Review: "A HAUNTING IN VENICE" Shuffles Towards Its Happy Ending

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 of 2026 (No. 2049) by Leroy Douresseaux

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Running time:  103 minutes

Rating: MPA – PG-13 for some strong violence, disturbing images and thematic elements

DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh

WRITER: Michael Green (based on the novel by Agatha Christie)

PRODUCERS:  Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, and Ridley Scott

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Haris Zambarloukos (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Lucy Donaldson

COMPOSER:  Hildur Gudnadottir

MYSTERY

Starring:  Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cotton, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Rowan Robinson, Ricardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh

A Haunting in Venice is a 2023 mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh.  It is based on the 1969 novel, Hallowe'en Party, written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976).  Set in post-World War II Venice, A Haunting in Venice finds Hercule Poirot retired and living in exile until he attends a séance where one of the guests is murdered.

A Haunting in Venice opens in Venice, Italy in 1947.  There, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) lives in retirement and in exile, having lost his faith in nearly everything.  He employs an ex-Venetian police officer, Vitale Portfoglio (Ricardo Scamarcio), as a bodyguard to keep perspective clients away.  On Halloween, novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), a friend of Poirot's, convinces him to attend a séance at the Palazzo Lacrime dei Giovani, the home of retired opera singer, Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly).

The palazzo was once an orphanage, reputed to be haunted.  In fact, the building is known for “the children's vendetta,” because the ghosts of the orphanage's murdered children haunt the place and sometimes kill people who visit the palazzo.

Rowena Drake's daughter, Alicia (Rowena Robinson), apparently committed suicide at the palazzo after her fiancé, chef Maxime Gerard (Kyle Allen), broke off their engagement... or was she a victim of “the children's vendetta.”  Rowena has hired controversial medium, Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh), to help her commune with Alicia.  Ariadne is attending the séance because she wants to expose Reynolds as a fraud – with Poirot's help – and make it the subject of a new book.

However, the séance turns out to be more shocking than anyone expected, and one of the guests ends up murdered.  Now, the retired Poirot must once again uncover a killer, but he finds himself with a house full of suspects.  And some of them border on the supernatural.

A Haunting in Venice is the third film adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel directed by and starring Oscar-winner, Kenneth Branagh (Belfast, 2021).  It follows Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022).  I had been planning on seeing this film for some time, but I kept forgetting.  It was not until the release of Wake Up Dead Man (2025), director Rian Johnson's third film in his Poirot-like “Benoit Blanc” mystery film series, that I remembered I'd missed A Haunting in Venice.

A Haunting in Venice is a darker spin on Branagh's interpretation of Hercule Poirot, and this new spin also wants to be spookier, which ends up being a mistake for this film.  In Michael Green's screenplay for A Haunting in Venice, the ghostly, supernatural, horror-like elements seem tacked-on more than they feel like natural elements.  In turn, the whodunit narrative of this film becomes like a car stuck in the mud.  Before I even reached the half way mark of this films' runtime, I was already struggling to stay involved in the mystery.  I must also must admit that there were times when I was utterly bored with A Haunting in Venice.

However, the film's last act offers a reward for those patient enough to stick around, and that is a happy ending that returns a sense of normalcy to the world of Poirot.  Also, I liked the cast because they did their best, even when the screenplay and their characters came across as anemic.  I loved Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver, as she proved once again to be a lovable movie star who makes the characters she plays seem endearing even when they don't deserve it.

I like A Haunting in Venice because I feel like I need to like it.  Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot intrigues me, and I can never get enough of him.  Still, I can only honestly recommend A Haunting in Venice to dedicated fans of this film series.

6 out of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, February 7, 2026

The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog 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 January 22nd to 31st, 2023 - Update #26

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

DC STUDIOS - From Deadline:   DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran finally revealed their plans for an inter-connective universe of DC Comics character-based film and television.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith and Martin Lawrence announced that "Bad Boys 4" is in pre-production.  "Bad Boys for Life" directors El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are also returning.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  FX has cancelled its "Hulu" series, "Kindred," after one season.  The time-traveling drama is based on the novel by the late Octavia E. Butler.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of 1/27 to 1/29/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" with an estimated 15.7 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

SUNDANCE - From Deadline:   The 2023 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled its Jury and Audience Award winners for 2023.  Focus Features' "A Thousand and One" has won the "Grand Jury Prize."  "The Persian Version" won the "Audience Award."

TELEVISON - From Deadline:  HBO has renewed its hot horror drama, the videogame adapation, "The Last of Us," for a second season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  In the wake of his hit biopic, "Elvis," receiving eight Oscar nominations, director Baz Luhrmann sighs a "first-look" deal with Warner Bros Pictures.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" has announced that it has ended its association with Justin Roiland, co-creator of "Rick and Morty."  Roiland is facing two felony counts related to domestic violence in Orange County, CA.  The series will continue under the watch of the series' other co-creator, Dan Harmon, with the characters Roiland voiced, being recast.

From Variety:  20th Television Animation and Hulu Originals have announced that they have also ended their association with Justin Roiland.  Thus, he has been dropped for the animated series, "Solar Opposites," which he co-created, and the Aussie-animated, "Koala Man," which he executive produces.

From WeGotThisCovered:  No voice actor or creator is bigger than his character.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with 11 nominations.

