Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 17th to 23rd, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

CANNES - From Deadline:  Director Cristian Mingui's film, "Fjord," has won the Palme d'Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.  The film stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve star as a mixed Romanian and Norwegian couple who move to the wife's hometown where they find complications.  The Romanian Mingui also won the Palme d'Or at the 60th Cannes Film Festival (2007) for his film, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."  He is now the tenth director to win the Cannes top prize, the "Palme d'Or," twice.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Mel Gibson has released the first image from his upcoming two-part Biblical epic, "The Resurrection of the Christ," which is a sequel to his 2004 box office smash, "The Passion of the Christ."  "Part One" is due May 6, 2027, and "Part Two" is due May 28, 2028.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures and director Michael Bay are teaming up to tell the true story behind the recent rescue mission to save two downed U.S. pilots behind enemy lines in Iran, during the so-called "Operation: Epic Fury."  The film will be based on the upcoming book by Mitchell Zuckoff, which HarperCollins will publish in 2027.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Director David Fincher's film, "Cliff Booth," a sequel to director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," will hit theaters November 25, 2026 for a two-week run.  The film, which stars Brad Pitt, will debut on Netflix December 23, 2026.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Matt Damon is in talks to star in the secret film project from "the Daniels," the nickname of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the Oscar-winners behind "Everything Everywhere All at Once."  Ryan Gosling had been attached to the project, but had to drop out due to scheduling issues.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon has announced the cast for its new series, "Delphi," which is set in the universe of the film, "Creed" (2015).  The series, which is from Michael B. Jordan's "Outlier Society" production company, will feature a cast that includes (Oscar-nominee) Demien Bichir, Andre Holland, Andre Royo, and Benji Santiago, to name a few. 

DISNEY/TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC has ordered a spinoff of it long-running hit, "Grey's Anatomy."  The series will be co-created by "Grey's Anatomy" creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes.  The other co-creator is the new series' showrunner, Meg Marinis.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/15 to 5/17/2026 weekend box office is Lionsgate's "Michael" with an estimated take of 26.1 million dollars.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  "World of Reel" says a source at Warner Bros. indicated that the studio has no plans to release director Kevin Costner's "Horizon An American Saga: Chapter 2." "Horizon: Chapter 1" grossed $38 million dollars when released in 2024, the same year that Chapter 2 was supposed to be released.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 20th to 30th, 2025 - UPDATE #17

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Lionsgate’s "50 Cent Action," the FAST (which means "free ad-supported streaming television") channel curated by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, has become the #1 action channel on both The Roku Channel and LG Channels.  "50 Cent Action" first debuted with an exclusive launch on Roku, where it quickly became the most-watched action channel on The Roku Channel in the first quarter of the year. Its recent rollout on LG Channels has already achieved the same milestone—cementing the channel’s appeal and momentum across the FAST space.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Back to the Future" screenwriter Bob Gale says that there will never be another prequel, sequel, spinoff, or TV adaptation of the beloved 1985 film. Apparently, Steven Spielberg would have to sign off on it, and he reportedly won't.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures has set Joseph Kosinski to direct its latest attempt at a film based on the 1980s police drama, "Miami Vice."  The last time was the 2006 film starring Colin Farrel and Jamie Foxx.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/25 to 4/27/2025 weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures' Sinners with an estimated take of 45 million dollars.

From Variety:  Legendary bluesman, Buddy Guy, speaks on his buzzy movie role in Warner Bros. Pictures' and director Ryan Coogler's hit film, "Sinners." Guys says "it's a dream come true; to be honest… I did it to help the blues."

SPORTS/NBA/BLM - From NBA:  The National Basketball Association celebrates the 75th anniversary of its first three Black players:  Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nathaniel Clifton.  Cooper, out of Duquesne, was drafted in the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft (April 25th) by the Boston Celtics, becoming the first Black player drafted in the league

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Apple will begin filming a sequel to Tom Hank's World War II action film, "Greyhound" (2020), in early 2026.

SCANDAL - From THR:  What's life behind bars like for former studio boss and mogul, Harvey Weinstein? He's still running things?

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Michael Bay will united with actress Sydney Sweeney on a film adaptation of Sega's arcade videogame, "OutRun."  The film is from Universal, and so far, Sweeney is only on board to produce.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/18 to 1/20/2025 Easter weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures' Sinners with an estimated take of 45.6 million dollars.

From Variety:  "Variety" decided to throw ice water on the box office success of Ryan Coogler's film, Sinners, which was the #1 film at the North American box office this past Easter weekend. [I say to "Variety": "Shoo, fly, shoo!"]

