Negromancer News Bits and Bites July 12th to 18th, 2015 - Update #11

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NEWS:

From Vulture:  Next Tuesday, President Obama will give his final interview to John Stewart.

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From Vulture:  15 more seconds of new "X-Files" footage; series debuts January 2016.

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From THR:  Live action prequel to Disney's Aladdin (1992)...

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From TheGuardian:  More on Spike Lee's "Chi-raq" film, which is going to be distributed by Amazon Studios.

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From Variety:  2015 Emmy Award nominations are announced; in case you were wondered, "Empire" was mostly ignored.

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From THR: The winner of the 7/10 to 7/12/15 weekend box office is Minions, with an estimated take of $115.2 million.  The film, which is spinoff of the Despicable Me franchise, earned a total of about $396 million worldwide.

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From HitFix:  At Comic-Con 2015, Tarantino talks about "The Hateful Eight."


COMICS - Films and Books:

From THR:  A "Batman Vs. Superman" and "Suicide Squad" epic group photo.

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From YahooMovies:  "Suicide Squad" Comic-Con footage has been leaked; see this "trailer."

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From YahooMovies:  Comic-Con "Suicide Squad" panel.

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From CBR:  This link will take you to the website's complete coverage of 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International.

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From YahooMovies:  Full "Batman Vs. Superman" trailer; now with Wonder Woman.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  First trailer for The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

From YouTube:  Final trailer for the new Fantastic Four film.

From YouTube:  First teaser for David O. Russell's "Joy" with Jennifer Lawrence.

Women Dominate IMDb "Top Stars of 2014" Lists

IMDb Announces the Top 10 Stars of 2014; Women Sweep the Top 10 for the First Time Ever; Shailene Woodley Dethrones Jennifer Lawrence

IMDb Premieres New Web Show (The IMDb Countdown) and New Top 10 List (Movers & Shakers); Margot Robbie Is The #1 Breakout Star of 2014

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content, today unveiled the Top 10 Stars of 2014, the Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, and a new list, the Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014. Rather than base its annual rankings on small statistical samplings, reviews of professional critics or box office performance, these definitive top 10 lists are determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly unique visitors to IMDb.

    “Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4”
IMDb’s just-launched Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) features a variety of additional top 10 lists, the IMDb Top 100 Stars of 2014 list, and other compelling year-end editorial coverage. In-depth IMDb STARmeter rankings are available exclusively on IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com), the subscription version of IMDb designed for entertainment industry professionals.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of IMDb’s annual end-of-year top 10 lists, IMDb will premiere a new IMDb original web series, The IMDb Countdown. Hosted by Brooke Anderson of Entertainment Tonight, The IMDb Countdown brings IMDb’s top 10 lists to life, featuring expert commentary from IMDb’s editors and celebrity acceptance speeches. The first episode, focused on the Top 10 Stars of 2014, premieres today (December 9) in IMDb’s Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) which is accessible via IMDb’s homepage and mobile apps. The second episode, which explores IMDb’s Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, will premiere on December 11. The third episode, which will reveal the Top 10 Movies of 2014 as determined by IMDb user ratings, will premiere on December 13. The fourth episode, which announces the Top 10 TV Series of the year as determined by page views on IMDb, will premiere on December 15.

And the 2014 winners are:

The IMDb Top 10 Stars of 2014 List*
1. Shailene Woodley

2. Jennifer Lawrence

3. Margot Robbie

4. Emilia Clarke

5. Scarlett Johansson

6. Nicola Peltz

7. Chloë Grace Moretz

8. Rosamund Pike

9. Emma Stone

10. Eva Green

*The 10 stars who consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout 2014. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.

The IMDb Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014 List*
1. Margot Robbie

2. Nicola Peltz

3. Rosamund Pike

4. Chris Pratt

5. Naomi Grossman

6. Theo James

7. Jared Leto

8. Taryn Manning

9. Taylor Schilling

10. Jamie Dornan

*Among the select group of stars who charted on IMDb’s annual Top 100 list for the first time in their careers in 2014, these 10 stars consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout the year. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.

“This is the 10th anniversary of calculating IMDb’s Top 10 Stars and this is the first time women have swept every spot on the list, reflecting the fact that strong roles for women and breakthrough performances by women permeated 2014, ” said Keith Simanton, IMDb’s Managing Editor. “Leonardo DiCaprio, who ranked #3 in 2013 and #4 in 2010, was the highest performing actor in 2014 (ranking #11 for the year). 2014 was quite a year for Shailene Woodley, who dethroned last year’s #1 star (Jennifer Lawrence) by consistently being of interest to IMDb’s users throughout the year with her lead performances in early spring hit Divergent and summer’s hit The Fault In Our Stars. Margot Robbie catapulted to the top of our Breakout Stars list this year, fueled by intense fan interest in her role in The Wolf of Wall Street.”

“Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4,” said Melanie McFarland, IMDb’s TV editor. “Joining her is Eva Green (#10), who not only co-starred in the action flicks 300: Rise of an Empire and Sin City: A Dame of Kill For during 2014, but thrilled fans as the mysterious Vanessa Ives in Showtime’s rising hit Penny Dreadful -- which, like Green, is fast becoming a fan favorite.”

“Among IMDb’s 2014 Breakout stars are a few prominent TV/film crossovers. Yes, Chris Pratt (#4) may be known as Star-Lord nowadays, but long before winning the lead in Guardians of the Galaxy, he was the lovably dopey Andy Dwyer on NBC’s Parks and Recreation,” continued Melanie McFarland. “Similarly, the man the world will soon know as Christian Grey might be more familiar to TV viewers as Paul Spector on BBC’s The Fall. But among the three TV stars on the list, while it’s interesting to see Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling (#9) and Taryn Manning (#8) on our year end Break-Out Stars list, the quick rise of American Horror Story star Naomi Grossman at #5 is a terrific story. Grossman’s transformation into Pepper on American Horror Story’s Asylum and Freak Show seasons is simply astounding, and her portrayal has piqued a lot of curiosity about her among our users.”