From THR:  Malaysian acting icon, Michelle Yeoh, has become the first "Best Actress" Oscar nominee (for her role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once") to identify as Asian.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Franchise star, Brendan Fraser, stunned fans of his hit series, "The Mummy" (1999), and its sequel, "The Mummy Returns" (2011), by making an appearance at a screening of the two films in London.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS is giving its Monday night sitcom, "The Neighborhood," a sixth season renewal for the 2023-24 broadcast season.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/20 to 1/22/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" for an estimated take of 19.6 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

From Variety:  "Avatar: The Way of Water" crosses the 2 billion dollar-mark in worldwide box office, becoming the sixth film to do so.  James Cameron has directed three of the films that have done so, including the original "Avatar" and "Titanic" (1997).

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The current season of CBS' long-running drama, "NCIS: Los Angeles" (Season 14), will be its last.  The finale is set for May 14, 2023.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The actress, Lisa Loring, has died at the age of 64, Saturday, January 28, 2023.  She was best known for her work as a child actress, playing "Wednesday Addams" on the former ABC sitcom, "The Addams Family" (1964-66).

From Variety:  Film and television actress and film producer, Cindy Williams, has died at the age of 75, Wednesday, January 25, 2023.  Williams was best known for the role of "Shirley Feeney," on the late ABC sitcom, "Laverne & Shirley" (1976-82), with the late Penny Marshall playing "Laverne DeFazio."  Williams and Marshall also appeared as the characters in five episodes of the late ABC sitcom, "Happy Days."  Williams also appeared in the 1973 film, "American Graffiti," and its 1979 sequel, "More American Graffiti."  After "Laverne and Shirley," Williams had many starring, recurring, and guest roles on numerous TV series.

From Deadline:  Former child actor, Lance Kerwin, has died at the age of 65, Tuesday, January 24, 2023.  Kerwin shot to fame in the late 1970s as a teen actor.  He starred in "The Loneliest Runner," a 1976 semi-autobiographical made-for-TV movies written and directed by Michael Landon ("Bonanza," "Little House on the Prairie").  Kerwin starred in NBC's controversial drama, "James at 15" (1977-78), and also starred in the TV movies, "James at 15" (1977) the preceded it.  Kerwin also starred in the 1979, two-episode TV miniseries, "Salem's Lot," an adaptation of Stephen King's 1975 novel of the same name.

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AWARDS:

From Oscar:  The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.

From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick" wins "Best Picture" at the "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards" held Saturday night in Beverly Hills.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Sunday, March 5, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.

From Deadline:  The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."

From Deadline:  The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece.  The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.

From Deadline:  The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th).  "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations.  The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.

From Deadline:  The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022."  The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced.  ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety:  The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced.  Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett).  Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline:  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire:  The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.   "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations.  The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago.  Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

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TYRE NICHOLS:

From NBCNews:  Tyre Nichols' death: A summary and timeline of his encounter with Memphis police officers

From YahooNews:  In the 67 minutes of the Tyre Nichols video, brutality followed by nonchalance.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

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."

Review: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is Action Movie T&A - Tedious and Amazing

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 of 2022 (No. 1857) by Leroy Douresseaux

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Running time: 139 minutes

MPA – R for some violence, sexual material and language

WRITERS/DIRECTORS:  Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
PRODUCERS:  Daniel Kwan, Mike Larocca , Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Daniel Scheinert, and Jonathan Wang
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Larkin Seiple (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Paul Rogers
COMPOSER:  Son Lux

SCI-FI/COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring:  Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Tallie Medel, and Jamie Lee Curtis and Randy Newman (voice)

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a 2022 science fiction and comedy-drama film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.  The film focuses on an aging Chinese-American woman who discovers that she must save the universe by exploring all the other universes and connecting with the lives she could have, but never lived.

Everything Everywhere All at Once introduces Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a Chinese-American wife and mother.  Evelyn and her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), own a struggling laundromat.  Tensions are high because the laundromat is being audited by the IRS and because they are dealing with an intense, by-the-book, IRS inspector named Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis).  Waymond is trying to give Evelyn divorce papers, and her demanding and elderly father, Gong Gong (James Hong), has just recently arrived from Hong Kong.  Finally, Evelyn and Waymond's daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), has been trying to get her mother to accept her girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel).

During the meeting with Inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre, Waymond's personality suddenly changes.  According to this new “personality,” known as “Alpha Waymond” (Ke Huy Quan), he is a version of Waymond from another universe, and he has taken over her Waymond's body.  Alpha Waymond says that he is from “Alphaverse,” one of many parallel universes (the “multiverse”).  He explains that “verse jumping” technology allows people to access the skills, memories, and bodies of their parallel universe counterparts.  He says that Evelyn must learn “verse jumping” because only she can save the multiverse from the threat of “Jobu Tupaki.”  The problem is that the Evelyn of this universe has never been good at much of anything.

Writer-directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as “Daniels”) are quite inventive and imaginative.  Everything Everywhere All at Once is filled with crazy ideas and crazier universes and the craziest characters.  Still, I find the mechanics of this film's concept of a multiverse and how one traverses it to be not that interesting.  Every time, Alpha Waymond started talking, I found myself bored and considered stopping the film.

