Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 22nd to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #11

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

NETFLIX - From WorldofReel:  Netflix will apparent not release "The Adventures of Cliff Booth" this summer.  The film is set immediately after the events depicted in director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019).  Brad Pitt, who won a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for the film will reprise his role of "Cliff Booth."

AMAZON - From EW:  Sophie Turner, the star of Amazon's highly anticipated "Tomb Raider" series, has been injured on the series' set, causing a halt in production.  Turner, who starred in "Game of Thrones," plays heiress and adventurer, Lara Croft.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/27 to 3/29/2026 weekend box office is Amazon-MGM Studios' "Project Hail Mary" with an estimated take of 54.5 million dollars.

HULU - From Deadline:  Actor Himesh Patel will join actress Danielle Deadwyler in Hulu's reboot of the former FX sci-fi drama, "The X-Files."  Oscar-winner Ryan Coogler will write and direct the pilot and will produce.  Jennifer Yale will serve as the series showrunner, and Chris Carter, creator of the original series, will serves as one the reboot's executive producers.  Deadwyler and Patel will not play Agents Scully and Mulder; they will reportedly play new characters.

MUSIC - From Variety:  Paul McCartney has released his first new music in five years, a single entitled "Days We Left Behind."  McCartney has a new album, "The Boys of Dungeon Lane," which is due May 29th, 2026.

MOVIES - From Variety:  In one of the stranger recent news items in entertainment comes word that talk show host, Stephen Colbert, and his son, Peter McGee, will join "Lord of the Rings" franchise veteran, Philippa Boyens, will write a new LOTR film, "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past."  That film will go into production after "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum."

TELEVISION - From WorldofReel:  Quentin Tarantino is set to write and co-direct, with Sylvester Stallone, a 1930s-set gangster series. Described as a six-part series, it will be shot in black and white using 1930s cameras. The series featuring gangsters, showgirls, boxing, but there are no cast details.  Apparently, Stallone will not be acting on screen, only directing.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/20 to 3/22/2026 weekend box office is Amazon/MGM's "Project Hail Mary" with an estimated take of 80.58 million dollars.

OBITS:

From THR:  American film and television actor, James Tolkan, has died at the age of 94, Thursday, March 26, 2026.  Tolkan was best known for playing "Principal Gerald Strickland" in "Back to the Future" (1985) and "Back to the Future II" (1989), and "U.S. Marshall James Strickland" in "Back to the Future III" (1990).  Other notable film roles include "Serpico" (1973), "Top Gun," and "Masters f the Universe" 1987), to name a few.  Tolkan appeared in multiple episodes of such TV series as "Mary" (starring the late Mary Tyler Moore), "Remington Steele," and "Nero Wolfe," among others.

From DailyMail:  The veteran animator, director, and storyboard artist, Barry Caldwell, has died at the age of 60, March 2026.  A groundbreaking Black artist and animation veteran, Caldwell directed five episodes of "Tiny Toon Adventures" and 16 episodes of "Animaniacs."  Beginning his career at Filmation in 1979, Caldwell was a storyboard artist on such series as "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids," "The New Adventures of Zorro," "Blackstar," and "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," to name a few.  He would move on to other animation companies, including Warner Bros. and Disney, where he worked on such series as "The Smurfs" (1981), "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (1983), "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers" (1989), and "Pinky and the Brain," to name a few.  Caldwell won a "Daytime Emmy Award" and was nominated two other times for his work on "Animaniacs."

From Variety:  American actress, Valerie Perrine, has died at the age of 82, Monday, March 23, 2026.  Perrine may be best known for playing Lex Luthor's girlfriend, Miss Teschmacher, in "Superman: The Movie" (1978) and in "Superman II " (1980).  She earned as Academy Award nomination in the category of "Best Actress" for "Honey Bruce" in "Lenny" (1974), the biopic about comedian Lenny Bruce.  She also won the "Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress" (1975) and earned a BAFTA nomination and an award for the role of "Honey Bruce."  Her other notable film appearances include roles in "Slaughter-Five" (1972) and "The Electric Horseman" (1980).  Perrine appeared in a number of TV films and series, and that includes "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1989), ER (1995), and "Nash Bridges" (1996).

From Deadline:  Canadian actress, Carrie Anne Fleming, has died at the age of 51, Thursday, February 26, 2026 of complications related to breast cancer.  Fleming was best known for her recurring roles on two television series from The CW, "iZombie" and "Supernatural."  She also appeared in such TV series, as "Smallville," "Supergirl" and "The 4400."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 8th to 14th, 2026 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

DISNEY/PIXAR - From Newsweek:  Director Joseph Kahn, best known for his work in music videos, has publicly called out Disney after the company scrapped a Pixar movie that Kaha says reflects Disney's broader rollback of LGBTQ+ representation.  Kahn calls this shift the "De‑Gayification" of the studio.  The name of cancelled Pixar film is "BeFri."  Directed by Kristen Lester, this original film looks at the "platonic break-up" of two girls' longstanding friendship.  "BeFri" was three years into its development.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning for "King Conan," a new Conan the Barbarian movie.  It is in development at 20th Century Studios and has the "Mission: Impossible" franchise’s Christopher McQuarrie attached to write and direct, sources have confirmed to the movie news website, "Deadline."  Although representatives for 20th Century Studios declined to comment for Deadline, Schwarzenegger broke the news himself in an appearance at the "Arnold Sports Festival" in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend (March 5th-8th, 2026).

From SlashFilm:  In additions to a new Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan film ("King Conan"), there will supposedly be a new Schwarzenegger "Predator" film, the first since his starring role in the 1987 original.  There is also reportedly a script for "Commando 2," which be a sequel to the 1985 film, "Commando."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney has apparently confirmed that Kathryn Hahn will play "Mother Gothel" in its live-action remake of his hit animated film, "Tangled" (2010).