From Deadline:  The final weekend box office numbers show a 48 million dollar debut for Ryan Coogler's blues-infused Southern vampire potboiler, "Sinners."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges says that both he and co-star Julianne Moore are up for a sequel to the Coen Bros.'s 1998 cult classic, "The Big Lebowski."

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OBITS:

From YahooSports:  Former NBA player, Stan Love, has died at the age of 76, Sunday, April 27, 2025.  After playing collegiately for the University of Oregon Ducks from 1968 to 1971, Love was drafted in 1971 NBA Draft (1st round, 9th pick) by the Baltimore Bullets.  Love would go on to have a four year career, also playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.  Love is the father of NBA champion Kevin Love.  He is also the younger brother of Mike Love, who cofounded the legendary rock band, "The Beach Boys," with their cousins: Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson.

From Deadline:  American actor, Will Hutchins, has died at the age of 94, Monday, April 21, 2025.  Hutchins may be best known as the star of the ABC Western television series, "Sugarfoot" (1957-61).  "Sugarfoot" is believed to be the first Western comedy TV series, having debuted five days before another ABC Western comedy, "Maverick" (1957-62). Hutchins would later guest-star in an episode of "Maverick."  Hutchins other major roles included Monte Hellman's film, "The Shooting" (1965) and the Elvis Presley films, "Spinout" (1966) and "Clambake" (1967).

From CNN:  Pope Francis, the 266th pop of the Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, Monday, April 21, 2025.  Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 17, 1936.  Pope Francis was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from March 13, 2013 until his death.  He was the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order).  He was the first pope from the Americas and from the Southern Hemisphere.  He was the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope, Gregory III.  When he was chosen as the Pope by a "papal conclave," he chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

From YahooNews:  Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke that lead to coma and then heart failure, according to the Vatican.

From Reuters:  Pope Francis: his pontificate in numbers; his career by the years.

Review: "BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE" is the Best Buddy Cop Action-Comedy in Decades

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 of 2024 (No. 1969) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

Running time:  115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)

MPA – R for strong violence, language throughout and some sexual references

DIRECTORS:  Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah

WRITERS:  Chris Bremner and Will Beall (based on characters created by George Gallo)

PRODUCERS:  Doug Belgrad, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, and Will Smith

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robrecht Heyvaert (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Dan Lebental and Asaf Eisenberg

COMPOSER:  Lorne Balfe

ACTION/CRIME/COMEDY

Starring:  Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Núñez, Alexander Ludwig, Jacob Scipio, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Melanie Liburd, Rhea Seehorn, Tiffany Haddish, John Salley, Quinn Hemphill, Dennis Mcdonald, Tasha Smith and Joe Pantoliano

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the best entry in the series to date

The comic timing and humor of Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett is unleashed in his best work of comedy in ages. Lawrence gives this movie so much energy, and he kept the audience where I saw this film laughing almost the entire time.

Will Smith as Mike Lowrey is a solid action-movie hero. Smith, who is also quite funny in this film, makes sure that Bad Boys is truly an explosive, violent action flick.

I unequivocally recommend this film to fans of the “Bad Boys” series and to fans of both Smith and Lawrence.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a 2024 American action, crime, and buddy cop film directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, better known as “Adil & Bilall.”  It is the fourth entry in the Bad Boys film series, which began with 1995's Bad Boys, and it is a sequel to Bad Boys for Life (2020).  In Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Detectives Lowrey and Burnett, the “Bad Boys,” have to take on their own department and a group of professional killers in order to clear their late captain's name.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die opens four years after the event depicted in Bad Boys for Life, Detective Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) marries his physical therapist, Christine (Melanie Liburd).  However, at the reception, Detective Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) suffers a serious medical emergency, but worse is to come.

The FBI claims it has discovered a paper trail which proves that the late Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) was tied to drug cartels.  Determined to stop the posthumous tarnishing of Capt. Howard, Mike and Marcus discover that Mike's imprisoned son, Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio), has information that might help their case.  Eventually, Mike, Marcus, and Armando must join forces with new Miami PD Captain Rita Secada (Paola Núñez) and the remains of her “AMMO” (Advance Miami Metro Operations) unit – Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig).  In order to clear Capt. Howard's name, however, Mike and Marcus' crew will have to take on a vicious killer, James McGrath (Eric Dane), and his secret mole inside the Miami PD.

I'd seen Bad Boys (1995) and Bad Boys II (2003), so I had to see Bad Boys for Life in preparation for Bad Boys: Ride or Die.  It is a good idea to see the 2020 film because quite a bit of its plot and many of its character carry over into the new film.  Being somewhat familiar with the Bad Boys film franchise will make the already enjoyable Bad Boys: Ride or Die even more enjoyable.