Luckily, the Daniels created engaging and lovable characters for Everything Everywhere All at Once, and they are played by a very skilled cast.  First, I am always happy to see the legendary Chinese-American actor, James Hong, who plays “Gong Gong.” and in this film, he has an opportunity to show the breath of his abilities.  Secondly, I am a huge fan of Jamie Lee Curtis (A Fish Called Wanda), and she gives an electric performance as the tough-talking IRS inspector, Deirdre, but she also makes a poignant turn as the “hot dog wiener fingers” universe version of Deirdre.  Ke Huy Quan plays several versions of Waymond so well that you might believe he is the lead character.  Stephanie Hsu is crazy, sexy, cool, dangerous, and even world-weary in her multiple turns in this film.

But Michelle Yeoh (Memories of a Geisha, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) is the goddess here.  Apparently, the lead role in this film was originally written for Jackie Chan, who would have been magnificent in such a role in his younger days.  Circumstances, however, allowed Michelle Yeoh to show that she has the acting chops and the physicality to take on the kind of roles that have been afforded Jackie Chan for decades.  Yes, she is a great actress, and though Hong Kong and Chinese audiences have seen her range, I doubt many American moviegoers know that she could be so good in such a physically and emotionally challenging role as Evelyn Wang.

The influence of the Wachowski's groundbreaking 1999 film, The Matrix, on Everything Everywhere All at Once is obvious.  Ironically, Yeoh was one of the actresses considered to play “Trinity,” the lead female role in The Matrix.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a whole lotta sound and fury for a film that is ultimately about the conflicts that can define a mother-daughter relationship, as well as basic family dysfunction.  I also think that it could have done the same thing in a considerably shorter run time than two hours and 19 minutes.  Everything Everywhere All at Once is good, but not great, and any greatness that it does have, it has because of the all-time great, Michelle Yeoh.

6 of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, July 29, 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 April 1st to 9th, 2022 - Update #27

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

WILL SMITH - From Deadline:  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has banded recent Oscar-winner Will Smith from attending its programs and events - virtually or in-person - including the Academy Awards ceremony for a period of 10 years.  This is his punishment for bitch-slapping Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, Sun., March 27th.

From Variety:  Actor Harry Lennix comes off the porch to tell Will Smith that he should ... voluntarily give back his recent "Best Actor" Oscar in order to restore the awards honor ... saying this with a straight face.

From TMZ - Celebrities keep weighing in - Grammy Award-nominated rapper and recording artist, Fat Joe, says that Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Academy awards "makes minorities look bad."

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Warner Bros. has cancelled the daytime, syndicated talk show, "The Real," after eight seasons (which is 7 years longer than I thought it would last).

CELEBRITY - From TIME:  Michelle Yeoh talk to the venerable magazine, in part about her new film, "Everthing Everywhere All at Once."

BUSINESS/WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY - From Deadline:  Who is in and who is out at Warner Bros. Discovery?  Who is under CEO David Zaslav?

From Deadline:  Fri., April 8th, Warner Bros. Discovery has been born of the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger.  It will make its Wall Street debut Mon., April 11th. David Zaslav, CEO of Discovery, will be the CEO of the new company.

From Deadline:  The 43 billion dollar merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia is set to close this week, and the new leadership structure.

From Deadline:  As WarnerMedia approaches its merger with Discovery, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar leaves the company.

From Deadline:  Ann Sarnoff, who held the top role in WarnerMedia film and TV, is also departing ahead of the Warner merger with Discovery.

From Deadline:  Andy Forssell, the head of HBO Max, is out at WarnerMedia ahead of the merger with Discovery.

From Deadline:  The WarnerMedia purge continues - with six former executives dismissed.

MOVIES - From THR:  Rapper Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi), has joined John Woo's action thriller, "Silent Night," which stars Joel Kinnaman.  Cudi recently starred in the horror film, "X."

SPORTS - From CBSSports:  The University of South Carolina Gamecocks are the winners of the Women's NCAA Basketball Championship, beating the University of Connecticut 64-49.  This is the Gamecocks' second NCAA women's basketball title.

MUSIC AWARDS - From Deadline:   The winners were announced at the 2022 / 64th Annual Grammy Awards.  Oscar-winner Jon Batiste won "Album of the Year" for his LP, "We Are."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/1 to 4/3 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "Morbius" with an estimated take of 39.1 million dollars.

From Here:  Here is Negromancer's review of "Morbius."

From Deadline:  "Morbius" leads the global box office with an 84 million dollar debut, making 44.9 million of that in 62 international markets.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix has slowed its development of a Will Smith action-thriller, "Fast and Loose," in the wake of the Oscar slap.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  After not speaking for 13 years, director Lee Daniels and Oscar-winning actress Mo'Nique will reunite on the Netflix film, "Demon House."  Daniels directed Mo'Nique in the film, "Precious" for which she won her Oscar.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actress Demetria McKinney has joined The CW's pilot, "The Winchesters." The project is a prequel to The CW's long-running series, "Supernatural."

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  Marvel Studios stalwarts Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson will star in director Jason Bateman's mystery film, "Project Artemis" for AppleTV.

MOVIES - From MovieWeb:  Actor Chris Pine wanted his new action movie, "The Contractor," in which he plays a Special Forces sergeant, to be as authentic as possible.

