Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 15th to 21st, 2021 - Update #18

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Free Guy" looks to repeat as weekend box office champ, while "Paw Patrol" looks to make a strong debut. 

TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's series about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers loses actor Bo Burnham, who was to play NBA great Larry Bird, but gains five more cast members, including Sean Patrick Small as Burnham's replacement to play Bird.

STAR TREK - From Deadline:   Roddenberry Entertainment is quietly working on a biographical film about the late Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek" and a television writer-producer whose career spanned decades.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Variety:  Actor Anthony Mackie has reportedly signed a deal to star in "Captain America 4."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The BBC and Miramax are developing a television series based on Michael Ondaatje's novel, "The English Patient."  The novel was previously adapted by the late Anthony Minghella into a 1996 film that won nine Oscars, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director."

MEDIA - From Deadline:  Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions expands with multiple promotions across the company.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Spencer," the film starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, will hit theaters November 5th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   AMC Networks has set fall premiere dates for new and returning series across its AMC, AMC+, Acorn TV, AllBlk, BBC America, Shudder, Sundance Now, SundanceTV and WeTV.  Newly revealed dates include the new seasons of "Doctor Who" and "Creepshow "and new series such as "Ragdoll," "Kin," and "Ultra City Smiths.

STAR TREK - From YahooLATimes:   There is a three-battle to be the conservator of Nichelle Nichols, legendary "Star Trek" actress, and it is ugly.

STREAMING - From THR:   In a brewing 100 million dollar deal, Sony Animation's "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" could bypass its theatrical run and stream on Amazon Prime

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 8/13 to 8/15/2021 weekend box office is "Free Guy" (starring Ryan Reynolds) with an estimated take of 28.4 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Sylvester Stallone has appeared in a movie that was #1 at the box office in six consecutive decades.  Stallone is a voice actor in last weekend's number one film, "The Suicide Squad."

POLITICS - From YahooTheWeek:   It turns out a minor actor participated in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol building.  Michael Aaron Carico, 33, was arrested Wed., August 11th in Burbank, California.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   In his first interview since loosing his libel suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp speaks out about the "Hollywood boycott" of him.

DISNEY - From GiantFreakingRobot:   The site is reporting that the Walt Disney Company has cut all ties and projects with actress Scarlet Johansson, who is suing Disney over profit sharing for the film, "Black Widow."

NETFLIX - From WeGotThisCovered:   Director Leigh Janiak wants her "Fear Street" three-piece to develop into the Marvel Cinematic Universe of horror.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Apple is closing in on a mega-deal to obtain director Paolo Sorrentino's biopic about Sue Mengers, the legendary female Hollywood agent who broke barriers in what had largely been a boys' club.  Oscar-winner, Jennifer Lawrence, is slated to play Mengers.

OBITS:

From Variety:   The Japanese actor and martial artist, Sonny Chiba, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, August 19, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  American audiences will remember him for his roles in "Kill Bill Volume 1" (2003) and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (2006).

From MeTV:  The English actress and producer, Patricia "Pat" Hitchcock, has died at the age of 93, Monday, August 9, 2021.  Pat was the only child of famed director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, the English screenwriter and film editor.  Pat appeared in 10 episodes of the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."  She also appeared in several of her father's films, including "Stage Fright" (1950) and "Psycho" (1960).  Her most substantial role in a Hitchcock film was playing "Barbara Morton" in "Strangers on a Train" (1951).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 16th to 22nd, 2020 - Update #25

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION:

From CNN:  Full video of Vice-President Joe Biden's acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC.

From CNN:  Full video of Sen. Kamala Harris acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL NEWS:

EVENT - From DCFanDome:  "DC FanDome" is live.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Actress Lori Loughlin ("Full House") was sentenced to two months in federal prison for her part in paying bribes in order to get her daughters admitted into the University of Southern California (USC).  She was also ordered to pay $150,000 in fines and perform 100 hours of community service.  Her husband, Mossimo Gainnulli was earlier sentenced to five months in federal prison.

SCIENCE - From IndependentUK:  750 million geneticially engineered mosquitoes to be released in Florida...

FOOD - From YahooLife:  Are the so-call "Go Mobile" Taco Bell restaurants the future of fast food?

SPORTS-CRIME - From YahooSports:  Could the prostitution case against NFL owner, Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), also help protect citizens from unchecked police surveillance.

STAR TREK - From YahooEntertainment:  Their is an intense legal battle for what is basically control over iconic "Star Trek" actress, Nichelle Nichols ("Uhura"), who is 83-years-old and suffers from dementia, involving her son, Kyle Johnson, and her manager, Gilbert Bell.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Nick Cannon may be able to reconcile with ViacomCBS after he has met with Jewish leaders.  Cannon made some crazy ass anti-Semitic statements on his podcast June 30th.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety:  "Death on the Nile," the sequel to 2017's "Murder on the Orient Express," has a star-studded first trailer.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live‘s" Pete Davidson and "Straight Outta Compton‘s" O’Shea Jackson Jr. are set to co-star in "American Sole," a high-stakes, high-top dramatic comedy set in the world of after-market sneakers.  The film will be written and directed by How To Make It In America creator Ian Edelman and produced by Kevin Hart and NBA All-Star Chris Paul.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith and Kevin Hart will star in and produce a remake of John Hughes' beloved 1987 road trip movie, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles."

SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  Rose McGowan accuses director and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Alexander Payne ("Sideways") of sexual misconduct, which is not the first time he has been accused.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Ryan Reynold's "Aviation Gin" sells for 300 million dollars.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Laurence Fishburne has confirmed that he will not return for "The Matrix 4."  He played the wise warrior monk-type, Morpheus, in the original "Matrix" trilogy.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The latest round California tax incentives have been announced.  Among the recipients include a Jordan Peele film and one starring Chris Evans.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 8/14 to 8/16/2020 weekend box office is the new release, "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run," with an estimated take of $900,000.

