 shutdown, but audiences have not.  Now what?

From IndieWire:  Well, Christopher Nolan and his wife and longtime producer, Emma Thomas, are doing their part and going to the movies.

TELEVISION - From TheDailyBeast:  NBC announced on Wednesday that actor Jim Carrey will be joining Saturday Night Live to play former Vice President Joe Biden when the show returns to 30 Rockefeller Center for its 46th season on Oct. 3rd, 2020.

CULTURE - From YahooLife:  Hot Halloween 2020 mask - the latex rubber "Karen" mask.

STREAMING - From EW:   Tom Holland (Marvel/Sony's Spider-Man) did not know that one of the producers of his Netflix period drama, "The Devil of All Time," was Jake Gyllenhaal, who played the villain, Mysterio, in his second Spider-Man film, "Spider-Man: Far from Home."

MOVIE TRAILER - From YouTube:  Don't forget to see the spectacular first trailer for "Dune."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actress Genevieve Padalecki will join her husband, Jared Padalecki ("Supernatural") in "Walker," the re-imagining of CBS's 1990s action series, "Walker, Texas Ranger."  Jared will play Cordell Walker, and Genevieve will play his late wife, Emily.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  "Paramount+" will be the new name of the streaming service, "CBS All Access," with this rebrand taking place early in 2021.

NETFLIX - From YahooFinance:  Once upon a time... Netflix co-founder and now co-CEO Reed Hastings tried to sell Netflix to Blockbuster, but the once-great video rental giant would not pay the $50 million asking price.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Cable net MSNBC adds two new shows to its weekend line-up and movies Kasie Hunt of "Kasie DC" to a new weekeday mornings show.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 9/11 to 9/13/2020 weekend box office is "Tenet" with an estimated gross of 6.7 million dollars.  The film has also crossed the $200 million mark in worldwide box office.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. is hiding box office information on "Tenet" and Sony Pictures on "The Broken Hearts Gallery from rival studios.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix has payed $30 million dollars for "Malcolm & Marie," director Sam Levinson's drama that was quietly shot during the COVID lock down.  The romantic drama stars John David Washington and Zendaya.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Pop star Harry Styles is reportedly replacing actor Shia LaBeouf in Olivia Wilde's thriller, "Don't Worry Darling."

VENICE - From THR:  Nomadland, diector Chloé Zhao's look at America's van-dwelling community, starring Frances McDormand, has won the "Golden Lion" for best film at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.  This article includes the winners in the festival's many other categories.

MOVIES - From CNN:  Halle Berry says that her historic best actress Oscar win for "Monster's Ball" was "one of her biggest heartbreaks."

OBITS:

From NPR:  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has died at the age of 87, September 18, 2020.  She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court (after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor).  Nominated by President Bill Clinton, she served on the court from 1993 to her death.

From RollingStone:  Reggae music pioneer, Toots Hibbert, has died at the age of 77, Friday, September 11, 2020.  A singer and songwriter, Toots was best known for his association with the reggae and ska band, Toots and the Maytals.  Hibbert wrote the 1968 Maytals song, "Do the Reggay," which is widely credited as being the genesis word "reggae."


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:  Remember 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 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

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/30 - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") reveals that he had a bout with COVID-19.

7/31 - From YahooEntertainment:  Writer and actress, Lena Dunham, creator of HBO's "Girls, reveals that she contracted COVID-19 and the symptoms she experiences and still experience.

7/30 - From YahooGMA:  In their bid to crackdown on illegal gatherings amid COVID-19, New York authorities break up an alleged sex party.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/2 - From TheDailyBeast:  In Mississippi, COVID-19 has coroners terrified.

8/6 - From YahooNews:  Testing everyone constantly could stop the spread of COVID-19... according to this article.

8/8 - From YahooNYT:  The coronavirus is new, but your immune system might recognize it.

8/8 - From YahooNBC:  They thought COVID-19 was a hoax, and they almost died from it or are watching family and loved ones suffer with it or die from it.

8/9 - From YahooNews:  The rest of the world is incredulous at the pitiful U.S. response to COVID-19.

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/1 - From YahooPeople:  Mark Mothersbaugh is the front man of the rock band, Devo," and the prolific composer of music for film and television, but he also had a near-fatal battle with COVID-19.  He recalls it in this article.

9/2 - From YahooNews:  The first COVID-19 death linked to the massive biker rally in Sturgis, South Dakota has been reported in Minnesota, several weeks after the event attracted over 400,000 vehicles.  Minnesota is also tracking 50 coronavirus cases related to the event.