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

OBITS:

From ESPN:   NFL quarterback, Dwayne Haskins, has died at the age of 24, Saturday, April 9, 2022, killed when he was struck by a vehicle.  Haskins played for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2016 to 2018, where he was the MVP of the 2019 Rose Bowl.  Haskins was currently a member of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was originally picked by the Washington Redskins in the 2019 NFL Draft - First Round, Pick #15.

From From Variety:  Television and film actress, Estelle Harris, has died at the age of 93, Saturday, April 2, 2022.  She is best known for playing "Estelle Costanza," the mother of George Costanza on the former NBC sitcom, "Seinfeld."  She also provided the voice for "Mrs. Potato Head" in Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story" films, with "Toy Story 4" (2019) being her final film role.  She also played "Muriel" on the Disney Channel sitcom, "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" (2005-08).

From Deadline:  Television actress, Barrie Youngfellow, has died at the age of 75, Monday, March 28, 2022.  Youngfellow is best remembered for starring as "Jan Hoffmeyer Gray" in the sitcom, "It's A Living."  The series aired on ABC from 1980-82 and in first-run syndication from 1985-89, and Youngfellow was one of only four actors who appeared in all 120 episodes of the series.

From THR: Film and television producer Walter Coblenz has died at the age of 93, Wednesday, March 16, 2022.  Coblenz received an Oscar-nomination for producing the 1976 film, "All the King's Men." Coblenz also produced films like "The Candidate" (1972) and "Money Talks" (1997)  He also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for producing (with Lee Rich) the 1973 made-for-TV film, "The Blue Knight."

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WILL SMITH/CHRIS ROCK - From Variety:   Will Smith has announced that he is withdrawing his membership from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

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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Review: "SHANG-CHI and the Legend of the Ten Rings" Rings My Bell

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 of 2021 (No. 1792) by Leroy Douresseaux

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Running time: 132 minutes (2 hours, 12 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language
DIRECTOR:  Destin Daniel Cretton
WRITERS:  Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, and Andrew Lanham; from a story by Dave Callaham and Destin Daniel Cretton (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz
CINEMATOGRAPHER: William Pope (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Elisabet Ronaldsdottir, Nat Sanders, and Harry Yoon
COMPOSER: Joel P. Best

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/MARTIAL ARTS

Starring:  Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, Wah Yuen, Florian Munteanu, Jayden Zhang, Elodie Fong, Arnold Sun, Harmonie He, Ronny Chieng, Benedict Wong, Tim Roth, and Ben Kingsley

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a 2021 superhero film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and produced by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.  It is the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu, that was created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin and first appeared in the comic book, Special Marvel Edition #15 (cover dated: December 1973).  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings focuses on a young martial artist who is forced to confront his past and his father's deadly criminal legacy.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (or simply Shang-Chi) opens one thousand years ago and focuses on Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), a warlord who found the “Ten Rings,” mystical weapons that grant their user immortality and great power.  Wenwu establishes a secret society of warriors called the “Ten Rings,” and begins to conquer the world.  In 1996, while searching for a legendary village, “Ta Lo,” Wenwu meets the village's guardian, Jiang Li (Fala Chen).  The two battle, but eventually fall in love and have two children, a boy named Xu Shang-Chi and girl named Xu Xialing.

Decades later, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) has adopted the name “Shaun” and is living in San Francisco.  Along with his long time best friend, Katy (Awkwafina), he works as a valet at a fancy hotel.  One day, while taking the city bus, Shang-Chi and Katy are attacked by a Ten Rings squad led by the assassin, “Razor Fist” (Florian Munteanu), who wants to steal a pendant given to Shang-Chi by his mother.  Fearing that the Ten Rings are going to steal a second identical pendant given to his sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), Shang-Chi decides to track her down.  Waiting for him, however, is a conspiracy that will inadvertently free a great evil known as the “Dweller-in-Darkness.”  To stop that, Shang-Chi will finally have to confront his past and grasp his destiny.

If I am honest, I will admit that I love martial arts fighting scenes in television and especially in movies.  I prefer fighting as performed by Asian or Asian-American actors.  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gives me both, and the fight scenes are spectacular, so much so that they movie could never give me enough to satisfy me.  The general choreography of the action scenes is quite good, as seen in the bus-battle sequence, and it is clear that Shang-Chi's fighting style and techniques are influenced by the martial arts films of legendary Chinese actor/stuntman, Jackie Chan.

With flashy visual effects, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also explores Asian culture, offering nice peeks into both family dynamics and Chinese culture and myths.  In a way, Shang-Chi is a movie that blends a story of family with an an exploration of a fantasy world that is similar to the one in Disney's recent animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon.  This immersion in a different world and culture allows Shang-Chi to set itself far apart, the way Black Panther stood out from other Marvel Studios films.

Shang-Chi also offers the combination of the prodigal son and the gifted-kid motif that both Raya and other Marvel films (like Iron Man and Black Panther) offer.  In that role, Simu Liu is versatile as Shang-Chi, an incredibly talented fighter who is also a happy-go-luck every man.  I found Liu's Shang-Chi likable from the first moment I saw him on film.  Tony Leung is an intense, dramatic heavy as Shang-Chi's shady father, Xu Wenwu; it's a gritty, edgy performance that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings needs in order to keep the story from flying away in its flights of fancy.