IMDb also revealed a new end-of-year top 10 list, Movers & Shakers. Among the rising stars who ranked on IMDb’s annual Top 200 STARmeter List in 2014, the stars on IMDb’s new Movers & Shakers list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013. The list follows:

The IMDb Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014 List*
1. Camren Bicondova

2. Emily Ratajkowski

3. Lupita Nyong’o

4. Dave Bautista

5. Danielle Panabaker

6. Ansel Elgort

7. Michelle Monaghan

8. Imogen Poots

9. Uzo Aduba

10. Dane DeHaan

*The rising stars on this list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013.


About IMDb
IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. The IMDb consumer site (www.imdb.com) is the #1 movie website in the world with a combined web and mobile audience of more than 200 million unique monthly visitors. IMDb offers a searchable database of more than 180 million data items including more than 3 million movies, TV and entertainment programs and more than 6 million cast and crew members. Consumers rely on the information IMDb provides -- including local movie showtimes, ticketing, trailers, critic and user reviews, personalized recommendations, photo galleries, entertainment news, quotes, trivia, box-office data, editorial feature sections and a universal Watchlist – when deciding what to watch and where to watch it. IMDb’s portfolio of leading entertainment apps (http://www.imdb.com/apps/) includes its popular “Movies & TV” app for iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android phones, Android tablets and its mobile-optimized website. To date, there have been more than 115 million downloads of IMDb’s mobile apps worldwide. IMDb's X-Ray for Movies & TV (www.imdb.com/x-ray) is a feature that revolutionizes the viewing experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to Kindle Fire HD and Wii U devices. IMDb’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/imdb) and official Twitter account (https://twitter.com/imdb) are followed by more than 7 million passionate entertainment fans. IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com) is a subscription version of IMDb designed exclusively for professionals who work in the entertainment industry. IMDbPro provides a casting service, contact information, in production listings for film and television projects, exclusive STARmeter rankings that are determined by user searches on IMDb, and a mobile optimized website. IMDb’s original web series, What to Watch (http://www.imdb.com/whattowatch), helps fans discover and dive deeply into movies and TV shows they’ll love. Additionally, IMDb owns and operates Withoutabox (http://www.withoutabox.com), a marketplace for film festivals and filmmakers, and Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com), the leading online box-office reporting service. IMDb.com is operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) (http://www.amazon.com). To learn more, go to: http://www.imdb.com/press.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of November 23 to 30, 2014 - Update #11

NEWS:

From Billboard:  She has an Oscar, and Jennifer Lawrence may very well have a Top 40 hit on the Billboard charts by next week.  It's "The Hanging Tree" from the album featuring James Newton Howard's score for Mockingjay Part 1.

From Playlist:  5 Things to Know about Beetlejuice on its 25th anniversary.

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From Variety:  Amy Berg, Nate Parker, and Matthew Cooke crowd fund for Ferguson-related doc.

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From THR:  Universal releases "Jurassic World" teaser trailer.

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From Variety:  The #1 movie at the box office for the weekend of Friday, November 21st to 23rd, 2014 is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 with an estimated take of $123 million, the biggest weekend opening of the year, thus far.


STAR WARS:

From YahooMovies:  John Boyega answers haters of the "Black stormtrooper."

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From YahooTV:  Apparently, Andy Serkis is the narrator or provides the voice over for the Episode 7 teaser.

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From TechCrunch and iTunes:  The first trailer for "The Force Awakens."

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Star Wars News Dump:
YahooMovies:  Joe Johnston, a special effect pioneer, is selling some of his Star Wars items.

YahooMovies:  JJ Abrams teases Star Wars teaser.

YahooMovies:  A list of theaters showing the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer.

From io9:  Rumors about first Star Wars spin-off film.

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From FlickeringMyth:  "Star Wars The Force Awakens" trailer will premiere Friday, November 28, 2017...

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From EntertainmentIE:  A possible two-second clip from the first Episode 7 trailer.


TRAILERS:

From 20th Century Fox, new trailer for Unfinished Business.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of November 16 to 22, 2014 - Update #18

NEWS:

From YahooMovies:  LucasFilm has an animated feature film coming out early next year, Strange Magic.

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From DeadlineNY:  Oscar and Tony-winning director, Mike Nichols, has died at the age of 83.  The legendary film and theater director, writer and producer won an Oscar winner for 1967′s seminal The Graduate.  Nichols was also nominated for such films as Working Girl, Silkwood and Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?  Nichols amassed 10 Tony Awards, including winning as director for such plays as Barefoot In The Park, The Odd Couple, The Prisoner Of Second Avenue, and Death Of A Salesman; and winning as producer of the plays, Annie and The Real Thing.

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From YahooMovies:  Disney introduces a new kind of Cinderella.

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From Variety:  The #1 film at the November 14 to 16, 2014 box office is newcomer, Dumb and Dumber To, with an estimated take of $38.1 million.

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From FOXNews:  Jennifer Lawrence: I'm scared every time I open my door.

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From Variety:  Glen A. Larson, the prolific writer and producer of many television series, died of cancer on Friday, November 14, 2014.  He created the real "Battlestar Galactica" in the 1970s, and worked on such series as "Magnum P.I." and "Knight Rider," among others.  R.I.P. Mr. Larson and we send condolences to his family and friends.

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From WashingtonPost:  Barbara Bowman's column with the rape allegations against Bill Cosby.

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From People:  Cosby's cancelled TV guest appearances.


COMIC BOOKS:

From WallStreetCheatSheet:  Chris Pratt, star of Guardians of the Galaxy, may star as another comic book hero, in the film adaptation of Cowboy Ninja Viking.

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From YahooGames:  The mystery blue alien on Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is a member of the Kree alien race.

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From YahooCelebrity:  The Hollywood Reporter says that Marvel is planning to release an Ant-Man novel, "Ant-Man: Natural Enemy."

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From DenofGeek:  The Marvel "release calendar" for its "Phase Three" films.

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From TV Guide via YahooTV:  A lost episode from the 1960's live action "Batman" television series is now a comic book.


STAR WARS:

From YahooMovies:  Rare photos at the British Film Institute.

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From IBTimes:  A supposed second description of the first teaser trailer for Episode 7.

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From EntertainmetIE:  Someone claims they've seen the upcoming Star Wars 7 trailer.

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From FlickeringMyth:  A supposed description of the first teaser trailer for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

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From IBTimes:  Rumors about a "Darth Bane" characters.


