Showing posts with label Jessica Chastain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jessica Chastain. Show all posts

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Review: Jessica Chastain in "THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE" - Good Gawd!

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 19 of 2022 (No. 1831) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content and drug abuse
DIRECTOR:  Michael Showalter
WRITER: Abe Sylvia (based on the documentary by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato)
PRODUCERS:  Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Gioulakis (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Mary Jo Markey and Andrew Weisblum
COMPOSER:  Theodore Shapiro
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/BIOPIC

Starring:  Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio, Mark Wystrach, Sam Jaeger, Louis Cancelmi, Gabriel Olds, Fredric Lehne, Jay Huguley, Dan Johnson, and Chandler Head

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a 2021 biographical drama film directed by Michael Showalter.  The film is based on the 2000 documentary film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which was directed and produced by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.  The Eyes of Tammy Faye the movie takes a look at the rise into fame and fall into infamy of evangelist and television personality, Tammy Faye Bakker.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye introduces young Tamara Faye LaValley (Chandler Head) in the year 1952.  Growing up in a religious community in International Falls, Minnesota, Tammy is an outcast because her mother, Rachel Grover (Cherry Jones), divorced Tammy's father.  Although she is now married to Fred Grover (Fredric Lehne), Rachel believes that she is seen by some as a harlot.  She hides Tammy in order to hide her shame.  However, young Tammy Faye ain't having none of that and inserts herself into the church.  The parishioners become attracted to the way she speaks Biblical scripture and the way in which she “speaks in tongues.”

In 1960, while attending North Central Bible College in Minneapolis Minnesota, Tammy (Jessica Chastain) meets and falls in love with fellow college student, Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield).  In 1961, the two marry and drop out of college.  They drive around the United States to preach and inspire Christian communities, with Jim preaching and Tammy singing and playing with puppets for children.  Seeking to create and have control over their own programs, the couple create “The PTL Club,” the flagship show of their PTL Satellite Network.  Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker become increasingly popular over the years, but with fame comes more money and more secrets and lies.  Can Jim and Tammy Faye save themselves with the success in which they save souls?

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is about Tammy Faye LaValley/Bakker/Messner, and as Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain gives the performance of her career.  That is saying a lot, as Chastain's career is filled with bravura performances, except for her god-awful turn in 2019's (X-Men:) Dark Phoenix.  Chastain, who recently won a “Best Actress” Oscar for this performance, buries herself in the work of this film's make-up and hairstyling artists (who also won and Oscar) and reemerges as an attractive and alluring fictional version of the real life Tammy Faye.  I couldn't stop watching her, believing in her, and seeing Chastain's Tammy Faye as a real person that I wanted to think about for the entire run time of this film.

It is a testament to Andrew Garfield's acting skills that he created space in this film for Jim Bakker.  Garfield makes his Bakker a hollow man who is beset by greed and full of hypocrisy.  He condemns Tammy's minor infidelity while hiding three decades of homosexual dalliances and affairs.  Garfield's Bakker, however, can survive in the vortex that is Chastain's Tammy Faye.

The script presents Tammy as having good intentions, as being loving, and as being naive.  Jim Bakker is in love with himself and with money and fame as much as he loves God.  The story suggests that Jim's faults make the couple vulnerable to opportunists and predators, such as Jerry Faldwell, whom actor Vincent D'Onofrio portrays as some kind of evangelical crime lord.  On the other hand, the film suggests that Tammy Faye's ignorance and unwillingness to speak up at certain times contribute to her unwillingness or inability to pay heed to the warnings of Rachel, her mother.  Rachel is played by Cherry Jones in an excellent performance that would have been noticed more if it weren't in the shadow of Chastain's.

Director Michael Showalter takes the fine performances of his cast and makes a movie that is the epic as character drama.  He gives us the rise and the fall and the (somewhat) redemption of a woman who had a moment in time that ultimately trapped her in the public sphere as a figure worthy of mocking.  To me, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is saying that she did not deserve this, but I remember her as someone who deserved some of the derision pointed her way.  As the guiding force of The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain deserves all the praise and awards pointed her way.

8 of 10
A

Tuesday, April 5, 2022


NOTES:
2022 Academy Awards, USA:  2 wins: “Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling” (Stephanie Ingram, Linda Dowds, and Justin Raleigh) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Jessica Chastain)

2022 BAFTA Awards:  1 win: “Best Make Up & Hair” (Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, and Justin Raleigh)


2022 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama” (Jessica Chastain)



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

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Thursday, March 31, 2022

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 27th to 31st, 2022 - Update #37

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From DeadlineBruce Willis' family have announced that the two-time Emmy Award-winning actor is retiring due to health related issues.

WILL SMITH/CHRIS ROCK - From VarietyWill Smith walks onstage at the 94th Academy Awards and slaps Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

From Variety:  The Academy has said that Will Smith was asked to leave the 94th Academy Awards ceremony after slapping presenter Chris Rock, but he refused.  The Academy has started disciplinary proceedings against Smith.

From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Will Smith formally apologizes to comedian Chris Rock for slapping him during the 94th Academy Awards show.

From Variety:  Chris Rock says that he is "still kind of processing what happened."

From Variety:   "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe says that he is "dramatically bored" with hearing people's opinion about "THE SLAP."

From VarietyWill Smith won the "Best Actor" Oscar for portraying the father of tennis stars, Venus and Serena Willaims, Richard Williams, in the biopic, "King Richard."  In regards to Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Academy Awards, Richard says, "We don't condone anyone hitting anyone else."

From Variety:  The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has confirmed that Chris Rock has declined to file a police report regarding Oscar-winner Will Smith slapping him during the 94th Academy Awards.

From THR:  The actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, calls Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock to be "unacceptable."

From People:  Of the Oscar slap, "Aquaman" Jason Momoa says that he is shocked that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock and that "There's a tipping point for everyone."

From Variety:  Celebrities react to the Oscar bitch slap heard around the world.
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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/25 to 3/27/2022 weekend box office is "The Lost City" with an estimated take of 31 million dollars.

From Deadline:  The film, "RRR," sets opening day records in its home country of India.  Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, the film also makes an impact at the international box office.
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OSCARS - From ABC7:  A list of nominees for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards.

From CNN:  A complete winners list from the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards.

