Review: "BLACK PANTHER: Wakanda Forever" is the Best Marvel Movie in Years

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 69 of 2022 (No. 1881) by Leroy Douresseaux

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Running time:  161 minutes
MPA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language
DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler
WRITERS:  Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole; from a story by Ryan Coogler (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Autumn Durald Arkapaw (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Kelley Dixon, Jennifer Lame, and Michael P. Shawver
COMPOSER:  Ludwig Göransson

SUPERHERO/ACTION/SCI-FI/DRAMA

Starring:  Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Cole, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena, Richard Schiff, Robert John Burke, Lake Bell, Manuel Chavez, Maria Mercedes Coroy, Divine Love Konadu-Sun, Trevor Noah (voice), Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael B. Jordan

[Emotionally super-charged and possessing some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest battles, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is Marvel Studios' best film in over three years.]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 superhero, fantasy-drama, science fiction, and action movie directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Black Panther, and is the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It is based on the Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, that first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (cover dated: July 1966) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  Wakanda Forever finds Wakanda in mourning following the death of its king while also facing a threatening world and a mysterious new adversary.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in the African nation of Wakanda as King T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) dies from a mysterious illness.  One year later, his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), must face the United Nations, as world powers demand access to Wakanda's most precious resource, the metal Vibranium.  One particular nation even hires mercenaries to invade a Wakandan outpost in order to steal its vibranium, but they are foiled by Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje, the King of Wakanda's personal guard.

However, the American CIA's attempt to find vibranium on its own draws the attention of a mysterious new adversary, known by many names, but is called “Namor” (Tenoch Huerta) by his enemies.  Namor leads the forces of his kingdom, Talokan, in a strike against the Americans.  He confronts Ramonda and Shuri (Letitia Wright), Ramonda's daughter and T'Challa's younger sister, as they grieve.  He demands that they find the scientist who created the Americans' vibranium detecting device and kill him.  The him turns out to be a her, a Chicago-based teen named Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne).  Now, Shuri and Ramonda must gather allies, including T'Challa's ex-lover, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and M'Baku (Winston Duke), leader of the Wakandan border tribe, the Jibari, in order to fight off the forces of Namor, which are more than capable of destroying Wakanda and perhaps, the world.  Can Wakanda survive without its champion, the Black Panther, or must another arise?...

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a triumphant – a poignant triumphant and a superhero action movie triumph.  It is much better than I expected and that I could have hoped for.  Wakanda Forever is the most emotionally honest, genuine, and heartfelt Marvel Studios film since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.  The fight scenes are some of the best outside of martial arts films, and the action and battles scenes are Avengers-level.

Angela Bassett stands astride this film, which is both a eulogy to Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther and also a powerful and successful attempt to forge ahead with the franchise.  Bassett, as regal and as dramatically potent as she has ever been, is glorious, and it time for her to receive the Oscar win she should have had ages ago.  She exemplifies the grief in the film for half its narrative.

Letitia Wright exemplifies that grief the rest of the way.  Wright also shows impressive range – playing Shuri as obstinate and angry in the face of her brother's death.  [That death is depicted in Wakanda Forever's opening moments, and the audience with which I saw this film was stunned into silence.]  Wright plays Shuri's turn to the “dark side” with the depth of performance that usually earns actors some award season notice.  She is truly the lead in Wakanda Forever, and she carries it with the flair of a veteran, accomplished actor.

I also had high hopes for Tenoch Huerta as Namor, and he easily surpasses them.  Huerta makes Namor seem so real that his murderous inclinations come across as entirely appropriate for that which Namor is fighting and defending.  Huerta's performance also works to uplift the other actors playing denizens of the kingdom of Talokan.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is filled so much good stuff.  The costumes, art direction, make-up and hair, cinematography, and editing are all … well, Oscar-worthy.  Ludwig Göransson's score is a masterpiece of tones both subtle and tremendous and is easily on the level of Hans Zimmer's award-winning score for Dune: Part One (2021).

I don't want this review to run-on too long...  If I could speak to Ryan Coogler, I would tell him that already loved him for his film, Fruitvale Station, and that he made me love him even more after the first Black Panther.  I don't have the words to describe how great an accomplishment Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is.  Coogler honored his friend and partner, Chadwick Boseman, as well as he could, and he made a truly great and magnificent film.  It honors Boseman and reveals how much respect Coogler has for his audience via the film art he creates.  I am giving Black Panther: Wakanda Forever my highest recommendation.

10 of 10

Friday, November 11, 2022


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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 5th, 2022 - Update #9

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:  HBO will not give "Westworld" a fifth season, but it will pay the "main cast" anyway.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Television has let go (fired) seven executives across different divisions of the TV studio.

MOVIES - From THR:  The magazine's feature story is on Steven Spielberg and his "origin story," his new movie, "The Fabelmans."

CRYSTAL LAKE - From EW:  Pro basketball player turned actor Dane DiLiegro plays the "Predator" in Hulu's spinoff film, "Prey."  Now, he wants to be Jason Voorhees in A24 and executive producer Bryan Fuller's "Friday the 13th" TV series, "Crystal Lake" for streamer Peacock.

From Fangoria:  Showrunner Bryan Fuller says that the "Friday the 13th prequel, "Crystal Lake," can use everything from the film franchise.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lupita Nyong'o will star in "A Quiet Place: Day One," the first spinoff movie from the "A Quiet Place" franchise.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Streaming service, Peacock, for "Crystal Lake," a prequel to the "Friday the 13th" film service.

DISNEY - From THR:   "Avatar: The Way of Water" will run three hours and 10 minutes long.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The American rapper, recording artist, and songwriter, Takeoff, has died at the age of 28, Tuesday, November 1, 2022, shot and killed in Houston Texas.  Takeoff was best known as a member of the hip hop trio, "Migos," with an uncle and first cousin as the other members. As a member of Migos, Takeoff was best known for his work on the trio's "Culture" trilogy of albums.  He also received two Grammy Award nominations as a member of Migos.

