Showing posts with label Johnny Depp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny Depp. Show all posts

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 7th, 2020 - Update #33

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

POLITICS-HALLELUJAH - From CNN:  Joseph R. "Joe" Biden has been elected the 46th President of the United States.  Inauguration Day is Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

From CNN:  The Moment When Networks Called The Presidential Race For Joe Biden

MOVIES - From Deadline:  After 18 months and 40,000 COVID-19 tests, "Jurassic World: Dominion" has finished shooting.

From CNN:  Kamala Harris, who on Saturday became America's first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect, represents a new face of political power after an election all about who wields power and how they use it.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Vince Vaughn talks about a sequel to his 2004 hit, "Wedding Crashers."  [When your career is in decline, make a sequel to your biggest hit ... ]

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Donald Glover speaks excitedly about Seasons 3 and 4 of his FX television series, "Atlanta."

CRIME - From TMZ:   Rapper King Von is dead after a violent confrontation outside an Atlanta nightclub that ended in gunfire

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The nation of Guatemala has made the horror film, "La Llorona," its selection to compete in the race for an Oscar nomination in the category, "Best International Feature Film" (which has previously been known as "Best Foreign Language Film").

MOVIES - From Variety:   Johnny Depp says Warner Bros. asked him to resign in his "Fantastic Beasts" role of Gellert Grindelwald, and he says that he has agreed.

HOME RELEASE - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has announced a December 15, 2020 Blu-ray and DVD release date for his much talked about hit film, "Tenet."

SCANDAL - From Variety:   A murder suspect has been arrested in the Sunday, November 1st shooting death of actor Eddie Hassell in Grand Prairie, Texas.

POLITICS-MOVIES - From InformedComment:   Top Five Horror films on Halloween that remind us of Trump’s Presidency

DISNEY - From Deadline:  It is a day of layoffs from Disney units, ESPN and Searchlight. This is related to the COVID-19 fallout.

CELEBRITY - From YahooGMA:  Emmy-winning actor, Michael J. Fox, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease, reveals that he is losing his ability to act.

SPORTS - From NBA:  The best player from the last 20 NBA drafts, according to NBA.com.

POLITICS-CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   Duchess Meghan of Sussex has another first to add to her resume: She's the first member of the British royal family to vote for president in an American election.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. and director Robert Zemeckis' remake, "The Witches," is getting backlash from disability community.

STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:   Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx will star in and executive produce "Dad Stop Embarrassing Me" for Netflix.  It is based on his relationship with his daughter, Corinne Foxx.

STREAMING - From Variety:   Oscar-winning actor, Jeremy Irons ("Reversal of Fortune"), will headline Netflix's adaptation of Robert Harris' 2017 bestselling novel, "Munich."

TELEVISION - From CinemaBlend:   Actress Hilarie Burton ("One Tree Hill") has been cast as "Lucille," the wive of Neegan in AMC's "The Walking Dead."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actress/recording artist, Eve, is leaving the CBS afternoon talk show, "The Talk," after four seasons.

POLITICS - From BET:   U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) criticizes Black supporters of President Donald.

CELEBRITY - From THR:   Oscar-nominated actor, Johnny Depp, has lost his defamation lawsuit in the United Kingdom.  Depp has brought an action against News Group Newspapers over "The Sun's" 2018 article, "Wife Beater," about Depps contentious marriage to and divorce from actress Amber Heard.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 10/30 to 11/1/2020 weekend box office is "Come Play" with an estimated take of 3.15 million dollars.

COMICS - From GamesRadar:  George C. Romero is partnering with publishing company, Heavy Metal, to produce a comic book prequel to his late father, George A. Romero's seminal zombie film, "Night of the Living Dead" (1968).

MOVIES - From NewYorkTimes:  "The Purge" film franchise reveals the ugly truth about America. 

OBITS:

From BBC:  The English actor, Geoffrey Palmer, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, November 5, 2020.  Palmer was best known for his roles on British television sitcoms like "As Time Goes By" (1992-2005).  He also had memorable roles in films such "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988) and "The Madness of King George" (1994).

From Variety:   Actress Carol Arthur has died at the age of 85, Sunday, November 1, 2020.  Arthur was best known for her appearances in several Mel Brooks films, including "Blazing Saddles" (1974).  Arthur was married to the late actor Dom DeLuise from 1965 to his death in 2009.  The couple had three sons, actor Peter, Michael, and David DeLuise.

From Variety:  Actor Eddie Hassell has died at the age of 30, Sunday, November 1, 2020, apparently shot to death.  Hassell is best known for his roles in the 2010 Oscar-nominated film, "The Kids Are All Right" and on the NBC television series, "Surface."

From BBC:  The Scottish actor and film producer, Sean Connery, has died at the age of 90, Saturday, October 31, 2020.  Connery was best known for playing seminal secret agent and spy, James Bond, Agent 007, in seven films over a 21 year period, beginning with "Dr. No." in 1962 and ending with "Never Say Never Again" in 1983.  Connery also won a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for his role in the 1987 film, "The Untouchables."

From Deadline:  Tributes for the late Sean Connery flood in...

From YahooEntertainment:  President Donald pays tribute to Sean Connery... by lying about him.
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COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlanticThe Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9/28 - From Deadline:  John Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker reports that over 1 million people have died of COVID-19 worldwide.

10/2 - From YahooNews:  President Donald and the First Lady have tested positive for COVID-19.

10/26 -  From YahooFinance:  Walmart CEO detects a new wave a panic buying as consumers stock up for another surge in coronavirus cases.

11/5 - From CNN:  The US set a grim new Covid-19 record Thursday -- following a week marked by high case numbers -- surpassing 120,000 infections in a single day. 

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

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Sunday, December 31, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 24th to 31st, 2017 - Update #27

Support Leroy on Patreon.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 12/29 to 12/31/2017 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" with an estimated take of $52.4 million.

From THR:  At the "awards box office," Oscar-hopefuls, "The Darkest Hour" and "The Post" show strength.