WINNERS:

Best Picture
CODA
Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, Producers

Directing
The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion

Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain
The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Actor in a Leading Role
Will Smith
King Richard

Actress in a Supporting Role
Ariana DeBose
West Side Story

Actor in a Supporting Role
Troy Kotsur
CODA

Animated Feature Film
Encanto
Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
CODA
Screenplay by Siân Heder

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Belfast
Written by Kenneth Branagh

Documentary Feature
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein

International Feature Film
Drive My Car (Japan)
A C&I Entertainment/Culture Entertainment/Bitters End Production

Makeup and Hairstyling
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh

Costume Design
Cruella
Jenny Beavan

Cinematography
Dune
Greig Fraser

Production Design
Dune
Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos

Film Editing
Dune
Joe Walker

Music (Original Score)
Dune
Hans Zimmer

Best Sound
Dune
Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett

Best Sound
Dune
Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett

Visual Effects
Dune
Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer

Music (Original Song)
“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die
Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

Live Action Short Film
The Long Goodbye
Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed

Animated Short Film
The Windshield Wiper
Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Documentary Short Subject
The Queen of Basketball
Ben Proudfoot

From Deadline:  How to watch the Oscars on TV (ABC) and online (in some markets - abc.com and the ABC app.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Michael Bay criticizes some of the CGI in his upcoming action film, "Ambulance."

TELEVISION/BUSINESS - From DeadlineTammy Williams is the owner of a new television studio in Atlanta, making her the first Black woman to own a $135 million studio and post-production facility

OBIT:

TAYLOR HAWKINS:

From RollingStone:  Singer-songwriter and rock musician, Taylor Hawkins, has died at the age of 50, Friday, March 25, 2022 in a hotel in the town of Chapinero in Bogota, Columbia.  Hawkins was best known as the drummer of the band, "Foo Fighters." The band announced Hawkins as its new drummer in March 1997, and in addition to being the drummer, Hawkins wrote songs, provided vocals, and played piano and guitar.  He first appeared on the Foo Fighters third album "There is Nothing Left to Lose" (1999).  His side-projects included the bands, "Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders" and "The Birds of Satan."

From Deadline:  This link leads to the entertainment "breaking news" site's "Taylor Hawkins page."

From CNN:  The Attorney General’s Office of the South American nation of Columbia released a preliminary “forensic medical study” Saturday following the death of Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins.  The report said a urine toxicology test was carried out on Hawkins and 10 substances were found, including THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids.  Hawkins died Friday, March 25th at a hotel in the town of Chapinero in the Columbian capital of Bogota.

From EW:  Fellow drummers: Sheila E., Travis Barker (Blink 182), and Lars Ulrich (Metallica) pay tribute to Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins.

From YahooEntertainment:  Music industry legends such as Mick Jagger, Ozzy Osbourne, and Axl Rose react to the death of Taylor Hawkins, the drummer of the Foo Fighters.

From Deadline:   Shocked fans and music industry mourn the death of Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, at the age of 50 on Fri., March 25th.

From Deadline:  Watch a video of Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, last ever performance with the Foo Fighters.  At the Lollapalooza Festival in Argentina on March 20th, Hawkins sang a cover version of the song, "Somebody to Love," by "Queen," a band Hawkins loved.

From Deadline:  Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins had 10 substances in his system at the time of his death...

From CBSBoston:  The organizers of the music festival, Boston Calling, said they will keep fans updated following the death of Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins.  The band was among the headliners scheduled for the festival which is to be held May 27th-29th at the Harvard athletic complex.


Thursday, May 13, 2021

Review: "Dark Phoenix" is a Failed X-Men Resurrection

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 of 2021 (No. 1771) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Dark Phoenix (2019)
Running time:  114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gun play, disturbing images, and brief strong language
DIRECTOR:  Simon Kinberg
WRITERS:  Simon Kinberg (based on Marvel Comics characters)
PRODUCERS:  Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Todd Hallowell
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mauro Fiore
EDITORS:  Lee Smith
COMPOSER:  Hans Zimmer

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Summer Fontana, Scott Shepherd, Ato Essandoh, and Jessica Chastain

Dark Phoenix is a 2019 superhero movie from writer-director Simon Kinberg.  It is 20th Century Fox’s twelfth film based on Marvel Comics’ X-Men comic book franchise.  This movie is also a sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).  In Dark Phoenix (also known as X-Men: Dark Phoenix), one of the X-Men begins to develop incredible powers that will force the rest of the X-Men to decide if this one mutant's life is worth more than all of humanity.

Dark Phoenix opens in 1975 and introduces eight-year-old Jean Grey (Summer Fontana) and depicts the automobile accident that changes her life and brings Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy) into her life.  Then, the story moves to 1992 and to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.  There, Xavier has turned the X-Men into what some describe as a team of superheroes that steps in to protect and help mankind when no one else can.

The latest emergency involves a distress signal from a recently launched space shuttle, which has been critically damaged by a solar flare-like energy.  Xavier sends his strike team, “the X-Men”:  Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver (Evan Peters), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Scott Summers/Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and Ororo Munroe/Storm (Alexandra Shipp) to rescue the astronauts aboard the space shuttle.  Raven goes along on the mission, but she is furious that Xavier puts his students in danger for the rest of humanity, which she still regards with suspicion.

The X-Men arrive in their jet, the Blackbird, to find the situation rapidly deteriorating and the strange energy mass approaching the shuttle.  While saving the astronauts, Jean is struck by the energy and absorbs it into her body.  This apparently helps her to miraculously survive the blast of the shuttle explosion.  The X-Men and Xavier's other students start calling Jean “Phoenix” because of her miraculously survival.

However, the result of absorbing that energy causes Jean's psychic powers to be greatly amplified.  In turn, that causes her emotional state to begin to deteriorate, leading to tragedy.  Soon, the X-Men are hunting Jean Grey, and so are the X-Men's adversary/rival, Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and also the U.S. militaryVuk, the leader of a shape-shifting alien race known as the D'Bari, is also searching for Jean, specifically for the power Jean harbors inside her.  Can Xavier and the X-Men save Phoenix, or will their act of salvation doom humanity?

Both film adaptations of the classic X-Men comic book story arc, “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand and 2019's Dark Phoenix, fail to approach the riveting melodrama and enthralling soap opera that readers found and continue to find in Marvel Comics's The X-Men #129-138 (publication cover dates:  January to October 1980).  The writers of both films alter the core original story – to the movies' detriment.

Writer-director Simon Kinberg apparently directed some of 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past and much or most of 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, although Bryan Singer is credited as the director of both films.  I consider both films to be disappointments, one more than the other.  True to form, Simon Kinberg delivers in Dark Phoenix a film that is mostly a dud.