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Original "Rambo" actor, Sylvester Stallone, will be an executive producer on Lionsgate, Millenium Media, and AGBO' prequel film about the life of "John Rambo" before his original appearance in the 1982 movie classic, "First Blood."  Actor Noah Centineo has taken over as John Rambo, and Jalmari Helander ("Sisu") is directing the film which is currently filming in Bangkok, Thailand.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners at the Writers Guild of America's 2026 / 78th annual WGA Awards have been announced.  Writer-director Ryan Coogler took the "Original Screenplay" for "Sinners," and Paul Thomas Anderson won "Adapted Screenplay" for "One Battle After Another." The link leads to an article with the WGA Awards complete winners list.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/6 to 3/8/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Hoppers" with an estimated take of 46 million dollars.

STAGE - From WorldofReel:  Quentin Tarantino has reportedly written a play.  It is described as a "classic British-style farce comedy, filled with slapstick chaos, awkward mishaps, and characters constantly mistaken for someone else."  Tarantino is eyeing a 2027 debut in London's West End, maybe even a late 2026 debut.

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OSCARS:

From Variety:  "Variety" offers its final Oscar winner predictions in every category at the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards.

From THR:  The nominations for the 2026 / 98th Academy Awards have been announced.  Director Ryan Coogler's Sinners leads with history-making 16 nominations, including for "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Coogler), and Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan).  The winners will be announced March 15, 2026.

From Truthout:  Directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, the 2025 documentary film, "The Alabama Solution," is one of five nominees in the category of "Best Documentary Feature."  The film chronicles the horrific conditions inside the state of Alabama's prisons.  The incarcerated men who produced footage for "The Alabama Solution" were abruptly transferred to solitary this month (January).

From TheGuardian:  Director Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" earned 16 Oscar nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, the most in the 98-year history of the awards.  The previous record is 14, held by "All About Eve" (1950), "Titanic" (1997), and "La La Land" (2016).

From Variety:  With her fifth Oscar nomination, for "Best Costume Designer" for "Sinners," Ruth E. Carter is now the most Oscar-nominated Black woman in the history of the Academy Awards.

From Truthout:  One of the five nominees for this year's "Best International Feature" Academy Award is "The Voice of Hind Rajab."  Representing the nation of Tunisia, the film is a mix of drama and documentary, and it tells the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year old girl who was killed January 29, 2024 by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip.

From YahooEntertainment:  At the age of 73, actor Delroy Lindo finally gets his first Oscar nomination - in the category of "Best Supporting Actor" for "Sinners."  The actor also talks about being "profoundly disappointed" by previous Academy snubs.

From EW:  Oscar-nominee Kirsten Dunst is not pleased that her husband, previous Oscar-nominee, Jesse Plemons, was not Oscar-nominated for his work in the recent acclaimed film, "Bugonia."

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Review: DreamWorks "ANTZ" Can Still Dance

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 of 2024 (No. 1955) by Leroy Douresseaux

Antz (1998)

Running time:  83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)

MPAA – PG for mild language and menacing action

DIRECTORS:  Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson

WRITERS:  Todd Alcott and Chris Weitz & Paul Weitz

PRODUCERS:  Brad Lewis, Kenneth Nakada, Aron Warner, and Patty Wooton

EDITOR:  Stan Webb

COMPOSERS:  Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices):  Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Mazursky, Grant Shaud, John Mahoney, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtain, and Christopher Walken

Antz is a 1998 computer-animated adventure comedy film from directors Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson.  It was produced by DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Pacific Data Images and released by DreamWorks Pictures.  Antz was also DreamWorks Animation's debut film.  The movie focuses on a neurotic ant who bucks the system of his ant colony in order to pursue an ant princess, which sends them both on a perilous journey.

Antz opens in an ant colony, the home of a race of anthropomorphic ants (walk and talk like humans).  The focus is on Z (Woody Allen), an anxious and neurotic worker ant who chafes at the state of conformity in the colony. While at the local bar one night, Z has a chance encounter with the Queen Ant's daughter, Princess Bala (Sharon Stone), and he falls in love with her.  Z doesn't know that Bala is struggling with her suffocating royal life, although her mother, the Queen Aunt (Anne Bancroft), is the ruler of the colony.  Bala also has misgivings about her planned marriage to General Mandible (Gene Hackman), the cunning and arrogant leader of the colony's ant military.

Z wants to see more of Bala, but as a worker ant, he can't get near her.  He convinces Corporal Weaver (Sylvester Stallone), a soldier ant, to switch places with him.  This causes a series of events that finds Z and Princess Bala on a perilous journey outside the colony.  Meanwhile, General Mandible uses this turn of events to serve his own plans.

I am about to watch DreamWorks Animation's most recent release, Orion and the Dark, which was animated by the French production company, Mikros Animation.  So I decided that it was time to finish my review of DreamWorks' first animated feature film, Antz.

Early in Antz, I was not impressed by the CGI-animation.  It looks stiff and not imaginative, but as the film progresses, especially once the story leaves the colony, Antz begins to show some visual inventiveness.  The film's technical prowess improves as the story demands more complicated and involved action set pieces.

I like the voice cast, which I would call stellar; nine members of Antz's voice cast have won or been nominated for an Oscar – some several times.  However, I'm not that crazy about Woody Allen as the lead character, Z.  It's not that he doesn't do a good job; he does, but Allen is playing a character type that is familiar from his own films, such Hollywood Ending (2002) and Scoop (2006).  At times, Woody doing Woody doesn't really serve this film well.  As much as I like Sharon Stone, I can think of other actresses who could have given a better performance as Princess Bala.  I can say, however, that Gene Hackman is convincingly menacing as General Mandible.

So I'm glad that I finally watched Antz.  2023 was the 25th anniversary of its initial wide theatrical release (specifically October 2, 1998).  It is not as good as even recent DreamWorks Animation productions like The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.  Still, Antz is what kicked off a line of fine animated feature films.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, February 15, 2024

NOTES:

1999 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Special Effects” (Ken Bielenberg, Philippe Gluckman, John Bell, and Kendal Cronkhite

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 22nd to 31st, 2023 - Update #29

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:  Quiver Distribution announced they have completed production on the military action/science fiction film, "Agent Recon."  It features legendary martial arts expert and action film and TV hero, Chuck Norris (The Expendables 2, "Walker Texas Ranger").  Quiver and will launch sales at the 2023 American Film Market (AFM), which takes place Oct. 31st to Nov. 5th.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Michael B. Jordan's production company, Outlier Society, will join Amazon MGM Studios to develop Rebecca Yarros' fantasy novel series, "The Empyrean," for television.

