NEGROMANCER 2.0: Kenneth Branagh

Showing posts with label Kenneth Branagh. Show all posts

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Review: "TENET" May Have Been 2020's Best Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 of 2023 (No. 1928) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tenet (2020)

Running time: 150 minutes (2 hours, 30 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references and brief strong language

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan

PRODUCERS: Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hoyte Van Hoytema (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Jennifer Lame

COMPOSER: Ludwig Goransson

Academy Award winner

SCI-FI/ACTION/SPY

Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Dimple Kapadia, Himesh Patel, Denzil Smith, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Clémency Poséy, Fiona Dourif, Laurie Shepherd, Martin Donovan, and Kenneth Branagh and Michael Caine

Tenet is a 2020 science fiction, secret agent, and action-thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film, Nolan's eleventh as a director, is a co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States. Tenet focuses on a CIA operative on a mission to save the world, armed with only one word, “Tenet.”

Tenet introduces a CIA operative known only as "The Protagonist" (John David Washington). The Protagonist leads a covert CIA extraction during a staged terrorist siege at the National Opera House in Kyiv., Ukraine. After he is injured and the mission goes badly, the Protagonist is recruited by a secretive organization known only by the word, “Tenet.” He is told that with a gesture, Tenet can “open the right doors and the wrong doors.”

He is briefed about bullets with “inverted” entropy that move backwards through time. It seems that the man who possesses the technology to invert entropy is a Russian oligarch named Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh). The technology has been given to Sator from mysterious forces in the future, and those forces are also sending Sator the pieces of something called the “Algorithm,” which is a threat to the present world.

Suddenly, the Protagonist finds himself surrounded by a menagerie of people he cannot quite trust or really know. That includes the Mumbai-based arms dealer, Priya Singh (Dimple Kapadia), and Sator's estranged and abused wife, Katherine “Kat” Barton (Elizabeth Debicki). Another is Ives (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a Tenet military commander. Most mysterious of all is Neil (Robert Pattinson), who is supposed to be the Protagonist's “handler” from Tenet, and Neil seems to know the Protagonist in ways he does not know Neil. Now, the Protagonist must uncover the secrets of inversion, the secrets of the Algorithm, and perhaps, even the secrets of himself.

Christopher Nolan gained many fans for his series of films starring DC Comics' Batman, known as “The Dark Knight Trilogy”: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). However, Tenet is closer to Nolan's films such as Memento (2000), Insomnia (2002), The Prestige (2006), and Inception (2010), which, like Tenet, have some combination of complex plots and character time lines, ambiguous elements, and cleverly hidden details that are open to many theories and interpretations.

Tenet freely plays with the themes of free will and determinism. Do people really have free will, or is it better that people think that they have free will? In the end, I think the narrative ultimately decides that free will and determinism are compatible, which is one of many reasons that I love this film. Many secret agent and spy films offer the illusion that the hero (or the protagonist) is in control. From the first movie in Eon Productions' “James Bond film series, Dr No (1962), the hero, James Bond, seems to have a measure of control or at least force of will to save the day or often, the world. One can say the same of Universal Pictures' “Jason Bourne” film series. It starts with The Bourne Identity (2002), and Matt Damon's Jason Bourne seems to exert free will all the more with each film, although his fate was determined and settled before the narrative of the first film begins. In Tenet, free will is a work in progress, exercised within the settled plots of determinism.

I love Tenet's cast. Either The Protagonist was tailor-made for actor John David Washington, or he was the perfect casting. I feel the same way about Robert Pattison's Neil, and Kenneth Branagh is such a fine actor that he can make any role seem like a real person. Elizabeth Debicki, honestly, is Oscar-worthy as Kat Barton, and Dimple Kapadia adds a delightful flavor as Priya Singh. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is all fire, menace, and masculinity as Ives.

I had not seen a Christopher Nolan film since Inception, although I'd planned to see Tenet in a theater. However, I was really wary of returning to movie theaters during the 2020 year of COVID-19 movie theater shutdowns, even after they reopened. In a way, that worked out. I got to savor Tenet on DVD as a way of prepping for eventually seeing his most recent film, Oppenheimer.

I like Tenet's trippy, surreal, time-shifting, inscrutable nature, and I like that Nolan is willing both to throw out a lot of ideas and to engage them. For me, it is mysterious, a mystery worth losing myself in every chance I get. As far as my opinion is concerned, Tenet is Christopher Nolan's best, most imaginative, and truly most inventive film.