From Deadline:  The author and blogger, Julie Powell, has died at the age of 49, Wednesday, October 26, 2022.  Her 2005 book, "Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen," was adapted into the 2009 film, "Julie & Julia."

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

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."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 7th to 13th, 2021 - Update #29

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS: 

CELEBRITY - From WeGotThisCovered:  After securing his place as a box office star, actor Robert Downey, Jr. is reportedly now focused on winning an Oscar.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix's password sharing crackdown may be beneficial to the company in the long term.

MOVIES - From THR:  Warner Bros. has released a series of six posters for director Jon M. Chu's "In the Heights," the musical film adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda's Broadway musical.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Disney Channel has ordered "Descendants: The Royal Wedding," an animated special set to premiere this summer.  The special will also pay memory to late cast member Cameron Boyce, who appeared as "Carlos." Boyce died in July 2019 of epilepsy at the age of 20.

MOVIES/COVID-19 - From Deadline:  Los Angeles County officials say that movie theaters can reopen Monday (March 15th), because the county has met COVID requirements.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix makes a worldwide rights deal for actor Dev Patel's directorial debut, "Monkey Man," which recently completed filming.

From Deadline:  Netflix had a hit with the sci-fi/horror film, "Bird Box," starring Julia Roberts.  The streamer is planning "local language" spinoffs of the film.  The first will be a Spanish-language spinoff of Bird Box.

CULTURE - From Jacobin:  Actor and activist Danny Glover talks about the struggle of workers in Alabama to organize a union at Amazon.

MUSIC - From RollingStone:   Grammy-winning recording artist, The Weeknd, says he is finished with the Grammy Awards because of the awards' "secret committees" (expert committees).

CULTURE - From BuzzFeed:   Actress Katie Leung, who played "Cho Chang" in the Harry Potter film series, says that she faced online racist attacks after her casting in the series was announced.  Leung also says that the film's publicist told her to deny that she was experiencing racist attacks.

MOVIES - From RSNNewYorker:  "The New Yorker's" Vinson Cunningham interviews Spike Lee.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Oscar winners, Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong'o, are set to star in the television limited series, "Lady in the Lake," for Apple TV+

BLACK FILM - From Deadline:   The African-American Film Critics Association has named "Judas and the Black Messiah" the best film of 2020.

BAFTA - From THR:   The 2021 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) nominations have been announced, featuring a more diverse group of nominees since last year's #BAFTAsSoWhite controversy.  The winners will be announced over two days April 10th and 11th.

AWARDS - From Variety:  The nominees for the 2021 Directors Guild Awards have been announced with some history made.  The winners will be announced Saturday, April 10th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   The CW has found the leads for its live-action pilot, "The Powerpuff Girls."  They are Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Dove Cameron (Descendants) and Yana Perrault (Jagged Little Pill).

MOVIE - From Deadline:   Steven Spielberg is developing a film that is based on his boyhood.  Multiple Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams will play a character based on Spielberg's mother.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Actor Josh Holloway has snagged the lead in LaToya Morgan and J.J. Abrams 1970s Southwest crime series, "Duster."  This is reunion as Holloway was one of the leads in Abram's Emmy-winning his series, "Lost" (ABC).

HARRY & MEGHAN - From YahooLife:  Meghan’s racism claims come as no surprise to Black Britons.

MEDIA - From FastCompany:  The site and magazine offer a profile on NBA superstar LeBron James and super-agent Maverick Carter's media company, The SpringHill Company.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The nominees for the 2021 / 32nd annual Producers Guild Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced at a virtual show on March 24th.

From Variety:    "Judas and the Black Messiah" becomes the first film with an all-black producing team (Shaka King, Ryan Coogler, and Charles D. King) to be nominated by the Producers Guild Awards.

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2021 /26th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Nomadland" wins best picture, and "The Crown" wins best TV drama series.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2021 48th annual Annie Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced at a virtual show on April 16, 2021.

HARRY & MEGHAN - From YahooEntertainment:   11 bombshells from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

From BET:  5 revelations you might have missed during Meghan Markle’s bombshell CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey 

From BET:  Tyler Perry played a part in helping Harry & Meghan escape the royal Red Lectroids.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 3/5 to 3/7/2021 weekend box office is Disney's "Raya and the Last Dragon" with an estimated take of 8.6 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Film industry worries about "Raya and the Last Dragon's" sluggish opening weekend at the North American box office.

OSCARS - From NoFilmSchool:   Watch 10 Animated Short Films on the Shortlist for the 2021 Academy Awards.

Review: "Us" Comes After Us

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Us (2019)
Running time: 116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence/terror, and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Jordan Peele
PRODUCERS:  Jason Blum, Ian Cooper, Sean McKittrick, and Jordan Peele
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mike Gioulakis
EDITOR:  Nicholas Monsour
COMPOSER: Michael Abels

HORROR with elements of mystery and thriller

Starring:  Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon, Madison Curry, Ashley McKoy, and Napiera Groves

Us is a 2019 horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele.  The film focuses on a family terrorized by group of doppelgängers.

Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) is married to an ambitious man, Gabriel “Gabe” Wilson (Winston Duke), and the couple has two precocious children, daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and son Jason (Evan Alex).  When she was a child, young Adelaide (Madison Curry) had a terrifying experience at the boardwalk at Santa Cruz beach after she wandered away from her parents and entered a hall of mirrors.  Now, something from her past has returned,  “Red” and “Tethered,” it threatens her family and everything she believes.

I consider Jordan Peele's Get Out to be a landmark film, with its allusions to the dangers people of color, especially African-Americans, face in America.  When you get past that, Get Out is also a clever allegory to the enslavement and exploitation of black people by white people.