From Variety:  Amazon MGM Studios is in the early stages of developing a TV series based on the 1982 film, "Poltergeist."

MOVIES - From THR:  David Robert Mitchell is ready to make a sequel to his hit horror film, It Follows (2014).  Mitchell is taking "They Follow" to the 2023 American Film Market (AFM), where film people try to find buyers for new films and projects.  The fun starts Oct. 31st and ends Nov. 5th.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/27 to 10/29/2023 weekend box office is "Five Nights at Freddy's" with an estimated take of 78 million dollars.

From THR:  It's 78 million dollar opening weekend gives "Five Nights at Freddy's" the largest box office opening for a Halloween weekend.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jason Statham will star in the film, "Levon's Trade," directed by David Ayer from a script by Sylvester Stallone.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  On Fri., Oct. 27th, Spectrum SportsNet and the Los Angeles Lakers announced the launch of "Spectrum SportsNet+."  This is a new direct-to-consumer streaming subscription service that will deliver a 24/7 feed of Spectrum SportsNet programming, including live Lakers games and behind-the-scenes Lakers content.  Now available, it is free to existing  Spectrum SportsNet customers. Others will pay $19.99 a month or $179.99.

DISNEY - From THR:  Disney releases a first-look at its film, "Disney's Snow White," a live-action version of its classic animated feature film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937). The other news is that the film is moving to a 2025 release date from its original March 2024 release date.  This will be first of many release date changes as the Hollywood actors' strike continues.

AMAZON - From THR:  Amazon's ad revenue soars to $12 billion - in the third quarter.

POLITICS - From Medium:  Former President Barack Obama offers "Thoughts on Israel and Gaza."

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  There is a new film in The Hunger Games franchise.  "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" looks to have a strong box office debut.

MUSIC - From Variety:  Taylor Swift, SZA, and Morgan Wallen lead the nominations for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.  The winners will be announced Nov. 19th.

MOVIES - From Variety:  While promoting his new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," Martin Scorsese comments on fellow director Quentin Tarantino's impending retirement.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  In a hearing today (Wed. Oct. 25th), New York Supreme Court Judge Michael Gaffey denied a defense motion to dismiss the domestic abuse charges that actor Jonathan Majors (Creed III) is facing.  Judge Gaffey set a start date of November 29th for the trial.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two," starring Tom Cruise, changes its release date from June 28, 2024 to May 23, 2025.

NETFLIX - From Deadline: Filmmaker and media mogul Tyler Perry has struck a new, multi-year first-look deal with Netflix that will see him write, direct and produce features for the streamer.  Perry signed a deal with Amazon Studios in November 2022 to write, direct and produce four features for Prime Video. 

AMAZON - From Deadline:  "Good Omens" hopes to be renewed for a third and final season on Amazon Prime.  If it renewed, co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon will not return.  The series is based on the book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  During his stand-up performance at the TD Garden in Boston on Thurs., Oct. 19th, comedian Dave Chappelle addressed the events in Israel-Palestine and the audience reacted with cheers, jeers, and walk-outs.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/20 to 10/22/2023 weekend box office is "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" with an estimated take of 31 million dollars.

DISNEY - From ScreenRant:  Disney has confirmed "Zootopia 2," the sequel to its 2016 Oscar-winning hit, Zootopia.  The sequel may not arrive in theaters until 2028.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Television and film actor, Matthew Perry, has died at the age of 54, Saturday, October 28, 2023.  Perry was best known for the role of "Chandler Bing" in the long-running former NBC sitcom, "Friends" (1994-2004), a role for which he received one Primetime Emmy nomination in the category of "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series."  Perry would receive two more Emmy nominations for his guest role in the former NBC drama, "The West Wing" (2003) and another Emmy nomination for his starring role in the television film, "The Ron Clark Story" (2006, TNT).  His final Emmy nod came as an executive producer on HBO Max's "Friends: The Reunion" special (2021).

From Deadline:  In a joint statement to "People," the five surviving leads of the former NBC sitcom, "Friends": Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer said “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

From Deadline:  Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, paid an emotional tribute to his former classmate, "Friends" actor, Matthew Perry, who died on Sat., Oct. 28th.  They both attended Rockcliffe Park Public School in Ottawa, Canada.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood "breaking news" site, "Deadline," has a page dedicated to the recently deceased "Friends" actor, Matthew Perry.

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From Deadline:  The film and television actor, Richard Roundtree, has died at the age of 81, Tuesday, October 25, 2023.  Roundtree is considered to be "the first black action hero" for his most famous role, the private detective, John Shaft, in the 1971 film, "Shaft."  He played the role in two sequels, "Shaft's Big Score!" (1972) and "Shaft in Africa" (1973), as well as a series to TV films for CBS during the 1973-74 broadcast season. He would return to the role in the "contemporary sequels," "Shaft" (2000) and "Shaft" (2019).  In addition to his film roles, he made numerous TV appearances, including in such TV miniseries and series as "Roots," "Murder, She Wrote," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Desperate Housewives," to name a few.

From Deadline:  Richard Roundtree (1942-2023) - a life in photographs.

From Deadline:  Samuel L. Jackson offers a remembrance of his late co-star, Richard Roundtree.

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ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  Striking actors are set to meet the studios today for Halloween negotiations, but they are still "far apart on key issues."

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (actors) and AMPTP (studios) will resume strike negotiations tomorrow (Tues., Oct. 24th).

From Deadline:  SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher says that the offer from top-earning Hollywood actors to chip in some money to help end the strike "isn't legally compatible with the union's contract.

From Deadline:  Top earning Hollywood actors want to chip in some money to end the SAG-AFTRA strike.

From Deadline:  George Clooney, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck, Tyler Perry and Scarlett Johansson were among a group of top talent guild members that spoke Tuesday (Oct. 17th) with guild president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland for a detailed debrief, we hear.