9/8 - From YahooSports:  College football senior Jamain Stephens Jr. dies after contracting COVID-19.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.


REMEMBERING CHADWICK BOSEMAN:

From YahooAP:  Chadwick Boseman was laid to rest Sept. 3 at Welfare Baptist Church Cemetery in Belton, South Carolina, about 11 miles from Boseman's hometown of Anderson, the Los Angeles County Certificate showed. Anderson held a public memorial for Boseman a day later.

From Slate:  Friends and Fans mourn "Black Panther" star, Chadwick Boseman, dead at 43.

From YahooHuffPost:  Why Chadwick Boseman kept his cancer battle secret, according to his agent.

From Variety:  Chadwick Boseman's life and career in photos.

From CNN:  Denzel Washington offers a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, for whom he once paid school tuition.

From THR:  Co-star Harrison Ford remembers Chadwick Boseman as being "as much a hero as any he played.

From BuzzFeed:  Why Chadwick Boseman's death hurts so much.

From Variety:  Michael B. Jordan remembers his "Black Panther" co-star, Chadwick Boseman.

From YahooEntertainment:  Remembering Chadwick Boseman: A journalist’s cherished, complicated friendship with a superhero.

From Deadline:  The site has a page dedicated to the late actor, Chadwick Boseman.

From Variety:   Chadwick Boseman: A Virtuoso Actor Who Could Do Just About Anything

From Variety:  Chadwick Boseman’s Final Tweet Is Twitter’s Most-Liked Post of All Time

From YahooEntertainment:  Did Chadwick Boseman hint at his cancer battle in a 2017 interview?

From Newsweek:  Chadwick Boseman's final tweet was a picture of him with Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris.

From NPR:  Chadwick Boseman in his own words.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 6th to 12th, 2020 - Update #20

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION:

From CNN:  Full video of Vice-President Joe Biden's acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC.

From CNN:  Full video of Sen. Kamala Harris acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx and his producing partner, Datari Turner, has signed an overall deal with Sony Pictures to produce films.

TORONTO - From Deadline:  At this year's virtual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Netflix is in final negotiations to buy the rights to Oscar-winner Halle Berry's directorial debut, the MMA drama, "Bruised."  The buying price is close to 20 million dollars.

From THR:  Halle Berry says that she was "scared shitless" on the set of her movie, "Bruisded," which she directed.
---------------

JAMES BOND - From Deadline:  Actor George Lazenby, who played James Bond in 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," says that he was not in a feud with his co-star in the film, actress Diana Rigg, who died Thurs. morning, Sept. 10th.  Rumors of an alleged feud between the stars have long followed the film.

DISNEY - From BET:  Actress Halle Bailey has started recording the soundtrack for Disney's live-action "The Little Mermaid."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney+ has ordered 10 episodes of female-led reboot of the ABC TV series, "Doogie Howser, M.D.," (1989-1993).

ANIMATION - From CartoonBrew:  Don Bluth, the legend behind such animated films as "The Secret of NIMH" and "The Land Before Time," is launching a new venture with the hope of ushering in a "renaissance of hand-drawn animation."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  AMC's "The Walking Dead" will end in 2022 after a longer-than-usual season of 24 episodes.  Then, in 2023, there will be a spinoff series starring Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) and Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier).

BLM - From KenoshaNews:  In a guest commentary, Oscar-nominee, Mark Ruffalo, writes "Justice, unity, and community resilience in my hometown of Kenosha."

OSCARS - From Variety:  Academy Awards announces new inclusion requirements for "Best Picture" eligibility.

POLITICS - From TheAtlantic:  This link takes you, dear readers, to the infamous article about President Donald referring America's war dead as "suckers" and "losers."

DISNEY - From YahooFinance:  Disney's decision to release its blockbuster, "Mulan," straight to its streaming service, Disney+, has lead to a spike in downloads of the Disney+ app.

ANIMATION - From CBR:  Jackson Publick has confirmed that his long-running Cartoon Network animated series, "The Venture Bros.," has been cancelled.  That means that Season 7, which aired in 2018, was the series' final season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  A crew member on the film, Geechee, was shot by the police in the Dominican Republic where the movie is being filmed.  The police apparently opened fire on a convoy of cars containing the crew.  Though reportedly shot several times, the crew member only suffered "minor issues" and has left the hospital and been flown home.