Jordan Peele's new film, the much anticipated Us, is one I think that I will spend days... or even longer... unpacking.  Saying that this film has themes of oppression, the crisis of human existence, and the difficulty of really knowing even the people closest to you is just to scratch the surface.  This movie is multi-layered and rife with allegories, metaphors, and symbolism, so much so that I think that some commentators have bought in too much to the idea that this film's most dominate idea is that we are our own worst enemies.  The film does indeed point that out, but much of this film's narrative delves into the nature of evil and the suffering of the oppressed.  One might even describe this film as being about a slave insurrection, but that might be a bit too much of a stretch for some viewers, especially those who think Green Book is just the movie we need for these times in America.

That aside, Us is truly a horror movie, almost like a slasher film with a few touches of apocalyptic fiction.  The chase – the pursuit of the victim(s) by the killer(s) – has never been done the way Peele does it in Us.  Peele does what only a skilled horror movie director can do, put us right there with Adelaide and her family as they run away from a threat that not only wants to kill them, but also wants to enjoy some torture time before the stabbing and screaming.  Us' killers are as relentless as Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers.  [Meanwhile, Biblical foreboding suggests that an even larger danger looms.]  I don't think any other horror movie has made a pair of scissors as scary as Us does, although there have been some gruesome moments featuring scissors in horror movies going back decades.  Peele makes scissors scarier than horror movie machetes, axes, and large kitchen knives.

As Us' “scream queen” (of a sort), Lupita Nyong'o gives a riveting and hypnotic performance as Adelaide.  I must say that if a horror movie lead every deserved an Oscar nomination, Lupita certainly deserves one for her turn as Adelaide.  The great actress Kathy Bates won a best actress Oscar for playing Annie Wilkes in Rob Reiner's film, Misery (1990), which was based on a Stephen King novel.  With that in mind, Lupita deserves at least an Oscar nomination.

I don't think that Us is quite on par with Get Out, but Us is equally (if not more) thought-provoking.  What does it all mean?  I guess in the end the meaning is all up to Us.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, March 22, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 27th to 31st, 2019 - Update #31

Support Leroy on Patreon:

STAR TREK - YahooEntertainment:  Patrick Stewart gives a few detail on his upcoming "Star Trek" series for the streaming CBS All Access.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  James Gunn in talks to direct the Warner Bros./DC Comics film, "Suicide Squad."

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MOVIES - From Collider:   Zendaya is being considered to play Timothy Chalamet's love interest in the "Dune" film reboot.

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STREAMING - From BloodyDisgusting:  Jordan Peele's reboot of "The Twilight Zone" will debut on CBS All Access in April.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Writer-director Matt Reeves says his film, "The Batman" (due in 2021), will focus on Batman's detective roots and feature multiple villains from Batman's "Rogue's Gallery."

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STREAMING - From THR:  Zack Snyder has signed on to direct Netflix's "Army of the Dead," a zombie thriller movie.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Ryan Reynolds to star in action-comedy, "Shotgun Wedding," for director Jason Moore ("Pitch Perfect").

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MUSIC-GRAMMYS - From YahooEntertainment:  Brandi Carlile, the most nominated woman at the 2019 Grammys, talks to Yahoo about Joni Mitchell, President Barack Obama and "internalized and institutionalized misogyny."

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CELEBRITY-CRIME - From Variety:  Jussie Smollett, one of the stars of FOX's "Empire," was hospitalized early Tuesday (Jan. 29th), following an assault in Chicago in what has been described as a "possible hate crime."

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Lakeith Stanfield will star in Jordan Peele's "Candyman" reboot.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar Isaac joins Timothy Chalamet in the film reboot of the "Dune," based on Frank Herbert's legendary novel.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  David Mancini and David Kirschner, the creators of the "Child's Play" and "Chuck" film franchise are developing a Chucky TV series for Syfy.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  NEON and Hulu land Lupita Nyong'o's zombie comedy, "Little Monsters."

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OSCARS - From TheCut:  What growing up in Hollywood and around the Academy Awards taught actress Amber Tamblyn about the "boys' club."  Tamblyn is the daughter of the Oscar-nominated actor, Russ Tamblyn.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Universal's "Dark Universe" may be retitled "Undead Dark Universe."  This may happen via the "Invisible Man" (1933) remake produced by Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions.

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MOVIES - From Newsarama:  Release dates for upcoming science fiction, fantasy, and genre films.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 1/25 to 1/27/2019 weekend box office is "Glass" with an estimated take of $19 million.

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AWARDS - From People:  Alan Alda is the "2019 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award" winner.  "People" magazine provides this life in pictures.

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AWARDS - From THR:  Here is a complete list of winners at the 2019 / 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards winners.  Disney/Marvel's "Black Panther" wins the tops honor.

The 25th Annual SAG Awards ceremony will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS tonight (Jan. 27, 2019 at 8 p.m. ET/PT).  Four-time SAG Award-winner, Megan Mullaly, will host tonight's ceremony.

Here is the full list of nominations:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
Christian Bale, “Vice”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - WINNER
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”
John David Washington, “BlacKkKlansman”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
Emily Blunt, “Mary Poppins Returns”
Glenn Close, “The Wife” - WINNER
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” - WINNER
Timothee Chalamet, “Beautiful Boy”
Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Emily Blunt, “A Quiet Place” - WINNER
Margot Robbie, “Mary Queen of Scots”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:
“A Star Is Born”
“Black Panther” - WINNER
The cast for "Black Panther" – Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Forest Whitaker, and Letitia Wright
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Crazy Rich Asians”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Antonio Banderas, “Genius: Picasso”
Darren Criss, “Assassination of Gianni Versace” - WINNER
Hugh Grant, “A Very English Scandal”
Anthony Hopkins, “King Lear”
Bill Pullman, “The Sinner”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Amy Adams, “Sharp Objects”
Patricia Arquette, “Escape at Dannemora” - WINNER
Patricia Clarkson, “Sharp Objects”
Penelope Cruz, “Assassination of Gianni Versace”
Emma Stone, “Maniac”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:
Jason Bateman, “Ozark” - WINNER
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
Joseph Fiennes, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
John Krasinski, “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:
Julia Garner, “Ozark”
Laura Linney, “Ozark”
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve” - WINNER
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alan Arkin, “The Kominsky Method”
Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”
Bill Hader, “Barry”
Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” - WINNER
Henry Winkler, “Barry”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Alison Brie, “GLOW”
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” - WINNER
Jane Fonda, “Grace and Frankie”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:
“The Americans”
“Better Call Saul”
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
“Ozark”
“This Is Us” - WINNER
Cast of "This Is Us" – Eris Baker, Sterling K. Brown, Niles Fitch, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Justin Hartley, Faithe Herman, Jon Huertas, Melanie Liburd, Chrissy Metz, Mandy Moore, Lyric Ross, Chris Sullivan, Milo Ventimiglia, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Hannah Zeile