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COMICS-FILM - From ComicBook:  Actor David Harbour, the star of the "Hellboy" film franchise reboot," says that the film is "a real monster movie."

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MOVIE - From Variety:  See Jude Law as young Dumbledore and Johnny Deep as Grindelwald in photos from the set of "Fantastic Beasts 2."

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MOVIES - From TheVillageVoice:  Ten Movies to Look Forward to in Early 2018.

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CELEBRITY - From BET:  A photo of Oscar-nominated actress Laura Dern (who recently appeared in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi") and former NBA player Baron Davis kissing is hitting up social media.

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STAR WARS - From HuffPost:  Mark Hamill shares his tribute to Carrie Fisher, a year after her death. #CarrieOnForever

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CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Britain's Prince Harry interviews President Barack Obama.

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BLM - From TheRoot:  Are White Supremacists Infiltrating Law Enforcement?  Includes KRS-One video, "Sound of Da Police."

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TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  Viola Davis has produced and is narrating a docu-series about police officer-involved deaths, "Two Sides," that will premiere on TV One, Monday, January 22, 2018.

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CULTURE - From THR:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How #MeToo Can Help Right America's Wrongs in 2018.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  The 1990s NBC TV series, "Mad About You" (1992 to 1999), is the latest to have a revival in the works.

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MOVIES- From THR:  Is "Die Hard" a Christmas movie?

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POLITICS - From TheSun:  Will President Trump be angry if President Obama and First Lady Michelle are invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding and he is snubbed?

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CULTURE - From TheRoot:  It's the first day of Kwanza, so here is an article that explains Kwanza.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 12/22 to 12/24/2017 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" with an estimated take of $68 million.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Screenwriter Max Landis ("Bright," "American Ultra") has been writing comics for the past few years.  Recently, however, DC Comics removed a story Landis has written from its "DC Holiday Special 2017."  Sexual misconduct allegations against Landis (son of director John Landis), have emerged.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertaiment:  10 best movies of 2017 you probably never heard of.

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MOVIES - From ComicBook:  "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins helped keep the recasting of Ridley Scott's "All the Money in the World" secret.  After Kevin Spacey was accused of multiple cases of sexual misconduct, Scott wanted to remove him in the role of "J. Paul Getty."  Spacey's scenes were eventually reshot with Christopher Plummer as Getty.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Lionsgate has moved Tyler Perry's "Madea Family Funeral" from August 3, 2018 to an undetermined date in Fall 2018.

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OBITS:

From CNN:  Social justice and anti-police brutality activist, Erica Garner, has died at the age of 27, Saturday, December 30, 2017.  Garner was the eldest daughter of Eric Garner, who was attacked and killed by New York Police officer Daniel Pantaleo, who placed the 43-year-old Garner in a chokehold.

From THR:  Film editor Thomas Stanford has died at the age of 93, Saturday, December 23, 2017.  Stanford won an Oscar for editing "Best Picture" winner, "West Side Story" (1961).

From YahooNews:  Mystery novelist, Sue Grafton, has died at the age of 77, Thursday, December 28, 2017.  Grafton is best known for her "alphabet" mysteries, beginning with "A is for Alibi" and most recently "Y is for Yesterday."

From TheWrap:  The actress Rose Marie has died at the age of 94, Thursday, December 28, 2017.  She was best known for her role on the "The Dick Van Dyke Show," as the quick-witted comedy writer, "Sally Rogers."  She also appeared on "The Doris Day Show" and "Hollywood Squares."

From FOX:  The British actor Alfie Curtis died at the age of 87, Tuesday, December 26, 2017.  Star Wars fans will know him for playing the character "Dr. Evazan" in the original Star Wars, a character who loses his arm after threatening Luke Skywalker.

From THR:  The film editor, Jerry Greenberg, has died at the age of 81, Friday, December 22, 2017.  He won an Oscar for editing the 1971 crime thriller, "The French Connection."  He also earned Oscar nominations for editing "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Apocalypse Now."

From TheWrapJordan Feldstein, the manager of the band Maroon 5, died at the age of 40, Friday, December 22, 2017.  Feldstein is also the older brother of Oscar-nominated actor, Jonah Hill.

From THRKent Damon, the father of Oscar-winner, Matt Damon, has died at the age of 74, Thursday, December 14, 2017.


Thursday, December 28, 2017

Review: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is Beastly Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Running time:  133 minutes (2 hours, 13 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some fantasy action violence
DIRECTOR:  David Yates
WRITER:  J.K. Rowling
PRODUCERS:  David Heyman, Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling, and Lionel Wigram
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Philippe Rousselot (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Mark Day
COMPOSER:  James Newton Howard
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/DRAMA/FAMILY

Starring:  Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Samantha Morton, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Jenn Murray, Carmen Ejogo, Jon Voight, Josh Cowdery, Ronan Rafferty, Ron Perlman, Zoe Kravitz, and Johnny Depp

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates.  This film is a continuation of the Harry Potter film series, and it is co-produced and written by J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (or simply Fantastic Beasts) is inspired by Rowling's 2001 book of the same name.  Set in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World 70 years before Harry Potter's story, Fantastic Beasts follows the adventures of a British wizard after he arrives in New York City and clashes with its secret community of witches and wizards.

In 1926, British wizard and "magizoologist" Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) stops in New York City on his way to Arizona.  Scamander also carries with him a magical suitcase full of fantastic beasts, and one of them, a “Niffler,” escapes into the city.  During his quest to recapture the Niffler, Scamander meets a “No-Maj” (does not have magical powers) named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), after they unwittingly swap suitcases.

This confusion brings Scamander into contact and conflict with Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), a demoted auror (hunter of dark wizards), who belongs to the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).  Scamander also meets Tina's sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol), a flapper who has amazing powers of memory.  Now, the four of them are caught in a conspiracy involving one or more escaped beasts, with one of them being very dangerous.  Scamander has been searching for this creature, and to find it and protect it may cost him his life.