BOX OFFICE - From THR:  The winner of the 9/4 - 9/6/2020 weekend box office is "Tenet" with an estimated 20.2 million dollars.  Directed by Christopher Nolan, "Tenet" is the first Hollywood "tent pole" film released since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The cast of director Rob Reiner's beloved 1987 film, "The Princess Bride," will reunited for a virtual script reading that will benefit the Wisconsin Democratic Party.  The livestreamed event will begin at 4 pm Pacific Time on September 13.  Signup and donation required to view event.

OBITS:

From THR:  British actress, Diana Rigg, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, September 10, 2020.  She may be best known for playing the role of "Emma Peel" in 51 episodes of the British TV series, "The Avengers," from 1965 to 1968.  Her other well-known roles includes "Countess Teresa di Vicenzo," the wife of James Bond, in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969), and as "Olenna Tyrell" in HBO's "Game of Thrones" from 2013 to 2017.  She was a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the 1997 TV miniseries, "Rebecca," and a Tony Award for her role in the play, "Medea."

From Variety:  The television actor, Kevin Dobson, has died at the age of 77, Sunday, September 6, 2020.  Dobson was best known for two roles on long-running TV series.  He was Detective Bobby Crocker on CBS' "Kojak" (1973-78) and M. Patrick "Mack" MacKenzie on CBS' "Knots Landing" (1982-93).

From SLPD:  Major League Baseball legend and Hall of Fame member (1985), Lou Brock, has died at the age of 81, Sunday, September 6, 2020.  An outfielder, Brock spent 15 and half years of his 19-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he won two World Series championships (1964 and 1967).  He was a six-time All-Star and led the National League in stolen bases eight times.  He was the career leader in stolen based from 1977 (when he passed Ty Cobb) to 1991 when Ricky Henderson surpassed him.

From Variety:  The American producer, editor, and writer of animated television series, Joe Ruby, has died at the age of 87, Wednesday, August 26, 2020.  Ruby co-founded the television animation production company, Ruby-Spears Productions, in 1977 with Ken Spears.  Ruby and Spears created the original "Scooby-Doo" TV series, "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" in 1969 for Hanna-Barbera.


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:  Remember 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 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

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/30 - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") reveals that he had a bout with COVID-19.

7/31 - From YahooEntertainment:  Writer and actress, Lena Dunham, creator of HBO's "Girls, reveals that she contracted COVID-19 and the symptoms she experiences and still experience.

7/30 - From YahooGMA:  In their bid to crackdown on illegal gatherings amid COVID-19, New York authorities break up an alleged sex party.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/2 - From TheDailyBeast:  In Mississippi, COVID-19 has coroners terrified.

8/6 - From YahooNews:  Testing everyone constantly could stop the spread of COVID-19... according to this article.

8/8 - From YahooNYT:  The coronavirus is new, but your immune system might recognize it.

8/8 - From YahooNBC:  They thought COVID-19 was a hoax, and they almost died from it or are watching family and loved ones suffer with it or die from it.

8/9 - From YahooNews:  The rest of the world is incredulous at the pitiful U.S. response to COVID-19.

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/1 - From YahooPeople:  Mark Mothersbaugh is the front man of the rock band, Devo," and the prolific composer of music for film and television, but he also had a near-fatal battle with COVID-19.  He recalls it in this article.

9/2 - From YahooNews:  The first COVID-19 death linked to the massive biker rally in Sturgis, South Dakota has been reported in Minnesota, several weeks after the event attracted over 400,000 vehicles.  Minnesota is also tracking 50 coronavirus cases related to the event.

9/8 - From YahooSports:  College football senior Jamain Stephens Jr. dies after contracting COVID-19.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From Billboard:  In an interview will the venerable music publication, legendary country music singer-songwriter and actress, Dolly Parton, expresses support for the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

From RSN:  Reader Supported News' "Sunday Song" for Aug. 8th, 2020 is "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke.

From VICE:  One of the 2020 Republican National Convention's top speakers, Abby Johnson, says the police would be justified in profiling her adopted biracial son.

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."


REMEMBERING CHADWICK BOSEMAN:

From Slate:  Friends and Fans mourn "Black Panther" star, Chadwick Boseman, dead at 43.

From YahooHuffPost:  Why Chadwick Boseman kept his cancer battle secret, according to his agent.

From Variety:  Chadwick Boseman's life and career in photos.

From CNN:  Denzel Washington offers a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, for whom he once paid school tuition.

From THR:  Co-star Harrison Ford remembers Chadwick Boseman as being "as much a hero as any he played.

From BuzzFeed:  Why Chadwick Boseman's death hurts so much.