10 of 10

Sunday, August 27, 2023

NOTES:

2021 Academy Awards, USA: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, and Scott R. Fisher); 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Production Design”

{Nathan Crowley-production design and Kathy Lucas-set decoration)

2021 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Scott R. Fisher, Andrew Jackson, and Andrew Lockley)

2021 Golden Globes, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Ludwig Göransson)

2021 Black Reel Awards: 2 nominations: “Outstanding Cinematography” (Hoyte Van Hoytema) and 1 nomination: “Outstanding Production Design” (Nathan Crowley)

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Monday, July 31, 2023

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OBITS:

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

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

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

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

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

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Friday, October 14, 2022

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 9th to 15th, 2022 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Miramax Television is developing a TV series adaptation of Martin Scorsese's 2002 film, "Gangs of New York," from writer Brett Leonard. Scorsese is currently attached to executive produce the series and direct its first two episodes.

NETFLIX - From Deadline: Netflix's ad-supported streaming tier will cost $6.99 and will launch November 3rd, 2022 in the U.S.

STREAMING - From Deadline: Actress Indira Varma ("Obi-Wan") is joining "Dune: The Sisterhood" (working title), an HBO Max prequel series to the "Dune" movie series.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Trevor Noah has set a date for his exit from "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" and it is Thursday, December 8th, 2022.

ANIMATION - From CartoonBrew: In the latest round of layoffs, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios were merged, effectively ending the latter. Cartoon Network will apparently continue to exist as a brand. Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe will remain separate.

MOVIE - From Deadline: Sony Pictures has snatched the fights to "Dumb Money," the film about the 2021 Wall Street "short squeeze" of GameStop.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Comedian and actor, Damon Wayans, and his son, actor Damon Wayans, Jr., are set to star in a multi-camera sitcom for CBS.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Director Kenneth Branagh is returning to 20th Century Studios for a third film based on a work by the legendary late author, Agatha Christie. The new film, "A Haunting in Venice," which is based on Christie's novel, "Hallowe'en Party," and the all-star cast includes Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 10/7 to 10/9/2022 weekend box office is Paramount Pictures' horror flick, "Smile," with an estimated take of 17.6 million dollars.

STAR TREK - From Deadline: At New York Comic Con 2022, Paramount+ has released a new trailer for what is the third and likely final season of "Star Trek: Picard." Season 3 premieres February 16, 2023.

OBITS:

From THR: The Scottish actor and comedian, Robbie Coltrane, has died at the age of 72, Friday, October 14, 2022. Coltrane is best known for playing "Rubeus Hagrid" in the "Harry Potter" film series. He first gained national prominence in the U.K. starring as criminal psychologist, "Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald" in the ITV television series, "Cracker" (1993–2006).

From THR: The film and television actor, Austin Stoker, has died at the age of 92, Friday, October 7, 2022. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Stoker began his acting career on Broadway. He is best known for the role of "Lt. Ethan Bishop" in John Carpenter's cult film "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976). He also appeared in such black exploitation films as "Abby" (1974) and "Sheba, Baby" (1975). He appeared in numerous TV series and miniseries, including "Roots" (1977), "The Incredible Hulk" (1979), and "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1991), to name a few.

From Variety: A legend and star of the stage, film, and television, Angela Lansbury, has died at the age of 96, Tuesday, October 11, 2022. Lansbury was best known for her starring role as mystery writer and amateur sleuth, Jessica Fletcher," on the late, long-running CBS mystery series, "Murder, She Wrote" (1984-96). Among her best known films are "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) and Walt Disney's animated "Beauty and the Beast" (1991). Her career spanned 75 years and also included many stages, including the Broadway stage, and Lansbury won seven Tony Awards.

From Deadline: American entertainment journalist, Nikki Finke, has died at the age of 68, Sunday, October 9, 2022. Finke was best known as the founder of the website, "Deadline Hollywood," in 2006. It was the Internet version of her long-running print column, "Deadline Hollywood," for the "LA Weekly."

From Deadline: The film and television actress, Eileen Ryan, has died at the age of 94, Sunday, October 9, 2022. She appeared in such TV series as "The Twilight Zone," "The Detective," and "Bonanza." Ryan was the widow of actor-director Leo Penn (1921-98) and the mother of Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, the late actor Chris Penn (1965-2006), and singer-songwriter Michael Penn.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From CBSSports: The Brittney Griner situation explained.

