Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Dec. 1st to 9th, 2023 - Update #24

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Director Denis Villeneuve says that there are "words on paper" for a Dune Part Three.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The site has a first-look at "Hurricanna," a biopic about the late TV personality, model, "Playboy Magazine" centerfold, and actress, Anna Nicole Smith.  The project is currently filming.

From Deadline:  A heist moving starring Ryan Reynolds is a hot pitch.  There reportedly seven "big bids" for what is being described as a high-concept ensemble action comedy.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  The third season of Max's "And Just Like That" (a follow-up to "Sex in the City") will arrive in 2025.

MUSIC - From Time:  Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Taylor Swift, has been named "Time" magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2023.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  The Eddie Murphy Christmas-themed holiday movie, Candy Cane Lane, is is the number one film globally on Prime Video.  It is also Amazon MGM Studios is the most watched film.  "Candy Cane Lane" debuted Dec. 1st.

From Deadline:  Prime Video has lined up an all-star guest cast for its eight-episode series, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine and based on the 2005 Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie action comedy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.  Newly announced guests include Sarah Paulson, Ron Perlman, and Alexander Skarsgard, to name a few.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx makes his first public appearance since his "medical event" back in April (2023). Foxx attended Critics Choice Association's "Celebration of Cinema and Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements" where he received the "Vanguard Award" for his performance in director Maggie Betts' 2023 legal drama, "The Burial."

MOVIES - From Showbiz411:  The recent Barbie, Margot Robbie, and Ken, Ryan Gosling, will reunite for an "Ocean's 11" prequel.  Robbie and Gosling will play the parents of Danny Ocean of the George Clooney trilogy: Ocean's 11, 12, and 13.  They will also be the parents of Debbie Ocean of "Ocean's 8," of which I am not that familiar, so Debbie is apparently Danny's sister.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Ryan Murphy will reunite with one of his "American Horror Story: Delicate" stars, Kim Kardashian, for a "high-end, glossy and sexy adult procedural" set in Los Angeles. The series is bound for Hulu.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/1 to 12/3/2023 weekend box office is AMC Theatres Distribution/Variance' "Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce" with an estimated take of 21 million dollars.

From Variety:  With its gross now north of 14.36 million dollars, "Godzilla Minus One" is now the highest-grossing live-action movie in North America.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  HBO Films has optioned the rights to Mark Chiusano’s new book, "The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos" (which was published on November 28, 2023), as part of its plan to develop a film about disgraced former U.S. Congressman, George Santos.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon has renewed "Jack Reacher" for a third season, although Season 2 doesn't make its debut until Dec. 15th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  HBO has released the first teaser trailer for "House of the Dragon" Season 2, along with some information on new cast members and plenty of first-look images from the upcoming season.  The new season is set for Summer 2024.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  If you want to read the "Killers of the Flower Moon" screenplay, Deadline has a copy.

DISNEY - From Variety:  James Cameron says "Avatar 3" is in a hectic two years of post-production and is due Christmas 2025.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Ryan O'Neal, has died at the age of 82, Friday, December 8, 2023.  He received a "Best Actor" Oscar nomination for his role in the 1970 romance, "Love Story."  His other most famous films include "What's Up, Doc" (1970), "Paper Moon" (1973), "Barry Lyndon" (1975), and "The Main Event" (1979), to name a few. Before he took up acting, O'Neal was an amateur boxer.

From Deadline:  Television writer and producer, Norman Lear, has died at the age of 101, Tuesday, December 5, 2023.  TV pioneer, icon, and legend, Lear produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 TV shows.  His best known TV work occurred in the 1970s and include "All in the Family" (1971-79), "Maude" (1972-78), "Sanford and Son" (1972-77), "The Jeffersons" (1975-85), and "Good Times" (1974-79), to name a few.  He was nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards and won six, including the three he won for "All in the Family" as "Outstanding Series - Comedy."  Lear was also known for his political activism and support of liberal causes and politicians and for founding the advocacy organization, "People for the American Way."

From Deadline:  In a photo gallery, the site offers "Norman Lear's Career in Pictures."

From Deadline:  English rock musician, guitarist, and songwriter, Denny Laine, has died at the age of 79, Tuesday, December 5, 2023.  Laine was a rounding member of the English rock band, "The Moody Blues," with who he performed from 1964 to 1966. In 1971, he joined Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney to form "Wings" (also known as "Paul McCartney and Wings"). He remained with the band until it disbanded in 1981.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Class of 2018 - as a member of The Moody Blues.  Laine received four Grammy Award nominations as a member of Wings and won two of them.

