Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 11th to 17th, 2019 - Update #30

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MOVIES-CULTURE - From THR:  NBA great and author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has taken issue with the portrayal of legendary martial artist and actor, Bruce Lee, in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.

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STREAMING-ANIMATION - From Variety:  Netflix orders "Agent King," an adult animated action-comedy series that depicts Elvis Presley as a secret agent or super spy.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Neill Blomkamp says he is off MGM's "Robocop Returns."

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DISNEY/BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  With "Toy Story 4" crossing the one-billion dollar mark in global box office, Walt Disney Pictures becomes the first movie studio to have five pictures cross the billion dollar mark in global box office in a single year.  Two late year releases, "Frozen 2" and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" could make it seven.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Kevin Hart will star in and produce the superhero comedy, "Night Wolf," for STXfilms.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  Alexandre Aja ("Crawl") leads a talented group of filmmakers in an attempt to make an interactive haunted house movie.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Henry Golding ("Crazy Rich Asians") is in talks to star in the "G.I. Joe" spinoff, "Snake Eyes."

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DISNEY - From People:  Disney offers a sneak peek at its live-action remake of its classic animated film "Lady and the Tramp" with a photo of its canine stars.

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TELEVISION - From Blackfilm:  BET and Tyler Perry add new cast members, including DeVale Ellis and Kevin Walton, to their upcoming one-hour drama, "Sistas," which is due this fall.

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MOVIES - From Blackfilm:  Vanessa Bell Calloway will reprise her role of "Imani Izzi" in the Coming to America sequel, which is due to hit theaters December 18, 2020.  Comedian Luenell is also joining the cast.

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LGBTQ - From Variety:  IMDb is changing its policy on publishing birth names in response to transgender customers and other entertainment figures.

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MEDIA - From Deadline:  After 13 years apart (that long!), CBS and Viacom are once again one.  The new entity will be called ViacomCBS Inc.  Regulatory approval of the merger is expected to come in the next several months.

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STREAMING/BDS - From Truthout:  In the op-ed, "I Said No to a Netflix Series Audition Because I Support Palestinian Rights," actor David Clennon explains why he declined to participate in Netflix's upcoming series, "Sycamore," a co-production with Israel.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/9 to 8/11/19 weekend box office is "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" with an estimated take of 25.4 million dollars.

From Patreon:  My review of "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  New Line Cinema is the winner of an intense bidding war for Olivia Wilde's directorial effort which exists as a spec script, entitled "Don't Worry Darling."

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  2019 Teen Choice Awards were announced.  "Avengers: Endgame" and "Riverdale" take the top prizes.

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STREAMING - From IndieWire:  In the end, things worked out for "Fast Color," a film about African-American female superheroes.  Amazon will produce a TV series based on the film.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Universal Pictures has cancelled its release of the now-controversial film, "The Hunt."  Produced in part by Jason Blum, the film was due September 27th.

From Variety:  President Trump has been calling out Hollywood "racism," with "The Hunt" apparently being one of the "racist films" he targeted.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Quentin Tarantino says that if he comes up with a good idea, his next (and supposedly final) film would be a horror movie.

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ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  The Walt Disney Company's "Disney discipline" hits Fox's former animation studio, Blue Sky Studios ("Ice Age" and "Rio" franchises).

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MOVIES - From THR:  Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, who wrote the recent "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movies and "Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol," are writing a script for a "G.I. Joe" spinoff movie, which will reportedly be an ensemble piece.  A "Snake Eyes" movie is due October 2020.

OBITS:

From THR:  The Canadian born animator and filmmaker, Richard Williams, has died at the age of 86, Friday, August 16, 2019.  Williams was best known for directing the animation on the live-action/animation hybrid, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988).  He won an Oscar for his animated short film "A Christmas Carol" (1971), and in 1989, he shared a visual effects Oscar for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," as well as receiving a "special achievement" Oscar for the film.

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From Deadline:  The actor, Peter Fonda, has died at the age of 79, Friday, August 16, 2019.  Fonda's best known film is the groundbreaking, counter-culture movie, "Easy Rider" (1969).  Fonda also produced "Easy Rider," and shared an Oscar nomination for "Best Original Screenplay" with Terry Southern and the film's director, Dennis Hopper, for writing the film.  Fonda was the son of legendary Golden Age actor, Henry Fonda, and was the young brother of actress Jane Fonda.  Fonda's daughter, Bridget, is also an actor.

From Deadline:  Jane Fonda issues a statement on the passing of her brother, Peter Fonda.

From Deadline:  Hollywood reacts to the passing of actor Peter Fonda.
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From CNN:  Actor and former firefighter, Dango Nguyen, has died at the age of 48, Saturday, August 10, 2019.  Nguyen, who acted under the name "Dango Nu Yen," appeared in the third season of "The Walking Dead."

From YahooSports:  NFL coach Darryl Drake has died at the age of 62, Sunday, August 11, 2019.  Drake was currently the Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receivers coach.  Drake has a brief NFL and CFL career after playing college football for Western Kentucky University (1975-1978).  After a 20-year career coaching in the college ranks, in 2004, he began his NFL coaching career.  He was a coach on the Chicago Bears 2006 team that won the NFC Championship and lost in the Super Bowl to the Indianapolis Colts.

From NFL:  Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin issues a statement on Darryl Drake's passing.

From NFL:   Pittsburgh Steelers Team President Art Rooney II issues a state on Darryl Drake's passing.
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Image Comics Announces 2019 ALA Midwinter Conference Plans

THIRTEEN IMAGE COMICS TITLES MAKE YALSA'S 2019 GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR TEENS LIST AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND'S ALA MIDWINTER PROGRAMMING

PORTLAND, Ore. — Image Comics is pleased to announce a total of 13 titles listed on YALSA's 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list—a new record for the publisher. The list includes:

    Bingo Love, Vol. 1 by Tee Franklin
    Coyotes, Vol. 1 by Sean Lewis & Caitlin Yarsky
    Descender, Vol. 5: Rise of the Robots by Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen
    Descender, Vol. 6: The Machine War by Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen
    Monstress, Vol. 3 by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
    Motor Crush, Vol. 2 by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart & Babs Tarr
    Paper Girls, Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Cliff Chiang
    Royal City, Vol. 2: Sonic Youth by Jeff Lemire
    Royal City, Vol. 3: We All Float On by Jeff Lemire
    Scales & Scoundrels, Vol. 1: Into the Dragon's Maw by Sebastian Girner & Galaad
    Skyward, Vol. 1: My Low-G Life by Joe Henderson & Lee Garbett
    Sleepless, Vol. 1 by Leila del Duca & Sarah Vaughn
    Son of Shaolin by Jay Longino & Caanan White

To read the full list of titles, click here. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Librarians and bookstore retailers attending this weekend's ALA Midwinter Conference are invited to learn more about these excellent graphic novels by visiting the Image Comics booth (#2048) for exciting creator signings, free samples, books, swag, special-edition librarian-only T-shirts, and the chance to talk to your favorite comics writers and artists.

ALA MIDWINTER 2019 - IMAGE COMICS EVENT SCHEDULE (BOOTH #2048)

Friday, January 25th, 2019

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM – Exhibit Hall, Booth #2048
Creator Booth Time / Signing - Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze)

Saturday, January 26th, 2019

09:00 AM - 10:00 AM – Exhibit Hall, Booth #2048
Creator Booth Time / Signing - Christopher Sebela (Crowded, Shanghai Red)

10:10 AM - 11:10 AM – Exhibit Hall, Booth #2048
Creator Booth Time / Signing - Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze)

1:40 PM - 2:40 PM – Exhibit Hall, Booth #2048
Creator Booth Time / Signing - Joseph Keatinge (Flavor, Stellar)

2:50 PM - 3:50 PM – Exhibit Hall, Booth #2048
Creator Booth Time / Signing - Chelsea Cain & Lia Miternique (Man-Eaters)

4:00 PM – 4:50 PM – Exhibit Hall, PopTop Stage
Adapting Graphic Novels for Programming and Lesson Planning - Chloe Ramos-Peterson, Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze)

Sunday, January 27th, 2019

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM – WSCC, Room 303 – RSVP Required
GNCRT Publisher's Breakfast - Chloe Ramos-Peterson, Chelsea Cain (Man-Eaters), Christopher Sebela (Crowded, Shanghai Red)

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM – Exhibit Hall, Booth #2048
Creator Booth Time / Signing - Christopher Sebela (Crowded, Shanghai Red)

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM – Exhibit Hall, Booth #2048
Creator Booth Time / Signing - Emily Powell & Eliza Fantastic Mohan (Man-Eaters)

Monday, January 28th, 2019

11:10 AM - 11:40 AM – Exhibit Hall, Book Buzz Theater
Image Comics - 2019 Book Buzz Preview


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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LGBTQ Manga, "That Blue Sky Feeling," Arrives in Bookstores

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES THE COMIMG-OF-AGE LGBT MANGA THAT BLUE SKY FEELING

Tender Portrayal Of A Relationship Between A Pair Of High School Students Debuts This Summer

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, releases a poignant coming-of-age series that explores a budding relationship between a pair of high school boys with THAT BLUE SKY FEELING on August 14th, 2018.

The new series, which is written by Okura and features artwork by Coma Hashii, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will be published in-print with an MSRP of $10.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. THAT BLUE SKY FEELING also launches digitally on August 14th via viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores. Future volumes of the series will be published in 2019.

Outgoing high school student Noshiro finds himself drawn to Sanada, the school outcast, who is rumored to be gay. Rather than deter Noshiro, the rumor makes him even more determined to get close to Sanada, setting in motion a surprising tale of first love.

“THAT BLUE SKY FEELING is an honest teen drama that depicts that special kind of confusion that all kids, straight and LGBT alike, experience as they start to fall for friends and classmates in school,” says Joel Enos, Editor. “You can’t always foresee who you’re going to be attracted to. It should appeal to fans of YA and readers looking for a substantial story that addresses high school life and issues without embellishing or holding back.”

For additional information on THAT BLUE SKY FEELING and other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at viz.com.

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Image Comics Announces "Bingo Love: Jackpot Edition" For Nov. 2018

FANS HIT THE JACKPOT WITH EXPANDED BINGO LOVE, VOL. 1: JACKPOT EDITION HARDCOVER AND TRADE PAPERBACKS

PORTLAND, OR — Tee Franklin made waves this weekend at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference when The Hollywood Reporter dropped the news of forthcoming BINGO LOVE, VOL. 1: JACKPOT EDITION in trade paperback and hardcover. The expanded editions will hit stores this November 2018 from Image Comics.

“The two bonus stories that were in the original Bingo Love—Bingo Love: Secrets by Shawn Pryor and Paulina Ganucheau and Bingo Love: Honeymoon by Marguerite Bennett and Beverly Johnson—were only supposed to be for the Kickstarter backers. I decided to create this Jackpot Edition so everyone would have access to the bonus stories that were noted inside of Bingo Love,” said Tee Franklin. “As an added benefit, readers will also be getting three more short stories about Hazel and Mari… including a peek inside of Bingo Love, Vol. 2: Dear Diary. I had no idea when I wrote this story, people would be so welcoming to a story about two Black Queer grandmas. So, thank you all!”

BINGO LOVE, VOL. 1: JACKPOT EDITION will feature cover artwork by Paulina Ganucheau and will contain over 50 pages of bonus material, including stories from Marguerite Bennett (Batwoman, InSEXts) and newcomer Beverly Johnson, Shawn Pryor (Cash and Carrie, F.O.R.C.E.) and Paulina Ganucheau (Zodiac Starforce) and Gail Simone (CROSSWIND, Domino), with illustrations from Sara Alfageeh (Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy) and Ariela Kristantina (InSEXts, Mata Hari). Plus a sneak peek of BINGO LOVE, VOL 2: DEAR DIARY, with an afterword from Gabby Rivera (America, Juliet Takes a Breath).

BINGO LOVE is an original graphic novel created and written by Tee Franklin, with art by Jenn St-Onge, and colors by Joy San and follows the love story of two Queer, Black women and the love between them that spans decades.

When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-'60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a church bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other is still alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength and courage.

Franklin is a Black, Queer, disabled woman, known in the comics industry as an activist and advocate for creators of color, LGBTQ, and disabled communities. She is credited for starting the popular hashtag: #BlackComicsMonth, which aims to make comic book fans more aware of talented Black comic creators and their inclusive comic book characters and superheroes that already exist in the industry.

Franklin’s original edition of the BINGO LOVE title won the 2017 Queer Press Grant and raised almost $60k via Kickstarter. It gained traction in mainstream media for its progressive, LGBTQ-positive narrative.

BINGO LOVE explores the complications of coming out at an older age and how that decision affects their families' lives.

BINGO LOVE, VOL. 1: JACKPOT EDITION (ISBN: 978-1534309838) will be available in comic book stores on Wednesday, November 7th, 2018 and in bookstores on Tuesday, November 13th, 2018. It can be pre-ordered now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, IndieBound, and Indigo.


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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2016 EDA Award for Best Film of 2016 Goes to "Moonlight" - Complete Winners List

According the organization’s website, The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Inc. (AWFJ), was founded in 2006. The membership is made up of “highly qualified professional female movie critics, reporters and feature writers working in print, broadcast and online media.” Its state purpose is to “support work by and about women - both in front of and behind the cameras - through intra-group promotional activities, outreach programs and by presenting the annual EDA Awards in recognition of outstanding accomplishments (the best and worst) by and about women in the movies.”

EDA Award winners were announced on Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

2016 / 10th EDA Awards winners:

AWFJ EDA BEST OF AWARDS: These awards are presented to women and/or men without gender consideration.

Best Film: Moonlight

Best Director: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight

Best Screenplay, Original: Manchester by the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan

Best Screenplay, Adapted: Moonlight – Barry Jenkins

Best Documentary: 13th – Ava DuVernay

Best Animated Film: Zootopia – Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush

Best Actress: Ruth Negga – Loving

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis – Fences

Best Actor: Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

Best Ensemble Cast – Casting Director: Moonlight – Yesi Ramirez

Best Cinematography: Moonlight – James Laxton

Best Editing: Moonlight – Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders

Best Non-English-Language Film: The Handmaiden – Park Chan-Wook, South Korea

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS: These awards honor WOMEN only.

Best Woman Director: Ava DuVernay – 13th

Best Woman Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt – Certain Women

Best Animated Female (tie):

Judy in Zootopia – Ginnifer Goodwin

Moana in Moana – Auli’i Cravalho

Best Breakthrough Performance: Ruth Negga – Loving

Outstanding Achievement by A Woman in The Film Industry:

Ava DuVernay – For 13th and raising awareness about the need for diversity and gender equality in Hollywood

EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

Actress Defying Age and Ageism (tie):

Annette Bening – 20th Century Women

Isabelle Huppert – Elle and Things to Come

Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Lead and The Love Interest Award:
Rules Don’t Apply – Warren Beatty (b. 1937) and Lily Collins (b. 1989)

Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent: Jennifer Aniston – Mother’s Day and Office Christmas Party

Bravest Performance: Isabelle Huppert – Elle

Remake or Sequel That Shouldn’t have been Made: Ben Hur

AWFJ Hall of Shame Award: Sharon Maguire and Renee Zellwegger for Bridget Jones’s Baby

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Archie Comics Announces New "Life with Kevin" Digital Comic

LIFE WITH KEVIN debuts as a new digital-first series from Dan Parent and J. Bone on June 22

Kevin Keller is back - and this time he's on his own in the big city

Writer/artist Dan Parent and inker J. Bone are bringing the adventures of an older, post-college Kevin Keller to Archie Comics fans around the world as the all-new digital first series launches on digital platforms on June 22nd, 2016.

LIFE WITH KEVIN will explore Kevin's life after high school and college as he ventures beyond the cozy confines of Riverdale and into a new world of challenges and opportunities in the big city.

Longtime KEVIN KELLER writer/artist Dan Parent will resume those duties for the much-anticipated digital-first series with Eisner Award-nominated inker J. Bone (Batman/The Spirit) to bring Kevin and his new friends to life for a whole new readership.

"The appeal of the project was to make Kevin out of his teenage years and jump a few years into the future to open up a new storyline for Kevin," says Parent. "If you want to read a fun story about a young guy in NYC that’s mixed with laughs, drama, romance and fun, this story is for you."

While the series promises to explore the world beyond Riverdale, Kevin's BFF Veronica will be making her presence known along with a few new additions to Kevin's supporting cast.

LIFE WITH KEVIN #1 will be available digitally on the Archie App for iOS and Android and other digital comics platforms starting on June 22nd!

Pre-Order LIFE WITH KEVIN #1 now on ComiXology, Google Play, Kindle, and Nook.
LIFE WITH KEVIN #1

Kevin’s made his big move to the Big Apple! He’s got his own place, he’s starting his internship on the production team at a high-profile news channel—Kevin’s really got it all together… or does he? Will his first day in NYC be a dream come true or will the big city eat him alive? Kevin will learn one thing for sure: when it comes to city living, expect the unexpected!

Script: Dan Parent
Art: Dan Parent, J. Bone, Jack Morelli
Cover: Dan Parent
On Sale: 6/22
25-page, digital comic
$3.99 U.S.

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2016 Dorian Award Winnters Announced; "Carol" Dominates

The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) is an organization that is comprised of critics and entertainment journalists who write on television and film for noteworthy media outlets easily accessible in the U.S.  According to its website, most members identify as a member of the LGBTQ-munity:  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, but the organization has non-gay “ally” journalists in its ranks, members who tend to work for LGBTQ-targeted outlets).

Through its annual Dorian Awards, GALECA toasts the finest in movies and television, from mainstream to LGBTQ-centric.  Oscar Wilde is the group's patron saint.

2016 Dorian Award winners (for the year in film and television 2015):

Film of the Year
“Carol”

Director of the Year
Todd Haynes, “Carol”

Film Actor of the Year
Leonardo Dicaprio, “The Revenant”

Film Actress of the Year
Cate Blanchett, “Carol”

LGBTQ Film of the Year
“Carol”

Foreign Language Film of the Year
“Son of Saul” (Hungary)

Screenplay of the Year
“Carol”

Documentary of the Year
“Amy”

Visually Striking Film of the Year
“Mad Max: Fury Road”

Unsung Film of the Year
“Tangerine”

Campy Flick of the Year
“Magic Mike XXL”

TV Drama of the Year
(TIE) “Fargo” & “Orange is the New Black”

TV Comedy of the Year
“Transparent”

TV Actor of the Year
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

TV Actress of the Year
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”

LGBTQ Show of the Year
“Transparent”

Unsung TV Show of the Year
“Looking”

TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

Campy TV Show of the Year
“Empire”

TV Musical Performance of the Year
Aretha Franklin

The ‘We’re Wilde About You’ Rising Star Award
Alicia Vikander

Wilde Wit of the Year
Amy Schumer

Wilde Artist of the Year
Todd Haynes

Timeless Award
Jane Fonda (previously announced)

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GALECA Announces 2016 Dorian Award Nominations - Complete List

The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) is an organization that is comprised of critics and entertainment journalists who write on television and film for noteworthy media outlets easily accessible in the U.S.  According to its website, most members identify as a member of the LGBTQ-munity:  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, but the organization has non-gay “ally” journalists in its ranks, members who tend to work for LGBTQ-targeted outlets).  Through its annual Dorian Awards, GALECA toasts the finest in movies and television, from mainstream to LGBTQ-centric.

2016 Dorian Award nominations (for the year in film and television 2015):

FILM OF THE YEAR
The Big Short / Paramount, Regency
Brooklyn / Fox Searchlight
Carol / The Weinstein Company
Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros., Village Road Show
Spotlight / Open Road, Participant, First Look

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
(Film or Television)
Sean Baker, Tangerine / Magnolia Pictures
Todd Haynes, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, The Revenant / Fox
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight / Open Road, Participant, First Look
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros., Village Road Show

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Brie Larson, Room / A24
Rooney Mara, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years / Sundance Selects
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn / Fox Searchlight

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTOR
Matt Damon, The Martian / Fox
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant / Fox
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs / Universal
Tom Hardy, Legend / Universal, Cross Creek
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl / Focus, Working Title

LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Carol / The Weinstein Company
The Danish Girl / Focus, Working Title
Freeheld / Summit
Grandma / Sony Pictures Classics
Tangerine / Magnolia Pictures

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Assassin / Central Motion Pictures, Well Go USA
Mustang / Cohen Media Group
Phoenix / Sundance Selects
Son of Saul / Sony Pictures Classics
Viva / Magnolia Pictures

SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
Emma Donoghue, Room / A24
Phyllis Nagy, Carol / The Weinstein Company
Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short / Paramount, Regency
Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy, Spotlight / Open Road, Participant, First Look
Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs / Universal

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
(theatrical release, TV airing or DVD release)
Amy / A24
Best of Enemies / Magnolia Pictures, Magnet
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief / HBO
Making a Murderer / Netflix
What Happened, Miss Simone? / Netflix

VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
(honoring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)
Carol / The Weinstein Company
The Danish Girl / Focus, Working Title
Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros., Village Road Show
The Martian / Fox
The Revenant / Fox

UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / Sony Pictures Classics
Ex Machina / A24
Grandma / Sony Pictures Classics
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / Fox Searchlight
Tangerine (Magnolia)

CAMPY FLICK OF THE YEAR
The Boy Next Door
Fifty Shades of Grey
Magic Mike XXL
Jupiter Ascending
Stonewall

TV DRAMA OF THE YEAR
Fargo / FX
The Leftovers / HBO
Mad Men / AMC
Mr. Robot / USA
Orange is the New Black / Netflix

TV COMEDY OF THE YEAR
Grace and Frankie / Netflix
Master of None / Netflix
Transparent / Amazon
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt / Netflix
Veep / HBO

TV PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTOR
Titus Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt / Netflix
Jon Hamm, Mad Men / AMC
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot / USA
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent / Amazon
Justin Theroux, The Leftovers / HBO

TV PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — ACTRESS
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder / ABC
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie / Netflix
Taraji P. Henson, Empire / Fox
Krysten Ritter, Jessica Jones / Netflix
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie / Netflix

TV CURRENT AFFAIRS SHOW OF THE YEAR
Anderson Cooper 360 / CNN
The Daily Show / Comedy Central
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver / HBO
The Rachel Maddow Show / MSNBC
Real Time with Bill Maher / HBO

LGBTQ TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
Grace and Frankie / Netflix
Looking / HBO
Orange is the New Black / Netflix
Sense8 / Netflix
Transparent / Amazon

UNSUNG TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
Broad City / Comedy Central
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend / CW
Getting On / HBO
Looking / HBO
UnReal / Lifetime

TV MUSICAL MOMENT OF THE YEAR

• Adele: “Hello / ” Adele Live in New York City / NBC
• Aretha Franklin: “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors / CBS
• Lady Gaga: The Sound of Music 50th anniversary tribute, 87th Annual Academy Awards / ABC
• Sydney Lucas and the Cast of Fun Home: “Ring of Keys” 69th Annual Tony Awards / CBS
• John Legend and Common: “Glory” (Original song nominee, Selma): 87th Annual Academy Awards / ABC

CAMPY TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
American Horror Story: Hotel
Empire
How to Get Away with Murder
Scream Queens
Sense8

“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR AWARD
Rami Malek
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez
Mya Taylor
Jacob Tremblay
Alicia Vikander

WILDE WIT OF THE YEAR
(honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
Billy Eichner
Rachel Maddow
Tig Notaro
John Oliver
Amy Schumer

WILDE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
(honoring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theater and/or television)
Andrew Haigh
Todd Haynes
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Tig Notaro
Amy Schumer

TIMELESS STAR
(to an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit)
Jane Fonda

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 6th to 12th, 2015 - Update #22

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NEWS:

From BleedingCool:  "The Hateful Eight" was originally conceived as a novel starring Django.

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From Deadline:  Ron Howard updates "Arrested Development" Season 5.

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From BuzzFlash:  J.K. Rowling says Donald Trump is worse than Lord Voldemort.

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From Vulture:  Idris Elba may have the lead in the adaptation of Stephen King's "Dark Tower."

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From YahooTV:  2015 Golden Globe nominations.

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From TheWrap: SAG nominations.

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From IndieWire:  David Oyelowo to play Muhammad Ali for Ang Lee.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  An article about the upcoming debuts and features at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

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From Deadline:  Queen Latifah to star in Lee Daniels project for Fox.

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From Vulture:  Bill Murray will play a dog in a Wes Anderson stop-motion film.

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 12/4 to 12/6/2015 box office is "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part Two," the film's third straight weekend at the top.

From TheHollywoodReporter:  The performance of holiday-themed horror film, "Krampus," surprised with its second place finish at the weekend box office ($16 million).  I was not surprised, and I thought it might actually gross a little more.  "Chi-raq" is reportedly a huge hit in Chicago, the setting of Spike Lee's film.

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From GoldDerby:  Director Sean Baker and star Mya Taylor talk about their buzzed-about film, "Tangerine."

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From Variety:  Ethan Hawke joins Luc Besson's "Valerian."


COMICS - Films and Books:

From Variety:  Cate Blanchett in talks to join Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok."


MOVIE AWARD SEASON:

From Deadline: African-American Film Critics name "Straight Outta Compton" best picture.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  Los Angeles Film Critics Association names "Spotlight" the best film of the year.  However, "Mad Max: Fury Road" wins in three category, including "Best Director" for George Miller.  It was the runner-up in two categories, including the "Best Film" category.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  The Boston Society of Film Critics names "Spotlight" the best picture of 2015.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  Alex Garland's "Ex Machina" is named Best British Independent Film at the 2015 British Independent Film Awards, and dominates with 4 wins.


STAR WARS:

From YahooMovies:  Have a seat, John Boyega tells William Shatner.

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From YahooTV:  While in Australia promoting "The Force Awakens," Harrison Ford responds to his fan, Donald Trump.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Official "X-Men Apocalypse" trailer.

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From Vulture:  First trailer for Warner Bros.' "The Legend of Tarzan."

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From Deadline:  The debut trailer for Spielberg's "The BFG."

Three New Yaoi Manga Coming from SuBLime in 2015

GLOBAL YAOI IMPRINT SUBLIME PREVIEWS THREE NEW MANGA SERIES ACQUISITIONS SET TO LAUNCH IN 2016

New Series Include TEN COUNT, DON’T BE CRUEL, And MIDNIGHT STRANGER

San Francisco, CA – SuBLime, the leading global English-language yaoi manga publisher, has announced the acquisition of three notable new manga (graphic novel) series. The new titles are set to begin publication in 2016 and will include the highly requested fan-favorite TEN COUNT, by Rihito Takarai, DON’T BE CRUEL, Yonezou Nekota’s English-language debut, and MIDNIGHT STRANGER, a paranormal beauty-and-the-beast tale by Bohra Naono.

The forthcoming new SuBLime series will be published in print, with TEN COUNT and DON’T BE CRUEL available digitally via SuBLimeManga.com as a DRM-free downloadable PDF that is viewable on any enabled eReader device or computer as well as via the online manga viewer found on the Website.

“We are very excited to expand the SuBLime manga roster with the addition of these new series for 2016, and we look forward to announcing additional information on each of the titles in coming months,” says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “From the debut of MIDNIGHT STRANGER, by the creator of the SuBLime series THREE WOLVES MOUNTAIN, to the launch of the doctor–patient romance, TEN COUNT, and the debut of DON’T BE CRUEL, which marks the English-language debut of creator Yonezou Nekota, these three new SuBLime titles are not to be missed by yaoi manga fans!”

TEN COUNT · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Debuts Summer 2016

In this series created by Rihito Takarai, corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani’s attraction to his counselor grows.

DON’T BE CRUEL 2-In-1 Omnibus Edition · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Debuts Summer 2016

Maya catches Nemugasa cheating on a test and to ensure his silence blackmails him into doing whatever Maya wants. Catch the debut of this series by Yonezou Nekota, which also includes two bonus side stories!

MIDNIGHT STRANGER · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Debuts Spring 2016

Roi, a black goat spirit, is getting bullied when out of nowhere he’s rescued by the beautiful fire god Xiu. Xiu gives Roi the ability to take human form, and a grateful Roi decides to serve Xiu as his new master. Discover what happens in this new series from Bohra Naono, the creator of THREE WOLVES MOUNTAIN.

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at www.SuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga and Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga.


About SuBLime
SuBLime is a global yaoi/boys’ love manga publisher presenting English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime will offer titles digitally worldwide available at www.SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

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EPIX Documentary, "To Russia with Love," Explores World of LGBT Athletes

EPIX Original Documentary To Russia with Love Explores LGBT Human Rights Journey as Seen Through Athletes’ Experience -- Premieres October 29 at 8PM ET

Featuring Johnny Weir, Billie Jean King, Greg Louganis, Jason Collins and Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Tewksbury

Golden Globe & Emmy Award Winner Jane Lynch Narrates

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium entertainment network EPIX announced today that Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch (“Glee”) will lend her voice to the EPIX Original Documentary, To Russia With Love, that will make its World Premiere Wednesday, October 29 at 8PM ET. To Russia with Love explores human rights through the lens of LGBT athletes, with iconoclastic athlete and commentator Johnny Weir serving as the viewers’ guide into this world. The 90 minute film examines the experiences of Olympic legends Billie Jean King and Greg Louganis as well as the next generation of LGBT athletes who participated in the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Shooting worldwide in locations as diverse as Sochi, New York City, Calgary, Toronto, St. Petersburg and Moscow, the film follows these athletes from the ice to the slopes as they bear the brunt of constant media questioning about Russia's anti-gay laws.

In addition to Olympic sports legends, 2014 Olympians and Olympic hopefuls included in the film are snowboarders Belle Brockhoff and Simona Meiler, speed skaters Anastasia Bucsis and Blake Skjellerup, four-time gold medal winning hockey player Charline Labonté, as well as notable sports personalities such as Calgary Flames President of Hockey Operations and USA Hockey personnel director Brian Burke, Olympic gold medalist swimmer Mark Tewksbury and Russian Open Games’ Konstantin Yablotskiy and Elvina Yuvakaeva. To Russia With Love also features interviews and commentary from David Remnick, editor-in-chief of The New Yorker, Golden Globe-nominated actor and activist Stephen Fry and the Brooklyn Nets’ Jason Collins.

To Russia With Love is an EPIX Original Documentary, produced by Sundance Productions. Noam Gonick is director; Howard Gertler (Oscar®nominee, How to Survive a Plague) and Elle Flanders are producers and Emmy® winner Jennifer P. Honn is editor. Laura Michalchyshyn and Johnny Weir are executive producers and Laina Cohn is co-producer. Ross Bernard and Jill Burkhart are executive producers for EPIX.

Join the conversation about #ToRussiaWithLove on Twitter http://Twitter.com/EpixHD, on Facebook http://Facebook.com/EPIX and on the EPIX webpage http://www.epix.com/to-russia-with-love.

About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and was the first premium network to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android tablets and phones, Windows 8.1 and Roku® players. EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads® and iPhones® and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX).

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

NEWS:

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

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

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From HuffingtonPost:  Hugh Jackman can deadlift 400lbs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That study can be found here.


STAR WARS:

From YahooScreen:  More Episode VII rumors (video)


COMICS BOOKS - Movies and Comics:

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

From YahooScreen:  Seven actors who almost played Batman

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

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

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

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

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

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


OBIT:

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


MISC:

From VOX:  The geniuses behind your favorite pop songs

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of August 10th to August 16th, 2014 - Update #13

NEWS:

From the BostonHerald:  Jackie Chan says that he has been approached about appearing in a few sequels, including "Rush Hour 4" and "The Expendables 4."

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From Today:  Star Trek legend, George Takei (Sulu), recalls his family being taken at gunpoint (with bayonet) in 1942 on their way to an American internment camp during World War II.  This story and more will be included in "To Be Takei," the documentary about his life.

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From Deadline:  Mike Epps apparently delivered an explosive screen test that has him as the front-runner to play iconic stand-up comic and actor, Richard Pryor, in a planned biopic from Oscar-nominated director, Lee Daniels, for The Weinstein Company.

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One of the other actors being considered is Marlon Wayans, who was the choice when Adam Sandler's Happy Madison was producing a Pryor film with Dreamgirls' Bill Condon directing.  Michael B. Jordan and Nick Cannon are also being considered.  Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are among those considered to play Pryor's wife, Jennifer Lee Pryor.

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From YahooFinance:  Amazon is refusing to accept pre-orders on some Walt Disney DVDs in a battle that is similar to Amazon's feud with book publisher, Hachette.

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From YahooCelebrity:  Tyler Posey, star of MTV's "Teen Wolf," played Jennifer Lopez's young son in the 2002 film, Maid in Manhattan.  Lopez and Posey reunited on stage last night at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards.  This article also has a list of the award ceremony's winners.  Most of the winners were movies based on books written for teens and the young adult audience.


COMIC BOOKS - Movies, TV, and Comics:

From IGN:  SPOILERS! Lex Luthor's dastardly plot in "Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" may have been revealed.  It involves a corpse and kryptonite.

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From Yahoo:  Vin Diesel teasing or trolling his fans about starring in a possible Marvel Studios film featuring the Inhumans.

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From TheWrap:  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles update won the August 8 to 10, 2014 weekend box office.

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From THR:  Ninja Turtles sequel announced for June 3, 2016.

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From YahooMovies:  Photographic evidence that Guardians of the Galaxy star, Chris Pratt, was homeless and lived in a van at one time.


STAR WARS:

From LatinoReview:  Episode VII plots, villains, spoilers, etc.

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From IndieRevolver:  An alleged look at how Han Solo (Harrison Ford) will look in Star Wars: Episode VII.

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From IndieRevolver:  About the alleged Sith villain of Episode VII.

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From Twitter:  An interesting photo.


OBITS:

From Variety: Lauren Bacall, legendary Hollywood actress and icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood, has died at the age of 89.  She made her debut at the age of 19 in the film, To Have and to Have Not (directed by Howard Hawks), opposite another legend and icon, Humphrey Bogart.  She died at her apartment in Manhattan today, Tuesday, August 12, 2014.  My heart is broken.  Negromancer sends condolences to Ms. Bacall's family and friends.

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From TheWeek:  Bacall on Humphrey Bogart's illness and death.

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From CNN:  The actress, Arlene Martel, has died at the age of 78.  She was known to "Star Trek" fans as "T'Pring," the Vulcan priestess who was engaged to marry Spock in the episode "Amok Time" (the first episode of the second season).  Martel died Tuesday, August 12, 2014.  Negromancer sends condolences to her family and friends.


TRAILERS:

From 20th Century Fox:  Second trailer for the animated film, The Book of Life. Film is due Halloween 2014.


MISC:

From YahooNews and the NYPost:  Brittney Griner of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury is engaged to fellow WNBA player, Glory Johnson of the Tulsa Shock.  Both Arizona and Oklahoma, however, practice bigotry in their marriage laws.

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From Truthout:  How the Mainstream Media Helped Kill Michael Brown.  The author's argument makes sense, especially the standpoint of the relationship between law enforcement a crime reporters.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for July 13 to July 19, 2014 - Update #14

MOVIE NEWS:

From Variety:  Paramount Pictures has picked F. Javier Gutierrez to direct "The Ring 3."  No word on the return of Naomi Watts, the star of the The Ring and The Ring Part 2.

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From EW's InsideMovies:  An oral history of The Terminator, 30 years after its release.  Gwynne Watkins at Yahoo takes a look at that oral history.

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From THR:  What the critics are saying about Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel's Sex Tape.

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From CSMonitor:  Hit-Girl a/k/a Chloe Grace Moretz will provide the voice in the English-language version of the Japanese animated film, "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya."  Due in October of this year, the film is a production of Studio Ghibli and is directed by the studio's co-founder, Isao Takahata.

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From YahooFinance:  Rupert Mudoch wants HBO so badly that he's willing to buy TimeWarner to get it.  And it's also a bid to destroy Netflix.

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From Variety:  More on the Travis McGee movie with James Mangold directing and maybe with Christian Bale.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  Once upon a time, maybe 20 years ago, I read on of late author, John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee novels.  I loved it.  So I am somewhat exited to hear that 20th Century Fox is looking to bring the character to the big screen.  I am not that crazy about Christian Bale as McGee, as the actor is in early talks to play the character.  James Mangold as director?  He could do something good with this.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  ABC is extending its deal with Oscar-winning screenwriter, John Ridley (12 Years a Slave).

-----------------------
From TheWrap:  Legendary will be at Comic-Con International 2014 to tease Guillermo del Toro's 2015 film, "Crimson Peak" about that "breathes, bleeds...and remembers."

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From TheWrap:  Did not know that the 1995 film, 12 Monkeys, is being adapted/re-imagined into a TV series for the Syfy channel.  I'm semi-interested.

--------------------
From CNBC:  Disney could rake in the cash for Guardians of the Galaxy.  I think that if this movie is a big hit, the people who were the decision makers at Sony, rumored to be interested in buying Marvel before Disney did, should be beaten by the stockholders.

--------------------
From eonline:  Yeah, she probably is a bitch and her mama, too!

--------------------
From WebProNews:  This leaked photo of a muzzled raptor from "Jurassic World" is making the rounds.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox) wins the July 11-13, 2014 box office with an estimated domestic box office take of $73 million.  That is nearly $20 million better than 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes (which I loved).  I'm surprised because I wondered if larger number of people would want more Planet of the Apes this soon, if at all.

Meanwhile, North American box office was down from the same weekend in 2013, and is down as a whole from last year.

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From the BBC:  Lindsay Lohan promises to show up for work on time at the West End in London.

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COMIC BOOKS and COMIC BOOK MOVIE NEWS:

From EW's InsideMovies:  Wentworth Miller of "Prison Break" is the villain "Captain Cold" in The CW's Fall series, "The Flash."

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From EW Popwatch:  News on changes for the Avengers in Marvel Comics' "Avengers NOW" event.

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From EW Popwatch:  Marvel Comics is killing Wolverine, beginning this September.

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From Wall Street CheatSheet:  Six DC characters headed to the big screen.

----------------
From Variety:  Deborah Ann Woll of "True Blood" will play Karen Page on Marvel/Netflix's "Daredevil" series.

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From TheBeat:  Heidi on the secret history of girls reading comics.

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From TheWrap:  New writers to polish "Ant-Man" screenplay.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  I was watching "The View" this morning when Whoopi Goldberg broke the news that Marvel's Thor, a male character, will become a female character.  THR has more details.

------------------
From ComicBookMovie:  Kate Mara, who will play Sue Storm a/k/a Invisible Woman, says that Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot will not be based on any existing Fantastic Four comic book story.

------------------
From Hitfix:  Oh, and no "Hellboy 3."


TV NEWS:
Review of "The Strain" - TheHollywoodReporter (apparently the first few episodes).


OBITS:

From Variety:  Tony Award and Emmy Award-winning actress, Elaine Stritch, has died at the age of 89.


MISC:

From Yahoo:  The Hollywood Reporter magazine did a feature on the first former NFL star to come out as gay, David Kopay.  There are apparently plans to rerelease his best-selling memoir, The David Kopay Story (1977) .

From TheVillageVoice: an alternate history of rap and Hip-Hop.

Also from TheVillageVoice:  How Bob Marley became a "Legend."

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From TheHill:  President Obama stresses out the Secret Service

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From ThinkProgress via ReaderSupportedNews: How Deputy Erick Gelhaus got away with killing a child named Andy Lopez.  We knew this would happen, but Nick Flatow talks about how it happened.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  Radiohead to begin work on 9th album in September.  Last album was "The King of Limbs" in 2011.

2014 - 86th Academy Awards - Complete Winners List

by Leroy Douresseaux

The 86th Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 were presented on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar presentation, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.

So I was wrong.  12 Years a Slave won the Oscar for “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (2013), one of three awards the film received, including a best supporting actress Oscar for Lupita Nyong’o.  Gravity won the most Oscars, winning in seven of the 10 categories in which it was nominated, including a best director Oscar for Alfonso Cuarón (who also shared the film editing Oscar).

2014 / 86th OSCAR winners (for the year in film 2013):

Best motion picture of the year:
“12 Years a Slave”
Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen and Anthony Katagas, Producers

Achievement in directing:
“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave”

Adapted screenplay
“12 Years a Slave” Screenplay by John Ridley

Original screenplay
“Her” Written by Spike Jonze

Best animated feature film of the year
“Frozen” Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee and Peter Del Vecho

Achievement in cinematography
“Gravity” Emmanuel Lubezki

Achievement in costume design
“The Great Gatsby” Catherine Martin

Best documentary feature
“20 Feet from Stardom” Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen and Caitrin Rogers

Best documentary short subject
“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life” Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed

Achievement in film editing
“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger

Best foreign language film of the year
“The Great Beauty” Italy

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
“Dallas Buyers Club” Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Gravity” Steven Price

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
“Let It Go” from “Frozen”
Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Achievement in production design
“The Great Gatsby” Production Design: Catherine Martin; Set Decoration: Beverley Dunn

Best animated short film
“Mr. Hublot” Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares

Best live action short film
“Helium” Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson

Achievement in sound editing
“Gravity” Glenn Freemantle

Achievement in sound mixing
“Gravity” Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro

Achievement in visual effects
“Gravity” Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould

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"Pariah" Gets GLAAD Media Award Nomination

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) promotes the image of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people in media. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their accurate representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

GLAAD just announced the nominations for the 23rd Annual Media Awards. There are 116 nominees in 25 English-language categories, and 35 Spanish-language nominees in 10 categories. For a full list of nominees, go here.

The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in New York on March 24, 2012 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square; in Los Angeles on April 21 at the Westin Bonaventure; and in San Francisco on June 2 at San Francisco Marriott Marquis.

Here are the nominees in the two film categories:

OUTSTANDING FILM – WIDE RELEASE
Albert Nobbs (Roadside Attractions)
Beginners (Focus Features)
J. Edgar (Warner Bros. Pictures)

OUTSTANDING FILM – LIMITED RELEASE
Circumstance (Roadside Attractions)
Gun Hill Road (Motion Film Group)
Pariah (Focus Features)
Tomboy (Rocket Releasing)
Weekend (Sundance Selects)

http://www.glaad.org/

 

VIZ Cinema Wraps Up 2010 with Films from China and Japan

PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY ARE EXPLORED IN DECEMBER FILMS AT VIZ CINEMA  
More Than 20 Films Present Engaging Documentaries, Anime, Romantic Comedies, A Special New Year’s Samurai Celebration, And A Free Screening For Seniors
 
VIZ Cinema wraps up 2010 with a December roster of screenings that introduce various ways to look at reality. Trailers, screening times and tickets are available at http://www.vizcinema.com/. VIZ Cinema is located inside NEW PEOPLE at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco’s Japantown.

December offers more than twenty films, featuring new titles as well as encore presentations of some of the most popular movies to play at the theatre this year. Included will be a pair of unique film festivals - the 8x8x8 Film Festival presented by The Hub, and also China Underground, which offers a range of documentaries that focus on a variety of controversial topics such as homosexuality, the role of women in society, the forced relocation of citizens which preceded the 2008 Beijing Olympics, drug use, and the inner workings of Chinese law enforcement, are examined in unflinching detail in 7 documentaries. Also scheduled for December is Mifune x Kurosawa, a mini-festival offering 8 films directed by the great Akira Kurosawa and starring the incomparable Toshiro Mifune. Included will be a special New Year’s screening of the classic Seven Samurai.

Anime is always a favorite and VIZ Cinema is proud to offer encore screenings of the fast-paced, futuristic racing film, Redline, as well as a live-action adaptation of the popular The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Also not to be missed is the romantic comedy Cast Me If You Can, which was featured as “Japan’s answer to Woody Allen” in Metropolis magazine. Director Atsushi Ogata’s globetrotting comedy combines wit, humor, romance and family relations. Finally, VIZ Cinema welcomes San Francisco’s senior community for a special free showing of Ping Pong, a charming comedy built around the sport of table tennis.

8x8x8 Film Festival Presented By The Hub; Thursday, 12/2 at 7:00pm, San Francisco Premiere!
The Hub presents the 8 x 8 x 8 Film Festival screening 8 short films, supported by Schmaltz Brew Company and Dynamo Donuts. Films are curated by the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

Reception / Food: 7:00 pm • Screening: 8:00 pm • Tickets: $12.00

China Underground; Friday, 12/3 – Sunday, 12/5, San Francisco Premiere!
This series focuses on a new vanguard of Chinese independent filmmakers, whose innovative uses of digital filmmaking deliver provocative insights into the world’s largest nation. All of the documentary films to be shown at the festival were made outside the official Chinese film system – unauthorized, uncensored, and totally independent. These groundbreaking films introduce a new generation of filmmakers who represent the future of Chinese cinema, using new technology to present a vision of China as never seen before.

Queer China, ‘Comrade’ China, Friday, 12/3 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Cui Zi’en, China, 2008, 60min, Mandarin with English subtitles)

China’s most prolific queer filmmaker opens the festival with a comprehensive historical account of the queer movement in modern China. Unlike any before, this film explores the historical milestones and ongoing advocacy efforts of the Chinese LGBT community. Preceded by a screening of Digital Underground in the People’s Republic (18 mins, Dir: Rachel Tejada), a look at the Chinese independent film scene as documented firsthand by dGenerate Films. The screening will include a Q&A session with several guest speakers and an after-party that will immediately follow. Tickets are $15.00.

Super, Girls! Saturday, 12/4 at 1:00pm
(Directed by Jian Yi, China, 2007, Documentary, 73min. Mandarin with English subtitles)

SUPER, GIRLS! follows ten teenagers on their quest to become superstars on China’s biggest tv show. Through candid interviews and footage of nail-biting auditions, SUPER, GIRLS! offers a fascinating look inside what the Chinese media have dubbed “the Lost Generation.” Tickets are $10.00.

Meishi Street, Saturday, 12/4 at 2:45pm
(Directed by Ou Ning, China, 2006, Documentary, 85min, Mandarin with English subtitles)

MEISHI STREET shows ordinary citizens taking a stand against the planned destruction of their homes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Acclaimed at over two dozen museums and galleries around the world, Meishi Street, by renowned visual artist Ou Ning, works as both art and activism, calling worldwide attention to lives being demolished in the name of progress.

Tickets are $10.00.

Using, Saturday, 12/4 at 4:45pm
(Directed by Zhou Hao, China, 2008, Documentary, 105min, Mandarin with English subtitles)

A twisted relationship develops between an urban Chinese couple struggling with heroin and a filmmaker chronicling their addiction, in this provocative documentary on drug abuse, filmmaking and friendship. Zhou’s unflinching depiction of his friends’ repeated attempts to quit blurs the line between filmmaker and subject, and raises provocative questions about the ways in which each uses the other. Tickets are $10.00.

Ghost Town, Saturday, 12/4 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Zhao Dayong, China, 2008, Documentary, 169min, Mandarin, Nu, & Lisu dialects with English subtitles)

Zhiziluo is a town barely clinging to life. Tucked away in a rugged corner of Southwest China, the village is haunted by traces of China’s cultural past while its residents piece together a day-by-day existence. “Directed with scrupulous attention to detail” (Manohla Dargis, New York Times), Ghost Town, which debuted at the New York Film Festival, “is one of the most important films to have emerged from the booming (but still unexplored) field of Chinese independent documentaries (Dennis Lim, Moving Image Source).Tickets are $10.00.

1428 Sunday, 12/5 at 1:00pm
(Directed by Du Haibin, China, 2009, Documentary, 117min. Mandarin and Sichuan dialects w/ English subtitles)

Du Haibin’s award-winning documentary of the earthquake that devastated China’s Sichuan province in 2008 explores how victims, citizens and government respond to a national tragedy. Du depicts a world in chaos, both material and moral. “Without judgment but with a deep compassion for their subjects, the filmmakers of 1428 bring us a myriad of individual stories of absurdity, confusion and grief.”(Cherise Fong, CNN). Tickets are $10.00.

Crime and Punishment, Sunday, 12/5 at 3:30pm
(Directed by Zhao Liang, China, 2007, Documentary, 122min, Mandarin with English subtitles)

“Zhao’s artistry is instantly apparent.” (Robert Koehler, Variety)

A prime example of how independent documentaries are on the vanguard of Chinese cinema, Crime and Punishment is an unprecedented look at the everyday workings of law enforcement in the world’s largest authoritarian society. With penetrating camerawork, Zhao Liang (Petition, 2009 Cannes Film Festival) patiently reveals the methods police use to interrogate and coerce suspects to confess crimes – and the consequences when such techniques backfire.

Tickets are $10.00.

Before the Flood, Sunday, 12/5 at 5:45pm
(Directed by Li Yifan and Yan Yu, China, 2005, Documentary, 147min. Mandarin and Sichuan dialects with English subtitles)

A landmark documentary following the residents of the historic city of Fengjie as they clash with officials forcing them to evacuate their homes to make way for the world’s largest dam. Shot over two years, Before the Flood is a breathtaking achievement in verité-style documentary filmmaking. This profound film shows the human effects of one of history’s grandest social engineering projects, reflecting on the loss of both home and heritage. Tickets are $10.00.

Redline, Monday, 12/6 – Thursday 12/9
(Directed by Takeshi Koike, 2010, 100 min, Digital, English Subtitles)

Redline is a racing film created by studio Madhouse (Paprika, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars). The toughest and the most destructive underground car race in the universe, REDLINE, has just begun! JP is a reckless driver oblivious to speed limits, and Sonoshee, one of his competitors with whom JP is secretly in love with, is a hot girl determined to do whatever it takes to stand on the winner’s podium. They’re up against the craziest drivers with their heavily armed and awesome road-tearing vehicles. On top of that, during the race, they have to avoid military crackdown by the government because the race is actually prohibited in Roboworld. The only help JP wants is the engine obtained and custom tuned by his long time buddies, Frisbee the mechanic and Mogura Oyaji the junk shop. While cars crash and burn into flames, the race course becomes a merciless hell and JP whips his ride into a dead heat. Who will survive to win in this mass-destruction race? Tickets are $10.00.

Cast Me If You Can, Friday, 12/10 – Sunday, 12/19
(Directed by Atsushi Ogata, 2010, 97min, Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)

A sold-out film at Mill Valley Film Festival and a charming romantic comedy written and directed by Atsushi Ogata, Cast Me If You Can comes to VIZ Cinema for a special Bay Area limited theatrical release, following its popular recent theatrical run in Japan.

Featured as “Japan’s answer to Woody Allen” in Metropolis magazine, globetrotting comedy director Atsushi Ogata combines wit, humor, romance and family relations, in collaboration with veteran Japanese star actors and an international crew, to present a romantic comedy which transcends national and cultural borders. Cast Me If You Can is Ogata’s feature film debut.

Premiering at the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival in June, Cast Me If You Can also screened at festivals in California, New York, Indiana, Korea and India, won prizes for “Best Title Sequence” and “Best Original Score” in Los Angeles, and has also been adapted into a novel and published in Japan by Takeshobo Co. Ltd. Tickets are $10.00.

The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya, Friday, 12/17 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Jun-ichi Mori, 2010, 163min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Don’t miss the special encore screening of mega hit anime movie “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” in association with Bandai Entertainment! Ten days before Christmas, Haruhi came up with another one of her crazy ideas to hold a Christmas party in the club room. The next day, however, Kyon woke up to a world in which Haruhi didn’t exist and no one besides him had any memory of her. How can someone like Haruhi Suzumiya who’s supposed to be the center of the universe just vanish? Tickets are $10.00.

Mifune x Kurosawa, Saturday, 12/18 – Thursday 1/6

Toshiro Mifune graced Japanese cinema with his good looks, fierceness, and charisma. VIZ Cinema brings you Akira Kurosawa’s films featuring Mifune at his finest moments. Tickets are $10.00.

Red Beard, Saturday, 12/18 – Sunday, 12/26
(1965, 185 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Red Beard (Akahige) chronicles the tumultuous relationship between an arrogant young doctor and a compassionate clinic director. Toshiro Mifune, in his last role for Kurosawa, gives a powerhouse performance as the dignified yet empathic director who guides his pupil to maturity.

The Idiot, Saturday, 12/18 – Thursday, 12/23
(1965, 185 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

The Idiot, an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s nineteenth-century masterpiece about a wayward, pure soul’s reintegration into society—updated by Kurosawa to capture Japan’s postwar aimlessness—was a victim of studio interference and, finally, public indifference.

The Lower Depths, Sunday, 12/19 – Monday, 12/27
(1957, 125 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Mifune and Kurosawa transform Maxim Gorky’s classic proletariat play The Lower Depths in their own way firmly situated in the postwar world. Remaining faithful to the original with its focus on the conflict between illusion and reality, their film making styles converge to create unique masterpieces.

High And Low, Monday, 12/27 – Thursday, 1/6
(1957, 125 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa’s highly influential High and Low, a compelling race-against-time thriller and a penetrating portrait of contemporary Japanese society.

Stray Dog, Tuesday, 12/28 – Thursday, 1/6
(1949, 122min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

When a pickpocket steals a rookie detective’s gun on a hot crowded bus, the cop goes undercover in a desperate attempt to right the wrong. Kurosawa’s thrilling noir probes the squalid world of postwar Japan and the nature of the criminal mind.

Drunken Angel, Wednesday, 12/29 – Wednesday, 1/5
(1948, 98min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

In this powerful early noir from the great Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune bursts onto the screen as a volatile, tubercular criminal who strikes up an unlikely relationship with Takashi Shimura’s jaded physician.

Seven Samurai, Sunday, 1/2 at 1:30pm
(1954, 207 minutes, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Kick-off 2011 with one of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai! This three-hour ride featuring Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire eponymous warriors to protect them from the invading bandits. Screening will include a special New Year’s reception party.

VIZ Cinema’s last SENIOR FREE MOVIE DAY of the year is our all-time-favorite film Ping Pong!

Ping Pong ; Wednesday, 12/22 at 1:30pm
(Directed by SORI, 2002, 114min, Digital, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Best friends Peco and Smile have been playing ping pong since they were little kids. While the unique and brazen Peco plays to win and loves the sport, the quiet and introverted Smile thinks of it as just a way to kill time with friends, but plays only because he looks up to Peco as his hero. And though Smile is the more talented player, he frequently and intentionally loses to Peco out of a misguided sense of friendship

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.


About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/.