From THR:  After an unprecedented 5-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, movie theaters reopen in North America.  In Canada, movie theaters welcomed the first new Hollywood releases to open wide since the shutdown.  They are "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run" and "Unhinged," a Russell Crowe road-rage thriller.
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BLACK ACTRESS - From BuzzFeed:  The article article got a call-back: "18 reasons why Angela Bassett is the most amazing actress of all time."  [She is certainly underrated and under-appreciated. - Leroy]

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Bo Derek reflects on her career... and on those cornrows in "10."

OBITS:

From Loudwire:  American rock musician and recording artist, Frankie Banali, has died at the age of 68, Thursday, August 20, 2020, of pancreatic cancer.  Banali was best known as the drummer for the 1980s heavy metal band, Quiet Riot.  He also was the drummer for W.A.S.P. for a period of time.

From Deadline:  English stage, film and television actor, Ben Cross, has died at the age of 72, Tuesday, August 18, 2020.  Cross was best known for starring in the "Best Picture" Academy Award-winner, "Chariots of Fire" (1981) and for playing Spock's father, Sarek, in the 2009 reboot film, "Star Trek."

From Deadline:  Actor, writer, producer, and prolific filmmaker, Ash Christian, has died at the age of 35, Thursday, August 13, 2020.  His best known films include "1985," "Social Animals," and "Coyote Lake."  He won a Daytime Emmy in 2014 for the short, "mI Promise."

From Deadline:  Television music composer, Duane L. Tatro, has died at the age of 93, Sunday, August 9, 2020.  He composed music for TV series, including several for ABC, including "Dynasty," "The Love Boat," and "The Invaders," which was his first TV job.  The only television series for which he composed the theme music was "The Manhunter" (CBS, 1974-75).

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson reveals that he was hospitalized with COVID-19 for a week in April.

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/29 - From YahooPolitico:  Rep. Louie Gohmert, the defiant Texas Republican U.S. congressman who refused to wear a mask, has tested positive for COVID-19.

7/30 - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") reveals that he had a bout with COVID-19.

7/31 - From YahooEntertainment:  Writer and actress, Lena Dunham, creator of HBO's "Girls, reveals that she contracted COVID-19 and the symptoms she experiences and still experience.

7/30 - From YahooGMA:  In their bid to crackdown on illegal gatherings amid COVID-19, New York authorities break up an alleged sex party.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/2 - From TheDailyBeast:  In Mississippi, COVID-19 has coroners terrified.

8/6 - From CNN:  Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (Republican) has tested positive for COVID19.

8/6 - From YahooNews:  Testing everyone constantly could stop the spread of COVID-19... according to this article.

8/8 - From YahooNYT:  The coronavirus is new, but your immune system might recognize it.

8/8 - From YahooNBC:  They thought COVID-19 was a hoax, and they almost died from it or are watching family and loved ones suffer with it or die from it.

8/9 - From YahooNews:  The rest of the world is incredulous at the pitiful U.S. response to COVID-19.

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/15 - From NBA:  Bosnian NBA player Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers says that his grandmother, 67-year-old Hana, has died of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

8/16 - From YahooEntertainment:  Sharon Stone reports that her sister, Kelly, is in the hospital with COVID-19.  She blames "non-mask wearers" for his sister's condition.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From Billboard:  In an interview will the venerable music publication, legendary country music singer-songwriter and actress, Dolly Parton, expresses support for the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

From RSN:  Reader Supported News' "Sunday Song" for Aug. 8th, 2020 is "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke.

Movie Review: "Hobbs & Shaw" a Good Start for a Spin-Off Series

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Running time: 135 minutes; MPAA – PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language
DIRECTOR:  David Leitch
WRITERS:  Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce; based on Chris Morgan (based on the characters created by Gary Scott Thompson)
PRODUCERS:  Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Morgan, and Jason Statham
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jonathan Sela
EDITORS:  Christopher Rouse
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates

ACTION

Starring:  Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren, Eiza Gonzalez, Eddie Marsan, Eliana Su'a, Cliff Curtis, Rob Delaney, and Lori Pelenise Tuisano,  with (no screen credit) Kevin Hart and Ryan Reynolds

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a 2019 action movie from director David Leitch.  It is a spin-off from The Fast and the Furious movie franchise.  Hobbs & Shaw focuses on a federal agent and a mercenary who are forced to work together to keep a super-human villain from obtaining a deadly virus that could lead to human extinction.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw opens in London where Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby) and her team of MI6 agents attempt to retrieve a virus, known as “Snowflake.”  This virus can be programmed to decimate millions of people, and the mysterious terrorist and tech organization, “Eteon,” wants it.  Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) is an Eteon operative with advanced cybernetic implants inside his body that allow him to perform superhuman feats.  Eteon has assigned Lore to obtain Snowflake, but before he can do so, Agent Shaw escapes with the virus.  So Lore uses Eteon's media sources to brand Shaw a traitor who killed her team.

Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is a federal agent working for the DSS (Diplomatic Security Service).  Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is a former British Special Forces assassin-turned-mercenary.  Hobbs and Shaw are both informed of the missing Snowflake virus and are assigned to work together to find it and Hattie Shaw, who is Deckard's estranged sister.  Hobbs and Shaw have a troubled history together and refuse to team-up.  However, Brixton Lore's advanced cybernetic implants give him strength and speed far beyond that of normal humans.  He is practically a “Black Superman,” and if Hobbs and Shaw want to stop him, they will have to stop him together.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is not a great movie, but it is an entertaining action movie.  If you, dear reader, like the crazy car chases offered by The Fast and Furious franchise, Hobbs & Shaw offers wreck-filled automobile chase scenes that recall the great Mad Max: Fury Road.  Luxury sports cars, souped-up trucks, military vehicles, motorcycles, drones, and more tear across roads, onto walls, and over buildings.  This is a non-stop thrill-machine of car chases, crashes, and wrecks.