From Deadline:  The movie studios via AMPTP have suspended their talks with striking actors via SAG-AFTRA.  The snag seems to be that actors want "2 precent of potential profits" on streaming.

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (the actors) and AMPTP (the studios) are to resume strike talks Wed., Oct. 11th, as the actors strike enters Day 88.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Hollywood studios CEOs met for strike talks for the first time since the actors went on strike July 14th. They plan to meet again, Wed., Oct. 4th.

BREAKING - From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.

From WGAContract:  The WGA contract page has additional information on the settlement.

From WGAContract:  A summary of the new agreement.

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From Deadline:   The actors’ strike is now in its 63rd day.  Now, SAG-AFTRA leaders are ramping up their rhetoric against the studio heads, accusing them in the latest issue of the "SAG-AFTRA Magazine" of “behaving like petty tyrants,” “would-be feudal lords” and “land barons in feudal times.”

From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra says that Hollywood unions need to embrace AI.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav says the industry must focus and fight to resolve the writers and actors strikes.

From Deadline:  Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.  Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

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Review: James Gunn Delivers a Series Best in the Great "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 20 of 2023 (No. 1909) by Leroy Douresseaux

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Running time:  150 minutes (2 hours, 30 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements

DIRECTOR:  James Gunn

WRITERS:  James Gunn (based on the Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Henry Braham (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Fred Raskin and Greg D'Auria

COMPOSER:  John Murphy

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Chukwudi Iwuji, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter, Nico Santos, Miriam Shor, Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, and the voices of Linda Cardellini, Seth Green, Maria Bakalova, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a 2023 science fiction, comedy, and action-adventure film written and directed by James Gunn and produced by Marvel Studios.  It is the third film in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy film series, following 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy and 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.  It is also the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).  Vol. 3 finds the Guardians fighting to save one of their members from his creator, a mission that may destroy the Guardians whether they are successful or not.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens on Knowhere, the strange space station where the Guardians of the Galaxy have established their headquarters.  Their leader, Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), mourns the loss of his girlfriend, Gamora (Zoe Saldana).  The alien warlord, Thanos, killed Gamora (as seen in Avengers: Infinity War), but an alternate universe version of her appeared (as seen in Avengers: Endgame).  This new Gamora does not love Peter, and she associates with The Ravagers, which was once essentially Peter's surrogate family.

The group has bigger troubles ahead.  The Guardians are being targeted by the “Sovereign” empress Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), someone with a grudge against them (as seen in Vol. 2).  She sends her son, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), to attack the Guardians, and he grievously wounds Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper).  To save Rocket, Peter and his fellow Guardians:  Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan), and a reluctant Gamora, must confront The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), the Counter-Earth scientist who created Rocket.

The original Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the surprise hits of 2014, if not the surprise hit of the year.  Vol. 2 was a fun sci-fi-action movie and a surprisingly thoughtful character melodrama.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does everything the first two films did well and amplifies that.  Vol. 3 is the series' funniest film, and I found myself laughing throughout it.  That still surprises me because this movie has some pretty dark moments, especially concerning The High Evolutionary, who is superbly played with volcanic intensity and unremitting cruelty by the most excellent Chuckwudi Iwuji.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is one of Marvel Studios' best films in years.  I think it works for three reasons.  First, the film's production values and special effects are impressive.  The CGI-created environments, backdrops, sets (interiors and exteriors), space-ways, worlds, etc. are so dazzling in scope, color, and imagination that they surpass the impressive work of the first two films, especially the second film.  The entire entire “Orgoscope” sequence is an eye-popping collection of inventiveness.  Even the menagerie of people, creatures, and robots exceeds the first two film, probably combined.

The acting is quite good, and that makes me want to engage the characters even more.  Chris Pratt gives his best tern as Peter Quill/Star-Lord – drama, pathos, big emotions, and the sarcasm and quips are still here – but with edginess.  This is the first time that I really hoped that Star-Lord would be a long term MCU character.  It is so shocking that Zoe Saldana can convince me that she is a different Gamora.  Karen Gillan as Nebula and Pom Klementieff as Mantis do superb work with the character arcs that the story gives them.  As Drax the Destroyer, Dave Bautista makes the character seem not extraneous for the first time.  Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper as always are winning in their voice roles as Groot and Rocket, respectively, with Diesel bringing some extra to Groot this time.

The third reason Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is so damn good is writer-director James Gunn.  This is Gunn at the peak of his powers.  Honestly, I liked Vol. 2 so much that I didn't think he could top himself, but he does with this third film.  I did find Vol. 3 a little dry and too dark in the beginning, but once it grabbed me, it would not let go.

This film has a heart – a center that is about the struggle to help a friend or family member no matter how bad his or her troubles might be or even if he or she resists and rejects the help.  In Vol. 3, Gunn makes all the characters unique individuals with wants, needs, goals, conflicts, and melodrama.  However, the best thing that Gunn does is accept that even the most intense relationships change, so he lets some of the characters move on.  The result is a last act for the ages and a closing sequence that recalls the beginning of the original film and leaves the viewer with the warmest feelings.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in the U.S. today, May 5, 2023.  That is 15 years and a few days after the release of the first MCU film, Iron Man (2008).  Vol. 3 exemplifies something that I just realize runs throughout Marvel Studios' film.  In almost all of them, a dominant theme is the formation of surrogate families.  Friends, enemies, heroes, and sometimes even the villains come together in a unit that is more than just a group of friends; they are family.  In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn gives us the end of one version of the family as it evolves into something larger.  What makes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an amazing film is that it is as heartwarming as it is exciting and thrilling.  Yes, there are big, mesmerizing action set pieces, but by the end, I really believe that these guys love one another.  I could watch it forever.

9 of 10

A+

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Friday, May 5, 2023

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 16th to 22nd, 2023 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Less than two weeks before a mini-trial is scheduled to begin in New Mexico over the October 2021 killing of "Rust" cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, all charges are going to be dropped against Alec Baldwin... for now.

From Deadline:  Despite the criminal charges against Alec Baldwin being dropped, the family of Halyna Hutchins will press ahead with their civil suit against him. Baldwin was holding the prop gun that fired the bullet that killed Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust," in October 2021.