I think the thing that makes Bad Boys: Ride or Die such a joy to watch is that the team of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence seems to be re-energized.  In Bad Boys for Life, Lawrence looked a bit bloated and slow, but here in Ride or Die, he has recovered his comedy mojo.  Now, we get a Martin Lawrence that is like the Marty-Mar who was at the height of his powers in the 1990s.  He kept me and the audience with which I saw Ride or Die last night in stitches.  Lawrence was a constant barrage of comedy one-liners and comic riffs, and none of them seemed contrived.  I'm happy for him because Lawrence has not been this good in well over a decade.

Will Smith's notorious slap has apparently not delivered a knock out to his talents as a film actor and movie star.  I can't speak for the rest of y'all, dear readers, by I ain't canceling Will over that.  Smith is most solid as an action movie hero in the Bad Boys franchise, and he is at his best here.  Smith is quite funny himself, but as a gun-totting, pop-capping deliverer of justice and vengeance, Smith is as good as any other movie star.  In Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Will Smith is as sturdy and as robust as Bruce Willis was in Die Hard and in its best sequels.  As of right now, Smith is the king of action cinema.

Now, I won't act as if Bad Boys: Ride or Die is without problems.  The plot strains credulity; honestly, it us obvious that Capt. Howard is being framed, but in order for the narrative to work, the audience has to act as if such a scenario as this would happen.  Still, the directorial team of Adil & Bilall have made magic with their two entries in the Bad Boy series, and have delivered a new film that should thrill audiences throughout the summer movie season.  Bad Boys: Ride or Die even has a cameo by the series' original director, Michael Bay.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, June 14, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "BAD BOYS II": What'cha Gonna Do 'Cept Watch This

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 114 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bad Boys II (2003)

Running time:  147 minutes (2 hours, 27 minutes)

MPAA – R for strong violence and action, pervasive language, sexuality and drug content

DIRECTOR:  Michael Bay

WRITERS:  Ron Shelton and Jerry Stahl; from a story by Cormac Wibberley & Marianne Wibberley and Ron Shelton (based upon the characters created by George Gallo)

PRODUCER:  Jerry Bruckheimer

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Amir Mokri (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Roger Barton, Mark Goldblatt, and Thomas A. Muldoon

COMPOSER:  Trevor Rabin

ACTION/COMEDY/THRILLER/CRIME

Starring:  Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Gabrielle Union, Joe Pantoliano, Theresa Randle, Jordi Molla, Gary Nickens, Jason Manuel Olazabal, John Salley, Henry Rollins, and Dan Marino

Bad Boys II is a 2003 American buddy-cop film and action-comedy from director Michael Bay.  It is a sequel to the 1995 film, Bad Boys, and is also the second film in the Bad Boys film series.  In Bad Boys II, loose-cannon Detectives Burnett and Lowrey investigate the flow of illegal drugs into Miami and end up on the middle of a battle for control of the ecstasy trade.

In a crowded field of auteurs, director Michael Bay (The Rock, Armageddon) strives to become the director god of action movies; indeed, he may already be there.  He returns for the sequel to Bad Boys, the film that put him on the map as a big time director of insane gunfights, fiery explosions, and slow motion ballets of unabashed violence.  And since we must not worship any god before the god, this Zeus of adrenaline films unleashes a film of wall-to-wall mayhem that overwhelms the audience to paranoiac exhaustion just to show us what he can do.

Bay is fortunate (if a god can ever be called fortunate) to have two talents who are very good at what they do, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.  It’s ironic that these roles weren’t originally written for them, but the two actor/comedians have made the bad boys, Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) of Bad Boys II, their own because Burnett and Lowrey could not exist without them.

The plot is a confused half-assed muddle involving stereotypical Russian, Cuban, Jamaican, and redneck drug dealers battling it out in Miami for control of the ecstasy trade.  If that wasn’t addled enough, Marcus’s sister, Sydney (the beautiful and sexy Gabrielle Union), is an undercover DEA agent caught in the middle of some mismanaged surveillance operation of a Russian and Cuban money-laundering scheme.

Smith and Lawrence are absolutely wonderful as the bad boys.  They have to be because they’re on a very short list of actors whom Michael Bay cannot overwhelm with his thunderous conflagrations of balls-to-the-walls violence.  Smith is pure bravado, sweating confidence with cartoonish machismo.  His physical bearing and rapid-fire delivery of his dialogue create a seamless presence in the film that leads you to believe that Smith is always Lowery, even when you know that a stunt guy has to step in every now and then.  He’s no bossy director’s action marionette or pretty boy A-list actor frontin’ like he’s all that.  Smith is all that.

When he has good material, Martin Lawrence is a riot act of physical and facial humor.  He’s a comedian, born to make us laugh despite his own personal demons.  Lately, he’s sold himself for movies that treat him like a minstrel, when he’s at his best skewering the mainstream.  In Bad Boy II, he reveals himself to be the best graduate of the Richard Pryor school of facial contortions, which Lawrence uses to grand effect to make us believe that the film’s juggernaut of violence actually scares him.