I do think that Marvel tries a little too hard to convince us that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.  We got that with the appearance of Wong (Benedict Wong), a character that appeared in Doctor Strange (2016), but an end credits scene is ready to pound it into our heads, as if we never had a clue.  The film, especially its flashbacks and in its quiet moments, sometimes falls flat.  That keeps it from being the kind of next-level Marvel film, that Black Panther and the better Avengers and Captain America films are.

Still, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is an exceptional film, both in its story and in what it represents.  Shang-Chi is Marvel Studios' first film with an Asian director and a predominantly Asian cast, and it shows those distinctions with pride, while being wonderful and entertaining.

8 of 10
A

Friday, September 3, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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New "Star Trek" Animated Series Flying to Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios Announce New Animated “Star Trek” Series

The Series Will Be from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment

Share it: @Nickelodeon @NickAnimation #Nickelodeon

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios announced the greenlight of a new animated “Star Trek” series to be developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (“Trollhunters” and “Ninjago”) and overseen for Nickelodeon by Ramsey Naito, EVP, Animation Production and Development, Nickelodeon.

    “Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that’s never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing ‘Trek’ to a younger generation around the world.”

Debuting exclusively on Nickelodeon, the series expands the “Star Trek” universe for a new generation of fans. The new original CG-animated series follows a group of lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and use it to search for adventure, meaning and salvation.

The series will be from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Television Studios’ new animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers alongside Kevin and Dan Hageman. Aaron Baiers will serve as a co-executive producer.

“‘Star Trek’s’ mission is to inspire generations of dreamers to build a brighter future,” said Alex Kurtzman. “Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that’s never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing ‘Trek’ to a younger generation around the world.”

“‘Star Trek,’ Nickelodeon, and the state of animation are doing incredibly ambitious things as of late. We couldn’t be more excited to jump aboard," said Dan and Kevin Hageman.

“Partnering with CBS Television Studios and the creative masterminds behind the ‘Star Trek’ franchise is an incredible opportunity and allows our audience to discover rich characters and new stories,” said Ramsey Naito. “‘Star Trek’ is a franchise loved by generations of fans around the globe, and adding Nickelodeon as home to the next animated series is a perfect fit.”

The animated series is the newest addition to the expanding “Star Trek” television universe. It joins STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, a series of short stories tied to DISCOVERY; the new untitled “Star Trek” series featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard; STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS from Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty”), an animated series targeted at mature audiences; and a new “Star Trek” project based on “Section 31,” which is in development with Michelle Yeoh attached to star. All these projects, except the new Nickelodeon edition, are on the CBS streaming platform CBS All Access in the U.S.

Emmy Award-winning brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman have written and produced some of the biggest animated franchises in film and television. They served as co-executive producers on the Emmy Award-winning series “Trollhunters,” co-created the hit “The LEGO Movie,” wrote and executive produced “LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” and developed the theatrical “The Lego Ninjago Movie.” Additional credits include “Hotel Transylvania” (story creators) and “The Croods 2” (writers), along with the upcoming live-action feature “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (writers).

The new “Star Trek” series is the third animated series from CBS Television Studios, following STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS for CBS All Access and OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT for SHOWTIME.

Claudia Spinelli, VP Animation Development, Nickelodeon, is the executive in charge of the new animated “Star Trek” series for Nickelodeon.


About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

About CBS Television Studios
CBS Television Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming for broadcast, basic and premium cable, and streaming platforms. The Studio’s programming includes the phenomenally successful NCIS franchise; the critically acclaimed STAR TREK: DISCOVERY; MADAM SECRETARY; JANE THE VIRGIN; CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND; the hit dramas SEAL TEAM, FBI, BLUE BLOODS, HAWAII FIVE-0, MACGYVER, MAGNUM P.I., THE CODE, BULL, INSTINCT and ELEMENTARY; the popular comedy series THE NEIGHBORHOOD; MAN WITH A PLAN; FAM; CHARMED, DYNASTY and IN THE DARK for The CW; the summer action-adventure series BLOOD & TREASURE; and “90210,” a revival of “Beverly Hills, 90210” for FOX.

The Studio also produces the Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show THE TALK, as well as the Emmy Award-nominated late night series THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT and THE LATE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN. For CBS All Access, the Studio produces THE GOOD FIGHT; STRANGE ANGEL; the streaming service’s first comedy series, NO ACTIVITY; WHY WOMEN KILL; INTERROGATION; THE TWILIGHT ZONE; and the highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel, THE STAND. Additionally, as part of the expansion of the “Star Trek” universe, the Studio produces STAR TREK: PICARD featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, which marked CBS All Access’ foray into the animation landscape, as well as the untitled “Star Trek” animated series for Nickelodeon. The Studio’s programming also includes series based on popular, viral segments from THE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN, “Carpool Karaoke” for Apple Music and “Drop the Mic” for TBS, as well as “Dead to Me,” “Insatiable” and “Unbelievable” for Netflix. Additionally, the Studio produces the comedy anthology series “The Guest Book” for TBS; OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT and YOUR HONOR for SHOWTIME; DIARY OF A FEMALE PRESIDENT for Disney+ as well as “A Higher Loyalty,” a miniseries based on former FBI Director James Comey’s memoir.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 14th to 20th, 2019 - Update #17

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski ("The Pianist") has sued to be reinstated into the Academy of Motions Pictures Arts and Sciences, the non-profit organization behind the Oscars.  He was expelled in 2018 over the Academy's "standard of conduct."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Two-time Oscar nominee, John Singleton, who is best known for the 1991 film, "Boyz n the Hood," has apparently suffered a stroke.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Clint Eastwood may direct "The Ballad of Richard Jewell."  The late Richard Jewell was a real-life figure, a security guard whose life got turned upside down after media reports identified him as a possible suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing.  Previously, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill were to be greatly involved in this project, but they make be limited to producing it.