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AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 23rd to 31st, 2023 - Update #27

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

ACADEMY AWARD - From Deadline:  The story of Orson Welles' "Best Screenplay" Oscar(s) of "Citizen Kane" and the attempts to auction them.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/28 to 7/30/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 93 million dollars.

STAR TREK - From ScreenRant:  On directing the "Star Trek: Discovery" finale, "Star Trek" legend, Jonathan Frakes, said, "We didn't know it was the end."

From Variety:  Jonathan Frakes, a "Star Trek" legend, talks about directing the season/series finale of "Star Trek: Discovery" and about the "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds-Star Trek: Lower Decks" crossover.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  NBC's long-running daytime soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," which now streams on NBCUniversal's "Peacock" platform, is on an unplanned hiatus due to a scandal.  Thirty to forty people, most women, have accused longtime co-executive producer/director Albert Alarr of inappropriate comments and conduct. The series will remain on hiatus at least until August 7th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump's $475 million defamation suit against CNN.  The Dumpster had argued that CNN's use of the term, "the Big Lie," to describe his lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him were defamatory.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Seann William Scott has revealed that he made $8000 for his role in the surprise hit teen sex comedy, "American Pie" (1999).

ANIMATION - From TheFilmStage:   Japanese director of animated films, Hayao Miyazaki, has seen the release of his latest (and last film), "How Do You Live?"  It is scheduled to be released later this year under the title, "The Boy and Heron." "The Film Stage" has a two clips of the film's theme song, "Spinning Globe," written and performed by Japanese musician, Kenshi Yonezu.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Kevin Spacey has been acquitted of all nine sex crime charges he was facing at Southwar Crown Court in London.  The charges were the results of accusation from four men who alleged abuse occurring in a period beginning in 2001 and ending in 2013.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Carlos Macci is the 72-year-old man who sold the late actor, Michael K. Williams, a fatal dose of fentanyl. A Manhattan judge sentenced Macci to 2.5 years in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first year spent as an inpatient at drug treatment facility.  Williams ("The Wire," "Boardwalk Empire") was found dead in his Brooklyn home in 2021.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the first "localized" version of iconic MGM cartoon, "Tom and Jerry."  The famous cat and mouse duo take their cartoon rivalry and adventures to Singapore in a series produced locally in Asia and will premiere on Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific and HBO Go in Southeast Asia.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announces the first 60 films that will screen at the festival.  The total number is expected to exceed 200. The festival will run from Thurs., Sept. 7th to Sun., Sept. 17th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival has announced its full lineup of films being screened, including those being shown "in competition" and those "Out of Competition."  The festival runs from August 30th, to September 9th, 2023.  Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle is jury president.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/21 to 7/23/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 155 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" (collectively known as "Barbenheimer") had a combined domestic opening weekend box office of 235.5 million dollars and a combined global debut of 511 million dollars.  They set numerous records, including that this is the first time one film had a debut of 100M+ and another 50M+ in the same weekend.

From Variety:  "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig makes history as "Barbie" has the biggest opening weekend ever ($155 million) for a female director.

From Deadline:  Greta Gerwig resisted orders to remove a scene in the new movie, "Barbie," that features Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, sitting on a bench next to an older woman.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From CBR:  Actor-writer-director, Kenneth Branagh, returns as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot for a third time in "A Haunting in Venice."  The film, which is due in theaters Sept. 15th, has its first official trailer.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  James Cameron, the director of the "Avatar" films said he warned us about AI (artificial intelligence) back in 1984 with his film, "The Terminator." "I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen," Cameron told Canada's CTV News.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Actor, comedian, writer, and children's entertainer, Paul Reubens, has died at the age of 70, Sunday, July 30, 2023.  Reubens is best known for his character, "Pee-wee Herman."  As Herman, Reubens starred in two films, director Tim Burton's breakthrough film, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (1985), and the 1988 sequel, "Big Top Pee-wee."  Reubens also starred as Pee-wee in the former CBS children's comedy television series, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986-90).  The series won 15 of the almost 60 Daytime Emmy Award nominations it received over its run, including two wins for Reuben himself.  He was also nominated for 3 Primetime Emmy Awards.  As an actor, Reubens also appeared in such films as "Batman Returns" (1992), "Mystery Men" (1999), and "Blow" (2001).

From Variety:  Musician and singer-songwriter, Randy Meisner, has died at the age of 77, Wednesday, July 26, 2023.  Meisner was best known as one of the four co-founding members of the seminal rock band, "The Eagles."  Meisner was primarily the band's bassist and back-up high-harmony vocalist, but he sang lead on the band's 1975 hit single, "Take it to the Limit," which he also co-wrote with bandmates, Don Henley and Glenn Frey.  Meisner quit the Eagles in 1977. With them, he won three Grammy Awards and received five more Grammy nominations.

From THR:  Film and television writer, Bo Goldman, has died at the age of 90, Tuesday, July 25, 2023.  He won a "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar for the film, "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" (1975) and a "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar for the film, "Melvin and Howard" (1980). He also received a "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar nomination for the film, "Scent of a Woman" (1992).

From Deadline:  Irish singer, musician, and recording artist, Sinead O'Connor, has died at the age of 56, found Wednesday, July 26, 2023, cause of death currently unknown.  She was a seven-time Grammy Award nominee, winning once.  She recorded 10 studio albums with the first two, "The Lion and the Cobra" (1987) and "I Do Now Want What I Haven't Got" (1990)," being the most successful.  The latter contained her "Billboard Hot 100" number one hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U," a remake of a song written by Prince.

From Deadline:  Walt Disney animator, Randy Fullmer, has died at the age of 73, Monday, July 10, 2023.  Fullmer's specialty as Disney was visual effects animation, which he performed on such films as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), "The Little Mermaid" (1989), and "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), to name a few. Fullmer also produced "The Emperor's New Groove" (2000) and "Chicken Little" (2005).

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

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

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 22nd to 31st, 2023 - Update #26

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

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

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

STREAMING - From Deadline:  FX has cancelled its "Hulu" series, "Kindred," after one season.  The time-traveling drama is based on the novel by the late Octavia E. Butler.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of 1/27 to 1/29/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" with an estimated 15.7 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

SUNDANCE - From Deadline:   The 2023 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled its Jury and Audience Award winners for 2023.  Focus Features' "A Thousand and One" has won the "Grand Jury Prize."  "The Persian Version" won the "Audience Award."

TELEVISON - From Deadline:  HBO has renewed its hot horror drama, the videogame adapation, "The Last of Us," for a second season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  In the wake of his hit biopic, "Elvis," receiving eight Oscar nominations, director Baz Luhrmann sighs a "first-look" deal with Warner Bros Pictures.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" has announced that it has ended its association with Justin Roiland, co-creator of "Rick and Morty."  Roiland is facing two felony counts related to domestic violence in Orange County, CA.  The series will continue under the watch of the series' other co-creator, Dan Harmon, with the characters Roiland voiced, being recast.

From Variety:  20th Television Animation and Hulu Originals have announced that they have also ended their association with Justin Roiland.  Thus, he has been dropped for the animated series, "Solar Opposites," which he co-created, and the Aussie-animated, "Koala Man," which he executive produces.

From WeGotThisCovered:  No voice actor or creator is bigger than his character.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with 11 nominations.

From THR:  Malaysian acting icon, Michelle Yeoh, has become the first "Best Actress" Oscar nominee (for her role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once") to identify as Asian.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Franchise star, Brendan Fraser, stunned fans of his hit series, "The Mummy" (1999), and its sequel, "The Mummy Returns" (2011), by making an appearance at a screening of the two films in London.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS is giving its Monday night sitcom, "The Neighborhood," a sixth season renewal for the 2023-24 broadcast season.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/20 to 1/22/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" for an estimated take of 19.6 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

From Variety:  "Avatar: The Way of Water" crosses the 2 billion dollar-mark in worldwide box office, becoming the sixth film to do so.  James Cameron has directed three of the films that have done so, including the original "Avatar" and "Titanic" (1997).

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The current season of CBS' long-running drama, "NCIS: Los Angeles" (Season 14), will be its last.  The finale is set for May 14, 2023.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The actress, Lisa Loring, has died at the age of 64, Saturday, January 28, 2023.  She was best known for her work as a child actress, playing "Wednesday Addams" on the former ABC sitcom, "The Addams Family" (1964-66).

From Variety:  Film and television actress and film producer, Cindy Williams, has died at the age of 75, Wednesday, January 25, 2023.  Williams was best known for the role of "Shirley Feeney," on the late ABC sitcom, "Laverne & Shirley" (1976-82), with the late Penny Marshall playing "Laverne DeFazio."  Williams and Marshall also appeared as the characters in five episodes of the late ABC sitcom, "Happy Days."  Williams also appeared in the 1973 film, "American Graffiti," and its 1979 sequel, "More American Graffiti."  After "Laverne and Shirley," Williams had many starring, recurring, and guest roles on numerous TV series.