I do have to be honest.  I think Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham's screen chemistry seems forced.  It will probably get better in potential sequels.  Personally, I am not crazy about actress Vanessa Kirby; she just doesn't work for me.  Idris Elba delivers a good performance, but he could have made Brixton Lore a remarkable villain is this film's screenwriting were better.

Hobbs & Shaw also offers some surprise appearances by actors who are not featured or emphasized in any of the film's trailers and previews:  Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart, and Helen Mirren.  Reynolds and Hart are actually quite good in their supporting roles; Mirren's role (as Magdalene Shaw, Deckard and Hattie's mother) feels contrived and forced.  If there is a sequel to this film, Reynolds and Hart must return in bigger roles.

I do think that Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw runs too long by about 15 or 20 minutes.  The last act is mixed – exciting action set pieces, but the family reunion melodrama is forced.  Maybe the thing that keeps Hobbs & Shaw from being as good as the best Fast & Furious films is that too much of it feels forced.  The filmmakers want this movie to be “2 fast, 2 furious,” but the movie often feels too forced and too contrived.  They need 2 relax.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw has the ingredients to start a quality action movie franchise.  Warts and all, this first movie is a good start.

6 out of 10
B

Saturday, August 3, 2019


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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 9th, 2017 - Update #38

Support Leroy on Patreon.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Bryan Singer's former lover talks about being "pulled into the director’s orbit of on-set visits, expensive private dinners, ready access to drugs and alcohol and sexual encounters with an ever-revolving cast of multiple participants."

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STAR TREK - From THR:  Sir Patrick Stewart said that he would return to his signature role, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, for a Quentin Tarantino-directed "Star Trek."

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SCANDAL - From ThePlaylist:  Director Bryan singer talks about being fired from "Bohemian Rhapsody" and being sued over rape allegations and more.

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STAR TREK - From Deadline:  The Quentin Tarantino-J.J. Abrams "Star Trek" movie will be R-rated.  Mark L. Smith ("The Revenant") is in the lead to be the writer.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Ryan Reynolds will star in the live-action Pokemon movie, "Detective Pikachu."

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MOVIES - From TheNewYorkTimes:  The paper names its best films of 2017

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CELEBRITY - From TheWrap:  Top 20 highest paid actors in Hollywood are...

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  The Jordan Peele reboot of "The Twilight Zone" for CBS's streaming service, CBS All Access, is happening.  Simon Kinberg and Marco Ramirez will also produce the series.

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COMICS-FILM - From ThePlaylist:  Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige is ready to play with the X-Men characters... if Disney/21st Century Fox deal goes through.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Dexter Fletcher, director of "Eddie the Eagle" will replace the fired Bryan Singer as the director of the Queen biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  James Mangold ("Logan") to direct yet another film about Patty Hearst.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  "Life, Itself," a film by "This is Us" creator, Dan Fogelman, lands at Amazon.

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BUISNESS - From CNBC:  Disney and Fox are closing in on a deal which would give Disney Fox's studio and television production assets, leaving Fox with its news and sports assets.  Fox's Nat Geo, Star, regional sports networks, movie studios and stakes in Sky and Hulu, among other properties may also be part of the potential $60 billion deal.  Fox would also hold onto its news and business news divisions, broadcast network and Fox sports.  Comcast is also a player interested in these Fox assets.  Sony and Verizon are also said to be interested.

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COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Is the "Demon Bear" the villain in Fox's X-Men spinoff flick, "The New Mutants."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Bryan Singer's production company,  Bad Hat Harry, is moving off the 20th Century Fox lot.  Singer's long-term, first look deal with Fox expired this past October, and Fox declined to renew it.

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LGBTQ - From TheDailyBeast:  Writer Ira Madison III discusses the much-talked about gay romance drama, "Call Me By Your Name," starring Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer.

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SCANDAL - From TheDailyBeast:  Talk show host and actor Dustin Hoffman have a heated exchange over sexual misconduct allegations against Hoffman.

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STAR TREK - From THR:  Quentin Tarantino and J.J. Abrams team up for a "Star Trek" movie.

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MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Misha Green, the creator of the late WGN America series, "Underground," is developing a remake of the 1973 blaxploitation film, "Cleopatra Jones."

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MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Michael B. Jordan's film, "Just Mercy," which is being compared to "To Kill a Mockingbird," is due November 2018.

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MOVIES - From THR:  20th Century Fox has fired Bryan Singer ("X-Men") as director of the Freddie Mercury (of the rock band Queen) biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody," because of his on-set behavior, including not showing up for work for over a week.

From BleedingCool:  Bryan Singer claps back on Fox firing him from "Bohemian Rhapsody."  He said that he was dealing with his own health issues and that of a parent.

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TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  On Christmas Day, the BBC will broadcast the first episode of its six-episode adaptation of Neil Gamain's novel, "Anansi Boys."  Gaiman introduces the characters.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 12/1 to 12/3/2017 weekend box office is Pixar's "Coco" with an estimated take of $26.1 million.

From THR:  Pixar's "Coco" repeats at weekend box office champion with an estimated haul of $26.1 million.

From Variety:  James Franco's "The Disaster Artist" tops specialty box office.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  Oscar-winning Geoffrey Rush resigns as president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

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MOVIE AWARDS - From Variety:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association names "Call Me By Your Name" its best picture of 2017.  Guillermo del Toro and Luca Guadagnino.