From Deadline:  Special prosecutors say that despite dropping charges against Alec Baldwin, he is not absolved his role in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer on the Western film, "Rust."  Charges could be refiled after "further investigation."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Three-time Emmy nominee Gail O’Grady is set for a key recurring role in J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan’s Max period drama, "Duster," which will star Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Louis Leterrier, who is the director of the upcoming "Fast X," will direct the "Fast & Furious" film that follows.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Lionsgate Television is in early development of a TV series based on the Stephanie Meyer's best-selling "Twilight" book series.  The final entry in the film adaptation of the series, "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2," arrived in 2012.  There is currently no writer attached to the project, nor is there a buyer.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Emmy and Tony Award-winner Courtney B. Vance has joined Disney's live-action version of its 2002 animated hit, "Lilo & Stitch."  He play the character, "Cobra Bubbles," a role originally voiced by Ving Rhames.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros has won the rights to the hot package, "Maude v Maude," starring Oscar-winners Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie.  Both will also produce, with Halle producing under her HalleHolly banner she formed with her partner, Holly Jeter.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Martin Scorsese has set the runtime of his next film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," at 3 hours and 26 minutes.  The film is due October from Paramount Pictures and later on Apple TV+. The film stars Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

DISNEY - From THR:  King of Disney Bob Iger talks about firing Ike Perlmutter's ass and dealing with big baby, Ron DeSantis.

From THR:  A week and a half ago, after Disney fired him, former Marvel Entertainment boss, Ike Perlmutter, releases a statement.  Perlmutter is still Disney's largest shareholder.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix has won the global rights to the French fantasy-drama, "Vortex."  It will make the series available in 190 countries beginning June 2nd.

GUILDS - From Deadline:  WGA (Writers Guild of America) members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The vote, which was approved by nearly 98% of the eligible voting members, authorizes the WGA West Board and the WGA East Council to call a strike if a fair deal for a new film and TV contract isn’t reached by May 1, when the current pact expires.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Sylvester Stallone will star in and produce Amazon Studios' action-comedy, "Never Too Old to Die."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/14 to 4/16/2023 weekend box office is Universal/Illumination Entertainment's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" with an estimated take of 87 million dollars.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  When she was 13 year old, Samantha Geimer, was raped by Oscar-winning French-Polish director, Roman Polanski.  In a new interview conducted by Polanski's wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, Geimer denies that she is a victim and that what happened with Polanski has "never been a problem for her."

Review: "CREED II" Stands Strongly on Its Own

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 of 2023 (No. 1899) by Leroy Douresseaux

Creed II (2018)

Running time:  130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sports action violence, language, and a scene of sensuality

DIRECTOR:  Steven Caple, Jr.

WRITERS: Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone; based on a story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker (based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone and Ryan Coogler)

PRODUCERS:  William Chartoff, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King-Templeton, Charles Winkler, David Winkler, and Irwin Winker

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kramer Morgenthau (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Dana E. Glauberman, Saira Haider, and Paul Harb

COMPOSER:  Ludwig Goransson

DRAMA/SPORTS

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Milo Ventimiglia, Robbie Johns, Brigitte Nielsen, Andre Ward, Tony Bellew, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, Max Kellerman, Jim Lampley, Roy Jones, Jr., Michael Buffer, and Scott Van Pelt

Creed II is a 2018 boxing drama and sports movies directed by Steven Caple, Jr.  It is the eighth entry in the Rocky film series, which began with the 1976 film, Rocky.  Creed II is also a sequel to 2015's Creed, which was a spin-off of the Rocky series.  In Creed II, newly crowned heavyweight champion, Adonis Creed, faces off against a boxer who is the son of the man who killed his father in the boxing ring.

Creed II opens three years after the events depicted in Creed.  Boxer Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan) finally defeats his rival, Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler (Andre Ward), to win the heavyweight championship of the world.  By his side is his trainer, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), the rival-turned-friend of his late father, Apollo Creed.  Creed's widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), who adopted Donnie as her son, is proud of him and his accomplishments.  His girlfriend, singer-songwriter Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson), also accepts his proposal of marriage

On the other side of the world, however, ghosts from his and Rocky's pasts stir. In Kyiv, Ukraine lives Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the former Soviet Union boxer who killed Apollo Creed during a bout in 1985.  After losing to Rocky in a subsequent boxing match, Ivan moved to Ukraine in exile.  Seeking an opportunity for redemption and a chance to regain glory, Ivan has been training his son, Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), to be a professional boxer.  Using training methods that are practically torture, Ivan has turned Viktor into a monster of a boxer who can and has broken his opponents' bodies.

Assisted by American boxing promoter, Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby), Ivan is determined to get Viktor a match against Donnie.  For Donnie, it is a chance to settle his late father's affairs, but Rocky wants no part of such a match.  Can Donnie's body take the punishment fighting Viktor will inflict?  Donnie must also answer this question: why is he really a fighter?

As I said in my review of Creed, I have never watched the movie, Rocky, or any of its sequels in their entirety.  I doubt that I have ever watched enough of them to amount to an entire film.  I don't like boxing movies, but after watching these Creed films, I am thinking about diving into the Rocky series.

I thought director Ryan Coogler delivered some powerful work in the first Creed, and I think director Steven Caple, Jr. delivers an equally powerful film in Creed II.  Although Creed II's story is directly connected to 1985's Rocky IV, it is not as reliant on the Rocky franchise the way Creed, with its multiple intimate connections, was.

Like Coogler did in the first film, Caple gives Sylvester Stallone the space he needs to give one of his best performances as Rocky Balboa in decades.  Stallone, who also co-wrote Creed II's screenplay, actually evolves the character of Rocky, showing more about his character and life.

Caple also gets an excellent performance from Michael B. Jordan.  Jordan makes Adonis Creed seem genuine; all his hopes and dreams and the things that make him proud or angry resonate strongly in Creed II.  I dare say that Jordan is Adonis Creed the way great actors have seemingly made themselves into their characters (for instance, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and as Henry “Indiana” Jones).  Simply put, Jordan makes Donnie real.