From Deadline:  Former child actor, Lance Kerwin, has died at the age of 65, Tuesday, January 24, 2023.  Kerwin shot to fame in the late 1970s as a teen actor.  He starred in "The Loneliest Runner," a 1976 semi-autobiographical made-for-TV movies written and directed by Michael Landon ("Bonanza," "Little House on the Prairie").  Kerwin starred in NBC's controversial drama, "James at 15" (1977-78), and also starred in the TV movies, "James at 15" (1977) the preceded it.  Kerwin also starred in the 1979, two-episode TV miniseries, "Salem's Lot," an adaptation of Stephen King's 1975 novel of the same name.

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AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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TYRE NICHOLS:

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

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

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 1st to 7th, 2023 - Update #11

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From BBC:  Authorities in Iran have released prominent actress, Taraneh Alidoosti, who had been held in prison since mid-December for expressing solidarity with anti-government protestors.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Paul Mescal is in negotiations to play the lead in director Ridley Scott's sequel to his 2000 "Best Picture" Oscar winner, "Gladiator."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Oscar and Tony-nominated actress, Ruth Negga, will join Jake Gyllenhaal in Apple TV+'s "Presumed Innocent."  A miniseries, it is based on Scott Turow's 1987 novel, "Presumed Innocent," which first adapted as a 1990 film starring Harrison Ford and Bonnie Bedelia.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Lifetime's docu-series "Surviving R. Kelly" has new details on a nondisclosure agreement concerning the controversial and illegal marriage between Grammy-winning singer-songwriter convict, R. Kelly, and the late singer-actress, Aaliyah.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Paramount Network has announced that "Yellowstone" is returning for a Season Five ... at some point.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Thanks to the power of "Avatar: The Way of Water," The Walt Disney Company rule the domestic box office for 2022 with 2 billion dollars and the international box office for 2022 with 2.9 billion dollars for a worldwide total of 4.9 billion dollars.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From ABCNews:  Oscar-nominated actor, Jeremy Renner, is in "critical but stable condition" after a snow plowing accident in Reno, Nevada.  Renner is best known for playing Clint Barton/Hawkeye in several movies and a streaming series for Marvel Studios.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/30/22 to 1/1/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" with an estimated take of 63.4 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  James Cameron says that he "mourns" all the projects that he cannot work on because of his commitment to the "Avatar" series.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The rapper, Gangsta Boo, has died at the age of 43, Sunday, January 1, 2023.  Born Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, Boo was the second female member of the hip hop group, "Three 6 Mafia," and appeared on six of their LPs before leaving the group in 2002.  She also released three solo albums and at least 10 mixtapes from 2006 to 2018.

From Deadline:  Singer-songwriter and vocalist, Anita Pointer, has died at the age of 74, Saturday, December 31, 2022, after a battle with cancer.  Anita was a founding member of the vocal group, "The Pointer Sisters," along with her sisters, Bonnie and June.  As a member of the group, Anita was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards and won three.  In 1987, Anita released a solo album, "Love for What it Is."

AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

Review: "AVATAR: The Way of Water" is Indeed Too Long, But it is Never Boring

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 of 2023 (No. 1890) by Leroy Douresseaux

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Running time:  192 minutes (3 hours, 12 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language

DIRECTOR:  James Cameron

WRITERS:  James Cameron and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver; from a story by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno

PRODUCERS:  James Cameron and Jon Landau 

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  James Cameron, John Refoua, Stephen Rivkin, and David Brenner

COMPOSER:  Simon Franglen

SCI-FI/FANTASY, ADVENTURE, DRAMA/WAR

Starring:  Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans Jr., Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald

Avatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 science fiction-fantasy, action-adventure, drama and war film from director James Cameron.  It is a direct sequel to the 2009 film, Avatar.  In The Way of Water, the world of Pandora is under renewed threat from human invaders, forcing Na'vi Jake Sully to seek refuge for his family with a new tribe.