TRAILERS AND PREVIEWS:

From 20th Century Fox:  The first trailer for Blue Sky's "Peanuts" animated feature film debuts.

From 20th Century Fox:  The final trailer for Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tombs debuts.


MUSIC:

From BET:  New music from Beyonce is leaked.  May be tied to her new greatest hits collection.

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From YahooFinance:  How Michael Jackson and other dead entertainers are making big money.

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From the VillageVoice:  A piece about the late Big Bank Hank of the Sugar Hill Gang.


REVIEWS:

From the VillageVoice:  Stephanie Zacharek writes about Jon Stewart's Rosewater.

From the VillageVoice:  Amy Nicholson on Foxcatcher.


OBITS:

From RollingStone:  Motown hit maker, Jimmy Ruffin, is dead at 78.  His best known jam was "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.

Review: Jennifer Lawrence Burns in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Running time: 146 minutes (2 hours, 26 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language
DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence
WRITERS: Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn (based upon the novel by Suzanne Collins)
PRODUCERS: Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jo Willems
EDITOR: Alan Edward Bell
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard
Golden Globe nominee

SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seyour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Sam Claflin, Willow Shields, Paul Malcomson, Lynn Cohen, Jena Malone, and Toby Jones

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a 2013 dystopian science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence, and it is also a direct sequel to the 2012 film, The Hunger Games.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is based upon Suzanne Collins’ 2009 novel, Catching Fire, the second novel in The Hunger Games trilogy.  In Catching Fire the movie, Katniss Everdeen becomes a target of the Capitol after her victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion.

The Hunger Games takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, and what was once North America is now the nation of Panem.  Panem is composed of 12 districts and The Capitol, which rules over the districts. Every year, The Capitol takes one boy and one girl (called “tributes”) from each of the 12 districts to become contestants in The Hunger Games.  Part entertainment and part intimidation of the 12 districts, these games are broadcast throughout Panem, and the 24 participants must fight to the death until only one of them remains alive – the victor.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens a few months after the first film.  Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) were the winners of the 74th Hunger Games.  Now, the young victors have returned to their home, the impoverished District 12, and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is waiting for Katniss.  Snow is upset that the outcome of the most recent Games has sparked rebellion in the districts of Panem, with Katniss' actions in the Games being the inspiration for rebellion in the districts.

Katniss (“The Girl on Fire”) and Peeta (“The Baker's Boy”) are going on a victory tour through the districts.  During this tour, Snow wants Katniss to sell the untrue idea that her actions in the Games were out of genuine love for Peeta and were not an act of defiance against the Capitol.  This scheme doesn't exactly work out.  So Snow calls for the 75th Hunger Games to be special.  These Games will be a “Quarter Quell,” and the tributes will be selected from previous victors.  Katniss and Peeta suddenly find themselves in the Games again, and this time, the target on Katniss' back comes from players inside and outside of the Games.

Catching Fire is the middle book in Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games trilogy, although the third book, Mockingjay, is being adapted as two film.  However, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire doesn't suffer the fate of some middle films in a trilogy.  Sometimes, the middle film can come across as filler material, or it can be packed with too many characters that are not important or too many subplots that won't be resolved until the third film.  An example of that is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which was a collection of pointless action scenes that didn't really serve much of a purpose beyond titillating young males and selling lots of tickets.

Catching Fire the movie is intense and gripping, almost every scene is important, not just to what came before or what will come after, but also to the story being told now.  When I reviewed the first film two-and-a-half years ago, I wrote that I could say without reservation that The Hunger Games captures the sense of the life and death struggle of Katniss and her competitors.  I can say the same for Catching Fire.  Like its predecessor, this movie is driven by character drama and by intimate man vs. man confrontations/encounters that freely range from sudden romance and friendship to cold-bloodied murder and assorted calculated cruelties.

I will say that I think this film offers more characters than the story can present in full-measure, not revealing how rich and how important they are.  However, almost every character does enough to be interesting or intriguing, and there are many excellent performances.  Donald Sutherland is even better and more menacing as President Snow than he was in the first film.  Woody Harrelson manages to further develop Haymitch Abernathy, surprisingly showing that there is much more to the character than one might think.  Josh Hutcherson makes Peeta Mellark the dashing young hero and co-lead that he could not be in the first film, even if that was the intention.  And I'm always happy to see Jeffrey Wright, although I wish his character, Beetee Latier, had more meat on the bone i.e. substance.

Still, as was true in The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence is everything to Catching Fire. Whatever problems this film may have, Lawrence’s skill-set as an actor delivers a performance that glosses over narrative and cinematic glitches.  She is a true movie star, and her radiant presence bleeds across the screen, leaving me awash in the essence of Katniss.  Pardon my lack of articulation, but Jennifer is the real deal.

In the first film, we watched a young woman, Katniss, who was a poor nobody, struggle to survive and ultimately to triumph, becoming a star and a legend.  Catching Fire depicts Katniss' struggle to accept her fate.  The adventure is calling the hero, and she has to be dragged towards her destiny.  This kind of story is an archetype, and when told correctly, it can be mesmerizing.  So, as she did before, Jennifer Lawrence makes The Hunger Games: Catching Fire more than it ought to be.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, November 20, 2014


NOTES:
2014 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, and Will Champion for the song “Atlas”)

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

Negromancer New Bits and Bites for the Week of November 9th to 15th, 2014 - Update #20

NEWS:

From YahooCelebrity:  Kirk Cameron says, Cook and sing for Christmas, bitches!  Well, not quite, but here comes more advice from the guy who said that homosexuals are the main problem in the world.

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From Deadline:  Armie Hammer joins actor/director Nate Parker's "The Birth of A Nation," a biopic of Nat Turner, the slave turned rebel in 1831 Virginia.

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From Vulture:  Jennifer Lawrence filmed a cameo for Dumb and Dumber To, this vetoed its inclusion in the film.

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From Eonline:  There will apparently be a sequel to the 1993 cult hit, Hocus Pocus.

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From CBS:  Jennifer Lawrence says she will never sign up for Twitter.

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From Variety:  Starz has ordered a sequel TV series to the original Evil Dead film franchise, entitled "Ash vs. Evil Dead," which will debut with 10 episodes in 2015.

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From THR:  Thank god.  Matt Damon will be back as Jason Bourne in 2016 with Paul Greengrass directing.