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:
“Atlanta”
“Barry”
“GLOW”
“The Kominsky Method”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” - WINNER
Cast of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" – Caroline Aaron, Alex Borstein, Rachel Brosnahan, Marin Hinkle, Zachary Levi, Kevin Pollak, Tony Shalhoub, Brian Tarantina, and Michael Zegen

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series:
“Glow” - WINNER
“Marvel’s: Daredevil”
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”
“The Walking Dead”
“Westworld”

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
“Ant-Man and the Wasp”
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
“Black Panther” - WINNER
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”

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MOVIES - From Polygon:  Polygon is at Sundance to discover movies you should know about

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PIXAR - From BleedingCool:  Did you know that Keanu Reeves has a character in "Toy Story 4?"

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. and director James Wan has begin developing a sequel to the hit film, "Aquaman."  Wan is seeking a "seaworthy script."

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POLITICS-CRIME - From MediaMatters:  A comprehensive guide to indicted President Trump ally Roger Stone, the racist, sexist conspiracy theorist.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The prolific actor, Dick Miller, has died at the age of 90, Wednesday, January 30, 2019.  If you saw a picture of Miller, you would know that you have seen him in film or on TV.  He appeared in every film directed by Joe Dante, including "Gremlins" and "Gremlins 2."  He also appeared in "The Terminator," among his over 180 acting credits.

From ConsequenceofSound:  Grammy-winning R&B singer and songwriter, James Ingram, has died at the age of 66, Tuesday, January 29, 2019.  Ingram, known for hits like "Baby, Come to Me" and "I Don't Have the Heart," won two Grammys for his vocal performances.  He was nominated twice for Oscars for his songwriting.

Review: "Black Panther" is the Best Marvel Movie... Best Superhero Movie... Best Comic Book Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2018) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Black Panther (2018)
Running time:  134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture
DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler
WRITERS:  Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole (based on the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige (p.g.a.)
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Rachel Morrison (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Debbie Berman and  Michael P. Shawver
COMPOSER:  Ludwig Göransson

SUPERHERO/ACTION/SCI-FI

Starring:  Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Florence Kasumba, John Kani, David S. Lee, Nabiyah Be, and Stan Lee

Black Panther is a 2018 superhero and science fiction movie directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, that first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (cover dated: July 1966) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  Black Panther the movie follows a new king of a secretive and isolated African nation as he tries to guide his nation into the future while dealing with dark secrets from it past.

Black Panther opens after the events depicted in the film Captain America: Civil War (2016).  Prince T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is returning to his home, the (fictional) African nation of Wakanda, after the death of his father, T'Chaka (John Kani), in order to assume the throne.  The throne comes with a role – the mantle of the “Black Panther,” protector of Wakanda.  Accompanying him are Okoye (Danai Gurira), the leader of the Dora Milaje, a fighting force and the King of Wakanda's personal guard; and also T'Challa's ex-lover, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), who is a Wakandan spy. T'Challa arrives home to meet his mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and his younger sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), as they prepare for the coronation ceremony.

First, T'Challa must face a challenge of ritual combat for the crown from M'Baku (Winston Duke), the leader of an estranged Wakandan tribe.  However, T'Challa will face even greater challenges, specifically in the form of Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), a South African black-market arms dealer, smuggler and gangster who wants to possess Wakanda's greatest asset, the rare alien metal, “Vibranium,” of which Wakanda is the only source on Earth.  Even more troubling is Klaue's compatriot, Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan).  A former United States “black operations” soldier also known as “Killmonger,” Erik has a shocking connection to T'Challa and Wakanda's past that may put both the African nation and the rest of the world in peril.

When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Black Panther for Marvel Comics over 50 years ago, they conceived a Black man as a king, a warrior, a protector, an inventor, and as a superhero.  As African-American comic book writers like Dwayne McDuffie, Christopher Priest, Reginald Hudlin, and Ta-Nehisi Coates over the last three decades started writing the character, they began to flesh out and to add to what Lee and Kirby and the comics creators that followed them in the 1970s did with the character.  Thus, co-writer/director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole had a wealth of source material from which to fashion their screen adaptation of one of the most historically important superhero characters of all time.

Coogler and Cole turn that wealth into the best film based on a Marvel Comics character and the best movie based on a comic book to date.  In fact, Black Panther is the best superhero movie to date.  It is a brooding drama that is intelligent and socially, politically, and historically relevant, especially in regards to the continent of Africa, to Black Africans, to the trade of African slaves to the Americas, and to the history of Africans and African-Americans over the last five centuries.  Basically, Black Panther is a superhero movie and a big-budget, big studio event movie that is steeped in all things Pan African.

Yet Black Panther is so shockingly entertaining.  The film deals in such themes as how the sins of a leader can reverberate through generations of his people (even his people who live outside his kingdom), yet Black Panther manages to be a visually striking and imaginative science fiction and superhero fantasy.  Even more surprisingly, Black Panther not only finds the heroism in its male protagonist (T'Challa-Black Panther), but also in his female compatriots:  the brave and bold Okoye and her fearsome charges in the Dora Milaje; Nakia the “War Dog” (spy), who is as sharp as James Bond; and Shuri, the genius inventor like no other genius inventor.  This movie does not even slight its antagonist; Killmonger has legitimate beef with Wakanda and its ways.  He is right; Africans and the people of the diaspora would have been better off if an African nation possessing super science had used their technological advances to make (White) oppressors bow down and surrender.

Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright give bravura performances.  It is not just their acting, however; it is also in the kind of characters they bring to life.  These five actors and the rest of the cast give us cinematic characters as people of color who are not victims to be saved or people that are problems for other people.

These actors and filmmakers present a narrative where heroism and technology define the characters.  American cinema has been filled with African-Americans and people of color as slaves, runaway slaves, scared slaves, servants, coons, criminals, pimps, mammies, and the shiftless and the unemployed.  And damn, often they actors playing such characters have to play them as dignified.  Finally, Black Panther presents a sparkling, wondrous, rich mix of African tribalism, history, and art and culture; a mix of limitless possibilities; an Afro-Futurism that is so bright, we have to wear shades.  That is uplifting, and you know what?  That's entertaining.

10 of 10

Friday, February 23, 2018


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 22nd to 30th, 2018 - Update #22

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  John Woo and Universal Pictures are looking to remake Woo's 1989 Hong Kong crime classic, "The Killer."  Lupita Nyong'o is targets as the film's star.

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BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Avengers: Infinity War" has an even bigger opening weekend than first thought.  As of Monday tallies, it is slightly over $258 instead of Sunday's estimate of $250 million.

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EMMYS - From Variety:  The 2018 Daytime Emmys - Winners list.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/27 to 4/29/2018 is "Avengers: Infinity War" with an estimated $250 million.  That is a record for an opening weekend at the domestic box office; the previous record holder was "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" which had an opening box office weekend of $247.9.

From Deadline:  "Avenger: Infinity War's" international box office debut, $630 million, is also a record.

From Deadline:  With a $179 million in international box office, "Avengers: Infinity War" is looking at a record global bow.

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MOVIES - From THR: Oscar-winning filmmaker, Bernardo Bertolucci criticizes Ridley Scott for removing Kevin Spacey from "All the Money in the World" and replacing his with Christopher Plummer.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor John David Washington talks about the best advice he got from  his father, famed Oscar-winning actor, Denzel Washington.

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SCANDAL - From NBCNews:  Famed comedian, actor, and author Bill Cosby has been found guilty of three counts of "indecent sexual assault."  Cosby could face 10 years in prison on each count.

From YahooEntertainment:  You can say that this bit in a Hannibal Buress standup started the downfall of Bill Cosby.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis to Star in Laika’s New Animated Feature for Annapurna.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Topher Grace is playing David Duke in Spike Lee's "BlackKkKlansman," which will apparently be "in contention" at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

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ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  Revered Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, will have a theme park based on its films, which included "Princess Monoke" and the Oscar-winning, "Spirited Away."  Concept art for the park, which will open in 2020, has been revealed.

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COMICS-FILM - From JoBlo:  Antoine Fuqua talks about directing a film starring two Marvel characters, "Morbius, the Living Vampire" and "Blade."

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MUSIC - From SeattleTimes:  Rapper Meek Mill freed after several months in prison over a parole violation of decade-old gun and drug charges.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Quentin Tarantino and Leonard DiCapri tease their "Manson murders" movie, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," which is due August 2019.  Tarantino compared it to his Oscar-winning film, "Pulp Fiction."

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ANIMATION-STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix are working on an animated version of the "Fast & Furious" franchise.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/20 to 4/22/2018 weekend box office is "A Quiet Place" with an estimated take of $22 million.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  Casting begins for Ava DuVernay's "Central Park Five" project for Netflix.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  James Cameron hopes for "Avengers fatigue," as there are other sci-fi stories to tell.  [Is there "Terminator" fatigue, this editor asks?]

OBITS:

From THR:  The British film director, Michael Anderson, died at the age of 98, Wednesday, April 25, 2018.  Anderson received a best director Oscar nomination for directing the 1956 version of "Around the World in 80 Days."  He is also known for working in the sci-fi genre, particularly for "Logan's Run" (1976).  Anderson worked with some of the most famous British leading men, including Michael Redgrave and Alec Guinness.

From TheWrap:  Jazz musician Bob Dorough has died at the age of 94, Monday, April 23, 2018.  Dorough was instrumental in the 1970s educational cartoon series, "Schoolhouse Rock!" (ABC).  He wrote and performed iconic Schoolhouse Rock songs, "My Hero, Zero" and "Three is a Magic Number."

From Variety:  The film producer, Philip D'Antoni, died at the age of 89, Sunday, April 15, 2018.  In 1972, D'Antoni won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for producing 1971 best picture Academy Award winner, "The French Connection."  D'Antoni also produced the Steve McQueen classic, "Bullitt," the first film he produced.

Review: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" Earns Love, Draws Ire

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 3 (of 2018) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Running time:  152 minutes (2 hours, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi action and violence
DIRECTOR:  Rian Johnson
WRITER:  Rian Johnson (based on characters created by George Lucas)
PRODUCERS:  Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Steve Yedlin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Bob Ducsay
COMPOSER:  John Williams
Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE/DRAMA

Starring:  Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Benicio del Toro, Frank Oz (voice), Billie Lourd, Joonas Suotamo, Amanda Lawrence, Jimmy Vee, and Justin Theroux

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a 2017 science fiction-fantasy action film written and directed by Rian Johnson.  It is the ninth movie in the Star Wars film franchise, which began with the 1977 Oscar-winning film, Star Wars, created by George Lucas.  The Last Jedi is also a direct sequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and the eighth Star Wars “episode” film.  The Last Jedi focuses on a young woman who takes her first steps into the world of the Jedi and tries to unlock the mysteries of The Force and the secrets of the past.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi finds the wannabe galactic rulers, the First Order, and its Supreme Commander Snoke (Andy Serkis), ascendant.  The First Order moves to destroy the main base of its enemy, the Resistance.  General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) struggles to keep the Resistance one step ahead of the First Order.  Heroic Resistance pilot, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac),  leads the charge that gives the Resistance vessels the time they need to jump into hyperspace to escape the First Order.  However, escaping the First Order will not be so easy, and now stormtropper turned Resistance fighter, Finn (John Boyega), and mechanic, Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), must execute a dangerous mission to allow the Resistance to really escape the First Order.