Avatar: The Way of Water opens on the habitable moon, Pandora (one of several moons orbiting a gas giant planet), a decade after the events of the original film.  The former human who led the Na'vi fight that expelled the humans, Na'vi Jake Sulley (Sam Worthington), is now chief of the Na'vi “Omaticaya” clan.  He raises a family with his mate, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), that includes sons, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo'ak (Britain Dalton); daughter, Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss); and two adopted children.  They are a human boy named “Spider” (Jack Champion) and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), a girl who was born from the inert avatar of Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), the late scientist who sided with Jake Sulley in his first battle with the humans.

However, to the dismay of the Na'vi, the human corporation, Resources Development Administration (RDA), has returned to Pandora.  This time, RDA wants to prepare Pandora as a new home for humanity because the Earth is dying.  RDA has even created new combatants, called “recombinants,” which are Na'vi avatars implanted with the minds and memories of human soldiers killed in the first conflict with the Na'vi.  One of them is Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), Jake and Neytiri's greatest human enemy and now leaders of the recombinants.

A year after the return, there is a confrontation between Jake's forces and Quaritch's forces.  Jake realizes that the RDA has made him, as a former human soldier and traitor, the focus of their mission.  To protect the Omaticaya clan, Jake and his family go into exile and retreat to the sea islands in hope of finding refuge with the “Metkayina” reef people.  The family struggles to adjust to the new home, especially the children who are coming of age.  And recombinant Quaritch and his squad are still hunting Jake, and they are willing to do anything to capture him.

When I reviewed the first Avatar film, I wrote that “Avatar is everything good that you have heard about it and more.”  I can say the same for Avatar: The Way of Water, although I will not say it with the same intensity as other film critics and film reviewers.  Some people seem to enter a kind of state of ecstasy when they talk about The Way of Water.  I am not that crazy about it.  Let us see how simply I can explain this.

When I first saw the original Avatar in theaters, I was blown away.  It was like nothing that I'd ever seen before then.  It was an epic science fiction film set on a strange new world, full of incredible creatures and environments.  Plus, Avatar has a great group of villains in the form of the invading humans.  However, as crazy as I was about it then, I have never watched the film in its entirety since.  I can't make myself interested in even watching sections of the film.

Avatar: The Way of Water is full of wonderful new characters, new environments, and a strange new tribe, living in a water world of amazing creatures.  I am impressed by how many intriguing new characters James Cameron and his co-writers have created for this film.  But, as good as the film is, I am not “blown away” by it.  I don't find it remotely as interesting as I found the first Avatar.  However, like the first film, James Cameron does quite a bit of skewering of colonialism and militarism and of toxic wealth and capitalism.

Avatar: The Way of Water is a great, big science fiction epic full of fantastic visual special effects and CGI (computer-generated images).  The motion-capture CGI that creates the Na'vi still makes the characters look and move awkwardly in some instances, but that does not ruin the characters.  Also, despite what some are saying, I did not find the first two hours of this three-hour plus film boring.  Yes, the last third of this movie is at least an hour of great, great action, but the first two hours also offer some thrilling and riveting action, engaging character drama, and eye-popping exploration of the reef world of the Metkayina.

Still, for me, the Avatar thrill left a long time ago, and Avatar: The Way of Water does not make it return.  I think it is a really good film, but not a great film.  But, hey, it might “blow you away,” dear readers.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, January 1, 2023

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 10th, 2022 - Update #21

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 and one of its biggest content providers, Warner Bros. Discovery, may be head for a streaming war due to the unhappiness of the latter's CEO David Zaslav.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Scream 6" cast member Melissa Barrera says that the upcoming horror flick is "100 times gorier" than any previous entry in the franchise.

SCANDAL - From EW:  Grammy Award winning recording artist, Celine Dion, has revealed that she has a rare neurological disorder, "stiff-person syndrome," that will leave her rigid and suffering spasms in her torso and limbs.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Jennifer Lawrence says that the biggest reaction to her being cast in "The Hunger Games" was "how much weight is she going to lose."

MOVIES - From Variety:  There is a first-look image of Robert Pattinson in Oscar-winner Bong Joon Ho's ("Parasite") next film "Mickey 17.  The film is not due until March 29, 2024.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Robert Downey, Jr. talks about "Sr.," a Netflix documentary film about his late father, the filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Disgraced Oscar-winning film producer and former studio executive, Harvey Weinstein, has abnormal testicles, as they reside in his inner thighs.  That and more tidbits from his rape trial in Los Angeles.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 12/2 to 12/4/2022 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" with an estimated take of 17.5 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

SPORTS - From Deadline:  Soccer great and sometimes actor, Pele, has reportedly entered end-of-life care in Brazilian hospital.