Even the overwhelming performances of Smith and Lawrence are almost no match for the overwhelming violence of Bad Boys II, but the actors are game.  They do an admirable job keeping up with the exploding body parts, flying corpses, decapitated corpses, defiled corpses, gunshot wounds, gratuitous ass shots, the bare breasts of a naked corpse, flying cars, disintegrating cars, exploding cars, car wrecks, car crashes, and flesh wounds to the buttocks.  There was a point early in the film when I was sure that Michael Bay was a fabulous artist of the absurd, cinema his canvas, and wanton violence his raw materials.  The action was great and invigorating, the violence was cathartic and deliriously funny, and I wanted to revel in the excess.  Lawrence and Smith were so on that I screamed with the kind of laughter I reserve for classic Richard Pryor, Mel Brooks, Marx Brothers, Lenny Bruce, and Burns and Allen.

After awhile, I realized that this was as much popcorn cinema as it was art.  I still believe that Bay is on to something.  One day, we will see him a great filmmaker who pushed the envelope with his inventiveness and imagination, but in Bad Boys II, he went too far too soon.  It’s more popcorn than an even an audience ravenously hungry for Circus Maximus bedlam can stomach.  With this film, Bay made the mistake that Martin Scorsese did with Gangs of New York:  end the picture early enough and he has a cinematic classic, a truly great film.  Overstay his welcome, and the director spoils his film.

As mean-spirited as this film gets, I’d still recommend this to die hard action fans and fans of Smith and Lawrence.  I’d only recommend that they just have a bib ready for when you spit up from overeating this cinematic pandemonium.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Edited:  Monday, July 1, 2024

NOTES:

2004 Image Awards (NAACP):  3 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture,” “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Will Smith), and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Gabrielle Union)

2004 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Film: Best Soundtrack”

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "BAD BOYS" Has Had a Surprisingly Long Life

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 113 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bad Boys (1995)

Running time:  119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)

MPAA – R for intense violent action and pervasive strong language

DIRECTOR:  Michael Bay

WRITERS:  Michael Barrie, Jim Mulholland, and Doug Richardson; from a story by George Gallo

PRODUCERS:  Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Howard Atherton

EDITOR:  Christian Wagner

COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

ACTION/COMEDY/THRILLER/CRIME

Starring:  Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Tea Leoni, Joe Pantoliano, Tcheky Karyo, Theresa Randle, Marg Helgenberger, Nestor Serrano, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Saverio Guerra, Michael Imperioli, and Karen Alexander

As usual, a cog in the Hollywood system had written an action/comedy for Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey, two funny white men.  Perhaps, the white studio bosses never thought of persons of colors playing the parts and playing them not only well, but also better than the actors of the default skin color.  By happy accident, two tremendously talented comic actors, who also happened to be men of color inherited the parts, and, thus was born Bad Boys.  Lord knows, we can never again think of Lovitz and Carvey, two milky-white Americans, as proper for these roles, not that there’s anything wrong with one’s skin color being that white.

Bad Boys is a 1995 American buddy-cop film and action-comedy directed by Michael Bay.  Bad Boys focuses on two savvy, Black detectives who try to protect a witness to murder while also investigating the theft of heroin from their police precinct’s evidence room.

Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) are two hip detectives; at least they seem cooler than their Miami PD colleagues, but they can take the heat that comes with their job.  As the film begins, they’ve already made a major heroin bust, but a gang of well-equipped thieves breaks into the precinct’s evidence room and steals the dope.  Obviously, the raid is an inside job, so the precinct takes the blame.  Burnett and Lowrey’s Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) feels the heat and returns it to the boys, putting the onus on them to find the dope.  Making matters more complicated, they get saddled with protecting Julie Mott (Tea Leoni) a murder witness somehow connected to the smack thieves.

According to stories from the set of Bad Boys, director Michael Bay, Lawrence, and Smith hated the script, so they ad-libbed a lot of the dialogue.  This was Bay’s first feature film, but he’d made a name for himself directing music videos for Tina Turner and “Wilson Phillips” (among others) and commercials for Nike and Budweiser (among others).  Bay brings all the visual flair and clichés you could expect from music videos: quick-cut editing, dark alleyways full of steam, sexy chicks, and hot cars.  He mixed in car chases, tremendous explosions, cartoonish violence, and gunfights with hundreds of rounds of ammunition.  Smith and Lawrence brought the comedy and the hip sensibility to play the characters so over the top that you’d think they were heroes right out of a comic book.  It works to an extent.  Bad Boys is a very funny, exciting, and visually agile action movie.

If anything, it’ll be remembered for its African-American leads, unusual for an cop buddy movie/action flick.  Beyond that, Bay introduced his over the top visual style that he would bring all his heart-pounding, action vehicles:  slow motion camera buzzing around a posing action stud, panoramic shots of the sky, narrow escapes from devastating fire balls, etc.  Bad Boys is pleasant and fun, nothing important, but it stands out in the white bread world of Hollywood action romps.  Certainly, Lawrence and Smith are more believable as renegade cops than say, Josh Hartnett or Ben Affleck.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Edited:  Friday, June 28, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "TRANSFORMERS: Rise of the Beasts" is the Best Transformers Movie That I'VE Seen

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 of 2023 (No. 1913) by Leroy Douresseaux

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

Running time:  127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language

DIRECTOR:  Steven Caple, Jr.

WRITERS:  Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber; from a story by Joby Harold (based on Hasbro’s Transformers Action Figures)

PRODUCERS:  Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Bay, Duncan Henderson, and Mark Vahradian

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Enrique Chediak

EDITORS:  William Goldenberg and Joel Negron

COMPOSER: Jongnic Bontemps

SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring:  Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Tobe Nwigwe, and Sarah Stiles; (voices) Peter Cullen, Pete Davidson, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Liza Koshy, Michelle Yeoh, Cristo Fernandez, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, John DiMaggio,Tongayi Chirisa, David Sobolov, and Colman Domingo

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a 2023 science fiction action film.  It is based on Hasbro's Transformers toy line, and it is the seventh movie in the Transformers live-action film series.  The film serves a standalone sequel to the sixth film, Bumblebee (2018), and also as a prequel to the first film in the series, Transformers (2007).  Set during the 1990s, Rise of the Beasts sees a new faction of Transformers join the Autobots as allies in a battle to save Earth from a planet-eating threat.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens thousands of years in the past.  There, the planet-eating dark god, Unicron (voice of Colman Domingo), devours a planet inhabited by the Transformers known as the “Maximals.”  Unicron had sent his servant, Scourge (voice of Peter Dinklage), and the Terrorcons to steal the Maximals' greatest piece of technology, “the Transwarp Key,” which can open portals through space and time.  Optimus Primal (voice of Ron Perlman) and the Maximals:  Airazon (voice of Michelle Yeoh), Cheetor (voice of Tongayi Chirisa) and Rhinox (voice of David Sobolov), escape to Earth with the Transwarp Key.

Moving forward to Brooklyn, 1994: the story introduces two humans that are about to get caught up in the Transformers' drama.  The first is Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos), an ex-military electronics expert who struggles to find a job to support his family, his mother, Breanna Diaz (Luna Lauren Velez), and his younger brother, Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez), who suffers from sickle cell.

The second is Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback).  She is an intern at a museum and an artifact researcher who doesn't get the credit for how her knowledge benefits the museum.  She has discovered that an artifact which her museum recently obtained has what turns to be a Maximal symbol on it.  Soon, Noah and Elena will find themselves in the company of the Autobots:  Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen), Mirage (Pete Davidson), and Arcee (voice of Liza Koshy) and caught in a battle to protect the Transwarp Key from falling into the clutches of Scourge in service of Unicron.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the best Transformers movie that I have seen, although I have only seen three of the previous six.  I liked the first film, Transformers, and its sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), but after the second sequel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), I'd had enough.  I didn't bother with Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), and I tried to watch Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) on television and found it unwatchable.  I have never gotten around to watching the first prequel film, Bumblebee (2018), although I had planned on doing it.

There are several things that make Rise of the Beasts stand out from the earlier films.  First, there is some genuine human drama.  Noah's dedication to his family, especially his little brother, Kris, resonates, and Noah's determination to help his family financially makes his decisions seem logical.  Honestly, I really identified with Elena, whose boss, Jillian (Sarah Stiles), keeps taking credit for her work, a situation I have dealt with on and off for four decades (!).  I give the filmmakers a lot of credit for choosing non-white actors as the leads, and the screenwriters even more credit for being willing to depict the slights, micro-aggressions, and job discrimination that talented people of color put up with from mediocre white people.

Also, Rise of the Beasts has excellent visual special effects and eye-popping computer-generated imagery.  The transformational process the robots go through still looks really cool and sometimes mind-bending.  The robot fight scenes rival and probably surpass anything audiences would find in Star Wars movies.  This time, however, it means something and isn't just one long slog of creatures of metal slamming into each other.  There is a real sense of peril for both human and Autobots.  They might die or be destroyed, and the Earth might be devoured.  Plus, Unicron is a deliciously evil villain who is equally god and monster.  I hope he returns in future movies because as much as he scared me, he also fascinated me.