Meanwhile, budding Jedi, Rey (Daisy Ridley), is on the planet, Ahch-To, where she has found the long-missing Jedi Knight legend, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).  However, Luke refuses to initiate Rey into the ways of the Force and also declares that the Jedi Order must end with him.  Frustrated, Rey also discovers that she has some kind of psychic connection to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Luke's former student who turned to the Dark Side and now serves Snoke and the Resistance.

I found Star Wars: The Last Jedi to be as entertaining and as well-made as Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  It is quite thrilling at times and kept my on the proverbial edge of my seat hoping our heroes could survive the overwhelming First Order odds against them.  The Last Jedi is not exactly a “non-stop thrill machine,” but it is thrilling.  But neither The Last Jedi nor The Force Awakens are as good as 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars film.

I thought about why I feel that way.  I thought about it, and I think that The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi both suffer because Star Wars creator George Lucas did not have direct hand in making them.

For all the criticism leveled against Lucas by critics and fans over the decades, especially because of the Lucas directed “prequel” films, (Star Wars: Episodes I to III), Lucas is a wildly imaginative and inventive filmmaker and storyteller.  Each prequel film had enough subplots, characters, settings, worlds, ideas, and creatures to power its own film trilogy.  Lucas' weakness (relatively speaking) seems to be in the execution of telling a  film story via screenplay and directing (especially in directing actors).  Visually, Lucas' films seem almost too big for even the biggest movie screens, but that size and scale comes at the cost of the narrative.

The Force Awakens (Episode VII) and The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) are disciplined and narrow in focus, in terms of plot.  The Last Jedi focuses on (1) the struggle of the Resistance to escape destruction at the hands of the First Order and (2) Rey's quest to discover the secrets of the Jedi and the Force.  The Last Jedi is so focused that it looses the sense of wonder that permeates the original Star Wars films.  Instead, The Last Jedi references and remakes scenes from Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983).  Some people complained that The Force Awakens was a kind of remake and reboot of the original Star Wars film, but The Last Jedi does not do that as much.  [Strangely, I find that Rogue One, which is a side story connected to Star Wars 1977, comes across as a fresh, new take on Star Wars, while being true to the work of George Lucas.]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a Star Wars movie, and I will likely always love all Star Wars movies, to one extent or another.  [Every time one is on TV, I try to watch at least some of it.]  So I love The Last Jedi and will give it a high grade.  However, this final trilogy (Episodes VII to IX) is starting to seem like fan fiction, created by writers and directors who cherry pick ideas from their childhood Star Wars favorite moments.  Maybe the current owner of Star Wars, The Walt Disney Company, and the filmmakers it hires to continue the “Star Wars saga” are really afraid of new ideas or too many new ideas.  Maybe, Disney got the message; the prequel trilogy looked too different from the original trilogy and audiences, at least the vocal part of it, were pissed.  Well, the Disney-produced Star Wars films will suffer for playing it safe.

Let me summarize my thoughts and feelings this way.  If Disney replaced the title, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with something else, say Alien or Predator, I would give this film a rating of 5 or 6 out of 10 at most.  This 8 out of 10 is the kind of love you show family.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, December 17, 2017
Edited:  Thursday, March 15, 2018

NOTES:
2018 Academy Awards, USA:  4 nominations: “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Ben Morris, Michael Mulholland, Neal Scanlan, and Chris Corbould), “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures-Original Score” (John Williams), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce), and” Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Michael Semanick, David Parker, Stuart Wilson, and Ren Klyce)

2018 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Best Sound” (Ren Klyce, Michael Semanick, Matthew Wood, David Parker, and Stuart Wilson) and “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects”


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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About Marvel's Black Panther - Update #58

Support Leroy on Patreon.

Leroy's Amazon Comics and Graphic Novels Page:

From Patreon:  Leroy's review of "Black Panther"

From Wikipedia:  Black Panther Wikipedia page.

From YouTube:  "Black Panther" International trailer #4

From YouTube:  'Black Panther' stars on the power of telling a story from a black perspective - "This is the best movie we ever made." - Kevin Feige

BET's "Black Panther" Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6.

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From Deadline:  "Black Panther" tops $500 million overseas.

From ShadowandAct:  "Black Panther" officially reaches $1 billion in global box office.

From YahooMoviefone:  Marvel is planning a sequel to "Black Panther" and is considering possible spinoffs.

From ShadowandAct:  In A History-Making Feat, 'Black Panther' Is Set to Make $1B Worldwide Before It Even Opens In China

From YahooEntertainment:  Chadwick Boseman tells "NBC Today Show" that  ‘There’s a thirst’ for black superheroes

From YahooNews:  'Black Panther' continues stunning romp in movie theaters

From ShadowandAct:  All six episodes of BET's short-lived "Black Panther" animated series is available on BET's Facebook page.

From Deadline:  ‘Black Panther’ Crushes $763M WW Box Office; $1B Coming Closer Into Its Grasp

From TheWrap:  The line to meet the Black Panther character at Disneyland in Anaheim, California is an hour long.

From BleedingCool:  Watch: Chadwick Boseman Surprises ‘Black Panther’ Fans On Jimmy Fallon

From Truthout:  Afrofuturism, Liberation and Representation in "Black Panther": A Roundtable Discussion

From Vox:  With great power comes great uncertainty: Marvel’s slowly evolving politics

From IGNAfrica:  10 Best Black Panther Comic Books

From Truthout:   Believe the Hype About "Black Panther"

From USAToday:  Terry Crews: From racist black characters to ‘Black Panther,’ we’ve come so far

From Variety:  Black Panther dominates box office in its second weekend of release.