Tessa Thompson as Bianca Taylor is good, but the character seems as if she is becoming a younger version of Phylicia Rashad's Mary Anne, and Rashad already does the mothering in this film quite well.  Dolph Lundgren is nice as Ivan Drago, delivering a layered performance as a fully developed character.  I must say, however, that Florian Munteanu is magnificent as Viktor Drago.  Viktor does not have many lines, but Munteanu tells the character's story and reveals his personality with his expressive eyes and emotive facial expressions.  Viktor Drago needs his own movie.

I did not think that I would like Creed II so much, but I love it.  I think its depictions of boxing matches are more intense than those in Creed (shout-out to Creed II's editors:  Dana E. Glauberman, Saira Haider, and Paul Harb).  The finale between Donnie and Viktor is the cherry on top of Creed II, a movie that can go toe-to-toe with the other boxing movies that I have deigned to watch.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, March 2, 2023

NOTES:

2019 Black Reel Awards:  2 nominations: “Outstanding Actor” (Michael B. Jordan) and “Outstanding Score” (Ludwig Göransson)

2019 Image Awards (NAACP): 1 nomination: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan)

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "CREED" Fights Furiously in the Shadow of "Rocky"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 of 2023 (No. 1898) by Leroy Douresseaux

Creed (2015)

Running time:  133 minutes (2 hours, 13 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality

DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler

WRITERS: Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington; from a story by Ryan Coogler (based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone)

PRODUCERS:  Roger Chartoff, William Chartoff, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King-Templeton, Charles Winkler, David Winkler, and Irwin Winker

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Maryse Alberti (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Claudia Castello and Michael P. Shawver

COMPOSER:  Ludwig Goransson

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/SPORTS

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, Tony Bellew, Ritchie Coster, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, Graham McTavish, Gabe Rosado, Brian Anthony Wilson, Max Kellerman, Jim Lampley, Michael Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser, and Hannah Storm

Creed is a 2015 boxing drama and sports movies directed by Ryan Coogler.  It is the seventh film in the Rocky film series, which began with the 1976 film, Rocky.  Creed is also a spin-off of the Rocky series.  The film focuses on a young boxer who struggles with his legacy, but seeks out his late father's friend and former rival to be his trainer.

Creed introduces Adonis “Donnie” Johnson (Michael B. Jordan).  He is the son of former heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed via an extramarital affair.  Creed's widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), took Donnie into her home in Los Angeles, which opens up many opportunities for him.  However, Donnie also wants to be a boxer, but when he finds that no one will support or train him, he travels to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

There, he convinces Apollo Creed's old friend and former rival, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), to train him.  Initially reluctant to return to boxing, Rocky eventually agrees and begins training Donnie at his old stomping grounds, Front Street Gym.  When Donnie gets the offer to fight the “light heavyweight” champion of the world, “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew), Stallone isn't sure that he should do it.  Donnie's new girlfriend, singer-songwriter, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), also has her doubts.

To do this, Donnie will have to embrace his legacy as well as forge a new one for himself.  But is he willing to accept that the world does not want Adonis Johnson.  It wants “Adonis Creed?”

I have never watched the movie Rocky or any of its sequels in their entirety.  I doubt that I have ever watched enough of them to amount to an entire film.  I don't like boxing movies, although there is one I do like, the 1949 Film-Noir, The Set-Up.  However, I have been a fan of writer-director Ryan Coogler since seeing his powerful film debut, Fruitvale Station (2013).  I am crazy about his two films for Disney's Marvel Studios, Black Panther (2018) and its sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).  I am intrigued by the upcoming Creed III, so I decided to see the one Coogler film that I'd skipped, the first film in the series, 2015's Creed.

In some ways, Creed seems entirely reliant on the first three film in the Rocky series.  It obviously would not exist with those films, but sometimes Creed acts as if it could not exist without constantly referencing the past.  Creed, as a film, struggles with its own legacy (Rocky) as it tries to become its own thing just as Adonis Johnson struggles with the legacy of Apollo Creed.  Will becoming Adonis Creed overshadow Adonis' own identity and achievements?  Can Creed escape the shadow of Rocky.  Perhaps, they find a happy medium, Adonis more so than the film that tells his story.

Beyond that, Creed is a really good film because Ryan Coogler is an exceptionally good filmmaker.  Here, his work makes him come across as a natural, and I now see why Marvel was willing to consider him for Black Panther all those years ago.  Coogler gives Sylvester Stallone the space he needs to give his best performance as Rocky Balboa in three decades.  The role had become a stereotype, but here, Coogler makes old and ailing Rocky seem like a genuine life lived instead of as a caricature revived.

Coogler also gets Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson to give what still seem to be the best performances of their careers.  Adonis and Bianca have weight and depth, and Jordan makes Adonis feel like an especially developed character.  Jordan carries Adonis' history and emotions as if they were real things.

It is a shame that the Oscars could only recognize Stallone – via the “Best Supporting Actor” category that he did not, but should have won.  It is as if the Academy, especially the directors and screenwriters' branches, fears Ryan Coogler colossal talent.  Still, Creed, in spite of its spin-off imperfections, will be remembered much more than many of 2016's Oscar favorites.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, February 25, 2023

NOTES:

2016 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Sylvester Stallone)

2016 Black Reel Awards:  5 wins: “Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Tessa Thompson), “Outstanding Director, Motion Picture” (Ryan Coogler), “Outstanding Original or Adapted Screenplay, Motion Picture” (Aaron Covington and Ryan Coogler), and “Outstanding Motion Picture” (Sylvester Stallone, Irwin Winkler, David Winkler, Robert Chartoff, William Chartoff, Kevin King-Templeton); 4 nominations: “Outstanding Score” (Ludwig Göransson), “Outstanding Ensemble” (Francine Maisler), “Outstanding Original Song” (Tessa Thompson, Ludwig Göransson, and Sam Dew for the song, “Grip”), “Outstanding Original Song” (Donald Glover, Vince Staples, Jhené Aiko, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson for the song, “Waiting for My Moment”)

2016 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Sylvester Stallone)

2016 Image Awards (NAACP):  4 wins: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Tessa Thompson), “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical” (Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington), “Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical” (Ryan Coogler); 2 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture” and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Phylicia Rashad)

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 17th to 23rd, 2022 - Update #17

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SDCC - From Variety: "John Wick 4" has a new trailer and a release date, March 24, 2023.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jordan Peele's latest film, "Nope," grosses 6.4 million dollars in Thursday night preview sales.  The film opens wide today (Fri., July 22nd).