I did not expect much from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  It is not that I thought that it was a bad movie, but I guess I was comparing it unfavorably to the Harry Potter films – without having seen it...  However, I find that Fantastic Beasts compares quite favorably to the Potter films; in fact, Fantastic Beasts is a film set in the Wizarding World for us grown-ups.

Fantastic Beasts is an adult urban fantasy which presents a perilous world of magic where secrets must be kept, even unto penalty of death.  War between the world of wizards and witches and the world of the No-Maj slash humans without magical powers seems like a genuine threat in this narrative.  [In the Potter films, humans without magical powers are referred to as “muggles.”]

There is something on the line for the character; they have something to lose, and perhaps, some could lose everything, including their lives.  So the audience buys into this story.  Fantastic Beasts is not some mere, spin-off, sequel/prequel, event movie.  It is all in the writing of of J.K. Rowling's script; she makes the story matters, and once again, director David Yates understands the most important elements of Rowling's writing.  The bonds of family and friendship; the motivations of characters; the conflict central and peripheral; and good versus evil, and Yates and Rowling deliver strongly on these.

Fantastic Beasts also separates itself from the Potter films with a cast of characters that is far more eccentric than the characters Potter delivered (and there were oddballs in that lot).  Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne manages to make a introverted, strange little man into a strong lead and resilient lead character that the audience will follow, even when Redmayne makes it obvious that Scamander does not want anyone following him.

Katherine Waterston makes Tina worthy of her own film.  In her feature film debut, Alison Sudol is pitch perfect as Queenie, and Dan Fogler surprises as Jacob.  In fact, all of the cast is good – from Colin Farrell's perplexing Percival Graves to Ezra Miller's troubled Credence Barebone.  Fantastic Beasts delivers complex and engaging characters.

Yes, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them delivers and proves that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a universe that can exist beyond Harry.  Fantastic Beasts is a thoroughly enjoyable movie; it is so likable that I cannot really find fault with it.  I don't know if every Potter fan will like this movie, but for some of us, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is our part of the Wizarding World.

9 of 10
A+


NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood); 1 nominations: “Best Achievement in Production Design” (Stuart Craig-production design and Anna Pinnock-set decoration

2017 BAFTA Awards 2017:  1 win: “Best Production Design” (Stuart Craig and Anna Pinnock); 4 nominations: “Outstanding British Film of the Year” (David Yates, J.K. Rowling, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram), “Best Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood), “Best Sound” (Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, and Ian Tapp), “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, and David Watkins)


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Monday, July 3, 2017

"Fantastic Beasts" Sequel Begins Filming Today, July 3rd

A Thrilling New Adventure in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World is Underway

The Main Cast and Filmmakers from “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Are Joined by Exciting New Additions to the Ensemble

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography starts today, Monday, July 3, 2017, on an all new adventure set in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, the second of five films in the series that began with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” The as-yet-untitled film is being directed by David Yates.

Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) stars once more as wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander; alongside Katherine Waterston as Auror Tina Goldstein; Alison Sudol as her sister, Queenie Goldstein; and Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, the only No-Maj in the foursome.

Oscar nominee Johnny Depp (the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, “Finding Neverland”), who was revealed as Gellert Grindelwald, stars as the powerful Dark wizard in the film. Oscar nominee Jude Law (“The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Cold Mountain”) takes on the role of Albus Dumbledore—one of J.K. Rowling’s most beloved characters—decades before he becomes Headmaster at Hogwarts. Credence, whose fate was unknown at the end of the first film, makes a mysterious return, played again by Ezra Miller. Zoë Kravitz plays Leta Lestrange, who was glimpsed in a photo as a woman from Newt’s past; Callum Turner is the famed Theseus Scamander, a war hero and Auror, who also happens to be Newt’s older brother; and Claudia Kim plays a young woman we first meet as a featured attraction at a wizarding circus.

J.K. Rowling wrote the screenplay for the film, which opens in 1927, a few months after Newt helped to unveil and capture the infamous Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. However, as he promised he would, Grindelwald has made a dramatic escape and has been gathering more followers to his cause—elevating wizards above all non-magical beings. The only one who might be able to stop him is the wizard he once called his dearest friend, Albus Dumbledore. But Dumbledore will need help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander. The adventure reunites Newt with Tina, Queenie and Jacob, but his mission will also test their loyalties as they face new perils in an increasingly dangerous and divided wizarding world.

The film expands the wizarding world, moving from New York to London and on to Paris. There are also some surprising nods to the Harry Potter stories that will delight fans of the books and film series.

The ensemble cast also includes William Nadylam as a wizard named Yusuf Kama; Ingvar Sigurdsson as a bounty hunter named Grimmson; Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Skender, who runs the wizarding circus; and Kevin Guthrie as Abernathy, whom we met as Tina and Queenie’s boss at MACUSA (Magical Congress of the USA).

David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram are producing the film, with Tim Lewis, Neil Blair, Rick Senat and Danny Cohen serving as executive producers.

Collaborating with Yates behind the scenes, the creative teams are led by Oscar-winning director of photography Philippe Rousselot (“A River Runs Through It”); three-time Oscar-winning production designer Stuart Craig (“The English Patient,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Gandhi,” the “Harry Potter” films), three-time BAFTA Award-winning editor Mark Day (the last four “Harry Potter” films, “State of Play”), four-time Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Alice in Wonderland”), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Tim Burke (“Gladiator,” the “Harry Potter” films), and Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Christian Manz (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1”).

The new adventure is being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, which has been the cinematic home of the Wizarding World since the first “Harry Potter” film.

Slated for release on November 16, 2018, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Saturday, May 13, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 7th to 13th, 2017 - Update #29

Support Leroy on Patreon.

TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  CBS has cancelled another of its series that is produced by Warner Bros, but that CBS does not own.  Last year, it was "Mike and Molly."  This season, CBS cancels "2 Broke Girls" after six seasons.