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MOVIES - From Variety:   The 72nd Cannes Film Festival has announced its lineup.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Two weeks before production was to begin, Disney has cancelled the "Mouse Guard" film, a motion-capture movie based on the comic book of the same name.  It was being developed by Fox before the Disney merger.

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POLITICS - From Axios:  The 10 episodes of potential Trump obstruction listed in the Mueller report.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Travis Knight ("Bumblebee") has been picked to direct, "Six Billion Dollar Man," a movie based on the classic 1970s television series, "Six Million Dollar Man."  Mark Wahlberg is attached to star in the film.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jennifer Lawrence's next film will be an as-yet untitled drama from director, Lila Neugebauer, who is acclaimed for her work in live theater.

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CULTURE - From Pulitzer:  The 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists have been announced.  The late Aretha Franklin posthumously received the Pulitzer Prize in the category of "Special Awards and Citations," becoming the first individual woman to earn the prize.

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AVATAR - From Newsarama:  Michello Yeoh has been casts in James Cameron's "Avatar" sequel films.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/12 to 4/14/2019 weekend box office is "Shazam" with an estimated take of 25.1 million dollars.

From Patreon:  A review of "Shazam!"

From IndieWire:  Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro's films, "Hellboy" (2004) and "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (2008) were the last films of their kind.  On the weekend when the "Hellboy" reboot apparently flops at the box office, IndieWire offers a look back.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Golfer Tiger Woods has won the 2019 Masters, his first win in one of professional golf's four major tournaments in 11 years.  Overall, it is his 15th win in a major and his fifth win at the Masters.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  CBS renews its TV cop-family drama, "Blue Bloods," for a tenth season.


TRAILERS/VIDEO:

From YouTube:  First teaser trailer for "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker."

From WaltDisney:  This is a page where you can view The Walt Disney Company's Investor Day 2019 webcast.  This video includes information about Disney upcoming streaming service, Disney+.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The novelist, playwright, and poet, Warren Adler, has died at the age of 91, Monday, April 15, 2019.  He wrote 50 novels and a number of them were adapted for film, TV, and the stage.  The best known of those adaptations is probably the 1989 film, "War of the Roses," which starred Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and was directed by Danny DeVito, and was based on Adler's 1981 novel of the same name.

From EW:  The television actress, Georgia Engel, has died at the age of 70, Friday, April 12, 2019.  Known for her soft voice, she rose to fame "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" as the soft-spoken Georgette Franklin.  The five-time Emmy-nominated actress also had a recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond," and she also appeared on "The Betty White Show" and "Hot in Cleveland."

From TheWrap:   The Swedish actress, Bibi Andersson, has died at the age of 83, Sunday, April 14, 2019.  Andersson is best known for her association with legendary Swedish writer-director, Ingmar Bergman.  She appeared in 11 of Bergman's films, including "The Seventh Seal," "Wild Strawberries," and "Persona."

Academy Announces Third Round of Presenters for 91st Oscars

ROUND 3: A DOZEN MORE STARS TAKE OSCARS STAGE

Elsie Fisher, Danai Gurira, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Helen Mirren, John Mulaney, Tyler Perry, Pharrell Williams, Krysten Ritter, Paul Rudd and Michelle Yeoh

Stars continue to line up to present on the Oscars® - the year’s most-watched, live entertainment event - on Sunday, February 24, 2019, announced show producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weiss. The Oscars air live on the ABC Television Network, and is broadcast in more than 225 countries and territories.

“We are excited to welcome these amazing artists and filmmakers to the show,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “They bring excitement, momentum, and elements of surprise to this year’s Oscars.”

Previously announced presenters include: Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Allison Janney, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Amy Poehler, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wu.

Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson.

The 91st Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 13th to 19th, 2019 - Update #27

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TELEVISION - From Variety:  One of the pilots that NBC has ordered is a comedy, "Saving Kenan," starring "Saturday Night Live" veteran, Kenan Thompson."

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PIXAR - From Deadline:  Two-time Oscar-winner, Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 3," "Coco") is leaving Pixar.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix and Shawn Levy are rebooting the true crime/paranormal TV series, "Unsolved Mysteries."  The original series ran for 14 seasons between 1987 and 2010, and the late Robert Stack is the host most associated with the series.

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CELEBRITY - From HuffPost:  Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding son, Joseph Baena, recreates his father's iconic 1976 bodybuilding pose.

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BOX OFFICE - Newsarama:  The winner of the Wednesday, January 16, 2019 daily box office is "Dragon Ball Super: Broly" with an take of just over $7 million.

From BoxOfficeMojo:  The box office chart for Wednesday, January 16, 2019, the day "Dragon Ball Super: Broly."