SDCC - From Deadline:  What to expect at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, including a list of panels.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  A look at movie star salaries - from Tom Cruise's one million plus payday for "Top Gun: Maverick" to 20 million to Joaquin Phoenix for "Joker 2."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The sequel to the 2021 "Mortal Kombat" film (a reboot of the 1990s film series) is moving forward.  Director Simon McQuiod is returning for the sequel.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Paramount Pictures unveils first looks at actors in costumes for "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."

SCANDAL - From Variety:  The attorney for Oscar-winning director, Roman Polanski, has indicated that he will try to resolve the director's rape case (involving a then 13-year-old girl) that has dogged Polanski for 45 years.

MOVIES - From Variety:  The character, "John Wick," was originally supposed to be 75 years old ... then, came Keanu.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Dune: Part Two" has begun filming.  Warner Bros. and Legendary have also released a synopsis and full cast list.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Eddie Murphy will star in and Reginald Hudlin will direct the holiday comedy, "Candy Cane Lane."

BREAKING - From Deadline:  A crew member for the NBC series, "Law & Order: Organized Crime" was shot and killed early this morning (Tues., 7/19).

MOVIES - From LATimes:  Actor Sylvester Stallone tells the producers of his  Oscar-winning film, "Rocky," that he wants "what's left of my rights back."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/15 to 7/17/2022 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love and Thunder" with an estimated take of 46 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Thor: Love and Thunder."

MOVIES - From THR:  The July 15th, 2022 issue of "The Hollywood Reporter" has a cover profile of Oscar-winning actor, Daniel Kaluuya.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple.

UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

From YahooAP:  An 18-year-old gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers on Tues., May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.  All 21 victims were in the same 4th grade classroom at Robb Elementary.

From TexasTribune:  The Texas House of Representatives has released its "Robb Elementary Investigative Committee Report," concerning the massacre of 19 children at two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. They found that the "systematic failures" went far beyond the local police.

From RSN:  At a school board meeting, parents in Uvalde Texas demanded better school security and also demanded that Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo be fired.

From TheDailyBeast:  Texas's top law enforcement official, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McGraw, has said that the school shooter in Uvalde, Texas could have been taken down in three minutes.

From TheDailyBeast:  Police officers responding to last month’s mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school never even tried to open the door to the classroom where young children were trapped with the gunman, according to a new report. 

From Jacobin:  "The Uvalde Massacre has exposed the lies that once justified police militarization" by Branko Marcetic

From Truthout:  We don’t need more evidence that police can’t be trusted.

From Truthout:   44 percent of GOP voters view mass shootings as part of living in “Free Society”

From ABCNews:  Arnulfo Reyes, a teacher who survived the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, calls the local police "cowards" because of slow response to an active shooter at his school, Robb Elementary.  All of 11 students in his class were killed.

From DallasNews:  Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, has died of a heart attack two days after the murder of his wife.  They had been married for 24 years and had been high school sweethearts.

From Axios:  Texas gubernatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, interrupted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's gaslighting press conference on the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.

From USAToday:  Beto O'Rourke's outburst at Gov. Greg Abbott's Uvalde news conference shows the spine Democrats need.

From BostonGlobe:  Steve Kerr, head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, asks "When are we going to do something?"

From NBCNews:  A Robb Elementary teacher describes "the longest 35 minutes of my life" and the terror she now feels.

From NBCNews:  The Uvalde school district had an extensive safety plan, but 19 children were killed at Robb Elementary anyway.  Even security plans that appear to be up to the latest research-based standards may have gaps and fall short of preventing the worst-case scenario, experts said.

From MSN:  Angeli Rose Gomez, the mother who was handcuffed outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, was able to get inside the school and rescue her two children.

From YahooNews:   Daniel Defense, the maker of the rifles used by the Uvalde massacre killer, has used "incendiary ads" in the past, including one in which a toddler holds one of its rifles.

From TheIntercept:  The police aren't obligated to protect anyone NOT in their custody, as the Supreme Court has ruled twice.

From RollingStone:  Right wing lies about the Second Amendment and why they tell them are killing America's childrne.

From Vice:  The law enforcement personnel in Texas that arrived at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas on Tues., May 24th did the opposite of what their own training documentary videos show.

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

From TheDailyBeast:  The families in Uvalde, Texas who lost loved one in the Robb Elementary massacre say that the cops there are "Nothing more than cowards" and that they need to pay for doing nothing while a gunman rampaged through the school last Tues, May 24th.

From TheNewYorker:  Thoughts and prayers, Uvalde, Texas. This is the America that Republicans and the right wing have being thinking about and praying for all these decades.

From ABC:  Sources say that Uvalde police and school district no longer cooperating with Texas probe of shooting of the May 24th massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

From GuardianUK:  Canada plans to freeze all handgun ownership.

From RSNWashPost:  Is it time to show the true horror of mass shooting - in pictures?

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mother who rescued her two children from the Robb Elementary shooting massacre, says that a police officer threatened to arrest her if she did not stop telling her story.

From RSNTheAtlantic:  The Uvalde police chose dishonor. Where was there courage?

From RSNWashPost:  Brenda Bell:  I hid from the Texas Tower sniper (Charles Joseph Whitman) in 1966. His successors have found us all.

From RSNTheIntercept:  "AR-15s Were Made to Explode Human Bodies. In Uvalde, the Bodies Belonged to Children" by Murtaza Hussain

From RSNNPR:  The tragic history of police responding too late to active shooters.

From VICE:  There is likely bodycam footage of the school shooting in Uvalde, TX, but the public may never see it.