The storytelling feels contrived, and the screenwriting offers laughable concepts, especially the entire D'Bari alien subplot; that's just some stupid shit.  Dark Phoenix is one of two final films in 20th Century Fox's X-Men film franchise (the other being the long-delayed The New Mutants, which was finally released in 2020).  I say that Dark Phoenix is deeply disappointing, but honestly, I did not expect much of it, from the moment I first heard that it was going into production.  In fact, this film is a devolution from the franchise's peak, which was released 16 years prior to Dark Phoenix, the fantastic X2: X-Men United (2003).

Even the acting is bad.  Playing Vuk the alien is the lowest low point of Jessica Chastain's career, which includes two Academy Award nominations.  James McAvoy as Xavier, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, and Michael Fassbender as Erik are overwrought, and when they are trying to have serious conversations, they deliver hackneyed and derivative dialogue and unoriginal speeches.  Maybe their bad acting is a result of uninspired script writing.  However, I did find that Tye Sheridan as Scott, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Kurt, and Alexandra Shipp as Ororo made the most of their scenes, especially Sheridan.  If his Scott Summers/Cyclops were the center of Dark Phoenix, the film would be much better.  Because of him, I am giving this film a higher grade than I planned to do.

Dark Phoenix just doesn't work, and it rarely connected with me.  I don't think that it will connect with audiences the way some of the best and most popular X-Men films did.  Oh, well – let's hope that Marvel Studios does better with its planned X-Men films...

4 of 10
C

Thursday, March 25, 2020


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, July 6, 2018

"It Chapter Two" Begins Filming in Canada

Evil Resurfaces in Derry as Cameras Roll on New Line Cinema’s “IT CHAPTER TWO”

Director Andy Muschietti Reunites the Losers Club—Young and Adult—in a Return to Derry

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on New Line Cinema’s “IT CHAPTER TWO,” director Andy Muschietti’s follow-up to 2017’s critically acclaimed and massive worldwide box office hit “IT,” which grossed over $700 million globally. Both redefining and transcending the genre, “IT” became part of the cultural zeitgeist as well as the highest-grossing horror film of all time.

Because every 27 years evil revisits the town of Derry, Maine, “IT CHAPTER TWO” brings the characters—who’ve long since gone their separate ways—back together as adults, nearly three decades after the events of the first film. Bill Skarsgård returns in the seminal role of Pennywise. James McAvoy (“Split,” upcoming “Glass”) stars as Bill, Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty,” “Mama”) as Beverly, Bill Hader (HBO’s “Barry,” “The Skeleton Twins”) as Richie, Isaiah Mustafa (TV’s “Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments”) as Mike, Jay Ryan (TV’s “Mary Kills People”) as Ben, James Ransone (HBO’s “The Wire”) as Eddie, and Andy Bean (“Allegiant,” Starz’ “Power”) as Stanley.

Reprising their roles as the original members of the Losers Club are Jaeden Lieberher as Bill, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley, Sophia Lillis as Beverly, Finn Wolfhard as Richie, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben, Chosen Jacobs as Mike, and Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie.

Muschietti directs from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman (“IT,” “Annabelle: Creation”) based on the novel by Stephen King. Barbara Muschietti, Dan Lin and Roy Lee are producing the film. Marty Ewing, Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg are the executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Checco Varese (“The 33”), Oscar-winning production designer Paul D. Austerberry (“The Shape of Water”), editor Jason Ballantine (“IT,” “Mad Max: Fury Road”), and Oscar-nominated costume designer Luis Sequeira (“The Shape of Water,” “Mama”).

Production will take place in Toronto, Canada.

Set to open in theaters September 6, 2019, “IT CHAPTER TWO” is a New Line Cinema production. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 18th to 28th, 2018 - Update #32

Support Leroy on Patreon:

COMICS-FILM - From DenofGeek:  First look at the Zachary Levi's costume in Warner Bros./DC Entertainment's "Shazam: film.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix plans 700 original series and movies for 2018.

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COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  Significant reshoots for Fox's X-Men spinoff, "The New Mutants."

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CELEBRITY - From Variety:  In a wide-ranging interview, legendary Barbra Streisand talks sexism in Hollywood, the Oscars, and wanting to direct films again.  She also reveals that she has had her dogs cloned.

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OSCARS - From Yahoo:  Oscars so scandalous: leading movies hit with backlash

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CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Kevin Smith tweets that he suffered a heart attack.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/23 to 2/25/2018 weekend box office is Marvel Studio's "Black Panther" with an estimated take of $108 million.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Ryan Coogler explains why he isn't directing "Creed 2," the sequel to his hit film, "Creed."

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MOVIE - From ShadowandAct:  See photographic image of three generations of Shaft from the upcoming film, "Son of Shaft."

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STREAMING - From TVSeriesFinale:  Amazon is developing a TV series based on Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" book series.

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MOVIES - From Vulture:  "The First Great Movie of the Trump Era" By Jada Yuan and Hunter Harris (about Jordan Peele's "Get Out")

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MOVIES - From Collider:   Alex Garland is a hot filmmaker and is currently promoting his second film, "Annihilation."  He began as a noted novelist and revealed that there may be another film adaptation of his debut novel, "The Beach."  There was a 2000 film adaptation from director Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

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TELEVISION - From TVSeriesFinale:  Walter Goggins will star in CBS's reboot of the Oscar-winning film, "L.A. Confidential."

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CELEBRITY - From GQ:  Whatever happened to actor Brendan Fraser (The Mummy franchise)

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MOVIES - From THR:  "Jurassic World 3" has been scheduled for a 2021 release.

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ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Larry Fishburne is producing an animated TV series based on Marvel Comics' "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" comic book, which is apparently popular with young readers.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Jessica Chastain is in talks to star as "Beverly" in the sequel to the smash hit, "It."

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#PARKLANDSHOOTING - From StandardUK:  George and Amal Clooney donate $500,000 to gun control march after Florida shooting.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/16 to 2/18/2018 (President's Day) weekend box office is Disney/Marvel's "Black Panther" with an estimated take of $192 million, the fifth largest box office opening to date.

From BleedingCool:  Black Panther's three-day weekend total is actually $201.8 million instead of $192 million.

From Variety:  "Black Panther's four-day President's Day weekend may hit $235 million.

From THR:  All this fuss over a superhero movie? by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

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MOVIES - From CBR:  The "Transformers" film franchise may end as an unresolved film series.  Paramount has reportedly cancelled what was to be the sequel to "Transformers: The Last Knight," which apparently had an open ending. [I didn't see that film.]

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AWARDS - From Variety:  A complete list of winners at the 2018 BAFTAs.  "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" wins two best film awards.