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COMICS-STREAMING - From DenofGeek:  Here is a first look at Brenton Thwaites as "Robin," in "Titans," the TV series based on DC Comics' Teen Titans comic books.

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COMICS-FILM - From CinemaBlend:  Haley Atwell returns as "Agent Sharon Carter," in the the animated TV series, "Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars."

From DenofGeek:  A schedule of upcoming "X-Men" franchise films to be released over the next few years.

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MOVIES - From WMagazine:  A superb Daniel Day-Lewis piece in which the actor talks about leaving acting after his upcoming film, "Phantom Thread."

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  The "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" horror series is moving from The CW to Netflix.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Quentin Tarantino's upcoming so-called "Charles Manson movie" gets a release date, August 9, 2019, the 50th anniversary of Manson family cult members killing of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, the day after cult members killed actress Sharon Tate and four others.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  The "Masters of the Universe" movie is on again, this time with writer David S. Goyer as director.  You do know "Masters of the Universe," He-Man and all that?  [I find Goyer to be a mixed bag - good or ugly, and who really wants a frickin' "Masters of the Universe" movie. - Leroy]

COMICS-FILM - From TheRinger:  Marvel Studios has what everyone wants, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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CELEBRITY - From CNN:  Britain Prince Harry and his wife to be, African-American actress, Meghan Markle, undertook their first official event together, a "walkabout" in the English city of Nottingham.

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 MOVIE AWARDS - From TheWrap:  The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) names "Lady Bird" its "Best Picture of 2017."

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  First official teaser trailer for "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom."

OBIT:

From THR:  The actor and singer, Jim Nabors, has died at the age of 87, November 30, 2017.  Nabors was best known for playing the character "Gomer Pyle" in two hit TV series.  Nabors appeared in Pyle in 23 episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" and later in "Gomer Pyle, USMC" (1964-69).  Nabors also recorded almost 30 albums, with about six being certified gold or platinum. [Rest in peace. - Leroy.]

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 6th to 12th, 2017 - Update #36

Support Leroy on Patreon.

CULTURE - From TheDailyBeast:  James Alex Fields Jr. identified as the driver who barreled his car into a crowd during protests at Charlottesville, Virginia.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  "Silver and Black," the Spider-Man universe film from Sony is due Feb. 8, 2019.  The film will feature Spider-Man characters, Black Cat and Silver Sable.  Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing.

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CULTURE - From GuardianUK:  On Friday night (8/11th), White Nationalists and white racist begin siege of Charlottesville, Virginia.

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COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:  "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola says film reboot (which is no longer being called "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen") is closer to his personal vision for the character.

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COMICS-FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  Substantial changes will be made to "Justice League," as an early cut of the film is reportedly "unwatchable."  The film is due for release November 17th, 2017.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  The real-life "Annabelle" doll is a simple Raggedy Ann doll.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  NBC is trying to reboot classic TV sitcom, "The Munsters," again.  Remember "Mockingbird Lane?"

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BLM - From RSN:  Spike Lee says he fully supports beleaguered NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

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ANIMATION - From YahooNews:  The "Deadpool" animated television series being developed by Donald Glover and his brother Stephen will have a tone different from the live-action film series starring Ryan Reynolds.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The NBA has announced its five Christmas Day 2017 games, including a rematch of this year's championship series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the world champions Golden State Warriors.

COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Ryan Reynolds shares a first look at Josh Brolin as "Cable" in "Deadpool 2."

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MOVIES - From THR:  Author William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer (1984) may finally be making it to the big screen through "Deadpool" director, Tim Miller.

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DISNEY - From CBR:  Disney has announced that it is starting its own streaming service in 2019.  Thus, it will be pulling its films and television series from Netflix.  Marvel Studios original series (such as "Daredevil" and "Luke Cage") will remain with Netflix.

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COMIC-FILM - From TheWrap:  Riz Ahmed of "Rogue One" in early talks to join Tom Hardy in Sony's "Venom."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Louis C.K. says that he may not do another season of his Emmy-winning FX series, "Louie."

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COMICS-BOOKS - From EW:  Seven things you need to know about African-American/Latino Spider-Man, Miles Morales, according to Jason Reynolds, the author of the YA novel, "Miles Morales: Spider-Man.

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STAR WARS - From YahooMovies:  Set photos from "The Last Jedi" offer fresh clues.

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooMovies:  Kate Beckinsale explains why she once said "No" to a Wonder Woman film.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  Maya Rudolph is going to star in Fox's live musical version of "A Christmas Story."

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MOVIES - From THR:  Selena Gomez joins Elle Fanning in Woody Allen's next film.

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TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  In the new FOX/Marvel X-Men, TV series, "The Gifted," the X-Men are apparently"no more."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Milla Jovovich may the the "Blood Queen" in "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen."

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  Peter Krause is joining Angela Bassett in the 9-1-1 drama for FOX produced by Ryan Murphy ("Glee," "American Horror Story").

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  David Letterman will have a short run talk show (of sorts) on Netflix.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Milo Gibson, son of Mel Gibson, will appear in the WWII drama, "Hurricane."  Milo made his feature film debut in his father's hit 2016 WWII film, "Hacksaw Ridge."

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DISNEY - From THR:  Alfre Woodard has joined Disney's live-action remake of "The Lion King," which is being directed by Jon Favreau.

----------
TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  Filiming begins on Mario Van Peebles' supernatural drama for Syfy, "Superstition."

----------
TELEVISION - CinemaBlend:  Karl Urban in talks to take the lead in a "Judge Dredd" TV series.  Urban starred in the 2012 film, "Dredd," which disappointed at the box office, but later became a home video and cult hit.