From Variety:  Michael B. Jordan remembers his "Black Panther" co-star, Chadwick Boseman.

From YahooEntertainment:  Remembering Chadwick Boseman: A journalist’s cherished, complicated friendship with a superhero.

From Deadline:  The site has a page dedicated to the late actor, Chadwick Boseman.

From Variety:   Chadwick Boseman: A Virtuoso Actor Who Could Do Just About Anything

From Variety:  Chadwick Boseman’s Final Tweet Is Twitter’s Most-Liked Post of All Time

From YahooEntertainment:  Did Chadwick Boseman hint at his cancer battle in a 2017 interview?

From Newsweek:  Chadwick Boseman's final tweet was a picture of him with Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris.

From NPR:  Chadwick Boseman in his own words.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 12th to 18th, 2020 - Update #24

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:

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 YahooSports:   Brian Allen, the starting center for the Los Angeles Rams, announced that he has twice tested positive for COVID-19.  He is the first known NFL player to test positive for the virus.

From NBCSports:  Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller of the Denver Broncos has tested positive for COVID-19. 

From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live" performer, Michael Che, is paying one month's rent for residents of the New York house complex where his late grandmother lived.  Che's grandmother, Martha, recently died of complications of COVID-19.

From NJHerald:  An investigation has been launched into an elder care facility after 17 bodies are found piled into a small morgue at the facility.

From Variety:  Thanks to a COVID-19 surge in orders, shares of Amazon's stock hits an all-time high.  The company is currently valued at 1.1 trillion dollars.

From CNN:  Actress and film producer, Rita Wilson (and wife of Tom Hanks), describes her experience with COVID-19 in her first interview

From YahooNews:  President Donald once wanted to let COVID-19 "wash over the country."

From Deadline:  Disney World to furlough 43,000 due to COVID-19 disruptions.

COVID-19 STIMULUS CHECK NEWS:

From YahooNews:  Deceased people are getting stimulus check... and the heirs and spouses may be able to keep them.

From YahooNews:  This article updates information on COVID-19 stimulus checks, including the introduction of a web tool that will let people track their checks.

According to the Washington Post, here is the timetable for when the IRS will start issuing checks to those who will receive their checks by mail:

Taxpayers with income up to $10,000: April 24

Taxpayers with income up to $20,000: May 1

Taxpayers with income up to $40,000: May 15.

The article has information about mailing dates after May 15th,

COVID-19 OBIT:

From Deadline:  The legendary celebrity, film and TV hairstylist, Charles Gregory Ross, died Wednesday, April 8, 2020 due to complications of COVID-19.  He worked on numerous film and TV productions over a nearly 30-year career.  Ross worked on many Tyler Perry productions and he received a 2005 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the 2005 HBO movie, "Lackawanna Blues."

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

REGULAR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From BET:  Halle Berry debuts her chiseled abs and hard new body as she preps for the martial arts drama, "Bruised," which she is directing.

TRAILER - From Variety:  Actor Tom Hardy and director Josh Trank's Al Capone biopic, "Capone," will hit video-on-demand (VOD) on May 12th.

MOVIES-CHARITY - From Deadline:  Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro offer a chance to win a walk-on role in Martin Scorsese's film, "Killers of the Flower Moon."

TELEVISION - From THR:  The site offers a review of "The Last Dance," ESPN's 10-part documentary TV series about Michael Jordan and the NBA's Chicago Bulls.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has cancelled its Sunday night TV series, "God Friended Me" after two seasons.  The two-hour series finale will be broadcast Sunday, April 26th.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures is still collecting data, but it expects a record-setting digital rental weekend for "Trolls: World Tour."  The DreamWorks Animation film was #1 on all on-demand platforms.

MOVIES - From VanityFair:  The magazine has a first look at Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet as "Paul Atreides" in director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming "Dune."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney is in early development of a live-action/CG-hybrid of its animated film, "Robin Hood" (1973).  Carlos Lopez Estrada ("Blindspotting") will direct.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson talks about a "Hobbs & Shaw" sequel and about losing out of "Jack Reacher" to Tom Cruise.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Award-winning film, television, and stage actor, Brian Dennehy, has died at the age of 81, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, of cardiac arrest.  Dennehy is best known for his appearances in such films as "First Blood" (1982) and "Tommy Boy" (1995).  He won the Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Play," including for 1999 revival of the play, "Death of a Salesman."