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COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson challenges Chris Hemsworth to a Marvel Studios/"Fast & Furious" crossover film.

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MUSIC - From Variety:  Sony Music has parted ways with controversial R&B recording artist, R. Kelly, who has been dogged by sexual misconduct allegations for the past two decades plus.  Kelly's catalog/back list will remain with Sony/RCA.

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OSCARS - From Variety:  Kristopher Tapley offers his final Oscar nominations predictions ahead of the Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019 announced of the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  The J.R.R. Tolkien biographical film, "Tolkien," is set for release May 10, 2019.  Nicholas Hoult will play Tolkien, the creator of "The Lord of the Rings."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lionsgate and Hasbro's film based on the game, "Monopoly," will star Kevin Hart and be directed by Tim Story, who directed Hart in the "Ride Along" films.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  The race to win J.J. Abrams and his "Bad Robot" company may be close to an end.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Jason Reitman reportedly will direct the next installment of the "Ghostbusters" franchise, this one set in the "original universe" of the 1983 and 1989 films.

From Newsarama:  Jason Reitman's "secret Ghostbusters" project already has a teaser trailer.  Reitman's father, Ivan Reitman, who directed the original 1980s "Ghostbusters" films, will produce the new film (which is set for 2020), which is apparently set in the "original universe" of films.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  2019 USC Libraries Scripter Award nominations have been announced.  "Black Panther" is one of the nominees.

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TECH - From Wired:  MacKenzie Bezos and the Myth of the Lone Genius Founder

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MOVIES - From THR:  Jon Bernthal ("The Punisher") and Vera Farmiga ("The Conjuring") joins "The Sopranos" prequel, "The Many Saints of Newark."

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Director David Cronenberg is prepping a sequel to his most excellent 2007 film, "Eastern Promises," with star Viggo Mortensen returning.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  HBO is rebooting the classic TV series, "Perry Mason," and have tapped Matthew Rhys ("The Americans") to play Mason.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Liza Minnelli giver a rare endorsement of the biographical musical about her mother, Judy Garland, entitled "Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz."  Of course you know that Garland was Minnelli's mother.

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STAR TREK - From Deadline:   "Star Trek: Discovery's" Philippa Georgiou (played by actor Michelle Yeoh) is getting her own "Star Trek" TV spin-off.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 1/11 to 1/13/2019 weekend box office is "The Upside" with an estimated box office haul of $19.59 million.

From Variety:  "Bumblebee" leads the international box office with a $35.6 million.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  HBO announces that April 14, 2019 will be the premiere date for first episode of the eighth and final season of "Game of Thrones."

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AWARDS - From Variety:  The winners of the 24th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Roma" wins "best picture" and "best director" awards.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow") is set to direct Eddie Murphy in "Coming to America 2,"  Brewer just completed "Dolemite is My Name," which also stars Murphy.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Tony Mendez, the CIA officer portrayed by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning best picture, "Argo," has died at the age of 78, Saturday, January 19, 2019.

From People:  Iconic Broadway star, Carol Channing, has died at the age of 97, Tuesday, January 15, 2019.  Channing is known for her role in iconic Broadway musicals, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Hello, Dolly!" (for which she won a Tony Award).  She received an Oscar nomination for her role in the film, "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

From Variety:  Filmmaker and choreographer, Jo Andres, died at the age of 64, Monday, January 7, 2019.  Andres, who was married to acclaimed actor Steve Buscemi for 31 years, choreographed actor Stanley Tucci's directorial effort, "The Imposters" (1998) and directed the film, "Black Kites" (1996).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 10th, 2018 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Chris McKay, the director of "The LEGO Batman Movie," is attached to the live-action film version of classic animated TV franchise, "Jonny Quest."

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STAR TREK - From Deadline:  Michelle Yeoh is in talks to reprise her role in "Star Trek Discovery," Captain Emperor Georgiou, for another "Star Trek" spinoff for the streaming service, CBS All Access.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Al Pacino and Meadow Williams will headline "Axis Sally," based on the true story of a woman who becomes the unwitting voice of Nazi propaganda against American troops during WWII.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  David Simon's ("The Wire") planned miniseries adaptation of Philip Roth's novel, "The Plot Against America," lands at HBO.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  John Boyega ("Star Wars") and Letitia Wright ("Black Panther") to star in Mark Cahill's sci-fi film, "Hold Back the Stars," which is based on Katie Khan's novel.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix adds to its animation slate with five new anime series, including one based on "Pacific Rim."

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TELEVISION - From IndieWire:  Cary Fukanaga and David Lowery are reportedly developing a TV series based on Joe Dante's 1985 film, "Explorers."

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ANIMATION - From ThePlaylist:  DreamWorks Animation has hired Chris Meledandri ("Despicable Me") to reboot its "Shrek" franchise.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Andrew Lincoln will appear in multiple "The Walking Dead" movies for AMC.  Lincoln, who plays lead character, Rick Grimes, exited the long-running "The Walking Dead" TV series in the episode originally broadcast Nov. 4th, 2018.

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TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  You can enjoy, "Me, Cheetah," the Tarzan drama from the BBC starring John Malkovich and Julian Sands.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  The film adaptation of the former HBO TV series, "Deadwood," has begun production.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 11/2 to 11/4/2018 weekend box office is "Bohemian Rhapsody" with an estimated take of $50 million.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Director Fede Alvarez says the sequel to his hit film "Don't Breathe" will happen before the sequel to his (awful) hit film, the 2013 "Evil Dead" reboot.