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From THR:  Disney's new animated film, Big Hero 6, wins the 11/7  to 11/9/2014 weekend box office with an estimated take of $56.2 million.  Chris Nolan's new film, Interstellar, finishes second with an estimated $50 million gross.

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From TheWrap:  A wrap up of the 2014 Academy's Governors Award, including Harry Belafonte's fiery speech.


COMIC BOOKS:  Movies and Books:

From the Examiner:  "Doctor Strange, say what!" Benedict Cumberbatch knows nothing about it.

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From YahooMovies:  Deadline has an exclusive story that Daniel Bruhl will be the villain in the next "Captain America" movie, which is set for May 2016.

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From THR:  "Game of Thrones" and "Breaking Bad" director, Michelle MacLaren, is top choice to direct Wonder Woman film.

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From YahooMovies:  Spider-Man merchandise is far ahead of other toy franchises, including Batman, in terms of annual gross - $1.3 billion.

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From TheVox:  There is a new (second) "extended" Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer.

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From TotalFilm:  Chris Nolan found Ben Affleck's casting as Batman "thrilling."

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From TheVerge:  More awful Spider-Man movie news - rumors of an Aunt May movie.

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From TheMovieBit:  I found this article from about a month ago that states that Will Smith and Tom Hardy are among the A-listers that Warner Bros. is pursuing for its "Suicide Squad" film.


STAR WARS:

From FlickeringMyth:  See Alex Ross' art for the variant cover of Marvel Comics' Star Wars: Darth Vader #1.

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From IBTimes:  A rumored scene involving Darth Vader...


MOVIE TRAILERS:

From FOX:  New Exodus: Gods & Kings trailer.


OBITS:

From HuffingtonPost:  Big Bank Hank (Henry Jackson), a member of one of the early rap groups, Sugar Hill, gang, died Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at the age of 57 of cancer.

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From Variety:  Carol Ann Susi, the actress who provided the voice of "Mrs. Wolowitz" on CBS' "The Big Bang Theory," died Tuesday, November 11, 2013, in Los Angeles.



MISC:

From Outsports:  The snubbing by the NFL or openly gay football player, Michael Sam.

Negromancer Bits and Bites for the Week of October 12th to 18th, 2014 - Update #17

NEWS:

From CBS:  Maggie Smith received a rare honor from Queen Elizabeth II.  The Oscar-winning actress was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honor, Friday, October 17, 2014.

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From YahooMovies:  Warner Bros. announces DC Comics related movies from 2016 to 2020.

Those 10 DC movies named are:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice directed by Zack Snyder (2016)
Suicide Squad directed by David Ayer (2016)
Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot (2017)
Justice League Part One directed by Snyder, with Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams reprising their roles (2017)
The Flash starring Ezra Miller (2018)
Aquaman starring Jason Momoa (2018)
Shazam (2019)
Justice League Part Two directed by Zack Snyder (2019)
Cyborg starring Ray Fisher (2020)
Green Lantern (2020)

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From Deadline:  Record ratings for debut episode of "The Walking Dead" Season 5.

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From Hitfix:  Dave Bautista, a breakout star in Guardians of the Galaxy, is reportedly set to join the new James Bond film (working under the title "Bond 24"), which is set to start filming in this December.

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From Salon:  A nice interview with one of my favorite actors/comics, Bob Odenkirk.

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From YahooCelebrity:  Larry David responds to Jennifer Lawrence's crush on him.

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From TheWrap:  David Fincher's Gone Girl holds onto the #1 spot for the second week in a row at the weekend box office.  For the weekend of October 10th to 12, 2014, Gone Girl is the top grossing film with an estimated $26 million in sales.

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From YahooMovies:  For its 20th Anniversary, 12 things you didn't know about Kevin Smith's Clerks.


COMIC BOOKS: Comics and Movies:

From The Wrap YahooMovies:  An extra on the set of "Batman Vs. Superman" could be fined $5 million dollars for breaching his confidentiality agreement to reveal that Batman's sidekick, Robin, will be female.

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From TheVerge:  Iron Man is forever, but is Robert Downey, Jr.

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From THR:  a "Batman Lego" movies is in the works.

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From ScreenRant:  Lots of news surrounding "Captain America 3."

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From YahooNews (UK and Ireland):  An article about Jade Pinkett Smith and her role as "Fish Mooney" on the FOX series, "Gotham."

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From YahooGames:  Wonder Woman is a demi-god in "Batman Vs. Superman."

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From Deadline:  From a few weeks back, the heirs of Jack Kirby, the guy who created much of the Marvel Universe of characters, settled their lawsuit against Disney/Marvel

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From CinemaBlend:  More evidence that Spider-Man will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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From Deadline and Examiner:  Marvel Comics cancels the Fantastic Four comic book series. Why?

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From Mashable:  A Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon will debut on Disney XD in 2015.


STAR WARS:

From YahooMovies:  The latest Star Wars document dump that MAY reveal possible story points... Or it could be cointelpro shiznit.

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From WebProNews and Mashable:  James Earl Jones will reprise the role of Darth Vader for TV.  On October 26th, ABC will rebroadcast Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion, the hour-long introduction to the Disney XD animated series, "Star Wars Rebels."  There will be a new extra scene for the ABC showing that includes Darth Vader


OBITS:

From InsideMovies:  The body of the actress, Missy Upham, who had been missing for several days, was found by family and friends on Thursday, October 16, 2014.  Upham had recently appeared in the film August: Osage County.


MISC:

From YahooSports:  Blake Griffin's strange tale of his former Los Angeles Clippers' boss, Donald Sterling.

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From YahooHealth:  5 alternatives to Viagra... if you need that.

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From GrindTV:  Photo of the moment a jet breaks the sound carrier.

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From Salon via RSN:  NFL covered up "hundreds and hundreds" of domestic violence cases.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of August 17th to August 23rd, 2014 - Update #20

NEWS:

From TheVerge:  Marvel's movie business is crushing DC's

From TheWrap:  MPAA earns ire of "R" rating for gay drama, Love is Strange.

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From HuffingtonPost:  Hugh Jackman can deadlift 400lbs.

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From Screenrant:  Jennifer Lawrence reportedly in talks to appear in Quentin Tarantino's next film, "The Hateful Eight."