----------
TELEVISION - From TVovermind:  X-Files Season 11 begins production.

----------
CELEBRITY- From THR:  Chris Pratt ("Guardians of the Galaxy") and Anna Faris ("Scary Movie," "Mom") have announced that they are separating after eight years of marriage.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/4 to 8/6/2017 weekend box office is "The Dark Tower" with an estimated take of $19.5 million.

From Deadline:  China leads international box office.

---------
COMICS-FILM - From THR:  James Gunn is writing "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and helping Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige make plans for Marvel's cosmic properties.

----------
POLITICS - From Truthout:  Will Altering the 13th Amendment Bring Liberation to the Incarcerated 2.3 Million?

OBIT:

From People:  Country music legend, singer, songwriter, musician, and Grammy-winning recording artist, Glen Campbell has died at the age of 81, Tuesday, August 8, 2017.  Before he solo career blew up in the mid to late 1960s, Campbell was a much in-demand session musician who played on the recordings of legends like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, to name a few.

From Variety:  The man in the monster suit, Haruo Nakajima, has died at the age of 88.  He wore the Godzilla suit in every "Godzilla" film from the original film to "Godzilla vs. Gigan" (1972).

From SportsIllustrated:  Former Major League Baseball manager and player, Don Baylor, has died at the age of 68, Monday, August 7, 2017.  He was the 1979 American League MVP, and he won a World Series title with the 1987 Minnesota Twins.  He was also the first manager of the Colorado Rockies.

From SportsIllustrated:  Former Major League Baseball player Darren Daulton died at the age of 55, Sunday, August 6, 2017.  He has been fighting brain cancer for 4 years.  He was best known as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.  He was on the 1993 National League pennant winning Phillies that lost the 1993 World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.  In his final year of his career, Daulton was on the 1997 Florida Marlins that won the World Series.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 23rd to 30th, 2017 - Update #26

Support Leroy on Patreon.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/28 to 4/30/2017 weekend box office is "The Fate of the Furious" with an estimated take of $19.3 million.

----------
FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:  2017 Tribeca Film Festival announces "Audience Award" winners.

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FILM FESTIVALS - From TheWrap:  Roman Polanski's film "Based on a True Story," has been added to the Cannes 2017 lineup where it will screen out-of-competition.

----------
POLITICS - From Truthout:  White Nationalists are setting immigration policy for the administration of President Trump.

----------
OBIT - From YahooMovies:  The actor Michael Mantenuto has died at the age of 35, Monday, April 24, 2017.  He starred in Disney's hit film, "Miracle," about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.

CRIME - From RSN:  Rich-bitch accused murderess out on bail, while poor Black man accused of welfare fraud rots in jail.

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CULTURE - From Truthout:  Monuments to White Supremacy are finally falling in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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MOVIES - Variety:  Paramount Pictures is looking at David Fincher to director "World War Z 2."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Joe Johnston, director of "Captain America: The First Avenger," will direct "The Chronicles of Narnia" revival, "The Silver Chair."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  M. Night Shyamalan has announced a film that will be a sequel to both his recent hit, "Split" and his 2000 film, "Unbreakable," which are apparently connected.

----------
OBIT - From IndieWire:  Film director, Jonathan Demme, has died at the age of 73.  The versatile filmmaker won an Oscar for directing 1991's "The Silence of the Lambs."  He also directed film such as "Melvin and Howard," "Philadelphia," and Married to the Mob (one of my favorites), among many.  RIP, Mr. Demme.

----------
DISNEY - From THR:  Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner are in talks to voice "Timon" and "Pumbaa" in "The Lion King" reboot.

----------
DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney announces release dates and release date changes for its upcoming film slate, including "Frozen 2," new Indiana Jones, and "Lion King."

----------
FILMS - From Variety:  Wes Anderson makes announcements concerning his next film, the stop-motion animation "Isle of Dogs," including cast and a poster reveal.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From CinemaBlend:  The live-action Teen Titans TV series will appear on a new DC Comics digital streaming service.

----------
SPORTS - From BET:  Did the late NFL/New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez (who recently committed suicide in prison) commit murder to hide his bisexuality.

----------
COMICS - From YahooNews:  Marvel Comics announces big comic book event, "Legacy," on "Good Morning America" and it will break the Internet says Marvel Comics EiC Axel Alonso.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/21 to 4/23/2017 weekend box office is "The Fate of the Furious" with an estimated total of $38.6 million.

From YahooMovies:  New releases, "Unforgettable" and "The Promise," crash at the box office.  "The Promise," a historical drama about the Armenian genocide, cost about $90 to $100 mil to make and only grossed $4.1 million at the domestic box office.

----------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: NFL-Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu unknowingly impresses a family during an airline flight.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Gamespot:  The Marvel Cinematic Universe could be a very different thing after 2019.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Steven Spielberg is working on a drama about the "Pentagon Papers," starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep.  The film will received a limited release on December 22, 2017 in order to qualify for the Oscars.

----------
POLITICS - From RSN:  Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone writes about President Trump and the U.S. war machine.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Fox sets "Deadpool 2" for June 1, 2018, with Ryan Reynolds returning as Deadpool and Josh Brolin coming on as Cable.

----------
ERIN MORAN:

OBIT - From YahooTV:  The actress Erin Moran has died at the age of 56, Saturday, April 22, 2017.  Moran was best known for playing the role of Joanie Cunningham on the ABC sitcom, "Happy Days" (1974 to 1984).  Moran also played the character on the short-lived ABC comedy, "Joanie Loves Chachi" (1982 to 1983).

From YahooTV:  Scott Baio, the "Chachi" in "Joanie Loves Chachi" mourns Erin Moran, "Joanie."