From TheGuardian:  Bafta film awards 2018: Three Billboards triumphs as Time's Up dominates

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MOVIES - From EW:  Anne Hathaway joins Dee Rees ("Mudbound") for an adaptation of Joan Didion's 1996 novel, "The Last Thing He Wanted," a political thriller.

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CRIME-POLITICS - From Justice.gov:   Read Robert S. Mueller III's indictment against 13 individuals (Russians and one American).

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Sylvester Stallone reveals the first poster for "Creed II."

OBITS:

From THR:  Oscar-nominated animator, Bud Luckey, has died at the age of 83, Saturday, February 24, 2018.  An early Pixar employee, Luckey, designed the cowboy "Woody" for the original "Toy Story."  He also created "counting cartoons" for "Seasame Street."  He received an Oscar nominations for his animated short film, "Boundin'."

From Variety:  The India actress, Sridevi Kapoor, has died at the age of 54, Saturday, February 24, 2018.  Best known by her mononym, Sridevi, was the first Bollywood superstar actress.

From TheGuardian:  British actress, Emma Chambers, has died at the age of 53, Wednesday, February 21, 2018.  Chambers was best known for her roles in the British comedy TV series, "The Vicar of Dibley," and in the 1999 film, "Notting Hill," playing "Honey," the sister of Hugh Grant's character.

From YahooNews:  Famed evangelist and ordained Southern Baptist minister and preacher, Billy Graham, has died at the age of 99, Wednesday, February 21, 2018.  Known as "America's Pastor," Graham provided spiritual counsel to every U.S. President from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.  Graham was also a supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and began "racial integration" for his revival and crusades beginning in 1953.  [Of course, he's resting in peace.]

From Deadline:  African filmmaker Idrissa Ouedraogo, has died at the age of 64, Sunday, February 18, 2018.  A native of the West African nation of Burkina Faso, Ouedraogo won the Cannes Jury Prize for his 1990 film, "Tilai."


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 17th to 23rd, 2017 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Bradley Cooper's remake of "A Star is Born," in which he co-stars with Lady Gaga, will arrive in theaters the summer of 2018.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Margot Robbie's Tonya Harding biopic, "I, Tonya," gets a release date that will qualify it for this year's Oscar race - December 8th.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Ron Perlman talks about his early career and playing make-up heavy roles like Hellboy.

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MOVIES - From CinemaBlend:  "The Purge 4" announces new cast members.  A "Purge" TV series is also in the works.

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BLM - From YesMagazine:  NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick may not have an NFL job, but his his national anthem protests remain strong in the NFL.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Stephen King would like you to give the film, "Cell," a chance.  It is the 2016 adaptation of his 2006 novel, Cell.  The movie flopped and received scathing reviews.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  "Avatar 2" will reportedly begin filming Monday, September 25th.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertaiment:  Linda Hamilton a.k.a. "Sarah Connor" is rejoining Arnold Schwarzenegger in James Cameron's "Terminator" reboot.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooLifestyle:  Halle Berry shares a photo of her new man, Alexander Grant, who is better known as "Alex Da Kid," the British songwriter and producer.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Lee Daniels is developing two new projects for Fox.

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ANIMATION - From Variety:  "The Croods 2," the sequel to DreamWorks Animation's 2013, Oscar-nominated hit, is back on schedule, September 18, 2020.

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MOVIES - From DVD.com:  Five films that influenced "L.A. Confidential," which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary.

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DISNEY - From Variety:  Judi Dench may join Kenneth Branagh's "Artemis Fowl" adaptation for Disney.

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OSCARS - From GoldDerby:  Cambodia has made Angelina Jolie's film, "First They Killed My Father," their "Foreign Language Film" entry in this year's Oscars race.

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NEWS - From YahooFinance:  Toys 'R' Us could go bankrupt within weeks.

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MOVIES - From Esquire:  What is known about the sequel to the current box office smash, "IT."

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Liam Neeson says that he is retiring from action films.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/15 to 9/17/2017 weekend box office is "IT" with an estimated take of $60 million.

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EMMYS - From Deadline:  A list of 2017 Emmy winners - updated.

From YahooLifesytle:  Jane Fonda's faux-ponytail on the Emmy red carpet is freaking people out.

From GoldDerby:  The site has uncovered the complete ceremony rundown (the order in which the awards will be announced) for tonight's 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  A locations manager for the Netflix show, Narcos, was shot dead while scouting locations for the show.

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COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  Jessica Chastain to produce and star in a movie based on the "Painkiller Jane" comic book.  The film has a writer, Christine Boylan.

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TELEVISION - From SlashFilm:  Fox is rebooting its 1994 film, "True Lies" (directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) as a TV series.

OBIT:

From NewYorkDailyNews:  Boxing legend Jake LaMotta, whose nickname was "The Raging Bull," has died at the age of 95, Tuesday, September 19, 2017.  His life was recounted in Martin Scorsese's 1980 film, "Raging Bull," in which Robert DeNiro portrayed LaMotta in a performance that won him a best actor Oscar.


Saturday, June 17, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 11th to 17th, 2017 - Updated #29

Support Leroy on Patreon.

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POLITICS - From RSN:  Russell Brand says "austerity" is brutality not frugality.

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SPORTS - From BET:  Boxer Floyd Mayweather will make between $200 to $300 million for his "super-fight" with MMA fighter Conor McGregor (who will make $100 million) on August 26th, 2017.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  Glenn Close to star in "Sea Oak," a half-hour zombie drama for Amazon.

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COMICS-FILM - From ThePlaylist:  Marvel Studios has no immediate plans for Marvel Comics' "Fantastic Four."

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OBIT - From THR:  Film editor Bill Butler died at the age of 83 of June 4, 2017.  He earned an Oscar nomination for his work on Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange."

From Variety:  Film director John G. Avildsen has died at the age of 81, Friday, June 16, 2017.  He won an Oscar for directing the original "Rocky" (1976).  He also directed the original "Karate Kid" films.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Aisha Tyler is leaving the CBS daytime talk show, "The Talk," after six seasons.

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MOVIES - From EW:  There is a new documentary, "Score," about film music which celebrates some of the greatest musical moments in film history.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Danai Gurira, one of the stars of "The Walking Dead," will appear in both the "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Infinity War."

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COMICS-FILM - From Collider:  An R-rated Marvel Studios movie is not out of the questions says Marvel boss, Kevin Feige.  Jessica Chastain in talks to play a villain.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Simon Kinberg set to direct "X-Men: Dark Phoenix," which will begin production soon.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  The new cinematic Spider-Man, Tom Holland, has revealed that the upcoming "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is the first film in a trilogy.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Actress and model, Anita Pallenberg, has died at the age of 73, Tuesday, June 13, 2017.  She appeared in the film "Barberella" and in "Performance" with the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger.  She also had three children with Jagger's band mate, Keith Richards.

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MOVIES - From Variety: Michelle Monaghan is returning for "Mission: Impossible 6."  She plays Dr. Julia Meade, the wife of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt and was last seen in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (the fourth film).

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MOVIES - From EW:  Josh Brolin bulks up with muscle for his role as Cable in "Deadpool 2."

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TELEVISION - From THR:  Anthony and Joe Russo, the guys behind the two Captain America movies, "Winter Soldier" and "Civil War," will join Henry Selick, director of "A Nightmare Before Christmas," to bring the video game "Little Nightmares" to television.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Lionsgate is planning to dramatize the story of the controversial rap group, 2 Live Crew, in film.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Woody Allen's upcoming drama, "Wonder Wheels," will debut December 1, 2017.

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SPORTS:  From NYTimes:  The Golden State Warriors win the 2017 National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship, their second in three years.  They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129 to 120, to win the best of 7 series, 4 games to 1.

From AOLNews:  Championship teams visit the White House to celebrate with the President of the United States. The Golden State Warriors players voted unanimously not to visit President Trump after winning the 2017 NBA Championship.

----------
THEATRE - From Variety:  A complete list of 2017 Tony Award winners, including Bette Midler and "Dear Evan Hansen."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 6/9 to 6/11/2017 weekend box office is "Wonder Woman" with an estimated take of $57 million.

From Deadline:  With an estimated global box office debut of $169.3, "The Mummy" is delivering some of Tom Cruise's best box office numbers.

From Deadline:  Still, Wonder Woman is whipping Tom Cruise's ass at the domestic box office.

From Variety:  The global box office gross of Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" has pushed Universal Pictures past $3 billion in global box office for the calendar year, 3 days faster than last year.

From Variety:  "The Mummy" may be in trouble at the North American box office, but it make $52 million in China.

----------
CULTURE - From YahooNews:  Tomorrow, June 12th is "Loving Day,"  It is also the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision "Loving v. Virginia."  The AP is republishing its last interview with Mildred Loving.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  "The Hollywood Reporter" offers an appreciation of Adam West, who played Batman/Bruce Wayne in the campy 1960s "Batman" TV series for ABC.  West died on Friday, June 9, at the age of 88.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Rafael Nadal won his 10th French Open men's singles title, the most by anyone, and a record he has held since he won his seventh French Open singles title in 2012.  With this victory, he becomes the first individual to win 10 singles championships in a single Grand Slam event, in this case the French Open.

From TheGuardian:  In the women's singles, Jelena Ostapenko won her first women's Grand Slam singles title with her victory in the French Open women's singles.  She is the first tennis player from the nation of Latvia, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title.

From YahooSports:  With their 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators tonight, the National Hockey League's (NHL) Pittsburgh Penguins win the 2017 Stanley Cup.  They also won the 2016 Stanley Cup, making them the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 19 years.


Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 21st to 31st, 2017 - Update #40

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Jessica Chastain, on the 2017 Cannes awards jury, said she was "quite disturbed" by the images of women in the films she saw at the festival.

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TELEVISION - From YahooNews:  Scott Pelley reportedly out as host of the "CBS Evening News."

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ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  Popular animated TV series, "Animaniacs," is being rebooted by Steven Spielberg, Amblin TV, and Warner Bros. TV, the forces behind the original.

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OBIT - From Deadline:  Legendary sportswriter, Frank Deford, has died at the age of 78, Sunday, May 28, 2017.  He wrote 18 books and was known for his work with "Sports Illustrated."  His 1981 book, "Everybody's All-American," was made in a 1988 film.  His 1983 book, "Alex: The Life of a Child," about his daughter who died of Cystic Fibrosis, was also made into a 1986 TV movie.

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BLM - From YahooNews:  Timothy Loehmann, the man who murdered 12-year-old Tamir Rice in November 2014, has finally been fired... for "inaccuracies" on his application form.  The other officer involved in the killing, Frank Garmback, was suspended for his driving mistakes made that day.

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HEALTH - From YahooBeauty:  Sugar may have a connection to a type of lung cancer.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  The site gives "Wonder Woman" movie high praise.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2017 Memorial Day three-day weekend (5/26 to 5/28/2017) is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" with an estimated take of $62 million.

From Gamespot:  The 2017 Memorial Day weekend was the worst Memorial Day weekend at the box office since 1999.

From Deadline:  The Grateful Dead documentary, "Long Strange Trip," has a strong debut.

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HARRY POTTER - From BleedingCool:  J.K. Rowling says she has finished the script for "Fantastic Beasts 2."

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FESTIVALS - From ScreenDaily:  "The Square" wins the Palme d'Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.  Screen Daily also provides a list of other winners.

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COMICS-FILM - From SlashFilm:  "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins talks about sequel plans and deleted scenes.

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ANIMATION - From SideshowToys:  In June 2017, a series of animated shorts featuring "Ant-Man" will debut on Disney XD.

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OBIT - From YahooMusic:  Legendary rock musician and songwriter, Gregg Allman, has died at the age of 69, Saturday, May 27, 2015.  sigh.

From Slate:  Recording artists and musicians offer tributes to Gregg Allman.

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooMovies:  Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas is offering "Women Only" showings of the new "Wonder Woman," and predictably, some dudes are miffed.

From YahooMovies:  Lynda Carter, famous for playing "Wonder Woman" on the 1970s TV series of the same name, joins current screen Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, on the red carpet.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Sony Pictures is planning a movie featuring Silver Sable and Black Cat, entitled "Silver and Black," two characters from the Spider-Man line of comic books.  Gina Prince-Bythewood is in talks to direct, and if she is hired, she would be the first Black woman to direct a movie starring Marvel Comics characters...

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooNews:  Rosario Dawson may join "X-Men: New Mutants."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Joseph Kosinski is the front runner to direct "Top Gun 2."  Kosinski directed "Top Gun" star Tom Cruise in "Oblivion."

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OBIT - From People:   The actor Roger Moore has died at the age of 89, Tuesday, May 23, 2017.  Moore was best known for being the third James Bond in Eon Productions long-running James Bond-007 film franchise.  He also played the character "Simon Templar" in the British TV series, "The Saint," from 1962 to 1969.  He was my favorite Bond, and I adored him as The Saint - R.I.P. Sir Roger George Moore.

From YahooCelebrity:  Meet the Bond girls who fell in love with the late Sir Roger Moore's 007.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Hot off "Get Out," Jordan Peele's next social thriller is due in 2019.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  The ever-busy James Wan will produce the "Resident Evil" reboot.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheReelWord:  Joss Whedon will finish the upcoming "Justice League" movie, after Zack Snyder stepped down due to a personal tragedy.

---------- MANCHESTER:
BREAKING - From YahooNews:  There has been an explosion (possible suicide bombing) at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England.  There have been injuries and deaths (at least 20).

From YahooNews:  ISIS claims responsibility for Manchester attacks.

From TheGuardian:  Ariana Grande "broken" by attack at her Manchester concert.

From YahooNews:  Portrait of Manchester suicide bomber, Salman Abedi, emerges.

From BET:  Araina Grande may cover funeral costs for the victims of the bomb attack at her recent concert.

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

POLITICS - From RollingStone:  Matt Taibbi says Roger Ailes was one of the worst Americans ever.

From NewYorkMagazine:  Gabriel Sherman knew the truth about Roger Ailes before it was made public.

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SPORTS-MUSIC - From SBNation:  Nico Marley, the grandson of reggae and world music legend, Bob Marley, has signed a contract with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL).

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Bill Condon will direct a new "Bride of Frankenstein," that is due February 14, 2017.  This will be the second film in Universal's "Dark Universe," which launches with the Tom Cruise film, "The Mummy," June 9th.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 5/19 to 5/21/2017 weekend box office is "Alien Covenant" with an estimated take of $36 million.  The finals may change the winner, as "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2" is at an estimated $35.1 million and the film's early weekend estimates were far less than the Monday actual grosses the last two weekend.

From Variety:  "Dangal," a drama from India, just became the most successful foreign language film of all time in China.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  At Cannes, Clint Eastwood says that he might act again.

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MUSIC - From Vibe:  Legendary rapper, hip-hop recording artist, and actor Snoop Dogg is working on a gospel album.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  The "Resident Evil" franchise will get a reboot... of course.

TRAILERS:

From SideshowToys:  This is the third trailer for "Spider-Man: Homecoming."


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Viola Davis, Kevin Hart, Ben Affleck Among Presenters at 87th Oscars

Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Kevin Hart, Shirley MacLaine, Chris Pine, Miles Teller and Naomi Watts To Present At 87th Oscars®

Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Kevin Hart, Shirley MacLaine, Chris Pine, Miles Teller and Naomi Watts will be presenters at this year’s Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.

Affleck, a two-time Academy Award® winner, received an Original Screenplay Oscar® for “Good Will Hunting” (1997) and a Best Picture Oscar for “Argo” (2012), on which he served as a producer, director and star. His most recent role was opposite Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl” (2014). He will play Batman in the upcoming feature “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “The Accountant.”

Chastain has received two Oscar nominations, one for Actress in a Leading Role for “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012) and one for Actress in a Supporting Role for “The Help” (2011). Her most recent films include 2014’s “Interstellar,” “A Most Violent Year” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” She will next be seen in “Crimson Peak” and “The Martian.”

Davis has been nominated for two Oscars, one for her supporting role in the 2008 film “Doubt” and one for her leading role in 2011’s “The Help.”  She currently stars in the ABC primetime hit “How to Get Away with Murder.” Davis’s film credits include “Get on Up,” “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them,”  “Ender’s Game” and “Prisoners.”  She will next been seen in “Lila and Eve,” due out this year.

Hart, who currently stars in the feature comedy “The Wedding Ringer,” appeared in last year’s “Ride Along,” “About Last Night,” “Think Like a Man Too” and “Top Five.” His previous credits include “Think Like a Man” (2012) and “The Five-Year Engagement” (2012). He will star opposite Will Ferrell in “Get Hard” later this year.

MacLaine won an Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role for 1983’s “Terms of Endearment.” She also received nominations for her leading roles in “The Turning Point” (1983), “Irma La Douce” (1963) “The Apartment” (1960) and “Some Came Running” (1958), as well for the documentary feature “The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir” (1975), which she produced. Her next role is in “Wild Oats.”

Pine most recently appeared as Cinderella’s Prince in “Into the Woods” (2014). He also has starred in such features as “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” (2014), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013), “People
Like Us” (2012), “Unstoppable” (2010), “Star Trek” (2009) and “Bottle Shock” (2008). His upcoming films include “Z for Zachariah” and “The Finest Hours.”

Teller stars in the current Best Picture nominee “Whiplash.”  Later this year, he will appear in the feature “Bleed for This,” as well as “The Fantastic Four.”  Teller also appeared in the 2013 film “The Spectacular Now.”

Watts has twice been nominated for Actress in a Leading Role, for “The Impossible” (2012) and “21 Grams” (2003). Her feature credits also include “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” (2014), “St. Vincent” (2014), “Eastern Promises” (2007), “King Kong” (2005) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001). She will next be seen in the “Divergent” sequel “Insurgent,” While We’re Young,” The Sea of Trees,” and “Demolition.”

The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Monday, February 16, 2015

Saturday, Feb. 21st, 2015 is One More Chance to See "Interstellar" in IMAX

LAST CHANCE BEFORE THE OSCARS TO SEE “INTERSTELLAR” IN IMAX®

THE ONE-DAY-ONLY “AN ENCORE OF INTERSTELLAR: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE®” WILL PLAY IN AMC THEATRES® ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21st, 2015

Paramount Pictures, IMAX® Corporation and AMC Theatres are giving fans one last opportunity to see Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award®-nominated film “INTERSTELLAR.” The critically acclaimed film will play in the IMAX® format in select AMC Theatres in the U.S. on Saturday, February 21st, 2015.

The one-day-only “An Encore of Interstellar: The IMAX Experience®” showings will take place at 3:00 p.m. local times at participating AMC Theatres and will feature more than 12 minutes of never-before-seen exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

Moviegoers who purchase a ticket at a participating AMC Theatres box office to see “An Encore of Interstellar: The IMAX Experience®” can receive an additional ticket free. This special offer is only available at participating AMC Theatres box offices; online purchases are not eligible.

Tickets are on sale now. For a list of participating theaters, please visit AMC Theaters here.

“INTERSTELLAR” is nominated for five Academy Awards®: Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.

The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow and Michael Caine. With our time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human history; traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.

“INTERSTELLAR” is directed by Christopher Nolan, written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, and produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Lynda Obst.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing.  As of September 30, 2014, there were 880 IMAX theatres (751 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 110 institutions) in 60 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation.  More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com.  You may also connect IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

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Friday, January 30, 2015

Nevada Film Critics Society Name "Gone Girl" as Best Film of 2014

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 2014 Awards for Achievement in Film:

Best Film - Gone Girl'

Best Actor - Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler'


Best Actress - Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl'


Best Supporting Actor - JK Simmons for Whiplash'

Best Supporting Actress - Tie:
Jessica Chastain for A Most Violent Year'
Patricia Arquette for 'Boyhood' 


Best Youth Performance - Ellar Coltrane for Boyhood'


Best Director - Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler'

Best Screenplay - Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler'


Best Ensemble Cast - 'Guardians of the Galaxy'


Best Documentary - 'Citizenfour'

Best Animated Movie - 'Big Hero 6'

Best Production Design - Adam Stockhausen for The Grand Budapest Hotel'


Best Cinematography - Hoyte van hoytema for Interstellar'


Best Visual Effects - 'Interstellar'

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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

"Selma," "Still Alice" Win "Best Movie" Awards from Women Film Critics Circle


Editor's Note:  I forgot to post these a few weeks ago:

The Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) is an association of women film critics, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media.  Founded in 2004, this group is the first women critics’ organization in the United States.

The 2014 Women Film Critics Circle Award winners were announced December 13, 2014.

Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2014:

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN
Still Alice

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Selma: Ava Duvernay

BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER [Screenwriting Award]
Ida: Rebecca Lenkiewicz [Co-screenwriter]

BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore: Still Alice

BEST ACTOR
Eddie Redmayne: The Theory Of Everything

BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
Mira Grosin: We Are The Best

BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS
Jenny Slate: Obvious Child

BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Two Days, One Night

BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1

WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Horrible Bosses 2
      
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE 
Love Is Strange

WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE  
Dumb And Dumber To

BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Citizenfour

BEST SCREEN COUPLE
The Skeleton Twins

BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Girlhood

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES
TIE: Life Itself, The Skeleton Twins

BEST ANIMATED FEMALE
Winnie: Boxtrolls

BEST FAMILY FILM
Big Hero 6

WOMEN'S WORK/BEST ENSEMBLE
The Homesman

*SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS*

COURAGE IN FILMMAKING:
LAURA POITRAS: For bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light in Citizenfour, and driven into exile in Germany for doing so.

*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: A film that most passionately opposes violence against women:
Frontera
Private Violence

*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America:
Anita: Speaking Truth To Power

*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity:
Belle

ACTING AND ACTIVISM AWARD: Rosario Dawson
For her work with The Lower East Side Girls Club; the environmental group Global Cool; the ONE Campaign; Oxfam; Amnesty International; Voto Latino; V-Day, a global non-profit movement that raises funds for women's anti-violence groups; RESPECT! Campaign, a movement aimed at preventing domestic violence; and countless other organizations.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Oprah Winfrey

COURAGE IN ACTING: [Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on screen]:
Julianne Moore: Still Alice

BEST FEMALE ACTION STAR:
Oprah Winfrey: Selma

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD: [Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored]:
Felicity Jones: The Theory Of Everything

WOMAN'S RIGHT TO MALES ROLES IN MOVIES:
Jessica Chastain: Interstellar

MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD:
*TIE
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Nymphomaniac
Uma Thurman: Nymphomaniac

JUST KIDDING AWARDS

*Best Female Images: Nymphomaniac

*Forty-Plus Female Empowerment Award: For the producers who give women over forty  meaningful roles in movies on a regular basis, in an industry where forty is the new  ninety-five - and as other than maniacs and witches.

*Merry Macho Award: Seth Rogen and James Franco: For advancing the cause of world peace with their presidential assassination comedy, The Interview. And who knows, while possibly mulling the  Interview II sequel comedy, the assassination of US President Obama. And for further extending  Hollywood as a wing of the US military and CIA, following leaked email revelations that the US State Department advocated Sony to use the film to help bring down the DPRK government.

BEST LINE IN A MOVIE:
Big Hero 6: 'Stop Whining. Woman Up!'

About the Special Mention Awards:
**ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: Adrienne Shelly was a promising actress and filmmaker who was brutally strangled in her apartment in 2006 at the age of forty by a construction worker in the building, after she complained about noise. Her killer tried to cover up his crime by hanging her from a shower rack in her bathroom, to make it look like a suicide. He later confessed that he was having a “bad day.” Shelly, who left behind a baby daughter, had just completed her film, Waitress, which she also starred in, and which was honored at Sundance after her death.

**JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: The daughter of a laundress and a musician, Baker overcame being born black, female and poor, and marriage at age fifteen, to become an internationally acclaimed legendary performer, starring in the films Princess Tam Tam, Moulin Rouge and Zou Zou. She also survived the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois as a child, and later expatriated to France to escape US racism. After participating heroically in the underground French Resistance during WWII, Baker returned to the US where she was a crusader for racial equality. Her activism led to attacks against her by reporter Walter Winchell who denounced her as a communist, leading her to wage a battle against him. Baker was instrumental in ending segregation in many theaters and clubs, where she refused to perform unless integration was implemented.

**KAREN MORLEY AWARD: Karen Morley was a promising Hollywood star in the 1930s, in such films as Mata Hari and Our Daily Bread. She was driven out of Hollywood for her leftist political convictions by the Blacklist and for refusing to testify against other actors, while Robert Taylor and Sterling Hayden were informants against her.  And also for daring to have a child and become a mother, unacceptable for female stars in those days.  Morley maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954.  She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.


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Saturday, January 17, 2015

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of January 11th to 17, 2015 - Updated #24


NEWS:

From YahooMovies:  Cheryl Boone Isaacs address #OscarsSoWhite and diversity in this AP exclusive.

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From YahooMovies:  Spike Lee talks movies, Eric Garner, Oscars, distribution, etc.

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From Hitfix:  On #OscarsSoWhite with a clip of Jessica Chastain's 2015 Critics' Choice Awards speech.

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From Vulture:  Where did Selma's Oscar campaign go wrong.

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From People:  On #OscarsSoWhite, Selma, and other Black actors from 2014 who were little talked about.

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From Vulture:  Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs downplays #OscarsSoWhite furor.

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From YahooFinance:  Al Sharpton enters the all-white Oscar nominees fray.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  More on the all-white Oscar nominees.

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From BusinessInsider:  Funny #OscarsSoWhite tweets.

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From YahooFinance:  James Gunn slams Oscar snubs, including those of his own film, Guardians of the Galaxy.

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From TheOscars:  87th (2015) Oscar nominations page with all the nominees and credits.

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From HitFix:  Louis Vertel ranks the 9 actors who are double Oscar winners in the "Best Actor" category.