From YahooHealth:  "Fat" Daphne controversy in Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy.

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From TVLine:  Shad Moss, also known as the rapper, Bow Wow, is a cast member of the "CSI" spin-off, "CSI: Cyber," as a baby-faced hacker.

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From IMDbBlog:  FX renews "The Strain" for a second 13-episode season.  The current season gets better with each episode.

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From BuzzFlash:  Emmy winner Harry Shearer impersonates Richard Nixon preparing to resign.

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From Hello:  Jack Nicholson and his lookalike son, Ray.

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From HuffingtonPost:  Neil Patrick Harris, who is gay, talks about having sex women.

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From Variety:  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (estimated box office take of $28.4 million) win the August 15-17, 2014 weekend box office.  This is the film's second consecutive win, having finished at #1 when it debuted during the August 8-10, 2014 weekend.  Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy finished at #2 ($24.7 million) for a second straight week, after finishing at #1 during its debut weekend.  The Expendables 3, this weekend's big debut movie, is considered a flop after ending up in third place with an estimated box office tally of $16.2 million.

From Variety:   You may have heard that a "DVD-quality" copy of The Expendables 3 ended up on the Internet a few weeks ago.  Did that affect the film's puny box office during its debut weekend?  Variety discusses that.  Here is an interesting tidbit:

However, some research suggests that piracy can take a big chunk out of ticket sales. A 2011 study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers found that when a film is pirated prior to release, it loses nearly 20 percent of its potential revenue.

That study can be found here.


STAR WARS:

From YahooScreen:  More Episode VII rumors (video)


COMICS BOOKS - Movies and Comics:

From WeGotThisCovered:  8 comic book movies that actually feel like comic books.

From YahooScreen:  Seven actors who almost played Batman

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From CinemaBlend:  Director Marc Webb confirms three planned members of "The Sinister Six," the Spider-Man spinoff movie.  They seem to be "The Gentleman," "Mysterio," and "Kraven the Hunter." [I'll pretend to be interested.  Well, maybe I'm a little interested.]

---------------------
From ScreenRant:  Actor Brian Patrick Wade of MTV's "Teen Wolf" well play the villain, Absorbing Man, on the upcoming season of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

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From YahooMovies:  From the set of "Batman Vs. Superman," the mysterious green legs of Scott McNairy.

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From YahooFinance:  Another article about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson appearing in a DC Comics superhero movie - maybe playing hero Shazam and anti-hero Black Adam

From ScreenRant:  Marvel is listening to fan requests about movie... or maybe not

From CBB and Nexopia:  Zak Edwards is brilliant on the piece about diversity in American comic book publishing from the major companies.


OBIT:

From TheWrap:  Don Pardo, the announcer for "Saturday Night Live," reportedly died yesterday (Tuesday, August 19, 2014) at the age of 96.  Pardo was also the on-duty booth announcer for WNBC-TV on the day (November 22, 1963) that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated; thus, Pardo was the first to announce the shooting to NBC viewers.


MISC:

From VOX:  The geniuses behind your favorite pop songs

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From YahooFinance:  How Kobe Bryant started the current weight loss trend among NBA players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade, to name a few.

Review: "X-Men: Days of Future Past" - Why So Serious?

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Running time:  131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity and language
DIRECTOR:  Bryan Singer
WRITERS:  Simon Kinberg; from a story by Jane Goldman, Simon Kinberg, and Matthew Vaughn 
PRODUCERS:  Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Bryan Singer
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Newton Thomas Sigel
EDITOR/COMPOSER:  John Ottman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Omar Sy, Daniel Cudmore, Bingbing Fan, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart, Evan Peters, Josh Helman, and Anna Paquin

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a 2014 superhero movie from director Bryan Singer.  It is 20th Century Fox’s seventh film based Marvel Comics’ X-Men comic book franchise.  This new movie is a sequel to 2011’s X-Men: First Class and a kind of sequel to 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand.  X-Men: Days of Future Past finds the X-Men of the future sending one of their own into past in a desperate effort to change history and to prevent the destruction of the world for both humans and mutants.

The film opens (apparently) sometime in the third decade of the 21st century.  By this time, mutant-hunting machines called Sentinels have wiped out nearly all mutants and also the humans that supported them.  The last of the X-Men are about to make a desperate bid to change their apocalyptic future.  Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) concocts a plan that sends the mind of Logan/The Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back into the past and into the body of his younger self in the year 1973.

In 1973, Logan must contact the younger Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and convince him that they must stop Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from committing an assassination that will lead to the creation of the Sentinels.  However, Wolverine finds that the younger Charles is a mess.  Xavier wants no part of his future self’s plan, especially when he discovers that he must cooperate with Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender), his dear friend-turned-bitter enemy.

Released in 2011, X-Men: First Class was a combination prequel to the original film, X-Men (2000), and a partial reboot of the franchise.  First Class was sparkly, fun, energetic, and even a bit sexy.  X-Men: Days of Future Past is ponderous and takes both its subject matter and its plot way too seriously.  I liked the film, but I only really enjoyed certain moments and a few characters.

Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic as Mystique, making the character’s emotions, mission, and anger seem real.  Nicholas Hoult is poignant as Hank McCoy/Beast; so much of his performance is restrained.  Hoult makes the most of subtle facial expressions, and his expressive eyes convey Beast in a way that gives him weight and depth.

What this film lacks is gravitas.  Days of Future Past pretends to be important serious because it metaphorically or symbolically deals with serious and important real world issues.  However, the movie is tedious instead of being weighty in any meaningful a way.  It is as if this film has so much to cover that it almost ends up sinking under the burden of its moralizing via multiple points of view, characters, and competing timelines.

In fact, after seeing Days of Future Past, I realized that Wolverine is not particularly consequential to the plot, or at least the screenplay does not make him seem so.  For what the character does, just about any other X-Men could have made that trip into the past.  [In The X-Men comic book story, “Days of the Future Past,” upon which this movie is based, Kitty Pryde travels into the past – the year 1983.]  I read a review of this movie in which the writer said that this was a movie about Mystique and Wolverine.  In a way, this movie is indeed most about what Mystique wants, and the movie would be better off if it stayed with Mystique longer than it actually does.