From YahooCelebrity:  Erin Moran likely died from Stage 4 cancer.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Watch "The Crossing," the prologue short to "Alien: Covenant,"

From YouTube:  The new trailer for "Kingsman: The Golden Circle."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 25th to 31st, 2016 - Update #40

Support Leroy on Patreon.

TELEVISION - From Reason:  Anthony Bourdain:  The rise of Authoritarianism across the world should concern everyone.

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TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  HBO is going to debut the documentary about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds on January 7th, 2016 at 8 PM ET/PT.  It is entitled "Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds."

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:   Leslie Jordan says that NBC is ordering 10 episodes of the Emmy-winning television series, "Will & Grace."  Jordan won an Emmy for playing recurring character, "Beverly Leslie."

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SPORTS - From YahooSports: Corporate media talking heads swore that NFL QB Colin Kaepernick was hated by his San Francisco 49er teammates because of his "Pledge of Allegiance" protests.  Those same teammates just gave him the team's highest honor.

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POLITICS - From AlterNet:  Carrie Fisher hated President "elect" Donald Trump and was not shy about it.

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POLITICS - From AlterNet:  Conservative gun-nut columnist, M.D. Harmon, let a child play with his gun and the gun went off while junior was fondling it, killing Harmon.

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OSCARS - From TheGuardianUK:  There is some truth to what Lee Daniels says about #OscarsSoWhite.

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MUSIC - From Esquire:  Music legend David Crosby talks about Trump and Kanye.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool: "Kong: Skull Island" is connected to the Vietnam War.  The film's director thought that idea wouldn't go over well...

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  Run-DMC sues Wal-Mart and Amazon for 50 million.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooSports:  Tennis superstar Serena Williams is engaged to marry Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Ryan Reynolds apparently shot as scene as his character Deadpool for next year's X-Men/Wolverine movie, "Logan."

From THR:  Ryan Reynolds would like for there to be a Deadpool/Wolverine movie.

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CARRIE FISHER:

OBIT - From People:  Carrie Fisher has died at the age of 60, Tuesday, December 27, 2016.  She was best known as "Princess Leia" in the "Star Wars" films.  I'm numb.

From THR:  The actress Debbie Reynolds has died at the age of 84, Wednesday, December 28, 2016.  Reynolds was the mother of actress Carrie Fisher who died at the age of 60, Tuesday, Dec. 27th, 2016.  A Hollywood legend, Reynolds appeared in such classic Hollywood musicals as "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown."

From YahooNews:  Todd Fisher talks about his mother, Debbie Reynolds, final moments.

From YahooNews:  Carrie Fisher could make us laugh through the pain.

From BleedingCool:  The comic book community reacts to the death of Carrie Fisher.

----------
OBIT - From People:  The author Richard Adams has died at the age of 96, Saturday, December 24, 2016.  Adams is best known as the author of the beloved classic children's novel, "Watership Down," first published in 1972.

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OBIT - From YahooStyle:  The actor and comedian, Ricky Harris, has died at the age of 54, Monday, December 26, 2016.  He was best known for his recurring roles on "Moesha" and "Everybody Hates Chris."

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TELEVISION - From TheGuardianUK:  A&E has cancelled "Generation KKK," its eight-part doc about the hate group, after learning that producers paid nominal fees to members of the Ku Klux Klan to get them to participate.

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STAR WARS - From BleedingCool: Rian Johnson, who is directing Star Wars Episode 8, defends the much-maligned Star Wars prequel films.

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ECO - From BBCNews:  Save the cheetah!

---------
BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  "Rogue One" is expected to win the four-day Christmas weekend, 12/23 to 12/26/2016, with an estimated take of $96.1 million.

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GEORGE MICHAEL:

OBIT - From YahooMusic:  British singer, songwriter, producer, and pop superstar, George Michael, has died at the age of 53, Sunday, December 25, 2016.

From YahooCelebrity:  George Michael had a difficult life of depression, drugs, and arrests.

From YahooMusic:  George Michael's best musical moments.

From YahooCelebrity:  Celebs react to Michael's death.

From YahooMusic:  George Michael - a life in photos.

From YahooMusic:  The evolution of the genius of George Michael.

From YahooMusic:  What George Michael had to say about Prince one time.

From RSN:  The frank and uncompromising LGBT icon, George Michael.

From YahooMusic:  George Michael reportedly left behind an estate worth $130 million U.S.

-------------------------------------
BOX OFFICE - From TheWrap:  Estimates have "Rogue One" on top of the Christmas weekend box office.

From Patreon:  My "Rogue One" review.

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CHRISTMAS:  From YouTube:  Merry Christmas!!! and Happy Holidays!!! -- A*O*A. offers "Afraid of Americans," an electro/industrial remake of David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans," a single from his 1997 album, "Earthlings." [via Warren Ellis' "Orbital Operations"]  Visit them here.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From ABC:  There is growing backlash over the arrest of a African-American mother in Fort Worth, Texas who called the police after her son was physically abused by a white neighbor.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  DC Comics is apparently planning a summer comic book event that is centered on Batman.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:   An extended look at "Riverdale," the CW's re-imagining of the world of Archie Comics. It debuts January 26th, 2017.

From YouTube:  First official trailer for Ridley Scott's "Alien: Covenant," which is due May 19, 2017.

From YouTube:  First trailer for "Despicable Me 3," due in theaters Summer 2017.

From YouTube:  First official teaser trailer for the long-awaited "The Lost City of Z."

From YouTube:  Official trailer for "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter," due at the end of January 2017. [I think they will reboot or restart the series after this film, just going on what I read about two years ago.]

2016 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Name "La La Land" Best Picture of 2016

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada.  It represents almost 300 television, radio and online critics. For additional information about the BFCA and their memberships, visit www.criticschoice.com.