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

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Review: 2022 Version of "DEATH ON THE NILE" Is Dark and Edgy on the Nile

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2022 (No. 1843) by Leroy Douresseaux

Death on the Nile (2022)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for violence, some bloody images, and sexual material
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITER: Michael Green (based on the novel by Agathie Christie)
PRODUCERS: Kenneth Branagh, Mark Gordon, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Kevin J. Walsh, and Ridley Scott
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Haris Zambarloukos (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Una Ni Dhonghaile
COMPOSER: Patrick Doyle

MYSTERY

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Letitia Wright, Sophie Okonedo, Emma Mackey, Rose Leslie, Ali Fazal, Rose Leslie, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Naveed Kahn

Death on the Nile is a 2022 mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh. It is based on the 1937 novel, Death on the Nile, written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976). In Death on the Nile the movie, Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of a young heiress that occurs on a ship sailing the Nile

Death on the Nile finds famous detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), embarking on a luxurious cruise on the Nile River in Egypt. Poirot is delighted to discover that his friend, Bouc (Tom Bateman), will also be aboard the ship named the “Karnak.”

Also aboard are the newlyweds: wealthy heiress, Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot), and her husband, Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer). While in Egypt on their honeymoon, they are being stalked and hounded by Simon's former fiancé, Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), who was also Linnet's close friend.

When Linnet is found shot to death aboard the Karnak, Jackie is the most obvious culprit, but there are others on board who have reason to want Linnet dead. There is Linnet's maid, Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie), who was bitter because her mistress sabotaged her engagement. Linnet's attorney and estate trustee, Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal), was stealing from her, although they were cousins. Linnet's godmother, Maria van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders), is a socialist who gave away her wealth, but stands to inherit some of Linnet's estate. Bowers (Dawn French), van Schuyler's nurse, blamed Linnet's father for financially ruining her family.

Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo), a brassy blues and jazz singer and guitarist, and Rosalie (Letitia Wright), her niece and manager, were once the target of a racist complaint by Linnet. However, Rosalie became Linnet's friend in boarding school and admits that there are reasons to both hate and love Linnet. Dr. Windlesham (Russell Brand) was once engaged to Linnet, but she left him for Simon. Bouc's mother, Euphemia (Annette Bening), resented Linnet for introducing Bouc to Rosalie.

Poirot must uncover the identity of the killer. He better hurry because the bodies are starting to pile up.

In this new version of Death on the Nile, there is an attention to detail. The audience can see it in the lighting, the hair and make-up, the costumes, the art direction, the editing, and the score. This is also to create Hercule Poirot's world of light and much darkness and shadows. Early in the film, writer Michael Green and director Kenneth Branagh take us to the World War I life of Poirot, tragedy on the battlefield and off sets the stage for what would become the future great detective's world. Shadowy nightclubs filled with earthy blues and showy jazz music; sumptuous desserts; lavishly appointed night people; sunny paradises; and exotic locales – everything has a dark side. It does not matter how golden hued anything is; there is darkness. Even the dark side has a darker side.

All the performances are topnotch; Branagh even gets a showy transformation from comedian Russell Brand, here, being his best PBS Masterpiece self. Good acting sells Death on the Nile's central theme that envy, greed, lust, and pride will destroy friends and lovers. They will even lead to murder most foul, of course.

Branagh takes the cynicism of post-war American Film-Noir and pours it all over Dame Agatha Christie's storytelling. Rarely has such cinematic beauty dressed so much evil and darkness. The lovely meets the lethal.

Death on the Nile 2022 starts slow and drags for some time. For a time, it takes Sophie Okonedo lip-syncing Sister Rosetta Tharpe to give the film early heat. Linnet Ridgeway's murder, however, lights a fire under Death on the Nile as it moves to its ending of triumphant tragedy. There is no victory in the resolution of this case – only hurt and grief. Maybe, hurt and grief are the victors. The viewers are also victors, as Branagh orchestrates another unique and winning take on the cozy, old mysteries of Agatha Christie.

8 out of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, May 14, 2022

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

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Friday, February 18, 2022

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 13th to 19th, 2022 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Variety: FX has announced that its Emmy-winning comedy, "Atlanta" will end with Season 4, which debuts Fall 2022. Season 3 debuts March 24th.

From Variety: Netflix has renewed its hit "Stranger Things" for a fifth and final season.

STAR TREK - From Variety: Whatever happened to Quentin Tarantino's "Star Trek" pitch explained.

MOVIES - From GQ: Legendary filmmaker and Oscar-winning director, Francis Ford Coppola, talks about "Godfather" on its 50th anniversary; laments the state of modern cinema (Marvel Studios), and talks about self-financing his 120 million dollar dream project, "Megalopolis."

ANIMATION - From Deadline: Skydance Animation has acquired the rights to director Brad Bird's next animated film, "Ray Gunn." A multiple Oscar-winner, Bird is known for his animated films, "Iron Giant," and "The Incredibles" films.