From YahooTV:  The stars of "2 Broke Girls" react to the cancellation of their series.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  FOX and Warner Bros. are joining on a live musical version of the classic MGM film, "A Christmas Story."  The three-hour television event will air on the Fox tnetwork in December.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Daniel Radcliffe continues to expand his resume of genres with an action comedy, "Gun Akimbo."  This news about the "Harry Potter" star was announced at Cannes.

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COMICS-ANIMATION - From SideshowToys:  Donald Glover (actor and creator of FX's "Atlanta") and his brother Stephen are joining FXX to create a "Deadpool" animated series that will debut in 2018 with 10 episodes.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  The major networks start announcing their TV series for the 2017-18 TV season at what are called "Upfronts."  Before these new "Upfronts," the networks have announced the cancellations of some current series, including Tim Allen's "Last Man Standing" at ABC and "Son of Zorn" and "Sleepy Hollow" at FOX.

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BOX OFFICE - From YahooMovies:  Apparently, Guy Ritchie's pricey "King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword" ($175 million production budget) is expected to be a box office disappointment or maybe even a flop.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooMovies:  The story of Johnny Depp and his money "woes."

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CULTURE - From YahooBeauty:  A dad, his daughter, and her half-naked doll.

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  According to Fortune magazines, Sean "Diddy" Comics still the richest hip hop star.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  John Ridley's L.A. Riots documentary, "Let It Fall," will try to capture Oscar interest.

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BLM - From ThinkProgress:  Madison County, Mississippi combines the best of Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South.  Plan your vacation today!

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POLITICS - From TheNation:  Trumpism is really coming from the suburbs, not the trailer parks.

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AVATAR - From TheReelWord:  Cliff Curtis, who is more or less the lead actor in AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead," joins the cast of the "Avatar" sequels in a major role.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheReelWorld:  There apparently a reboot of the "Hellboy" film franchise without writer-director Guillermo del Toro and actor Ron Perlman, who guided two films to the screen.

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COMICS-FILM - From DenofGeek:  Who has what left on their Marvel Studios contract.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Russell Mulcahy, best known for his mid-1980s film, "Highland," has begun production on a biopic of notorious Hollywood legend, Errol Flynn.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/5 to 4/7/2017 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" with an estimated take of $145 million.

From Variety:  "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" has a $145 million debut.

From Variety:  For the fifth year, a Marvel/Disney kicks off the box office in style.  This time, it's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."  This film's box office to date pushed the combined box office total of Marvel Studios films to over $11 billion dollars.

From Variety:  If Marvel has a sequel curse, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" breaks it.

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OBIT - From THR:  The actress Quinn O'Hara has died at the age of 76, Friday, May 5, 2017.  She was known for being a "sex kitten" in 1960s films like "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" and "A Swingin' Summer."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Netflix renews its controversial "13 Reasons Why" for a second season.

CRIME - From RSN:  Schools continue to ignore K-12 sexual assualts committed by K-12 students.

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FILM - From BET:  In this video, actor Tyrese Gibson confirms that there will be a sequel to John Singleton's 2001 film, "Baby Boy."

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POLITICS - From GuardianUK:  President Trump's Civil War statement regarding Andrew Jackson the latest in a long line of right wing Republicans trying to downplay slavery and how absolutely important it was to the southern states.

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POLITICS - From VanityFair: Confederate States of America Attorney General Jeff Session is prosecuting a woman who rightfully laughed at him.

TRAILERS:

From TheReelWord:  First teaser trailer for Spike TV's new series, "The Mist," based on the Stephen King story.

From YahooMovies:  See the first official trailer for "Blade Runners 2049."  And it's visually striking.

From YahooMovies:  Viewers of the 2017 MTV Movie Awards were treated to new footage from the new film adaptation of Stephen King's "It."  See the creepy 98 minutes at the link at the front of this line.


Saturday, February 11, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 11th, 2017 - Update #51

Support Leroy on Patreon.

COMICS-FILM - From CNET:  Marvel just released a video featurette concerning the first day of filming of "Avengers: Infinity."

From YahooNews:  Video from the set of "Avengers: Infinity War."

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Coen Brothers set to remake "Scarface."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Babak Najafi ("London Has Fallen") set to direct Taraji P. Henson in the thriller, "Proud Mary."

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  ABC's Thursday night lineup from Shonda Rhimes, "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," and "How to Get Away with Murder," will return for another season, 2017-18.

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POLITICS - From Esquire - What Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III as the Attorney General of the United States now the Confederate States of America means to us.

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TELEVISION - From Esquire:  What does Alec Baldwin get out of playing Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.

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BLM - From Time:  She complied with Immigration and still got deported to Mexico, after being in the U.S. for 21 years since she was 14.

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MOVIES - From FlickeringMyth:  Blair Redford joins Marvel/Fox's "X-Men" TV pilot.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  NBC is in talks to revive "American Idol," which ran on FOX for 15 seasons.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director David Gordon Green ("Pineapple Express") will direct the reboot of the "Halloween" horror film franchise.

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooMovies:  A photo of an Iron Man action figure may reveal what Iron Man's armor looks like in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Lee Daniels is in talks to direct Oprah Winfrey in a remake of "Terms of Endearment."  God in Heaven, help us.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Two of the writers behind "Scary Movie" and such parody films as "Vampires Suck" and "Epic Movie," will write and direct a "Star Wars" spoof.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jack Nicholson will star in the American remake of "Toni Erdmann," the Oscar-nominated German film.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Billy Dee Williams talks about finally playing Two-Face.

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OBIT - From THR:  The actor Richard Hatch has died at the age of 71, Tuesday, February 7, 2017.  His best known role was as "Captain Apollo" in the original "Battlestar Galactica" (ABC, 1978-79).  He also returned for the 2004-09 reboot of the series.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Hmm... the Oscar nominees luncheon looks different this year compared to last year.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Matthew McConaughey will star in Harmony Korine's "The Beach Bum."