Although I like it, X-Men: Days of Future Past is my least favorite X-Men movie.  I found the future Sentinels particularly scary and chilling, and Evan Peters as Quicksilver is a blast.  Of all the X-Men movies, it has the best production values and the best special effects.  It is, however, full of sound and fury, and even in the universe of X-Men movies, it does not signify much of anything.

5 of 10
B-

Saturday, May 31, 2014


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

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" Leads 2014 MTV Movie Award Winners (Complete List)

by Amos Semien

The nominations for the 2014 MTV Movie Awards were revealed on Thursday, March 6, 2014. The 2014 MTV Movie Awards ceremony was held on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.  The ceremony was hosted by Conan O'Brien.

The 2013 MTV Movie Awards winners:

MOVIE OF THE YEAR
• "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE
• Jennifer Lawrence — "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE
• Josh Hutcherson — "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
• Will Poulter— "We're the Millers"

BEST KISS
• Emma Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Will Poulter — "We're the Millers"

BEST FIGHT
• "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" — Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly vs. Orcs

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
• Jonah Hill — "The Wolf of Wall Street"

BEST SCARED-AS-S**T PERFORMANCE
• Brad Pitt — "World War Z"

BEST ON-SCREEN DUO
• Vin Diesel and Paul Walker — "Fast & Furious 6"

BEST SHIRTLESS PERFORMANCE
• Zac Efron — "That Awkward Moment"

#WTF MOMENT
• The Lude Scene — "The Wolf of Wall Street"

BEST VILLAIN
• Mila Kunis — "Oz The Great and Powerful"

BEST ON-SCREEN TRANSFORMATION
• Jared Leto — "Dallas Buyers Club"

BEST MUSICAL MOMENT
• Backstreet Boys, Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen and Craig Robinson Peform in Heaven — "This is the End"

BEST CAMEO PERFORMANCE
• Rihanna — "This is the End"

BEST HERO
• Henry Cavill as Clark Kent — "Man of Steel"

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
Tris from the film "Divergent" and performed by Shailene Woodley

MTV GENERATION AWARD:
Mark Wahlberg

MTV TRAILBLAZER AWARD:
Channing Tatum

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Oscar Nominee Review: "American Hustle"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

American Hustle (2013)
Running time:  138 minutes (2 hours, 18 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive language, some sexual content and brief violence
DIRECTOR:  David O. Russell
WRITERS:  David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer
PRODUCERS:  Megan Ellison, Jonathan Gordon, Charles Roven, and Richard Suckle
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Linus Sandgren (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, and Crispin Struthers
COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/COMEDY/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Shea Whigham, Louis C.K., Paul Herman, Jack Huston, Alessandro Nivola, and Michael Peña with Robert De Niro (no screen credit)

American Hustle is a 2013 historical comedic drama from director David O. Russell.  The film focuses on a con man and his seductive partner, both forced to work for an eccentric FBI agent, who forces them to help expose political corruption.

Like Russell’s previous film, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle has two distinctions.  It received Oscar nominations in the “Big Five” categories:  best picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay (original or adapted – original in this case).  American Hustle also received Oscar nominations in all four acting categories, and before Silver Linings Playbook, no film had received nominations in all four acting categories since 1981.  And like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle is a damn good movie.  It is an outstanding American film about the American hustle to get what you want, by hook or by crook, the way Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas was and still is a great film about America.

American Hustle opens in 1978 and introduces Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), a successful conman.  While attending a friend’s party, Irving meets Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), a woman whose beauty and intelligence attracts him, and he falls hard for her.  Surprisingly, Sydney is excited about becoming Irving’s partner in his con jobs, and she takes on the identity of Lady Edith Greensly to assist Irving in tricking prospective marks/victims in their schemes.

They eventually attract the unwanted attention of a wild and odd FBI agent, Richard “Richie” DiMaso (Bradley Cooper).  Richie forces Irving and Sydney into helping him in a sting operation to expose corruption among several members of Congress in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  Irving does not trust Richie, especially because the G-Man flirts with Sydney.  Irving’s young wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), isn’t too crazy about any of what they are doing and plots to play a part in a dangerous game of backstabbers, crooked politicians, and mobsters.

American Hustle is a fictional version of the Abscam (or ABSCAM) scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Abscam was a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sting operation in which the Bureau was aided by a convicted con-man in videotaping politicians.  These politicians were offered bribes by a fake Middle Eastern sheik in return for various political favors, which some accepted.  The investigation ultimately led to several people being convicted, including members of Congress and elected officials in both New Jersey and Philadelphia.

And you don’t need to know that to enjoy American Hustle.  I barely remember Abscam, and I probably wouldn’t, if not for the name (a codename which combined the words “Arab” and “scam”).  It is no scam that co-writer and director David O. Russell has once again delivered a film with an ensemble cast that is just plain good.  I won’t go into the details, except to say that the five main stars:  Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence are every bit as good as you have probably heard and certainly deserve the awards, nominations, and accolades they received.  It’s true.  Jennifer Lawrence is not a fluke; she’s the real deal.

Audiences that like good acting and like to see superb actors come together to love and hate, to support and challenge, and plays scenes together will want to hustle up a way to see American Hustle – immediately.  Spoiler alert:  Robert De Niro makes a cameo in American Hustle as the mobster, Victor Tellegio, but he does not receive a screen credit.  Of course, De Niro is good.  He exudes such murderous intentions as Tellegio that I almost ran away from my television set the first time he appeared on screen.

As I also said of Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle is a great movie, and I want to see it again.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2013 Academy Awards, USA:  10 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison, and Jonathan Gordon), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Christian Bale), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Amy Adams), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Bradley Cooper), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Jennifer Lawrence), “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Michael Wilkinson), “Best Achievement in Directing” (David O. Russell), “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers, and Alan Baumgarten), “Best Achievement in Production Design” (Judy Becker-production design and Heather Loeffler-set decoration)” and “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell)

2013 BAFTA Awards:  3 wins: “Best Original Screenplay” (Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell), “Best Supporting Actress” (Jennifer Lawrence), and “Best Make Up/Hair” (Evelyne Noraz and Lori McCoy-Bell); 7 nominations: “Best Film” (Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison and Jonathan Gordon), “Best Leading Actor” (Christian Bale), “Best Leading Actress” (Amy Adams), “Best Supporting Actor” (Bradley Cooper), “Best Production Design” (Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler), “Best Costume Design” (Michael Wilkinson), and “David Lean Award for Direction” (David O. Russell)

2013 Golden Globes, USA:  3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical,” “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Amy Adams), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Jennifer Lawrence); 4 nominations: “Golden Globe  Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Christian Bale), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Bradley Cooper), and “Best Director - Motion Picture” (David O. Russell), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell)

Sunday, March 30, 2014


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

"12 Years a Slave," "The Dirties" Lead Vancouver Critics Awards

The Vancouver Film Critics Association or Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC) was apparently founded to represent Vancouver’s print, on-line, and broadcast media.  The group honors the best in Canadian and international filmmaking with the annual VFCC Awards.