From ScreenRant:  Black Panther: Marvel Artist Reveals Unused Killmonger Costume Design

From ComicBook:  'Black Panther' Breaks MCU Record for Highest-Grossing First Week

From CinemaBlend:  10 Black Panther Comics To Read After Seeing The Movie

From Junkee:  If You Thought ‘Black Panther’ Was Radical, Wait Until You See The Comics

From TheVillageVoice:  Conservatives Attack “Black Panther” — But, When It Hits, Declare It Conservative

From YahooEntertainment:  Marvel Comics will relaunch its current "Black Panther" comic book and send the King of Wakanda to space.

From YahooEntertainment:  Killmonger's look could become a thing.

From Deadline:  ‘Black Panther’ Goes Wild: At $241.96M Superhero Owns 2nd Best 4-Day Opening & Defeats "Last Jedi"

From Deadline:  ‘Black Panther’: Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster

REVIEW - From Truthout: "Black Panther": Rip off the Racial Mask.

From GlobalCitizen:  Kendrick Lamar bought 1000 tickets for impoverished children to see "Black Panther."

From YahooEntertainment:  Michelle Obama praises 'Black Panther,' celebrity Twitter agrees

From Variety:  Wesley Snipes talks about his failed "Black Panther" project from the 1990s.

From EntertainmentWeekly:  Black Panther shreds box office records with $218 million 4-day opening

REVIEW - From EW:  Oprah offers her review of "Black Panther."

From Variety:  Box Office: ‘Black Panther’ to Snare More Than $200 Million Over President’s Day Weekend

From TheNewYorker:  The Passionate Politics of “Black Panther”

From Wired:  Want More Black Panther? Here Are 5 Comics to Read

From THR:  The family of Jack Kirby, the co-creator of Black Panther, says that his late father would have adored the film phenomenon.

REVIEW - From TheNewYorker: The author, Anthony Lane, reviews both "Black Panther" and Nick Park's new film, "Early Man."

REVIEW - From THR:  The Ascent of 'Black Panther' Director Ryan Coogler

From THR:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on 'Black Panther': All This Fuss Over a Superhero Movie? - Abdul-Jabbar speaks with director Ryan Coogler.

From TheWrap:  "Black Panther" has a record Thursday night opening, $25.2 million.

From YahooMovies:  In the 1990s Wesley Snipes tried in vain to get a "Black Panther" movie made.  Here is five ways it would have been different from the new "Black Panther" film.

From Variety:  "Black Panther" opens with $23.2 million in overseas box office.

From ScreenRant:  15 Superpowers You Didn’t Know Black Panther Had

From CinemaBlend:  Why Black Panther Was A Different Experience For Marvel Veterans Andy Serkis And Martin Freeman

From YahooEntertaiment:   Why 'Black Panther' is Marvel's most political movie yet: Chadwick Boseman and cast explain

From YahooGMA:  "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman talks importance of black superhero for younger generations

From YahooEntertainment:  In a video interview, "Black Panther" star, Chadwick Boseman, says the film will inspire kids of all races.

From MetroUK:  British talk show host Jeremy Vine described Black Panther as "overwhelming black" during an interview with two of the film's stars, and people aren’t happy about it

From BleedingCool:  The Politics of Black Panther’s First Appearance and Superhero Comics as a Whole

From BleedingCool:  5 Days of Black Panther, Day 1: Looking Back at T’Challa’s First Appearance
From BleedingCool:  5 Days of Black Panther, Day 1: Volume 1 of the Jack Kirby Series
From BleedingCool:  5 Days of Black Panther, Day 2:   Christopher Priest’s Black Panther #1-12
From BleedingCool:  5 Days of Black Panther, Day 3: Christopher Priest’s Black Panther Part 2
From BleedingCool:  5 Days of Black Panther, Day 4: Black Panther Fights Civil War
From BleedingCool:  5 Days of Black Panther, Day 4: Black Panther Fends Off the Secret Invasion

From IGN:   Between the Panels: How Black Panther Redeemed Marvel Comics

From CBSBaltimore:  Md. Author Provides Backstory On Highly-Anticipated Film ‘Black Panther’

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 1st to 10th, 2018 - Update #30

Support Leroy on Patreon:

COMICS-FILM - From JoBlo:  "New Mutants" actress Anya Taylor-Joy confirms that the reshoots for the film "The New Mutants" are being done to add a new character and to reportedly make the film scarier.

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COMICS-FILM - From Movies.com:  Vin Diesel confirmed for R-rated comic book movie, "Bloodshot."

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  The Oscar-winning film, "Call Me By Your Name," will have a sequel, according to the director.

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MOVIES - From BET:  Ava DuVernay & Oprah On How “Wrinkle In Time” Amplifies The Voices of Today’s Young “Warriors”

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SCANDAL - From TheDailyBeast:  The NYPD claims that it is ready to arrest film mogul, Harvey Weinstein, for felony sexual assault...

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Michael B. Jordan to adopt an inclusion rider on all future projects.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Michael Bay has set his next two films, "6 Underground" and "Robopocalypse."

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POLITICS - From TheDailyBeast:  Ron Reagan says, "The Problem Isn’t Just Trump. It’s Our Ignorant Electorate."

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MOVIES - From Collider:  Martin Scorsese has announced that he has finished filming his next film, "The Irishman."  Now, begins the post-production for the film which may appear in the second half of 2019.

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MOVIES - From Reuters:  Lawsuit seeks White House, Justice Department records on Fox-Disney deal.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Hot comedienne and actress Tiffany Haddish joins Tyler Perry's "The List."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 3/2 to 3/4/2018 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" with an estimated total $65.7 million.

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OSCARS - From Variety:  "The Shape of Water" wins the Academy Award (Oscar) as "Best Picture of 2017."  Guillermo del Toro wins "Best Director" for directing "The Shape of Water."