CANNES - From Variety:  Pedro Almodovar says his "queer Western" short film, "Strange Way of Life" will debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.  The film stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Indiana Jones 5 has a title, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," and the film has its first trailer.  It features a de-aged Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Peter Dinklage is among the voice cast added to "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which is due June 9, 2023.

AVATAR - From THR:  Director James Cameron talks about "Avatar: The Way of Water," the "Avatar" franchise, and more in a wide-ranging interview.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Two-time "Best Director" Oscar winner, Ang Lee, will direct a Bruce Lee biopic with Ang's son, Mason Lee, playing martial arts film legend.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Television and film actress, Kirstie Alley, has died at the age of 71, Monday, December 5, 2022.  Alley rose to fame as "Rebecca Howe" on the former NBC sitcom, "Cheers," from 1987-93, a role for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series."  She originated the role of "Saavik" in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," and she also appeared in three "Look Who's Talking" films.

From Variety:   Actor, singer, musician, recording artist, and children's book author, Bob McGrath, has died at the age of 90, Sunday, December 4, 2022.  McGrath played one of the original human characters, "Bob Johnson," on the long-running PBS education series, "Sesame Streeet."  McGrath played Bob Johnson from 1969 until 2016.

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

AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 9th, 2022 - Update #17

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BREAKING NEWS - From ABC:  Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated by a gunman during a campaign speech Friday in Nara, Japan.

STAR TREK - From THR:  In the final episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 1, actor Paul Wesley debuts as "Captain James T. Kirk," the iconic character most famously played by the iconic actor, William Shatner.

LEGAL - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee, Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat"), has won an appeal in the lawsuit brought against him by failed Alabama U.S. senatorial candidate and accused sexual predator, Roy Moore.

CRIME - From TMZ:  Eric Holder, Jr. has been found guilty of 1st-degree murder for shooting rapper Nipsey Hussle to death in 2019.  He was also found guilty of five other charges.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Woody Allen has said that his next film will be a French-language project, shot in Paris with a local cast.  He just needs to get the financing set.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  James Cameron's film series, "Avatar," will apparently be comprised of five films, but Cameron recently said that he might not direct the fourth and firth films.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Minions: The Rise of Gru" had a four-day July 4th holiday weekend total of 125.1 million dollars at the domestic box office.

From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/1 to 7/3/2022 weekend box office is "Minions: The Rise of Gru" with an estimated take of 108.5 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Writer-director Jordan Peele has revealed a viral website, Jupiterclaim.com, that ties into his upcoming film, "Nope" (July 22nd).

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS cancelled its "Magnum P.I." reboot after four seasons. Now, NBC has rescued the series ordering a fifth and sixth season, 10 episodes each season for a total of 20.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The original "Buzz Lightyear," Tim Allen, speaks about the new "Lightyear" film.

TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  "In Living Color" veteran, Tommy Davidson, talks about how the demoralizing experience he had trying to develop a TV series based on Eddie Murphy's 1988 hit, "Coming to America."

OBITS:

From Variety:  The actor and comedian, Larry Storch, has died at the age of  99, Friday, July 8, 2022.  He was best known for playing "Corporal Randolph Agam" in the former ABC sitcom, "F Troop" (1965-67).  He reunited with his "F Troop" cast mate, Forrest Tucker, for the 1975 CBS Saturday morning children's series, "The Ghost Busters."  For Warner Bros. animation, Storch performed voice on numerous animated series, including "Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales," The Pink Panther," and "The Brady Kids," to name a few.

From Deadline:  The actor Tony Sirico has died at the age of 79, Friday, July 8, 2022.  Sirico was best known for playing "Paulie Walnuts" on the former HBO television series, "The Sopranos."  He also appeared in several Woody Allen films, including "Bullets Over Broadway," "Mighty Aphrodite," and "Celebrity," to name a few. 

From Variety:  The film and television actor, James Caan, has died at the age of 82, Wednesday, July 6th, 2022.  He was best known for the role of the hot-headed "Sonny Corleone" in "The Godfather" (1972), for which he received an Oscar nomination.  He also appeared in the famous television movie, "Brian's Song" (1970), which earned him an Emmy nomination.  Other notable film roles include "Rollerball" (1975), "Thief" (1981), "Gardens of Stone" (1987), and "Misery" (1990), to name a few.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

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

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

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

From GuardianUK:  Canada plans to freeze all handgun ownership.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BLM-BUFFALO:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UKRAINE:

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

HATE WATCH:

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

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