From Heavy:  Prolific Japanese voice actor Keiji Fujiwara has died at the age of 55, Sunday, April 12, 2020 of cancer.  Fujiwara was a voice actor in numerous Japanese anime film ("Crayon Shin-chan" franchise) and television series ("Fullmetal Alchemist," "Kingdom Hearts") and video games ("Final Fantasy" franchise).  He also provided the Japanese dub for numerous English-language live-action movies.  He was most notably the Japanese voice dub for actor Robert Downey, Jr., providing the Japanese voice for Downey's "Tony Stark/Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes."

From CNN:  American actor and animation voice actor, Danny Goldman, has died at the age of 80, Monday, April 12, 2020, has died from complications of two strokes he suffered earlier this year.  Goldman is best known for being the voice of "Brainy Smurf" on NBC's Saturday morning animation series, "The Smurfs" (1981 to 1989).  His most memorable scene in a movie was as an annoying medical student vexing Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (1974).

From BleacherReport:  Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has died at the age of 36, Sunday, April 12, 2020 in a single-car crash.  Jackson played in the NFL from 2006 to 2015.  It was during his second stint with the Seattle Seahawks (2013-2015) that he was a member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII (#48 held on Feb. 2nd, 2014) championship team.  Since 2019, he had been a quarterbacks coach with Tennessee State University.

From CNN:   American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman, philanthropist, and advocate of African-American businesses, Earl G. Graves, Sr., has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020 of complications from Alzheimer's disease.  Graves was best known for founding "Black Enterprise" magazine, which was founded to focus on Black entrepreneurs and Black businesses.

BET Announces "What to Watch on BET"

What to Watch on BET, BET+ and BET Digital

Week of Thursday, March 19 - Wednesday, March 25, 2020

“TYLER PERRY’S RUTHLESS” PREMIERED MARCH 19 ON BET+. First three episodes, of the one-hour drama, are available now with new episodes launching every Thursday.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--What to watch across all BET platforms the week of March 19- 25, 2020, including “Tyler Perry’s Ruthless” on the premium streaming service BET+, New episodes of “Tyler Perry’s Sistas,” “Twenties” and “Boomerang” on BET, “Being” on BET Her, “Finding” on BET’s YouTube Channel and more.

WHAT-TO-WATCH SPOTLIGHT

“TYLER PERRY’S RUTHLESS” PREMIERED MARCH 19 ON BET+
#Ruthless @RuthlessBETplus

“TYLER PERRY’S RUTHLESS,” a spin-off of the hit television series “Tyler Perry’s The Oval,” tells the riveting story of a woman named Ruth who kidnaps her young daughter to join her in the dark underworld of a fanatical religious cult. “TYLER PERRY’S RUTHLESS” is the first new original series from Tyler Perry to stream on BET+, a joint venture between BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios. First three episodes, of the one-hour drama, are available now with new episodes launching every Thursday. “TYLER PERRY’S RUTHLESS” stars Melissa L. Williams, Matt Cedeño, Lenny D. Thomas, Yvonne Senat Jones, Baadja-Lyne Odums, Jaime Callica, Nirine S. Brown, Blue Kimble, Stephanie Charles, Hervé Clermont, Anthony Bless, and Bobbi Baker. “TYLER PERRY’S RUTHLESS” is executive produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. Michelle Sneed also served as Executive Producer of the series for Tyler Perry Studios.

“BEING” SEASON SEVEN AIRS SATURDAYS AT 10: 00 PM ET/PT ON BET HER @BETHerTV

Season seven of BET Her hit docu-series, “BEING,” returns to chronicle the lives of dynamic African American women and their intimate stories of struggle, perseverance, and success in the entertainment industry. Each one-hour episode will highlight one of music and entertainment's most compelling figures, featuring never-before-seen photos, videos, revealing interviews and more. This season will document the lives of Deborah Cox, Arlan Hamilton, Angela Yee, Yandy Smith and Kemba Smith. “Being: Angela Yee” premiered Saturday, March 21, 2020.

“TYLER PERRY’S SISTAS” AIRS WEDNESDAYS AT 9:00 PM ET/PT ON BET & BET HER
#SistasOnBET

Episode #121 “From The Balcony” airs Wednesday, March 25- The dating game has Danni at a disadvantage when her feelings get the best of her. Andi tries to be strong for Gary. Karen stands strong on her principles. Sabrina opens up in the midst of a tragedy.