From DeadlineTV:  The viewership for the Oscar telecast was down an all-time low for the 2018 Oscars, $26.5 million.

From ETCanada:  Despite the "Time's Up" and #MeToo movements, the 2018 Academy Awards saw the fewest women winners since the 2012 Oscars.  This year, 6 women claiming Oscars compared to 33 men.  Only four women won Oscars in 2012.

From YahooEntertainment:  5 things you didn't see at the 2018 Oscars

From Deadline:  Frances McDormand And #InclusionRider Go Viral After Oscar Speech – Reactions

From ShadowandAct:  For Jordan Peele, This Is Bigger Than An Oscar

From Variety:  Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway are going to present the "Best Picture" Oscar again this year.  The pair presented last year's "Best Picture" Oscar mistakenly to "La La Land," after they received the wrong envelope.  "Moonlight" was the winner.

From GoldDerby:  ‘Moonlight’ team turns down invitation for an Oscars do-over

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  A statue of Harvey Weinstein entitled "Casting Couch" has appeared on Hollywood Boulevard.  It was created by two artists Plastic Jesus and Joshua “Ginger” Monroe.  Monroe is responsible for the nude Donald Trump statue that appeared in numerous cities.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Sony's remake of "The Crow," starring Jason Momoa and directed by Corin Hardy will arrive in theaters October 11, 2019.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  The tone of Marvel Studio's upcoming film, "Captain Marvel" (2019), might be action-comedy.

----------
STREAMING - From Variety:  Anna Kendrick's Santa Claus movie, the fantasy comedy "Noelle," has been pulled from Disney's theatrical release and will appear on Disney's still-unnamed streaming service.

----------
MOVIES - From ShadowsandAct:  Oscar winners Viola David and Lupita N'yongo will play mother and daughter in the film "The Woman King," based on the real-life "Dahomey Amazon Warriors."

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Disney/Marvel moves up the release date for "Avengers: Infinity War" from May 4th to April 27, 2018.

---------
CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Jennifer Lawrence reveals movie roles she coveted by did not get.

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DISNEY - From BleedingCool:  Walt Disney is doing a live-action remake of its classic animated film, "Peter Pan" [My all time favorite animated film. - Editor].  Here is an update on its progress.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Brad Pitt will join Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's ninth film, the so-called "Manson murders film."  It now has a title, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," and is scheduled for release August 9, 2019.

----------
From CinemaBlend:   One Way The New Halloween Movie Is Like The Original, According To Nick Castle

OBITS:

From Billboard:  Businessman Russ Solomon has died at the age of 92, Sunday, March 4, 2018.  Solomon founded Tower Records.  He began selling records in his father's drug store, calling his business "Tower Record Mart."  He opened his first stand alone store in 1960.

From Variety:   The actor David Ogden Stiers has died at the age of 75, Saturday, March 3, 2018.  He was best known for his role in the venerable TV series, "M.A.S.H.," as the character Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, for which he received two Emmy nominations.  He was also noted for doing voice performances for numerous animated films, including Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," "Pocahontas," and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

Review: "The Jungle Book" Goes Live with Spectacular Effects

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Jungle Book (2016)
Running time: 107 minutes
MPAA – PG for some sequences of scary action and peril
DIRECTOR:  Jon Favreau
WRITER:  Justin Marks (based on the books by Runyard Kipling)
PRODUCERS:  Jon Favreau and Brigham Taylor
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bill Pope (D.o.P)
EDITORS:  Mark Livolsi with Adam Gerstel
COMPOSER: John Debney
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/DRAMA/FAMILY

Starring:  Neel Sethi and the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, Garry Shandling, Brighton Rose, Sam Raimi, Jon Favreau and Dee Bradley Baker

The Jungle Book is a 2016 fantasy adventure film directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Walt Disney Pictures.  The film is a live-action remake of Disney's classic animated film, The Jungle Book (1967), and both films are based on stories from The Jungle Book (1894), the collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling.  The Jungle Book 2016 focuses on a boy raised by wolves who makes a journey of self-discovery after a fearsome tiger threatens his life.

The Jungle Book focuses on Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a human who is raised by the wolf Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o) and her pack, led by her mate, Akela (Giancarlo Esposito).  Mowgli is called a “man-cub” and lives in harmony with the animals in a jungle in India.  However, Shere Khan (Idris Elba), a tiger with a scar on its face, catches Mowgli's scent; Khan hates man because it was a man that scarred his face.  Now, Khan has decided to kill Mowgli.

The black panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), who rescued Mowgli when he was a baby and brought him to the wolves, decides that he must take the man-cub out of the jungle and get him to a nearby man village.  Shere Khan, however, is not content with Mowgli leaving the jungle; he wants to kill him.  Mowgli must prove to everyone, including Bagheera and his new friend, Baloo the sloth bear (Bill Murray), that the jungle is where he belongs.

The Jungle Book 2016 is not a great movie, but it is a pretty good movie.  The voice acting is good, but only Christopher Walken as King Louie the Gigantopithecus (an extinct genus of ape), and Idris Elba as Shere Khan bring real power, heat and menace to their voice acting.  As Mowgli, one of the few real or non-computer generated characters, Neel Sethi gives a performance that has both strong and weak moments, but overall is good.

The most impressive things about The Jungle Book 2016 are the visual effects.  The animal characters are some of the most realistic computer-generated animals that I have ever seen in a movie.  The sheer number and variety of animals make this the greatest cinematic achievement in terms of using computer software to create animals.  If there is better, I have not seen it yet, but I want to see that movie or movies.

The Jungle Book 2016 will not make you forget the 1967 film, which I do not consider to be among the best of Disney's animated films.  Still, it is a truly nice family movie that even some adults can find entertaining, and, of course, the visual effects achievements here make The Jungle Book a must-see for film fans.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, October 22, 2017

NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon)

2017 BAFTA Awards 2017:  1 win: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, and Adam Valdez)


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