TELEVISION - From THR: A guide to all the scripted TV shows that have been renewed, canceled and ordered to series for the 2021-22 season on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline: Director Carla Simon's film, "Alcarras," wins the top prize, the "Golden Bear," at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival.

MOVIES - From IGN: During Paramount Pictures' investor day, a third film in the "A Quiet Place" series was announced. A spinoff movie directed by Michael Sarnoski was also confirmed.

STAR TREK - From BleedingCool: J.J. Abrams said that a fourth "Star Trek" film in his series is happening and that they are currently trying to get the cast back together.

ANIME - From Variety: The magazine has a first look at “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” an original anime feature from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation. It is set for release on April 12, 2024 from Warner Bros. Pictures.

MOVIES - From TheRinger: "Death on the Disney Vine" by Miles Surrey. What is the fate of "Death on the Nile" and other 20th Century Fox films, post-Disney merger?

OSCARS - From Variety: Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes are finalizing details to host this year’s 94th Academy Awards, multiple sources told "Variety."

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety: Several high-profile film and streaming projects debuted a trailer during Super Bowl LVI. You can watch them all on this "Variety" page.

SPORTS/NFL - From YahooSports: The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win Super Bowl LVI. It is the franchise's second Super Bowl championship in 5 appearances.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 2/11 to 2/13/2022 weekend box office is "Death on the Nile" with an estimated gross of 12.8 million dollars.

TRAILER - From Deadline: Universal Pictures has revealed the first official trailer for Jordan Peele's next film, "Nope." It is scheduled to arrive in theaters July 22, 2022 (according to Deadline) or August 4th (according to the trailer).

LGBTQ/MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: On the film's 40th anniversary, actor Harry Hamlin talks about his role in the groundbreaking gay romance, "Making Love."

AMAZON - From Deadline: Ridley Scott is executive producing a TV series, "Blade Runner 2099" this is a follow-up to the 2017 film, "Blade Runner: 2049." Scott directed the original film, 1982's "Blade Runner."

OBITS:

From Vareity: Film writer, producer, and director, Ivan Reitman, has died at the age of 75, Saturday, February 12, 2022. Reitman was best known for directing successful film comedies from the late 1970s to the late 1990s. Those include "Meatballs" (1979), "Ghost Busters" (1984), "Ghostbusters II (1989), and "Dave" (1993), to name a few. He also produced "Animal House" (1978), "Heavy Metal" (1981), and the Oscar-nominated "Up in the Air" (2009), which was directed by his son, Jason Reitman.

From YahooEntertainment: This remembrance of the recently passed film director, Ivan Reitman, discusses the origins of his most famous film, 1984's "Ghost Busters" ("Ghostbusters").

From Deadline: Actor, Frank Pesce, has died at the age of 75, Sunday, February 6, 2022. Known as a colorful character, Pesce appeared in such films as "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984), "Top Gun" (1986), and "Midnight Run" (1988). He also appeared on such TV series as "Kojak," "Miami Vice," and "Matlock." There was also a film about Pesce's early life, "29th Street" (1991), which was directed by George Gallo.

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94TH ACADEMY AWARDS:

OSCARS - From Variety: The nominations for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards have been announced. "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 nominations. The winners will be revealed March 27th.

From Deadline: With his "Best Actor" nomination for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor is Oscar history. He has been nominated in two acting categories a total of 10 times with two wins total.

From Variety: With her "Best Director" Oscar nomination for "The Power of the Dog," Jane Campion becomes the first woman nominated twice in that category. She was previously nominated in that category for "The Piano" (1993).

From Variety: With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.

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MOVIE AWARDS:

From Deadline: The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced. "Dune" leads with 11 nominations. The winners will be announced March 13th.

From Deadline: The 2022 / 33rd annual Producers Guild of America Awards nominations have been announced. The winners will be announced Saturday, March 19th.

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced March 12th.

From COFCA: The Columbus Film Critics Association name "The Power of the Dog" the "Best Film" of 2021.

From Deadline: Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," was named the "Best Picture" of 2021 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards. The Western tied with "King Richard" for most wins with four. Will Smith was named "Best Actor" for "King Richard."

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.

From Variety: The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

From Variety: At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Variety: The National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.

From AwardsWatch: The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations. The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.

From AwardsWatch: The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards. Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms. The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Deadline: The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline: The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR: The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby: The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline: The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR: Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety: The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline: The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards. Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR: Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th). The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline: This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline: The family and estate of Halyna Hutchins has filed suit against Alec Baldwin (who accidentally shot Hutchins), a slew of production companies and entities, producers, and key crew members involved in the Western film, "Rust," for her death.