“TYLER PERRY’S SISTAS” follows a group of single black females as they navigate their “complicated love lives,” careers and friendships through the ups-and-downs of living in a modern world of social media and unrealistic relationship goals. The one-hour drama takes viewers on a roller coaster ride of emotions and hilarious moments that are the epitome of #squadgoals. KJ Smith, Mignon, Ebony Obsidian, Novi Brown, DeVale Ellis, Chido Nwokocha, Anthony Dalton, Brian Jordan Jr., and Kevin A. Walton star in “TYLER PERRY’S SISTAS.

“TWENTIES” AIRS WEDNESDAYS AT 10:00 PM ET/PT ON BET & BET HER
#TwentiesOnBET

Episode #105 “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” airs Wednesday, March 25- A earthquake shakes up the girls’ relationships. Marie becomes wary of Chuck when a night watching porn together goes awry. Hattie grows more fond of Ida when tasked with sorting her old manuscripts, leading to a heart-to-heart that proves both intimate and endearing. The episode features guest appearances by Sean “Big Sean” Anderson and NBA Player Iman Schumpert.

“TWENTIES,” from Executive Producer and Creator Lena Waithe, centers around a screenwriter, Hattie, and her girlfriends Marie and Nia as they pursue their dreams and love, while testing the limits of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” in Los Angeles. While they live separate lives, the girls lean on each other for guidance as they navigate their twenties. Jonica T. Gibbs, Christina Elmore, and Gabrielle Graham star in “TWENTIES.” Lena Waithe executive produced with Susan Fales-Hill, who co-show ran with Waithe. Rishi Rajani and Andrew Coles also executive produced. Justin Tipping directed the pilot, and, also executive produced

“BOOMERANG” AIRS WEDNESDAYS AT 10:30 PM ET/PT ON BET & BET HER
#BoomerangOnBET

Episode #203 “Don’t Wanna Love You” airs Wednesday, March 25- - The powers of influence are explored when social media influencer, Tia, lands a high-paying one-night gig at a strip club while David comes under the influence of a new megachurch. The episode will feature a guest appearance by Jaleel White.

Executive Produced by Lena Waithe and Halle Berry, “BOOMERANG” is a half-hour subversive, smart, serialized comedy, fueled by romance, friendship, gender politics, love, and of course, sex. Starring Brittany Inge, Tetona Jackson, Leland Martin, Lala Milan, Tequan Richmond and RJ Walker, the series follows a group of childhood friends who are looking to make their own mark in the world…all while navigating their feelings for each other

Following are some of the week’s additional highlights on BET:

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

“BLACK-ISH” MARATHON STARTING AT NOON ET/PT— Starring Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown, Marsai Martin, Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis, Jeff Meacham, Peter Mackenzie, and Deon Cole.

“TYLER PERRY’S DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN” at 5:30 PM ET/PT – Starring Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, Cicely Tyson, and Tyler Perry.

“ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS” at 8:30 PM ET/PT— Starring Mike Epps, Ice Cube, and Eva Mendes.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

“RAY” AT 4:30 PM ET/PT – Starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, and Regina King.

“DJANGO UNCHAINED” AT 8:00 PM ET/PT– Starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

“TYLER PERRY’S THE FAMILY THAT PREYS” AT 6:00 PM ET/PT– Starring Tyler Perry, Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan, Kathy Bates, and Taraji P. Henson.

“STOMP THE YARD” AT 9:00 PM ET/PT – Starring Columbus Short, Meagan Good, Ne-Yo, Darrin Henson, Laz Alonso, Valarie Pettiford, and Chris Brown.

MONDAY, MARCH 23

“TYLER PERRY'S TEMPTATION: CONFESSIONS OF A MARRIAGE COUNSELOR” AT 6:00 PM ET/PT– Starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Lance Gross, Brandy Norwood, Vanessa Williams, Robbie Jones, and Kim Kardashian.

TUESDAY, MARCH 24

“TYLER PERRY’S MEET THE BROWNS” AT 9:00 PM ET/PT – Starring David Mann, Tamela Mann, Tyler Perry, Lamman Rucker, LaVan Davis, Rick Fox, Chloe Bailey, Angela Bassett, Lance Gross, and Sofia Vergara.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

“TYLER PERRY’S SISTAS” AT 9:00 PM ET/PT ON BET & BET HER.*

“TWENTIES” AT 10:00 PM ET/PT ON BET & BET HER.*

“BOOMERANG” AT 10:30 PM ET/PT ON BET & BET HER.*

**Descriptions are listed above under “What To Watch” Spotlight section.

Following are additional highlights now streaming on BET+:

To subscribe to BET+ visit https://www.BET.com/BETPlus

“FIRST WIVES CLUB” ON BET+
#FirstWivesTV @FirstWivesclub

After neglecting their friendship, best friends Ari (Ryan Michelle Bathe), Hazel (Jill Scott) and Bree (Michelle Buteau) reunite to help each other through rough patches in their lives. Together, they navigate music superstar Hazel's tabloid-ridden divorce, campaign manager Ari's unsatisfying marriage to her political candidate husband, and orthopedic surgeon Bree's cheating husband. Tired of always being the ones to make sacrifices in their lives, Ari, Hazel and Bree vow to prioritize their friendship and have more fun. Along the way, the women learn that as long as they have each other, there's nothing they can't do. The 9-episode, half-hour, scripted series, “First Wives Club,” is based on the popular 1996 film from Paramount Pictures, which featured Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, and Goldie Hawn. Executive produced and written by Tracy Oliver, writer for the box office hit, "Girls Trip."

“BIGGER” on BET+
#BiggerOnBET

“BIGGER,” a half-hour scripted comedy starring Tanisha Long, Angell Conwell, Rasheda Crockett, Chase Anthony, and Tristen Winger, takes place in the East Atlanta neighborhood, Little Five Points. The series follows a single-black-woman who is dealing with the threat of marriage to a boring-in-bed boyfriend and the sudden, random death of a college acquaintance. The tragedy drives her ambitious group of friends to take a deeper look at their stagnant lives, asking themselves— is there something bigger and better in life. The first three episodes of the series will be made available at launch with additional new episodes rolling out on a weekly basis. “BIGGER” was created by Felisha Marye and executive produced by Will Packer and Devon Shepard, who also served as the showrunner.

“SACRIFICE” on BET+
#SacrificeFilm

BET+’s new original movie “SACRIFICE” starring Paula Patton (“Hitch,” “Precious”), takes place in Los Angeles following Daniella Hernandez, played by Patton, a highly sought-after entertainment lawyer. The legal thriller tracks Daniella as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients. Daniella has a reputation that proves problematic to LA Law enforcement, forcing her to be at odds with her sorority sister turned nemesis District Attorney Beverly Rucker. In an attempt to protect her often unscrupulous clients, Daniella enlists the services of her resourceful assistant and a young ex-hacker and tech genius. “SACRIFICE” is executive produced, written, and directed by Chris Stokes. Marques Houston also serves as the film’s co-executive producer for Footage Films. For images, bios and additional show assets go to: https://www.betpressroom.com/program/sacrifice/

“AMERICAN GANGSTER: TRAP QUEENS” on BET+
#AmericanGangster

An adaption of the groundbreaking, critically acclaimed television version American Gangster, “AMERICAN GANGSTER: TRAP QUEENS” will give audiences a look into the lives and trials of some of America’s most notorious female gangsters. Each episode employs first-person accounts from the women themselves and cinematic re-creations to give viewers a fully immersed experience into the twisted criminal lives they led.

“DARK MONEY” on BET+
#DarkMoney

“DARK MONEY” tells the fictional story of the Mensahs, an ordinary working-class family from North London whose youngest son, Isaac (Max Fincham), upon returning home from filming a major Hollywood movie, shatters the family’s world when he reveals he was abused by a renowned filmmaker while abroad. The four-part BET+ original explores the impossible set of decisions and the consequences that follow when Issac’s parents, Manny (Babou Ceesay) and Sam Mensah’s (Jill Halfpenny) decide to accept a substantial pay-off in return for their silence. A timely and relevant story about the struggle to heal, protect those you love, and seek justice in the face of unfathomable trauma; attempting to answer the question “what is the real cost of silence?”

“PREACHER LAWSON: GET TO KNOW ME” ON BET+
#GetToKnowMe

In BET+’s first original comedy special, “PREACHER LAWSON: GET TO KNOW ME,” Preacher offers a hilarious spin on his life experiences, including his run on American’s Got Talent, and his ongoing life struggles with kitten allergies, veganism, and cold weather-induced ashiness. The hour-long special is now available exclusively through BET’s new streaming service. Filmed at the renowned Vic Theatre in Chicago, “GET TO KNOW ME” is directed by Brian Volk-Weiss, and produced by Comedy Dynamics, A Nacelle Company, the team behind dozens of Grammy award-winning comedy programs, as well as platinum-level specials like Ali Wong’s Baby Cobra and Tiffany Haddish’s She Ready: From The Hood To Hollywood.