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SPORTS - From BusinessInsider: The New England Patriots won Super Bowl 51.  When the team visits the White House, Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett will not attend.

From YahooSports:  Devin McCourty becomes the second Super Bowl winning New England Patriot (after Martellus Bennett) who will not go to the White House.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  All the big Super Bowl movie trailers broadcast during Super Bowl 51 - according to Yahoo.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  M. Night Shyamalan teases "Split" sequel.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/3 to 2/5/2017 weekend box office winner is "Split" with an estimated take of $14.6 million.  This is the film's third weekend at #1.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Some people think Kristen Stewart killed it hosting "Saturday Night Live" last night (2/4/2017).

From YahooNews:  From a special guest appearance, Melissa McCarthy steals the show last night on "SNL," spoofing President Trump's Press Secretary, Sean Spicer.

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AWARDS - From TheWrap:  Damien Chazelle, director of "La La Land," wins at the Directors Guild Awards.

From LATimes:  Winners make politicized speeches at the 2017 DGA Awards.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  "Zootopia" tops at the animation industry's "Annie Awards."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  John Lithgow has joined the cast of "Pitch Perfect."

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POLITICS - From TIME:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says President Trump's "Muslim ban" like a bad horror movie.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  The director of "The Lego Movie" sequel is Mike Mitchell, who directed DreamWork Animation's hit, "Trolls."

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  New Line Cinema is spinning off a horror movie from "The Conjuring 2."  It is "The Nun" and it will be directed by Corin Hardy.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Marvel has found its leads for its TV series, "Runaways," which is set on Hulu.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  Universal and its animation unit, Illumination, books five straight July 4 weekends through 2023 for film debuts, including "Minions 2."

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez join "Love Child" from director Todd Solondz.

CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Patton Oswalt gets in a nasty Twitter exchange with a guy who brings up Oswalt's recently deceased wife.

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POLITICS - From YahooCelebrity:  Matthew McConaughey says that it is time to embrace President Trump.  Hell, no!

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MOVIES - From TheVillageVoice: Bilge Ebiri lists the 10 best films of Sundance 2017.

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CULTURE - From TheIntercept:   The FBI has quietly been investigating white supremacist infiltration of law enforcement.

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COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Kevin Smith does not want to director "The Batman" movie that Ben Affleck recently declined to direct.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps are added to the new film by Paul Thomas Anderson, which stars Daniel Day-Lewis.

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POLITICS - From RSN:  Reuters orders reporters to cover the President Trump administration as if it were an authoritarian regime.

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MOVIES - From YahooFinance:  Apparently, Johnny Depp has almost ruined himself financially with an unsustainable lifestyle.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Denis Villeneuve has apparently been confirmed as the director of the latest screen adaptation of Frank Hebert's legendary novel, "Dune."  Villeneuve is hot off his Oscar-nominated film, "Arrival" and his upcoming "Blade Runner" sequel.

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MUSIC - From YahooStyle:  Beyonce announces that she is pregnant with twins.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Colin Farrell in talks to join Denzel Washington in the thriller, "Inner City," from director Dan Gilroy ("Nightcrawler")

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TELEVISION - From IndieWire:  Two hot new shows, "American Gods" and "Dear White People," headed to SXSW 2017.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Here is the Super Bowl commercial for Netflix's "Stranger Things 2" (Season 2).

From YouTube:  Here is an extended version of the "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2" Super Bowl commercial.

From YouTube:  Here is the 30-second commercial for "Logan" that appeared during Super Bowl 51.

From YouTube:  Here is the Super Bowl commercial for "Ghost in the Shell." It is 30 seconds long.

From YouTube:  Here is the "Transformers: The Last Knight" 30-secon "spot" to be shown during the Super Bowl.



Saturday, December 10, 2016

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 10th, 2016 - Update #37

Support Leroy on Patreon.

POLITICS - From RSN:   Oliver Stone speaks on the passing of Fidel Castro.

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MOVIES - From CNN:  Legendary actor Kirk Douglas is 100 years old today, Friday, December 9, 2016.  CNN offers a life in pictures.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  The eighth entry in "The Fast and the Furious" franchise has a title, "The Fate of the Furious."  Trailer due soon.

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ECO - From EcoWatch:  Leonardo DiCaprio and Terry Tamminen (the CEO of Leo's foundation) meet Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka about green jobs.

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OBIT - From TheWrap:  John Glenn, former NASA astronaut and U.S. Senator, has died at the age of 95, Thursday, December 8, 2016.  In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, and he is the last of the "Mercury 7" astronauts.

From YahooMusic:  Musician and guitarist, Greg Lake, has died at the age of 69, Wednesday, December 7, 2016.  Lake was a pioneer of the ambitious rock genre known as prog-rock (progressive rock).  He co-founded the band, King Crimson and and later Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (or ELP) with Carl Palmer and the late Keith Emerson.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Poland's Supreme Court rejects bid to extradite Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski to the United States to face "justice" for having sex with a 13-year-old girl... in the 1970s.  So now Polanski can live and work freely in Poland.

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BOOKS - From Mashable:   George R.R. Martin says that "The Winds of Winter," the next installment of his book series, "A Song of Fire and Ice" (the inspiration for the TV series, "Game of Thrones") will not be a happy book.

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GRAMMYS - From YahooMusic:  A list of 2016/17 Grammy snubs, according to Yahoo Music.

From YahooMusic:   Kip Winger (yes, that Winger) has scored a Grammy nomination in a classical category.

From YahooMusic:  Five musical acts got their first Grammy nominations this year.  I was surprised that Blink-182 (which surprises me quite a bit) and Demi Lovato, who is really coming on strong as a singer.

From YahooMusic:  Beyonce, the queen of all Grammy genres.

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OSCARS - From Deadline:  Jimmy Kimmel will hosts 89th Academy Awards.

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ECO - From NPR:  Standing Rock / #NoDAPL win major victory as the Army Corps of Engineers looks for an alternate path for the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Bernardo Bertolucci trying to clear up the "rape" backlash regarding his controversial and (in)famous 1972 film, "Last Tango in Paris."

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OBITS - From Variety:  The actor Van Williams has died at the age of 82, Monday, November 28, 2016.  Van was best known as the star of the 1966 TV series, "The Green Hornet," in which he played the titular role and the alter ego, Britt Reid.

From YahooMovies:  The actress Margaret Whitton has died at the age of 67, Sunday, December 4, 2016.  She was best known for her role in the 1989 film, "Major League," in which she played the Las Vegas showgirl turned owner of the Cleveland Indians.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Universal debuts first full trailer for its reboot of "The Mummy" starring Tom Cruise.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 12/2 to 12/4/2016 weekend box office is Disney's "Moana" with an estimated take of $28.37 million.

From Deadline:  "Doctor Strange" ($419.6) has surpassed the international box office earned by "Deadpool" ($419.5) and "Iron Man 2" ($311.5).  "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Moana" lead the international box office.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Netflix renews Marvel "Luke Cage" for a second season.

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OBIT - From THR:  The film and TV character actress, Alice Drummond, has died at the age of 88, Wednesday, November 30, 2016.  I remember her as a frightened library in the original "Ghostbusters."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  So it was actually rape in "Last Tango."

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BOOKS - From YahooNews:  "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" still being challenged in public schools.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Warner Bros.' future flop, "Aquaman," is due October 2018.

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POLITICS - From YahooCelebrity:  Seth McFarlane on why Hollywood does not like Trump.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Johnny Depp and Sam Raimi are among a group of Hollywood filmmakers and actors who help a 16-year-old cancer patient finish his short film.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar hopeful Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight") hits The Hollywood Reporter's Oscar roundtable.

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OBITS - From Variety:  The actor Andrew Sachs has died at the age of 86, Wednesday, November 23, 2016.  Sachs was best known for playing the Spanish waiter, Manuel, on the classic British sitcom, "Fawlty Towers."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  John Goodman to star in Rupert Wyatt's sci-fi "Captive State."

TRAILERS:

From YahooMovies:  This is the first official trailer for next summer's "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

From YouTube:  Official trailer for "War of the Planet of the Apes," which is due July 14, 2017.

From YouTube:  It's opens today, so here is a new trailer for "Office Christmas Party."

From YouTube:  This is the new teaser trailer for "Baywatch."  To me, it is too long and detailed to be a teaser trailer, although it offers a lot of teasing...

From YouTube:  The oh-so-serious teaser trailer for "Transformers: The Last Knight."

From YouTube:  The first trailer for Martin Scorsese's "Silence."

From YouTube:  The second trailer for Denzel's Washington's "Fences."

From YouTube:  First teaser trailer for "The Mummy" reboot with Tom Cruise.


Saturday, September 24, 2016

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 18th to 24th, 2016 - Update #25

Support Leroy on Patreon.

POLITICS - From ThinkProgress:  First the Mus-lambs hated white people because of their freedoms.  Now, the darkies hate white people because of their success.

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OBIT - From YahooMovies:  The actor Bill Nunn has died at the age of 62, Saturday, September 24, 2016.  He was best known for playing "Radio Raheem" in Spike Lee's 1989 film, "Do The Right Thing."  He also had a minor role in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy.

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  The baby on the iconic cover of Nirvana's "Nevermind" album is now 25-years-old.  He's never made a dime on an LP that has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan join acclaimed actor Paul Dano's directorial debut, "Wildlife."

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Brad Pitt tells his side of the messiness.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  More on allegations about substance abuse, spousal abuse, and more in the ongoing Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

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ECO - From Variety:  Shailene Woodley to be honored at Environmental Media Association Awards.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  How Angelina Jolie told Brad Pitt it was over.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From TheFreeThoughtProject:  Massachusetts state supreme courts says Black men justified in running away from cops.

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SPORTS - From Steelers:  Terry Bradshaw talks about playing QB for the Steelers and his biggest regrets.

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COMICS - From ScreenRant:  Is Agents of SHIELD connected to "Doctor Strange?"

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MOVIES - From RSN:  Can Oliver Stone's film, "Snowden," help Edward Snowden gain a pardon?

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CRIME - From RSN:  Connecticut cops are caught on camera fabricating criminal charges against a man who was recording them at a DUI checkpoint.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Rooney Mara to star in pop drama, "Vox Lux."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Deadpool villian, Ed Skrein, in talks to join "Alita: Battle Angel," which Robert Rodriguez is directing and James Cameron is producing.

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CELEBRITY - From TMZ:  Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt.

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OBIT - From Deadline:  Screenwriter and director Curtis Hanson has died at the age of 71, Tuesday, September 20, 2016.  He won an Oscar for his screenplay for his 1997 film, L.A Confidential.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From YahooNews:  African-American Terence Crutcher was unarmed and did not shoot at the cops, but was shot to death by a white cop.

CRIME - From YahooNews:  Ahmad Khan Rahami planted bombs in New York City and shot at the cops, but he is still alive.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jamie Dornan will play "Will Scarlet" in "Robin Hood: Origins."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Johnny Depp's thriller "Labyrinth" has a distributor.

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STAR WARS-COMICS - From YahooMovies:  Marvel's "Star Wars" comics will dig into Yoda's history.

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POLITICS - From Truthout:  Here, what's (who's) in Donald Trump's "Basket of Deplorables."

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EMMYS - From LATimes:  A complete list of 2016 Emmy Award winners.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/16 to 9/18/2016 weekend box office is Sully with an estimated take of $22 million.

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EMMYS - From TheWrap:  In case you missed it, Night 1 of the 2016 Creative Arts Emmys - from last week.

From Deadline:  Night 2 of those 2016 Creative Arts Emmys.

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OBIT - From TMZ:  Charmain Carr, who played one of the Von Trapp children in "The Sound of Music," has died at the age of 73, Saturday, September 17, 2016.

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POLITICS - From ThinkProgress:  Donald Trump trying to rewrite his Birther history about President Obama.

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COMICS-FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  See Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons as "Commissioner James Gordon" in next year's "Justice League."

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COMICS-TV - From ScreenRant:  The "Ghost Rider" is a different kind of threat on this season's "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD."

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POLITICS - From teleSUR:  Julian Assange offers himself in exchange for Chelsea Manning's freedom.


Saturday, September 10, 2016

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 10th, 2016 - Update #39

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From Variety:  At the Toronto International Film Festival, "Birth of a Nation" debuts with a standing ovation, in spite of the ongoing controversy about its director.  Cause it's time to move on.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Natalie Portman as First Lady Jackie Kennedy is all the buzz at Toronto.

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GREED - From Money:  5300 Wells Fargo employees fired in massive fake account scam against customers.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Vin Diesel developing a "first responders" drama for NBC.

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MOVIES - From TheVillageVoice:  Charles Burnett's "To Sleep with Anger" reawakens.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Meryl Streep and J.J. Abrams come together for the TV project, "The Nix."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal and Focus Features wins the rights to Paul Thomas Anderson's next film, which will reunite him with Daniel Day-Lewis.

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ECO - From EcoWatch:  Leonardo DiCaprio and three stars from the "Justice League" movie, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher, join the protest against the "Dakota Access" pipeline.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The drag icon, "The Lady Chablis" has died Thursday, September 8, 2016.  She appeared in John Berendt's bestselling novel, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and also in Clint Eastwood's 1997 film adaptation of the novel.  Her age is unknown.

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MOVIES - From HitFix:  Apparently, "The Crow" reboot is moving forward, maybe with Jason Momoa in the lead.  I think the whole thing is a bad idea.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Johnny Depp to headline a thriller about the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling in talks to join "A Wrinkle in Time," to be directed by Ava DuVernay.

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TELEVISION - From RSN:  Fox News has settled with Gretchen Carlson in her sexual harassment suit against super-predator Roger Ailes.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The prolific TV director, Leslie H. Martinson, has died at the age of 101, Saturday, September 3, 2016.  He directed over 100 episodes of various TV series, but he is best known for directing the 1966 film, "Batman: The Movie."

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COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  Set photos from "Spider-Man: Homecoming" may reveal the villain, "The Shocker."

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COMICS-FILM - From ETCanada:  Chadwick Boseman says "Black Panther" to be grittier than other Marvel movies.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The actor Hugh O'Brian has died at the age of 91, Monday, September 5, 2016.  He was best known for playing the lead in the popular ABC Western television series, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955-61).

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CULTURE - From TheDailyBeast:  Nativists/racists attack Chobani for hiring Muslim refugees.

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DA LORD - From NPR:  Mother Teresa is now a saint.

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TELEVISION - From HitFix:  A look at the Ava DuVernay-created, Oprah Winfrey produced family drama, "Queen Sugar."

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JAMES BOND - From Indiewire:  Sony reportedly throws big money at Daniel Craig to return as James Bond for two more films, while the studio and Bond bosses prepare a transition for a younger, longer term successor.

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TELEVISION -  From EW:  Get a first look at "Ghost Rider" from "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

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OBIT - From YahooMusic:  Jerry Heller once managed seminal rap group, N.W.A.  He died at the age of 75 on Friday, September 2, 2016.  Heller's attorney says the N.W.A. biopic, "Straight Outta Compton," caused Heller's death.

From Uproxx:  Jerry Heller, of Ruthless Records and N.W.A., has died.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the three-day Labor Day 2016 weekend (9/2 to 9/4/2016) is "Don't Breathe" with an estimated take of $15.7 million.  The four-day weekend result will be released tomorrow.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Clint Eastwood's biopic, "Sully," gets a standing ovation at the Telluride Film Festival.  Eastwood had a relatively tough time getting it made.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gives first look at his "Jumanji" character, "The Smoldering Dr. Bravestone."

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MOVIES - From YahooCelebrity:  Gabby Sidibe's has lot a LOT of weight.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  Why didn't the "Saints Row" film happen?

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CULTURE - From TheGuardian:  Comedian and actor Leslie Jones continues to face intense racism.

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OBIT - From TheAVClub:  The actor Jon Polito has died at the age of 65, Thursday, September 1, 2016.  He had a long and prolific career.  He played cops and was a favorite of the Coen Brothers, appearing in "Miller's Crossing" and "The Big Lebowski" to name a few.

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SPORTS - From RSN:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on those who insult Colin Kaepernick.

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SPORTS - From YahooNews:  When college football player, Travis Rudolph, sat at a lunchroom table with a lonely autistic boy named Bo Paske, it started a sensation.

From YahooSports:  Bo said it was like sitting on rainbows.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  For its DVD release, Paul Feig's all-female Ghostbusters reboot gets a new title, "Ghostbusters: Answer the Call."

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MEDIA - From YahooFinance:  Disney is a diversified media empire and is more than just Mickey Mouse, of course.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  DC Comics is currently producing four comic books that re-imagine various characters from classic Hanna-Barbera animated television series.  "The Jetsons" will be getting the re-imagination treatment.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Fox Searchlight and Nate Parker will hold a press conference at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival for "The Birth of a Nation." Parker continues to deal with the controversy concerning a rape allegation from 17 (!) years ago.

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SPORTS - From YahooTV:  NFL executives and front office people boldly proclaim how much the hate Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, for not standing for the National Anthem.  But they do so by keeping their names off the record.  Both the NFL officials and the reporter and his media outlet are cowards.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  First trailer for "Underworld: Blood Wars." 'Bout time.

From YouTube:  "Morgan" opens today.  See her go from beautiful child to killer.

From YouTube:  "Kubo and the Two Strings" offers a time-lapse clip from the making of the film.


Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 22nd to 31st, 2016 - Update #54

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda (of the Broadway smash, "Hamilton") to headline Disney's "Mary Poppins" sequel.