Director Steven Caple, Jr. has delivered a Transformers movie that is both visually busy and also dramatically hefty with genuine melodrama.  Yes, the third act is a bit tedious, but...  I'm shocked to say this.  I heartily recommend Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has an extra scene that appears just after the credits begin and also a mid-credits scene.]

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, June 9, 2023

The text is copyright © 2023 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 March 27th to 31st, 2022 - Update #37

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Variety:  Celebrities react to the Oscar bitch slap heard around the world.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/25 to 3/27/2022 weekend box office is "The Lost City" with an estimated take of 31 million dollars.

From Deadline:  The film, "RRR," sets opening day records in its home country of India.  Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, the film also makes an impact at the international box office.

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OSCARS - From ABC7:  A list of nominees for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards.

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

WINNERS:

Best Picture

CODA

Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, Producers

Directing

The Power of the Dog

Jane Campion

Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Actor in a Leading Role

Will Smith

King Richard

Actress in a Supporting Role

Ariana DeBose

West Side Story

Actor in a Supporting Role

Troy Kotsur

CODA

Animated Feature Film

Encanto

Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

CODA

Screenplay by Siân Heder

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Belfast

Written by Kenneth Branagh

Documentary Feature

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein

International Feature Film

Drive My Car (Japan)

A C&I Entertainment/Culture Entertainment/Bitters End Production

Makeup and Hairstyling

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh

Costume Design

Cruella

Jenny Beavan

Cinematography

Dune

Greig Fraser

Production Design

Dune

Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos

Film Editing

Dune

Joe Walker

Music (Original Score)

Dune

Hans Zimmer

Best Sound

Dune

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

Best Sound

Dune

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

Visual Effects

Dune

Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer

Music (Original Song)

“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die

Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

Live Action Short Film

The Long Goodbye

Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed

Animated Short Film

The Windshield Wiper

Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Documentary Short Subject

The Queen of Basketball

Ben Proudfoot

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

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

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

OBIT:

TAYLOR HAWKINS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MOVIE POSTER: Michael Bay's "Ambulance" Character Poster - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is "William Sharp" in director Michael Bay's action thriller, AMBULANCE. The film is due April 8, 2022.  Below is one of three character posters released for the film:

 

MOVIE POSTER: Michael Bay's "Ambulance" Character Poster - Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal is the lead "Danny Sharp" in director Michael Bay's action thriller, AMBULANCE. The film is due April 8, 2022.  Below is one of three character posters released for the film:

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 9th to 15th, 2022 - Update #23

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:  Actor Tim Allen is returning to his popular "The Santa Clause" film franchise. He will star in and executive produce a Disney+ TV series that will act as a sequel to "The Santa Clause" trilogy.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Wes Anderson will write and direct a feature adaptation of Roald Dahl's short story, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar," for Netflix.  The story was published in Dahl's 1977 collection, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More."

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:   Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc. has acquired full control of German film and TV firm Telepool, including the 50 percent stake previously owned by Swiss financier Elysian Invest.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Writer-director Robert Rodriguez is among a group developing a reboot of the classic masked vigilante character, "Zorro," with the hero now being female instead of male.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount Pictures is remaking director Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" with Gal Gadot as the lead.  Eileen Jones will write the script.

From Deadline:  Michael Sarnoski, who directed last year's acclaimed drama, "Pig" (starring Nicolas Cage), is in negotiations to direct the next "A Quiet Place" film.

STREAMING - From Variety: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" director Jon Watts is one of the producers of a revival of the "Final Distination" horror franchise for HBO Max.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Michael Bay, Patrick Hughes, and Gareth Evans' are united to reboot Evan's cult 2011 film, "The Raid," for Netflix.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The NAACP-CBS Studios venture has announced its first projects.  One of them is a reboot of the 1991 cult comedy, "Soapdish," in which one of the film's star, Whoopi Goldberg, will reprise her role ("Rose Schwartz") from the film.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/7 to 1/9/2022 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with an estimated take of 33.02 million dollars.

From Negromancer:  My review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC has renewed "Grey's Anatomy" for a 19th season. Ellen Pompeo has signed a deal to return as the show's title character, Meredith Grey.

PIXAR/DISNEY+ - From Deadline:  Pixar's "Turning Red" will be the third straight Pixar Animation Studio film to skip theaters and go straight to Disney+.  The other two were "Soul" (2020) and "Luca" (2021).

OBITS:

From Variety:  American television host, stand-up comedian, and actor, Bob Saget, has died at the age of 65, Sunday, January 9, 2022.  Saget was best known for playing the role of widowed father, "Danny Tanner," in the ABC sitcom, "Full House" (1987-95).