Additionally, the first twelve episodes of season one of “TYLER PERRY’S THE OVAL,” original film “INFLUENCE,” thousands of TV episodes and movies from the best Black creators are available to stream now exclusively on BET+, all in one place, commercial-free.

Following are additional digital highlights to read and watch on BET Digital:

“FINDING”
#FindingBET

BET’s original music series, “FINDING,” based on the long-lost talents of the ‘90s and early 2000s industry scene highlight hit-makers prepared to peel back the layers of their rise to stardom and rewinding to R&B and hip-hop’s prized era. “FINDING,” season 2 features Lil’ Zane, Chingy, Nicole Wray, Case, Young Bloodz, Murphy Lee and more. Watch and share Lil’ Zane’s episode now at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31CP7rM6i70&list=PLJHDZGUl8IlqTLU_4oJD8MIZPrqHYMz9k

“THE KICK-BACK COUCH: TWENTIES”
A rotating list of guests, including everyone from some of your internet faves to weekly home-viewers, jump in for a hilarious weekly reaction/recap video covering the latest episode of Lena Waithe’s “TWENTIES.” Watch and share the link below: https://www.bet.com/shows/twenties/the-kickback-couch.html

“BOOMERANG” AFTERSHOW:
In a funny and occasionally over-the-top recap series, Lena Waithe catches up with the breakout stars of her hit show “BOOMERANG” to get their reactions and in-depth character analysis on situations in the show. Click and share the link below: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2745788722185236

“BET BUZZ”: 5 daily topical news and entertainment videos

BET Digital launched a new daily video series highlighting the trending topics of the day. From celebrity news and election insights to COVID-19 updates, BET.com has you covered. Watch and share the link below:

    Zion Williamson Vows to Help Arena Workers:
    https://www.bet.com/video/news/bet-buzz/zion-williamson-vows-to-help-arena-workers.html

“106&PARK: MIC CHECK”

BET relaunches the beloved music franchise with a new weekly video series featuring music artists answering social media questions from their fans. Watch and share the links below featuring Masego:

    BET.com - https://www.bet.com/video/amplified/season-1/exclusives/masego-106-and-park-mic-check.html
    BET YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1nvbxURcgo&t=18s

Glam Gap

Exploring influencers in the style, beauty, and lifestyle space, BET.com launched their weekly Glam Gap video series featuring Honey Pot founder Beatrice Dixon discussing her startup journey and the positive response she received after the backlash to her Black History Month ad for Target. Watch and share the links below:

    BET Her YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr9-SeRccYg&t=34s
    BET.com – https://www.bet.com/video/the-glam-gap/season-1/full-episodes/the-glam-gap-episode-103.html

#ReclaimYourVote: Mike Bloomberg interview

BET Digital traveled to Washington, DC to interview Democratic presidential Mike Bloomberg about his plan to address the concerns of the American-American voters prior to dropping out of the campaign race. Watch and share the links below:

    Full interview on BET YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avBTUO8XhTA
    Full interview on BET.com - https://www.bet.com/video/news/politics/2020/bloomberg-discusses-his-economic-plan-for-black-america.html
    BET writeup: https://www.bet.com/news/national/2020/03/03/candidate-michael-bloomberg-on-his-economic-plan-for-black-ameri.html

Black Women’s History Month Trading Cards

To celebrate the accomplishments of Black women during Women’s History Month, BET Digital launched a series of beautifully designed trading cards highlighting the achievements of actresses, influencers, startup founders and more.


About BET
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), 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 is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including 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.

ABOUT BET+
BET+ is a premium online streaming service with exclusive originals and thousands of TV episodes and movies from the best Black creators. A joint venture between BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios, BET+ allows users to stream Black culture including hit movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy, award shows, and specials, all in one place, commercial free. The new service from BET Networks, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., is the official home of Tyler Perry’s film, TV and stage works. The ad-free subscription video-on-demand service also provides users with access to original content from the likes of Will Packer, Tracy Oliver and many more. Visit BET.com/BETPlus to learn more.

About BET Digital
BET Digital is the interactive arm of BET, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) and the preeminent provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs initiatives for the consumers of African-American culture. BET.com, the premier online destination managed by BET Digital, is a leading Internet source for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news. Other divisions managed by BET Digital portfolio include BET Mobile, which provides apps, ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; BET.com/BETHer the online extension for the 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Video On Demand (VOD), one of the largest On Demand service providing African-American content; and the BET Vertical Ad Network, a leading advertising network targeting the high quality consumers of African-American culture with more than 150 content publishers.

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