In anticipation of the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards, here, is a look at the 2014 VFCC Award winners.

2014 Canadian Screen Awards (for the year in film 2013) – a complete list of winners follows:

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS:

BEST FILM
12 Years a Slave

BEST ACTOR
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

BEST SCREENPLAY
Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Hunt

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Act of Killing

CANADIAN AWARDS:

BEST CANADIAN FILM
The Dirties

BEST ACTOR IN A CANADIAN FILM
Matt Johnson, The Dirties

BEST ACTRESS IN A CANADIAN FILM
Sophie Desmarais, Sarah Prefers to Run

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A CANADIAN FILM
Alexandre Landry, Gabrielle

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A CANADIAN FILM
Lise Roy, Tom at the Farm

BEST DIRECTOR OF A CANADIAN FILM
Jeff Barnaby, Rhymes for Young Ghouls

BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY
My Prairie Home

BEST FIRST FILM BY A CANADIAN DIRECTOR
The Dirties

BEST BRITISH COLUMBIA FILM
Down River

IAN CADDELL AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Al Sens

AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Corinne Lea

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

"Lupita Nyong'o Wins 2014 "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:

Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave” WINNER

Nominees:
Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle”
Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County”
June Squibb in “Nebraska”

Oklahoma Film Critics Love "Her" as Best of 2013

The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) is the statewide group of professional film critics.  OFCC members are Oklahoma-based movie critics who write for print, broadcast and online outlets that publish or post reviews of current film releases.

The OFCC announced its 8th annual awards list in early January of 2014.

The OFCC 2013 Film Awards:

Best Film: "Her"

Top 10 Films:
“Her”
“American Hustle”
“12 Years a Slave
“Gravity”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Captain Philips”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“All Is Lost”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Prisoners”

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

Best Animated Film: “Frozen”

Best Body of Work: Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Mud,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”)

Best Documentary: “The Act of Killing”

Best First Feature: “Fruitvale Station," Ryan Coogler

Best Foreign Language Film: “The Hunt”

Best Guilty Pleasure: “Iron Man 3”

Not-So-Obviously Worst Movie: “August: Osage County”

Obviously Worst Movie: “Grown Ups 2”

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, "Her"

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave”

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”

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

"Gravity" Lifts 2013 Central Ohio Film Critics Awards

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) was founded in 2002 and is made up of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas.  Its membership currently consists of more than 25 print, radio, television, and new media critics.  Each January, COFCA votes on a number of awards, recognizing excellence in the film industry.

The 12th Annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2013, were announced on January 2, 2014.

2013 Central Ohio Film Critics Awards:

Best Film 
   1. Gravity
   2. Her
   3. American Hustle
   4. Frances Ha
   5. The Wolf of Wall Street
   6. 12 Years a Slave
   7. Inside Llewyn Davis
   8. Before Midnight
   9. Upstream Color
  10. Nebraska

Best Director 
  • Alfonso Cuarón - (Gravity)
  • Runner-Up: Spike Jonze - (Her)

Best Actor
  • Chiwetel Ejiofor - (12 Years a Slave)
  • Runner-Up: Matthew McConaughey - (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress
  • Adèle Exarchopoulos - (Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle))
  • Runner-Up: Brie Larson - (Short Term 12)

Best Supporting Actor
  • James Franco - (Spring Breakers)
  • Runner-Up: Jared Leto - (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress
  • Jennifer Lawrence - (American Hustle)
  • Runner-Up: Lupita Nyong’o - (12 Years a Slave)

Best Ensemble
  • American Hustle
  • Runner-Up: The Wolf of Wall Street

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work):
  • Matthew McConaughey - (Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, and The Wolf of Wall Street)
  • Runner-Up: Jennifer Lawrence - (American Hustle and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)

Breakthrough Film Artist
  • Adèle Exarchopoulos - (Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle)) - (for acting)
  • Runner-Up: Brie Larson - (Don Jon, Short Term 12, and The Spectacular Now) - (for acting)

Best Cinematography
  • Emmanuel Lubezki - (Gravity)
  • Runner-Up: Hoyte Van Hoytema - (Her)

Best Adapted Screenplay
  • Terence Winter - (The Wolf of Wall Street)
  • Runner-Up: John Ridley - (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay
  • Spike Jonze - (Her)
  • Runner-Up: Destin Daniel Cretton - (Short Term 12)

Best Score
  • Arcade Fire - (Her)
  • Runner-Up: Steven Price - (Gravity)

Best Documentary
  • The Act of Killing
  • Runner-Up: Stories We Tell

Best Foreign Language Film
  • The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu)
  • Runner-Up: Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle)

Best Animated Film
  • The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu)
  • Runner-Up: Frozen

Best Overlooked Film
  • Short Term 12
  • Runner-Up: Mud

http://www.cofca.org/

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"12 Years a Slave" Wins "Best Film" at 2014 BAFTAs - Complete List

by Leroy Douresseaux

"12 Years a Slave" Wins "Best Film"

The British equivalent of the Oscars is the EE British Academy Film Awards (also known as the BAFTAs).  The 67th British Academy Film Awards took place on Sunday, February 16, 2014 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.  The ceremony was hosted by Stephen Fry and broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD.

Gravity was the leading winner with 6 awards, including “Best Director” (Alfonso Cuarón) and “Best British Film” (a designation that was and still is controversial in some circles).  American Hustle won three prizes, including “Best Supporting Actress” for Jennifer Lawrence.