From Deadline:  Actor and television executive, Dwayne Hickman, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, January 9, 2022.  Hickman was best remembered for starring as "Dobie Gillis," the eternally romantic teen in the former CBS TV series, "The Many Loves of Dobie Gills" (1959-62).  Hickman was also a programming executive at CBS from 1977 to 1988, and from 1989 to 1996, he directed episodes of various television sitcoms.

From Deadline: American songwriter and lyricist, Marilyn Bergman, has died at the age of 93, Saturday, January 8, 2022.  She was best known for her partnership with her husband, Alan Bergman.  The duo won two “Best Song” Oscars: “The Windmills of Your Mind” from “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968) and the title song for “The Way We Were” (1973). They won an Oscar for “Best Original Song Score” for “Yentl” (1983).  The two also won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award for “Song of the Year” for “The Way We Were.”

From Deadline:  American television director, Dick Carson, died at the age of 92, Sunday, December 19, 2021.  He was nominated for the Daytime Emmy 12 times and won five of them, mostly for his work on "The Merv Griffin Show" and "Wheel of Fortune."  Dick was also the younger brother of television legend, the late Johnny Carson."  Dick also directed several episode of "The Tonight Show," including episodes of the series before his brother became the host.

SIDNEY POITIER - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Halle Berry pens tribute to Sidney Poitier, "An Angel Watching Over All of Us."

From Deadline:  Former President Barack Obama pays tribute to Oscar winner, the late Sidney Poitier, who died Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Variety:   "Why Sidney Poitier Is the Most Important Actor in American History" by Steven Gaydos

From Deadline:  Star tributes continue to pour in for Sidney Poitier.

From Deadline:  This is the site's Sidney Poitier (1927-2022) page.

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AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 17th to 23rd, 2020 - Update #20

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From YahooNYT:  (5/21) - Maybe, President Donald really did miss the intelligence warnings about COVID-19 during briefings... because he has a short attention span.

From RSN:  (5/22) - Robert Reich's talks about "A Tale of Two Pandemics," one for the wealthy and one for the black, brown, indigenous, and essential.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC is renews 13 of its current series and cancels five.

TRAILER - From RollingStone:  You can watch the second trailer for Christopher Nolan's upcoming film, "Tenet." The film, which stars John David Washington, is due July 17th release (we hope).

DAYTIME EMMYS - From THR:  The nominations for the 47th annual Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced June 26th, 2020 during a two-hour special on CBS.

SPORTS - From THR:  In the wake of its 10-part Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls docu-series, "The Last Dance," ESPN has announced a Tom Brady 9-part docu-series, "Man in the Arena."

CELEBRITY-CRIME - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress Lori Loughlin ("Full House") and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, will plead guilty to charges related to the "college admissions scandal."  Both are facing at least a few months in prison.

COMICS TO FILM - From THR:  Zack Snyder talks about HBO Max's 2021 release of his version of the superhero film, "Justice League," which he did not get to finish before its original release back in 2017.  Director Joss Whedon completed the film.  The article contains details about the film's production and what could and may be done to finish the "Zack Snyder" cut.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Producers Michael Bay and Adam Goodman are teaming up on the pandemic thriller, "Songbird," which will shoot in Los Angeles while the city is in lock down.  Beginning production in five weeks, it may be the first film to shoot in the city.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Actor David Arquette will reprise his role as "Sheriff Dewey Riley" from the original "Scream" films for the "Scream" reboot.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Christopher Nolan would like his upcoming film, "Tenet," to revive movie theaters out its COVID-19 slumber.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Lily Wachowski, co-creator of "The Matrix," was not at all happy the Elon Musk and Ivana Trump were referencing the line "Take the red pill" from the film.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix debuts the first trailer for Spike Lee's film, "Da 5 Bloods."

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-winners Phil Lord and Chris Miller are teaming with Oscar-nominee Ryan Gosling for the film, "Project Hail Mary," for MGM and based on the upcoming novel by the author of "The Martian."

STREAMING - Deadline:  The streaming service, CBS All Access, has announced its third "Star Trek" series (following "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Picard").  It is entitled "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," and will focus on Spock, Pike, and Number One, and will take place in the years before the original "Star Trek" TV series, in which Spock served under Capt. James T. Kirk.

OBITS:

From ESPN:  Former NBA All-Star player and coach, Jerry Sloan, has died at the age of 78, Friday, May 22, 2020.  As a pro basketball player, Sloan was drafted by the NBA's old Baltimore Bullets in 1965, but he was best known for his decade-long tenure with the Chicago Bulls.  He was considered one of the Bulls' greatest players.  Sloan coached the Utah Jazz from 1988 to 2011, and coached the Jazz to the NBA Championship Finals in 1997 and in 1998, where they lost both times to Michel Jordan's Bulls.  As a college basketball player, Sloan lead the University of Evansville men's basketball team to consecutive "Division II" national titles.