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PIXAR - From YahooMovies:  Is that a lesbian couple in "Finding Dory."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Dan Aykroyd, who co-created "Ghostbusters," praises the all-female remake.

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Before he died, Stanley Kubrick apparently wanted to make a war film and a children's film.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Dwayne Johnson confirmed to star in Shane Black's "Doc Savage" film.

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COMICS - From Vox:  "X-Men: Apocalypse" is what happens when a superhero franchise runs out of ideas.

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SPORTS - From ThePostGame:  Notable college and professional athletes killed during military service.

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TELEVISION - From YahooNews:  LeVar Burton on why the "Roots" reboot matters.

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ECO - From RSN:  Actor/activist, Mark Ruffalo, on why Los Angeles is toxic.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From Truthout:  Malcolm X predicted the progress of racism in the United States.

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COMICS - From YahooMovies:  Jeremy Irons, who plays Alfred, Batman's butler, also has criticism for "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."

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COMICS - From CBR:  On the reveal that Captain America is an agent of Hydra, Marvel legend Stan Lee says "I think it's crazy, but it's a good idea."

From CinemaBlend:  Director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) doesn't think Hydra Cap is a big deal, either.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Jeff Bridges has apparently joined "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," the sequel to "Kingmans: The Secret Service."

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Actors Adam West and Burt Ward, star of the 1960s "Batman" television series have something secret planned for later this year.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The Memorial Day weekend, 5/27 to 5/29/2016, weekend goes to "X-Men: Apocalypse" with an estimated take of $65 million.

From YahooMovies:  Did Disney seriously believe that "Alice Through the Looking Glass" would be a hit.  They got lucky with the first one, Tim Burton's mediocre "Alice in Wonderland."  It was a fluke.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Meet Malachi Kirby, the young British actor playing "Kunta Kinte" in the "Roots" remake.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  A list of female directors ready to direct a blockbuster film.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  "Transformers: The Last Knight" offers a cryptic tease for Memorial Day.

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MOVIES - From CinemaBlend:  John Carpenter, who defined the slasher film genre with 1978's "Halloween" is not a fan of the original "Friday the 13th."

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Sam Mendes who directed "Skyfall" and "Spectre" said he will not return for the next James Bond movie.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Dylan O'Brien was apparently nearly killed in an on-set accident during filming of "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure."  The film is now scheduled for release in 2018, although the start date for resuming of production is unknown.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Robert Rodriguez has a star for his "Battle Angel Alita."  James Cameron is producing.

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MOVIES - From TrackingBoard:  Amy Schumer heads to a male friend's bachelor party in "Who Invited Her?"

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CELEBRITY - From TheWrap:  Johnny Depp-Amber Heard divorce turns ugly real quick.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Sony's animated Spider-Man film may involve Miles Morales, the African-American/Latino teen who is Spider-Man.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Cute Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliot," "Fantastic Four") is rumored to be contention to play James Bond, which means that they are going  young for the next Bond, as Bell is 30.  Actually, Bell almost looks like he could be current Daniel Craig's son.  Meanwhile, Craig may not be finished with the franchise...

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MOVIES - From GameSpot:  More striking images from "Alien: Covenant" set.

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MUSIC - From YahooCelebrity:  15 children that are not biologically his (although he claimed them) are fighting over B.B. King's estate.

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COMICS - From YahooMovies:  See photos from the Ellis Island premiere of the first X-Men movie back in 2000.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Harry Styles of the boy band, One Direction, has cut his signature locks for the movie "Dunkirk."  This link has a photo of Styles from the set.

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CELEBRITY - From People:  Amber Heard files for divorce from Johnny Depp.

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MUSIC - From YahooNews:  New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton:  "so-called rap artists who are basically thugs."

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Wesley Snipes wants back as Blade.

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STAR TREK - From YahooMovies:  Secrets from the "Star Trek Beyond" set.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The pioneering CBS News correspondent, Jeanne Parr, died at 92, Friday, May 20, 2016.  She was also the mother of actor Chris Noth ("The Good Wife," "Sex in the City").

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MOVIES - From OliverStone:  Oliver Stone posts his commencement speech to the Class of 2016 at the University of Connecticut.

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OBIT - From TheGuardian:  The actor Burt Kwouk has died at the age of 85, Tuesday, May 24, 2016.  He was best known for playing Inspector Clouseau's manservant, Cato, in the Peter Sellers' "Pink Panther" movies.
  
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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From ProPublica:  Crime prediction software targets black people - of course.

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MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  John Carpenter will return to executive produce a new "Halloween" film, the tenth sequel to the original "Halloween" that was released in 1978.

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MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  Images from the Prometheus sequel, "Alien Covenant."

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TELEVISION - From DeadlineTV:  Showtime is prepping a documentary on legendary "Saturday Night Live" alumnus and actor, John Belushi.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  It's the 36th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," specifically May 23rd.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Actor Elijah Wood says child abuse on Hollywood is kept secret by power players.

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MOVIES:  From CinemaBlend:  Karl Urban freely talks about why the super-excellent sci-fi comic book film, Dredd, was a box office flop.  He blames marketing.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Get your first glimpse of Emma Watson as "Belle" in Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast," which is due March 17, 2017.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  "The Angry Birds Movie" won the 5/20 to 2/22/2016 box office weekend with an estimated haul of $39 million.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  Ken Loach wins the Palme d'Or at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.  The win, for his film "I, Daniel Blake," is his second one.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Anthony Mackie talks playing Dr. Martin Luther King for HBO.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Shane Black, the legendary screenwriter of "Lethal Weapon," talks about his new film, "The Nice Guys."  He also talks about the "Lethal Weapon 5" that almost was, and, of course, Mel Gibson.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  40 most anticipated movies of Summer 2016.

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COMICS - From ThePlaylist:  11 reasons why "Captain America: Civil War" is better than "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  The third trailer for Pixar's "Finding Dory."

From YouTube:  The first trailer from FOX for the film "Morgan," directed by Luke Scott, the son of Ridley Scott.