The winners of the 22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards were revealed at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards on Sunday, December 11, 2016 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.  The award ceremony was hosted by T.J. Miller and aired on A&E.

The 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Movie Award winners (for the year in film, 2016):

BEST PICTURE
La La Land

BEST ACTOR
Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea

BEST ACTRESS
Natalie Portman – Jackie

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis – Fences

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Moonlight

BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle – La La Land

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY - Tie
Damien Chazelle – La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Heisserer – Arrival

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Linus Sandgren – La La Land

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
La La Land – David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

BEST EDITING
Tom Cross – La La Land

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Madeline Fontaine – Jackie

BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
Jackie

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Jungle Book

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Zootopia

BEST ACTION MOVIE
Hacksaw Ridge

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Margot Robbie – Suicide Squad

BEST COMEDY
Deadpool

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
Arrival

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Elle (France, Germany, Belguim)

BEST SONG
City of Stars – La La Land

BEST SCORE
Justin Hurwitz – La La Land

-------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 16th to 22th, 2016 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MEDIA - From TheWrap:  AT&T has bought Time Warner for 85 billion dollars.

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OBIT - From BleedingCool:  The comic book artist, Steve Dillon, has died at the age of 54, Saturday, October 22, 2016.  A Brit, his best known work to American fans includes Preacher (co-created with Garth Ennis) and The Punisher.

From BleedingCool:  The comic book community remembers Steve Dillon, acclaimed comic book artist and creator.

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STAR WARS - From YahooMovies:  Donald Glover will be Lando Calrissian in "Young Han Solo" movie.

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  "Deadpool" director Tim Miller has left the "Deadpool 2" sequel over creative differences with star Ryan Reynolds.

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OBIT - From YahooTV:  The actor and comedian, Kevin Meaney, has died at the age of 60, Friday, October 21, 2016.

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ANIMATION - From THR:  Tom Hiddleston joins Aardman's animated film, "Early Man," which is to be directed by multiple Oscar winner, Nick Park.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The Los Angeles Sparks win the 2016 WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) championship title.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Gugu Mbatha-Raw joins Avu DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time."

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COMICS-FILM - From CinemaBlend:  Early reviews for Marvel Studio's "Doctor Strange" are in.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:   Colin Firth in talks to star in Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns."

----------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Leonardo DiCaprio looking to star in real-life tale of Jim Crow and Black children used as circus freak.

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  Eminem releases an 8-minute diss track of Donald Trump.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Warner Bros. is working on a new Willy Wonka movie.  Even with all the praising of Gene Wilder following his recent passing, I knew someone was plotting to revive Wilder's signature role (according to some) in a new movie.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Michael Moore has apparently revealed a surprise Donald Trump film.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Disney is producing a live-action version of its 1998 animated film, Mulan.  Sony is producing a competing live-action version of the tale of Mulan, and they have hired, Alex Graves, who has directed episodes of "Games of Thrones."

----------
BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  Thanks to billion dollar hits like "Captain America: Civil War" and "Finding Dory," Disney sets a record for international box office, which they already held from 2015.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The #1 movie at the 10/14 to 10/16/2016 weekend box office is "The Accountant" (starring Ben Affleck) with an estimated take of $24.7 million.

----------
OBIT - From ESPN:  The former NFL player, Dennis Byrd, has died at the age of 50, Saturday, October 15, 2016.  Byrd broke his neck in a 1992 game and despite odds learned to walk again.

----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  "Jurassic World 2" will be "scarier and darker." Better would be good, too.

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  The new Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Tom Holland, dishes on "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

----------
MOVIES - From EW:  There will be a "Ride Along 3" with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, says director.

----------
ECO - From RSN:  Actor Mark Ruffalo and rocker Neil Young were arrested  during protests to free a journalist.

----------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Oliver Stone says the U.S. government lies all the time.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  The first official trailer for the third Wolverine movies, "Logan," which is due March 3rd.

From YouTube:  First trailer for "The Boss Baby," from DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 13th to 19th, 2016 - Update #31

Support Leroy on Patreon.

POLITICS - From CommonDreams:  Sen. Elizabeth Warren: I am not Darth Vader...

---------------
MOVIES -  From CinemaBlend:  David Koepp, one of the writers behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, will writer "Indiana Jones 5."  That may be depressing, but like most big name writers for the major studios, Koepp's career has some hits and misses.  However, the truth is that this franchise needs at least one fresh voice.

---------------
TELEVISION -From Variety:  Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, who worked together in 2007's "Superbad" will reunite for a new comedy television series.

---------------
OBITS - From THR:  The actor, Larry Drake, has died at the age of 66, Thursday, March 17, 2016.  He was best known for his role as "Benny" on "L.A. Law," for which he won two Emmy Awards and received a third nomination.

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OBITS - From Variety:  The actor, Joe Santos, has died at the age of 84, Friday, March 18, 2016.  He was best known for his role as Lt. Dennis Becker on NBC's "The Rockford Files."  He also appeared in "The Sopranos."

---------------
BLACK LIVE MATTER - From Gawker:  5 deputies disciplined over their behavior after a Trump supporter sucker punched an African-American protester.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From TheVox:  Yes, Police Chief Henry Stawinski, bias did play a role in the "friendly fire" death of African-American police officer, Lynh Bui, by his white colleagues.

From WashPost:  Yes, they did see Bui as an assailant.

From YahooNews:  ABC offers details of Officer Bui's death.

---------------
OBIT - From Deadline:  The actor and singer, Frank Sinatra, Jr., has died at the age of 72, Wednesday, March 16, 2016.  He was, of course, the son of the legendary Frank Sinatra.