From Deadline:  The actor Gregory Tyree Boyce has died at the age of 30.  He was best known for his small but pivotal role in the first film in the "Twilight Saga," 2008's "Twilight."

From Variety:  The actor and former child star, Ken Osmond, has died at the age of 76, Monday, May 18, 2020.  Osmond was best known for portraying infamous teen character, "Eddie Haskell," on the classic TV series, "Leave It to Beaver" (1957-1963).  Osmond reprised the role for the syndicated revival series, "The New Leave It to Beaver"/"Still the Beaver" (1984-1989).  Osmond was also a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department from 1970 to 1988.

From Deadline:  Film writer, producer, and director, Lynn Shelton, has died at the age of 54, Friday, May 15, 2020.  A leading light in 21st century American independent cinema, Shelton was best known for her films, "Humpday" (2009) and "Your Sister's Sister" (2011).  She was in a relationship with actor Marc Maron, who appeared in her 2019, "Sword of Trust."

From Deadline:  Miss America 1971 and former First Lady of Kentucky (1979-1983), Phyllis George, has died at the age of 70, Thursday, May 14, 2020.  George was married to one-time governor of Kentucky, John Y. Brown, Jr.  For many, however, George is best remembered as a pioneering NFL sportscaster.  She was a sports analyst for CBS from 1975 to 1983, including a stint on CBS' "The NFL Today."

Paramount Announces "A Quiet Place"/"A Quiet Place II" Double Feature

PARAMOUNT PICTURES ANNOUNCES A QUIET PLACE DOUBLE FEATURE FAN EVENT IN ADVANCE OF A QUIET PLACE PART II OPENING

Fans will have the opportunity to experience the original and the sequel back-to-back in advance of the opening of A QUIET PLACE PART II

HOLLYWOOD, CA. - Paramount Pictures announced that on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 it will be offering fans of A QUIET PLACE the chance to relive the original film in select theatres and be the first to go beyond the path and experience the next installment, A QUIET PLACE PART II before it arrives in theatres nationwide, Friday, March 20th, 2020.

Tickets for the double feature go on sale today, as ticketing launches nationwide for A QUIET PLACE PART II at https://www.aquietplacemovie.com/

Tickets can also be purchased at the box office at participating locations. The start time for the double feature is 7:00PM local time at participating locations, with the sequel beginning at 9:00PM local time. This double feature will be presented exclusively in DOLBY CINEMA and Premium Large Format theatres only.

Additionally, A QUIET PLACE Double Feature fans will receive an exclusive 11x17 collectors print, created especially for this one-night event, while supplies last.

In the modern horror thriller A QUIET PLACE, a family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival. If they hear you, they hunt you. A QUIET PLACE is directed by John Krasinski, with story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck, and a screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski. Producers are Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, with executive producers Celia Costas, John Krasinski,  Allyson Seeger, Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, Aaron Janus. The film stars Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds & Noah Jupe.

In A QUIET PLACE PART II, following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they

continue their fight for survival in silence.  Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path. The film is written and directed by John Krasinski, and based on characters created by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck. Producers are Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, John Krasinski, with Allyson Seeger, Joann Perritano, Aaron Janus executive producing. The film stars Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Simmonds, Jupe, Djimon Hounsou and John Krasinski.

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About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, and Paramount Players. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Dolby Cinema
Dolby Cinema delivers the total cinema experience, combining the most powerful image and sound technologies such as spectacular Dolby Vision laser projection and Dolby Atmos moving audio with inspired cinema design to transform every visit into a completely captivating, cinematic event.

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Paramount Pictures Starts "Transformers" Spinoff, "Bumblebee"

PARAMOUNT PICTURES TO RELEASE “BUMBLEBEE” ON DECEMBER 21, 2018

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON TRAVIS KNIGHT’S NEW FILM BEGAN MONDAY, JULY 31st, 2017

The film will shoot entirely in California

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures, in association with HASBRO, announced that principal photography commenced on “BUMBLEBEE.” The film’s shoot will take place entirely in California, including in Southern and Northern California.

Directed by Travis Knight (“Kubo and the Two Strings" "Coraline"), the film stars Hailee Steinfeld, Pamela Adlon, John Cena, Stephen Schneider, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Jason Drucker, Kenneth Choi, Ricardo Hoyos, Abby Quinn, Rachel Crow, and Grace Dzienny.

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.  When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.

The film is produced by “TRANSFORMERS” franchise veterans Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Michael Bay, along with executive producers Steven Spielberg, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. Chris Brigham (“ARGO,” “INCEPTION”) will also executive produce. The screenplay is written by Christina Hodson (“UNFORGETTABLE”).


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games, consumer products, social media experiences, and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 180 countries.

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