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COMICS-FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  For its worth, early test screenings of the "Hellboy" reboot, which is due in theaters April 12, 2019, are yielding poor responses.

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CELEBRITY - From Variety:  J.J. Abrams seeing a mega-deal with one film studio.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Ana Navarro joins ABC's talk show, "The View" as a co-host.

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AVATAR - From TheWrap:  The titles for the four "Avatar" sequels have been leaked.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Producers Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones are working on a remake of their 1985 film, "The Color Purple," which was adapted from Alice Walker's fan-fucking-tastic novel of the same name.

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SPORTS - From Variety:  Granity, Kobe Bryant's studio, announces a slate of sports-theme projects across multiple platforms.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  NBA Champion and MVP Stephen "Steph" Curry and Oscar-winner Viola Davis join the documentary "Emanuel," as executive producers.  The doc will chronicles the 2015 massacre of African-American church members by a white supremacist.  Julius Tennon is also an executive producer.

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AWARDS - From Newsarama:  The "22nd Hollywood Film Awards" has given the "Hollywood Film Award" to Marvel's blockbuster, "Black Panther," and the "Hollywood Animation Award" to "Incredibles 2."

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MOVIES - From EW:  Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are apparently saying that "Bad Boys 3" is officially a go.  The original "Bad Boys" debuted in 1995, with the sequel, "Bad Boys 2," hitting theaters in 2003.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Ridley Scott has begun developing "Gladiator 2."  This would be the sequel to Scott's 2000 film, "Gladiator," which won the "Best Picture" Oscar for the year 2000.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Legendary special visual effects and make-up artist, Rick Baker, talks about working on Michael Jackson's music video, "Thriller," on its 35th anniversary.  He also talks about his other career highlights.

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  A list of great movie projects never made, including a film adaptation of the "The Heart of Darkness," by Orson Welles.

Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" Reaches New Heights

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Running time:  136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content
DIRECTOR:  James Gunn
WRITERS:  James Gunn (based on the comic book created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Henry Braham (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Fred Raskin and Craig Wood
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sylvester Stallone, Stan Lee, Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 science fiction-action film and adventure comedy.  It is written and directed by James Gunn and is produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics title, Guardians of the Galaxy (2008), which was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and is a sequel to the 2014 film, Guardians of the Galaxy.  This second film finds the Guardians of the Galaxy trying to unravel the mystery of the origins of one of their own while evading an unhappy client intent on killing them.

In 2014, Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), Baby Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) are renowned throughout the galaxy as the Guardians of the Galaxy.  They have been hired by Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), the leader of the Sovereign race, to stop a monster from stealing valuable batteries from the Sovereign world.  That mission is successful, but also goes slightly awry, making the Guardians targets for destruction.

While on the run, the Guardians meet a mysterious man, who calls himself Ego (Kurt Russell), and his assistant, Mantis (Pom Klementieff).  Ego claims that he is Peter Quill's father, and he takes Peter, Gamora, and Drax with him to his home world.  Rocket and Baby Groot find themselves stuck with Gamora's vengeful sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan).  Things get worse when Peter's surrogate father and Ravager leader, Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker), shows up to claim a bounty on the Guardians.  Meanwhile, on Ego's planet, Gamora begins to suspect that there is something ominous about Peter's alleged biological father.

The original Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the surprise hits of 2014, if not the surprise hit of the year.  Although I was interested in a sequel to the film, I could not imagine what a Guardians of the Galaxy 2 would like.  What we gets is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, a fun sci-fi action movie and a surprisingly thoughtful character melodrama.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the acting is really good; the special effects are impressive; the CGI-created environments, backdrops, sets (interiors and exteriors), spaceways, worlds, etc. are so dazzling in scope, color, and imagination.  The songs on the soundtrack are just the inspired choices they were for the first film.  The make-up and costumes are worthy of receiving Oscar nominations next year.

But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 turns on the inventive and reflective storytelling of writer-director James Gunn.  I thought that Gunn might be a potentially top-notch filmmaker when I saw his film Slither (2006), one of the few horror movies that is genuinely scary while also being droll and witty.  And I have to admit that I also liked Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), for which Gunn was the credited screenwriter, so that was also a point in his favor.

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Gunn delivers his best screenplay.  He takes what could have been a silly, frivolous, and mildly entertaining sequel to a surprising outer space, action-adventure film (the original Guardians of the Galaxy), and instead, delivers a shockingly moving rumination on what a family is, what it can be, and what forms it may take.  Vol. 2 says that family members fight and yell at each other because they care so damn much about one another – even if each individual in the family is loathed to admit how much he cares about another family member and how much she cares about the family as a group.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is just as wild and entertaining and out-there as the first movie.  It is a science fiction/space fantasy pop confection with the delightful fizz of the first film.  However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is not just a follow-up to a hit film, nor is it just the next installment in a franchise.  It is an evolution or at least it is evidence that this franchise can grow, and James Gunn is the guy with the notion that he could really, really improve on the original with a film that engages the characters – both the leads and the supporting players – in character drama and character development.  I honestly wonder if Gunn can top himself in a third Guardians movie.

9 of 10
A+

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


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

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