BLM-BUFFALO:

From ABCNews:  A 18-year-old white MAN shot 13 people, killing 10 at a Buffalo, New York Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Saturday, May 14, 2021.

From RSNAP:  The white male suspect in the Buffalo Tops Supermarket shooting, Payton Gendron, was charged with federal hate crimes on Wed., June 15th and could face the death penalty if convicted.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo at the Tops Friendly supermarket was crafted to terrorize us.  We can fight back, and here’s how we fight back.

From WGRZ:  Who are the victims of the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets grocery store shooting. This comes from local station WGRZ Channel 2 and includes video and some victim photos.

From BuffaloNews:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Katherine "Kat" Massey.  She was a leader in her community and civil rights activist and advocate for education.

From NewYorkPost:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Andre Mackniel. He was at TOPS Supermaket to pick up a birthday cake for his son.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo, NY at the Tops supermarket was crafted to terrorize us, so here is how we fight back.

From CNN:  What is known about the 18-year-old MAN, Payton Gendron.

From NPR:  198 mass shooting this year ... so far.

From Truthout:  White supremacist massacre of 10 people in Buffalo, NY shows that the “Alt-Right” ideology leads to murder.

From RollingStone:  Buffalo rampage killing is "Straight Up Racially Motivated Hate Crime."

From InformedComment:  Rene Binet, the originator the "great replacement" was a French Nazi, and he saw all American as "Negroes," an "impure mestizo 'race'."

From WashPost:  Only 22 people saw the live-stream of a white terrorist kill Black shoppers at the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets supermarket, but millions have seen it since...

From GuardianUK:  Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shooter may have been motivated by "eco-fascism," a focus on overpopulation and environmental degradation.

From RSN:  "What Lessons Have We Learned From the Buffalo Shooting?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

From Truthout:  “Innocent” White People Are Also Complicit in the Anti-Black Murders in Buffalo by George Yancy.

From Truthout:  "Black Lives Matter" cofounder discovered that Alicia Garza has learned that her name is mentioned in the Buffalo Tops supermarket killer's manifesto.

From GuardianUK:   Cornell West says, "Trump isn't out there with a gun, but he's enabled this war against Black people.

From Slate:  From the Tulsa Race Massacre to the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shootings: the legacy of anti-Black violence.

From Truthout:  After mass shootings, Republicans shield white supremacists from scrutiny

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mom who rescued her children from the school shooting at Robb Elementary, says that local police have threatened to have her arrested if she does not stop telling her story.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 7th, 2022 - Update #19

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:  "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" has grossed $86 million at the international box office after two days of release.

From Here:  My review of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

SCANDAL/TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Disney has fired Fred Savage as executive producer and director of ABC's freshman TV series, "The Wonder Years" for "inappropriate conduct."  Savage was the star of the original version of "The Wonder Years" from 1988-93.

From Deadline:  Actress Alley Mills, who played the family matriarch on the original version of "The Wonder Years," says that the series was cancelled for what she called a ridiculous harassment lawsuit against then 16-year old lead, Fred Savage, and his co-star, then 20-year old Jason Hervey.

POLITICS/TELEVISION - From NYPost:  Five Republican U.S. Senators want TV ratings updated to warn parents about shows with LGBTQ characters and have sent a letter to the "TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board" asking for a TV ratings overhaul.

EMMY AWARDS - From THR:  The nominees for the 2022 Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced on June 24th in a ceremony to air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has renewed its hit Sunday night drama, "The Equalizer," for a third and fourth season, beginning with the 2022-23.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:   Los Angeles police have identified and arrested the man who allegedly attacked Dave Chappelle onstage at the Hollywood Bowl during the "Netflix Is A Joke" festival. Police say 23-year-old Isaiah Lee was taken into custody for assault with a deadly weapon on Tuesday night.

CULTURE - From Politico:  "We hold that 'Roe' and 'Casey' must be overruled."

MOVIES - From THR:  Director Elizabeth Bank's thriller, "Cocaine Bear," is currently scheduled to debut in theaters Feb. 24th, 2023.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Two-time Emmy winner Jeff Daniels will play the lead in the Netflix miniseries, "A Man in Full," an adaptation of Tom Wolfe's 1998 novel.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Paramount+ drops first look at actor Sylvester Stallone as mob boss, "Dwight," in Taylor Sheridan's streaming series, "Tulsa."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sources say that Louis Leterrier is Universal Picture's top choice to replace Justin Lin as director of "Fast X," the tenth "Fast & Furious" films.

From THR:  The story of how, why, and when Justin Lin departed as director of "Fast X."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/29 to 5/1/2022 weekend box office is DreamWorks Animation's "The Bad Guys" with an estimated total of 16.1 million dollars.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline:  Jon Watts, director of Sony/Marvel's three Spider-Man films, has decided not to direct Marvel Studios' still-developing "Fantastic Four" film.

OBITS:

From BleedingCool:  Comic book writer and artist, George Perez, has died at the age of 67, Friday, May 6, 2022.  Among his best known works are "New Teen Titans, " Crisis on Infinite Earths," "Wonder Woman" and "Avengers."

From Deadline:  Country singer and actress, Naomi Judd, has died at the age of 76, Saturday, April 30, 2022.  Naomi and her elder daughter, Wynonna, formed the award-winning country music duo, "The Judds" in 1983.  They released six studio albums from 1984 to 1990 and won five Grammy Awards from 1985 to 1992. Naomi also won a Grammy in the category of "Best Country Song" for co-writing the song, "Love Can Build a Bridge."  As an actress, Naomi made guest appearances on several TV series, including "3rd Rock from the Sun" and "Touched by an Angel." Naomi's young daughter is Oscar-nominated actress, Ashley Judd.

From People: "Sources" have apparently told "People" magazine that Naomi Judd died by suicide Sat. April 30th.

From Deadline:  Actor Mike Hagerty has died at the age of 67, Friday, April 29, 2022.  He was best known for playing the building super, "Mr. Treeger," in NBC's late sitcom, "Friends," and a used clothing store owner in NBC's former sitcom, "Seinfeld."  He was currently seen in HBO's "Someboyd Somewhere."