From THR: A Republican New Mexico legislator, State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell, on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department. This is in the wake a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, being fatally shot on the set of the Western, "Rust," last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.

From Deadline: Alec Baldwin and the other producers of the doomed Western film, "Rust," want a California judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.

From Deadline: Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.

From Variety: One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR: "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline: Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust." It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline: Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR: A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline: A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline: Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust." "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline: The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline: Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR: In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR: The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline: Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of “sabotaging the set.”

From THR: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers. She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin: An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions. Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline: Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR: Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting. He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR: The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline: Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR: Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline: "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film. They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline: "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline: The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline." The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR: The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through. The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline: The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust." As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR: "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline: The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline: The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN: Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety: Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety: The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 6th to 12th, 2022 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Bill Lawrence, the showrunner behind the hit TV series, "Ted Lasso," has just signed a 100 million dollar deal with Warner Bros. TV Group. Here, is the story behind the deal.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Fox Network has made a "script-to-series" commitment for "End of Watch," a TV series based on David Ayers' 2012 film, "End of Watch."

AMAZON - From VanityFair: Here are several photographic images from Amazon's series, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

TRAILER - From ETCanada: The first official trailer for "Jurassic World: Dominion" is here.

SPORTS - From YahooSports: Comedian and TV host turned media mogul, Byron Allen, wants to buy the NFL's Denver Broncos, which are currently up for sale.

BUSINESS - From Variety: An array of movie, gaming, merchandising, and live event rights to "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" are up for sale because the Saul Zaentz Co. had decided to sell them.

MUSIC - From Variety: Snopp Dogg has acquired his old record label, "Death Row Records."

TELEVISION - From Deadline: The cause of actor-comedian Bob Saget's death has been revealed to be due to head trauma. Saget was found unresponsive in an Orlando, Florida hotel on Jan. 9th, early this year.

NETFLIX - From THR: Director Zack Snyder is re-teaming with his "Justice League" star, Ray Fisher, for the two-part Netflix film, "Rebel Moon," which will be shot back-to-back.

MOVIES - From Variety: Universal Pictures has provided a first look at Oscar-winner Jordan Peele's upcoming film, "Nope." The full trailer release will apparently happen during on "Super Bowl Sunday."

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Actress and TV personality Sherri Shepherd, a former co-host on ABC's "The View," is reportedly near a deal to become the permanent host of "The Wendy Williams Show."

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From Variety: With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.

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COMIC BOOKS - From HorrorNewsNetwork: Zombie Love Studios founder and comic book writer Rodney Barnes is teaming up with rapper/actor Snoop Dogg to produce a new horror anthology comic book, "Tales from the Crip," that is said to be “in the tradition of the classic EC Comics of old.”

CELEBRITY - From RollingStone: Jennifer Lopez is "Rolling Stone's" March 2022 cover star, and she talks about how she broke all the rules to get to the top.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 2/4 to 2/6/2022 weekend box office is "Jackass Forever" with an estimated take of 23.5 million dollar opening.

PARAMOUNT+ - From Deadline: Six fan favorite cast members: Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, and Paget Brewster, have agreed to come back to the Paramount+ revival of "Criminal Minds," subject to closing their deals and availability.

STREAMING - From Deadline: Famed television mega-producers, David E. Kelley ("The Practice") and J.J. Abrams ("Lost") are teaming up for a limited series adaptation of author Scott Turow's 1987 novel, "Presumed Innocent." The popular novel was previously adapted into a 1990 film starring Harrison Ford.

OBITS:

From Variety: Pioneering visual effects artist and inventor, Douglas Trumbull, has died at the age of 79, Tuesday, February 7, 2022. Trumbull was one of the mastermind behind some of the audacious science fiction films of all time, including "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), and "Blade Runner" (1982). He also directed two landmark visual effects films, "Silent Running" (1972) and "Brainstorm" (1983). He was nominated for three Oscars for his work on "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979), and "Blade Runner." He did win a "Scientific and Engineering Award" and the "Gordon E. Sawyer Award" Academy Awards.

From Deadline: Pioneering visual effects and mass media artist, Robert Blalack, has died at the age of Wednesday, February 2, 2022. He was one of the founders of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). He won a "Best Visual Effects" Oscar for his work on "Star Wars" (1977) and a Primetime Emmy for his work on ABC's television film, "The Day After" (1983). Blalack also created and produced special effects for such films as "Altered States" (1980) and "Robocop" (1987).

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AWARDS: