[“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”]
Friday, June 23, 2023
Review: Miller, Keaton Speed "THE FLASH" Forward
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 20th to 26th, 2022 - Update #22
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
MOVIES - From Deadline: A24's recent horror film, "X," could be a budding horror movie franchise. A prequel film is apparently already close to being finished and preparations are being made for a sequel.
STAR TREK - From Variety: Actress Ito Aghayere talks about playing "Young Guinan" on the Paramount+ series, "Star Trek: Picard." "Guinan" is the classic "Star Trek: The Next Generation" character originally played by Oscar-winner, Whoopi Goldberg.
MOVIES - From People: Here are the first look photos of Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage as "Dracula" in Universal Pictures' horror-comedy, "Renfield," in which Nicholas Hoult plays the title role.
BROADWAY - From Deadline: A Broadway musical is being developed based on the 1983 film, "Trading Places." Aneesa Folds will play Eddie Murphy's role, and Bryce Pinkham will play Dan Aykroyd's role.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: The CW has given early renewals to 7 of its 19 scripted dramas. Owners Warner Media and ViacomCBS has put The CW up for sale, with Nexstar being among the suitors.
STREAMING - From Deadline: HBO Max's "Sex in the City" sequel, "And Just Like That..." has been renewed for a second season.
NETFLIX - From Deadline: Actress Christina Ricci, who played "Wednesday Addams," in two 1990s "Addams Family" films directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, will play a major role in Netflix's series, "Wednesday." The nature of her role is still a secret. Jenna Ortega will play Wednesday in the series.
OSCARS - From Deadline: At the 94th Academy Awards, Beyonce will indeed perform her Oscar-nominated song, "Be Alive" (from "King Richard" and co-written with DIXSON) via satellite from a Compton tennis court.
From Variety: Beyonce is in talks to perform her Oscar-nominated song, "Be Alive" (from "King Richard") live from the tennis courts in Compton, California during the 94th Academy Awards. The film focuses on Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends, Venus and Serena Williams, who learned to play tennis on those courts with Richard as their coach.
MOVIES - From Variety: The sequel to the 2021 hit, "Godzilla vs. Kong," will start filming in Australia later this year.
OSCARS - From BBC: The BBC's website has produced a video that presents all the "Best Picture" nominees for the 94th Academy Awards in 59 seconds.
CELEBRITY - From Variety: This year's "Rase to Erase MS" gala will return to Fairmont Century Plaza hotel on May 20th and will feature music by "Nile Rogers & Chic" and a Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive fashion show.
MOVIES - From ShadowandAct: Marvel Cinematic Universe star and New Orleans native Anthony Mackie has reportedly bought 20 acres in New Orleans East where he plans to start a movie studio. However, Mackie has reportedly officially said that it was too premature to discuss specifics of the deal.
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 3/18 to 3/20/2022 weekend box office is "The Batman" with an estimated 36.8 million dollars.
From Here: Negromancer's review of "The Batman."
STAR TREK - From TheGuardian: Georgia gubernatorial candidate and voting rights champion, Stacey Abrams, made a cameo as "President of United Earth" on the Season 4 finale of "Star Trek: Discovery" (Paramount+). Some people were mad...
TELEVISION - From Deadline: The daytime syndicated talk show "Maury" will be ending after the current season, apparently a mutual decision between the host, Maury Povich, and NBCUniversal Syndication Studios. Povich is reportedly retiring. The last original episodes will air through September 2022, after which repeats of the show will continue to air in syndication
AWARDS - From Deadline: "CODA" wins the top award, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures," at the 2022 / 33rd Producers Guild Awards.
AVATAR - From Variety: "Avatar 2" star Zoe Saldana said that after watching 20 minutes of the film, she cried.
CANNES - From Deadline: Not only will "Top Gun: Maverick" make its premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, but its star Tom Cruise will also feted with a "career retrospective" special tribute.
OBITS:
From RollingStone: Singer-songwriter and rock musician, Taylor Hawkins, has died at the age of 50, Friday, March 25, 2022 in a hotel 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 CNN: American diplomat and former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has died at the age of 84, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. Albright was the first female U.S. Secretary of State, serving from 1997 to 2001, during President Bill Clinton's second term, the 64th Secretary of State. She was also the 20th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1993-97). Albright was born in Czechoslovakia and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1948.
-------------------
94TH ACADEMY AWARDS:
From Deadline: With his "Best Actor" nomination for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor is Oscar history. He has been nominated in two acting categories a total of 10 times with two wins total.
From Variety: With her "Best Director" Oscar nomination for "The Power of the Dog," Jane Campion becomes the first woman nominated twice in that category. She was previously nominated in that category for "The Piano" (1993).
From Variety: With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.
-----------------------
MOVIE AWARDS:From Variety: The Directors Guild of America's 2022 74th annual DGA Awards were held on Sat., March 12th. Jane Campion won the top prize "Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Film" for directing "The Power of the Dog." She is the third woman to win the award and the second to have been nominated twice.
From Variety: The winners at the 2022 / 49th annual Annie Awards were announced, Sat. Mar. 12th. Netflix's "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" was named "Best Feature."
From Variety: Here is a complete list of winners at 2022 / 53rd NAACP Image Awards in the film, television and music categories. Jennifer Hudson was named "Entertainer of the Year."
From Deadline: The 2022 / 9th annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards were announced. The Amazon film, "Coming 2 America" (the sequel to the 1988 film, "Coming to America"), led with three wins.
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."
---------------------------------
Friday, December 10, 2021
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 11th, 2021 - Update #30
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
HARRY POTTER - From Deadline: HBO Max released the first image of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint reunited for the "Harry Potter" 20th anniversary special, "Return to Hogwarts."
TELEVISION - From Variety: According to sources, HBO is developing a reboot of its acclaimed TV series, "Six Feet Under" (2001-05).
BLM - From HuffPost: "I'm Black But Look White. Here Are The Horrible Things White People Feel Safe Telling Me." by Miriam Zinter. “There is a strategic force dedicated to segregation and racism,” Zinter says.
SCANDAL - From THR: Former "Empire" actor, Jussie Smollett, has been convicted on five of the six charges he faced because of an alleged hoax he staged three years ago.
TYLER PERRY - From Deadline: BET is expanding its Tyler Perry originals slate with the greenlight of "Zatima," a spinoff series of "Sistas," on BET+. The 10-episode hour-long series will see Devale Ellis and Crystal Renee Hayslett reprise their roles as "Zac" and "Fatima," respectively.
CELEBRITY - From THR: Jennifer Aniston talks about the "Friends" reunion, her career, upcoming projects, and life.
AWARDS - From Deadline: Disney/Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" was chose "The Movie of 2021" at the "2021 People's Choice Awards." Halle Berry also accepted "The People's Icon" award.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Jordan Peele's screenplay for "Get Out" just topped the Writers Guild of America's list of "101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (So Far)."
TELEVISION - From Deadline: AMC has renewed "Fear the Walking Dead" for an eighth season. Actress Kim Dickens, a regular on Seasons 1 to 4," will return as a series regular in Season 8 after appearing in the current Season 7.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Dave Bautista ("Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3) is in negotiations to star in writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's secret project, "Knock at the Door."
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Sylvester Stallone is in negotiations to star in and exec produce "Kansas City," a drama series from Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter for Paramount+. It will be Stallone's first major foray into television.
MOVIE NEWS - From THR: Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" has been banned from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, likely because the film has a transgender character.
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 12/3 to 12/5/2021 weekend box office is Disney's "Encanto" with an estimated gross of 12.7 million dollars.
SPIDER-MAN - From Variety: CCXP Worlds 21 (Brazil Comic Con), Sony Pictures Animation debuts a two-minute "first look" teaser for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)," which is due in theaters October 7, 2022. A sequel to the Oscar-winning hit, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," the teaser features eye-popping graphics.
BREAKING NEWS - From Deadline: CNN said today that anchor Chris Cuomo, host of the network's "Cuomo Prime Time" political talk show, has been “terminated” by the network, “effective immediately.” The move comes as an outside law firm was retained to discover how much Cuomo aided his brother, former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, when he faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
NETFLIX - From Deadline: Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has signed a multi-picture deal with Netflix in the wake of her directorial debut, "Bruised," which is a massive hit on Netflix.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage will play "Dracula" in Universal Pictures film about the count's henchman, entitled "Renfield." Nicholas Hoult will play Renfield."
ANIMATION/NETFLIX - From IGN: The animated virtual band, Gorillaz, is getting a full-length animated film from Netflix, confirms the band's co-creator Damon Albarn.
MOVIES - From TheAVClub: The site has a list of movies coming out to theaters or streaming for the month of December 2021.
AWARDS:
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."
-------------------
OBITS:
From Deadline: American musician and songwriter, Michael Nesmith, has died at the age of 78, Friday, December 10, 2021. Nesmith was best known for being the wool-capped singer and guitarist of the pop-rock band, "The Monkees" and for also being one of the stars of "The Monkees" television series that ran from 1966 to 1968 on NBC. In 1981, Nesmith also won the first Grammy Award given for "Video of the Year," which he won for his hour-long television show, "Elephant Parts."
From Deadline: American film producer, Martha De Laurentiis, has died at the age of 67, Saturday, December 2012. She was the wife of the legendary Italian-born American film producer, the late Dino De Laurentiis. Until 1995, she was known by her birth name, Martha Schumacher. She produced such film as "Silver Bullet" (1995), "Breakdown" (1997), "U-571" (2000), and "Hannibal" (2001), to name a few.
From Deadline: Former U.S. Senator, Republican from Kansas (1969-96), Bob Dole, has died at the age of 98, Sunday, December 5, 2021. Dole ran for president in 1988, losing the nomination to eventual President George H.W. Bush, and in 1996, when he won the Republican nomination before losing to President Bill Clinton.
From Variety: American actor and stuntman, Tommy Lane, has died at the age of 83, Tuesday, November 30, 2021. He played the villain, "Adam," in the 1973 James Bond film, "Live and Let Die." he was both an actor and a stuntman in the 1971 film, "Shaft." Lane was also a jazz musician.
---------------------------------------
"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Review: "SPIDER-MAN: Into the Spider-Verse" is One of the Greatest Superhero Films
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language
DIRECTORS: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
WRITERS: Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman; from a story by Phil Lord (based upon the Spider-Man character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and the Mile Morales character created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli)
PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and Christina Steinberg
EDITOR: Robert Fisher Jr.
COMPOSER: Daniel Pemberton
Academy Award winner
ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY
Starring: (voices) Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Bryan Tyree Hill, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kumiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Natalie Morales, and Stan Lee
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a 2018 computer-animated superhero film from Sony Pictures. It was developed by the filmmaking duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the writer-directors of the animated films, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and The Lego Movie (2014), and the live-action films, 21 Jump Street (2012) and the sequel, 22 Jump Street (2014).
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse focuses on the Marvel Comics' character, Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teenager. Miles takes on the Spider-Man identity when he gains spider-like powers after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, similar to the way the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker, gained his special abilities and powers. The film follows Miles as he becomes the Spider-Man of his reality and joins versions of Spider-Man (Spider-People) from other dimensions in order to stop a threat to all reality, the multiverse that is know as the “Spider-Verse.”
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenager who is a fan of Spider-Man. As the story begins, Miles is dealing with the fact that he must attend an elite boarding school, Brooklyn Visions Academy. Although he would prefer to remain in public school, Miles must accept the decision of his parents, his mother Rio Morales (Luna Lauren Velez), a nurse, and his father, Jefferson Davis (Bryan Tyree Hill), a police officer.
Miles also has a shady uncle, his father's brother, Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali), whom Miles visits for advice a curious girl he meets at his new school. Aaron encourages Miles' passion for graffiti and takes him to an abandoned subway station where he can paint and draw. It is there that a genetically-altered spider bites Miles, causing him to develop powers similar to his hero, Spider-Man. Miles meets his hero and learns that Spider-Man is trying to stop Wilson Fisk a.k.a. “The Kingpin” (Liev Schreiber) from using a device that will give him access to parallel universes. Now, Miles must join Spider-Man types from across the Spider-Verse to stop The Kingpin's activities from destroying all of reality.
I could talk all day about how great Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is, but I want to be more self-aware than The Kingpin is. I will focus on two stand-out elements in this film. First is Shameik Moore, who is great in his voice role, bringing to life a Miles Morales that is lovable and is as ground-breaking as he was in the comic books. Moore's performance personifies the dominate theme of this film, that the novice hero grows into the role of being a mature hero, which is especially true in the case of Spider-Man. Moore's performance also captures the one thing that has made Spider-Man popular worldwide, practically since he debut. Because of the kind of superhero costume Spider-Man wears, anyone can be behind the mask, including an Afro-Latino teen and even a teen girl. Moore and the filmmakers perfectly encapsulate the truth that Spider-Man is an every-man hero.
The second thing about this film I want to highlight is its fantastic animation, eye-popping visuals, and breath-taking graphic design. The film combines the in-house computer animation of Sony Pictures Imageworks with traditional hand-drawn comic book techniques, much of it inspired by the work of Miles Morales's co-creator, artist Sara Pichelli (who created the character with writer Brian Michael Bendis) and artist Robbi Rodriguez, co-creator of Spider-Gwen/Spider-Woman. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse blends 3D computer animation with the 2D sensibilities of comic book graphics, graffiti, collage, mixed media, and street art to create the visual look for the film that is thoroughly modern, but also reflects the visuals and graphics of 1960s Marvel Comics titles, especially the quintessential Spider-comic, The Amazing Spider-Man.
Apparently, 2D artists took the renderings of 3D computer-animators and drew on top of those renderings various comic book drawing techniques, including line work, dots, and painting. The combination of 2D and 3D makes much of the film look like a series of comic book panels, so there are times that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is like a comic book-in-motion. It becomes a living, breathing comic book, pulsating with static-electric life.
Isn't it obvious that I love me some Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse? It is the best Spider-Man film to date, and the second best comic book movie of the year, behind Black Panther. I hope that adult audiences that generally avoid animated films don't avoid Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It is much better than the vast majority of comic book and action films that they have seen over the last decade. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a triumph, and it could be a game-changer.
A+
9 out of 10
Sunday, December 16, 2018; Edited: Monday, February 25, 2019
NOTES:
2019 Academy Awards, USA: 1 win: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller)
2019 Golden Globes, USA: 1 win: “Best Motion Picture – Animated”
2019 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Animated Featured Film” (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, and Phil Lord)
The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
-----------------------
Monday, March 4, 2019
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" Arrives on Blu-ray/DVD March 19th
With Over 90 Minutes of Special Features Including a Never-Before-Seen SPIDER-HAM Short, Alternate Universe Mode and much more!
In Theaters Now and Swung Home onto Digital February 26, 2019, On 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on March 19, 2019
"The year’s best animated movie." ~ Brian Truitt, USA TODAY
Academy Award® Winner for Best Animated Feature Film
Golden Globe® Winner for Best Animated Feature Film
Critics' Choice® Winner for Best Animated Feature Film
Winner of Seven Annie® Awards Including Best Animated Feature
CULVER CITY, Calif. (February 18, 2019) – The Academy Award® Winner for "Best Animated Feature Film," SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, swung onto Digital February 26, 2019 and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD on March 19, 2019 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Animation. From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the uniquely creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, the film offers a fresh vision of the Spider-Man universe with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind.
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, a film that has grossed over $350 million in theaters worldwide to date, introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the iconic mask. "One of the most rewarding experiences in recent months has been to hear that children are telling their parents that they see themselves in Miles, or that they want to grow up to be like Spider-Gwen, anyone can be a hero. Thats why we made this film, and we hope that feeling of empowerment is something that both audiences young and old can take away," say Directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman.
The out-of-this-world voice cast includes Shameik Moore as Miles Morales alongside Jake Johnson ("New Girl") as Peter B. Parker, Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee) as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen, Mahershala Ali (Green Book) as Miles’ Uncle Aaron, Brian Tyree Henry ("Atlanta") as Jefferson Davis, Lily Tomlin ("Grace and Frankie") as Aunt May, Luna Lauren Velez ("How To Get Away with Murder") as Rio Morales, Zoë Kravitz ("Big Little Lies") as Mary Jane, John Mulaney ("Big Mouth") as Spider-Ham, with Nicholas Cage (The Croods) as Spider-Man Noir, Kathryn Hahn (Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation) as Doc Ock and Liev Schreiber ("Ray Donovan") as the villain Kingpin.
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE arrives filled with engaging bonus materials that are fun for the whole family and give fans even more of the unique comic book style action that they loved in theaters with over 90 minutes of bonus content. In his very own original short, Spider-Ham: Caught In a Ham, fan favorite Spider-Ham defeats his greatest foe, delivers sidesplitting puns, and get sucked into another dimension! It actually can get weirder! Don’t miss the thrilling Alternate Universe Mode where fans can view the film in an entirely new way to discover alternate scenes, plotlines, characters, and more with the filmmakers as their guide. Also included is The Spider-Verse Super-Fan Easter Egg Challenge, where fans are challenged to find every single Easter Egg hidden within the Spider-Verse (and there are a lot of them!). Explore the character design in the visually stunning film including specific looks at the now-iconic Spider-Ham character as well as the classic villains who inhabit the Spider-Verse. Additional special features include a celebration of the diversity in the film and the idea that anyone can wear the mask in a feature called We Are Spider-Man, a featurette called Spider-Verse: A New Dimension, where fans can hear from the artists and filmmakers who pushed the boundaries of the comic book artform to create a visual experience unlike anything done in animation before, a showcase of all the amazing fan favorite characters featured in the Spider-Verse and the actors who bring them to life, and a touching tribute to comic legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, who originally created the Spider-Man character. Other bonus materials include two lyric videos featuring "Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee and "Familia" by Nicki Minaj and Anuel AA (feat. Bantu).
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE is directed by Bob Persichetti (The Little Prince), Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians) and Rodney Rothman (22 Jump Street), and screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman from a story by Lord. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Chistopher Miller, and Chrstina Steinberg. The executive producers are the late Stan Lee, Brian Michael Bendis, and Will Allegra.
Bonus Materials Include:
• We Are Spider-Man: Exploring and celebrating one of the key themes of the film, We Are Spider-Man takes a deep dive into the diversity of the characters and aspirational core that any person from any gender or cultural background can wear the mask.
• Spider-Verse: A New Dimension: With a stunning visual style and state of the art animation designed to take the viewer into the pages of a comic, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is not only a love letter to comic books but a groundbreaking take on the super hero genre. Hear from the artists and filmmakers who pushed the boundaries of the artform as they discuss their journey.
• The Ultimate Comics Cast: Enjoy this showcase of all of the fan favorite characters featured in the Spider-Verse and the spectacular cast who were chosen to bring them to life.
• A Tribute to Stan Lee & Steve Ditko: Celebrate the amazing legacy and powerful spirit of the creators of Spider-Man.
• The Spider-Verse Super-Fan Easter Egg Challenge: The Spider-Verse is loaded with Easter Eggs, from cameos to comics references. Fans are challenged to find them all!
• Designing Cinematic Comics Characters: A breakdown of all aspects of the character design including costume, movement in animation, and distinct powers for each character.
o Heroes & Hams: Meet the amazing Spider-people of the Spider-Verse.
o Scorpions and Scoundrels: Explore the classic villains who wreak havoc on the Spider-Verse.
• Alternate Universe Mode: In this all-new viewing experience, discover alternate scenes, plotlines, characters, and more with the filmmakers as your guide.
• 2 Lyric Videos
o "Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee
o "Familia" by Nicki Minaj & Anuel AA (feat. Bantu)
• All-New Original Short "Spider-Ham: Caught In a Ham" It’s another normal day for Peter Porker, a.k.a. the Spectacular Spider-Ham, fighting bad guys and loving hot dogs, until a mysterious portal starts messing with the very fabric of his cartoon reality.
4K Ultra HD Disc Includes:
• Feature film presented with High Dynamic Range and Dolby Atmos sound
• Also includes the film and special features on the included high-def Blu-ray
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE has a run time of approximately 117 minutes and is rated PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group includes film labels Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com.
----------------------
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 20th to 26th, 2019 - Update #26
DISNEY - From SideshowToys: 10 Disney movies for 2019, including "Captain Marvel," "Dumbo," and "Avengers: Endgame."
-----------
CELEBRITY - From Deadline: The cause of death of comedian, Kevin Barnett, who died Tuesday, Jan. 22nd, 2019 in Mexico, is "Non Traumatic Hemorrhage, caused by pancreatitis." The stand-up comedian was the co-creator of FOX Network's sitcom, "Rel."
From YahooEntertainment: The cause of the death of Kim Porter, the actress and model who had three kids with Sean "Diddy" Combs, is "lobar pneumonia." Porter died Nov. 15th, 2018, and she was 47 years old at the time.
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: Netflix and Constantin Film are developing a "Resident Evil" TV series. That series will apparently expand the "existing mythology ."
From Deadline: Netflix has obtained Ron Howard's film, "Hillbilly Elegy" (based on J.D. Vance's bestselling book).
----------
MOVIE - From Deadline: Warner Bros. has scheduled Christopher Nolan's next film for releases July 17, 2020. The subject matter of the unnamed film is not known.
-----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety: Actor Matt Smith of "Doctor Who" has reportedly joined Sony's "Morbius" film, starring Jared Leto. Morbius is a vampire and a Spider-Man villian.
----------
MOVIES-SCANDAL - From Newsarama: Despite new sexual abuse of underage boys allegations levied against him, Bryan Singer is still scheduled to direct Millennium Film's "Red Sonja" film.
-----------
MOVIES - From Collider: Nicolas Cage will star in an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's story, "Color Out of Space."
----------
SCANDAL - From Deadline: In expose by "The Atlantic" magazines, director Bryan Singer ("Bohemian Rhapsody," "X-Men") is hit with more sexual abuse allegations involving underage boys.
From Deadline: Director Bryan singer responds to "The Atlantic," calling it a "homophic smear piece..."
----------
COMICS-STREAMING - From Deadline: Sandra Bullock is part of the team developing Mark Millar and Greg Capullo's comic book, "Reborn," for Netflix.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Actor Michael Gandolfini will play a young Tony Soprano in David Chase's in "The Many Saints of Newark," a prequel to Chase's "The Sopranos" TV series. Michael's late father, James Gandolfini, played Tony Soprano in "The Sopranos."
----------
OSCARS - From Deadline: The 2019 / 91st Academy Award nominations have been announced. "Roma" and "The Favourite" lead with 10 nominations each. "Black Panther" received 7 nominations, including a "best picture" nod.
From TheNewYorker: "The Dismaying 2019 Oscar Nominations—and Who Should Have Made the List" by Richard Brody
From BleedingCool: Concerning his first Oscar nomination (in the "best supporting actor" category) after 50 years of acting, Sam Elliot ("A Star is Born") says, "It's about fucking time!"
----------------------------------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 1/18 - 1/20/2019 weekend box office is "Glass" with an estimated take of $40.58 million.
From Variety: "Glass" leads the international box office with an estimated take of $48.5 million.
----------
POLITICS - From Deadline: U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (Democrat-California) announces that she is running for President of the United States.
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Edgar Wright says that a first draft of a screenplay for "Baby Driver 6" exists.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From CNBC: Superhero movies are in for a major shakeup in 2019
----------
STREAMING - From Deadline: "The X-Files'" Gillian Anderson is joining Netflix's "The Crown" in the role of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
----------
OSCARS - From GoldDerby: Paul Sheehan offers his Oscar predictions ahead of the nominations announcement Tuesday morning, Jan 22nd.
----------
AWARDS - From Deadline: "Green Book" tops the 2019 Producers Guild Awards, winning the Producers Guild version of a "best picture" prize.
----------
OSCARS - From Deadline: "BlackKklansman" producer Jason Blue says that it is "Spike Lee's time" if Oscar voters do the right thing.
OBIT:
From THR: Veteran film and television director, James Frawley, has died at the age of 82, Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Over his five-decade career, Frawley directed episodes of "Perry Mason," "The Outer Limits," and "Gunsmoke," and he directed "The Muppet Movie" (1979). Frawley is probably best known for being a key figure in the development of "The Monkees" TV series. Frawley also directed 28 of the series' 58 episodes.
From TheWrap: The comedy writer and stand-up comedian, Kevin Barnett, has died at the age of 32, Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Barnett co-created the Fox sitcom, "Rel."
From Variety: Film producer Andrew Vajna has died at the age of 74, Sunday, January 20, 2019. In 1976, he co-founded Carolco with Mario Kassar. Vajna produced such films as "Nixon" and "Evita," but he was known for the numerous film on which he was an executive producer. Among the best known are the first three "Rambo" films (including 1982's "First Blood"); "Angel Heart," "Total Recall," "Tombstone," and "Judge Dredd," to name a few.
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 7th, 2018 - Update #15
TELEVISION - From BleedingCool: Don Mancini thanks fans for supporting a TV series based on the "Child's Play" film. MGM is moving ahead of a reboot of the film series without the involvement of Mancini and "Chucky" film series producer, David Kirschner.
----------
LGBTQ - From HarpersBizarre: Scarlett Johansson Faces Major Backlash for Being Cast as a Trans Man in a New Movie
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: The "Gundam" giant-robot franchise is getting a live action movie.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Idris Elba will play the villain in Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham's "Fast & Furious" spinoff, "Hobbs and Shaw."
----------
COMICS-FILM - From SlashFilm: Nicolas Cage joins voice cast of Sony's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."
----------
MOVIES - From JoBlo: The prequel film to the television series, "The Soprano's" (HBO), has a director, Alan Taylor.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Miles Teller will play "Goose's" son in the Top Gun sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick."
----------
SPORTS - From ESPN: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is one of several highly-successful entertainers and athletes helping the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers rebuild their winning culture.
----------
DISNEY - From TechCrunch: Disney Imagineering has created autonomous robot stunt doubles
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 6/29 to 7/1/2018 weekend box office is "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" with an estimated take of $60 million.
----------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: July 1st in "Bobby Bonilla Day."
----------
CULTURE - From Jacobin: "The Rise of Bullshit Jobs." Comes with definition of "bullshit jobs" which are different from "shit jobs."
----------
MOVIES - From VanityFair: Michael Moore talks about his upcoming President Trump documentary, "Fahrenheit 11/9."
From TheDailyBeast: Another piece about Moore's "Fahrenheit 11/9." Michael Moore says, "We Have to ‘Put Our Bodies on the Line’ to Stop Trump."
OBITS:
From Variety: The cartoonist and comic book writer-artist Steve Ditko died at the age of 90, sometime in late June. His death just came to light today, Friday, July 6th, 2018. Ditko is best known for co-creating Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with comic book writer-editor, Stan Lee.
From Deadline: Former MSNBC host, Ed Schultz, died at the age of 64, Thursday, July 5, 2018. He was currently working for RT America.