According to what I’ve read, the night wore on, and 12 Years a Slave was not winning in categories it was expected win (adapted screenplay, supporting actress, and even supporting actor).  Some thought that the film would not win any awards, but towards the end of the show, the film picked up the big wins.  First, there was “Best Actor” for Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Then, when it seemed like Gravity and maybe American Hustle would win “Best Film,” 12 Years a Slave escaped with the trophy (going to producers Anthony Katagas, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Steve McQueen.

In the non-competitive awards, director Peter Greenaway was honored with “Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema” and Helen Mirren won “The Fellowship,” the highest honor the Academy can bestow.

2014 / 67th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) winners (for the year in film, 2013):

Best Film: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

Best British Film: Gravity

Best Debut By a British Writer, Director or Producer: Kieran Evans

Best Original Screenplay: American Hustle

Best Adapted Screenplay: Philomena

Best Film Not In The English Language: The Great Beauty

Best Documentary: The Act of Killing

Best Original Film Score: Gravity

Best Cinematography: Gravity

Best Editing: Rush

Best Sound: Gravity

Best Animated Film: Frozen

Best Visual Effects: Gravity

Best Makeup and Hair: American Hustle

Best Production Design: The Great Gatsby

Best Costumes: The Great Gatsby

Best Short Film: Room 8

Best Animated Short: Sleeping With The Fishes

BAFTA Rising Star Award: Will Poulter

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 2014: Peter Greenaway

The Fellowship:  Helen Mirren

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

Jennifer Lawrence Announced as 2014 Oscar Presenter

Jennifer Lawrence To Present At The Oscars®

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Oscar® winner Jennifer Lawrence will return to present at this year’s Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will air on Sunday, March 2, live on ABC.

Lawrence took home the Oscar for her lead performance in “Silver Linings Playbook.” She is nominated this year for her supporting role in “American Hustle.” Previously Lawrence was nominated for her leading role in “Winter’s Bone.” Her other credits include “X-Men: First Class” and “The Hunger Games” series.

Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Nevada Film Critics Choose "12 Years a Slave"

The Nevada Film Critics Society (NFCS) is apparently a society of film critics who reside in Nevada and produce film reviews for print, broadcast, radio, and online.

The Nevada Film Critics Society's 2013 Awards for Achievement in Film:

Best Film - 12 Years A Slave

Best Actor - Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress - Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Best Supporting Actor - Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)

Best Youth Performance - Sophie Nelisse (The Book Thief)

Best Director - Alfonso Cauron (Gravity)

Best Ensemble Cast - August: Osage County

Best Animated Movie – Frozen

Best Production Design - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Best Cinematography - Gravity

Best Visual Effects – Gravity

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


http://nevadafilmcriticssociety.org/

Indiana Film Journalists Choose "12 Years a Slave" as 2013's Best

by Amos Semien

Last year, the Indiana Film Journalist Association surprised many when they picked Safety Not Guaranteed as the "Best Film" of 2012.  This time, they went with the familiar and named 12 Years a Slave as the "Best Film" of 2013.  The film's director, Steve McQueen, also earned "Best Director" honors.

The Indiana Film Journalist Association (IFJA) is a film critics’ organization only formed in recent years.  It seeks to promote film criticism in the state of Indiana and also gives out its annual awards in December.

The full list of 2013 Indiana Film Journalist Association Awards:

Best Film: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "Her")

Other Finalists (alphabetical)
"All is Lost"
"Before Midnight"
"Captain Phillips"
"Frances Ha"
"Mud"
"Prisoners"
"Spring Breakers"
"The Wolf of Wall Street"

Best Director: Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: Spike Jonze, "Her")

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club")

Best Actress: Adèle Exarchopoulos, "Blue is the Warmest Color"
(Runner-up: Brie Larson, "Short Term 12")

Best Supporting Actor: Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"
(Runner-up: Jeremy Renner, "American Hustle")

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"
(Runner-up: June Squibb, "Nebraska")

Best Adapted Screenplay: "Before Midnight"
(Runner-up: "12 Years a Slave")

Best Original Screenplay: "Her"
(Runner-up: "Rush")

Best Musical Score: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "Rush")

Best Animated Feature: "Frozen"
(Runner-up: "The Wind Rises")

Best Foreign Language Film: "Blue is the Warmest Color"
(Runner-up: "The Grandmaster")

Best Documentary: "The Act of Killing"
(Runner-up: "Stories We Tell")

Original Vision Award: "Her"
(Runner-up: "Gravity")

The Hoosier Award: Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart, "Medora"

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

2014 Golden Globes Dances with "American Hustle," Honors "12 Years a Slave"

by Amos Semien

The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).  The award recognizes excellence in both film and television.  The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.

The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards winners were announced Sunday, January 12, 2014.  Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the awards ceremony show, which was broadcast live on NBC.

Director Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave won “Best Motion Picture-Drama.  However, director David O. Russell’s American Hustle led the 2014 Golden Globe Awards with three awards.  The film won “Best Motion Picture-Comedy,” and also the best actress (Amy Adams) and best supporting actress (Jennifer Lawrence) awards.

In the television categories, the TV movie, Behind The Candelabra, and the television series, “Breaking Bad” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” won two awards apiece.

A previously announced honor was the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.  It went to legendary writer-director and multiple Oscar-winner and four-time Golden Globe winner, Woody Allen.  Allen was not in attendance at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards ceremony on Sunday night, so Diane Keaton accepted the award on his behalf.  Keaton won a best actress Oscar for her performance in Allen’s 1977 film, Annie Hall, and who has appeared in multiple Allen films.

The 71st Annual (2014) Golden Globe Awards winners (for the year in film – 2013):

FILM CATEGORIES:

BEST PICTURE: DRAMA
12 Years a Slave

BEST PICTURE: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
American Hustle

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

BEST ACTOR: DRAMA
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams, American Hustle

BEST ACTOR: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Great Beauty

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Frozen

BEST SCREENPLAY
Spike Jonze, Her

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alex Ebert, All Is Lost

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Ordinary Love" (Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom) – performed by U2; music written by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, Jr., and Danger Mouse and lyrics written by Bono

TELEVISION CATEGORIES:

Best Television Series - Drama
Breaking Bad

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
Behind The Candelabra

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Michael Douglas, Behind The Candelabra

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Elizabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing On The Edge

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Woody Allen

http://www.goldenglobes.com/

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