---------------
COMICS/OBAMA - From BleedingCool:  Sana Amanat, Marvel’s Director of Content & Character Development, editor and co-creator of the Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel character, introduced President Obama at a Women’s History Month reception at the White House on March 16th, 2016..

----------------
POLITICS - From BillMoyers:  GOP elites have only themselves to blame.

---------------
MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  "The Crow" remake is in trouble... again.

---------------
MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  Michael Mann is developing a prequel to his fondly remembered 1995 film, Heat.

---------------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Studiocanal has acquired some distribution rights for the anticipated adventure film, "Lost City of Z," that is co-produced by Brad Pitt's company.

---------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend:  Remember the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street " from 2010?  Of course, you do.  Don't front!  You DON'T want to remember it.  Anyway, an early idea for the remake, that New Line passed on, is so disturbing.  It is better than what we actually got, but it may have been a bit much for a release from a major studio.

---------------
COMICS - From YahooFinance:  Sally Field talks the failure of "The Amazing Spider-Man" films.

---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From TheAtlantic:  Ta-Nehisi Coates - The Paranoid Style of American Policing.

---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From WashPost:  A grand jury will indict a ham sandwich unless that ham sandwich killed a young Black male.

---------------
MOVIES - From BoxOfficeMojo:  Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford will return for a fifth "Indiana Jones" movie in 2019, according to an announcement by Disney.

----------------
POLITICS - From RollingStone:  Yeah, Obama did stop giving any "fucks."

---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From ThinkProgress:  Minnesota lawmaker wants Black Lives Matter activists to pay for police overtime.

---------------
STAR TREK - From Polygon:  Details on Paramount Pictures' lawsuit against Axanar Productions over its crowfunded Star Trek fanfilm, "Axanar."

From DenofGeek:  The Star Trek film that never was - "Planet of the Titans."

---------------
COMICS - From HitFix:  Robert Downey, Jr. doubts that there will be an "Iron Man 4."

---------------
POLITICS - From Truthout: No welcome mat for fascism.

---------------
POLITICS - From BuzzFlash:  Trump and GOP need more racists than ever to win.

---------------
MOVIES - From the HuffingtonPost:  Sasha Obama goes full fangirl on Ryan Reynolds at a White House state dinner, with the encourage of her sister, Malia.

---------------
MOVIES - TheWrap:  Sean Parker, the creator of Napster, plans to disrupt the movie business with something called The Screening Room.  Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson support it.

From TheWrap:  Studios react to The Screening Room.

---------------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Justin Cornwell joins the "Training Day" TV pilot.

---------------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The #1 movie at the 3/11 to 3/13/2016 weekend box office is "Zootopia" with an estimated take of $50 million.

---------------
WALKING DEAD - From Variety:  Melissa McBride talks to Variety about Carol, Daryl, and more.

From Variety:  The Walking Dead, "The Same Boat," recap.

---------------
MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  Reshoots for this summer's "Star Trek Beyond" and a new cast member.  I smell trouble!

---------------
COMICS - From YahooMovies:  Daredevil, The Punisher, and Elektra converge in new promo for Netflix's "Daredevil" Season 2.

---------------
POLITICS - From RSN:  Chicago protesters force Donald Trump to cancel his Klan rally.

----------------
TRAILERS - From YouTube:  New trailer for Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" from 20th Century Fox.

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 20th to 26th, 2015 - Update #23

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From CounterPunch:  Black lives do not matter... because nothing much else does.

---------------
From YahooNews:  The story of Santa Claus.

---------------
From Variety:  Thom Yorke posts the song they produced for the Bond movie, Spectre, which the Bond bosses rejected.  A shame really...

---------------
From YahooTech:  Quentin Tarantino names "Mad Max: Fury Road" his best film of 2015.

---------------
From TheNation:  Obama's NPR interview causes another right-wing freakout.

---------------
From THR:  Michael Moore talks about on new wave of gun violence.

---------------
From BloodyDisgusting:  Rob Zombie's upcoming film, "31" has received an NC-17 rating... for a second time.

From BloodyDisgusting:  A Rob Zombie red carpet interview.

---------------
From HitFix:  Robert DeNiro compares Jennifer Lawrence and David O'Russell's relationship to the one he has with Martin Scorsese.

---------------
From Variety:  Johnny Depp is most overpaid actor.

---------------
From HitFix:  Jennifer Lawrence is over "cool girls."

---------------
From BoxOfficeMojo:  With the weekend actual numbers announced, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" sets a record for biggest opening weekend at the global box office with a take of $529 million, which surpasses "Jurassic World" and its opening weekend global haul of $524.9 million.

---------------
From YahooMovies:  The stage play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" debuts a middle-aged trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, with Hermione being a Black woman.

From FlickeringMyth:  Art from "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

---------------
From BoxOfficeMojo:  The #1 movie at the 12/18 to 12/20/2015 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" with an estimated take of $238 million, a record for a domestic opening weekend.  The previous record holder was Jurassic World with $208.8 million.

---------------
From YahooNews:  Channing Tatum pestered Quentin Tarantino for a month to get in "The Hateful Eight."

----------------
From WashPost:  Heroic Tennessee teen football player shot to death trying to protect three girls.


COMICS - Films and Books:

From YahooMovies:  Fans won't be disappointed by the number of characters appearing in "Avengers: Infinity War."

---------------
From Vulture:  Kurt Russell confirms that he is in talks to appear in "Guardians of the Galaxy."


STAR WARS:

From YahooNews:  John Boyega is connected to a tragic crime.

---------------
From YahooMovies:  5 super Star Wars Spoilers - the biggest bombshells (SPOILER ALERT)


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Deadpool Christmas trailer.

---------------
From YahooMovies:  First teaser for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

---------------
From YouTube:  20th Century Fox's "Eddie the Eagle" with Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.