From HitFix:  Vertel did the same for the 13 women who are double winners in the "Best Actress" category.

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From HitFix:  "Twin Peaks" is coming back... on Showtime

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From AnneThompson:  Her final Oscar nomination predictions.

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From YahooMovies:  Meryl Streep was too ugly for King Kong - according to producer Dino DeLaurentiis.

--------------------
From Variety:  6 lessons from the 2015 Golden Globes.

--------------------
From Variety:  Did not know this:  "Transparent (available online through Amazon Prime) is the first online series to win a "best series" award at the Golden Globes.

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From TheWrap:  The winner of the January 9th to 11th, 2015 weekend box office is Taken 3 with an estimated take of $40.4 million.


COMIC BOOKS:

From LatinoReview:  Spider-Man in Marvel Studios movies and more news/rumors.

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From YahooFinance:  The art of Chris Voss influenced the look of Guardians of the Galaxy, according to director James Gunn.

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From TheVox:  Second Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer.

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From EW:  CBS reveals new details about its "Supergirl," which does not have a release date.

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From YahooTV:  "Flash" and "Arrow" have helped The CW network experience a ratings recovery.

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From TheBeat:  Marvel Comics has a ton of book collections due in the May to August 2015 period.


STAR WARS:

From Wochit:  George Lucas reveals that he was finally able to do the the one thing about Star Wars that he had never been able to do - watch it as a fan.  Also, he had plans to direct Episode 7 before he sold Lucasfilm to Disney.

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From YahooMovies:  7 things about the new Star Wars comic book from Marvel Comics.


MISC:

From YahooNews:  A cool story about a 12-year-old and the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

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From YahooSports:  The Steelers "Coach Dad," Dick LeBeau, has suddenly resigned.

From YahooNews:  Kevin Butler replaces LeBeau.

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From YahooSports:  Keith Olbermann says close the Baseball Hall of Fame and start over.

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From YahooHealth:  Another loose-that-belly-diet.


PREVIEWS:

From 20thCenturyFox:  The new film from director Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy is a spy-comedy called, "Spy."

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

"Selma," "Still Alice" Win Best Movie Awards from Women Film Critics Circle

The Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) is an association of women film critics, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media.  Founded in 2004, this group is the first women critics’ organization in the United States.

The 2014 Women Film Critics Circle Award winners were announced December 13, 2014.

Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2014:

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN
Still Alice

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Selma: Ava Duvernay

BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER [Screenwriting Award]
Ida: Rebecca Lenkiewicz [Co-screenwriter]

BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore: Still Alice

BEST ACTOR
Eddie Redmayne: The Theory Of Everything

BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
Mira Grosin: We Are The Best

BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS
Jenny Slate: Obvious Child

BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Two Days, One Night

BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1

WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Horrible Bosses 2
      
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE 
Love Is Strange

WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE  
Dumb And Dumber To

BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Citizenfour

BEST SCREEN COUPLE
The Skeleton Twins

BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Girlhood

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES - TIE
Life Itself
The Skeleton Twins
BEST ANIMATED FEMALE
Winnie: Boxtrolls

BEST FAMILY FILM
Big Hero 6

WOMEN'S WORK/BEST ENSEMBLE
The Homesman

*SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS*

COURAGE IN FILMMAKING:
LAURA POITRAS: For bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light in Citizenfour, and driven into exile in Germany for doing so.

*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: A film that most passionately opposes violence against women:
Frontera
Private Violence

*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America:
Anita: Speaking Truth To Power

*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity:
Belle

ACTING AND ACTIVISM AWARD: Rosario Dawson
For her work with The Lower East Side Girls Club; the environmental group Global Cool; the ONE Campaign; Oxfam; Amnesty International; Voto Latino; V-Day, a global non-profit movement that raises funds for women's anti-violence groups; RESPECT! Campaign, a movement aimed at preventing domestic violence; and countless other organizations.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Oprah Winfrey

COURAGE IN ACTING: [Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on screen]:
Julianne Moore: Still Alice

BEST FEMALE ACTION STAR:
Oprah Winfrey: Selma

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD: [Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored]:
Felicity Jones: The Theory Of Everything

WOMAN'S RIGHT TO MALES ROLES IN MOVIES:
Jessica Chastain: Interstellar

MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD:
*TIE
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Nymphomaniac
Uma Thurman: Nymphomaniac

JUST KIDDING AWARDS

*Best Female Images: Nymphomaniac

*Forty-Plus Female Empowerment Award: For the producers who give women over forty  meaningful roles in movies on a regular basis, in an industry where forty is the new  ninety-five - and as other than maniacs and witches.

*Merry Macho Award: Seth Rogen and James Franco: For advancing the cause of world peace with their presidential assassination comedy, The Interview. And who knows, while possibly mulling the  Interview II sequel comedy, the assassination of US President Obama. And for further extending  Hollywood as a wing of the US military and CIA, following leaked email revelations that the US State Department advocated Sony to use the film to help bring down the DPRK government.

BEST LINE IN A MOVIE:
Big Hero 6: 'Stop Whining. Woman Up!'

About the Special Mention Awards:
**ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: Adrienne Shelly was a promising actress and filmmaker who was brutally strangled in her apartment in 2006 at the age of forty by a construction worker in the building, after she complained about noise. Her killer tried to cover up his crime by hanging her from a shower rack in her bathroom, to make it look like a suicide. He later confessed that he was having a “bad day.” Shelly, who left behind a baby daughter, had just completed her film, Waitress, which she also starred in, and which was honored at Sundance after her death.

**JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: The daughter of a laundress and a musician, Baker overcame being born black, female and poor, and marriage at age fifteen, to become an internationally acclaimed legendary performer, starring in the films Princess Tam Tam, Moulin Rouge and Zou Zou. She also survived the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois as a child, and later expatriated to France to escape US racism. After participating heroically in the underground French Resistance during WWII, Baker returned to the US where she was a crusader for racial equality. Her activism led to attacks against her by reporter Walter Winchell who denounced her as a communist, leading her to wage a battle against him. Baker was instrumental in ending segregation in many theaters and clubs, where she refused to perform unless integration was implemented.

**KAREN MORLEY AWARD: Karen Morley was a promising Hollywood star in the 1930s, in such films as Mata Hari and Our Daily Bread. She was driven out of Hollywood for her leftist political convictions by the Blacklist and for refusing to testify against other actors, while Robert Taylor and Sterling Hayden were informants against her.  And also for daring to have a child and become a mother, unacceptable for female stars in those days.  Morley maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954.  She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.


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